To optimize the extraction technology of the total saponins in Dipsaci Radix, the extraction efficiency of total saponins was investigated with respecting to three variables including time, ethanol concentration and liquid-to-solid ratio. On the basis of a series of one-factor-at-a-time experiments, a polynomial regression model equation was fitted by the combined use of central composite experimental design and regression analysis. By analyzing the regression model using response surface analysis, the optimum extraction conditions of total saponins from Dipsaci Radix were identified as follows: 7 times of 55% alcohol, refluxing 3 times, 2.8 hours every time, and the extraction efficiency of total saponins was up to 0.201 1 g·g-1 and the asperosaponin Ⅵ was up to 0.015 4 g·g-1 under the optimized conditions. Confirmatory experiment indicated the good prediction ability of the established model and provided the basis for further development and utilization of Dipsaci Radix.

Objective To explore the prevalence of osteoporosis (OP) and vertebral osteoporotic fracture (OPF) and related risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Method A total of 644 patients with RA from Jan.2010 to Oct.2013 were recruited,anteroposterior and lateral X-rays examination of vertebral column (T5-L5) were conducted,and semi-quantity method were used as the standard for judging vertebral OPF.Meanwhile,patients' clinical and laboratory data including daily dosage of glucocorticoid,duration of glucocorticoid usage,cumulative amount dosage of glucocorticoid were recorded in details.158 normal subjects were selected as control group.Results (1)The prevalence of vertebral OPF in patients with RA was 16.6％.Bone mineral density (BMD) of all measured lumbar vertebra in RA group were markedly decreased[(0.97 ±0.22) g/cm2].The total prevalence of OP at lumbar vertebra in RA was 17.9％ (81/452),which was significantly higher than that of control group (4.4％,7/158) (P ＜ 0.001).(2) The percentage of OP in RA patients with vertebral OPF was significantly higher than that in patientswithout OPF [40.6％ (41/101) vs 11.4％ (40/351) ;P ＜ O.001].Patients with OPF were of older age,longer use of glucocorticoid,more cumulative amount dosage of glucocorticoid,longer disease duration,higher scores of health assessment questionnaires (HAQ) and increased ESR (P ＜ 0.05).(3) Logistic regression analysis revealed that age (OR =1.094,95％ CI 1.065-1.125,P ＜0.001) and gender(1 =male,2 =female) (OR=5.600,95％ CI 2.097-15.087,P =0.001) were the risk factors for the development of OP in RA,while body mass index (BMI) was the protective factor (OR =0.770,95％ CI 0.696-0.853,P ＜ 0.001).Age (OR =1.031,95％ CI 1.009-1.053,P =0.005) and occurrence of OP at lumbar vertebra (OR =3.765,95％ CI 2.092-6.776,P ＜ 0.001) were risk factors of the development of OPF in RA patients.Logistic regression analysis also showed that RA was the risk factor of OPF (OR =4.716,95％ CI 1.987-11.192,P ＜ 0.001),even after the adjustment of age,gender and BMI.(4) Receiver operator characteristic(ROC) curve in RA patients with OPF has found that age-OPF and daily dosage of glucocorticoid-OPF AUCRoC were 0.689 and 0.636 respectively.The cut-off value in ROC curve of age and daily dose or treatment course of glucocorticoid-OPF were 54.5 years and 6.25 mg(P ＜0.001),while duration of glucocorticoid usage-OPF AUCROC was 0.685,with cut-off value in ROC of age-OPF 135 days(P ＜ 0.001).Conclusion Prevalence of OPF in patients with RA increases remarkably.Old age and OP at spine are risk factors related to the development of OPF in patients with RA.

Objective To investigate the value of serum receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL)/osteoprotegrin (OPG) ratio in osteoporotic fracture (OPF) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods Three hundred and eighty four RA patients with mean age of (49 ± 14) y (16-82) admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from 2010 to 2013 and 158 sex-and age-matched healthy subjects were enrolled in the study.OPF was diagnosed by X-ray examination and BMDs of femur and lumbar spine 2-4 (L2-4) were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.Levels of RANKL and OPG in the peripheral blood of 220 RA patients and 100 normal subjects were detected by ELISA method.Results Eighty-two cases of OPF was diagnosed in 384 RA patients (21.35％),the rate was higher than that in controls (3.80％,6/158,x2 =25.371,P ＜0.01).The peripheral blood levels of RANKL (0.150 ± 0.143 vs.0.101 ± 0.066,t =4.178,P ＜ 0.01),OPG (0.457 ± 0.293 vs.0.359 ±0.216,t=3.347,P=0.001) and ratio of RANKL/OPG (0.41 ±0.35 vs.0.34±0.20,t =2.111,P=0.036) in RA patients were significantly higher than those in control group.In comparison with normal controls,BMDs of all detected regions in RA were decreased significantly (P ＜0.01).The incidence of osteoporosis in RA (121/327,37％) was higher than that in normal controls (22/158,13.92％) (x2 =27.291,P ＜ 0.01).RA patients with OPF had higher age (t =4.377,P ＜ 0.01),longer duration of disease (t =2.612,P =0.009),higher RANKL level (t =3.554,P =0.001),higher RANKL/OPG ratio (t =2.651,P =0.010),higher health assessment questionnaires (HAQ) score (t =2.418,P =0.016),lower serum calcium level (t =2.183,P =0.030),lower hemoglobin level (t =2.125,P =0.036),higher Sharp score in hands X-ray examination (t =2.747,P =0.007),worse X-ray stage (x2 =7.856,P =0.049),higher glucocorticoid utilization rate (x2 =9.066,P =0.003) and higher incidence of osteoporosis (x2 =38.186,P ＜ 0.01),compared with patients without OPF.RA patients taking corticosteroids had higher incidence of osteoporosis (x2 =7.489,P =0.006) and higher incidence of OPF (x2 =9.066,P =0.003).Logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR =1.029,P =0.039,95％ CI:1.001-1.057)and the occurrence of osteoporosis (OR =3.159,P =0.001,95％ CI:1.562-6.385),RANKL/OPG ratio (OR =3.516,P =0.013,95 ％ CI:1.305-9.647) were risk factors for RA patients with OPF.Conclusion A higher incidence of OPF is prevalent in RA patients,and age,osteoporosis,taking glucocorticoids and RANKL/OPG ratio are risk factors for OPF in RA patients.

Objective To study the abdominal and pelvic adipose tissue volume and distribution in patients with malignant gynecologic tumor and benign gynecologic disease prospectively .Methods Eighty patients with malignant gynecologic tumor and eighty patients with benign gynecologic disease were underwent abdominal and pelvic CT scan by 64‐slice spiral CT and QCT cali‐bration phantom .The area and the volume of TAT ,VAT ,SAT of abdomen and(or) pelvis(TFV ,VFV ,SFV and VFV/SFV) were measured and calculated .The differences between the malignant gynecologic tumor group and the benign gynecologic disease group and between the different stages or types of malignant gynecologic tumor groups were compared ,then the distribution of AT was analyzed .Results (1)Except the VFV of abdomen and pelvis ,there were differences in TFV ,VFV and SFV between the malignant gynecologic tumor group and the benign gynecologic disease group(P<0 .05) ,the former was higher .(2)There were differences in abdominal and pelvic TFV ,VFV ,SFV between the early‐stage and the advanced‐stage malignant gynecologic tumor group and be‐tween the early‐stage and the benign gynecologic disease group(P< 0 .05) ,the early‐stage group was the highest;there was no difference between the advanced‐stage and the benign gynecologic disease group(P>0 .05) .There were differences in VFV/SFV between the early‐stage and the benign gynecologic disease group and between the advanced‐stage and the benign gynecologic dis‐ease group(P<0 .05) ,the benign gynecologic disease group was the highest ;there was no difference between the early‐stage and the advanced‐stage group(P>0 .05) .(3)There was no difference in abdominal and pelvic TFV ,VFV ,SFV ,VFV/SFV between the en‐dometrial carcinoma and the cervical carcinoma group(P>0 .05) .(4)There were positive correlations between abdominal or pelvic VFV ,SFV and abdominal and pelvic TFV ,the abdominal SFV was the highest .Conclusion The patients with malignant gyneco‐logic tumor ,especially in the early‐stage ,were much fatter than the patients with benign gynecologic disease .In malignant gyneco‐logic tumor patients ,the SAT increased more significantly than the VAT ,and had the highest correlation with TAT ,and was the mainly composition of obesity .

Objective:To compare the efficacy and safety of red light and daylight photodynamic therapy in the treatment of facial common acne.Methods:From March 2019 to November 2019, 52 patients with facial common acne who received 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy in the Department of Dermatology, Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were enrolled, including 34 males and 18 females, aged 18-35 years, with an average age of 23.2 years. A 5% concentration of 5-aminolevulinic acid was applied to the entire face, with the right side of the face being exposed to red light for 20 minutes and the left side to daylight for 2 hours. The treatment was administered once a week for a total of 4 sessions. After the treatment, the acne remission, adverse reactions, and patient satisfaction on both sides of the face were compared.Results:Compared with before treatment, the number of inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions on both sides of the face in the enrolled patients decreased, and there was no significant difference in the clearance rate of skin lesions between the two sides [53.7% (28/52) vs 59.1% (31/52), χ 2=0.89, P>0.05]. The overall effective rate on the red light side was 88.5% (46/52), and 82.7% (43/52) on the daylight side, with no significant difference between the two (χ 2=0.38, P>0.05). In terms of adverse reactions, mild erythema was common, and it was less on the daylight side than on the red light side [34.6% (18/52) vs 19.2% (10/52), χ 2=5.98, P<0.05]. During the treatment period, the pain score on the daylight side decreased compared to the red light side [(7.6±2.3) vs (4.1±1.3), t=13.10, P<0.001]. Overall satisfaction with the daylight side was reported in 49 cases (94.2%), and with the red light side in 37 cases (71.2%), with the daylight side being higher than the red light side, and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2=9.60, P<0.05). Conclusion:Daylight photodynamic therapy is as effective as red light photodynamic therapy for common acne, but it produces fewer adverse reactions and higher patient satisfaction.

It is estimated that approximately seven million people worldwide are affected by inflammatory bowel disease(IBD),causing a huge burden on healthcare systems and society.In the occurrence,progression,and treatment of IBD,the intestinal microbiota and its key metabolic product,bile acids,play a crucial role.The intestinal microbiota not only participates in the biotransformation of bile acids,enriching the diversity of bile acids,but also regulates their synthesis and transport through the farnesoid X receptor(FXR).Meanwhile,bile acids contribute to regulating the structure and function of the intestinal microbiota by supporting microbial diversity,exerting direct toxicity,participating in indirect antimicrobial pathways,and influencing microbial metabolic capabilities.Furthermore,under normal physiological conditions,intestinal microbiota-derived bile acids facilitate the repair process of the intestinal epithelial barrier.They also promote the balance of the immune system by modulating the functions of various immune cells including helper T(Th)cells 17,regulatory T(Treg)cells,CD8+T cells and natural killer T(NKT)cells,thereby slowing down the development of IBD.This article focuses on exploring the role of intestinal microbiota and bile acids in the onset and progression of IBD,and investigating new effective treatment strategies by targeting intestinal microbiota and bile acids,such as bile acid receptor modulators,probiotics,prebiotics,fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT),and phage therapy.

Objective:To explore the relationship between the degree of devascularization and clinical outcomes after interventional embolization and sclerotherapy for peripheral arteriovenous malformations.Method:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 37 patients with peripheral arteriovenous malformations admitted at Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital from July 2021 to June 2023. All patients received the treatment of "nidus" and/or outflow veins embolization combined with sclerotherapy injection. Two experienced physicians evaluated the degree of devascularization before and after treatment, and conducted a correlation study with clinical outcomes after follow-up.Result:All 37 patients were symptomatic. Swelling and pain accounted for 75.7% of all the cases. Twenty-six patients received only one procedure, 3 patients received re-interventional treatments. The average follow-up time was（13.3±5.0）months. Clinical symptoms were completely relieved in 14 patients, and partial relief in 22 patients. The overall effective rate was 97%. There were 6 patients with degree of de vascularization<50% during procedure, 16 patients with degree of 50%-75%, and 5 patients with degree of 75%-90%, 10 cases with degree over 90%. Patients with devascularization degrees less than 60% can not achieve clinical symptom relief.Conclusions:There is a positive correlation between the degree of devascularization and clinical outcomes in the interventional embolization and sclerotherapy of peripheral arteriovenous malformations, and 60% of the degree of devascularization can serve as the "threshold" for effectiveness of treatment.

Due to potent bactericidal activity and low rate of drug-resistance, daptomycin is recognized as first line antibiotic to treat serious infections caused by drug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens. However, the incidence of daptomycin resistance is increasing due to its widespread application. Alteration of cell wall homeostasis and membrane phospholipid metabolism is involved in daptomycin resistance. The unique mode of action underlying daptomycin resistance in important pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococci, is presented in this paper.

Objective:The principal components (PC) of venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide content diference [C(v-a)CO 2] were extraceted in septic shock patients, in orter to compare the contribution of the principal components to C(v-a)CO 2. Methods:Septic shock patients monitored by Swan Ganz floating catheter in the Medical Intensive Care Unit of Peking Union Medical College Hospital were included in the retrospective study. All pairs of arterial and mixed-venous blood gases within 1 h before and after a flood challenge were included in the analyses. The principal component method was used to extract the components of C(v-a)CO 2. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between the components and C(v-a)CO 2, and the correlation between the components and cardiac output. The differences of the components beween the 28-day survival group and 28-day death group were analyzed by univariate analysis. Results:A total of 504 pairs of blood gases in 104 septic shock patients were included in the analyses. The median age of patients was 62 years ( IQR, 48 to 71), and 59.6% (62/104) were men. Four principal components were extracted and the components account for 77.7% of variance. PC1 included PaO 2, PvO 2, SaO 2 and SvO 2. PC2 included pHa and pHv. PC3 included Hb and Hct. PC4 included PaCO 2 and PvCO 2. There was a significant difference in PC4 between the two group. PC4 could weakly predict the 28-day death (AUROC 0.634, 95% CI 0.527-0.741, P=0.015). Conclusions:In patients with infectious shock, arteriovenous [C(v-a)CO 2] consists of principal components of four dimensions: oxygenation, pH, Hb, and CO 2 partial pressure difference.Arterial CO 2 partial pressure difference [P(v-a)CO2] weakly predicts 28-d morbidity and mortality.

Arabidopsis thaliana is an important and long-established model species for plant molec-ular biology,genetics,epigenetics,and genomics.However,the latest version of reference genome still contains a significant number of missing segments.Here,we reported a high-quality and almost complete Col-0 genome assembly with two gaps(named Col-XJTU)by combining the Oxford Nanopore Technologies ultra-long reads,Pacific Biosciences high-fidelity long reads,and Hi-C data.The total genome assembly size is 133,725,193 bp,introducing 14.6 Mb of novel sequences compared to the TAIR1 0.1 reference genome.All five chromosomes of the Col-XJTU assembly are highly accurate with consensus quality(QV)scores＞60(ranging from 62 to 68),which are higher than those of the TAIR10.1 reference(ranging from 45 to 52).We completely resolved chro-mosome(Chr)3 and Chr5 in a telomere-to-telomere manner.Chr4 was completely resolved except the nucleolar organizing regions,which comprise long repetitive DNA fragments.The Chr1 cen-tromere(CEN1),reportedly around 9 Mb in length,is particularly challenging to assemble due to the presence of tens of thousands of CEN180 satellite repeats.Using the cutting-edge sequencing data and novel computational approaches,we assembled a 3.8-Mb-long CEN1 and a 3.5-Mb-long CEN2.We also investigated the structure and epigenetics of centromeres.Four clusters of CEN180 monomers were detected,and the centromere-specific histone H3-like protein(CENH3)exhibited a strong preference for CEN 180 Cluster 3.Moreover,we observed hypomethylation patterns in CENH3-enriched regions.We believe that this high-quality genome assembly,Col-XJTU,would serve as a valuable reference to better understand the global pattern of centromeric polymorphisms,as well as the genetic and epigenetic features in plants.