BACKGROUND:Magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard for the diagnosis of osteonecrosis of femoral head,and previous methods of predicting osteonecrosis of femoral head collapse based on magnetic resonance images mostly require the combined assessment of coronal and sagittal images.However,osteonecrosis of femoral head tends to occur bilaterally,most hospitals perform bilateral hip magnetic resonance imaging scans during clinical examinations,but the bilateral hip scans can only view coronal and cross-sectional images,and it is difficult to obtain sagittal images,which affects the assessment of the risk of collapse.Therefore,it is of clinical value to establish a method to assess the risk of early osteonecrosis of femoral head collapse by applying the images that can be obtained after bilateral hip magnetic resonance scanning. OBJECTIVE:To establish a method of applying coronal and cross-sectional images of bilateral hip magnetic resonance imaging to assess the risk of osteonecrosis of femoral head collapse. METHODS:The medical records of 111 patients(181 hips)with early-stage osteonecrosis of femoral head diagnosed at the outpatient clinic of Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University from October 2017 to October 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.They were categorized into collapsed and non-collapsed groups according to the femoral head collapse at the final follow-up,with 69 hips in the collapsed group and 112 hips in the non-collapsed group.The angle of necrotic range on the images of median coronal plane,transverse plane or one level above and below it was measured on the magnetic resonance imaging system.The sum of the two angles of necrotic angle on the coronal and transverse planes was used as the combined necrotic angle.The average of the three combined necrotic angles of each hip was taken to get the average combined necrotic angle of each hip.Finally,the correlation between the three combined necrotic angles and the average combined necrotic angle with the collapse of osteonecrosis of femoral head was analyzed,and the specificity and sensitivity of the four combined necrotic angles in predicting collapse were evaluated by using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Totally 69 hips(38.1%)had femoral head collapse at the last follow-up and were included in the collapsed group;112 hips(61.9%)did not have progression of collapse and were included in the non-collapsed group.(2)The difference between the collapsed group and the non-collapsed group in terms of Association Research Circulation Osseous(ARCO)stage was significant(P<0.001).The difference in age,body mass index,follow-up time,gender distribution,side of onset,and causative factors was not significant(P>0.05).(3)The results of independent samples t-test suggested that all four combined necrotic angles were significantly correlated with collapse(P<0.000 1);and the differences in combined necrotic angles between the collapsed group and the non-collapsed group of ARCO stage I and the two groups of ARCO stage II were all significant(P<0.000 1).(4)In the analysis of the receiver operating characteristic,the area under the curve of the average combined necrotic angle was greater than that of the combined necrotic angle on the lower level of the median,the middle level,and the upper level of the median.(5)The average combined necrotic angle had a higher accuracy in the prediction of collapse than the lower level of the median,the middle level,and the upper level of the combined necrotic angle.(6)It is concluded that the accuracy of the average combined necrotic angle in predicting the risk of osteonecrosis of femoral head collapse is higher,and the clinical practicability is stronger,so we can consider using this method to predict the risk of osteonecrosis of femoral head collapse.

BACKGROUND: Huaier granule is an important medicinal fungus extract widely used in cancer treatment. Previous retrospective studies have reported its effectiveness in breast cancer patients, but the imbalanced baseline characteristics of participants could have biased the results. Therefore, this retrospective study aimed to examine the efficacy of Huaier granule on the prognosis of breast cancer patients. METHODS: In this single-center cohort study, breast cancer patients diagnosed and treated at the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine between 2009 and 2017 were selected. The data were retrospectively analyzed and divided into two groups according to whether the patients received Huaier granules. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to eliminate selection bias. The disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for these groups were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox regression. RESULTS: This study included 214 early invasive breast cancer patients, 107 in the Huaier group and 107 in the control group. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the 2-year and 5-year DFS rates were significantly different in the Huaier group and control group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.495; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.257-0.953; P = 0.023). The 2-year and 5-year OS rates were also significantly different (HR, 0.308; 95% CI, 0.148-0.644; P = 0.001). On multivariable Cox regression, Huaier granule was associated with improved DFS (HR, 0.440; 95% CI, 0.223-0.868; P = 0.018) and OS (HR, 0.236; 95% CI, 0.103-0.540; P = 0.001). CONCLUSION In this retrospective study, Huaier granules improved the DFS and OS of early invasive breast cancer patients, providing real-world evidence for further prospective studies on treating breast cancer with Huaier granules.
Humans ; Breast Neoplasms/mortality* ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Propensity Score ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Prognosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Aged ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Complex Mixtures/therapeutic use* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Trametes

ObjectiveTo improve the quality and service performance of community visual health services in Shanghai, and to establish a set of reasonable and effective evaluation index system for community visual health services. MethodsCentered on the national and Shanghai-based visual health policies and based on the current status and development trends of community visual health service program in Shanghai, the candidate indicators were formed through literature review and expert interviews, firstly. The framework of an evaluation index system was formulated through qualitative research successively, which was further revised and perfected using the Delphi method. Coefficient weights were calculated using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), culminating in the establishment of the community visual health evaluation index system, lastly. ResultsA total of 22 visual health experts from district-level center for disease control, hospital ophthalmology and leaders in charging of visual health service in community health centers participated in the Delphi questionnaire survey, with a questionnaire recovery rate of 100% and an expert authority coefficient of 0.86, indicating high credibility. After a round of correspondence to experts’ importance ratings and discussions, a comprehensive evaluation index system comprising 3 primary indicators, 12 secondary indicators, and 47 tertiary indicators, along with 5 additional indicators, was finalized. ConclusionAn index system tailored to effective evaluation for community visual health initiatives was drawn up in this study, which can promote the capacity building in community eye health services, facilitating the high-quality development of visual health courses, and enhancing residents’ eye health.

Stresses induced by the deficiency or excess of trace mineral elements, such as manganese (Mn), represent a common limiting factor for the production of crops like Brassica napus. To identify key genes involved in Mn allocation in B. napus and elucidate the underlying mechanisms, a member of the metal tolerance protein (MTP) family obtained in the previous screening of cDNA library of B. napus under Mn stress was selected as the research subject. Based on the sequence information and phylogenetic analysis, it was named as BnMTP10. It belongs to the Mn-cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) subfamily. Expression of BnMTP10 in yeast significantly improved the tolerance of transformants to excessive Mn and iron (Fe) and reduced the accumulation of Mn and Fe. However, the yeast transformants exhibited no significant changes in tolerance to excess cadmium, boron, aluminum, zinc, or copper. The qRT-PCR results demonstrated that the flowers of B. napus had the highest expression of BnMTP10, followed by roots and leaves. Subcellular localization studies revealed that BnMTP10 was localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Compared with wild-type plants, transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing BnMTP10 exhibited enhanced tolerance to excessive Mn stress but showed no significant difference under Fe stress. Correspondingly, under excessive Mn stress, the Mn content in the roots of transgenic Arabidopsis increased significantly. However, under excessive Fe stress, the Fe content in transgenic Arabidopsis did not alter significantly. According to the results, we hypothesize that BnMTP10 may alleviate excessive Mn stress in plants by mediating Mn transport to the ER. This study facilitated our understanding of efficient mineral nutrients, and provided theoretical foundations and gene resources for breeding B. napus.
Brassica napus/genetics* ; Manganese/metabolism* ; Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics* ; Plant Proteins/physiology* ; Arabidopsis/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Phylogeny ; Cation Transport Proteins/metabolism* ; Stress, Physiological

The basic concept and related background of multivariate statistical process control(MSPC)were intro-duced.The basic process of MSPC implementation and the common statistics and control charts were described.The important role of MSPC in the pharmaceutical production process was emphasized,especially in the field of tra-ditional Chinese medicine,providing reference for the selection of quality control methods in drug production process.The advantages and disadvantages of MSPC were summarized,and the development trend of MSPC in drug production and quality control was prospected.

AIM:To explore the roles and associations of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha(HNF4A)and mu-protocadherin(MUCDHL)in the kidney of diabetic mice.METHODS:(1)A cohort of six 12-week-old db/m mice and six db/db mice were selected and maintained on a standard diet until 16 weeks.The protein levels of fibronectin(FN),collagen type III(Col-III),E-cadherin,α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),HNF4A,Snail and MUCDHL in renal tissues were scrutinized using Western blot.Immunohistochemical staining was conducted to observe the distribution and expres-sion of FN,HNF4A and MUCDHL.(2)Mouse renal tubular epithelial cells(mRTEC)were cultured in vitro and catego-rized into groups:normal glucose(NG)group,high glucose(HG)group,overexpression control groups(NG+vector and HG+vector),overexpression groups(NG+OE-MUCDHL,HG+OE-MUCDHL,NG+OE-HNF4A and HG+OE-HNF4A),knockdown control groups(NG+control and HG+control),and knockdown groups(NG+si-MUCDHL,HG+si-MUCDHL,NG+si-HNF4A and HG+si-HNF4A).The relevant protein levels were also detected by Western blot.RESULTS:(1)In db/db group,elevated body weight,blood glucose and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio(UACR)indicated significant re-nal injury.Compared with db/m group,the mice in db/db group exhibited increased expression of FN,Col-III,α-SMA and Snail,and decreased expression of E-cadherin,HNF4A and MUCDHL.MUCDHL was predominantly expressed in the apical membrane of renal tubular epithelial cells,FN in the tubular mesenchyme,and HNF4A in the plasma and nu-cleus of renal tubular cells.(2)In HG group,there was an up-regulation in the expression of fibrosis-related proteins and a down-regulation in the expression of E-cadherin,HNF4A and MUCDHL compared with NG group.Overexpression of MUCDHL led to a decrease in the expression of FN,Col-III,α-SMA and Snail proteins,an increase in the expression of E-cadherin and MUCDHL proteins,and unaltered expression of HNF4A.Knockdown of MUCDHL resulted in a reversal of the aforementioned effects,with HNF4A expression remaining unaltered.Overexpression of HNF4A led to an increased ex-pression of MUCDHL,and the expression changes of the remaining indicators were consistent with the overexpression of MUCDHL.Knockdown of HNF4A reversed the aforementioned effects.MUCDHL may represent a downstream target gene of HNF4A.CONCLUSION:The diminished expression of HNF4A and MUCDHL in the renal tubules of diabetic mice implies their involvement in the progression of renal fibrosis in diabetic kidney disease(DKD).HNF4A may potentially impede the progression of renal fibrosis in DKD by up-regulating the expression of MUCDHL.

Objective To analyze the incidence of and risk factors for white matter hyperintensity(WMH)in pilots.Methods A retrospective case-control study was performed.The subjects were 1,415 pilots ages 19 to 58 who had undergone cranial MRI examination in a hospital between September 2020 and August 2023.They were divided into two groups:the WMH group and the control group(without WMH).Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to identify the risk factors for WMH.Results There were 219 cases in the WMH group and 1,196 cases in the control group.The total incidence of WMH was approximately 15.48％,with mild,moderate and severe cases of WMH accounting for 70.78％,24.20％,and 0.47％,respectively.Regression analysis results showed that age(OR=1.625,95％CI:1.099-2.404)and flight time(OR=1.282,95％CI:1.033-1.592)were risk factors for WMH in pilots.Conclusion The incidence of WMH in pilots was approximately 15.48％.Most of WMH were mild according to Fazekas grading.Age increase and long flight time are risk factors for WMH in pilots.

Objective To explore the impact of the sialic acid binding lectin-E(Siglec-E)on the inhibitory properties of parthenolide(PTL)against lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced M1 polarization of microglia(BV2).Methods ①Single cell sequencing data of Siglece related mouse brain tissue was obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database and divided into the WT group(n=3)and the Siglece-/-group(n=4).The microglia cells were screened,and the enrichment analysis was performed to analyze related differential genes and pathways.BV2 cells were constructed by the shRNA interference technique and were divided into NC-shRNA and Siglece-shRNA to detect the expression level of Siglec-E(Siglece).② NC-shRNA and Siglece-shRNA cells were respectively divided into the Control group,LPS group,PTL group and PTL+LPS group(n=3).The mRNA levels of markers of M1 polarization in microglia,iNOS,IL-1 β and IL-6,were detected by RT-qPCR.Siglecefl/fl and Cx3cr1cre mice were mated to obtain microglia-specific Siglece deletion(Siglecefl/fl×Cx3cr1cre)mice,and LPS-induced neuroinflammation model was established.③ Nine WT and Siglecefl/fl×Cx3cr1cre male mice were assigned to the Control group,LPS group and PTL+LPS group(n=3).RT-qPCR,immunofluorescence assay and Western blotting were used to verify the knock-out effect and polarization-related pathways,and to investigate the mechanism of Siglec-E affecting PTL inhibition of M1 polarization of microglia.Results Compared with the NC-shRNA group,the expression of Siglec-E in the Siglece-shRNA group was significantly decreased(P<0.01),indicating that the Siglec-E knock-down cell model was successfully established.With the stimulation of LPS,mRNA levels ofiNOS,IL-1 β and IL-6 were significantly up-regulated compared with the Control group both in shRNA cells and Siglece-shRNA cells(P<0.01).With the influence of PTL and LPS,the markers of M1 polarization in NC-shRNA cells mentioned before were significantly decreased(P<0.05),while for Siglice-shRNA cells,there were no significant changes in the markers of M1 polarization.PTL inhibited the phosphorylation of JNK and IκB protein(P<0.01)and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB in BV2 cells,down-regulated Siglec-E,and weakened the inhibitory effect.Compared with mice in the WT group,the expression of Siglec-E in microglia of Siglecefl/fl×Cx3cr1cre mice was decreased significantly(P<0.01),and the inhibitory effect of PTL on the phosphorylation of NF-κB in microglia of Siglecefl/fl×Cx3cr1cre mice was also decreased.Conclusion The absence of Siglec-E in microglia attenuates the inhibition of M1 polarization by the MAPK/NF-κB pathway targeted by PTL.

Karyopherin α2 (KPNA2) , a key protein molecule that regulates the exchange of substances between the nucleus and the cytoplasm, plays an important role in the nucleocytoplasmic transport pathway. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have shown that KPNA2 is involved in a variety of cellular life activities and plays a significant part in viral infection, cell proliferation, immune response and tumor metastasis. Further study of the mechanism of KPNA2 in promoting the hepatocarcinogenesis and exploring its role in the development of liver cancer may provide new ideas for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of liver cancer.

BACKGROUND:For non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head,if the femoral head collapses,it will have a great impact on the normal life of the patients.Thus,it is necessary to use an appropriate way to evaluate the risk of femoral head collapse and then to take targeted measures to delay the process of femoral head collapse. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the natural course of early osteonecrosis of the femoral head(without collapse)under different locations of necrotic lesions. METHODS:121 patients(191 hips)with early non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head who were treated in the Outpatient Department of Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University from October 2016 to October 2017 were enrolled in this study.The clinical data of all patients were followed up for 5 years to observe the collapse of osteonecrosis of the femoral head and the risk coefficient of femoral head collapse among different JIC types.The collapse rate of osteonecrosis of the femoral head was calculated during the follow-up. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)A total of 191 hips were included in this study.The femoral head collapsed in 86 hips during follow-up,with a total collapse rate of 45.0%.Among the influencing factors,age,ARCO stage and JIC classification were the main influencing factors of femoral head collapse(P<0.05),but body mass index,sex,incidence side and pathogenic factors were not the main influencing factors(P>0.05).(2)Among 191 hips,in JIC classification,the total collapse rates of type A,type B,type C1 and type C2 were 11.1%(2/18),30.2%(16/53),52.4%(43/82),and 65.8%(25/38),respectively.There were significant differences in the total collapse rate of the femoral head among all types(P<0.05).The collapse risk results showed that the collapse risk of type B,type C1 and type C2 was 2.41,5.22 and 7.89 times higher than that of type A,respectively.(3)Both JIC classification and ARCO stage were correlated with femoral head collapse(P<0.01).There was no significant difference in the collapse rate of the femoral head among all JIC types in ARCO I stage hips(P>0.05).In the hips with ARCO II stage,the collapse rates of the femoral head of JIC types A,B,C1 and C2 were 1.2%,19.5%,50.0%and 29.3%,respectively,and there were significant differences in the collapse rates among different types(P<0.05).(4)During follow-up,the collapse rates of the femoral head in the first to fifth years were 29.3%,7.9%,4.7%,2.6%and 0.5%,respectively.(5)Results showed that for early non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head,the risk of collapse of osteonecrosis of the femoral head is high within one year,and the location of the focus of osteonecrosis affects the risk of collapse of the femoral head.The effect of the location of the focus on the prognosis of the disease should be considered in clinical treatment.