Objective:To apply CBL combined with PBL based on SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based) principle in nursing practice teaching in radiotherapy.Methods:A total of 100 nurses who performed nursing practice in the Department of Radiotherapy in Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from May 2016 to May 2020 were selected as the research objects. They were divided into a control group and a study group according to their admissions, with 50 people in each group. The study group used CBL combined with PBL teaching based on SMART principle, and the control group used traditional practice teaching. After the clinical practice, the two groups were assessed on theoretical and clinical practice skills, and the two groups' teaching satisfaction and teaching effects were evaluated through seminars and questionnaire surveys. SPSS 22.0 was used for t test and chi-square test. Results:The theoretical and clinical practice performance assessment scores of the practical nurses in the study group were higher than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences ( P<0.001). The teaching satisfaction rate of the practice nurses in the control group was 62.00% (31/50), and that of the practice nurses in the study group was 96.00% (48/50), with significant differences ( P<0.001). In terms of improving independent learning ability, information acquisition and problem analysis ability, improving clinical thinking ability, mobilizing learning enthusiasm, enhancing teamwork ability, nurse-patient communication ability, and recognition of innovation ability, the teaching satisfaction of the research group was higher than that of the control group. Conclusion:The application of SMART principle in teaching has the advantages of clear goals and quantifiable evaluation. The combination of CBL and PBL based on SMART principle can help to improve the mastery of theoretical and practical skills of radiotherapy practice nurses, and achieve satisfactory teaching results.

Objective: More than 75% of ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed at advanced stages and die of tumor cell metastasis. This study aimed to identify new epigenetic and transcriptomic alterations associated with ovarian cancer metastasis. Methods: Two cell sublines with low- and high-metastasis potentials were derived from the ovarian cancer cell line A2780. Genome-wide DNA methylome and transcriptome profiling were carried out in these two sublines by Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing and RNA-seq technologies. Cell-based assays were conducted to support the clinical findings. Results: There are distinct DNA methylation and gene expression patterns between the two cell sublines with low- and high-metastasis potentials. Integrated analysis identified 33 methylation-induced genes potentially involved in ovarian cancer metastasis. The DNA methylation patterns of two of them (i.e., SFRP1 and LIPG) were further validated in human specimens, indicating that they were hypermethylated and downregulated in peritoneal metastatic ovarian carcinoma compared to primary ovarian carcinoma. Patients with lower SFRP1 and LIPG expression tend to have a worse prognosis. Functionally, knockdown of SFRP1 and LIPG promoted cell growth and migration, whereas their overexpression resulted in the opposite effects. In particular, knockdown of SFRP1 could phosphorylate GSK3β and increase β-catenin expression, leading to deregulated activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Conclusion Many systemic and important epigenetic and transcriptomic alterations occur in the progression of ovarian cancer. In particular, epigenetic silencing of SFRP1 and LIPG is a potential driver event in ovarian cancer metastasis. They can be used as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer patients.

Intra-abdominal infection is the second common infectious disease in intensive care unit and inhospital patients, with the mortality rate of 20%-30%. Advances in medicine have not improved the outcomes of patients with intra-abdominal infection, and the increasing multi-drug resistance organism may lead to a deterioration in the prognosis of patients with intra-abdominal infection. Gut microbiota dysbiosis and abdominal cavity infections show an interdependent and mutually aggravating relationship. Intestinal microecological preparations regulate gut flora and are potential therapeutic measures for intra-abdominal infections. The authors review the changes in gut flora during intra-abdominal infection, the effect of gut flora on the prognosis of intra-abdominal infections and the role of intestinal microecological preparations in intra-abdominal infections.

BackgroundInsomnia disorder has become a common disease in the current society. Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia （CBTI） is one of the non-drug treatment methods for insomnia disorder， but relevant studies of its effect on sleep quality and cognitive function of patients with insomnia disorder are limited. ObjectiveTo explore the effects of CBTI on sleep quality and cognitive function in patients with insomnia disorder， so as to provide references for non-drug treatment of insomnia disorder. MethodsA total of 47 patients with insomnia disorder were recruited as the study subjects. They all met the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5） and have visited Sichuan Mental Health Center from January 2021 to October 2022. The patients underwent CBTI for 6 weeks. Before the treatment， depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed using Hamilton Depression Scale-24 item （HAMD-24） and Hamilton Anxiety Scale （HAMA）. Sleep status and cognitive function were assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index （PSQI） and Montreal Cognitive Assessment （MoCA） before and 6 weeks after the treatment. Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between the reduction of PSQI score and the increase of MoCA score after treatment. ResultsAfter the 6-week treatment， the factor scores and total score of PSQI across 6 subscales （the sleep quality， sleep onset time， sleep time， sleep efficiency， sleep disorder and daytime dysfunction） were lower than those before the treatment， and the score differences were of statistical significance （t=5.569~15.290， P<0.01）. Both factor and total scores of MoCA across 6 items （visuospatial and executive， naming， attention， language， abstraction and memory） were significantly higher than those before the treatment with score differences reaching statistical significance （t=-11.273~-4.277， P<0.01）. Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated that there was a positive correlation between the decrease in PSQI total score and the increase in MoCA total score after the 6-week CBTI treatment （r=0.323， P=0.027）. ConclusionCBTI may help improve sleep quality and cognitive function in patients with insomnia disorders. The improvement of sleep quality after CBTI intervention may be related to the improvement of cognitive function. ［Funded by Scientific Research Project of Sichuan Provincial Health Commission （number， 19PJ216）］

Objective    To investigate the feature of the angulation between left pulmonary artery (LPA) and main pulmonary artery (MPA) and its relationship to pulmonary artery development in patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Methods    A total of 101 TOF patients in West China Hospital from 2014 to 2018 were enrolled in a TOF group, including 62 males and 39 females, aged 6.8 (0.3-45.8) years, and another 20 patients without basic cardiac diseases at the same stage were enrolled in a control group, including 10 males and 10 females, aged 6.9 (0.3-54.0) years. Diameters of LPA, right pulmonary artery (RPA) and MPA, the angulation between LPA and MPA (MPA-LPA), McGoon ratio, and Nakata index were measured and compared between the two groups. The relationship between the above data and MPA-LPA angulation was also analyzed. Results    The average MPA-LPA angulation was smaller in the TOF group than that in the control group (113.63° vs. 128.45°, P=0.001 8). The MPA Z score was also smaller in the TOF group than that in the control group (0.46 vs. 2.75, P=0.000 4). No relationship was found by correlation analysis between the MPA-LPA angulation and MPA Z score or LPA Z score in the control group (P=0.239 6, 0.114 7) and the TOF group (P=0.759 3, 0.242 7). The McGoon ratios (2.22±0.72, 2.43±0.94, P=0.340 0) and Nakata index (359.3±294.24, 395.52±329.31, P=0.650 0) were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion    The angulation of LPA-MPA and MPA Z score are smaller in the TOF group than those in the control group. There is no relationship between MPA-LPA angulation and pulmonary artery diameters. The LPA-MPA angulation should not be considered as an influence factor for LPA development and trans-annular patch surgery.

Chemically defined medium is widely used for culturing mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), in which N2B27 works as a substitution for serum, and GSK3β and MEK inhibitors (2i) help to promote ground-state pluripotency. However, recent studies suggested that MEKi might cause irreversible defects that compromise the developmental potential of mESCs. Here, we demonstrated the deficient bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signal in the chemically defined condition is one of the main causes for the impaired pluripotency. Mechanistically, activating the BMP signal pathway by BMP4 could safeguard the chromosomal integrity and proliferation capacity of mESCs through regulating downstream targets Ube2s and Chmp4b. More importantly, BMP4 promotes a distinct in vivo developmental potential and a long-term pluripotency preservation. Besides, the pluripotent improvements driven by BMP4 are superior to those by attenuating MEK suppression. Taken together, our study shows appropriate activation of BMP signal is essential for regulating functional pluripotency and reveals that BMP4 should be applied in the serum-free culture system.
Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4/metabolism* ; Cell Differentiation ; Chromosomal Instability ; Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport ; Mice ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases/metabolism* ; Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells/cytology* ; Pluripotent Stem Cells/cytology* ; Signal Transduction ; Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzymes