1.Optimizing extraction of microbial DNA from urine: Advancing urinary microbiome research in bladder cancer
Chuang-Ming ZHENG ; Ho Won KANG ; Seongmin MOON ; Young Joon BYUN ; Won Tae KIM ; Yung Hyun CHOI ; Sung-Kwon MOON ; Xuan-Mei PIAO ; Seok Joong YUN
Investigative and Clinical Urology 2025;66(3):272-280
Purpose:
This study aimed to evaluate and optimize microbial DNA extraction methods from urine, a non-invasive sample source, to enhance DNA quality, purity, and reliability for urinary microbiome research and biomarker discovery in bladder cancer.
Materials and Methods:
A total of 302 individuals (258 with genitourinary cancers and 44 with benign urologic diseases) participated in this study. Urine samples were collected via sterile catheterization, resulting in 445 vials for microbial analysis. DNA extraction was performed using three protocols: the standard protocol (SP), water dilution protocol (WDP), and chelation-assisted protocol (CAP). DNA quality (concentration, purity, and contamination levels) was assessed using NanoDrop spectrophotometry.Microbial analysis was conducted on 138 samples (108 cancerous and 30 benign) using 16S rRNA sequencing. Prior to sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform, Victor 3 fluorometry was used for validation.
Results:
WDP outperformed other methods, achieving significantly higher 260/280 and 260/230 ratios, indicating superior DNA purity and reduced contamination, while maintaining reliable DNA yields. CAP was excluded due to poor performance across all metrics. Microbial abundance was significantly higher in WDP-extracted samples (p<0.0001), whereas SP demonstrated higher alpha diversity indices (p<0.01), likely due to improved detection of low-abundance taxa. Beta diversity analysis showed no significant compositional differences between SP and WDP (p=1.0), supporting the reliability of WDP for microbiome research.
Conclusions
WDP is a highly effective and reliable method for microbial DNA extraction from urine, ensuring high-quality and reproducible results. Future research should address sample variability and crystal precipitation to further refine microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutics.
2.Research progress on the relationship between the photobiomodulation and amblyopia
Shuxian HU ; Mei LIU ; Jingjing DONG ; Yang YANG ; Li LIU ; Xuan MA ; Liyun GUO
International Eye Science 2025;25(9):1431-1435
Amblyopia is a common visual development disorder and is the main cause of monocular vision impairment in children and adults. Photobiomodulation(PBM), a non-invasive treatment method, has gradually gained attention in the field of ophthalmology. This paper begins with the macroscopic manifestation of light on the animal model of amblyopia. Additionally, it discusses the pathological changes of the amblyopic retina and the human eye's central nervous system, as well as the influence and mechanism of PBM on the visual perception and processing system and its chemical effect on the visual system through dopamine and melatonin. It examines its mechanism of action, current clinical application status, and future development direction in order to provide new ideas and theoretical foundation for amblyopia treatment.
3.Impact of brain drain on organizational cohesion in northeastern public health institutions:Based on moderated mediation model tests
Qun-Kai WANG ; Nan MENG ; Qun-Hong WU ; Ke-Xin WANG ; Mei-Ye LI ; Rui-Qian ZHUGE ; Yu-Xuan WANG
Chinese Journal of Health Policy 2024;17(6):56-63
Objective:The purpose of this study is to explore in depth the mechanism of the impact of brain drain on organizational cohesion,with a view to cracking the vicious circle problem caused by brain drain in the northeast region and eliminating the unfavorable factors affecting the core cohesion of public health institutions.Methods:A combination of convenience sampling and snowball sampling was used to survey11 912 valid questionnaires,and the data were systematically analyzed using descriptive statistics,regression analysis,and moderated mediated effects analysis.Results:Brain drain has a significant negative effect on organizational cohesion(β=-1.29,P<0.001);and role overload partially mediates between the two,with a significant mediating effect(effect value=-0.56,95%CI=-0.67~-0.46),and the indirect effect accounts for 43.4%of the total effect;and monthly income significantly moderates the effect of brain drain on organizational cohesion through role overload(β=1.00,P<0.001).Conclusion:It is recommended to alleviate the sense of role overload among public health personnel by adjusting the level of salary and benefits,and to reduce the negative impact of brain drain by adopting long-term incentive mechanisms and other strategies,thus enhancing organizational cohesion and providing theoretical and practical guidance for relevant institutions.
4.Clinical analysis of nano-carbon used in single port laparo-scopic transanal total mesorectal resection for the treatment of low rectal cancer
Guo-Ting ZHU ; Xuan ZHOU ; Kai-Mei ZHU
Chinese Journal of Current Advances in General Surgery 2024;27(4):298-301
Objective:To explore the application effect of nano-carbon in single port laparo-scopic transanal total mesorectal resection in the treatment of low rectal cancer.Methods:A total of 96 patients underwent single-port laparoscopic transanal mesorectal resection were selected and randomly divided into observation group(preoperative nano-carbon suspension injection)and control group,48 cases in each group based on the random number table method.After the operation,the number of lymph nodes dissected was recorded,and the number of dark-stained lymph nodes was detected,and pathological examination was performed to confirm the metastasis of each lymph node.Results:The average number of lymph nodes detected in the observation group(18.46±3.52 vs 10.63±1.95)was significantly higher than that in the control group,and the difference was statis-tically significant(P<0.05).The rate of lymph node metastasis detected in the observation group(12.19%)was higher than that in the control group(9.41%),but the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant(P>0.05).The metastasis rate of black-stained lymph nodes(88/611,14.40%)was significantly higher than that of non-stained lymph nodes(20/275,6.18%)and the control group(48/510,9.41%),and the difference was statistically significant(x2=9.007,6.495,P=0.003,0.011).Conclusion:Preoperative application of nano-activated carbon suspension injec-tion can increase the number of lymph nodes and the detection rate of lymph node metastasis in pa-tients undergoing single-port laparoscopic transanal mesorectal resection,which can ensure the ac-curacy of pathological staging.It can be used in clinical rectal cancer.The treatment is of guiding sig-nificance.
5.Clinical and genetic analysis of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by thickened corpus callosum caused by MAST1 gene mutation
Yanhong WANG ; Lei LIU ; Xiaoge FAN ; Xuan ZHENG ; Zhi LEI ; Linfei LI ; Lixin SONG ; Yongtao DUAN ; Shiyue MEI
Chinese Journal of Neurology 2024;57(5):460-466
Objective:To investigate the clinical and genetic features of the patient with neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by thickened corpus callosum caused by MAST1 gene mutation. Methods:Clinical data and auxiliary examination of a child with neurodevelopmental disorders caused by MAST1 gene mutation who was admitted to Henan Children′s Hospital in September 2022 were collected, and whole exome sequencing technology was applied to analyze the genetics of the child. Results:The patient was a 2 years and 8 months old male, with a clinical phenotype including intellectual, motor, and speech development disorders. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed thickened corpus callosum, nodular heterotopia of the left ventricle body.Whole exome sequencing showed the MAST1 gene with c.578T>G(p.Met193Arg) heterozygous missense variant, which was a unreported de novo pathogenic variant and both of his parents were wild-type. Conclusions:Diseases caused by MAST1 gene mutations are relatively rare, the main clinical features are neurodevelopmental disorders and brain structural abnormalities, and MRI shows an enlarged corpus callosum.The heterozygous missense variant c.578T>G(p.Met193Arg) of the MAST1 gene is the genetic cause of this case.
6.Observation of clinical efficacy and laboratory indexes of traditional Chinese medicine in treating patients with AECOPD
Qiang XIAO ; Wenming SONG ; Mu MEI ; Susu DONG ; Yafen TAN ; Xuan ZHANG ; Lu YAO ; Tianli WANG
China Modern Doctor 2024;62(16):85-89
Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine turbid phlegm obstructing lung decoction on patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)and its influence on laboratory indexes.Methods A total of 191 patients with AECOPD who were hospitalized in the First People's Hospital of Changde from January 2021 to December 2022 were selected.Patients were divided into observation group(96 cases)and control group(95 cases)according to their treatment intention.The control group received conventional treatment of western medicine,and the observation group received oral administration of traditional Chinese medicine turbid phlegm obstructing lung decoction for one week.TCM symptom scores,COPD assessment test(CAT),lung function,laboratory indicators and efficacy were compared between two groups.Results The total effective rate of observation group was significantly higher than that of control group(χ2=4.573,P=0.030).After treatment,TCM symptom score,CAT score,hypersensitive C-reaction protein(hsCRP)and interleukin-6(IL-6)of patients in both groups were significantly lower than before treatment,percentage of forced vital capacity to predicted value(FVC%)and percentage of forced expiratory volume in one second to predicted value(FEV1%)were significantly higher than before treatment(P<0.05),arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO2)of observation group was lower than before treatment,and arterial partial pressure of oxygen(PaO2)was higher than before treatment(P<0.05).The TCM symptom score,CAT score,hsCRP and IL-6 of observation group were significantly lower than those of control group,while FVC%,FEV1%and PaO2 were significantly higher than those of control group(P<0.05).Conclusion On the basis of western medicine treatment,traditional Chinese medicine turbid phlegm obstructing lung decoction can more effectively improve clinical symptoms of AECOPD patients,relieve the inflammation in the body,contribute to the recovery of lung function and improve the quality of life of patients.
7.COL6A1 expression as a potential prognostic biomarker for risk stratification of T1 high grade bladder cancer: Unveiling the aggressive nature of a distinct non-muscle invasive subtype
Kyeong KIM ; Young Joon BYUN ; Chuang-Ming ZHENG ; Sungmin MOON ; Soo Jeong JO ; Ho Won KANG ; Won Tae KIM ; Yung Hyun CHOI ; Sung-Kwon MOON ; Wun-Jae KIM ; Xuan-Mei PIAO ; Seok Joong YUN
Investigative and Clinical Urology 2024;65(1):94-103
Purpose:
T1 high grade (T1HG) bladder cancer (BC) is a type of non-muscle invasive BC (NMIBC) that is recognized as an aggressive subtype with a heightened propensity for progression. Current risk stratification methods for NMIBC rely on clinicopathological indicators; however, these approaches do not adequately capture the aggressive nature of T1HG BC. Thus, new, more accurate biomarkers for T1HG risk stratification are needed. Here, we enrolled three different patient cohorts and investigated expression of collagen type VI alpha 1 (COL6A1), a key component of the extracellular matrix, at different stages and grades of BC, with a specific focus on T1HG BC.
Materials and Methods:
Samples from 298 BC patients were subjected to RNA sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction.
Results:
We found that T1HG BC and muscle invasive BC (MIBC) exhibited comparable expression of COL6A1, which was significantly higher than that by other NMIBC subtypes. In particular, T1HG patients who later progressed to MIBC had considerably higher expression of COL6A1 than Ta, T1 low grade patients, and patients that did not progress, highlighting the aggressive nature and higher risk of progression associated with T1HG BC. Moreover, Cox and Kaplan–Meier survival analyses revealed a significant association between elevated expression of COL6A1 and poor progression-free survival of T1HG BC patients (multivariate Cox hazard ratio, 16.812; 95% confidence interval, 3.283–86.095; p=0.001 and p=0.0002 [log-rank test]).
Conclusions
These findings suggest that COL6A1 may be a promising biomarker for risk stratification of T1HG BC, offering valuable insight into disease prognosis and guidance of personalized treatment decisions.
8.Implementation of surveillance,prevention and control of healthcare-asso-ciated infection in maternal and child healthcare institutions:A nation-wide investigation report
Shuo LI ; Xi YAO ; Hui-Xue JIA ; Wei-Guang LI ; Xun HUANG ; Shu-Mei SUN ; Xi CHENG ; Qing-Lan MENG ; Xiang ZHANG ; Jing-Ping ZHANG ; Ya-Wei XING ; Qing-Qing JIANG ; Lian-Xuan WU ; Bing-Li ZHANG ; Xiao-Jing LIU ; Liu-Yi LI
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(3):323-329
Objective To investigate the implementation of surveillance,prevention and control measures for healthcare-associated infection(HAI)in maternal and child healthcare(MCH)institutions,and provide policy evi-dence for optimizing HAI prevention and control in MCH institutions.Methods Stratified sampling was conducted among the MCH institutions at provincial,municipal and county levels in 8 provinces/autonomous regions.A uni-fied questionnaire was designed and the online survey was conducted through"Questionnaire Star".Results The data from 123 MCH institutions were included in the analysis.90.24%of the MCH institutions carried out compre-hensive surveillance on HAI.The ratios of MCH institutions which implemented targeted surveillance on HAI in neonatal intensive care unit(NICU),surgical site infection,multidrug-resistant organisms(MDROs)and HAI in intensive care units(non-NICU excluded)were 89.66%,85.96%,80.77%,and 74.19%,respectively.51.22%MCH institutions adopted information surveillance system on HAI cases.94.31%MCH institutions carried out surveillance on hand hygiene compliance.Over 90%MCH institutions carried out surveillance on environment hy-giene in high-risk departments.71.54%MCH institutions conducted centralized cleaning,disinfection,sterilization and supply for reusable medical instruments in the central sterile supply department(CSSD).Over 90%MCH insti-tutions established three-level pre-examination triage systems.86.18%set up transitional wards.MCH institutions generally adopted a management model with established effective communication,full appointment visits,and sepa-rate visits for special medical groups,such as registered pregnant women,high-risk newborns,healthcare groups,and long-term rehabilitation patients.However,the ratio of institutions conducting on-line follow-up visits was less than 50%.Conclusion MCH institutions have generally carried out comprehensive and targeted surveillance on HAI.Information surveillance need to be facilitated.Hand hygiene and environmental hygiene surveillance has been popularized to a certain extent at all levels of MCH institutions.The cleaning,disinfection,sterilization,and supply processes of reusable medical devices in a few MCH institutions are not standardized.Special medical populations get effective management.On-line healthcare is to be further promoted.
9.Osteopontin activates the PI3K/AKT pathway by upregulating LGALS3BP in promotion of hepatoma cell migration
Linlin DENG ; Riwen AN ; Fangxin ZHAO ; Ting LIN ; Cuihua LIU ; Mei HONG ; Jianqiang WU ; Xuan ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Comparative Medicine 2024;34(2):9-15
Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of osteopontin(OPN)in hepatoma cell migration through galectin-3 binding protein(LGALS3BP).Methods Human hepatoma cell lines SMMC-7721,SMMC-P(stably transfected with empty eukaryotic expression vectors),and SMMC-OPN(stably transfected with the OPN gene)were cultured.mRNA expression levels of OPN and LGALS3BP were measured by RT-qPCR.Western blot assays were used to analyze the relative protein expression of OPN and LGALS3BP and PI3K/AKT pathway.Wound healing assays were performed to explore the cell migration ability.After transfection with LGALS3BP-targeting small interfering RNA(si-LGALS3BP)or negative control small RNA(si-NC)into SMMC-OPN cells,cell migration and relative expression of PI3K/AKT pathway-related proteins were assessed.Results Compared with SMMC-7721 and SMMC-P,the migratory ability of SMMC-OPN cells was significantly reinforced,and expression of LGALS3BP was obviously upregulated at both mRNA and protein levels.Moreover,relative expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT proteins was significantly increased.Wound healing assays showed that the si-LGALS3BP obviously suppressed the migratory ability of SMMC-OPN cells.Furthermore,relative expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT proteins in SMMC-OPN cells was significantly decreased after transfection of si-LGALS3BP.Conclusions OPN activates the PI3K/AKT pathway by upregulating LGALS3BP expression to promote hepatoma cell migration.
10.Event-related potentials developmental characteristics of picture recognition memory in children aged 6-12
Chaoqun WANG ; Xuan DONG ; Jie ZHU ; Qinfen ZHANG ; Haitian MEI ; Rui WANG ; Shiyan JI
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2024;33(1):39-44
Objective:To explore the developmental characteristics of event-related potential(ERP) in cognitive function of recognition memory in children aged 6-12.Methods:A total of 130 normal children were divided into seven age groups (6 ( n=20), 7 ( n=17), 8 ( n=23), 9 ( n=24), 10 ( n=19), 11 ( n=15), and 12 years old ( n=12)) to perform a picture study-recognition task and record the reaction time, accuracy, and ERP components of all participants. SPSS 22.0 software was used for data analysis. Single factor analysis of variance and trend of variance were used to compare the response time and accuracy of 7 groups of children during the recognition stage. Pearson correlation analysis was used to study the correlation between the amplitude of the central midline N2 component and age. Paired t-test was used to examine the old/new effects of the amplitude of midfrontal N2 and midparietal P3 waves. Results:(1) The differences of recognition ability ( F(6, 123)=2.476, P<0.05), old picture reaction time ( F(6, 123)=6.461, P<0.001), and new picture reaction time ( F(6, 123)=4.163, P<0.001) among 7 age groups of children were statistically significant. Recognition ability of children aged 6 (0.61±0.24) was lower than those of 8-12 years old children((0.76±0.27), (0.76±0.10), (0.73±0.11), (0.75±0.10), (0.70±0.17) respectively)(all P<0.05). The reaction time of the old picture showed no difference among the children aged 6-9 (all P>0.05), and the reaction time of old picture of children aged 12 was shorter than those of 6-10 years old children (all P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the reaction time of new pictures among the children aged 6-10 (all P>0.05), and which in children aged 12 was shorter than those in 6-10 years old children(all P<0.01). (2) Age was positively correlated with the amplitude of the N2 component in the central region under the new ( r=0.488, P<0.001) and old picture( r=0.452, P<0.001) conditions. (3)At 6 years old, children showed old/new effects on the mid-frontal electrodes. At 7 years old, there were no old/new effects in either the mid-frontal or mid-parietal regions. From 8 to 9 years old, old/new effects appeared in the mid-parietal lobe. At 10 years old, old/new effects were present in both the mid-frontal and mid-parietal regions. At 11 years old, the mid-parietal lobe showed old/new effects. Finally, at 12 years old, negative old/new effects could be observed in both the mid-frontal and mid-parietal regions. Conclusion:There are three periods of changes in the behavior of picture recognition memory in school-age children. At ages 6-7, the accuracy rate is relatively low; at ages 8-9, it improves; and between ages 10-12, the accuracy rate stabilizes while also enabling faster judgments.Children's recognition memory retrieval process is more complex than their behavioral performance. Children have different tendencies toward strategies, but strategic transitions in recognition processing are not always beneficial for performance.

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