Nuclear receptors,the superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors,play crucial role in the regulation of gene expression of the lipid metabolism,and are involved in many metabolic diseases,such as cholesterol gallstone disease.Recently many domestic and foreign researches on the role of nuclear receptors in the lipid metabolism,help to further elucidate the biomolecular pathogenesis of cholesterol gallstone disease and other diseases associated with the lipid metabolism.

Objective To establish the evaluation methods of individual technology maturity based on SCI-covered papers and patent data using Gartner's Hype Cycle.Methods The SCI-covered papers and patent data were ana-lyzed by nonlinear regression analysis in combination with traditional X-radiography and photo-acoustic tomo-graphy, and represented as the bell-shaped curve and S-shaped curve for judging the technology maturity.Results The individual technology maturity was consistent with the qualitative review of experts.Conclusion The individual technology described in SCI-covered papers and patent data can be used in primary evaluation of its maturity.

Objective To examine whether electroacupuncture at the Wangu acupoint (GB 12 ) , whose position is similar to the cerebellar fastigial nucleus ,can reduce inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus of rats with vascular dementia (VD) to provide theoretical evidence for treating VD with electroacupuncture .Methods Healthy Sprague‐Dawley rats ( n=54 ,300 -450 g) were randomly divided into three groups :sham surgery group ,VD group ,and electroacupuncture group .The ethologic scores of VD rats were evaluated and the mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines (TNF‐α,IL‐6 and IL‐1β) in the hippocampus were assessed and the hippocampal tissues were observed by hematoxylin‐eosin (HE) staining .Results Compared with VD group ,in electroacupuncture group the rats' learning ability improved significantly and the mRNA expressions of TNF‐α, IL‐6 and IL‐1β decreased . Simultaneously ,the damage extent of nerve cells in the hippocampal tissues decreased , and their morphology recovered to nearly normal .Conclusion Electroacupuncture at the Wangu acupoint can decrease the level of inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus and reduce the damage extent of nerve cells in the hippocampus ,thus providing a new neuroprotective method for VD .

Background and purpose:Esophageal cancer is one of the common malignant tumors in our country. Anastomotic stenosis is a common complication after resection of esophageal cancer, seriously affecting the quality of life of patients after operation. By changing anastomosis, this study explored the methods for prevention of anastomotic stenosis after esophageal cancer surgery.Methods:Patients were randomly divided into groups. Patients admitted on odd dates were placed in the control group whereas patients admitted on even dates were placed in the experimental group. Patients in the control group were treated with gastroesophageal anastomosis using anastomat for gastroesophageal anastomosis. Anastomotic stomach was contracted by purse string suture at first, and then treated with stapler gastroesophageal anastomosis, before the gastroesophageal anastomosis was carried out on patients in the experimental group. After 6 months’ follow-up, the incidences of anastomotic stenosis between the two groups were compared.Results:The postoperative anastomotic stenosis rate in the control group was 19.2%, while that in the exper-imental group was 0%. There were statistically signiifcant differences between them (χ2=22.8,P<0.005). The incidence of anastomotic stenosis in the control group was signiifcantly higher than that in the experimental group.Conclusion:Anastomotic stomach contracted by purse string suture before stapler gastroesophageal anastomosis can effectively reduce the occurrence of anastomotic stenosis after esophageal cancer surgery.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of transumbilical single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with acute cholecystitis and the effect of this surgical procedure on the postoperative recovery of gastrointestinal function. MethodsThis study enrolled 74 patients who were diagnosed with acute cholecystitis at Yanan University Affiliated Hospital, Shaanxi Province, China, from January 2013 to February 2014. The patients received either transumbilical laparoscopic surgery (treatment group) or conventional laparoscopic treatment (control group). Differences in operative time, intraoperative blood loss, rate of postoperative complications, time to first bowel sound, time to first flatus, time to ambulation, and hospital costs were compared between the two groups. Categorical data were compared using the χ2 test and continuous data were compared using the t test. ResultsNo significant difference was noted between the treatment group and the control group in terms of operative time (P＞0.05). However, the treatment group had significantly lower blood loss (10.5±1.5 L), rate of postoperative complications (10.8%), and hospital costs (8218±389 yuan) and significantly less time to first bowel sound (25±0.3 h), time to first flatus (1.6±4.1 h), and time to ambulation (9.7±5.8 h) than the control group (all P＜0.05). ConclusionTransumbilical single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe and feasible procedure for the treatment of acute cholecystitis as it offers minimal trauma and fast recovery of gastrointestinal function after surgery, which warrants its greater use in clinical practice.

Objective To investigate the role of sonic hedgehog (Shh) signal transduction pathway in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) under hypoxia in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cells.Methods ARPE-19 were cultured and divided into normal ARPE-19 (Cont) and hypoxia group (100 μmol/L CoCl2 Cobalt Chloride +-ARPE-19);hypoxia group was further divided into CoCl2 group,cyclopamine group (CYA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group.20 μmol/L cyclopamine was added to the CYA group 1 hour before hypoxia,1‰ DMSO was added into DMSO group at the same time.The hRPE cells were cultured under hypoxia for 4,8,12,24 hours.The expression of Shh and VEGF were determined by Real-time fluorescent quantitate PCR (RT-PCR).The amount of VEGF in the hRPE-conditioned supernatant was measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at 4,8,12,24 hours,respectively.Results RT-PCR tests showed that the level of Shh and VEGF of hRPE was time dependently increased (Shh:F=45.260,P=0.001;VEGF:F=264.938,P=0.001).The level of Shh and VEGF of hRPE in the group treated with cyclopamine was decreased (P＜0.01).ELISA tests showed that the amount of VEGF in hRPE supernatant was significantly increased in time-dependent manner (F =3 156.676,P =0.001),and it was down-regulated by cyclopamine under hypoxia (P＜0.01).Conclusion Shh signal transduction pathway could play a role in the VEGF expression induced by hypoxia in hRPE cells.

Objective To analyze the difference and correlation of the evaluation of the medical students' communication ability between the examiners,standardized patients (SP) and medical students themselves in objective structured clinical examination (OSCE),and to provide scientific basis for the appropriate evaluation method of medical students' communication ability.Methods OSCE was used to evaluate the communication ability of 90 medical students in Daping Hospital,Chongqing,and the three parties were evaluated by the examiners,SP and medical students themselves.Excel and SPSS 17.0 statistical analysis software were used,through Friendman M.test,t test and correlation analysis to analyze the differences and correlation of the three parties evaluations.Results The different evaluation between the three parties on the communication ability of medical students was as follows.Examiner's evaluation was the lowest (8.39 ± 1.18),SP's evaluation was the highest (9.62 ± 0.73),Medical students themselves' evaluation was higher (9.28± 1.09);The examiner's evaluation of Medical students' empathy,verbal communication ability,nonverbal communication ability and etiquette was lower (P=0.00).The correlation analysis of the three parties' evaluation showed that there was a significant correlation between the three parties on the connnunication ability,empathy and nonverbal communication ability (P＜0.05).The evaluation of SP and medical students themselves on medical students' language communication ability and etiquette was significantly correlated (P＜0.05).Conclusions Using examiner or SP or medical students themselves only to evaluate the communication ability of medical students is not accurate,The Examiner and SP as the main trial test personnel should collaborate to evaluate medical students' communication ability.The examiner can evaluate three projects such as what is medical ethics and law,empathy,nonverbal communication ability,while the SP can evaluate the two projects:what is language communication ability and etiquette.The collaborative evaluation of the two sides can be more accurate to reflect the doctor-patient communication ability of medical students.

BACKGROUND:After years of development, various in vitro loading devices for vascular tension stress have been created both at home and abroad, mainly including rectangular base stretching method, circular base deformation method and four-point bending beam load method. Although the circular base deformation method can wel reflect the real situations in vivo such as the expansion of the alveoli and vascular pulsation, the strain on the membrane is actinomorphic. The four-point bending beam load method can just bring limited strain range and load time, along with a difficult strain regulation.
OBJECTIVE: To develop anin vitro loading device for vascular tension stress using the rectangular base stretching method.
METHODS:Thisin vitro loading device for vascular tension stress developed according to mechatronics design consisted of power supply module, control module, drive module and data acquisition module. The device could achieve the tensile control on silicon diaphragm by high-precision control of the motor rotation angle and rotational speed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Through tests and experiments, the device could meet the required range of parameters and simulatein vitro human tensile stress environment, which is preliminarily considered to develop successfuly, achieving that: (1) two work patterns: stress mode and strain mode so as to solve the standardization of silicone substrate as loading device; (2) tensile stress can be adjusted in a range of 0-5×105 Pa; (3) tensile strain can be adjusted in 0-40% range; (4) stretching frequency can be in the regulation of 0-80 times/min and the stretching time can be controled.

Objective To explore the application value of CT perfusion imaging for predicting the tiny lymph nodes metastasis and micrometastasis of squamous cell carcinoma in cervix after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Methods The clinical data and CT perfusion parameters of 46 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery were enrolled in the study.Based on the surgical pathology findings and short-term follow up,the cases were divided into without tiny lymph nodes metastasis (short axle diameter of lymph nodes＜10 mm) group (n=32) and with tiny lymph nodes metastasis group (n=14).All perfusion data were analyzed retrospectively and the diagnostic value were investigated.Results Blood flow (BF),blood volume (BV) and the maximum diameter of tumor per-chemotherapy in with tiny lymph nodes metastasis group were higher than those in without tiny lymph nodes metastasis group (all P＜0.05).The differences of the maximum diameter of tumor after chemotherapy,permeability,time to peak (TTP) between two groups were not statistically significant (all P＞0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed BF and the maximum diameter of tumor per-chemotherapy were independent predictors of the tiny lymph nodes metastasis in cervix after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.ROC showed BF (AUC=0.86,P＜0.001,95％CI [0.75,0.96]) had higher predictive value than maximum diameter of tumor per-chemotherapy (AUC=0.70,P=0.02,95 ％ CI [0.54,0.88]).Conclusion CT perfusion imaging shows the significant predictive value for the tiny lymph nodes metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma in cervix after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the distribution and expression of y-secretase subunit (APH-1)in the central nervous system (CNS) of APP/PS1 double transgenic Alzheimer's disease (AD) adult mouse model,and to detect the expression difference of APH-1 in developmental brain between AD model mouse and wild-type littermates in order to further clarify the relationship between APH-1 and AD. MethodsOffspring bred by APP/PS1 double transgenic AD mice were genotyped.Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect APH-1 distribution and expression in the CNS of adult APP/PS1 double transgenic AD mouse model,in the brain of AD model mouse and its wild-type littermates on postnatal day 1,7,21 and 120.Results APH-1 was widely expressed in almost all regions of the CNS,especially in the cerebral cortex,hippocampus,olfactory bulb,hypothalamus,ventral striatum,caudate putamen,raphe magnus nucleus,cerebellum,brainstem and spinal cord of the adult APP/PS1 double transgenic mice.APH-1 expression was higher in the cortex of both AD and wild type mouse on postnatal day 1 than on postnatal day 7 and 21 with increased level of APH-1 protein in adult mouse brain.APH-1 expression in the brain of AD mice was higher than in its wild type littermates at any stage(P＜0.05).Conclusions Distribution of APH-1 is ubiquitous and region-dependent in the CNS.The different distribution and expression between APP/PS1 double transgenic mouse model and its wild type littermate indicate that APH-1 may be related to AD.