Objective:To discuss whether safranal affects the proliferation,migration,and phenotypic transformation of the vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)in a high-glucose environment and to clarify the function of safranal in the prevention and treatment of diabetic(DM)vascular complications.Methods:The SD rats were selected as experimental subjects;primary VSMCs were cultured from rat thoracic aortas and divided into control group,25 mmol·L-1 high glucose(HG)group,HG+20 μmol·L-1 safranal group,HG+40 μmol·L-1 safranal group,and HG+80 μmol·L-1 safranal group.The cells in control group received no treatment;the cells in 25 mmol·L-1 HG group were pretreated with 25 mmol·L-1 HG;the cells in HG+20,40,and 80 μmol·L-1 safranal groups were further treated with 20,40,and 80 μmol·L-1 safranal respectively for 48 h on the basis of 25 mmol·L-1 HG group.Cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)method was used to determine the appropriate concentration of safranal and detect the viabilities of the VSMCs in various groups;cell scratch healing assay was used to detect the scratch healing rates of the VSMCs in various groups;Transwell chamber assay was used to detect the numbers of the migration VSMCs in various groups;immunofluorescence method was used to detect the fluorescence intensities of alpha-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)and rabbit anti-osteopontin(OPN)in the VSMCs in various groups;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of OPN,α-SMA,and proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)in the VSMCs in various groups.Results:Under microscope,on the 4th day of in vitro culture,the spindle-shaped or triangular cells crawled out from the edge of the thoracic aorta tissue blocks,with long spindle being the most common morphology.On the 14th,the cells gradually covered the bottom of the dish;when cell density reached 80%-90%,the characteristic"hills and valleys"growth pattern appeared.Third-generation cells were taken for immunofluorescence identification;immunofluorescence staining with VSMC-specific marker α-SMA showed positive expression of α-SMA protein in the primarily cultured VSMCs.The CCK-8 assay results showed that compared with control group,the cell viability of the cells in 160 μmol·L-1 safranal group was significantly decreased(P<0.01),indicating toxic damage to the cells.Under the conditions of safranal concentrations at 20,40,and 80 μmol·L-1 respectively,after 48 h intervention on VSMCs,no significant adverse effect on cell viability was observed;considering both the effect and toxicity of safranal,these three concentrations were used in subsequent cell experiments.After 48 h intervention,compared with control group,the activity of the VSMCs in 25 mmol·L-1 HG group was increased(P<0.001);compared with 25 mmol·L-1 HG group,the activities of the VSMCs in HG+20,40,and 80 μmol·L-1 safranal groups were gradually decreased(P<0.05).The cell scratch healing assay and Transwell assay results showed that after 48 h intervention,the scratch healing rate of the VSMCs in 25 mmol·L-1 HG group was significantly higher than that in control group(P<0.01),and the number of transmembrane cells through the Transwell chamber was significantly increased(P<0.05);compared with 25 mmol·L-1 HG group,the scratch healing rates of the VSMCs in HG+20,40,and 80 μmol·L-1 safranal groups were gradually decreased(P<0.05),and the number of transmembrane cells was decreased(P<0.05).The immunofluorescence staining results showed that compared with control group,the fluorescence intensity of α-SMA protein in the VSMCs in 25 mmol·L-1 HG group was significantly weakened(P<0.001),while the fluorescence intensity of OPN protein was significantly enhanced(P<0.001);compared with 25 mmol·L-1 HG group,the fluorescence intensities of α-SMA protein in the VSMCs in HG+20,40,and 80 μmol·L-1 safranal groups were gradually increased(P<0.05),and the fluorescence intensities of OPN were gradually weakened(P<0.05).The Western blotting method results showed that compared with control group,the expression level of α-SMA protein in the VSMCs in 25 mmol·L-1 HG group was decreased(P<0.05),and the expression levels of PCNA and OPN proteins were increased(P<0.01);compared with 25 mmol·L-1 HG group,the expression level of α-SMA protein in the VSMCs in HG+20,40,and 80 μmol·L-1 safranal groups were increased(P<0.05),and the expression levels of PCNA and OPN proteins were decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion:Safranal can inhibit the proliferation,migration,and phenotypic transformation of the VSMCs induced by high glucose.

Objective To develop a novel transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement device and test its performance. Methods The transcatheter tricuspid valve stent consisted of double-layer self-expanding nitinol stent, biotissue-derived bovine pericardial leaflets, and PTFE woven. The delivery system, mainly consisting of a handle control unit and a delivery sheath, was sent to the correct position via right atrium or jugular vein. The sheath had a visualization feature, and the handle control unit could realize the functions of stable release and partial recovery of the interventional valve. In addition, this study performed animal survival experiments on the basis of in vitro experiments. A large-white pig was used as the experimental animal. Cardiopulmonary bypass was established through median thoracotomy, then the right atrium was opened, and the interventional valve was released under direct vision without cardiac arrest. Approximately 1 month after interventional valve implantation, the maneuverability and stability of the interventional tricuspid device were evaluated by autopsy. Results Through the animal experiment, the interventional valve was successfully released, and the anchoring was satisfactory. Postoperative transthoracic echocardiography showed that the interventional valve opened and closed well, the flow rate of tricuspid valve was 0.6 m/s, and there was no obvious tricuspid regurgitation. One month after the operation, we dissected the large-white pig and found the interventional valve was not deformed or displaced, the leaflets were well aligned, and there was thrombus attachment in the groove between the inner and outer layers of the interventional valve. Conclusion Animal experiment shows that the novel device can stably and firmly attach to the tricuspid annulus, with good anchoring effect, and effectively reduce paravalvular leakage.

Objective To construct a model for predicting the survival time of colorectal cancer(CRC)patients based on the preopera-tive carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)and carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9)levels.Methods 313 patients with CRC from Jiangmen Central Hospital were collected and their preoperative serum CEA and CA19-9 levels were detected using a Beckman Access chemilu-minescence immunoassay analyzer.The χ2 test was used to evaluate the relationships between CEA and clinical pathological factors and between CA19-9 and clinical pathological factors,and the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox multivariate analysis were used to as-sess the survival and prognosis of patients,respectively.Results CEA and CA19-9 levels were correlated with TNM staging,clinical stagesⅠ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,andⅣ,progression,recurrence,vascular invasion,and metastatic sites of CRC(P＜0.05).The overall survival time(OS)of patients with elevated CEA was shorter than that of patients with normal CEA,with a total of 76.85 months,while the OS of patients with normal CEA was 110.83 months(P=0.000).The same trend was observed in patients with elevated CA19-9(P=0.000).Cox multivariate analysis found that CEA and CA19-9 were independent predictors of survival in CRC patients(HR=2.190 and 2.874,95%CI=1.486-3.225 and 1.947-4.242,respectively;P＜0.05).A model formula combining CEA and CA19-9 was constructed,assig-ning a score of 0 for normal CEA,1 for elevated CEA,and 0 for normal CA19-9,1 for elevated CA19-9.The CC value was set to equal CEA score+CA19-9 score.It was found that the patients with the highest CC value had the shortest OS,while the patients with the low-est CC value had the longest OS(P＜0.05).Conclusion The established CEA and CA19-9 model formula can effectively distinguish the prognosis of CRC patients.

Objective To establish a fluoroscopic percutaneous vertebral augmentation model in dogs by measuring and analyzing canine spinal anatomy.We also assessed the effectiveness and safety of this modeling method by postoperative radiological analysis.Methods Morphological measurements were taken in six dogs,aged approximately 12～24 months,and the following parameters of the lumbar vertebrae were determined:height of the L1～L7 vertebrae,width of the vertebral base,distance from the upper edge of the intervertebral disc to the narrowest part of the vertebra,distance from the vertical line of the spinous process to the upper edge of the intervertebral disc,and vertical distance from the midpoint of the transverse process to the lower edge of the intervertebral disc.These measurements were obtained to clarify the anatomical characteristics of the canine vertebrae and determine the optimal location,direction,and depth for bone-cement injection.A percutaneous vertebral augmentation model was subsequently established in the L4,L5,and L6 vertebrae of six healthy Beagle dogs,weighing 20～25 kg.The dogs were euthanized 4 weeks post-surgery and examined radiologically.Primary observations included the surgical duration,postoperative distribution of the implanted bone cement,and integrity of the vertebral canal and anterior edge of the vertebrae.Results Anatomical observation of the canine vertebrae revealed that the vertebral height increased gradually from L1～L5 and then decreased from L5～L7.The width of the vertebral base increased consistently from L1～L7.The distance from the vertical line of the spinous process to the upper edge of the intervertebral disc showed an increasing trend from L1～L7(1.9～4.0 mm).The distance between the midpoint of the base of the transverse process and the lower edge of the intervertebral disc increased gradually from L1～L5(4.7～6.9 mm).There was no significant difference in the distance between the midpoint of the base of the transverse process and the lower edge of the intervertebral disc in the L4,L5,and L6 segments among the dogs(P=0.925).The midpoint of the root of the transverse process of the spine was taken as the puncture point,and the insertion direction and horizontal plane were at an angle of 20°～30°,with a head tilt of 5°～15° and a puncture depth of 1.2～1.5 cm.If the puncture was directed towards the caudal side of the vertebra,the angle of the needle tail was 30°～35°,with a penetration depth of 1.5～1.8 cm.This technique allowed the successful construction of a canine vertebral puncture surgical model.A total of 15 canine vertebral puncture surgical models were successfully created,with an average surgery time of 22.7±4.6 min(15～30 min)per vertebral segment.During surgery,one vertebral segment experienced spinal cord injury result ing in paralysis of the hind limbs and bowel and bladder incontinence.Two vertebral cortical bones fractured,but there were no deaths due to anesthesia or infection.Four weeks post-surgery,micro-computed tomography-based three-dimensional reconstructions consistently showed bone cement distributed within the trabecular bone of the canine vertebrae,with newly formed bone tissue enveloping the implanted material.There was no leakage,and no complications such as damage to the vertebral canal or the anterior wall of the vertebrae.Conclusions A safe and reliable canine vertebral augmentation puncture model can be successfully established based on the anatomy of the canine lumbar vertebrae(L4～L6)and using the midpoint of the base of the transverse process as a bony landmark.

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the change of the position of the tongue before and after combined treatment of maxillary expansion and orofacial myofunctional therapy in children with mouth-breathing and skeletal class Ⅱmalocclusion. Methods:A total of 30 children with skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion and unobstructed upper airway were selected. The 30 children were divided into mouth-breathing group（n=15） and nasal-breathing group（n=15） and CBCT was taken. The images were measured by Invivo5 software. The measurement results of the tongue position of the two groups were analyzed by independent samples t-test. 15 mouth-breathing children with skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion were selected for maxillary expansion and orofacial myofunctional therapy. CBCT was taken before and after treatment, the measurements were analyzed by paired sample t test with SPSS 27.0 software package. Results:The measurement of the tongue position of the mouth-breathing and nasal-breathing groups were compared, the differences were statistically significant（P<0.05）. The measurement of the tongue position showed significant difference after the combined treatment of maxillary expansion and orofacial myofunctional therapy in children with mouth-breathing and skeletal class Ⅱmalocclusion（P<0.05）. Conclusion:Skeletal class Ⅱ malocclusion children with mouth-breathing have low tongue posture. The combined treatment of maxillary expansion and orofacial myofunctional therapy can change the position of the tongue.
Child ; Humans ; Myofunctional Therapy/methods* ; Mouth Breathing/therapy* ; Palatal Expansion Technique ; Tongue ; Malocclusion/therapy*

Objective:To investigate the mediating roles of the fear of missing out and mobile phone addiction between the basic psychological needs satisfaction and phubbing behavior among high school students.Methods:In April 2022, a cross-sectional design survey was conducted on 14 666 high school students. All participants were evaluated by the basic psychological needs scales(BPNS), generic scale of phubbing(GSP), trait-state fear of missing out scale(T-S FOMOS) and mobile phone addiction index(MPAI). The SPSS 26.0 software was used to conduct common method deviation test, descriptive statistics, and correlation analysis.PROCESS 4.1 was used to construct the model, and the Bootstrap method was used to test for mediating effects.Results:(1)Among the 14 036 high school students, there were 1 752 (12.48%) students who were addicted to mobile phones.There were significant differences in gender in the scores including BPNS(boy: 4.43±0.79, girl: 4.36±0.79), GSP(boy: 2.72±1.01, girl: 2.76±1.03) and T-S FOMOS(boy: 1.73±0.60, girl: 1.84±0.64), ( t=5.22, -10.58, -2.78, all P<0.01). Among different grades, there were significant differences in the scores of BPNS, T-S FOMOS, MPAI, and GSP( F=25.43, 39.50, 53.45, 14.59, all P<0.01). (2)Basic psychological needs score were positively correlated with fear of missing out, mobile phone addiction and phubbing( r=-0.432--0.294, all P<0.01). Phubbing were negatively correlated with fear of missing out and mobile phone addiction( r=0.744, 0.538, both P<0.01). Fear of missing out were negatively correlated with mobile phone( r=0.646, P<0.01). (3)The basic psychological needs satisfaction had a direct effect on phubbing behavior, and the effect value was -0.188 (95% CI: -0.173--0.204). The mediating effect of fear of missing out between the basic psychological needs satisfaction and phubbing behavior was -0.035(95% CI: -0.028--0.042). The mediating effect of mobile phone between the basic psychological needs satisfaction and phubbing behavior was -0.203(95% CI: -0.191--0.214). Fear of missing out and mobile phone addiction played a chain mediating role between them, and the mediating effect value was -0.134(95% CI: -0.125--0.143), which accounted for 23.93%(-0.134/-0.560) of the total effect. Conclusion:The high level basic psychological needs satisfaction can alleviate the occurrence of phubbing behavior. It may be achieved by decreasing fear of missing out and reducing mobile phone addiction.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.08.015.].

Objective:To study whether cisplatin may induce apoptosis in the pericytes of cochlear stria vascularis and underlying mechanisms.Methods:Twenty male C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were divided into control group and a cisplatin group. Primary cultured mouse cochlear vascular peristriatal cells were identified and divided into control group, cisplatin group, and N-acetylcysteine+cisplatin group. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) was used to detect hearing in mice. Hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining was used to observe morphological changes in the stria vascularis of the cochlea. The total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity test kit (WST-1 method) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method were used to detect SOD activity and Malondialdehyde (MDA) content, respectively. DCFH-DA fluorescence probe was used to detect the content of reactive oxygen species in peripheral cells. Hoechst 33 342 and flow cytometry were used to detect the apoptosis rate of pericytes. Immunofluorescence technology was used to detect the distribution and expression of apoptosis related proteins in pericytes of cochlear stria vascularis. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting (WB) were used to detect the expression of apoptosis-and mitochondrial-related proteins. Mito SOX TM-red and JC-1 were used to detect the mitochondrial function of pericytes. Evans blue staining was used to observe the permeability of the blood labyrinth barrier (BLB). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 18.0 software. Results:Compared with the control group, the cisplatin group significantly increased in the hearing threshold ( t=4.72, P<0.01), Ⅰ-wave latency ( t=12.25, P<0.05), and the levels of oxidative stress in the cochlea and pericytes ( t=38.34, P<0.01), and also cisplatin caused disorder and contraction of the cochlear stria vascularis structure, increased BLB permeability [Evans blue leakage (1.08±0.42) AU vs (0.55±0.23) AU, t=4.64, P<0.05], with a statistically significant difference, enhanced the expressions of apoptotic proteins c-Caspase-3 ( t=5.01, P<0.01) and Bax ( t=6.33, P<0.01) in the peristriatal cells of cochlear blood vessels in mice treated with cisplatin increased. And cisplatin can induce apoptosis of primary cultured pericytes and up-regulate the expression of c-Caspase-3 and Bax ( P<0.05). The NAC+cisplatin group partially reversed cisplatin-induced pericyte apoptosis ( P<0.05). Cisplatin caused damage to the mitochondrial function of peripheral cells, and induced the release of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and cytochrome C (cyt-c) into the cytoplasm ( P<0.05). The NAC+cisplatin group partially reversed cisplatin induced pericyte apoptosis ( P<0.05) and mitochondrial damage ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Cisplatin can increase the level of oxidative stress in the cochlea and cause mitochondrial pathway apoptosis in C57BL/6J mouse cochlear vascular peristriatal cells.

Osteosarcoma is a kind of bone tumor with highly proliferative and invasive properties, a high incidence of pulmonary metastasis and a poor prognosis. Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for osteosarcoma. Currently, there are no molecular targeted drugs approved for osteosarcoma treatment, particularly effective drugs for osteosarcoma with pulmonary metastases. It has been reported that fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAPα) is upregulated in osteosarcoma and critically associated with osteosarcoma progression and metastasis, demonstrating that FAPα-targeted agents might be a promising therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma. In the present study, we reported that the FAPα-activated vinblastine prodrug Z-GP-DAVLBH exhibited potent antitumor activities against FAPα-positive osteosarcoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Z-GP-DAVLBH inhibited the growth and induced the apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells. Importantly, it also decreased the migration and invasion capacities and reversed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of osteosarcoma cells in vitro and suppressed pulmonary metastasis of osteosarcoma xenografts in vivo. Mechanistically, Z-GP-DAVLBH suppressed the AXL/AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway, leading to inhibition of the growth and metastatic spread of osteosarcoma cells. These findings demonstrate that Z-GP-DAVLBH is a promising agent for the treatment of FAPα-positive osteosarcoma, particularly osteosarcoma with pulmonary metastases.

Objective:To investigate the imaging features of solitary bone plasmacytoma (SBP) and to improve the diagnosis of SBP.Methods:The imaging and clinical data of 8 cases clinically diagnosed as SBP at different sites from September 2012 to September 2020 in Yuanping First People's Hospital of Shanxi Province were retrospectively analyzed. Imaging examinations included CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plain scan and enhanced MRI scan.Results:The lesion sites of 8 patients included 3 cases of thoracic vertebrae, 2 cases of lumbar vertebrae, 2 cases of skull, and 1 case of rib. Among them, 1 case was misdiagnosed as thoracic metastatic tumor, 1 case as thoracic tuberculosis, 1 case as lumbar lymphoma and 1 case as cranial meningioma. Osteolytic destruction of bone was found in all cases accompanied by expansible changes of bone and soft tissue masses. There were 5 cases of vertebral bodies compressed and flattened; CT showed equal/low density, T1WI showed equal/low signal, T2WI showed low/slightly high signal, and 2 cases showed typical "mini brain sign". There were 2 cases of skull with slight hyperintensity on CT, isointensity on T1WI, and equal/mixed hyperintensity on T2WI. The rib cases showed isodensity on CT, T1WI showed isointensity, T2WI showed slightly high intensity. The lesions of 4 SBP patients showed obvious uniform enhancement on MRI enhanced scan.Conclusions:SBP at different sites can show osteolytic destruction with uniform enhancement of lesions and soft tissue masses. "Mini brain sign" is the SBP-specific imaging sign of the spine.