The AP2/ERF transcription factor family is a class of transcription factors widely present in plants, playing a crucial role in regulating flowering, flower development, flower opening, and flower senescence. Based on transcriptome data from flower, leaf, and stem samples of two Lonicera macranthoides varieties, 117 L. macranthoides AP2/ERF family members were identified, including 14 AP2 subfamily members, 61 ERF subfamily members, 40 DREB subfamily members, and 2 RAV subfamily members. Bioinformatics and differential gene expression analyses were performed using NCBI, ExPASy, SOMPA, and other platforms, and the expression patterns of L. macranthoides AP2/ERF transcription factors were validated via qRT-PCR. The results indicated that the 117 LmAP2/ERF members exhibited both similarities and variations in protein physicochemical properties, AP2 domains, family evolution, and protein functions. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that AP2/ERF transcription factors were primarily differentially expressed in the flowers of the two L. macranthoides varieties, with the differentially expressed genes mainly belonging to the ERF and DREB subfamilies. Further analysis identified three AP2 subfamily genes and two ERF subfamily genes as potential regulators of flower development, two ERF subfamily genes involved in flower opening, and two ERF subfamily genes along with one DREB subfamily gene involved in flower senescence. Based on family evolution and expression analyses, it is speculated that AP2/ERF transcription factors can regulate flower development, opening, and senescence in L. macranthoides, with ERF subfamily genes potentially serving as key regulators of flowering duration. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for further research into the specific functions of the AP2/ERF transcription factor family in L. macranthoides and offer important theoretical insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying floral phenotypic differences among its varieties.
Plant Proteins/chemistry* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Transcription Factors/chemistry* ; Lonicera/classification* ; Flowers/metabolism* ; Phylogeny ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Multigene Family

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect and safety of acupuncture manipulation on treatment of intractable facial paralysis (IFP), and verify the practicality and precision of the Anzhong Facial Paralysis Precision Scale (Eyelid Closure Grading Scale, AFPPS-ECGS). METHODS: A multicentre, single-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted from October 2022 to June 2024. Eighty-nine IFP participants were randomly assigned to an ordinary acupuncture group (OAG, 45 cases) and a characteristic acupuncture group (CAG, 44 cases) using a random number table method. The main acupoints selected included Yangbai (GB 14), Quanliao (SI 18), Yingxiang (LI 20), Shuigou (GV 26), Dicang (ST 4), Chengjiang (CV 24), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Jiache (ST 6), Fengchi (GB 20), and Hegu (LI 4). The OAG patients received ordinary acupuncture manipulation, while the CAG received characteristic acupuncture manipulation. Both groups received acupuncture treatment 3 times a week, with 10 times per course, lasting for 10 weeks. Facial recovery was assessed at baseline and after the 1st, 2nd and 3rd treatment course by AFPPS-ECGS and the House-Brackmann (H-B) Grading Scale. Infrared thermography technology was used to observe the temperature difference between healthy and affected sides in various facial regions. Adverse events and laboratory test abnormalities were recorded. The correlation between the scores of the two scales was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: After the 2nd treatment course, the two groups showed statistically significant differences in AFPPS-ECGS scores (P<0.05), with even greater significance after the 3rd course (P<0.01). Similarly, H-B Grading Scale scores demonstrated significant differences between groups following the 3rd treatment course (P<0.05). Regarding temperature measurements, significant differences in temperatures of frontal and ocular areas were observed after the 2nd course (P<0.05), becoming more pronounced after the 3rd course (P<0.01). Additionally, mouth corner temperature differences reached statistical significance by the 3rd course (P<0.05). No safety-related incidents were observed during the study. Correlation analysis revealed that the AFPPS-ECGS and the H-B Grading Scale were strongly correlated (r=0.86, 0.91, 0.93, and 0.91 at baseline, and after 1st, 2nd, and 3rd treatment course, respectively, all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Acupuncture is an effective treatment for IFP, and the characteristic acupuncture manipulation enhances the therapeutic effect. The use of the AFPPS-ECGS can more accurately reflect the recovery status of patients with IFP. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2200065442).
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Facial Paralysis/therapy* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Acupuncture Points ; Aged

Social working memory (SWM)-the ability to maintain and manipulate social information in the brain-plays a crucial role in social interactions. However, research on SWM is still in its infancy and is often treated as a unitary construct. In the present study, we propose that SWM can be conceptualized as having two relatively independent components: "externally oriented SWM" (e-SWM) and "internally oriented SWM" (i-SWM). To test this external-internal hypothesis, participants were tasked with memorizing and ranking either facial expressions (e-SWM) or personality traits (i-SWM) associated with images of faces. We then examined the neural correlates of these two SWM components and their functional roles in empathy. The results showed distinct activations as the e-SWM task activated the postcentral and precentral gyri while the i-SWM task activated the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex and superior frontal gyrus. Distinct multivariate activation patterns were also found within the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex in the two tasks. Moreover, partial least squares analyses combining brain activation and individual differences in empathy showed that e-SWM and i-SWM brain activities were mainly correlated with affective empathy and cognitive empathy, respectively. These findings implicate distinct brain processes as well as functional roles of the two types of SWM, providing support for the internal-external hypothesis of SWM.
Humans ; Memory, Short-Term/physiology* ; Male ; Female ; Empathy/physiology* ; Young Adult ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Adult ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Brain Mapping ; Facial Expression ; Social Behavior ; Facial Recognition/physiology* ; Social Perception ; Personality/physiology*

Objective:To explore the onset characteristics and pathophysiological changes of simple liver cyst in Beijing.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was used. The physical examination data of Department of Health Management of Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University for 10 years from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2021 were analyzed. Selected clinical data of 37 389 subjects with 2 or more repeated ultrasound examinations, including 17 759 males, 19 630 females, aged (44.4±16.2) years, ranged from 22-103 years. 3 431 cases hepatic cyst were confirmed by repeated ultrasound examination, the data of the liver cyst formation after the same physical examination were the study group ( n=3 431), and the data before cyst formation were the control group ( n=3 431). The observation indicators included: (1) the epidemiological characteristics of liver cysts; (2) the age distribution of the incidence of liver cysts; (3) the gender distribution of the incidence of liver cysts; (4) the pathophysiological changes of liver cysts.Measurement data of normal distribution were expressed as mean±standard deviation ( ± s). The measurement data of skewed distribution were expressed as M ( Q1, Q3), using Wilcoxon signed rank sum test for comparing groups and chi-square test for comparing count data. The factors associated with hepatic cyst pathogenesis were summarized by multivariate Logistic regression. Results:The overall incidence of hepatic cysts was 9.18%, 9.78% in males, 8.63% in females, and the incidence of males was greater than that of females. The incidence of males over 70 to 79 years old decreased slightly, and the incidence in males and females in the other age groups increased with age.Results of multivariate Logistic analysis showed age ( OR=1.01, 95% CI: 1.01-1.02, P<0.01), waist circumference( OR=1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.02, P<0.01), systolic blood pressure ( OR=1.00, 95% CI: 0.99-1.00, P=0.013), ALT ( OR=0.99, 95% CI: 0.98-1.00, P<0.01), AST ( OR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.02-1.04, P<0.01), triglyceride lipids ( OR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.86-0.95, P<0.01), HDL( OR=0.71, 95% CI: 0.60-0.83, P<0.01), uric acid ( OR=1.00, 95% CI: 1.00-1.00, P<0.01), creatinine ( OR=0.99, 95% CI: 0.99-0.99, P<0.01) were the factors influencing the occurrence of liver cysts. Conclusions:The incidence of liver cysts increased linearly with age, and the incidence of males was greater than that of females. Age, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, ALT, AST, triglycerides, HDL, uric acid, and creatinine may interact with the occurrence and development of liver cysts.

BACKGROUND: The effects of acupuncture have varied in different randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and there are many factors that influence treatment effect of acupuncture in different outcomes, with conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors and their impact on the treatment effect of acupuncture in different outcomes. METHODS: Acupuncture RCTs were searched from 7 databases including Medline (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and China Biology Medicine disc between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2019. Eligible studies must compare acupuncture to no acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or waiting lists, and report at least 1 patient-important outcome. A multi-level meta-regression was conducted using a 3-level robust mixed model and univariate analyses were performed for all independent variables, even those excluded from the multivariable model due to collinearities. We used thresholds of 0.2 and 0.4 for the difference of standardized mean differences (SMDs), categorising them as small (<0.2), moderate (0.2-0.4), or large (>0.4) effects. RESULTS: The pain construct analysis involved 211 effect estimates from 153 studies and 14 independent variables. High-frequency acupuncture treatment sessions produced larger effects compared to low-frequency sessions [large magnitude, the difference of adjusted SMDs 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07 to 0.84; P=0.02]. The non-pain symptoms construct analysis comprised 323 effect estimates from 231 studies and 15 independent variables. Penetrating acupuncture showed moderately larger effects when compared to non-penetrating acupuncture (0.30, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.53; P=0.01). The function construct analysis included 495 effect estimates from 274 studies and 14 independent variables. Penetrating acupuncture and the flexible acupuncture regimen showed moderately larger effects, compared to non-penetrating acupuncture and fixed regimen, respectively (0.40, 95% CI 0 to 0.80; P=0.05; 0.29, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.53; P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS High-frequency acupuncture sessions appear to be a more effective approach to managing painful symptoms. Penetrating acupuncture demonstrated greater effect in relieving non-painful symptoms. Both penetrating acupuncture type and flexible acupuncture regimen were linked to significant treatment effects in function outcomes. Future studies should consider the factors that are significantly associated with the effects of acupuncture in patient-important outcomes.
Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Pain ; Pain Management ; China

Aim To explore the effect of curcumin on the growth of malignant glioma and the possible mecha-nism.Methods Human glioblastoma cell U87 was taken as the study object.They were randomly separa-ted into the blank control group(without any interven-tion)and low,medium and high curcumin group(10,20 and 40 μmol·L-1),temozolomide group(40μmol·L-1),curcumin 40 μmol·L-1+LY210976110 μmol·L-1,curcumin 40 μmol·L-1+SRI-011381 10 μmol·L-1,then they were intervened for 48 h.The activity,migration and invasion ability of U87 cells in each group were measured by CCK-8 method and Transwell method.The cell cycle changes of U87 cells were measured by flow cytometry.The ex-pression levels of TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway in U87 cells were measured by Western blotting.Results After 48 h intervention,the percentage of U87 cell activity,cell migration and invasion number in curcu-min group and temozolomide group were lower than those in the blank control group(P＜0.05),and all decreased with the increase of curcumin dose(P＜0.05).Compared with the blank control group,the number of cells increased in Sub-G0 stage in the curcu-min group and temozolomide group(P＜0.05),and decreased in G2/M stage(P＜0.05).The protein rel-ative expression levels of TGF-β1,p-Smad 3,N-cad-herin,matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)-2 and MMP-9 in U87 cells in high curcumin group and temozolomide group were lower than those in the blank control group(P＜0.05),and the protein relative expression levels of Smad 7 and E-cadherin were higher than those in the blank control group(P＜0.05).There was no statisti-cally significant difference between the high curcumin group and temozolomide group(P＞0.05).Compared with the high curcumin group,inhibition of TGF-β1/Smad pathway could further inhibit the activity,migra-tion and invasion of U87 cells,reduce the relative ex-pression levels of TGF-β1,P-Smad 3,MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins(P＜0.05),and increase the relative expression levels of Smad 7 and E-cadherin protein(P＜0.05),while the TGF-β1/Smad pathway activator was vice versa(P＜0.05).Conclusions Curcumin can inhibit the growth of malignant glioma U87 cells,and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.

Objective: To explore the pathogenesis and risk factors of gallstone formation. Methods: The findings of hepatobiliary ultrasound and related data were collected from healthy subjects who underwent a physical examination at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2012 to December 2021. A total of 98 344 healthy subjects were included in the study,including 48 241 males and 50 103 females,with a ratio of 1∶1.03,aged (42.0±15.6)years(range:14 to 97 years). The gender,age,body mass index,waist circumference,systolic pressure,diastolic pressure,ALT,AST,total bilirubin,fasting blood glucose,triglyceride,total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein,high-density lipoprotein were collected.Healthy subjects were required to sit for at least 10 minutes before blood pressure was measured.Rresults of fasting venous blood were collected after 8 to 12 hours on an empty stomach.According to the presence of gallstones by ultrasound results, healthy subjects were divided into study group and control group. Data were analyzed by rank-sum tests and χ² test, and risk factors for gallstone formation were explored by Logistic regression analysis. Results: The incidence of gallstones in this group was 5.42%(5 333/98 344). Among them,the incidence of gallstones in people aged 60 years and above was significantly higher than that in people under 60 years old(15.31%(2 348/15 334) vs. 3.60%(2 985/83 010), χ²=3 473.46,P<0.05).The healthy subjects were divided by age for every 10 years,and the results showed that the incidence of gallstones increased with age. The incidence of gallstones in females was 5.68%(2 844/50 103),greater than 5.16%(2 489/48 241) in males(χ²=11.81,P<0.05). Among them,1 478 cases underwent gallbladder surgical resection due to gallstones,and the operation rate was 27.71%. The operation rate reached the peak between 60 and <70 years old,and decreased after 70 years old. The results of the multivariate analysis showed that,female(OR=1.38, P<0.01),age(OR=1.58, P<0.01),body mass index≥24 kg/m²(OR=1.31, P<0.01),waist circumference≥85 cm(OR=1.24, P<0.01),fasting blood glucose>6.1 mmol/L(OR=1.18,P<0.01),total cholesterol≥5.18 mmol/L(OR=0.87, P=0.019),low-density lipoprotein≥3.37 mmol/L(OR=1.15,P=0.001) were the risk factors for gallstone formation;high-density lipoprotein≥1.55 mmol/L(OR=0.87, P<0.01) was a protective factor for gallstone formation. Conclusions: The incidence of gallstones increases with age in male and female. Gender,age,body mass index,waist circumferenc,fasting blood glucose,total cholesterol,LDL,and HDL are related factors with gallstone formation.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of new coagulation biomarkers including soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) and tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor complex (t-PAI·C) for the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis in children. Methods: The prospective observational study enrolled 59 children who were diagnosed with sepsis including severe sepsis and septic shock in the Department of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine of Shanghai Children's Medical Center affiliated to the Medical College of Shanghai Jiao Tong University from June 2019 to June 2021. The sTM, t-PAI·C and conventional coagulation tests were detected on illness day one of sepsis. Twenty healthy children were selected as the control group, and the above parameters were detected on the day of inclusion. Children with sepsis were divided into survival group and non-survival group according to prognosis at discharge. Baseline comparisons between groups were performed using Mann-Whitney U test. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors for the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis in children. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was conducted to evaluate the predictive values of above variables for the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis in children. Results: The sepsis group included 59 patients (39 boys and 20 girls), aged 61(22, 136)months. There were 44 patients in the survival group and 15 patients in the non-survival group, respectively. The control group consisted of 20 boys, aged 107 (94,122) months. Patients in the sepsis group had higher sTM and t-PAI·C ((12 (9, 17)×10³ vs. 9(8, 10)×10³ TU/L, 10(6, 22) vs. 2 (1, 3) μg/L, Z=-2.15, -6.05, both P<0.05) compared with children in the control group. The t-PAI·C was superior to sTM for the diagnosis of sepsis. The areas under the curve (AUC) of t-PAI·C and sTM for the diagnosis of sepsis were 0.95 and 0.66, respectively, and the optimal cut-off value were 3 μg/L and 12×10³ TU/L, respectively. Patients in the survival group had lower sTM (10 (8, 14)×10³ vs. 17 (11, 36)×10³ TU/L, Z=-2.73, P=0.006) than those in the non-survival group. Logistic regression analysis showed that sTM was a risk factor for death at discharge (OR=1.14, 95%CI 1.04-1.27, P=0.006). The AUC of sTM and t-PAI·C for predicting death at discharge were 0.74 and 0.62, respectively, and the optimal cut-off values were 13×10³ TU/L and 6 μg/L, respectively. The AUC of sTM combined with platelet counts for predicting death at discharge was 0.89, which was superior to sTM and t-PAI·C. Conclusion: The sTM and t-PAI·C had clinical application values in diagnosing and predicting prognosis in pediatric sepsis.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Biomarkers ; China ; Sepsis/diagnosis* ; Shock, Septic ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator ; Infant ; Child, Preschool

With the ongoing epidemic of the Coronavirus disease in China and the widespread development of radiotherapy, radiation-induced lung injury has gradually become a clinical problem that has attracted much attention. The pathogenesis of radiation-induced lung injury is complex, involving an imbalance in the polarization state of alveolar macrophages and an upregulation of alveolar epithelial cell apoptosis. Previous studies have shown that vitamin C is an important antioxidant substance, and preventive use of vitamin C can effectively treat acute lung injury. However, whether prophylactic use of vitamin C can effectively prevent or treat lung injury caused by radioactive substances, and its specific molecular mechanism remains to be studied. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the prophylactic use of vitamin C to treat the alveolar macrophage cell line RAW 264. 7 and human lung epithelial cells BEAS-2B can effectively control the abnormal polarization of macrophages and the abnormal apoptosis of lung epithelial cells. This study found that after 4 weeks and 8 weeks of radioactive X-ray irradiation, the expression of macrophage M1 polarization state markers such as iNOS was significantly up-regulated (P< 0. 05), and preventive use of vitamin C to treat macrophages and lung epithelial cells can alleviate the polarization state disorder of macrophages and the apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells caused by external radiation exposure, which is manifested in the down-regulation of the expression of Cleaved Caspase3. In addition, the preventive application of vitamin C treatment can inhibit the MAPK signaling pathway activated by external radiation exposure. Further experimental results showed that the inhibition of the MAPK pathway is the key to inhibiting the M1 polarization of macrophages and the apoptosis of lung epithelial cells. In summary, our findings suggest that vitamin C may play a protective role in acute radiation-induced lung injury by inhibiting macrophage M1 polarization/ promoting macrophage M2 polarization and alleviating alveolar epithelial cell apoptosis. This study will help to better understand the process and mechanism of the preventive effect of vitamin C, a common vitamin, on radiation-induced lung injury.

  Objective  To understand the current status of surgical treatment for hemophilia osteoarthropathy (HO) in China.  Methods  Using an online questionnaire, select domestic hospitals that partici-pated in the compilation of the 'Guideline for perioperative management of hemophilia patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery in China ', in addition to members of the National Joint Surgery Group, and the Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Association for targeted investigation and analysis.  Results  A total of 17 domestic hospitals were included, all of which were general hospitals. Hospitals that started HO surgery treatment before 2000 accounted for 35.29%. A total of 3057 surgical cases of HO were reported by those hospitals. The most commonly performed surgical procedures were hip and knee joint replacement. The most commonly used coagulation factor replacement regimen was recombinant coagulation factor preparation. Ten hospitals reported finding patients with transfusion-related infectious diseases. Bleeding and hematoma formation were the most frequently reported surgical complications. Excessive length of hospital stay and high economic costs were the most frequently reported problems.  Conclusions  Surgical treatment for HO in 17 hospitals is mainly carried out in some large comprehensive medical centers in the eastern region. Compared with the patient base, the popularity and number of surgeries are still relatively insufficient. It is necessary to further standardize the treatment system by standardizing factor replacement and strengthening rehabilitation to improve surgical treatment outcomes.