Myocardial fibrosis （MF）， characterized by decreased cardiac function and myocardial compliance， is a pathological process and a progression factor in various cardiovascular diseases. The nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome is closely related to the development of MF. Recent studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） can regulate the NLRP3 inflammasome to alleviate MF. Based on this， this article systematically summarizes the research progress on the mechanisms by which TCM regulates the NLRP3 inflammasome to improve MF. It is found that active ingredients of TCM， such as alkaloids （lycorine，vincristine，bufalin）， saponins （astragaloside Ⅳ， diosgenin，ginsenoside Rg3）， terpenoids （celastrol，oridonin）， and phenols （polydatin，curcumin，phloridzin） as well as TCM formulas （Zhachong shisanwei pills，Zhilong huoxue tongyu capsules， Luqi formula） can inhibit the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome， thereby suppressing the release of inflammatory factors such as interleukin-1β and IL-18， reducing inflammatory damage to myocardial tissue， alleviating excessive deposition of the extracellular matrix， and thus exerting the effect of improving MF.

Objective:To explore the evaluation effect of ultrasonography and Pirani score on tarsal deformity, treatment effect and pseudo-correction of congenital clubfoot in infants and young children, and the correlation between the two methods.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 26 children (40 feet) with congenital clubfoot who were evaluated by ultrasonography in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively collected. There were 16 males and 10 females. The age at the first ultrasound examination was ( M(IQR)) 9.0 (18.0) days (range: 1 to 46 days). All patients were treated with Ponseti method by the same physician. The Pirani scores before and after treatment and at the last examination, and the talonavicular angle, calcaneocuboid angle and tibiocalcaneal angle measured by ultrasound were collected, and the treatment and follow-up were recorded. Paired sample t test, repeated measures analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test were used for data comparison, and Spearman correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to calculate the efficacy of ultrasound in evaluating different Pirani scores. Results:The number of plaster fixation in 26 children was 4.0 (1.0) times (range: 2 to 8 times). The medial talonavicular angle and posterior tibiocalcaneal angle were significantly improved after treatment and at the last follow-up compared with those before treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). There was no difference in lateral calcaneocuboid angle before and after treatment and at the last follow-up ( F=1.971, P>0.05). Pseudo-correction occurred in 2 cases (2 feet) during the treatment, with an incidence of 5%. Correlation analysis showed that there was a moderate positive correlation between talonavicular angle and Pirani midfoot score ( r=0.480, P<0.01). There was no correlation between calcaneocuboid angle and Pirani midfoot score ( r=0.114, P=0.105). There was a moderate negative correlation between tibial heel angle and Pirani hindfoot score ( r=-0.566, P<0.01). The cut-off point of Pirani midfoot score of 1.5 was 38.78°, the sensitivity was 0.90, the specificity was 0.56, and the area under the curve was 0.75. The cut-off value of angle was 27.51 °, the sensitivity was 0.16, the specificity was 0.92, and the area under the curve was 0.44.The cut-off points of Pirani midfoot score of 3.0 were 45.08°and 9.96°, the sensitivity was 0.94 and 0.91, the specificity was 0.37 and 0.42, and the area under the curve was 0.59 and 0.62, respectively. The cut-off values of Pirani hindfoot score of 2.0 and 3.0 were 167.46° and 160.15°, respectively. The sensitivity was 0.75 and 0.67, the specificity was 0.81 and 0.83, and the area under the curve was 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. Conclusion:Ultrasound can complement with Pirani score, visually and dynamically observe the morphology and position changes of talonavicular joint, calcaneocuboid joint and tibiotalocalcaneal joint, monitor the recovery and pseudo-correction of tarsal bones, and better evaluate the therapeutic effect.

Objective:To explore the evaluation effect of ultrasonography and Pirani score on tarsal deformity, treatment effect and pseudo-correction of congenital clubfoot in infants and young children, and the correlation between the two methods.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 26 children (40 feet) with congenital clubfoot who were evaluated by ultrasonography in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively collected. There were 16 males and 10 females. The age at the first ultrasound examination was ( M(IQR)) 9.0 (18.0) days (range: 1 to 46 days). All patients were treated with Ponseti method by the same physician. The Pirani scores before and after treatment and at the last examination, and the talonavicular angle, calcaneocuboid angle and tibiocalcaneal angle measured by ultrasound were collected, and the treatment and follow-up were recorded. Paired sample t test, repeated measures analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test were used for data comparison, and Spearman correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to calculate the efficacy of ultrasound in evaluating different Pirani scores. Results:The number of plaster fixation in 26 children was 4.0 (1.0) times (range: 2 to 8 times). The medial talonavicular angle and posterior tibiocalcaneal angle were significantly improved after treatment and at the last follow-up compared with those before treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). There was no difference in lateral calcaneocuboid angle before and after treatment and at the last follow-up ( F=1.971, P>0.05). Pseudo-correction occurred in 2 cases (2 feet) during the treatment, with an incidence of 5%. Correlation analysis showed that there was a moderate positive correlation between talonavicular angle and Pirani midfoot score ( r=0.480, P<0.01). There was no correlation between calcaneocuboid angle and Pirani midfoot score ( r=0.114, P=0.105). There was a moderate negative correlation between tibial heel angle and Pirani hindfoot score ( r=-0.566, P<0.01). The cut-off point of Pirani midfoot score of 1.5 was 38.78°, the sensitivity was 0.90, the specificity was 0.56, and the area under the curve was 0.75. The cut-off value of angle was 27.51 °, the sensitivity was 0.16, the specificity was 0.92, and the area under the curve was 0.44.The cut-off points of Pirani midfoot score of 3.0 were 45.08°and 9.96°, the sensitivity was 0.94 and 0.91, the specificity was 0.37 and 0.42, and the area under the curve was 0.59 and 0.62, respectively. The cut-off values of Pirani hindfoot score of 2.0 and 3.0 were 167.46° and 160.15°, respectively. The sensitivity was 0.75 and 0.67, the specificity was 0.81 and 0.83, and the area under the curve was 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. Conclusion:Ultrasound can complement with Pirani score, visually and dynamically observe the morphology and position changes of talonavicular joint, calcaneocuboid joint and tibiotalocalcaneal joint, monitor the recovery and pseudo-correction of tarsal bones, and better evaluate the therapeutic effect.

Background and purpose:In 2016 the National Cancer Institute(NCI)decided stopping to use NCI-60 cell lines for drug screening,suggesting that tumor cell lines were losing their value as a tool for drug discovery and basic research.The reason for NCI-60 cells'retirement'was that the preclinical studies based on traditional cellular and animal models did not obtain the corresponding expected efficacy in clinical trials.Since the major cancer behaviors,such as proliferation and metastasis,are fundamentally altered with long-term culture,the tumor cell lines are not representative of the characteristics of cancer in patients.Currently,scientists hope to create a new cancer model that are derived from fresh patient samples and tagged with details about their clinical past.Our purpose was to create patient-derived breast cancer primary cell lines as new cancer model for drug screening and basic research.Methods:Breast cancer tissues were collected in the Department of Breast Surgery,Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University.The collection of tumor tissue samples was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University(approval number:2022 ethics No.313),and the collection and use of tumor tissues complied with the Declaration of Helsinki.The primary breast cancer cell lines were isolated from the patient's breast cancer tissues and cultured in BCMI medium.After the cells proliferated,the media were replaced with DEME medium.Cell line STR genotyping was done to determine cell-specific genetic markers and identification.Clone formation assay and transplantation assay were done to analyze the ability of breast cancer primary cell lines to form tumors.Results:We created 6 primary breast cancer cell lines.The 6 primary breast cancer cell lines from the patients were tagged with the definitively clinicopathological features,clinical diagnosis,therapeutic regimens,clinical effectiveness and prognostic outcomes.The STR genotyping assays identified the genetic markers and determined the identities of the 6 primary breast cancer cell lines.Clone formation assays and transplantation assay showed that the proliferative capacities of the patient-derived primary breast cancer cell lines were significantly greater compared with the conventional breast cancer cell lines.Conclusion:We created a panel of 6 patient-derived primary breast cancer cell lines as new cancer model for drug screening and basic research in breast cancer.

Corni Fructus, as a commonly used Chinese materia medica in clinical practice, has the efficacy of tonifying and replenishing the liver and kidney as well as stopping collapse with astringent therapy. Given the controversy among medical experts through the ages over its medicinal parts, the author conducted a textual research on the name, origin, changes in producing areas and quality, medicinal parts, collecting, harvesting and processing, natures, tastes, efficacy, usage and dosage of Corni Fructus by consulting materia medica and medical classics of past ages, and combining relevant modern literature and standards, to ensure the precision medication of classic formulas containing it and provide a reference for further development and utilization. According to the textual research, it can be concluded that Corni Fructus has originated from Cornus officinalis Sieb.et Zucc. since ancient times. It was first produced in Shandong and Shaanxi, and later extended to Henan, Zhejiang, and other places for large-scale cultivation. Currently, the quality of products produced in Zhejiang is recommended. Initially, the whole fruit of Corni Fructus was used for medicine, but due to the influence of “the core causes spontaneous seminal emission” theory, the flesh of Corni Fructus(flesh with removing the core from the fruit) has become the mainstream product standard throughout the ages. However, in clinical practice, both specifications exist and should be used in accordance with syndrome differentiation and patient types. There are also many processing methods for Corni Fructus recorded in materia medica and medical classics of past ages, but the mainstream processing varieties are raw medicinal materials of Corni Fructus and flesh of Corni Fructus processed by wine. In terms of the properties and flavors of Corni Fructus, initially priority have been given to “taste sour, mild, lukewarm without toxicity in nature”, now have been switched to “taste sour, astringent, lukewarm in nature”. Moreover, its dosage range of medication of past ages varies greatly from that specified in the pharmacopoeia. It is recommended that clinical doctors choose the appropriate dosage recorded in classic prescriptions according to the patient and disease type, as conditions permit, to maximize the clinical efficacy of Corni Fructus.

Objective:To explore the effect of functional exercise rehabilitation bridging mode on the functional exercise and self-management ability of patients after breast cancer surgery, so as to provide reference for guiding patients to achieve full process management and self-management and rehabilitation.Methods:Using a non randomized grouping quasi experimental design, 202 patients with breast cancer undergoing surgical treatment were selected from the breast surgery department of Yuhuangding Hospital in Yantai from March to July 2021 through convenient sampling. The control group received routine nursing and rehabilitation guidance. The intervention group adopted a rehabilitation bridging mode for postoperative functional exercise on the basis of routine nursing care. The functional exercise compliance rate and self management ability of the two groups of patients after the intervention were evaluated.Results:In the intervention group, the rate of functional exercise reaching the standard, the rate of functional exercise knowledge awareness, correctness and compliance in self-management ability of breast cancer patients were as follows: 93.1%(95/102), 71.6%(73/102), 80.4%(82/102), 73.5%(75/102), which were higher than the control group 84.0%(84/100), 46.0%(46/100), 52.0%(52/100), 17.0%(17/100). The differences were statistically significant ( χ2 values were 4.18-65.06, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The rehabilitation bridging mode could connect the functional exercise needs of patients at different stages of rehabilitation, provide personalized, continuous, and standardized functional exercise guidance for patients, help them improve the effect of functional exercise, and improve their self management ability.

Objective:To systematically review the impact of resistance training on body weight and body composition in breast cancer patients.Methods:Randomized controlled trials of the impact of resistance training on body weight and body composition in breast cancer patients were searched through computers in Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) , China Biomedical Literature Database, VIP and WanFang Data. The search period was from the establishment of the database to April 20, 2022. Two researchers independently screened the article, evaluated the quality of the article, and extracted the data. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 software.Results:A total of 11 articles were included, including 1 077 patients with breast cancer. Meta-analysis results showed that resistance training could reduce body fat rate [ SMD=-1.21, 95% CI (-1.92, -0.50) , P<0.01] , fat mass [ SMD=-0.64, 95% CI (-1.13, -0.14) , P<0.01] , and increase lean body weight [ SMD=1.31, 95% CI (0.54, 2.07) , P<0.01] in breast cancer patients compared with conventional nursing or flexibility training, but there was no statistical difference in the impact on body weight ( P>0.05) . Conclusions:Resistance training can improve the body composition, and has positive impacts on the body weight and body composition in breast cancer patients.

Genome miniaturization drives key evolutionary innovations of adaptive traits in verte-brates,such as the flight evolution of birds.However,whether similar evolutionary processes exist in invertebrates remains poorly understood.Derived from the second-largest animal phylum,scallops are a special group of bivalve molluscs and acquire the evolutionary novelty of the swimming lifestyle,providing excellent models for investigating the coordinated genome and lifestyle evolution.Here,we show for the first time that genome sizes of scallops exhibit a generally negative correlation with loco-motion activity.To elucidate the co-evolution of genome size and swimming lifestyle,we focus on the Asian moon scallop(Amusium pleuronectes)that possesses the smallest known scallop genome while being among scallops with the highest swimming activity.Whole-genome sequencing of A.pleuronectes reveals highly conserved chromosomal macrosynteny and microsynteny,suggestive of a highly con-tracted but not degenerated genome.Genome reduction of A.pleuronectes is facilitated by significant inactivation of transposable elements,leading to reduced gene length,elevated expression of genes involved in energy-producing pathways,and decreased copy numbers and expression levels of biomineralization-related genes.Similar evolutionary changes of relevant pathways are also observed for bird genome reduction with flight evolution.The striking mimicry of genome miniaturization underlying the evolution of bird flight and scallop swimming unveils the potentially common,pivotal role of genome size fluctuation in the evolution of novel lifestyles in the animal kingdom.

Objective:To evaluate the deformity changes in the treatment of congenital clubfoot in infants by ultrasound, and to explore its clinical application value.Methods:Seventeen infants with congenital clubfoot treated in the Department of Pediatric Orthopaedics of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2020 to June 2021 and 27 normal infants in the same period were selected. The distance between medial malleolus and scaphoids (MM-N distance) of all feet was measured by ultrasound. The distance from the tangent line of the lateral edge of calcaneus to the midpoint of the lateral edge of the chondroid bone (C-C distance), medial soft tissue thickness and tibial calcaneal angle were measured by ultrasound. The data before, after treatment and during follow-up were statistically analyzed.Results:A total of 88 feet of 44 infants were evaluated. The mean number of cast was 4.7±1.1, the follow-up time was (96.9±59.3)days. The MM-N distance, C-C distance and posterior tibial calcaneal angle in the clubfoot group were improved after treatment and at the last follow-up, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). During the treatment, 1 case had false correction, and 2 cases recurred in the last follow-up. Conclusions:Ultrasound can clearly display the medial, dorsal, lateral and posterior articular structures of normal and clubfoot, and can observe the deformity changes of clubfoot during the correction process, which can provide guidance for the clinical treatment of clubfoot.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of L-carnitine on inflammatory factor,oxidant stress index and cardiac func-tion in patients with maintenance hemodialysis. METHODS:One hundred and twenty maintenance hemodialysis patients selected from our hospital during Dec. 2014-Feb. 2016 were randomly divided into observation group and control group,with 60 cases in each group. Control group received maintenance hemodialysis for 1 month,and then was given rhEPO injection 3000 IU subcuta-neously,3 times a week. Observation group was additionally given Levocarnitine for injection 2 g,iv,qod,1 day after hemodialy-sis,on the basis of control group. Two groups were treated for consecutive 3 months. The levels of inflammatory factors (IL-6, TNF-α,CRP),oxidant stress indexes(MDA,GSH-Px,SOD)and cardiac function indexes(CO,LVEF,LVST)were observed in 2 groups before and after treatment;the occurrence of ADR was recorded. RESULTS:There was no statistical significance in in-flammatory factor,oxidant stress index and cardiac fuaction before treatment between 2 groups(P>0.05). After treatment,the lev-els of IL-6,TNF-α,CRP and MDA in observation group were decreased significantly,while the levels of GSH-Px,SOD,CO and LVEF were increased significantly,compared to before treatment;the improvement of above indexes in observation group were sig-nificantly better than control group,with statistical significance (P<0.05). No obvious ADR was found in 2 groups during treat-ment. CONCLUSIONS:L-carnitine can effectively alleviate the micro-inflammatory state in maintenance hemodialysis patients and protect myocardial function with good safety.