Parameters of peripheral blood cell have been shown as the potential predictors of erectile dysfunction (ED). To investigate the clinical significance of hematological parameters for predicting the risk of rapid ejaculation, we established a rat copulatory model on the basis of ejaculation distribution theory. Blood samples from different ejaculatory groups were collected for peripheral blood cell counts and serum serotonin (5-HT) tests. Meanwhile, the relationship between hematological parameters and ejaculatory behaviors was assessed. Final analysis included 11 rapid ejaculators, 10 normal ejaculators, and 10 sluggish ejaculators whose complete data were available. The platelet (PLT) count in rapid ejaculators was significantly lower than that in normal and sluggish ejaculators, whereas the platelet distribution width (PDW) and mean platelet volume (MPV) were significantly greater in rapid ejaculators. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the PLT was an independent protective factor for rapid ejaculation. Meanwhile, rapid ejaculators were found to have the lowest serum 5-HT compared to normal and sluggish ejaculators ( P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the PLT and serum 5-HT ( r = 0.662, P < 0.001), indicating that the PLT could indirectly reflect the serum 5-HT concentration. In addition, we assessed the association between the PLT and ejaculatory parameters. There was a negative correlation between ejaculation frequency (EF) and the PLT ( r = -0.595, P < 0.001), whereas there was a positive correlation between ejaculation latency (EL) and the PLT ( r = 0.740, P < 0.001). This study indicated that the PLT might be a useful and convenient diagnostic marker for predicting the risk of rapid ejaculation.
Male ; Animals ; Ejaculation/physiology* ; Rats ; Platelet Count ; Pilot Projects ; Serotonin/blood* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Mean Platelet Volume ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; ROC Curve ; Erectile Dysfunction/physiopathology*

The CRISPR/Cas system consists of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated genes (Cas). The system forms an adaptive immune system in archaea and bacteria. The inherent defense mechanism enables these microorganisms to protect themselves against the invasion of foreign genetic material. The system functions of immune response including three main stages: adaptation, expression/maturation, and interference, each stage needs specific Cas proteins encoded by Cas gene located near the CRISPR sequences, along with other auxiliary proteins. In 2015, Zhang et al. reportedCas12a (Cpf1) as a member of the Class II type V CRISPR/Cas12a system, which possesses endonuclease activity. This finding holds great promise for its application in the field of biotechnology. In 2018, Doudna’s team first applied the CRISPR/Cas12a system for detecting HPV nucleic acid. The system comprises the following essential components in vitro detection: Cas12a, the crRNA sequence complementary to the target DNA, the PAM sequence, and the ssDNA reporter. Cas12a possesses a typical RuvC domain, displaying a canonical bilobed architecture that consists of a recognition (REC) lobe and a nuclease (NUC) lobe. The REC lobe contains the REC1 and REC2 domains, and the NUC lobe includes RuvC, PAM-interacting (PI), Wedge (WED), and bridge helix (BH) domains. The mature crRNA for Cas12a has a length of 42-44 nt, consists of repeat sequence (19/20 nt) and spacer sequence (23-25 nt). The crRNA spacer sequence has been found to require a length of 18 nt to achieve complete cleavage activity in vitro. Additionally, mutation in the bases of crRNA can indeed affect the activity of Cas12a. The PAM sequence plays a critical role in the recognition and degradation of DNA by the CRISPR/Cas system, enabling the system to distinguish between self and non-self genomic materials. Cas12a can effectively target the spacer sequence downstream of a T-rich PAM sequence at the 5' end. LbCas12a and AsCas12a both recognize the PAM sequences of 5'-TTTN-3', while FnCas12a recognizes the PAM sequences of 5'-TTN-3'. All of these PAM sequences are located upstream on the non-template strand (NTS) at the 5' end. Cas12a (Cpf1), guided by the crRNA, binds to the target DNA by recognizing the PAM sequence. It exhibits the ability to induce arbitrary cleavage of ssDNA within the system while cleaving the target ssDNA or dsDNA. According to this feature, an array of nucleic acid detection methods has been developed for tumor detection and infection diagnostics, such as the DETECTR (RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a method) and HOLMES (PCR-CRISPR/Cas12a method) in 2018. Then, in 2019, Cas12aVDet (one-step detection method), where Cas12a protein was immobilized on the upper wall of the reaction tube. This not only prevented contamination from opening the tube but also reduced the detection reaction time. In 2021, the dWS-CRISPR (digital warm-start CRISPR) was developed as a one-pot detection method. It serves as an accurate approach for quantitatively detectingSARS-CoV-2 in clinical specimens. With the innovation of scientific technology, the high-sensitivity signal transduction technology has also been integrated with the CRISPR/Cas12a system, enabling direct detection of nucleic acids, and eliminating the need for nucleic acid amplification steps. Here, we elaborated the detection principles of CRISPR/Cas12a in in vitro detection. We discussed the different stages leading to the catalytic pathway of target DNA, and the practical applications of Cas12a in nucleic acid detection. These findings revealed a target interference mechanism that originates from the binding of Cas12a-guided RNA complex to complementary DNA sequences within PAM-dependent (dsDNA) regions. The crRNA-DNA binding activates Cas12a, enabling site-specific dsDNA cleavage and non-specific ssDNA trans-cleavage. The release of Cas12a ssDNase activity provides a novel approach to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of molecular diagnostic applications. Before these CRISPR/Cas12a-based nucleic acid detection methods can be introduced into clinical use, substantial work is still required to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis. Nevertheless, we believe that these innovative detection tools based on CRISPR/Cas will revolutionize future diagnostic technologies, particularly offering significant assistance in pathogen infection diagnosis for developing countries with relatively poor healthcare conditions and high prevalence of infectious diseases.

ObjectiveExisting artificial vision devices can be divided into two types: implanted devices and extracorporeal devices, both of which have some disadvantages. The former requires surgical implantation, which may lead to irreversible trauma, while the latter has some defects such as relatively simple instructions, limited application scenarios and relying too much on the judgment of artificial intelligence (AI) to provide enough security. Here we propose a system that has voice interaction and can convert surrounding environment information into tactile commands on head and neck. Compared with existing extracorporeal devices, our device can provide a larger capacity of information and has advantages such as lower cost, lower risk, suitable for a variety of life and work scenarios. MethodsWith the latest remote wireless communication and chip technologies, microelectronic devices, cameras and sensors worn by the user, as well as the huge database and computing power in the cloud, the backend staff can get a full insight into the scenario, environmental parameters and status of the user remotely (for example, across the city) in real time. In the meanwhile, by comparing the cloud database and in-memory database and with the help of AI-assisted recognition and manual analysis, they can quickly develop the most reasonable action plan and send instructions to the user. In addition, the backend staff can provide humanistic care and emotional sustenance through voice dialogs. ResultsThis study originally proposes the concept of “remote virtual companion” and demonstrates the related hardware and software as well as test results. The system can not only achieve basic guide functions, for example, helping a person with visual impairment to shop in supermarkets, find seats at cafes, walk on the streets, construct complex puzzles, and play cards, but also can meet the demand for fast-paced daily tasks such as cycling. ConclusionExperimental results show that this “remote virtual companion” is applicable for various scenarios and demands. It can help blind people with their travels, shopping and entertainment, or accompany the elderlies with their trips, wilderness explorations, and travels.

mRNA vaccines and drugs enter host cells through delivery vectors and produce target proteins using the protein synthesis mechanism of cells. mRNA and target proteins can induce the body to produce innate immunity and adaptive immunity, and the target protein itself can also play a corresponding role. Tumor cells are inhibited and cleared under the above immune effects and target proteins. This article reviews the immunogenicity of mRNA, that is, the specific mechanism of stimulating the body to produce an immune response.At the same time, the main types of cells transfected by mRNA vaccine were briefly introduced. (1) Muscle cells, epidermal cells, dendritic cells and macrophages at the injection site; (2) immune cells in peripheral lymphoid organs;(3) liver cells and spleen cells, etc. Although transfected with a variety of cells, it is mainly enriched in immune cells and liver cells because immune cells express toll-like receptors and liver cells express low-density lipoprotein receptors. mRNA vaccines and drugs are mainly divided into non-replicating mRNA (nrmRNA),self-amplifying RNA (saRNA), trans-amplifying RNA (taRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA).This article reviews how these 4 types of vaccines and drugs work, and compares their advantages and disadvantages. Due to its inherent immunogenicity, instability, and low delivery efficiency in vivo, mRNA vaccines and drugs have been unable to enter the clinic. This article describes in detail how to reformation and modify the 5'cap, 5'UTR, 3'UTR, ORF, 3'Poly(A) and some nucleotides of mRNA to eliminate its immunogenicity and instability. Due to the low efficiency of the delivery carrier, the researchers optimized it. This article briefly introduces the application of non-viral vectors and their targeting, specifically involving the mechanism of action of various types of delivery vectors and their advantages and disadvantages, and summarizes some of the current targeting vectors. Targeted carriers can improve the delivery efficiency of mRNA to specific tissues and prevent side effects of systemic exposure, such as liver injury. The specific methods of using mRNA vaccines and drugs to treat cancer are as follows: mRNA can be used to encode and transcribe tumor-associated antigens, tumor-specific antigens (TSAs), therapeutic antibodies, cytokines, tumor suppressors, oncolytic viruses, CRISPR-Cas9, CARs and TCRs, so as to play an anti-tumor role. In this paper, the specific mechanism of the above methods and the current research and development of corresponding mRNA vaccines and drugs are briefly reviewed. The successful development of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine has brought mRNA technology to the attention of the world and brought new and effective means for the prevention and treatment of cancer. mRNA vaccines and drugs have the advantages of short development cycle, dual immune mechanism, safety, high efficiency and large-scale production. At the same time, there are also many areas that need further improvement, such as the development of ideal target TSAs, the in-depth development of saRNA, taRNA and circRNA, the development of targeted nano-delivery for different tissues and organs, the expansion of mRNA administration routes, and the development of mRNA that can be stably stored at room temperature or even high temperature. These problems need to be further studied and solved. In addition to cancer therapy, mRNA vaccines and drugs can also be used in the treatment of infectious diseases, genetic diseases, regenerative medicine and anti-aging. mRNA vaccines and drugs are a very promising platform, and we believe that they will benefit cancer patients in the near future.

Objective: To identify the risk factors in mortality of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods: Second analysis of the data collected in the "efficacy of pulmonary surfactant (PS) in the treatment of children with moderate to severe PARDS" program. Retrospective case summary of the risk factors of mortality of children with moderate to severe PARDS who admitted in 14 participating tertiary PICU between December 2016 to December 2021. Differences in general condition, underlying diseases, oxygenation index, and mechanical ventilation were compared after the group was divided by survival at PICU discharge. When comparing between groups, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for measurement data, and the chi-square test was used for counting data. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the accuracy of oxygen index (OI) in predicting mortality. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for mortality. Results: Among 101 children with moderate to severe PARDS, 63 (62.4%) were males, 38 (37.6%) were females, aged (12±8) months. There were 23 cases in the non-survival group and 78 cases in the survival group. The combined rates of underlying diseases (52.2% (12/23) vs. 29.5% (23/78), χ²=4.04, P=0.045) and immune deficiency (30.4% (7/23) vs. 11.5% (9/78), χ²=4.76, P=0.029) in non-survival patients were significantly higher than those in survival patients, while the use of pulmonary surfactant (PS) was significantly lower (8.7% (2/23) vs. 41.0% (32/78), χ²=8.31, P=0.004). No significant differences existed in age, sex, pediatric critical illness score, etiology of PARDS, mechanical ventilation mode and fluid balance within 72 h (all P>0.05). OI on the first day (11.9(8.3, 17.1) vs.15.5(11.7, 23.0)), the second day (10.1(7.6, 16.6) vs.14.8(9.3, 26.2)) and the third day (9.2(6.6, 16.6) vs. 16.7(11.2, 31.4)) after PARDS identified were all higher in non-survival group compared to survival group (Z=-2.70, -2.52, -3.79 respectively, all P<0.05), and the improvement of OI in non-survival group was worse (0.03(-0.32, 0.31) vs. 0.32(-0.02, 0.56), Z=-2.49, P=0.013). ROC curve analysis showed that the OI on the thind day was more appropriate in predicting in-hospital mortality (area under the curve= 0.76, standard error 0.05,95%CI 0.65-0.87,P<0.001). When OI was set at 11.1, the sensitivity was 78.3% (95%CI 58.1%-90.3%), and the specificity was 60.3% (95%CI 49.2%-70.4%). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, sex, pediatric critical illness score and fluid load within 72 h, no use of PS (OR=11.26, 95%CI 2.19-57.95, P=0.004), OI value on the third day (OR=7.93, 95%CI 1.51-41.69, P=0.014), and companied with immunodeficiency (OR=4.72, 95%CI 1.17-19.02, P=0.029) were independent risk factors for mortality in children with PARDS. Conclusions: The mortality of patients with moderate to severe PARDS is high, and immunodeficiency, no use of PS and OI on the third day after PARDS identified are the independent risk factors related to mortality. The OI on the third day after PARDS identified could be used to predict mortality.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Child ; Critical Illness ; Pulmonary Surfactants/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome/therapy*

Objective - - To analyze the prevalence and influencing factors of multi site work related musculoskeletal disorders （ ） Methods WMSDs in surgeons. A total of 102 surgeons from four hospitals were selected as study subjects by convenient sampling method. The Chinese version of Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire was used to investigate the prevalence of ， Results WMSDs in the past one year the related individuals and occupational factors. The total prevalence of WMSDs among （ ）， （ ） （ ） surgeons was 54.9%. The top three sites were neck 48.0% lower back 35.3% and shoulder 32.4% . The prevalence of （ vs ，P ） WMSDs in multiple sites was higher than that in a single site 43.1% 11.8% <0.01 . Multivariate logistic regression ， ， analysis showed that surgeons who smoked were tired at work and had a bent back had a higher risk of developing WMSDs ［ （ - ）， （ - ）， （ - ）， P ］ odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were 3.66 1.41 9.46 8.33 2.15 32.20 and 18.74 2.14 166.77 all <0.01 Conclusion - after excluding the influence of confounding factors. The prevalence rate of multi site WMSDs among surgeons is ， high and the influencing factors include bad living habits and occupational factors such as working load and working posture.

Background and Objectives: Chronic inflammation of bone tissue often results in bone defects and hazards to tissue repair and regeneration. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a natural cannabinoid with multiple biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and osteogenic potential. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and mechanisms of CBD in the promotion of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) osteogenic differentiation in the inflammatory microenvironment. Methods: and Results: BMSCs isolated from C57BL/6 mice, expressed stem cell characteristic surface markers and pre-sented multidirectional differentiation potential. The CCK-8 assay was applied to evaluate the effects of CBD on BMSCs’ vitality, and demonstrating the safety of CBD on BMSCs. Then, BMSCs were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammatory microenvironment. We found that CBD intervention down-regulated mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and promoted cells proliferation in LPS-treated BMSCs, also reversed the protein and mRNA levels downregulation of osteogenic markers caused by LPS treatment. Moreover, CBD intervention activated the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) and the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. While AM630, a selective CB2 inhibitor, reduced phosphorylated (p)-p38 levels. In addition, AM630 and SB530689, a selective p38 MAPK inhibitor, attenuated the enhancement of osteogenic markers expression levels by CBD in inflammatory microenvironment, respectively. Conclusions CBD promoted osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs via the CB2/p38 MAPK signaling pathway in the inflammatory microenvironment.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of Tiaohe Yinyang acupotomy (acupotomy for regulating and harmonizing yin and yang) for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: A total of 88 patients with KOA were randomized into a acupotomy group and a sham-acupotomy group, 44 cases in each group. In the acupotomy group, acupotomy was applied at yin side (4-5 high stress points i.e. pes anserinus and terminal of popliteus) and yang side (1-2 high stress points i.e. stimulation point of infrapatellar ligament and suprapatellar bursa) of knee joint. In the sham-acupotomy group, sham-acupotomy was applied at the same points as the acupotomy group. The treatment was given once a week for 2 weeks in the two groups. Before and after treatment, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities arthritis index (WOMAC) score, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, thickness of medial and lateral collateral ligaments of knee joint, motion range of knee joint and plantar pressure distribution were observed in the two groups. In the follow-up of 3 months after treatment, the WOMAC and VAS scores were recorded in the acupotomy group. RESULTS: After treatment, the sub item scores (pain, stiffness and function) and total scores of WOMAC and VAS scores were decreased in the both groups (P<0.05), pain score, function score and total score of WOMAC and VAS score in the acupotomy group were lower than those in the sham-acupotomy group (P<0.05). Before and after treatment, there were no statistical differences in thickness of medial and lateral collateral ligaments of knee joint and motion range of knee joint between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment, the plantar medial pressure was increased while the plantar lateral pressure was decreased (P<0.05), and the plantar force line moved medially in the acupotomy group. In the follow-up, the sub item scores and total score of WOMAC and VAS score were lower than those before and after treatment in the acupotomy group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Tiaohe Yinyang acupotomy can improve the clinical symptoms of knee joint in patients with KOA by changing the local biological stress.
Humans ; Social Group ; Pain

Benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH）， a common disease in urology and andrology， is mainly manifested as enlarged prostate glands， bladder outlet obstruction， and lower urinary tract symptoms（LUTS）， which seriously affects the quality of life of middle-aged and elderly men. This disease falls into the categories of "retention of urine" and "prostatic hypertrophy" in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. In recent years，many doctors have put forward their understandings of BPH based on academic classics and their clinical experience. Clinical research on the treatment of BPH with TCM has become increasingly abundant. The basic pathogenesis of BPH lies in the disturbance of Qi transformation in the bladder and poor blood circulation due to kidney Qi deficiency in the aged. The disease is located in the kidney and the bladder and is related to the dysfunction of the lung and the kidney. It is basically characterized by deficiency in origin and excess in superficiality. A large number of clinical research reports have proved that TCM is efficient in alleviating the clinical symptoms of BPH patients， improving their quality of life， reducing the volume of the prostate， and decreasing postoperative complications. In addition， the external treatment methods of TCM， such as acupuncture therapy， moxibustion， hot water bathing， acupoint application， anal suppository， and enema therapy， are also widely used in clinical practice， demonstrating the diverse ways of TCM in treating BPH. TCM and western medicine complement each other's advantages in the treatment of BPH， thus enhancing the clinical efficacy and reducing the occurrence of long-term complications. This study reviewed the etiology， pathogenesis， and treatment progress of BPH with TCM in recent years， and summarized the current research status. From three aspects of producing high-quality clinical research， standardizing the clinical diagnosis and treatment of TCM， and combining cutting-edge research to explore the mechanism of TCM， it provided suggestions for clinical research on the treatment of BPH with TCM to promote the development and application of TCM in the treatment of this disease.

This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of astragaloside Ⅳ in mice with ulcerative colitis(UC) and its effect on the percentage of peripheral blood T helper(Th17) cells. Following the establishment of UC mouse model with 2% sodium dextran sulfate(DSS), mice in the positive control group and low-and high-dose astragaloside Ⅳ groups were treated with corresponding drugs by gavage. Disease activity index(DAI) was calculated, and serum interleukin-17(IL-17), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) levels were assayed by ELISA. The pathological changes in colon tissue were observed by HE staining, and Th17/regulatory T cells(Treg) ratio in the peripheral blood was determined by flow cytometry. Western blot was conducted for detecting the relative protein expression levels of forkhead box protein P3(Foxp3) and retinoic acid-related orphan nuclear receptor γT(ROR-γt). The findings demonstrated that in normal mice, the colonic structure was intact. The goblet cells were not reduced and the glands were neatly arranged, with no mucosal erosion, bleeding, or positive cell infiltration. In the model group, the colonic mucosal structure was seriously damaged, manifested as disordered arrangement or missing of glands, vascular dilatation, congestion, and massive inflammatory cell infiltration. The pathological injury of colon tissue was alleviated to varying degrees in drug treatment groups. Compared with the normal group, the model group exhibited elevated percentage of Th17 cells, increased IL-17 and TNF-α content, up-regulated relative ROR-γt protein expression, lowered TGF-β, reduced percentage of Treg cells, and down-regulated relative Foxp3 protein expression. The comparison with the model group showed that DAI score, pathological score, percentage of Th17 cells, IL-17 and TNF-α content, and relative ROR-γt protein expression in the positive control group, low-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group, and high-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group were decreased, while TGF-β content, percentage of Treg cells, and relative Foxp3 protein expression were increased. The DAI score, pathological score, percentage of Th17 cells, IL-17 and TNF-α content, and relative ROR-γt protein expression in the low-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group were higher than those in the positive control group, whereas the content of TGF-β, percentage of Treg cells, and relative Foxp3 protein expression were lower. DAI score, pathological score, percentage of Th17 cells, IL-17 and TNF-α content, relative ROR-γt protein expression in the high-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group declined in contrast to those in the low-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group, while the TGF-β content, percentage of Treg cells, and relative Foxp3 protein expression rose. There was no significant difference between the positive control group and the high-dose astragaloside Ⅳ group. Astragaloside Ⅳ is able to inhibit inflammatory response and diminish the percentage of Th17 cells in mice with UC.
Animals ; Colitis, Ulcerative/metabolism* ; Mice ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Th17 Cells ; Triterpenes/pharmacology*