Objective:To study the clinical characteristics and risk factors of intrauterine Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection in very low birth weight preterm infants.Methods:From March 2019 to February 2022, very low birth weight preterm infants with gestational age 28~32 weeks admitted to our hospital were enrolled in this single-center retrospective study. According to the UU test results of respiratory tract samples obtained within 24 h after admission, the infants were assigned into the UU group (UU-PCR positive) and the non-UU group (UU-PCR negative). SPSS 26.0 statistical software was used to compare the clinical characteristics, laboratory indices, and complications between the two groups. Risk factors of UU infection were calculated.Results:A total of 327 preterm infants were included: 45 in the UU group and 282 in the non-UU group. No significant differences existed in gender, gestational age, birth weight and delivery pattern between the two groups ( P>0.05). Compared with the non-UU group, the UU group had significantly higher incidences of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and chorioamnionitis, elevated white blood cell and platelet counts, procalcitonin and C-reactive protein levels, total duration of oxygen use and ventilation, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis and metabolic osteopathy ( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PROM ( OR=5.444, 95% CI 2.749-10.781, P<0.001) and chorioamnionitis ( OR=2.161, 95% CI 1.048-4.454, P=0.037) were independent risk factors for UU infection. Conclusions:PROM and chorioamnionitis are risk factors for UU infection in very low birth weight preterm infants. For high-risk premature infants, the UU test should be completed as soon as possible after birth.

Objective We aimed to explore the clinical efficacy of precise electro-acupuncture stimulation in the pterygopalatine fossa for the treatment of chronic sinusitis.Methods In total,40 patients with chronic sinusitis who visited the Xiyuan Hospital,China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences between January 2022 and January 2023 were selected.The subjects were randomly divided into two groups:the treatment group(receiving precise electro-acupuncture in the pterygopalatine fossa)and the control group(receiving standard western medical treatment),with 20 cases in each groups.The treatments were administered twice a week for a period of 12 weeks.The effectiveness of the treatments was evaluated through computed tomography(CT)of the sinus changes and the Lund-Mackay scoring system.Results In cases of total opacity and partial opacity,there were significant differences between the two patient groups before and after treatment(P<0.05).Intra-group comparison revealed statistically significant improvements in both groups before and after treatment(P<0.05).The treatment group exhibited significant improvement in various sinus conditions(P<0.05),while in the control group,a significant improvement was only observed in the left maxillary sinus(P<0.05).Inter-group comparison also demonstrated that the treatment group's improvements were superior to those of the control group across multiple indicators(P<0.05).Conclusion The precise electro-acupuncture stimulation technique in the pterygopalatine fossa demonstrated significant therapeutic effects in the treatment of chronic sinusitis,with superior outcomes with respect to radiological changes compared to standard western medicine treatment.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in the development and progression in various cancers.Dysfunctional miR-9 expression remains ambiguous,and no consensus on the metastatic progression of ovarian cancer has been reached.In this study,results from the bioinformatics analysis show that the 3'-UTR of the E-cadherin mRNA was directly regulated by miR-9.Luciferase reporter assay results confirmed that miR-9 could directly target this 3'-UTR.miR-9 and E-cadherin expression in ovarian cancer tissue was quantified by qRTPCR.Migration and invasion were detected by wound healing and Transwell system assay in SKOV3 and A2780.qRT-PCR and Western blot were performed to detect the epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated mRNA and proteins.Immunofluorescence technique was used to analyze the expression and subcellular localization of Ecadherin,N-cadherin,and vimentin.The results showed that miR-9 was frequently upregulated in metastatic serous ovarian cancer tissue compared with paired primary ones.Upregulation of miR-9 could downregulate the expression of E-cadherin but upregulate the expression of mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin and vimentin).Overexpression of miR-9 could promote the cell migration and invasion in ovarian cancer,and these processes could be effectively inhibited via miR-9 inhibitor.Thus,our study demonstrates that miR-9 may promote ovarian cancer metastasis via targeting E-cadherin and a novel potential therapeutic approach to control metastasis of ovarian cancer.

Twenty-one protostane-type triterpenoids with diverse structures, including nine new compounds (-), were isolated from the of Linn. Structurally, alisolides A‒F (-), composed of an oxole group coupled to a five-membered ring, represent unusual C-17 spirost protostane-type triterpenoids. Alisolide H () is a novel triterpenoid with an unreported endoperoxide bridge. Alisolide I () represents the first example of 23,24-acetal triterpenoid. Their structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic analysis, wherein the absolute configurations of ‒, were further confirmed by the Mo(OAc)-induced ECD method. Furthermore, all isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO production in Caco-2 cells, and all the compounds showed remarkable inhibitory activities, with IC values in the range of 0.76-38.20 μmol/L.