Background and aims:Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)is a common chronic condition that can lead to cancer due to its complex pathogenesis.Therapeutic agents targeting AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)activation have been suggested as potential treatments for metabolic disorders such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis(MASH).Rhizoma Atractylodis Mac-rocephalae(RAM)has been clinically used to treat obesity-related health problems,but its therapeutic effects on MAFLD and the underlying mechanism remain unclear.Therefore,this study was conducted to evaluate the function and underlying mechanism of RAM in the treatment of MAFLD.Methods:The effect of RAM decoction on MAFLD was evaluated using a high-fat diet(HFD)-induced MAFLD mouse model.In vitro studies were conducted using a palmitic acid/oleic acid-induced lipid accumulation model in the alpha mouse liver 12 cells and RAM-containing serum.The underlying mechanisms were elucidated through a combination of network pharmacology analysis,immunohis-tochemistry,western blotting,and polymerase chain reaction analysis.Results:Administration of RAM decoction significantly reduced body weight gain in MAFLD mice without changing food intake.The weights of the liver and inguinal adipose tissues were also reduced after RAM treatment.Additionally,RAM administration decreased serum levels of alanine aminotrans-ferase,aspartate transaminase,total cholesterol,triglyceride,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,and glucose,while reducing lipid droplet accumulation in the liver tissues of MAFLD mice.The underlying mechanisms included the activation of the phosphorylation of AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase(ACC),and inhibition of the expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1(SREBP1).However,RAM did not alter the protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1α.Furthermore,the RAM-induced upregulation of phosphorylated AMPK,phos-phorylated ACC,and SREBP1 expression,as well as the downregulation of fatty acid synthase expression,were reversed by using an AMPK inhibitor.Conclusions:Through a combination of network pharmacology and experimental validation,we demonstrated that RAM may exert therapeutic effects on MAFLD by inhibiting lipid synthesis and activating phosphorylated AMPK pathways.

Objective The aim of this study was to identify macrophage related genes(MRGs)in liver cancer and construct a prognostic risk prediction model for liver cancer.Methods The liver cancer scRNA-seq data from the GEO database were down-loaded to identify genes specifically expressed in macrophages as MRGs.The GO and KEGG functional enrichment analyses on MRGs were conducted.In the TCGA-LIHC dataset of the TCGA database,multiple random sampling single factor Cox regression for single-factor Cox regression,LASSO regression,and multivariate Cox regression analyses were employed to identify MRGs for liver cancer prognosis prediction,and a liver cancer prognostic prediction model was constructed.Results The results obtained 8 major cell types,including those containing macrophages through clustering using scRNA-seq data from the GEO database.The proportion of macrophages in the immune microenvironment of liver cancer was significantly higher than that of normal tissues(P=0.016),and genes such as SPP1,RNASE1,and MMP9 were highly expressed.Multiple metabolic pathways,including purine metabolism,citric acid cycle,and drug metabolism cytochrome P450 were activated in liver cancer-associated macrophages.This study identified 777 MRGs from liver cancer scRNA-seq(LogFC＞0.25,P＜0.05),which mainly involved in functions such as actin binding and regula-tion of immune receptor activity.Seven MRGs,including ATP1B3,ATP6V0B,HBEGF,KLF2,NR1H3,RAB10,and SPP1 were select-ed from the 169 stable prognostic genes(P＜0.05)for the construction of the prognosis model.The AUC values for the 1,3,and 5-year survival outcomes of the model in the TCGA liver cancer cohort were 0.791,0.791,and 0.751,respectively.In the validation ICGC cohort,they were 0.614,0.682,and 0.688,respectively,demonstrating good predictive performance.In liver cancer patients with high prognosis risk scores,the expression of macrophages M0,neutrophils,and regulatory T cells was higher(P＜0.05),and im-munosuppression and immune activation coexisted.Conclusion Liver cancer MRGs can serve as potential biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of liver cancer patients.These liver cancer MRGs are mainly associated with actin binding,immune receptor activity,and infiltration of various immune cells.

Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mccp) is the cause of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) in goats. Inactivated vaccines and capsular polysaccharide (CPS) indirect hemagglutination reagents are available for prevention and serological detection, but high culture costs and complex antigen quantification have been plagued by production staff. In order to solve these problems in production practice, a sugar fermentation medium with an initial pH value of 7.8, which could improve the production of two antigens simultaneously, was screened out by changing the initial pH value based on previous Mccp metabolomics analysis. Since phenol red can be identified by UV absorption spectrum and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) can bind to anionic capsular polysaccharide, a UV spectrum measurement method for analyzing the culture stage reached by Mccp and a CTAB precipitation test for relative quantification of capsular polysaccharide antigen content in the fermentation broth were established. The UV spectrum observation method can guide the production of Mccp according to the growth curve of Mccp, which greatly reduces the monitoring time of the traditional CCU method and improves the accuracy of the original eye-observation method. The established CTAB precipitation test can complete the monitoring of CPS content within 5 hours, which greatly reduces the time required compared with the traditional differential technique, and its accuracy was verified by the phenol-sulfuric acid method. The optimized culture medium and the two correlation comparison methods established in this study can effectively reduce the production cost of Mccp and improve the production efficiency. The two assays have been used in the research at our laboratory, which provides experimental data for further improvement of the production process of CCPP inactivated vaccine and capsular polysaccharide as well as rapid quantification.
Humans ; Animals ; Goats ; Cetrimonium ; Mycoplasma ; Polysaccharides

Objective:To explore the morphological parameters of tricuspid in patients with moderate or above functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR ) by real-time three-dimensional (3D) transthoracic echocardiography.Methods:A total of 31 moderate or above FTR(FTR group) and 36 healthy adults(control group) were included in the study from May to July 2020 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University (Xijing Hospital). Two-dimensional (2D) and 3D echoardiography were performed on both FTR group and control group. The 2D parameters included tricuspid regurgitation (TR), transverse diameter of right atrium/ ventricle, transverse diameter of tricuspid annulus(TVD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS). The tricuspid 3D parameters were analyzed by TomTec software, including annular parameters[annular anterior-posterior diameter (AP), annular left-right diameter (AL-PM), sphericity index (SI=AP/AL-PM), non-planar angle (NPA), annulus circumference (AC), annulus area (AA), annulus height (AH)], leaflet parameters[tenting volume(TV), tenting area(TA), tenting heigh(TH), commissural diameter(CD)], and dynamic parameters[annular displacement max(ADmax), annulus area fraction(AAF)].Results:Compared with the control group, AP, AL-PM, SI, AC, AA, TV, TA parameters of FTR group were larger, ADmax was smaller (all P<0.05). Multiple linear regression model was used to evaluate the effects of RA, RV, AP, AL-PM, SI, TV, TA on FTR, and the results showed that FTR was associated with TV and TA( t=4.253, -2.14; all P<0.05). Conclusions:RT-3DE can be used to assess the morphological parameters of tricuspid valve with moderate or above FTR patients effectively. TV and TA are the two most important factors for moderate or above FTR.

Objective: To understand the characteristics relating to the etiology and complications of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) based on data from the pilot National Sentinel Surveillance (NSS) program so as to explore the feasibility, advantages and disadvantages of the NSS. Methods: Data were extracted from the NSS system, conducted in 11 provinces of China from November 2015 to October 2016. Characteristics regarding the etiology, complications of HFMD and factors related to the positive rates of HFMD specimens were analyzed under the logistic regression method by SPSS 20.0 software. Results: A total of 4 783 specimens were collected, including 3 390 from mild, 1 390 from severe and 3 from death cases. The overall positive rate was 81.43% (3 895/4 783). Other enteroviruses (non EV71/Cox A16 enteroviruses) appeared the major serotype (52.68%, 1 482/2 813) for mild infection of the disease while EV71 was for the severe cases (65.31%, 706/1 081). The serotype spectrum revealed by the pilot NSS was almost identical with the existing surveillance system. Other enteroviruses tended to infect younger children (χ²=130.17, P<0.001) than EV71 and Cox A16, in China. The multivariate logistic regression results showed that higher positive rate was associated with specimens which were collected from males, at children’ hospitals, in peak seasons, timely and in stools. The positive rates presented downwarding trends with the extension of the onset-sampling interval (χ²=14.47, P<0.001 in stool specimen; χ²=31.99, P<0.001 in throat swab; χ²=24.26, P<0.001 in anal swab). Aseptic meningitis, non-brainstem encephalitis and brainstem encephalitis appeared the top three complications of both EV71-associated and other enteroviruses-associated severe HFMD cases. Conclusions Factors as gender, season/place/timeliness of specimen collection, and types of hospital all appeared independently influenced the positive rates. NSS seemed feasible to be used as an alternative or supplement tool to the existing surveillance program in China.

Objective To analyze the documents regarding the occupational commitment of nurses in China to provide reference for nursing managers. Methods Literature analysis was applied. Paper on occupational commitment of nurses in China from 2002 to 2016 were collected and periodicals collection, authors,scientific research funding,distribution of the research objects,sampling methods and related factors to occupational commitment were analyized. Results A total of 25 articles were collected. The research objects were mainly from general hospitals,Chinese medicine hospitals,psychiatry and community. The main research content was influencing factors analysis. No intervention research and lack of randomization were the existing problems. Conclusions Rsearch on occupational commitment of nurses has been valued in China while the research process needs to be enhanced because of lack of intervention research.

Objective To investigate the clinical severity,etiological classification and risk factors of severe cases with hand,foot and mouth disease (HFMD).Methods A total of 1 489 records on severe and fatal HFMD cases reported to the national pilot surveillance system of HFMD were used to analyze the demographic,medical treatment,etiological classification of the cases.Treatment outcome related risk factors were also studied with multi-variable stepwise logistic regression method.Results Seven out of the 1 489 severe HFMD cases died of this disease.A total of 960 (72.9％) were under three years old and 62.9％ were male and most of the cases (937,62.9％) resided in rural areas.Among all the cases,494 (33.2％) went to seek the first medical assistance at the institutions of village or township level.Durations between disease onset and first medical attendance,being diagnosed as the disease or diagnosed as severe cases were 0(0-1) d,1 (0-2) d and 2 (1-4) d,respectively.In total,773 (51.9％) of the severe HFMD cases were diagnosed as with aseptic meningitis,260 (17.5％) with brainstem encephalitis,377 (25.3 ％) with non-brainstem encephalitis,6 (0.4％) with encephalomyelitis,1 (0.1％) with acute flaccid paralysis,4 (0.3％) with pulmonary hemorrhage/pulmonary edema and 68 (4.6％) with cardiopulmonary failure.Of the etiologically diagnosed 1 217 severe and fatal HFMD cases,642 (52.8％) were with EV71,other enterovirus 261 (21.5％),Cox A16 36 (3.0％),1 (0.1％) with both EV71 and Cox A16.However,277 (22.8％) showed negative on any pathogenic virus.Complication (Z=3.15,P=0.002) and duration between onset and diagnosed as severe cases (Z=3.95,P＜0.001) were shown as key factors related to treatment outcomes.Conclusions Most severe HFMD cases appeared in boys,especially living in the rural areas.Frequently seen complications would include aseptic meningitis,non-brainstem encephalitis and brainstem encephalitis.EV71 was the dominant etiology for severe and fatal cases.Early diagnosis and complication control were crucial,related to the treatment outcome of HFMD.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of the echocardiography in the diagnosis of congenital mitral valve malformation and summarize its occurrence and type associated with other cardiac malformations.Methods The echocardiographic image data of 101 patients with congenital mitral valve malformation were retrospectively analyzed,the characteristics of different types were summarized and compared with operation results,CT,cardiac catheterization,transesophageal echocardiography,as well as the data of echocardiographic follow-up.Results Among 101 patients with echocardiographic examination showed mitral valve congenital malformation,63 cases were isolated valve set malformation (62.4％),and multiple valve set malformation were found in 38 cases (32.7％).In another side,39 cases were of single mitral valve malformation (38.6％),while 62 patients combined with other type cardiac malformations (61.4％).No significant difference of dynamic change was shown between patients with solitary and multiple malformation of mitral valve (P ＞0.05).Conclusions Echocardiography can display congenital mitral valve malformation in a fast,robust,real-time way.It has an important clinical value in the diagnosis of congenital mitral valve malformation.

Objective To analyze the clinical features of 442 cases of hand-foot and mouth disease in children. Methods A total of 442 cases of hospitalized patients with HFMD in our hospital from January to October 2013 were retrospectively analyzed, according to the patient's age they were divided into group Ⅰ (317 cases), aged 2 months to 3 years old, and groupⅡ (125 cases), aged 3 to 9 years old. General information, laboratory tests, clinical manifestations of different ages were compared. Results Group Ⅰ set the number of leukocytes in children, respiratory rate, EV71-IgM positive rate and CoxA16-IgM were significantly higher than that in group Ⅱ, children of different ages were significant differences (P <0.05), group Ⅰ in fever, diarrhea proportion of patients were higher than in group Ⅱ, children of different ages were significant differences(P<0.05). Conclusion EV71, CoxA16 infection is more common in HFMD children, when children have a fever, symptoms of oral herpes, diarrhea they should treat with active treatment, should pay attention to the prevention of HFMD in children less than 3 years old.

Objective To investigate the effect of different degrees of acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) with 6% HES 200/0.5 on mucous membrane of small intestine in rabbits. Methods Thirty-two adult rabbits weighing 2.0-2.5 kg were randomly divided into 4 groups ( n = 8 each): Ⅰ control group underwent no ANH, and Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ group underwent ANH with hematocrit (Hct) reduced to 24%, 18% and 12% respectively (group H1-3 ). The animals were anesthetized with 20% urethane 4 ml/kg, thracheostomized and mechanically ventilated (VT = 8 ml/kg, RR = 50 bpm). The body temperature was maintained at 36.5-37.6 ℃. Left carotid artery was cannulated for MAP monitoring and blood sampling. Right jugular vein was cannulated for CVP monitoring. Blood withdrawn from femoral artery was simultaneously replaced by iv infusion of equal volume of HES (200/0.5) until the target Hct was achieved. Blood samples were obtained from superior mesenteric vein (SMV)for determination of plasma concentrations of TNF-α before ANH(T0) and at 8 h after ANH (T1). Small intestinal mucosal tissues were obtained at T1 to observe the pathological changes by electron microscopy. Results Compared with those at T0, plasma concentrations of TNF-a in SMV were significantly increased at T1 in group H2 and H3 ( P ＜ 0.01 ), but no significant change was found in group H1 ( P ＞ 0.05). Compared with group C, plasma concentrations of TNF-α in SMV were significantly increased in group H2 and H3 ( P ＜ 0.01 ), but no significant change was found in group H1 ( P ＞ 0.05). No injury was found in mucous membrane of small intestine in group H1 . The injury to mucous membrane of small intestine was mild in group H2 and severe in group H3 . Conclusion ANH with 6% HES 200/0.5 does not affect mucous membrane of small intestine when Hct is reduced to 24% The injury to mucous membrane of small intestine occurs when Hct is reduced to≤ 18%.