Docynia delavayi (Franch.) Schneid. is an economic fruit plant with high medicinal and edible values. The TCP gene family plays a vital role in plant growth and development. To explore the function of the TCP gene family in the growth and development of D. delavayi. In this study, the TCP gene family (DdeTCP) members were identified from the D. delavayi genome and their expression levels at different stages of seed germination and fruit development were analyzed. The results showed that a total of 18 DdeTCP genes were identified from the D. delavayi genome, with uneven location on 11 chromosomes. The phylogenetic tree showed that the 18 DdeTCPs could be classified into class Ⅱ (3) and class Ⅱ (15), suggesting that functional differentiation occurred among the DdeTCP family members. DdeTCP11 highly homologous to AtTCP14 was highly expressed in the early stage of seed germination, which suggested that this gene played a key role in seed germination. In addition, DdeTCP16 in class Ⅱ had a high expression level during the fruit ripening stage, which indicated that it might be related to fruit ripening. The findings lay a foundation for probing into the roles of the DdeTCP gene family in the growth and development of D. delavayi.
Phylogeny ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Multigene Family ; Genome, Plant/genetics* ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Germination/genetics* ; Fruit/growth & development* ; Genes, Plant

Objective:To investigate the effects of budesonide/formoterol versus budesonide on lung volume and serum miR-146 and interleukin-4 levels in patients with bronchiectasis and asthma. Methods:This study adopted a prospective design. A total of 102 patients with bronchiectasis and asthma who received treatment at the People's Hospital of Tongchuan from October 2021 to August 2024 were included. The patients were randomly divided into a conventional group and an observation group using an envelope method ( n = 51 per group). The conventional group received budesonide inhalation treatment, while the observation group was given budesonide/formoterol inhalation powder. All patients were treated for 15 days. The lung function, lung volume, miR-146 mRNA, interleukin-4 (IL-4), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and eosinophil percentage (EOS%) levels of both groups were measured before and after treatment, and the incidence of adverse reactions in the two groups was statistically analyzed. Results:Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in lung function and lung volume between the two groups (both P > 0.05). After treatment, the forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1) /FVC of both groups were significantly higher than those before treatment ( t = 2.54, 16.22, 9.67, 5.75, 29.25, and 16.91, all P < 0.05). Residual volume (RV) and the ratio of RV to total lung capacity (TLC) were significantly lower in both groups after treatment compared with before treatment ( t = 2.24, -2.98, -3.51, -6.79, all P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in TLC in both groups between before and after treatment ( P > 0.05). The observation group had significantly higher FVC [(2.96 ± 0.65) L], PEF [(75.96 ± 6.54) mL/s], and FEV 1/FVC (85.45 ± 6.03) than the conventional group [(2.57 ± 0.61) L, (67.85 ± 6.06) mL/s, (70.86 ± 5.16), t = -3.12, -6.50, -13.13, all P < 0.05]. After treatment, the RV [(2.81 ± 0.32) L] and RV/TLC [(49.13 ± 3.94)] in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the conventional group [(2.95 ± 0.37) L, (52.03 ± 4.16), t = 2.04, 3.62, both P < 0.05]. The difference in TLC between the two groups was not statistically significant ( P > 0.05). Before treatment, there was also no statistically significant difference in miR-146 mRNA levels between the two groups ( P > 0.05). After treatment, miR-146a and miR-146b mRNA levels in both groups were significantly lower compared to their levels before treatment ( t = -9.21, -4.14, -11.02, -7.58, all P < 0.05). In the observation group, the levels of miR-146a mRNA [(1.41 ± 0.26)] and miR-146b mRNA [(1.15 ± 0.26)] after treatment were significantly lower than those in the conventional group [(1.66 ± 0.34), (1.32 ± 0.34), t = 4.17, 2.84, both P < 0.05]. Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in IL-4, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and EOS% between the two groups (all P > 0.05). After treatment, IL-4, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and EOS% levels were significantly lower in both groups compared with before treatment ( t = -6.13, -2.56, -18.57, -23.67, -11.20, -3.83, -20.56, -30.00, all P < 0.05). In the observation group, IL-4 [(234.51 ± 34.03) ng/L], IFN-γ [(214.41 ± 31.54) ng/L], TNF-α [(23.65 ± 10.47) ng/L], and EOS% (2.03 ± 0.33) were significantly lower than those in the conventional group [(265.63 ± 37.51) ng/L], (230.12 ± 36.95) ng/L, (39.69 ± 13.41) ng/L, (2.57 ± 0.51), t = 0.49, 12.39, 6.73, 6.35, all P < 0.05]. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the observation and conventional groups [13.73% (7/51) vs. 7.84% (4/51), χ2 = 0.92, P > 0.05]. Conclusions:Both budesonide/formoterol and budesonide alone can improve lung function and lung volume in patients with bronchiectasis and asthma while reducing levels of miR-146 and IL-4. However, budesonide/formoterol shows superior efficacy.

Objective:To investigate the effects of budesonide/formoterol versus budesonide on lung volume and serum miR-146 and interleukin-4 levels in patients with bronchiectasis and asthma. Methods:This study adopted a prospective design. A total of 102 patients with bronchiectasis and asthma who received treatment at the People's Hospital of Tongchuan from October 2021 to August 2024 were included. The patients were randomly divided into a conventional group and an observation group using an envelope method ( n = 51 per group). The conventional group received budesonide inhalation treatment, while the observation group was given budesonide/formoterol inhalation powder. All patients were treated for 15 days. The lung function, lung volume, miR-146 mRNA, interleukin-4 (IL-4), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and eosinophil percentage (EOS%) levels of both groups were measured before and after treatment, and the incidence of adverse reactions in the two groups was statistically analyzed. Results:Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in lung function and lung volume between the two groups (both P > 0.05). After treatment, the forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1) /FVC of both groups were significantly higher than those before treatment ( t = 2.54, 16.22, 9.67, 5.75, 29.25, and 16.91, all P < 0.05). Residual volume (RV) and the ratio of RV to total lung capacity (TLC) were significantly lower in both groups after treatment compared with before treatment ( t = 2.24, -2.98, -3.51, -6.79, all P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in TLC in both groups between before and after treatment ( P > 0.05). The observation group had significantly higher FVC [(2.96 ± 0.65) L], PEF [(75.96 ± 6.54) mL/s], and FEV 1/FVC (85.45 ± 6.03) than the conventional group [(2.57 ± 0.61) L, (67.85 ± 6.06) mL/s, (70.86 ± 5.16), t = -3.12, -6.50, -13.13, all P < 0.05]. After treatment, the RV [(2.81 ± 0.32) L] and RV/TLC [(49.13 ± 3.94)] in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the conventional group [(2.95 ± 0.37) L, (52.03 ± 4.16), t = 2.04, 3.62, both P < 0.05]. The difference in TLC between the two groups was not statistically significant ( P > 0.05). Before treatment, there was also no statistically significant difference in miR-146 mRNA levels between the two groups ( P > 0.05). After treatment, miR-146a and miR-146b mRNA levels in both groups were significantly lower compared to their levels before treatment ( t = -9.21, -4.14, -11.02, -7.58, all P < 0.05). In the observation group, the levels of miR-146a mRNA [(1.41 ± 0.26)] and miR-146b mRNA [(1.15 ± 0.26)] after treatment were significantly lower than those in the conventional group [(1.66 ± 0.34), (1.32 ± 0.34), t = 4.17, 2.84, both P < 0.05]. Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in IL-4, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and EOS% between the two groups (all P > 0.05). After treatment, IL-4, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and EOS% levels were significantly lower in both groups compared with before treatment ( t = -6.13, -2.56, -18.57, -23.67, -11.20, -3.83, -20.56, -30.00, all P < 0.05). In the observation group, IL-4 [(234.51 ± 34.03) ng/L], IFN-γ [(214.41 ± 31.54) ng/L], TNF-α [(23.65 ± 10.47) ng/L], and EOS% (2.03 ± 0.33) were significantly lower than those in the conventional group [(265.63 ± 37.51) ng/L], (230.12 ± 36.95) ng/L, (39.69 ± 13.41) ng/L, (2.57 ± 0.51), t = 0.49, 12.39, 6.73, 6.35, all P < 0.05]. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the observation and conventional groups [13.73% (7/51) vs. 7.84% (4/51), χ2 = 0.92, P > 0.05]. Conclusions:Both budesonide/formoterol and budesonide alone can improve lung function and lung volume in patients with bronchiectasis and asthma while reducing levels of miR-146 and IL-4. However, budesonide/formoterol shows superior efficacy.

Objective In order to address the issues of inconvenience,high medical costs,and lack of universality associated with traditional knee rehabilitation equipment,a portable intelligent wheelchair for knee rehabilitation was designed in this study.Methods Based on the analysis of the knee joint's structure and rehabilitation mechanisms,an electric pushrod-driven rehabilitation institution was developed.A multi-functional module was designed with a modular approach,and the control of the wheelchair body and each functional module was implemented using an STM32 single-chip microcomputer.A three-dimensional model was established using SolidWorks software.In conjunction with Adams and Ansys simulation software,kinematic and static analyses were conducted on the knee joint rehabilitation institution and its core components.A prototype was constructed to verify the equipment's actual performance.Results According to the prototype testing,the actual range of motion for the knee joint swing rod is 15.1°～88.9°,the angular speed of the swing rod ranges from-7.9 to 8.1°/s,the angular acceleration of the swing rod varies from-4.2 to 1.6°/s2,the thrust range of the electric pushrod is-82.6 to 153.1 N,and the maximum displacement of the load pedal is approximately 1.7 mm,with the leg support exhibiting a maximum deformation of about 1.5 mm.Conclusion The intelligent knee joint rehabilitation wheelchair meets the designed functions and its actual performance aligns with the design criteria,thus validating the rationality and feasibility of the structural design.

With the development of digital technology， an increasing number of artificial intelligence （AI） technologies are being applied in the field of public health， significantly improving the efficiency of healthcare systems. However， such technological advancement also introduces a series of ethical risks. In this article， we conducted a systematic review by searching nine domestic and international databases and analyzing the ethical issues related to AI in public health， ultimately including 158 articles. Based on the analysis of the included literature， ethical risks were categorized into four aspects： data， algorithms， rights and responsibilities， and social impact. A total of 15 key issues were identified， among which privacy and confidentiality， informed consent， data security， and fairness， justice and inclusion emerged as the most prominent issues. The ethical challenges posed by AI in the field of public health cannot be ignored， and it is necessary to formulate ethical guidelines and practical recommendations for AI in this field， establish sound regulatory and review mechanisms， thereby ensuring the healthy development of AI research in public health.

Objective:To investigate the regulatory effect of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily C member 3 (TRPC3) on the retina in oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) mice and biological behavior of human retinal vascular endothelial cells (HREC).Methods:A total of 32 healthy SPF grade 7-day-old C57BL/6 mice were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an OIR group by the random number table method, with 16 mice in each group.The control group received no special treatment, and the OIR model was established in the OIR group.On postnatal day 17 (PN17), the success of the model establishment was verified by immunofluorescence staining of the retinal patch.The in vitro cultured HREC were divided into a normal control group, a transfection reagent group, and a si-TRPC3 group.The normal control group received no special treatment, while the transfection reagent group and the si-TRPC3 group were transfected with transfection reagent or transfection reagent + si-TRPC3.The relative expression of TRPC3 mRNA was detected by real-time quantitative fluorescence PCR.The relative expressions of TRPC3, transcription factor NF-E2 related factor (Nrf2), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) proteins were determined by Western blot.HREC were further divided into a normal control group, a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) group, a si-TRPC3 group, and a Pyr3 (TRPC3 channel inhibitor) group, which were cultured in complete medium, medium containing 20 ng/ml VEGF recombinant protein, medium containing 20 ng/ml VEGF recombinant protein (si-TRPC3 transfection for 72 hours), and medium containing 20 ng/ml VEGF recombinant protein+ 1 μmol/L Pyr3 for 48 hours, respectively.The proliferation ability of HREC was detected using cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8). The horizontal and vertical migration ability of cells were detected by cell scratch assay and transwell assay, respectively.This study followed the 3R principles of animal welfare and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Hebei Eye Hospital (No.2023LW04). Results:Pathological neovascular clusters with strong fluorescent staining appeared in the retina of OIR mice on PN17.The relative expressions of TRPC3 mRNA and protein in the retina of OIR mice were 2.057±0.244 and 1.517±0.290, respectively, significantly higher than 0.983±0.033 and 0.874±0.052 of control group ( t=6.165, 3.094; both at P<0.05). The relative expression levels of TRPC3 mRNA and protein were significantly lower, and the relative expression levels of Nrf2 and SOD proteins were higher in the si-TRPC3 group than in the normal control and transfection reagent groups, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). The CCK-8 experiment results showed that the cell absorbance value was higher in the VEGF group than in the normal control group, and lower in the si-TRPC3 and Pyr3 groups than in the VEGF group, with statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). The results of the cell scratch experiment showed that the lateral migration rate of VEGF group cells was higher than that of normal control group, while the lateral migration rate of si-TRPC3 group and Pyr3 group cells was lower than that of VEGF group, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). The transwell experiment results showed that the number of stained cells in the VEGF group was higher than that in the normal control group, and the number of stained cells in the si-TRPC3 group and Pyr3 group was lower than that in the VEGF group, with statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). Conclusions:Hypoxia induces increased TRPC3 expression in OIR mouse retina, and downregulation of TRPC3 inhibits HREC proliferation and migration.The mechanism is related to the activation of the Nrf2-related oxidative stress pathway.

Objective:To explore the value of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin(NGAL)and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet ratio(NLPR)for early prediction of kidney injury with Diquat(DQ)poisoning in elderly patients.Methods:In this retrospective study, a total of 106 elderly patients with DQ poisoning treated in the Emergency Intensive Care Unit(EICU)of Harrison International Peace Hospital Affiliated to Hebei Medical University between October 2019 and October 2021 were divided into an acute kidney injury group(AKI group, n=62)and a non-acute kidney injury group(NAKI group, n=44). Meanwhile, 40 non-elderly patients with DQ poisoning served as the control group.Samples of 5 ml venous blood were collected from patients admitted to the EICU to measure NGAL and NLPR levels and Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze independent risk factors for AKI in elderly DQ poisoning patients.The area under the curve(AUC)was calculated via the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve, and the value of NGAL and NLPR for early prediction of AKI in elderly patients with DQ poisoning and patient prognosis was assessed.Results:Blood NGAL and NLPR levels in the AKI group were significantly higher than in the NAKI group[(387.1±46.6)μg/L vs.(103.5±18.6)μg/L, (13.5±3.4) vs.(5.3±1.1), t=38.243, 15.608, P<0.001 for both]. Logistic regression analysis results showed that elevated levels of NGAL( OR=1.009, 95% CI: 1.003-1.015, P<0.001)and NLPR( OR=1.263, 95% CI: 1.039-1.536, P<0.001)were risk factors for AKI in elderly patients with DQ poisoning.The areas under the ROC curves of NGAL, NLPR and NGAL+ NLPR for AKI prediction were 0.834, 0.803 and 0.873 respectively.The predictive power of NGAL and NLPR for the death of elderly patients with DQ poisoning was higher than that of creatinine clearance(Ccr). The sensitivity of the combination of the two to predict the risk of death was 0.850, the specificity was 0.828, and the AUC was 0.887. Conclusions:NGAL and NLPR are independent risk factors for the occurrence of AKI in elderly patients with DQ poisoning.Combined detection of NGAL and NLPR improves AKI prediction and prognosis assessment in elderly patients with DQ poisoning.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex and chronic autoimmune disease causing fibrosis in multiple tissues and organs. The cause of fibrosis may be related to the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) such as type Ⅰ and Ⅲ collagens, elastin and fibronectin resulting from the transformation of activated fibroblasts (FB) into muscle-forming fibroblasts (MFB). ECM could seriously damage the skin, lung, heart, kidney and other organs. At present, many studies have shown that several signaling pathways including TGF-β, mTOR, JAK/STAT, Wnt/β-Catenin, Hedgehog and Notch are involved in the proliferation of FB and the transformation of FB to MFB, which led to the production and deposition of a great quantity of ECM. Therefore, this article reviewed the relationship between these signaling pathways and fibrosis in SSc, hoping to provided reference for the development of effective treatments for SSc.

Objective:To analyze the clinical and pathological features of asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) .Methods:A retrospective analysis was carried out in terms of the clinical characteristics and pathological data in 30 patients with asymptomatic PHPT and 86 patients with typical PHPT hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology and General Surgery of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from Jan. 2013 to Dec. 2018. There were 7 males (23.3%) and 23 females (76.7%) , with a male to female ratio of 1:3.3. The average age was 56.9±13.3 years. In typical PHPT group, there were 32 males (37.2%) and 54 females (62.8%) , with the average age of 46.4±17.0 years. Bone metabolism indicators included bone density and bone biochemical markers (parathyroid hormone, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and alkaline phosphatase) . The t test was used to compare normally distributed variables, the Mann-Whitney rank sum test was used to compare skewed distributed variables, and the χ 2 test was used to compare enumeration data. Results:The median serum parathyroid hormone and alkaline phosphatase were 144.2 (108.1, 207.0) pg/ml and 80.0 (53.7, 105.5) IU/L respectively, the average serum concentration of calcium was 2.80±0.20 mmol/L, which were significantly lower than those of the classic group ( P<0.05) . The median serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 12.14 (7.87, 14.38) ng/ml, which was higher than that of the classic group ( P<0.001) . Ten patients (33.3%) developed osteoporosis, and the incidence was lower than that of the classic group ( P< 0.001) . The median tumor weight was 0.80 (0.25, 1.98) g, significantly smaller than that in the classical group ( P=0.003) . There were 26 cases (86.7%, including 2 atypical parathyroid adenomas) of parathyroid adenomas and 4 cases (13.3%) of hyperplasia. Conclusions:The asymptomatic PHPT has the same sex ratio as the classic type, mainly female, but the average age is significantly higher than that in the classic type. Although asymptomatic PHPT in this study are all benign lesions, abnormal bone biochemical indicators, especially vitamin D deficiency, are common, which also lead to osteoporosis.

Objective:To investigate the effect of continuous hemoperfusion (HP) on the levels of soluble CD14 isoform (sCD14-st) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) on patients with diquat (DQ) poisoning and its significance.Methods:A total of 86 patients with acute DQ poisoning admitted to the department of emergency medicine, Harrison International Peace Hospital Affiliated to Hebei Medical University from May 2018 to August 2021 were enrolled and divided into the intermittent HP group (40 cases) and the continuous HP group (46 cases) according to the random number table method. All patients received basic treatment and continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) within 24 hours after admission. On this basis, the intermittent HP group received HP treatment within 2 hours, lasting 2 hours each time for every 8 hours, 3 times in all; the continuous HP group received continued HP treatment until there was no DQ component in urine samples. Serum NGAL levels were detected in all patients before treatment and at 3 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 2 days, 3 days, 5 days, and 7 days after treatment. At the same time, serum sCD14-st, blood lactate (Lac), arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO 2), serum creatinine (SCr), MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) levels were detected before treatment and at 24 hours, 3 days, and 7 days after treatment. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn to analyze the 28-day survival of patients. Results:Before treatment, there was no significant difference in serum NGAL, sCD14-st, Lac, PaO 2, SCr, CK-MB and IL-18 levels between the two groups. With the prolongation of treatment, the serum levels of NGAL, sCD14-st, Lac, SCr, CK-MB and IL-18 in the intermittent HP group increased at first and then decreased. Serum levels of NGAL, sCD14-st, CK-MB and IL-18 reached their peaks at 24 hours after treatment, and the Lac and SCr levels reached their peaks at 3 days after treatment. In addition, the levels of the above indexes at each time point in the continuous HP group were all significantly lower than those in the intermittent HP group [after 24 hours of treatment: NGAL (μg/L) was 345.90±30.75 vs. 404.24±38.79, sCD14-st (ng/L) was 1 941.88±298.02 vs. 2 656.35±347.93, CK-MB (U/L) was 30.67±9.11 vs. 43.28±8.06, IL-18 (ng/L) was 139.49±16.29 vs. 177.98±27.85; 3 days of treatment: Lac (mmol/L) was 2.98±0.26 vs. 3.72±0.49, SCr (μmol/L) was 125.01±24.24 vs. 156.74±28.88; all P < 0.05]. However, there was no significant difference in PaO 2 levels between the two groups at each time point after treatment. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the 28-day mortality of patients in the continuous HP group was significantly lower than that in the intermittent HP group [26.09% (12/46) vs. 52.50% (21/40); Log-Rank test: χ2 = 7.288, P = 0.007]. Conclusion:Continuous HP could effectively reduce serum sCD14-st, NGAL levels and 28-day mortality in patients with DQ poisoning, with good curative effect.