Pericytes are a very important cellular constituent of the blood-brain barrier.They play a regulatory role in brain angiogenesis,endothelial cell tight junction formation,blood-brain barrier differentiation,microvascular dynamic motion and structural stability.Pericytes exhibit unique functional characteristics in some diseases,such as cerebrovascular disease,neurodegenerative disease,neuroimmune disease and traumatic brain injury.This article reviews the roles of pericytes in the blood-brain barrier.

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of using apatinib in the treatment of refractory triple-negative advanced breast cancer. Methods:Eight cases of advanced triple-negative breast cancer patients confirmed via histopathology, who were previously treated with anthracycline, taxane, gemcitabine, capecitabine, and 500 mg/d apatinib in our hospital from July 2015 to November 2016, were retrospectively analyzed. The time of disease progress, effective rate, clinical benefits, and side effects were observed. Results:Eight patients were administrated with an average of 4 treatment cycles, and the effects were evaluated after 2 weeks. Four patients exhibited partial remission, 3 had a stable disease, and 1 had a progressive disease. The disease control rate was 87.5%, and the median progression free survival was 4.2 months. The main side effects were hand-foot syndrome (3/8), bone marrow arrest (4/8), hypertension (2/8), proteinuria (3/8), hemoptysis (1/8), nausea (2/8), and fatigue (2/8). Most of these side effects were tolerable. Conclusion:Apatinib can effectively and tolerably prolong survival time and improve the quality of life of patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of spiral CT in composition changes of pediatric urinary.Methods A total of 25 pediatric patients with urinary stones were investigated.Eighteen patients with renal stones were stratified into two groups:an alkalization therapy alone group ( n =9 ) and a comprehensive therapy group (n =9).Flame atomic absorption spectrum (AAS) was employed to measure calcium level of the pediatric urinary stones.Spiral CT was employed to measure the peak CT number in vitro of all the pediatric urinary stones and 61 adult urinary stones,which served as controls.Results All pediatric urinary stones contained calcium ( 0.11％ - 26.30％ ).A positive correlation was observed between the CT number of pediatric urinary stone and its stone calcium level ( r =0.855,P ＜ 0.01 ).Compared to the alkalization therapy alone group,the CT number and stone calcium level of pediatricrenal stones in the comprehensive therapy group were significant higher (stone CT number:162 ± 60 HU VS.783 ±476 HU,P ＜ 0.01 ; stone calcium level:1.30 ± 1.52％ VS 19.83 ± 7.48％,P ＜ 0.01 ).Compared to ≤400 HU pediatric renal stones,＞ 400 HU renal stones contained more calcium (21.71 ± 5.27％,1.65 ±1.82％,P ＜ 0.01 ) and failed to dissolve by alkalization therapy alone ( x2 =11.455,P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusions CT could be a predictive tool for composition changes of pediatric urinary stones.In clinical CT scanning setting,＞400 HU pediatric urinary stones probably will contain more calcium and not be suitable for alkalization therapy alone.

Objective: To explore sarcoplasmic reticulum ryanodine receptor2 (RyR 2) expression and calcium releasing function in chronic heart failure (CHF) rabbits and to study the impact of long term valsartan treatment in relevant animals. Methods: HF model was established by volume overloading with pressure overloading in experimental rabbits. 27 rabbits were divided into 3 groups: Sham group, HF group and HF+valsartan group. n=9 in each group and the animals were treated for 7 weeks. Left ventricular structure, hemodynamic parameters, expression and functional changes of myocardiocyte sarcoplasmic reticulum RyR 2 were observed and compared among different groups. Results: Compared with Sham group, HF group had increased left ventricular mess index (LVMI), left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and decreased left ventricular shortening fraction, LVEF, all P<0.05. Compared with HF group, HF+valsartan group showed decreased LVMI, LVEDP and increased left ventricular shortening fraction, LVEF, all P<0.05. Sarcoplasmic reticulum RyR 2 expression and calcium releasing function were lower in HF group than Sham group, P<0.05; while they were both higher in HF+valsartan group than HF group, P<0.05. Conclusion: Long term application of valsartan could improve the cardiac function which might be related to increased myocardial sarcoplasmic reticulum RyR 2 expression and calcium releasing function in experimental CHF rabbits.

Objective: To explore the changes of protein expression and activity of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase-II (CaMK-II) in myocardium nucleus and sarcoplasmic reticulum in experimental rabbits with heart failure (HF).
Methods: A total of 16 rabbits were divided into 2 groups: Sham group and HF group, the HF model was established by volume overload plus pressure overload.n=8 in each group and all animals were treated for 7 weeks. Left ventricular structure, hemodynamic parameters and protein expression and activity of CaMK-II in myocardium nucleus and sarcoplasmic reticulum were examined and compared between 2 groups.
Results: Compared with Sham group, HF group presented increased left ventricular mass index (LVMI) (1.32 ± 0.06) g/kg vs (3.61 ± 0.09) g/kg, LVEDP (-1.50 ± 0.50) mmHg vs (23.00 ± 2.37) mmHg, allP<0.05; while decreased left ventricular shorten fraction (37.83 ± 3.58) % vs (17.38 ± 3.13) % and LVEF (71.92 ± 4.56) % vs (38.50 ± 6.07) %, allP<0.05. The protein expression and activity of CaMK-II were both higher in HF group than Sham group, allP<0.05.
Conclusion: Increased protein expression and activity of CaMK-II in myocardium nucleus and sarcoplasmic reticulum might be one of the mechanisms for HF occurrence in experimental rabbits.

Objective To investigate the effect of4-amino-2-trifluoromethyl-phenyl retinate(ATPR)on acute liver injury induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)in C57BL/6 mice and its related mechanism.Methods Fifteen 6-week-old male C57BL/6 strain mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group and ATPR group,with 5 mice in each group.Mice in the ATPR group were intraperitoneally injected with ATPR(15 mg/kg·d),and normal group and model group were given solvent.After continuous administration for one week,model group and ATPR group were intraperitoneally injected with LPS(6 mg/kg),and all mice were sacrificed 6 hours later.The contents of Alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and Aspartate aminotransferase(AST)in serum of mice were detec-ted.The mRNA levels of Interleukin-6(IL-6)and Tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α)were detected by qPCR.Hematoxylin-eosin(H&E)staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of liver in mice.The ultra-structural changes of mouse hepatocytes were observed by Transmission electron microscope(TEM).The expres-sion levels of mitochondrial damage-related proteins FUNDC1 and OPA1 and autophagy related proteins LC3B,P62,Beclin1 and ATG5 were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the normal group,the content of ALT and AST in serum and the mRNA levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in liver tissue increased in the model group,and the changes were reversed in the ATPR group.H&E staining showed that the hepatic lobule structure was normal in the normal group,the hepatic cords were arranged radially,there was no hyperemia and inflammatory cell infiltra-tion,and the hepatocyte boundary was clear.In the model group,the intercellular space of liver was enlarged,the arrangement of hepatic cords was disordered,and inflammatory cells infiltrated.In the ATPR group,the intercellu-lar space of liver and the structure of hepatic cords were restored,and the inflammatory cell infiltration was less.TEM showed that the damaged mitochondria and lipid droplet accumulation in the hepatocytes of mice in the model group were compared with that in the normal group,and the morphology and quantity of mitochondria and lipid droplet in the hepatocytes of mice in the ATPR group tended to be normal.Western blot showed that compared with the normal group,the expression of FUNDC1 protein in the liver tissues of mice in the model group increased,the expression of OPA1 protein decreased,the ratio of LC3B Ⅱ to LC3B Ⅰ decreased,the expression of P62 protein in-creased,the expression of Beclin1 and ATG5 protein decreased,and the above changes were reversed in the ATPR group.Conclusion ATPR alleviates acute liver injury induced by lipopolysaccharide in mice by promoting autoph-agy.

Diabetic foot is one of the common chronic complications， the most common cause of hospitalization， and even the main cause of disability and death among diabetic patients. In the process of disease occurrence， development， and treatment， patients experience complex changes in physical， psychological， and social relationships. Their understanding and practice of the disease is a constant process of construction and change， which contains strategic practices influenced by factors such as disease progression， family relationships， culture and traditions of social， and doctor-patient interactions. Based on the research concepts in the field of medical anthropology， this paper applied field research methods such as survey interviews and participatory observation， and took the rich and varied and personalized narrative of diabetic foot patients as the entry point to understand their unique and detailed disease stories， as well as focused on answering the changes in the views of illness， treatment， family， society， and the body outlook experienced by diabetic foot patients. This paper aimed to provide a new perspective for understanding this group， as well as offer valuable insights for improving their treatment and management， which will help promote the overall health and quality of life with diabetic foot patients.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) has been widely studied in non-small cell lung cancer, which is considered as an independent prognostic factor in patiens with non-small cell lung cancer. However, there are few studies on the prognostic value of TTF-1 in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the expression state of TTF-1 and the sensitivity to first-line chemotherapy and prognosis in patients with SCLC. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was made on 234 patients with SCLC who were diagnosed and treated in The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and received platinum-based chemotherapy. The clinical characteristics, treatment and survival of the patients were followed up. Chi χ² test and Logistic regression model were used to analyze the relationship between TTF-1 expression and chemotherapy response rate. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard regression model were used to analyze the effect of TTF-1 expression on survival time of patients. RESULTS: Among the 234 patients, the positive expression of TTF-1 was 188 cases (80.3%), and the negative expression of TTF-1 was 46 cases (19.7%). The objective response rate (ORR) of first-line chemotherapy in patients with positive expression of TTF-1 was higher than that in patients with negative expression of TTF-1 (70.7% vs 47.8%) (χ²=8.681, P=0.003). Logistic regression multivariate analysis showed that the expression state of TTF-1 was an independent predictor of ORR in first-line chemotherapy (OR=0.216, 95%CI: 0.076-0.615, P=0.004), however this difference was only reflected in LS-SCLC. The median progression free survival (PFS) of patients with negative expression of TTF-1 was shorter than that of patients with positive expression (6.9 months vs 9.0 months) (χ²=9.357, P=0.002). The median OS in TTF-1 negative group was shorter than that in TTF-1 positive group (13.3 months vs 20.1 months)(χ²=12.082, P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS TTF-1 expression is an independent predictor of first-line chemotherapy response rate and survival in patients with SCLC, and may become a biomarker to predict the efficacy and prognosis of SCLC.

In the field of dental aesthetics,digital aesthetic design plays a crucial role in helping dentists to predict treatment outcomes vis-ually,as well as in enhancing the consistency of knowledge and understanding of aesthetic goals between dentists and patients.It serves as the foundation for achieving ideal aesthetic effects.However,there is no clear standard for this digital process currently in China and abroad.Many dentists lack of systematic understanding of how to carry out digital aesthetic design for treatment.To establish standardized processes for dental aesthetic design and to improve the homogeneity of treatment outcomes,Chinese Society of Digital Dental Industry(CSD-DI)convened domestic experts in related field to compile this consensus.This article elaborates on the key aspects of digital aesthetic data collection,integration steps,and the digital aesthetic design process.It also formulates a decision tree for dental aesthetics at macro level and outlines corresponding workflows for various clinical scenarios,serving as a reference for clinicians.

Objective : To investigate the effect and mechanism of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -induced acute myocardial injury in C57BL/6 mice． Methods : Male mice of C57BL/6 strain were randomly divided into normal group，model group，ATRA group，and ferrostatin-1 group．Mice in the ATRA group were injected intraperitoneally with ATRA 15mg / (kg · d) ，ferrostatin-1 group received ferrostatin-1 2 mg / ( kg · d) ，the normal group and the model group were given solvent．After one week of continuous administration，the model group，ATRA group ，and ferrostatin-1 group were intraperitoneally injected with LPS 6 mg / kg． All mice were sacrificed after 6 hours．The contents of malondialdehyde ( MDA) and glutathione ( GSH) in serum of mice were detected． qPCR was used to detect mRNA levels of interleukin-6 ( IL-6 ) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in heart tissue．Hematoxylin-eosin ( HE) staining was used to observe the changes of heart tissue in mice．Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the structure of mouse myocardial mitochondria．Western blot was used to detect the expression of ferroptosis markers glutathione peroxidase 4 ( GPX4) ，ferritin heavy chain 1 ( FTH1 ) ，Solute carrier family 7 member 11 ( SLC7A11 ) ，acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) and related regulatory proteins，Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 ( NRF2 ) ，kelchlike ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) . Results: Compared with the normal group，the MDA content in the serum of the model group increased and the GSH content decreased，the above changes were reversed in the ATRA group as well as in the ferrostatin-1 group．Compared with normal group，the mRNA levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the heart tissue of model group increased steeply，the above changes were relieved in the ATRA group and the ferrostatin-1 group．There was no significant difference in HE staining of myocardial tissue among the groups of mice. Compared with the normal group，myocardial mitochondria in the model group showed the phenomenon of cristaereduction or disappearance under TEM，while myocardial mitochondrial injury was alleviated in the ATRA group and the ferrostatin-1 group．Western blot showed that GPX4，FTH1，SLC7A11，and NRF2 expression were reduced in the myocardial tissue of mice in the model group compared with the normal group，ACSL4 and KEAP1 expression increased．The above changes were reversed in the ATRA group as well as in the ferrostatin-1 group． Conclusion ATRA alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute myocardial injury in mice by inhibiting ferroptosis.