Ardisia Crenata Radix is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant that belongs to the Myrsinaceae family,and its main active components are coumarins,saponins,flavonoids,and volatile oil.Bergenin,ardisicrenoside A,ardisicrenoside B,ardisiacripin A,ardisiacripin B,and embelin were identified as active anticancer compounds in in-depth studies into the anti-tumor effects of Ardisia Crenata Radix.They show high therapeutic potential in oral cancer,nasopharyngeal carcinoma,liver cancer,colon cancer,bladder cancer,cervical cancer,and leukemia,mainly by inducing tumor cell apoptosis,increasing tumor cytotoxicity,inhibiting cell proliferation,inhibiting tumor cell metastasis and migration,and inducing cell regulatory enzyme cascade reactions.However,most preclinical experimental data on cinnabar root's anti-tumor mechanism have not been verified in high-quality,multi-sample,and repeated randomized controlled trials,and there are a lack of clinical research data on tumor prognosis,pharmacodynamics,and pharmacokinetics.Accurate research experiments and clinical trials should be designed to further explore the pharmacological effects of Ardisia Crenata Radix.

The apprenticeship education of Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is an important pathway for the cultivation of talents in TCM education.The combination of institutional education and apprenticeship education is considered to be the most suitable educational model that aligns with the inherent characteristics of TCM education.The current status of TCM education in western medical institutions and the main challenges include the difficulty in transitioning between western and Chinese medical reasoning and limited clinical internship hours for TCM.The strengths and features of TCM apprenticeship education lie in cultural heritage,classical teachings,mentorship,practice orientation and personalized education.Therefore,integration of TCM apprenticeship education and clinical internships for western medical students represents a new educational model for medical undergraduates.

Objective To evaluate the teaching performance of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)course for the first three grades of the"4+4"reform pilot class in clinical medicine at Peking Union Medical College.Methods An anonymous survey was conducted using Questionnaire Star and the responses from TCM Teaching Questionnaire completed by students were statistically analyzed and summarized.Results Most students expressed interest in TCM and deemed it necessary to study TCM course.They believed that teachers well prepared for teach-ing performance and the teaching content was well-aligned with the textbooks,syllabus,and lecture slides.The teaching content was closely integrated with clinical practice,and students were satisfied with the teaching methods and approaches.Conclusions Teaching evaluations help teachers to summarize their teaching experiences and im-prove the teaching quality of the TCM course.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic efficacy of serum microRNA-375 (miR-375) and microRNA-760 (miR-760) combined liver enhancement computed tomography(CT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods A total of 144 patients with HCC were included in cancer group, and another 144 patients with benign liver tumors in the same period were included in benign group. The expression levels of serum miR-375 and miR-760 were measured in both groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to analyze the diagnostic value of serum miR-375 and miR-760 expression levels combined with liver enhancement CT in HCC. The Kappa test was used to analyze the consistency of lonely detection of serum miR-375, miR-760 levels and liver enhancement CT, and their combined diagnosis for HCC with the gold standard pathological results. Results The expression levels of serum miR-375 and miR-760 in the cancer group were significantly lower than those in the benign group (P<0.05). The expression levels of serum miR-375 and miR-760 in patients with HCC were correlated with the number of tumor, tumor diameter, TNM stage, distant organ metastasis, degree of differentiation, portal vein tumor thrombus, and hepatitis B surface antigen (P<0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of combined diagnosis of HCC using serum miR-375, miR-760, and liver enhancement CT was significantly greater than the AUC of individual diagnosis of the three methods (P<0.05), and there was a high consistency with pathological results (Kappa=0.826). Conclusion The expression levels of serum miR-375 and miR-760 in patients with HCC are lower than those in patients with benign liver tumors. The combined use of serum miR-375 and miR-760 levels and liver enhancement CT technology can significantly improve the diagnostic efficacy of HCC.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of computer tomography (CT) combined with serum secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4) and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) for pancreatitis after biliary duct stent implantation in patients with malignant biliary obstruction (MBO). Methods A total of 243 MBO patients with biliary duct stent implantation were selected as research objects, and they were divided into pancreatitis group with 105 cases and no pancreatitis group with 138 cases according to condition of postoperative complicated pancreatitis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum levels of SFRP4 and sST2, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the four table method were used to analyze the diagnostic values of serum SFRP4 or sST2 alone and their combination with CT for postoperative complicated pancreatitis. Results The serum levels of SFRP4 and sST2 in the pancreatitis group were significantly higher than those in the no pancreatitis group (P < 0.05); the values of area under the curve (AUC) of serum SFRP4 and sST2 levels for diagnosis of postoperative complicated pancreatitis were 0.694 and 0.667, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of CT for diagnosis of postoperative complicated pancreatitis were 76.19% and 60.87%, respectively; the sensitivity and accuracy of CT combined with serum SFRP4 and sST2 levels in diagnosing postoperative complicated pancreatitis were 98.10% and 76.54%, respectively; the sensitivity and accuracy of the combination of the three indexes for diagnosis were significantly higher than those of CT, SFRP4 or sST2 alone (P < 0.05). Conclusion MBO patients with pancreatitis after biliary duct stent implantation have higher serum levels of SFRP4 and sST2, and CT combined with serum levels of SFRP4 and sST2 has high diagnostic value for postoperative complicated pancreatitis.

The teaching content of biomaterials science is of boundness and vapidity, in additional, there is alack of interaction between teachers and students. The teaching efficiency of the biomaterials science is greatly reduced. In this paper, combining with the current research hotspots in biomaterials science, we put forward the reform of the teaching knowledge, teaching methods and teaching evaluation. By introducing the scientific research achievements and academic innovations of teachers, integrating Seminar teaching with flipped mode, combining with the characteristics of colleges and universities, from in-class to out-of-class, setting up the course for different specialties, establishing teaching evaluation with new network information, this paper discusses the teaching reform of biomaterials course, and puts forward new requirements and challenges.

The experimental class is a very important part of medical research graduate students in teaching practice. The lack of attention to experimental teaching, the unclear teaching purpose, and the disconnection between teaching content and practical application are the most important problems in current teaching practice. In this study, we propose to emphasize the experimental teaching objectives and experimental records to enhance students' initiative and standardize rigor; increase the training of advanced experimental equipment to improve students' hands-on ability; enrich teaching methods and means to improve teaching conditions; cultivate students' scientific thinking to enhance Student's experimental operating skills. The measures help comprehensively cultivate postgraduates' innovation and practical ability, and have great significance for medical research work.

Objective Cervical lymph node enlargement may be attributed to inflammation or tumors .This study was to analyze the pitfalls in fine-needle aspiration cytology ( FNAC) of cervical lymph nodes and the measures for avoiding misdiagnosis of cervical lymph node lesions . Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data about 435 cases of FNAC in comparison with the results of corre-sponding tissue biopsies in cervical lymph nodes . Results Among the 435 cases, 7 showed disagreement between the results of cytolog-ic and histologic diagnoses, which included 5 males and 2 females, at the age of 41 to 71 (58.4 ±8.9) years.Six of the cases presented with local lymph node enlargement and 1 with generalized lymphadenopathy, all with enlarged lymph nodes palpable 1-4 cm in diameter . Based on the results of FNAC, 1 case of malignant lymphoma was misdiagnosed as lowly differentiated adenocarcinoma, 1 case of lympho-ma misdiagnosed as poorly differentiated metastatic carcinoma, 2 cases of lymphoma diagnosed as lymphoproliferation and recommended for biopsy, 1 case suggestive of malignant tumor without further classification, and 2 cases microscopically characterized and recommended for lymph node biopsy.Compared with the results of the biopsy, FNAC achieved a 99.3%coincidence rate of qualitative diagnosis (432/425), with a misdiagnosis rate of 1.6%(7/435). Conclusion FNAC plays a very important role in the initial identification of the nature of lymph node lesions and the type of tumors.Practiced puncture skills and intimate knowledge about the histopathological features, diagnostic criteria, and differential diagnosis of the lymphatic system disorders are essential for improving the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC .

Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa, can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, including humans, livestock, and marine mammals. The aim of this study was to investigate whether superoxide dismutase (SOD) of T. gondii can be used as a new marker for genetic study or a potential vaccine candidate. The partial genome region of the SOD gene was amplified and sequenced from 10 different T. gondii isolates from different parts of the world, and all the sequences were examined by PCR-RFLP, sequence analysis, and phylogenetic reconstruction. The results showed that partial SOD gene sequences ranged from 1,702 bp to 1,712 bp and A + T contents varied from 50.1% to 51.1% among all examined isolates. Sequence alignment analysis identified total 43 variable nucleotide positions, and these results showed that 97.5% sequence similarity of SOD gene among all examined isolates. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these SOD sequences were not an effective molecular marker for differential identification of T. gondii strains. The research demonstrated existence of low sequence variation in the SOD gene among T. gondii strains of different genotypes from different hosts and geographical regions.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cats ; *Genetic Variation ; Goats ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Protozoan Proteins/chemistry/*genetics/metabolism ; Sequence Alignment ; Sheep ; Superoxide Dismutase/chemistry/*genetics/metabolism ; Toxoplasma/classification/*enzymology/genetics/isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis/*parasitology ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/*parasitology

Objective To investigate the clinical effects and complications of uterine artery embolization (UAE) therapy using different embolic agents in treating uterine adenomyosis. Methods During 2004—2011, a total of 45 female patients with uterine adenomyosis were admmitted to authors’ hospital to receive uterine artery embolization therapy. The embolic agents used in the procedures included domestic iodized oil, sodium alginate microspheres and Embosphere microspheres. The patients were randomly divided into group A (n=15, using domestic iodized oil as embolic agent), Group B (n=13, using sodium alginate microspheres as embolic agent) and group C (n = 17, using Embosphere microspheres as embolic agent). After the treatment, all the patients were followed up for over 2 years, focusing on the observation of the clinical symptoms such dysmenorrheal, changes of MRI signs and severe complications. The results were analyzed and compared among the three groups. Results After UAE, the clinical symptoms such as the degree of dysmenorrhea, menstrual quantity, etc. were improved in all patients. Six months after UAE, the obvious remission rate of dysmenorrheal in group A, B and C was 33.3% (5/15), 30.8% (4/13) and 41.1%(7/17) respectively. Twelve months after UAE, MRI scanning showed that the uterine sizes in group A, B and C were reduced to 49.19%, 48.25% and 50.05% respectively. Follow-up examination at 24 months after UAE showed that recurrence of dysmenorrheal in group A, B and C was seen in 2, 4 and 2 cases respectively, and amenorrhea was seen in 2 cases of group A and one case in group C. Conclusion The use of domestic iodized oil, sodium alginate microspheres or Embosphere microspheres as embolic agents in performing super-selective uterine artery embolization for adenomyosis can effectively relieve the degree of dysmenorrheal, decrease the uterine size. In addition to ovarian dysfunction, the uterine cavity adhesion may be also a possible cause of amenorrhea occurring after UAE may. In order to ensure a similar clinical efficacy, the use of granular solid embolic agent is preferred as its safety is possibly higher than the liquid embolic agents.