Objective To explore the effects of biofeedback training on clinical symptom,psychological state and quality of life in patients with functional constipation (FC).Methods Forty-nine patients with FC diagnosed by Rome Ⅲ were enrolled and received biofeedback training Bowel symptom measure, Zung's self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS) and Chinese version of the MOS 36-item short form healthy survey (SF-36) were recorded to assess the effects before and aftertreatment.Results After biofeedback training, clinical symptom of patients with FC was greatly improved:there was a very significant decrease in total and subscales scores of bowel symptom including spontaneous frequency of bowel movements, straining effort, sensation of anorectal obstruction/blockage, stool consistence and bloating.Patients with FC also improved their quality of life as well as psychological status after biofeedback.All subcategories of SF-36 including general health, physical function, bodily pain, role physical, vitality, social function, role emotion and mental health showed marked increase.Compared to the scores before biofeedback training, SAS (41.0 ±8.1 vs 46.5 ± 11.9) and SDS (44.0 ±8.2 vs 51.2 ±11.5) scores decreased significantly after biofeedback training Conclusion Biofeedback training can improve clinical symptom, psychological status and quality of life in patients with FC.

Objective:To investigate relationships between nasal parasitism by Demodex mites and nasal skin microbiome in patients with rosacea. Methods:From May 2017 to June 2019, 14 patients with rosacea, including 8 with early-stage rosacea and 6 with intermediate-stage rosacea, and 14 human controls with healthy facial skin were collected from Department of Dermatology, Shunde District Center for Prevention and Cure of Chronic Disease of Foshan City. Microbial samples were collected from the nasal alar and nasolabial folds of the subjects. Then, DNA was extracted from the samples, and subjected to metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Relative abundance of strains was estimated by using composition ratios of Demodex mites and microbial reads. Shannon index was calculated to evaluate α diversity of microbiome, and principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to assess β diversity based on relative abundance of microbial species. Enumeration data were compared by using two-independent-sample t test, and relationships between nasal Demodex mites and skin microbiome were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Results:The relative abundance of nasal Demodex mites was significantly higher in the rosacea group (1.647% ± 0.389%) than in the healthy group (0.448% ± 0.089%, t = 2.92, P = 0.007) . The relative abundance of Demodex mites was negatively correlated with the relative abundance of bacteria ( r = -0.95, P < 0.001) , and positively correlated with the relative abundance of fungi ( r = 0.76, P < 0.001) . The Shannon indices of nasal bacterial and fungal communities were significantly higher in the rosacea group (0.91 ± 0.17, 1.261 ± 0.045, respectively) than in the healthy group (0.47 ± 0.12, 0.549 ± 0.071, t = 2.17, 8.48, respectively, both P < 0.05) ; PCA showed that the β diversity of bacterial communities significantly differed between the rosacea group and healthy group ( t = 2.32, P = 0.029) , while no significant difference in the β diversity of fungal communities was observed between the two groups ( t = 0.82, P = 0.461) . In addition, the relative abundance of Demodex mites was significantly higher in the patients with intermediate-stage rosacea than in those with early-stage rosacea ( t = 6.56, P < 0.001) ; there was no significant difference in the Shannon indices of nasal bacterial or fungal communities between the two patient groups (both P > 0.05) ; PCA showed that the β diversities of bacterial and fungal communities significantly differed between the two patient groups (both P < 0.05) . Conclusion:Parasitism of Demodex mites on the nasal skin may affect nasal microbial community structure.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of age and gender on skin microbiome on the face of healthy adults by metagenomic sequencing. Methods: From June 2017 to June 2018, 36 adult volunteers with healthy facial skin were enrolled from the Department of Dermatology, Center for Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases of Shunde, including 16 young volunteers (9 males and 7 females) aged 24-31 (27.1 ± 1.3) years and 20 senior volunteers (10 males and 10 females) aged 61-84 (75.8 ± 2.2) years. Skin microbe samples were obtained from the cheek of volunteers, and DNA was extracted from these samples and subjected to metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, so as to evaluate the effect of age and gender factors on microbiota on the healthy facial skin of adults. Statistical analysis was carried out by using two independent-sample t test, Wilcoxon rank sum test and Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The senior group showed significantly higher α diversities of bacterial and fungal communities on the facial skin (Shannon index: 0.98 ± 0.07, 1.11 ± 0.05 respectively) compared with those in the young group (0.72 ± 0.09, 0.81 ± 0.05 respectively; t = 2.201, 3.836, P = 0.035, < 0.001 respectively) . Principal component analysis revealed that age could significantly affect β diversities of bacterial and fungal communities on the facial skin (t = 6.991, 11.591 respectively, both P < 0.001) . There were no significant differences in α diversities of bacterial and fungal communities between males and females (Shannon index: bacteria, 0.83 ± 0.08 vs. 0.92 ± 0.09; fungi, 0.92 ± 0.06 vs. 1.04 ± 0.05; t = 0.801, 1.332 respectively, both P > 0.05) . Gender factor could only affect the β diversity of bacterial communities (t = 2.149, P = 0.020) , but not the β diversity of fungal communities (t = 0.439, P = 0.663) . Moreover, the activity of metabolic pathways in bacterial and fungal communities was significantly lower in the senior group than in the young group (t = 1.995, 2.464, P = 0.020, 0.025, respectively) , while gender factor did not affect the activity of metabolic pathways in bacterial and fungal communities (t = 0.895, 0.483, P = 0.378, 0.631, respectively) . According to the relative abundance of different bacteria and fungi between the senior group and young group, Pearson correlation analysis showed positive or negative correlations between some fungi and bacteria, between some bacteria and bacteria, as well as between some fungi and fungi. Conclusion Age factor, but not gender, markedly affects α and β diversities of, and activity of metabolic pathways in bacterial and fungal communities on the healthy face of adults.

Objective:To explore the value of quantitative parameters of enhanced MRI in predicting the establishment of inferior vena cava collateral circulation in patients with renal cell carcinoma and inferior vena cava tumor thrombus.Methods:Sixty-seven patients with renal cell carcinoma and inferior vena cava tumor thrombus who underwent radical resection and inferior vena cava venography in First Medical Center, PLA General Hospital from May 2006 to January 2021 were included retrospectively. According to the results of inferior vena cava venography, the patients were divided into two groups: the well-established collateral circulation group ( n=41) and the poor-established collateral circulation group ( n=26). Quantitative parameters were measured on preoperative enhanced MRI images, including tumor size, the maximum diameter of bilateral lumbar veins, the length of tumor thrombus, and the long and short diameters of tumor thrombus. Student′s t test or Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between the two groups. The independent risk factors related to the establishment of collateral circulation were obtained by binary logistic regression analysis and the model was established. The receiver operating characteristic curve was employed to evaluate MRI quantitative parameters and the logistic model, and the area under the curve (AUC) was compared by the DeLong test. Results:Between the well-established collateral circulation group and the poor-established collateral circulation group, the maximum diameter of the right lumbar vein, the maximum diameter of the left lumbar vein, the length of the tumor thrombus, the long diameter of the tumor thrombus, and the short diameter of the tumor thrombus were different significantly ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the tumor size between the two groups ( t=0.30, P=0.766). The AUC of the maximum diameters of the right lumbar veins and left lumbar veins, length of tumor thrombus, long and short diameters of tumor thrombus in predicting the collateral circulation were 0.917 (95%CI 0.824-0.971), 0.869 (95%CI 0.764-0.939), 0.756 (95%CI 0.636-0.853), 0.886 (95%CI 0.785-0.951), and 0.906 (95%CI 0.809-0.963). The AUC of the maximum diameter of the right lumbar vein and the short diameter of the tumor thrombus were larger than those of the length of the tumor thrombus, and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=2.25, 2.04, P=0.025, 0.041), but the AUC between other parameters had no significant difference ( P>0.05). The maximum diameter of the right lumbar vein (OR 24.210, 95%CI 2.845-205.998), the maximum diameter of the left lumbar vein (OR 20.973, 95%CI 2.359-186.490), and the length of the tumor thrombus (OR 23.006, 95%CI 2.952-179.309) were independent risk factors for predicting the establishment of inferior vena cava collateral circulation. The AUC of logistic model was 0.969 (95%CI 0.931-1.000). Conclusion:Quantitative parameters of tumor thrombus and lumbar vein based on enhanced MRI have a good ability in predicting the establishment of inferior vena cava collateral circulation in patients with renal cell carcinoma and inferior vena cava tumor thrombus. The maximum diameter of bilateral lumbar veins and the length of the tumor thrombus were independent risk factors for inferior vena cava collateral circulation.

Background: The occurrence of gastrointestinal symptoms in cirrhotic patients with gastroesophageal varices (GOV) after endoscopic treatment is obvious, and the role of gastric myoelectrical activity (GMA) and autonomic nerve function imbalance in the development of gastrointestinal symptoms has not been clarified. Aims: To investigate the changes of GMA and autonomic nerve function in cirrhotic patients with GOV after endoscopic treatment. Methods: Twenty-five cirrhotic patients with GOV from May 2019 to October 2019 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were enrolled, and 10 patients with gastric polyp were served as controls. Electrogastrogram (EGG) and heart rate variability (HRV) were detected before the operation, 1 day after the operation and 5 days after the operation in GOV group. For the gastric polyp group, EGG and HRV were detected before the operation and 1 day after the operation. Changes of GMA and autonomic nerve function were compared between the two groups. Results: No significant differences in GMA and autonomic nerve function were found between GOV group and gastric polyp group before and 1 day after the operation (P>0.05). LF, LF/HF were significantly increased 1 day after the operation in GOV group (P<0.05), while HF was significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the percentage of bradygastria was significantly increased (P<0.01). There were no significant differences in GMA and autonomic nerve function between pre-operation and 5 days after the operation in GOV group (P>0.05). There were no significant differences in GMA and autonomic nerve function 1 day after the operation compared with pre-operation in gastric polyp group (P>0.05). Compared with Child-Pugh A group, Child-Pugh B group had more obvious GMA abnormalities, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions: In cirrhotic patients with GOV, the percentage of bradygastria and the sympathetic activity increased, and the vagal activity decreased 1 day after the operation. These results suggest that GMA and autonomic nerve dysfunction may be related to the gastrointestinal symptoms after endoscopic treatment.

"Biochemical Engineering Experiment" is a compulsory curriculum for the concentrated practical teaching of biotechnology majors in Hunan University of Science and Engineering. It is also an experimental curriculum for improving the overall quality of bioengineering students under the context of "Emerging Engineering Education". The course includes comprehensive experiments and designable experiments, and the contents of which are designed by combining the local characteristic resources of Yongzhou, the research platform and the characteristics of the talents with engineering background. In the teaching practice, methods such as heuristic teaching, research cases-embedded teaching and interactive teaching are comprehensively used to boost students' interest in learning and stimulate their innovative thinking and application capability. Through curriculum examination and post-class investigation, it was found that the students' abilities of knowledge transfer and application were significantly improved, and they achieved excellent performances in discipline competitions and approved project proposals. The practice and continuous improvement of this course may facilitate fostering high-level innovative and application-oriented talents of biotechnology majors.
Humans ; Curriculum ; Students ; Learning ; Bioengineering ; Biomedical Engineering

【Objective】 To reveal the integral in vivo polypharmacokinetics (PPK) similarity or difference between Jinyinhua (Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, LJF) and Shanyinhua (Lonicerae Flos, LF), and provide reference for their clinical application. 【Methods】 The PPK model and its total quantum statistical moment similarity (TQSMS) method were used to compare the integral PPK profiles of nine components with anti-inflammatory efficacy (rutin, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, dispsacoside B, macranthoidin B, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid B, and isochlorogenic acid C) of LJF and LF. A total of 54 Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) grade Kunming (KM) mice were randomized into LJF group and LF group (n = 27), and each group was divided into nine subgroups (n = 3) according to different time points. Subsequently, mice model of p-xylene-induced ear edema was constructed by oral administration of LJF and LF. The concentrations of the nine anti-inflammatory components in plasma samples of the mice were determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS). And the pharmacokinetics (PK) parameters of single component and the integral PPK parameters [total quantum statistical moment (TQSM) and TQSMS] of multiple components were calculated by Drug And Statistics (DAS) software and home-brew programs with Excel, respectively. 【Results】 There were significant differences in single-component PK parameters between LJF and LF (P < 0.05). Whereas, no significant differences were found in multi-component TQSM parameters, including total quantum zero moment (AUCT0-t, AUCT0-∞) and total quantum first moment (MRTT0-t, MRTT0-∞) for the total quanta (P > 0.05). Accordingly, single-component TQSMS varied from 0.220 4 to 0.968 9, and that for the total quanta was 0.828 4, suggesting no significant differences in the speed and extent of bioavailability between LJF and LF. Furthermore, in light of high TQSMS (0.828 4), the integral PPK profiles of the nine anti-inflammatory components of LJF and LF were similar under 90% confidence intervals. 【Conclusion】 The PPK model and its TQSMS method are appropriate and efficient to compare the similarity or difference of integral PPK profiles of multi-component herbal medicines. It is suggested in this research that LJF can be replaced with LF or vice versa for anti-inflammatory treatment.