Objective To analyze the differences in the expression levels of the lncRNA MALAT1, NEAT, NEAT2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) from tuberculosis patients and healthy controls. Methods We detected the lncRNA expression levels in PBMC from 79 tuberculosis patients and 82 healthy controls by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and analyzed the correlation between lncRNA expression levels and some clinical features and laboratory indicators in tuberculosis patients. Results The expression levels of MALAT1, NEAT1 in PBMC of tuberculosis patients were significantly higher than healthy controls (Z=-4.386, P<0.001; Z=-10.175, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the expression of NEAT2 between tuberculosis patients and healthy controls (Z=-0.203，P=0.839). The correlation results of lncRNA levels and some clinical features, laboratory indicators in tuberculosis patients suggested that the NEAT2 level in PBMC of newly treated tuberculosis patients was higher than recurrent tuberculosis patients, while the NEAT2 level in PBMC of sputum smear positive tuberculosis patients was lower than that of sputum smear negative tuberculosis patients (all P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between MALAT1 level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (rs=-0.256, P=0.034). Conclusion MALAT1 and NEAT1 are abnormally expressed in PBMC of tuberculosis patients, and may be involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of short segment fixation with percutaneous pedicle screws or traditional open surgery for the type A1-A3 thoracolumbar compression fracture.Methods A retrospective case control study was conducted on the clinical data of 64 patients with thoracolumbar compression fracture admitted to Shanxi Dayi Hospital between January 2012 and February 2017.There were 44 males and 20 females,aged 21-65 years [(45.4 ± 11.1) years].There was one patient with injured segment at T11,29 at T12,27 at L1 and seven at L2.According to AO typing,there were 39 patients classified as Type A1,two as Type A2 and 23 as Type A3.The patients were divided into minimally invasive surgery group (n =37) and open surgery group (n =27).Minimally invasive surgery group was treated with minimally invasive percutaneous pedicle screw fixation and open reduction.The open surgery group was treated with traditional open pedicle screw short segment fixation and open reduction.The operation time,intraoperative blood loss,total hospitalization time,postoperative hospitalization time,visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after operation,local kyphosis of the fractured vertebra,segmental kyphosis and complications in two groups were recorded.Results All patients were followed up for 12-29 months,with an average of 13.2 months.Between the minimally invasive surgery group and open surgery group,no significant difference was found in the operation time [(106.4± 37.3) minutes vs.(131.3 ± 33.6) minutes] (P ＞ 0.05),and significant differences were found in intraoperative blood loss [(71.2 ± 34.9) ml vs.(409.3 ± 267.5) ml],total hospitalization time [(11.7 ± 7.2) days vs.(21.6 ± 12.8) days] and postoperative hospitalization time [(8.1 ± 7.4) days vs.(16.6 ± 10.6) days] (P ＜ 0.05).In the minimally invasive surgery group,VAS was (6.5 ±1.1) points preoperatively and was (2.3 ± 0.7) points and (1.0 ± 0.3) points immediately after operation and at final follow-up.In the open surgery group,VAS was (6.9 ± 1.0)points preoperatively and was (4.2 ± 1.0) points and (0.9 ± 0.4) points immediately after operation and at final follow-up (P ＜0.05).Compared with the preoperative VAS,those immediately after operation and at final follow-up were significantly decreased within the two groups (P ＜ 0.05).There were no significant differences in the preoperative VAS and VAS at final follow-up between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05),but significant difference was found in VAS immediately after operation between the two groups (P ＜ 0.05).In the minimally invasive surgery group,the local kyphosis of the fractured vertebra was (19.3 ± 3.8) °preoperatively,(3.4 ± 1.7) ° immediately after operation,and (4.6 ± 1.9) ° at final follow-up.In the open surgery group,the local kyphosis of the fractured vertebra was (19.6 ± 6.8) ° before operation,(1.6 ± 0.8) ° immediately after operation,and (2.4 ± 1.1) ° at final follow-up.The kyphosis of fractured vertebra immediately after operation and at final follow-up were significantly decreased within the two groups compared with the preoperative kyphosis(P ＜0.05),but no significant differences were found between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).In the minimally invasive surgery group,the segmental kyphosis Cobb angle was (16.1 ± 9.1) ° before operation,(3.0-± 1.8) ° immediately after operation,and (5.9 ±1.8) ° at final follow-up.In the open surgery group,the segmental kyphosis Cobb angle was (15.2±12.0) ° before operation,(3.1 ± 1.4) ° immediately after operation,and (5.6 ± 2.1) ° at final follow-up.The segmental kyphosis Cobb angle immediately after operation and at final follow-up were significantly decreased within the two groups compared with the preoperative Cobb angle (P ＜ 0.05),but no significant differences were found between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).No spinal cord injuries because of pedicle screws were observed after operation in either group.In the open surgery group,there was one patient with wound infection who recovered after dressing change,and no infection case was found in the minimally invasive surgery group.Conclusion For type A1-A3 thoracolumbar compression fractures,both the minimally invasive posterior pedicle screw fixation and the traditional open pedicle screw fixation can achieve satisfactory near-term results,and the former is better in intraoperative blood loss,immediate relief of pain after operation and shorter hospital stay than the latter.

Objective To assess the choice between direct operation and followed- up observation for subclinical esophageal submucosal mass. Methods The clinical data of 133 patients with subclinical esophageal submucosal mass from February 1996 to October 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the modes of intervention: direct operation group (82 cases) and followed-up group (51 cases). Their clinical data, imaging, endoscopy information, modes of intervention and final outcome were compared. Results All of the 133 patients were considered as esophageal leiomyoma. The age and body examination detection rate in direct operation group were significantly lower than those in followed-up group: (47.7 ± 13.1) years vs. (52.2 ± 10.1) years and 15.9% (13/82) vs. 37.3% (19/51), the tumor diameter, case history and incidence of chest and abdominal pain were significantly higher than those in followed-up group: (2.2 ± 1.4) cm vs. (1.7 ± 1.0) cm, 51 (44, 60) months vs. 47 (40, 55) months and 28.0% (23/82) vs. 9.8% (5/51), and there were statistical differences (P＜0.05 or ＜0.01). There was no operative mortality in direct operation group, and the incidence of mild surgical complication was 8.5% (7/82); the pathological result showed that esophageal leiomyoma and other benign diseases were in 70 cases, and malignant disease in 12 cases (12 cases of malignant diseases who missed diagnosis before operation were mostly caused by incomplete examination.). In followed-up group, the mean observation time was 35.5 (3 to 240) months, disease progression was in 23 cases (45.1%, 23/51), 3 cases developed new-onset symptoms, 20 cases increased in diameter, and the average doubling time was 856 (126 to 2 891) d. Twenty-seven patients eventually underwent surgery (52.9%, 27/51, post-observation intervention group), without perioperative death, and the incidence of surgical complication was 7.4% (2/27). The pathological result showed that esophageal leiomyoma and other benign diseases were in 23 cases, and malignant disease in 4 cases. Compared with direct operation group, post-observation intervention group had no delayed treatment due to the observation and did not increase the surgery risk and difficulty, and no malignant transformation occurred. Conclusions Subclinical esophageal submucosal mass could be followed up, but endoscopic ultrasonography, CT and gastrointestinal angiography must be performed and must be followed up closely.

Objective To investigate the influence of high-motivated affect background on the holistic face processing and its neural mechanism.Methods Totally 26 subjects were instructed to perform composite-face process under the priming condition of three emotional pictures (food,neutral and fear).Results (1)Behavioral studies showed a significant interaction between emotion type and face combination(F(2,50) =5.37,P=0.008).Composite-face effect was observed in neutral emotional condition due to the fact that the recognition accuracy of the misaligned face ((90.21 ± 11.20)％) was significantly higher than that of the aligned face((84.83 ± 11.20) ％,t (25) =3.95,P=0.001).However,the composite-face effect disappeared under the condition of high-motivated emotion.That is,there was no significant difference in the recognition accuracy of the misaligned faces ((87.88± 10.28)％) and aligned faces ((85.12± 8.81)％,t(25)=1.93,P=0.065) under the condition of high-motivated negative emotion.Under the condition of high-motivated positive emotion,there was also no significant difference in the recognition accuracy between the misaligned faces ((87.92±11.00)％) and aligned faces((88.33±8.89)％,t(z5)=0.263,P=0.795).(2) According to the results of ERP,P3 components showed significant interaction between emotion type and face combination form(F(2,50) =3.23,P=0.048).Under the neutral emotional condition,the P3 amplitude of aligned faces ((3.46 ± 1.26) μV) was significantly higher than that of misaligned faces ((2.82 ± 1.43)μV,F (1,25)=5.28,P=0.03).In the case of high-motivated negative condition,there was no significant difference in P3amplitude between aligned faces ((3.21 ± 1.16) μV) and misaligned faces ((3.07 ± 1.22) μV,F (1,25) =0.53,P=0.476).The P3 amplitude of aligned faces((3.33±1.20) μV) and misaligned faces((3.42±1.40) μV) were also not significantly different under the condition of high-motivated positive affect (F(1,25)=0.23,P=0.638).Conclusion The study shows a high correlation between face processing and emotional processing.Additionally,the emotional motivation has a stronger influence on face processing.Regardless of the emotional valence,high-motivated intensity affect can cause local attention bias and reduce the holistic processing level of the face,which is mainly manifested in the later cognitive processing stage.

Objective To investigate the community structure of intestinal bacteria from patients with cirrhosis and its influencing factors. Methods From 2016 to 2017, 24 patients with liver cirrhosis ( the LC group) and 23 healthy family members of patients ( the HC group) were enrolled at the First Hospital of Lanzhou University. A comparative analysis of the community structure of intestinal bacteria was performed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing in LC and HC groups. Combined with LEfSe analysis and NMDS analysis, the differential markers were screened and the factors affecting the intestinal community structure of subjects were studied. Results The dominant six phylum of bacteria in intestines in LC and HC groups included Firmicutes, Bacteroides, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Fusobacteria and Tenericumes. However, in the LC sample, Firmicutes was significantly reduced, while Bacteroides was significantly increased. The diversity of intestinal bacteria was significantly reduced, and the Firmicutes/Bacteroides ratio was significantly decreased, suggesting a variation of the community structure in intestinal bacteria of cirrhosis patients. The LEfSe result indicated that the abundance of Enterococcus, Lactobacillales, Bacilli, and Bacteroidetes showed a significant difference in the LC sample, which may be used as potential marked bacterial groups for cirrhosis. The NMDS analysis revealed a positive relationship between the concentration of Cd and Pb and the abundance of intestinal bacteria in the LC sample. Conclusion The community structure of intestinal bacteria from patients with cirrhosis has changed. Enterococcus, Lactobacillales, Bacilli, and Bacteroidetes are potential marked bacterial groups. The concentration of Cd and Pb in the intestinal tract of cirrhosis patients may interact with the abundance and structure of bacteria, and further affect the occurrence and development of cirrhosis.

Objective To analyze the related factors of lymph node metastasis in N2 group of patients with non-small cell lung cancer,and found its meaning for lymph node dissection.Methods A retrospective analysis was made on 110 patients with non-small cell lung cancer from July 2014 to May 2016 in our thoracic surgery department.Potential related factors were collected,single factor analysis and variate analysis were carried out to find the relationship between N2 lymph node metastasis and potential related factors.Results Univariate analysis showed that the longest diameter of the tumor ＞ 2 cm (P =0.016),lymph node imaging (P =0.021),pleural involvement (P =0.002) were related factors of lymph node metastasis in N2 group,and these three factors were independent related factors of lymph node metastasis in N2 group.Conclusions The longest diameter of the tumor,lymph node imaging and pleural involvement are related factors of N2 lymph node metastasis.Systematic lymph node dissection is strongly recommended for patients with three related factors at the same time.

Objective To assess the efficacy and safety ofintravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) compared with photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of Chinese patients with predominantly classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) lesions secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).Methods A randomized,double-blind,multi-center phase-3 clinical trial lasting for 52weeks (from December 2011 to August 2014).Subjects were randomized in a 3:1 ratio to either IAI group or PDT-to-IAI group.Subjects in the IAI group received 2 mg IAI at baseline and at week 4,8,16,24,32,40,48,with sham injection at week 28,36.Subjects in the PDT-to-IAI group were forced to receive PDT once at baseline and more time at week 12,24 if PDT retreatment conditions were met.Sham injections were given in PDT-to-IAI group at baseline and at week 4,8,16 and 24,followed by 2 mg IAI at week 28,32,36,40,48.The primary outcome of efficacy were the change in mean Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) from baseline to week 28,and that of week 52.Safety evaluation included the percentage of subjects who suffered treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs).Results Among the 304 subjects enrolled,there were 228 and 76 cases in IAI group and PDT-to-IAI group respectively.At week 28,the changes of mean BCVA in IAI group,PDT-to-IAI group compared to baseline were +14.0,+3.9 letters,respectively.At week 52,the changes of mean BCVA in two groups were + 15.2,+8.9 letters respectively with the difference of +6.2 letters (95％CI 2.6-9.9,P=0.000 9).At week 52,the mean foveal retinal thickness in the two groups decreased by-189.6,-170.0 μm,respectively.Subjects with the most BCVA increase in IAI group were those aged ＜65,and those with active CNV lesion area ＜50％ of total lesion area.The most common TEAEs in IAI group and PDT-to-IAI group are macular fibrosis [11.8％ (27/228),6.6％ (5/76)] and BCVA decline [6.6％ (15/228),21.1％ (16/76)].There were 3 cases of arterial thromboembolic events defined in the antiplatelet experimental collaboration group,but all were considered unrelated to interventions.Conclusions The efficacy of aflibercept is superior to that of PDT in nAMD patients in China.The therapeutic effect of aflibercept persisted to week 52 in all subjects.The rate of adverse events was consistent with the safety data of aflibercept known before.

Objective    To emphasize the important role of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in treatment of mediastinal bronchogenic cysts (MBCs). Methods    We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 112 patients (53 males and 59 females) of mediastinal bronchogenic cysts who underwent VATS in our institution between April 2001 and Aprial 2016. Median age was 4–75 (45.6±15.0) years. All patients underwent chest CT preoperatively. The patients were divided into two groups: an anterior mediastinum group, 47 patients; a middle and posterior mediastinum group, 65 patients including 35 patients in the middle mediastinum, 30 patients in the posterior mediastinum. The average diameter was 0.5–22.0 (3.50±2.33) cm. The average CT attenuation was 0–67 (35.5±15.3) Hu on unenhanced CT. We began each operation with the VATS technique. Results    The CT diagnostic accuracy for group middle and posterior mediastinum with CT value≤20 Hu was higher than others (61.5% vs. 13.1%, χ2=17.675, P<0.001). A total of 111 patients underwent VATS, only one patient converted to open thoracotomy. Cyst resection and thymectomy were conducted in 45 patients, cyst resection and extended thymectomy were conducted in 2 patients in the anterior mediastinum group. Simply cyst resection were performed in the middle and posterior mediastinum group (n=65). The average operative time was 40–360 (104.5±43.1) min. The average intraoperative blood loss was 5–600 (57.9±88.9) mL. The intraoperative complication rate was 3.6% and the incomplete resection rate was 6.3%. The main reason for these was severe adhesion between the cyst and mediastinal structure. No serious postoperative complication was found. Follow-up was done in 99 patients, and the mean follow-up time was 42 (12–191) months. There was no local recurrence. Conclusion    VATS resection of MBCs is a safe and efficacious procedure, and minimally invasive and  surgical resection should be performed as early as possible for MBCs.