epsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome triggered by infection， and its high mortality rate is closely associated with immune imbalance， particularly the imbalance in the differentiation of helper T cell （Th） cell subsets [Th1， Th2， Th17， regulatory T cell （Treg） ] . In recent years， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with its characteristics of multi-component and multi-target actions， has demonstrated unique advantages in regulating Th cell differentiation and function， as well as correcting immune imbalances in sepsis， offering new perspectives for immunotherapy of sepsis. This review summarizes relevant studies on the regulation of Th cell differentiation for sepsis treatment by TCM monomers and active ingredients （such as Astragalus membranaceus ， Scutellaria baicalensis ， Coptis chinensis ， Rheum palmatum ， Ganoderma lucidum ， Ginkgo biloba ， and Cistanche deserticola ）， the alcohol extract of Dai Baijie， and TCM formulas and preparations categorized as blood-activating and stasis-removing， purgative and laxative， warming and tonifying yang， and tonifying qi and nourishing yin. The results indicate that these TCM monomers， active ingredients， extracts， formulas， and preparations can regulate the Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg balance， target the differentiation balance of Th cell subsets， alleviate inflammatory responses， or improve immune suppression， thereby exerting therapeutic effects on sepsis.

The introduction of the standardized client method provides a new solution strategy for alleviating the insufficient connection between theory and practice in traditional social work education. The existing empirical evidence was analyzed， and an experiential teaching model centered on the standardized client was constructed and validated for the medical social work course， starting from five dimensions， including conceptual connotation， teaching objectives， implementation procedures， supporting conditions， and teaching evaluation system. In-class teaching experiments showed that this model could create a hospital scenario to bring students an immersive experience close to actual clinical situations， as well as provide students with diverse learning experiences from three perspectives， effectively enlivening the classroom atmosphere， stimulating students’ learning motivation， and improving their clinical practice ability.

Abstract: Objective To construct a shuttle vector pHT315-AaCPR100A with two spore-producing-dependent promoters and the target gene AaCPR100A in Escherichia coli-Bacillus thuringiensis. Methods The forward promoter of Cry3A, named Pro-1 (+), was amplified by PCR using pSVP27A plasmid as the template, and the target gene AaCPR100A was amplified using Aedes aegypti RNA reverse conversion cDNA as the template. The plasmid pHT315 was linearized by digestion with Hind Ⅲ and Sal Ⅰ. The forward promoter and the target gene were inserted into the linearized vector pHT315 successively by in-fusion cloning according to the transcription direction. The synthesized plasmid containing the Cry3A reverse promoter sequence was used as the template, and the Pro-1 (-) reverse promoter was amplified by PCR. The intermediate vector containing the forward promoter and the target gene was linearized by EcoR I restriction enzyme, and the reverse promoter was inserted downstream of the target gene by in-fusion cloning in the direction of transcription. Results By agarose gel electrophoresis, the forward promoter, target gene AaCPR100A and reverse promoter bands were clear and of good quality, which could be used for in-fusion cloning experiments. The two spore-producing-dependent promoters and target gene fragments were connected by In-fusion cloning. The recombinant vector pHT315-AaCPR100A was verified by PCR. The forward promoter, target gene fragment and reverse promoter were successfully amplified in the recombinant vector. Nucleotide sequencing verified that the sequencing results of the bidirectional promoter sequence and the target gene sequence were basically consistent with the sequence alignment results, which met the requirements of the construction of vector elements and proved that the recombinant vector was successfully constructed. Conclusions Based on the above results, this study proves that the recombinant shuttle vector with two spore-producing-dependent promoters can be successfully constructed by in-fusion cloning technology, laying the foundation for the construction of engineered Bacillus thuringiensis expressing dsRNA of AaCPR100A.

Cathartic colon （CC） is a common and refractory digestive system disease， with the pathogenesis not fully clarified. The effective therapies other than laxatives and surgery remain to be developed for CC. Therefore， establishing the CC animal models that fit the disease characteristics of western medicine and syndrome characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） is an important link to promote the research on this disease. The fitting degree of animal models with the latest Chinese and western medical diagnostic criteria is an indicator to assess the effectiveness of the animal models in simulating the disease characteristics of western medicine and syndrome characteristics of TCM. The literature review showed that the model animals， drugs and their dosage forms， doses， administration methods， and modeling period of CC varied in different studies， and the available CC animal models presented different fitting degrees with the disease characteristics of western medicine and syndrome characteristics of TCM. Rats were the preferred animals for the modeling of CC. Rhei Radix et Rhizoma preparations were commonly used for model inducing， which， however， may cause water electrolyte disorders， decreased immunity， and even death of animals at the late stage of modeling. The animals were modeled by gradually increasing the starting dose， while the starting dose and increasing dose varied. The maintenance dose was determined based on 50% of the animals having loose stools， and the end for a cycle was determined as the time when loose stools disappeared in 80% of animals. The modeling always lasted for 2-3 cycles， approximately 2-4 months. The CC models established with Rhei Radix et Rhizoma granules and rhein had high fitting degrees with the disease and syndrome characteristics. In addition， the CC animal models of TCM syndromes were still in the exploration stage. There were only the animal models of four TCM syndromes： liver depression and spleen deficiency， both Qi and Yin deficiency， Qi stagnation and blood stasis， and spleen and kidney deficiency. Efforts should be made to establish the animal models that meet the characteristics of disease of western medicine and syndromes of TCM， so as to facilitate the research on CC mechanism and drug development.

BACKGROUND: Congenital scoliosis (CS) is a complex spinal malformation of unknown etiology with abnormal bone metabolism. Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), secreted by osteoblasts and osteocytes, can inhibit bone formation and mineralization. This research aims to investigate the relationship between CS and FGF23. METHODS: We collected peripheral blood from two pairs of identical twins for methylation sequencing of the target region. FGF23 mRNA levels in the peripheral blood of CS patients and age-matched controls were measured. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were conducted to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of FGF23. The expression levels of FGF23 and its downstream factors fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFr3)/tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP)/osteopontin (OPN) in primary osteoblasts from CS patients (CS-Ob) and controls (CT-Ob) were detected. In addition, the osteogenic abilities of FGF23-knockdown or FGF23-overexpressing Ob were examined. RESULTS: DNA methylation of the FGF23 gene in CS patients was decreased compared to that of their identical twins, accompanied by increased mRNA levels. CS patients had increased peripheral blood FGF23 mRNA levels and decreased computed tomography (CT) values compared with controls. The FGF23 mRNA levels were negatively correlated with the CT value of the spine, and ROCs of FGF23 mRNA levels showed high sensitivity and specificity for CS. Additionally, significantly increased levels of FGF23, FGFr3, OPN, impaired osteogenic mineralization and lower TNAP levels were observed in CS-Ob. Moreover, FGF23 overexpression in CT-Ob increased FGFr3 and OPN levels and decreased TNAP levels, while FGF23 knockdown induced downregulation of FGFr3 and OPN but upregulation of TNAP in CS-Ob. Mineralization of CS-Ob was rescued after FGF23 knockdown. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggested increased peripheral blood FGF23 levels, decreased bone mineral density in CS patients, and a good predictive ability of CS by peripheral blood FGF23 levels. FGF23 may contribute to osteopenia in CS patients through FGFr3/TNAP / OPN pathway.
Humans ; Osteopontin/genetics* ; Alkaline Phosphatase/metabolism* ; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3/metabolism* ; Scoliosis/genetics* ; Osteoblasts/metabolism* ; Calcinosis ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism* ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic/metabolism* ; Fibroblast Growth Factors/genetics*

Objective To investigate the characteristics of liver deformation and changes in abdominal vascular diameter under artificial pneumoperitoneum based on CT images,and also to reveal the impact of intestinal adhesion on these characteristics.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 61 patients who underwent abdominal CT scan and artificial pneumoperitoneum CT.Eight cases did not meet the inclusion criteria.The sample included 41 patients with postoperative intestinal adhesion(POIA)and 12 patients without POIA.A three-dimensional post-processing software was used to quantify the gas volume,liver volume,liver surface area,and lumen of the abdominal aorta,inferior vena cava,and portal vein on CT images of patients who underwent abdominal CT scan and artificial pneumoperitoneum CT.The measured indices were compared before and after artificial pneumoperitoneum in all patients,and the impact of intestinal adhesion on the aforementioned indices was evaluated.Results At equivalent levels of pneumoperitoneum pressure,no statistically significant difference was observed in the quantity of gas in the abdominal cavity between patients with and without POIA(P=0.753).In the absence of pneumoperitoneum,POIA patients exhibited a significantly higher liver volume than non-adhesion patients(P＜0.01).Following the application of artificial pneumoperitoneum pressure,both liver volume and liver surface area were reduced in all patients,with a more pronounced decrease in POIA group(P=0.003,P=0.002).In addition,the reductions in the internal diameters of the inferior vena cava at three locations and the portal vein position 1 were also observed in all patients(P＜0.05).Notably,the POIA group exhibited more significant decrease in the internal diameters of inferior vena cava position 1 and the portal vein position 1(P=0.022,P=0.038).No significant differences were observed in the changes of internal diameter of other blood vessels or in the intergroup comparison.Conclusion Artificial pneumoperitoneum can reduce the volum,the surface area of liver,and the inner diameter of some abdominal vessels,which provides a scientific basis for navigation and real-time correction in laparoscopic abdominal surgery for patients,especially for patients with POIA.

Objective:To determine the relationship between health self-empowerment level and health self-management skill in older adults.Methods:A household survey was conducted from June 2020 to April 2021, among older adults in two communities each in Zhuzhou and Changsha selected by stratified cluster sampling. Data were collected through a general questionnaire, simplified. Elders Health Empowerment Scale, and Rating Scale of Health Self-Management Skill for Adults. A total of 444 questionnaires were distributed, of which 425 were valid. Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were used to analyze the relationship between health self-empowerment level and health self-management skill.Results:Final sample included 425 elderly people. Health self-empowerment was at medium to high level (30.9±5.6), whereas health self-management was at medium level (146.2±21.7); and the two factors were significantly correlated (Pearson coefficient was 0.724). After controlling for confounding factors (demographic characteristics), health self-empowerment independently accounted for 34.3% of the variation in health self-management ability.Conclusion:Health self-empowerment positively affects health self-management ability among older adults, which suggests the importance of stimulating health self-empowerment awareness in the process of health self-management.

Background/Aims: We aimed to study the clinical characteristics, treatment modality, and the prognosis of synchronous multiple primary esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (SMPESCC). Methods: A total of 117 SMPESCC cases were evaluated retrospectively from 2010 to 2015. Results: The most common locations of SMPESCC were mid- and lower thoracic segments (n = 208, 84.9%). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 53.8%, 30.8%, and 15.4%, respectively; the median survival time (MST) was 12.5 months. With definitive radiotherapy and surgery, respectively, the MST of stage I/II patients were 34.2 and 26.7 months, of stage III patients were 8.3 and 13.2 months (p = 0.163), and of stage IV patients were and 8 and 12.6 months (p = 0.379). Clinical stage, family history of cancer, and Karnofsky performance status were independent prognostic factors for the whole cohort by Cox multivariate regression analysis (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.859, p < 0.001; HR = 0.579, p = 0.032; and HR = 0.586, p = 0.013). Conclusions Although the prognosis of SMPESCC is poor, stage I/II patients can achieve long-term survival with aggressive treatment, especially those with a Karnofsky performance score 90 or higher and who have no family history of cancer. Definitive radiotherapy could achieve a similar survival rate to definitive surgery at different clinical stages.

Objective:To explore the feasibility and advantages of different MRI sequences in delineating target volumes in lung cancer with obstructive pneumonia or atelectasis (OC).Methods:Fourteen patients with OC underwent CT localization and MRI scan. CT, T 1WI, fat suppression T 2WI, LAVA, LAVA+ C images were collected respectively. CT and MRI images were fused in the treatment planning system, and GTV-p was target delineated on CT and MRI respectively. Results:CT showed tumor and OC boundaries in 2 patients, fat suppression T 2WI showed tumor and OC boundaries in 10 patients, LAVA showed tumor and OC boundaries in 12 patients, and LAVA+ C showed tumor and OC boundaries in 10 patients. Fat suppression T 2WI, LAVA, and LAVA+ C sequences showed similar resolving ability ( P>0.05). The GTV of T 2WI, LAVA, and LAVA+ C sequences decreased significantly compared with ST-GTV ( P<0.05), and T 2WI_GTV and LAVA_GTV were similar ( P>0.05). The GTV value of LAVA+ C was the smallest among all sequences. Conclusions:The application of MRI fat compression T 2WI, LAVA, and LAVA+ C sequences to the radiotherapy target volume delineation in lung cancer patients with OC improved the accuracy, among which the boundary resolution of LAVA was better than that of fat compression T 2WI, and LAVA+ C showed the best effect on tiny blood vessels.

Multiple primary esophageal carcinoma (MPEC) is a special type of esophageal carcinoma, including multiple sites in esophagus and carcinomas in esophagus and other organs that mostly occurs in the head and neck as well as stomach.With the great advance of researches,knowledge and diagnostic technique, the diagnosis rate of MPEC has been improved.The biological behavior, clinical characteristics, and prognosis of MPEC differ from esophageal cancer alone.This paper summarizes the research progress of MPEC.