Aim To study the effects of Free Anthra-quinone from Rhubarb (FAR)on myocardial CTGF and collagen expression and interstitial fibrosis in dia-betic rats.Methods The male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group (CON),diabetic cardiomy-opathy group (DCM) and FAR treatment group (FAR).Streptozocin was intraperitoneally injected in-to the animals in the latter 2 groups to induce diabetic rat model.The model was expected to be stable for 2 weeks before the treatment.At the end of the 8th week in treatment,fasting plasma glucose and heart mass in-dex were measured.Masson staining was used to ob-serve the myocardial fibrosis.RT-PCR was used to de-tect the mRNA levels of CTGF,procollagen type Ⅰand collagen type Ⅲ.Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the content of CTGF.ELISA was used to detect the depositions of collagen type I and collagen type Ⅲ. Results Compared with CON group,fasting plasma glucose,heart mass index,the degree of myocardial fibrosis,and the expressions of CTGF,collagen type I and collagen type Ⅲ in left ven-tricular myocardial tissue of DCM group were signifi-cantly increased. However, compared with DCM group,fasting plasma glucose,heart mass index,the degree of myocardial fibrosis,and the expressions of CTGF,collagen type I and collagen type Ⅲ in left ven-tricular myocardial tissue of FAR-treated rats were sig-nificantly decreased.Conclusion FAR retards the process of myocardial fibrosis in diabetic rats by down-regulating the expression of CTGF,reducing the syn-thesis and depositions of collagen type I and collagen type Ⅲ.

Objective With multi?center investigation, to assess the life quality of patients with maintained hemodialysis (MHD) in Liaoning Province and to explore the relationship among the mineral metabolism, the life quality of the patients with MHD, and the repeated hospitalization within the latest three years. Methods 1192 patients with hemodialysis (at least 3 months) from January to March in 2015 at ten blood purification centers in Liaoning Province were selected for the cross?————————sectional survey. The Kidney Health?related Quality of Life (HRQOL) version 1.3 was used to evaluate the MHD patients' life quality. The total length of hospitalization was divided into four groups: 0 days, 3 to 15 days, 16 to 30 days and above 30 days. Results When serum calcium value ranged from 2.1 to 2.5 mmol/L, kidney?disease component summary (KDCS), mental component summary (MCS), physical component summary (PCS) and SF?36+KDCS corresponded to a higher value (P<0.05). When serum phosphorus value ranged from 1.13 to 1.78 mmol/L, KDCS and SF?36+KDCS corresponded to a higher value (P<0.05). When the calcium phosphorus product value ranged from 40.68 to 49.94, MCS corresponded to a higher value (P<0.05). KDCS showed a linear correlation with age (P<0.001), dialysis age, serum calcium (less than or equal to 2.5 mmol/L) (P<0.05); PCS showed a linear correlation with age (P<0.001) and dialysis age (P<0.05); SF?36+KDCS showed a linear correlation with age (P<0.001), and serum calcium (less than or equal to 2.5 mmol/L) (P<0.05), while age and dialysis age were negatively correlated. The hospitalization days showed a linear correlation with age, dialysis age (P<0.001) and serum phosphorus, calcium phosphorus product value (P<0.05), while dialysis age and calcium phosphorus product value were negatively correlated. Among different groups of total hospitalization days in three years, age, hemodialysis age, serum calcium, serum phosphorus, calcium?phosphorus product value and quality of life values were all statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions The life quality of patients with MHD were correlated with serum calcium, phosphorus, calcium and phosphorus product value, iPTH, dialysis age and age, while age and dialysis age were of negative correlation. The total number of hospitalization days in 3 years was closely linearly correlated with age and dialysis age, significantly correlated with serum phosphorus, calcium and phosphorus product value, while dialysis age, calcium and phosphorus product value were in a negative correlation. The total number of hospitalization in 3 years was correlated with the patients' age, dialysis age, serum calcium, serum phosphorus, calcium and phosphorus product value and quality of life.

Objective To investigate the influence of the Janus kinase-signal transducer and transcription activator(JAK-STAT)signaling pathway mediated by Kruppel-like factor 14(KLF14)on the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods From January 2018 to September 2019,NSCLC tissues from 80 patients and malignancy-free paracancerous tissues from 25 patients were collected.Medical follow-up ended in April 2023.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of KLF14 in tissues,and the patients were divided into a high-expression group and a low-expression group according to the median level of KLF14 expression.Over-expres-sion or knock-down of KLF14 and JAK1 was achieved by transfection of KLF14 and JAK1 overexpression plasmid in A549 cells and transfection of KLF14 and JAK1 specific short hairpin RNA(shKLF14 and shJAK1)in HCC827 cells.The proliferation activity of cells was analyzed by cell clone formation test.Transwell analyzed the migration and invasion of cells.Results As compared with the normal paracancerous tissues,the expression of KLF14 in NSCLC tissue decreased(P<0.001).The low expression of KLF14 was significantly correlated with tumor diameter of>3 cm,lymph node metastasis and clinical stage Ⅲ(P<0.05).There was a significant difference in the overall survival rate between the high KLF14 expression group and the low KLF14 expression group,and the patients with low KLF14 expression had poor prognosis(P = 0.039).After overexpression of KLF14,the proliferation ability of A549 cells and the number of migration and invasion of these cells decreased significantly(P<0.05);while after knock-down of KLF14,the proliferation ability of HCC827 cells and the number of migration,and invasion of these cells increased significantly(P<0.05).As compared with Vector + KLF14 group,the number of colonies,migration and invasion of A549 cells in JAK1 + KLF14 group increased significantly(P<0.05).As compared with shNC + shKLF14 group,the number of colonies,migration and invasion of HCC827 cells in shJAK1 + shKLF14 group decreased significantly(P<0.05).Conclusions Low expression of KLF14 is associated with poor overall survival in NSCLC patients.Up-regulation of KLF14 significantly inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of lung cancer cells in vitro,and its mechanism may be related to inhibition of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway.

Objective:To evaluate the impacts of radioactivity in foods since begining of the operation of the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant (HNPP).Methods:The levels of radioactivity in foods collected within 30 km of HNPP from 2013 to 2020 were analyzed by comparison of the control samples and those collected before the operation. The impacts on the operation of the HNPP on foods were evaluated.Results:The man-made radionuclides such as 131I, 134Cs, 60Co, 58Co, 110Ag m were not found in food samples. The nautral radionuclides such as 238U, 226Ra, 232Th, 40K were at the normal levels, with the average levels of (0.088±0.053), (0.155±0.178), (0.314±0.388)and(81.3±18.1)Bq/kg(fresh weight)in foods, respectively. The average levels of man-made nuclide 137Cs in foods were (0.013±0.010) Bq/kg (fresh weight). There was no increase in radionuclide levels compared with the control samples and the samples before the operation. Conclusions:The impacts on foods due to the operation of HNPP was not found.

Objective To investigate the ADC value and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameters to predict the early response to chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Twenty-six patients with pathologically confirmed NSCLC in our hospital from June 2015 to January 2017 were prospectively studied. MR routine scan, DWI and IVIM scans were performed before and at the end of the first cycle of chemotherapy. The ADC value, pure diffusion parameter (D), perfusion parameter (D*) and perfusion fraction (f) before and after chemotherapy were recorded respectively, and the maximum diameter of tumor (MDMRI) was measured on T2WI. The effective group and the ineffective group were divided according to RECIST 1.1. Intra- and interobserver reproducibility were assessed with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The differences of the parameters and their change rate were compared pre-and posttreatment, in the effective and the ineffective groups by using t test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to explore the optimal parameters and thresholds for early prediction of the efficacy of chemotherapy. Z test was used to compare the differences in the areas under the ROC curves. Results The repeatability of D*was relatively poor (ICC 0.507-0.716). The ADC and D values of the effective group before chemotherapy were (1.28±0.21)×10-3 and (1.05±0.14)×10-3mm2/s, respectively, and those of the ineffective group were (1.55 ± 0.25) × 10-3 and (1.29 ± 0.18) × 10-3mm2/s, respectively. The differences between two groups were statistically significant (t=-2.989, -3.755, respectively, P all<0.05). While there was no significant difference in f between the effective and ineffective groups before chemotherapy (t=-1.034, P=0.312). The ADC, D and f values of the effective group before chemotherapy were lower than those after chemotherapy, and the differences were statistically significant (t=-3.969,-5.617 and-2.876, respectively, P all<0.05). While there was no significant difference in ADC and D values in ineffective group (t=-0.737, -0.866, P>0.05, respectively). The difference of f was statistically significant (t=-2.731, P<0.05).ΔADC％,ΔD％andΔMDMRI％in effective group were (23.90 ± 22.28)％, (32.58 ± 20.63)％ and (18.77 ± 10.36)％, respectively, and those in ineffective group were (1.19 ± 11.35)％, (6.22 ± 21.63)％ and (9.35 ± 8.26)％, respectively. The differences between two groups were statistically significant (t=3.393, 3.154 and 2.487, respectively, P all<0.05). There was no significant difference inΔf％between two groups (t=1.346, P=0.191). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under curve (AUC) of preADC, preD, ΔADC％, ΔD％ and ΔMDMRI％ was 0.788, 0.848, 0.800, 0.830 and 0.727, respectively. When setting the preD=1.20×10-3 mm2/s as the boundary under the largest AUC, however, there was no significant differences in AUC compared with preADC, ΔADC％, ΔD％ and ΔMDMRI％ (Z=1.336, 0.363, 0.136, 1.395, P>0.05). Conclusion The ADC value, D value before chemotherapy and the early change rate after chemotherapy can better predict the early response of chemotherapy in NSCLC patients.

Objective To investigate the food radioactivity levels in areas around the Xudabao nuclear plant before operation. Methods The food radioactivity levels were achieved by detecting samples collected within 30 km around the Xudabao nuclear power plant with a HPGe detector. Results The major radionuclides in food were ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K and the man-made radionuclide of ¹³⁷Cs. The average activity levels of natural ²³⁸U、²²⁶Ra、²³²Th、⁴⁰K were(1.2 × 10⁻¹¹ ± 2.6 × 10⁻¹¹)、(9.2 × 10⁻¹² ± 1.6 × 10⁻¹¹)、(3.6 × 10⁻¹¹ ± 6.5 × 10⁻¹²)、(9.0 × 10¹ ± 5.8 × 10¹)Bq/kg respectively. The average level of ¹³⁷Cs in food was (1.2 × 10⁻¹² ± 9.0 × 10⁻¹³)Bq/kg. Conclusion The man-made radionuclides were not detected except ¹³⁷Cs in the collected food. The radioactivity concentrations were lower than the national standards. The effective dose for local residents by ingestion of ¹³⁷Cs was around 6.0 × 10⁻¹² µSv/a.