Objective To explore the impact of change in oxygen concentration on the expression of angiopoietin-like protein 8(ANGPTL8)by endothelial cells(HPAECs)of human pulmonary artery,and the role and mecha-nism of ANGPTL8 in pulmonary hypertension(PH).Methods HPAECs were treated under hypoxic and hyperoxic conditions,and the expression level of ANGPTL8 was detected using Western blot and PCR.The changes in endo-thelial-mesenchymal transition(EndMT)and ERK signaling pathway activity were analyzed.Simultaneously,new-born rats were exposed to hyperoxia to develop a bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)model.The expression of ANGPTL8 protein and changes in the ERK signaling pathway in lung tissue were observed.Results Under hypoxic condition,the protein expression of ANGPTL8 in HPAECs was significantly increased accompanied by inhibition of the ERK signaling pathway.ANGPTL8 promoted the EndMT process induced by hypoxia(P<0.05)and silencing the expression of ANGPTL8 resulted in a partial reversal of EndMT.The protein expression of ANGPTL8 was decreased in hyperoxia-exposed HPAECs and rat lung tissues accompanied by the activation of the ERK signaling pathway(P<0.05).Conclusions ANGPTL8 is highly sensitive to the change of oxygen concentration in HPAECs and closely correlated to its expression level and to the activity of ERK signaling pathway.This result suggests that ANGPTL8 may have potential regulatory effects on the development of PH.

Objective To investigate predictive factors of malignant risk for follicular thyroid neoplasms(FTN)with a maximum diameter≤4 cm,providing evidence for preoperative diagnosis and individualized treatment for FTN patients.Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of FTN patients with a maximum tumor diameter≤4 cm treated at our hospital between January 2018 and December 2023.Based on postoperative pathological diagnosis,the patients were divided into follicular thyroid carcinoma(FTC)group and follicular thyroid adenoma(FTA)group.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to explore predictive factors of malignant risk of FTN.Results A total of 870 patients were included,comprising of 745 patients(85.6%)in the FTA group and125 patients(14.4%)in the FTC group.The univariate analysis showed thatage,gender,BMI,comorbidity of Hashimoto's thyroiditis,number and location of nodules,the maximum diameter of nodules,internal structure of nodules,and internal blood flow signals had no significant differences(P>0.05),while nodule echogenicity,margins,halo,taller-than-wide shape,and calcification had significant differences(P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that irregular margins(OR=3.061,95%CI:1.653-5.667,P=0.000),uneven thickness of the halo(OR=5.868,95%CI:1.258-27.377,P=0.024),and peripheral rim calcification(OR=4.364,95%CI:1.329-14.333,P=0.015)were predictive factors of malignant risk for FTC.Conclusions Ultrasound features have certain value for evaluating benign or malignant nature of FTN.Careful assessment of nodule margins,halo,and calcification can facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of small FTN.

Objective To investigate predictive factors of malignant risk for follicular thyroid neoplasms(FTN)with a maximum diameter≤4 cm,providing evidence for preoperative diagnosis and individualized treatment for FTN patients.Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of FTN patients with a maximum tumor diameter≤4 cm treated at our hospital between January 2018 and December 2023.Based on postoperative pathological diagnosis,the patients were divided into follicular thyroid carcinoma(FTC)group and follicular thyroid adenoma(FTA)group.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to explore predictive factors of malignant risk of FTN.Results A total of 870 patients were included,comprising of 745 patients(85.6%)in the FTA group and125 patients(14.4%)in the FTC group.The univariate analysis showed thatage,gender,BMI,comorbidity of Hashimoto's thyroiditis,number and location of nodules,the maximum diameter of nodules,internal structure of nodules,and internal blood flow signals had no significant differences(P>0.05),while nodule echogenicity,margins,halo,taller-than-wide shape,and calcification had significant differences(P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that irregular margins(OR=3.061,95%CI:1.653-5.667,P=0.000),uneven thickness of the halo(OR=5.868,95%CI:1.258-27.377,P=0.024),and peripheral rim calcification(OR=4.364,95%CI:1.329-14.333,P=0.015)were predictive factors of malignant risk for FTC.Conclusions Ultrasound features have certain value for evaluating benign or malignant nature of FTN.Careful assessment of nodule margins,halo,and calcification can facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of small FTN.

Purpose To investigating the pathological characteristics of the heart and spleen in a Kawasaki disease(KD)model induced by candida albicans watersoluble fraction(CAWS)and to provide a research basis for the pathological mechanisms of KD.Methods Intraperitoneal injection of CAWS was used to establish a KD model in C57BL/6 mice.Specimens of the heart,aorta,and spleen were collected to measure body weight and the weights of the heart and spleen.HE staining was utilized to examine the morphological alterations in the heart,aorta,and spleen.The expression levels of the ma-ture macrophage marker(F4/80),TNF-α,and IL-1β in the spleen were measured using qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence.its clinical pathological characteristics were analyze and relevant literatures were reviewed.Results Compared to the control group,there were no significant differences in the heart and body mass of the model group mice,but their spleen mass signif-icantly increased(P＜0.05).In the myocardial interstitium of model group mice,there was infiltration of mononuclear cells,disorder of the elastic fibers in the aortic wall along with mucoid degeneration,disruption of the splenic red and white pulp struc-ture,and significant macrophage infiltration.In the model group mice,the mRNA levels and immunofluorescence staining inten-sity of spleen F4/80(2.58-fold,P＜0.000 1),TNF-α(1.43-fold,P＜0.001),and IL-1β(3.62-fold,P＜0.000 1)were significantly higher than those in the control group.Conclusion Mice with KD models induced by CAWS can exhibit patholog-ical alterations akin to KD in the heart and aorta,significant en-largement of the spleen,infiltration by macrophages,with ele-vated expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β.

The chloroplast genome encodes many key proteins involved in photosynthesis and other metabolic processes, and metabolites synthesized in chloroplasts are essential for normal plant growth and development. Root-UVB (ultraviolet radiation B)-sensitive (RUS) family proteins composed of highly conserved DUF647 domain belong to chloroplast proteins. They play an important role in the regulation of various life activities such as plant morphogenesis, material transport and energy metabolism. This article summarizes the recent advances of the RUS family proteins in the growth and development of plants such as embryonic development, photomorphological construction, VB6 homeostasis, auxin transport and anther development, with the aim to facilitate further study of its molecular regulation mechanism in plant growth and development.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Ultraviolet Rays ; Biological Transport ; Chloroplasts/genetics* ; Embryonic Development ; Plant Development/genetics*

Background::Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is commonly diagnosed in women of child-bearing age, but whether pregnancy influences the prognosis of DTC remains controversial. This study aimed to summarize existing evidence regarding the association of pregnancy with recurrence risk in patients previously treated for DTC.Methods::We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus based on the prespecified protocol registered at PROSPERO (CRD42022367896). After study selection, two researchers independently extracted data from the included studies. For quantitative data synthesis, we used random-effects meta-analysis models to pool the proportion of recurrence (for pregnant women only) and odds ratio (OR; comparing the risk of recurrence between the pregnancy group and the nonpregnancy group), respectively. Then we conducted subgroup analyses to explore whether risk of recurrence differed by response to therapy status or duration of follow-up time. We also assessed quality of the included studies.Results::A total of ten studies were included. The sample size ranged from 8 to 235, with participants’ age at pregnancy or delivery ranging from 28 to 35 years. The follow-up time varied from 0.1 to 36.0 years. The pooled proportion of recurrence in all pregnant patients was 0.13 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.06-0.25; I2: 0.58). Among six included studies reporting response to therapy status before pregnancy, we observed a trend for increasingly higher risk of recurrence from excellent, indeterminate, and biochemically incomplete to structurally incomplete response to therapy ( Ptrend <0.05). The pooled risk of recurrence in the pregnancy group showed no evidence of a significant difference from that in the nonpregnancy group (OR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.45-1.23; I2: 0). The difference in follow-up time (below/above five years) was not associated with either the proportion of recurrence in all pregnant patients ( P >0.05) or the OR of recurrence in studies with a comparison group ( P >0.05). Two included studies that focused on patients with distant metastasis also did not show a significant difference in disease recurrence between pregnancy and nonpregnancy groups (OR: 0.51 [95% CI: 0.14-1.87; I2: 59%]). Conclusion::In general, pregnancy appears to have a minimal association with the disease recurrence of DTC with initial treatment. Clinicians should pay more attention to progression of DTC among pregnant women with biochemical and/or structural persistence.Registration::PROSPERO, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/; No. CRD42022367896.

ObjectiveTo adapt the Stanford Expectations of Treatment Scale（SETS） into Chinese（C-SETS） and test the feasibility， validity and reliability of its application in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome（IBS-D） with liver-constraint and spleen-deficiency syndrome treated with traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）. MethodsWe obtained authorisation from the developer of the SETS， and followed the principle of "two-way translation" to translate the SETS by literal translation and back translation to form the C-SETS. Ninety-six IBS-D patients with liver-constraint and spleen-deficiency syndrome were enrolled as respondents and filled out C-SETS before receiving treatment； the feasibility was assessed by the recall rate， completion rate and the duration of filling out the scale； the reliability was assessed by Cronbach's α； the structural validity was assessed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis， and the content validity was assessed by correlation analysis. ResultsThe C-SETS consists of 10 items， with the 1st， 3rd， and 5th rating items constituting the Positive Expectations subscale， and the 2nd， 4th， and 6th rating items constituting the Negative Expectations subscale， each of which is rated on a 7-point Likert Scale. The recall of C-SETS was 100%（96/96）， the completion rate was 89.58%（86/96）； Cronbach's α for the Positive and Negative Treatment Expectations subscales were 0.845 and 0.854， respectively； exploratory factor analysis showed that the coefficient of commonality for all six entries was larger than 0.4， and that the six entries could be used by both factors to explain 77.092% of the total variance； validation factor analysis showed that the goodness-of-fit index， comparative fit index， root mean square of approximation error， canonical fit coefficient， and chi-square degrees of freedom ratio took the values of 0.943， 1.003， 0， 0.943， and 0.626， respectively； and the results of Spearman's analysis suggested that the C-SETS had good content validity. ConclusionThe C-SETS has well feasibility， reliability， and validity， which initially proves that it can be used as a tool to assess the treatment expectation of patients with IBS-D with liver-constraint and spleen-deficiency syndrome before receiving TCM treatment.

Objectives:To observe the clinical effect of surgical treatment of suppurative spondylitis after percutaneous vertebroplasty(PVP).Methods:The medical records of 14 patients with suppurative spondylitis after PVP treatment admitted to the Department of Orthopedics of our hospital from March 2017 to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 6 males and 8 females,aged 53-83 years,with an average age of 69.3±7.8 years.The patients were followed up for 12 months.The operation time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative complications,postoperative recurrence rate,postoperative visual analogue scale(VAS)and American Spinal Injury Association(ASIA)improvement,postoperative bone graft fusion rate,and postoperative quality of life(short form-36,SF-36)improvement were analyzed to observe the clinical effect and related risks of surgical treatment of suppurative spondylitis after PVP treatement.Results:The operative time of 14 patients was 123-300min,with an average of 205.1±57.4min.Intraoperative blood loss was 200-900mL,with an average of 517.9±181.5mL.Postoperative incision complications occurred in 2 patients(14.3％),of which,1 case was incision effusion,healed after drainage and dressing change;The other case was delayed healing,which healed after regular dressing change,improving nutritional status and blood sugar control.The VAS scores ranged from 3 to 8 points(6.1±1.6 points)before operation,which was 0-2 points(0.9±0.8 points)at fi-nal follow-up,and the difference was statistically significant(t=11.034,P=0.000).The bone graft fusion rate was 92.8％(13/14),and the fusion time was 3 to 7 months(4.6±1.3 months).Spinal infection recurred at 7 months after surgery in the 1 patient with unfused bone graft,who presented internal fixation loosening and kyphotic deformity and was cured after anti-infection,control of complications,and reoperation.According to the ASIA classification,2 patients were grade D and 12 patients were grade E before surgery,which all im-proved to grade E at final follow-up.At final follow-up,the SF-36 scores of the patients were significantly improved compared with those before surgery,and the comprehensive measurement score of physiological health was 31.4±6.9 before surgery and 79.8±6.0 after surgery,and the difference was with statistical signifi-cance(t=19.721,P=0.000).The comprehensive measurement score of mental health was 46.9±7.2 before surgery and 88.5±6.4 after surgery,and the difference was statistically significant(t=16.027,P=0.000).Conclusions:Surgery can effectively treat suppurative spondylitis after PVP treatment and improve the quality of life of pa-tients.

Objective To elucidate the biological basis of liver-gallbladder damp-heat syndrome(LGDHS)within the framework of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)as a complementary diagnostic and therapeutic approach in chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods CHB patients and healthy volunteers were enrolled from Shuguang Hospital Affili-ated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between August 21,2018 and December 31,2020.They were divided into three groups:healthy group,LGDHS group,and latent syndrome(LP)group.Proteomic analysis using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation(iTRAQ)was performed to identify differentially expressed proteins(DEPs).Metabolomic profiling via ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spec-trometry(UPLC-MS/MS)was applied to serum samples to detect differentially regulated metabolites(DMs).Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)and Gene Ontology(GO)enrichment were employed to explore dysregulated pathways.Principal component analysis(PCA)and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA)were utilized to visualize group separation and identify key metabolites and proteins contributing to LGDHS differentiation.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis evaluated the diagnostic performance of key biomarkers,while logistic regression models assessed their predictive accuracy.P values were corrected for multiple tests using the Benjamini-Hochberg method to control the false discovery rate(FDR).Validation of potential biomarkers was con-ducted using independent microarray data and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reac-tion(RT-qPCR).Results A total of 150 participants were enrolled,including healthy group(n=45),LGDHS group(n=60),and LP group(n=45).254 DEPs from proteomics data and 72 DMs from metabolomic profiling were identified by PCA and OPLS-DA.DEPs were mainly enriched in immune and complement pathways,while DMs involved in amino acid and energy metabolism.The integrated analysis identified seven key biomarkers:α1-acid glycoprotein(ORM1),asparagine synthetase(ASNS),solute carrier family 27 member 5(SLC27A5),glu-cosidase Ⅱ alpha subunit(GANAB),hexokinase 2(HK2),5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocys-teine methyltransferase(MTR),and maltase-glucoamylase(MGAM).Microarray validation confirmed the diagnostic potential of these genes,with area under the curve(AUC)values for ROC analysis ranging from 0.536 to 0.759.Among these,ORM1,ASNS,and SLC27A5 showed significant differential ability in differentiating LGDHS patients(P=0.016,P=0.035,and P<0.001,respectively),with corresponding AUC of 0.749,0.743,and 0.759,respectively.A logis-tic regression model incorporating these three genes demonstrated an AUC of 0.939,indicat-ing a high discriminatory power for LGDHS.RT-qPCR further validated the differential ex-pression of ORM1 and SLC27A5 between LGDHS and LP groups(P=0.011 and P=0.034,re-spectively),with ASNS showing a consistent trend in expression(P=0.928).Conclusion This study integrates multi-omics approaches to uncover the molecular mecha-nisms underlying LGDHS in CHB.The identification of biomarkers ORM1,ASNS,and SLC27A5 offers a solid basis for the objective diagnosis of LGDHS,contributing to the stan-dardization and modernization of TCM diagnostic practices.

Increased intestinal barrier permeability, leaky gut, has been reported in patients with autism. However, its contribution to the development of autism has not been determined. We selected dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to disrupt and metformin to repair the intestinal barrier in BTBR T⁺tf/J autistic mice to test this hypothesis. DSS treatment resulted in a decreased affinity for social proximity; however, autistic behaviors in mice were improved after the administration of metformin. We found an increased affinity for social proximity/social memory and decreased repetitive and anxiety-related behaviors. The concentration of lipopolysaccharides in blood decreased after the administration of metformin. The expression levels of the key molecules in the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)-nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway and their downstream inflammatory cytokines in the cerebral cortex were both repressed. Thus, "leaky gut" could be a trigger for the development of autism via activation of the lipopolysaccharide-mediated TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB pathway.
Mice ; Animals ; NF-kappa B ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism* ; Autistic Disorder/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/physiology*