Objective To explore the effects of proteasome 20S subunit beta 8(PSMB8)on the prolif-eration,migration,and invasion of clear cell renal cell carcinoma(ccRCC)cells and whether PSMB8 promotes tumor progression by activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase(MEK)/extracellular signal-regula-ted kinase(ERK)signaling pathway.Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas was employed to analyze the mRNA levels of PSMB8 in ccRCC and normal tissue,and the expression levels of PSMB8 in ccRCC tissue and cells were determined by real-time quantitative PCR,Western blotting,and immunohistochemistry.Furthermore,the cell lines with stable overexpression and knockdown of PSMB8 were constructed.The CCK-8 assay and colony forma-tion assay were employed to examine the cell proliferation,and the wound healing assay and Transwell assay were employed to examine the invasion and migration of cells.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrich-ment was performed to analyze the co-expressed genes of PSMB8.Western blotting was used to measure the phospho-rylation levels of the proteins in the MEK/ERK signaling pathway.Finally,the rescue experiment was carried out with the ERK agonist C16-PAF.Results Compared with the normal tissue,the ccRCC tissue showed up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of PSMB8(both P＜0.001),which were associated with the TNM stage of patients with ccRCC(P＜0.001).Compared with the negative control group,overexpression of PSMB8 promoted the prolifera-tion(P=0.021,P=0.039),migration and invasion(all P＜0.001)of 786-O and ACHN cells,and the knock-down of PSMB8 inhibited the proliferation(P=0.022,P=0.005),migration and invasion(all P＜0.001)of 786-O and ACHN cells.The pathway enrichment analysis of co-expressed genes of PSMB8 predicted the mitogen-ac-tivated protein kinase signaling pathway(P＜0.001).After the knockdown of PSMB8,786-O and ACHN cells showed lowered phosphorylation levels of MEK1/2(P=0.017,P=0.016)and ERK1/2(P=0.010,P=0.040)and down-regulated transcription levels of ERK downstream factors c-Myc(P=0.043,P=0.038),c-Fos(P=0.025,P=0.008),and CyclinD1(P=0.006,P=0.047).Compared with the ERK agonist C16-PAF group,the PSMB8 knockdown+C16-PAF group showed inhibited proliferation(P=0.003,P=0.002),migration and invasion(all P＜0.001)of 786-O and ACHN cells.Conclusion PSMB8 may promote the proliferation,migration,and invasion of ccRCC cells by activating the MEK/ERK signaling pathway.

Objective:To explore the relationship between the life satisfaction of family caregivers and the de-gree of disability of disabled elderly people in Xinjiang Uygur and Kazak nationality,and the role of family mem-bers'participation in the relationship.Methods:A total of 431 elderly people with disabilities at home and their fam-ily caregivers(247 without family members and 184 with family members)were selected from Xinjiang Uygur and Kazak ethnic groups,and the survey was conducted with the Activity of Daily Living Scale(ADL)and Life Satis-faction Index B(LSIB).Results:The LSIB scores in family caregivers were negatively correlated with the ADL scores in the disabled elderly(r=-0.19,P＜0.01),and the family members'participation in care was positively correlated with the LSIB scores of family caregivers(r=0.52,P＜0.01).Family members'participation in care could moderate the negative effect of the ADL scores in the disabled elderly on the LSIB scores in family caregivers(β=0.08,P＜0.05).Conclusion:The involvement of family members in care has a moderating effect on the life satisfaction of Uyghur and Kazak family caregivers and the degree of disability of disabled elderly people.

AIM:To compare the effects of 0.01% with 0.05% atropine eye drops on pupil diameter(PD)and intraocular pressure(IOP)in myopic children.METHODS: Prospective non-randomized controlled study. A total of 232 myopic children who treated at the Department of Ophthalmology, the Second People's Hospital of Puyang from March 2021 to February 2022 were included. They were divided into 0.01% atropine eye drops group(81 cases), 0.05% atropine eye drops group(77 cases), and control group(74 cases)according to patients' will, respectively. The control group received placebo eye drops(isotonic excipient). The PD and IOP of the three groups of patients were measured before medication and at 6 and 12 mo after medication.RESULTS: Finally, 181 cases(181 eyes)(with all right eye data included in the study)completed a 1-year follow-up, with a loss to follow-up rate of 22.0%(51/232). Among them, 62 cases(62 eyes)belonged to the 0.01% atropine eye drops group, 54 cases(54 eyes)belonged to the 0.05% atropine eye drops group, and 65 cases(65 eyes)belonged to the control group. There was no significant difference in baseline PD and IOP among the three groups(all P<0.05). After 12 mo of medication, the changes in PD among the 0.01% atropine eye drops group, 0.05% atropine eye drops group, and control group were 0.79±0.70, 1.29±0.66, and 0.06±0.74 mm, respectively(P<0.001). The change in PD in the 0.05% atropine eye drops group was significantly greater than that in both the 0.01% atropine eye drops group and the control group. Similarly, the change in PD in the 0.01% atropine eye drops group was significantly greater than that in the control group(all P<0.05). After 12 mo of medication, the changes in IOP among the 0.01% atropine eye drops group, 0.05% atropine eye drops group, and control group were -0.70±1.94, -0.22±1.79, and 0.25±2.03 mmHg, respectively(P<0.05). The changes in IOP in the 0.05% atropine eye drops group showed statistically significant difference compared to both the 0.01% atropine eye drops group and the control group(all P>0.05), and the changes in IOP in the 0.01% atropine eye drops group were statistically significant compared to the control group(P<0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that baseline refractive error and baseline PD were significant factors influencing the change in PD among children treated with atropine eye drops(β=0.230, 95%CI: 0.005-0.455, SE=0.114, t=2.025, P=0.045; β=-0.562, 95%CI: -0.729--0.396, SE=0.084, t=6.697, P<0.001). Additionally, baseline IOP was significant factor influencing the change in IOP among children in the atropine eye drop groups(β=-0.285, 95%CI: -0.439--0.131, SE=0.078, t=3.662, P<0.001).CONCLUSION: The PD of myopic children increased after using 0.01% and 0.05% atropine eye drops, and the change in PD after using 0.05% atropine eye drops was significantly greater than that of 0.01% atropine eye drops. No risk was found in the use of 0.01% and 0.05% atropine eye drops and elevated IOP.

Background Schizophrenia and the use of antipsychotic medications are identified to be the likely contributors to the development of metabolic syndrome(MS)and cardiovascular disease,and jeopardize the prognosis of schizophrenia.Therefore,effectively preventing or reducing the risk of developing MS in patients with schizophrenia is critical.Objective To explore the efficacy of aripiprazole combined with olanzapine for male schizophrenia patients and its effect on MS,so as to provide a certain reference for the selection of antipsychotic drugs for schizophrenia patients.Methods Male patients(n=80)who were hospitalized in The Third People's Hospital of Meizhou from February to June 2023 and fulfilling the International Classification of Diseases,tenth edition(ICD-10)diagnostic criteria for the schizophrenia were enrolled,and grouped using random number table method,each with 40 cases.Study group was treated with aripiprazole combined with olanzapine,while control group was given aripiprazole monotherapy.The treatment lasted for 6 continuous weeks in both groups.At the baseline,Positive and Negative Symptom Scale(PANSS)score,MS-related indices[fasting plasma glucose(FPG),hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c),body mass index(BMI),waist-to-hip ratio(WHR),lipid profile],S100 calcium-binding protein B(S100B)and high sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP)were recorded.Then the PANSS scores at the end of the 2nd,4th and 6th week of treatment,the Clinical Global Impression(CGI)scores at the end of the 2nd and 6th week of treatment,as well as the MS-related indices,S100B,hs-CRP,Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale(TESS)score and Rating Scale for Extrapyramidal Side Effects(RSESE)score at the end of the 6th week of treatment were recorded in all participants.Results Analysis on PANSS score revealed a significant group effect,time effect and group×time interaction effect(F=18.092,634.780,2.917,P<0.05 or 0.01).Analysis on CGI score revealed a significant group effect and time effect(F=20.492,99.190,P<0.01).At the end of the 6th week of treatment,study group detected lower serum concentrations of HbA1c and triglyceride(TG)compared with control group(t=-3.495,-3.293,P<0.05).The post-treatment hs-CRP level was lower in study group than that in control group(t=-3.916,P<0.05).Study group scored lower on TESS compared with control group(t=-4.684,P<0.01).Conclusion Aripiprazole combined with olanzapine can effectively alleviate psychotic states in male schizophrenia patients,and the combination therapy yields less impact on MS-related indices than olanzapine monotherapy.

Objective:To preliminarily evaluate the immunogenicity and efficacy of two novel tuberculosis vaccine candidates (a fusion multicomponent protein EPDPA015f and a mixed multicomponent protein EPDPA015m) and to provide a new antigen combination for the development of tuberculosis vaccines.Methods:Recombinant plasmids for the expression of EPDPA015f and EPDPA015m proteins were constructed. Six-week-old BALB/c mice were immunized with EPDPA015f or EPDPA015m in combination with aluminium adjuvant (50 μg/mouse) for three times with an interval of 10 d. The mice were sacrificed 10 d after the last immunization to collect blood and spleen samples. Serum antibody titers and cytokine levels were measured by ELISA, Luminex technique and enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT). Mycobacterial growth inhibition assay (MGIA) was used to detect the ability of mouse splenocytes to inhibit the growth of Mtb in vitro. One-way analysis of variance and t-test were used for statistical analysis. Results:Both EPDPA015f and EPDPA015m could induce the production of various cytokines and IgG antibodies at a high level. The levels of cytokines related to Th1 (IL-2, TNF-α, IFN-γ), Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10) and Th17 (IL-17) as well as other proinflammatory cytokines (GM-CSF, IL-12) were higher in the EPDPA015f group than in the adjuvant group ( P<0.05). The titer of IgG antibody induced by EPDPA015f was as high as 1∶4×10 6. The results of MGIA showed that the numbers of Mtb (lgCFU) in the PBS, adjuvant, EPDPA015f and EPDPA015m groups were 3.46±0.11, 3.51±0.06, 2.98±0.09 and 3.19±0.08, respectively. The number of colonies in the EPDPA015f group was the least as compared with that in the other three groups ( P<0.001, P<0.001, P<0.01). Conclusions:The vaccine candidate EPDPA015f could elicit more comprehensive and high-level cellular and humoral immune responses, and exhibited superior in vitro inhibitory activity against the growth of Mtb. EPDPA015f had the potential to be used as a preventive vaccine or a booster vaccine

Objective:To evaluate the immunogenicity and protective effect of a multicomponent recombinant protein vaccine EPRHP014 constructed independently and provide a scientific basis for developing new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine and effective prevention and control of TB.Methods:Three full-length Mycobacterium ( M.) tuberculosis protein antigens (EsxH, Rv2628, and HspX) and two epitope-predicted and optimized epitope-dominant protein antigens (nPPE18 and nPstS1) were selected, from which five protein antigens were used to construct a protein antigen composition EPRHP014, including a fusion expression multi-component protein antigen (EPRHP014f) and a multi-component mixed protein antigen (EPRHP014m) formed with the five single protein using clone, purification, and purification respectively. Multicomponent protein vaccines EPRHP014f and EPRHP014m were prepared with aluminum adjuvant, and the BCG vaccine was used as a control. ELISA detected the titer of serum-specific antibodies, the secretion of various cytokines was detected by ELISpot and Luminex, and immune protection was observed by the M.tuberculosis growth inhibition test in vitro. The results were statistically analyzed by t-test or rank sum test, and P<0.05 was considered a statistically significant difference. Results:Mice Immunized with EPRHP014m and EPRHP014f could produce highly effective IgG antibodies and their subtypes IgG1 and IgG2a, and the antibody titers were similar to those of mice immunized with BCG, with no statistical significance ( P>0.05). The number of spot-forming cells (SFC) secreting IFN-γ and IL-4 induced by EPRHP014f group was significantly higher than those by EPRHP014m group and BCG group ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the number of SFC for IFN-γ and IL-4 induced between EPRHP014m group and BCG group ( P>0.05). The secretion levels of GM-CSF and IL-12p70 induced by the EPRHP014m group were higher than those of the BCG group ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the levels of IL-6 and IL-10 induced between EPRHP014m group and BCG group ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the secretions of IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and GM-CSF between the EPRHP014f and BCG groups ( P>0.05). EPRHP014m group, EPRHP014f group, and BCG group had obvious antibacterial effects in vitro, and the difference was insignificant ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Both EPRHP014f and EPRHP014m can induce strong humoral and cellular immune responses in mice after immunization, and have a strong ability to inhibit the growth of M. tuberculosis in vitro, indicating that the antigen composition EPRHP014 has good potential in the development and application of TB vaccine.

Objective:To examine the correlations of microRNA-34c(miR-34c) expression in the peripheral blood with the onset of diabetic foot ulcer(DFU)and diabetic foot osteomyelitis(DFO)in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods:Sixty newly-diagnosed T2DM patients without DFU(T2DM group), 112 T2DM patients with DFU(DFU group), and 60 healthy controls with normal glucose tolerance(NC group)were included. The 112 T2DM patients with DFU were further divided into DFO( n=64)and NDFO( n=48)groups. The levels of miR-34c were determined by quantitative real-time PCR, while clinical features and risk factors of DFU and DFO were explored. Results:A significant increase in the expression level of miR-34c in peripheral blood was observed in T2DM group compared with NC group[2.99(1.45-6.22) vs 1.01(0.89-1.52), P<0.05], and a markedly increased miR-34c expression level was noted in DFU group compared with T2DM group [9.65(6.15-18.63) vs 2.99(1.45-6.22), P<0.01]. Additionally, the expression level of miR-34c in peripheral blood significantly increased in DFO group compared to NDFO group [13.46(8.89-19.11) vs 6.02(5.93-14.72), P<0.01]. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the expression level of miR-34c in peripheral blood and the amputation rate in patients in DFU group( P=0.030), and a negative correlation in the expression level of miR-34c( P=0.025)with healing rate of DFU after eight weeks. The multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that a high expression of miR-34c was an independent risk factor for DFU and DFO( OR=3.52, 4.13; both P<0.01). Conclusion:An increased expression of miR-34c in peripheral blood of T2DM patients might be closely related to the occurrence, development, and prognosis of DFU and DFO.

Protein self-assemblies at the micro- and nano-scale are of great interest because of their morphological diversity and good biocompatibility. High-throughput screening of protein self-assembly at different scales and morphologies using protein crystallization screening conditions is an emerging method. When using this method to screen protein self-assembly conditions, some apparently transparent droplets are often observed, in which it is not clear whether self-assembly occurs. We explored the interaction between β-lactoglobulin and the protein crystallization kit Index™ C10 and observed the presence of micro- and nano-scale protein self-assemblies in the transparent droplets. The diverse morphology of the micro- and nano-scale self-assemblies in the transparent droplets formed by mixing different initial concentrations of β-lactoglobulin and Index™ C10 was further investigated by scanning electron microscope. Self-assembly process of fluorescence-labelled β-lactoglobulin was monitored continuously by laser confocal microscope, allowing real-time observation of the liquid-liquid phase separation phenomenon and the morphology of the final self-assemblies. The internal structure of the self-assemblies was gradually ordered over time by in-situ X-ray diffraction. This indicates that the self-assembly phenomenon within transparent droplets, observed in protein self-assembly condition screening experiments, is worthy of further in-depth exploration.
Crystallization ; Lactoglobulins

Objective:To establish the norm of the Chinese version of Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale (KPCS) in urban areas of China.Methods:From August to December 2017, the parents of 2 216 children (<36 months old) were selected from 15 cities (Beijing, Lianyungang, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Xi′an, Guangzhou, Changsha, Jinan, Guiyang, Ningbo, Dalian, Qinhuangdao, Maanshan, Chongqing and Wuhan) in 14 provinces by stratified random sampling. The general demographic characteristics and parents′ parenting confidence were collected by a self-made questionnaire and KPCS Chinese version. The percentile norm was established. P 3, P10 and P 25 were used as the criteria to define the degree of lack of parenting confidence. Results:The age of mothers was (30.67±4.29). The age of the father was (32.50±4.99) years old. There were 726 (32.76%), 759 (34.25%) and 731 (32.99%) infants in 6-12, 12-23 and 24-35 months old groups. The total scores of P 50, P 25, P 10 and P 3 of KPCS (Chinese version) of infant parents in urban areas in China were 41, 38, 33, and 29 respectively. When the scores of parents were 34-37, 30-33, and ≤ 29, they were judged as mild, moderate, and severe lack of parenting confidence. There was no significant difference in the Chinese version of KPCS between parents of different age groups and parents of different gender (χ2=3.53, P=0.171; χ2=1.41, P=0.236). Each factor score≤ P 3 is defined as the boundary score, and the corresponding boundary scores of "parenting" "support" and "competence" were 13, 9, and 5 respectively. Conclusion:The Chinese version of KPCS can be used to assess the parenting confidence of infants in urban areas of China. It can used as one of the bases for scientific and objective evaluation of the parenting status of families.

Objective:To establish the norm of the Chinese version of Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale (KPCS) in urban areas of China.Methods:From August to December 2017, the parents of 2 216 children (<36 months old) were selected from 15 cities (Beijing, Lianyungang, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Xi′an, Guangzhou, Changsha, Jinan, Guiyang, Ningbo, Dalian, Qinhuangdao, Maanshan, Chongqing and Wuhan) in 14 provinces by stratified random sampling. The general demographic characteristics and parents′ parenting confidence were collected by a self-made questionnaire and KPCS Chinese version. The percentile norm was established. P 3, P10 and P 25 were used as the criteria to define the degree of lack of parenting confidence. Results:The age of mothers was (30.67±4.29). The age of the father was (32.50±4.99) years old. There were 726 (32.76%), 759 (34.25%) and 731 (32.99%) infants in 6-12, 12-23 and 24-35 months old groups. The total scores of P 50, P 25, P 10 and P 3 of KPCS (Chinese version) of infant parents in urban areas in China were 41, 38, 33, and 29 respectively. When the scores of parents were 34-37, 30-33, and ≤ 29, they were judged as mild, moderate, and severe lack of parenting confidence. There was no significant difference in the Chinese version of KPCS between parents of different age groups and parents of different gender (χ2=3.53, P=0.171; χ2=1.41, P=0.236). Each factor score≤ P 3 is defined as the boundary score, and the corresponding boundary scores of "parenting" "support" and "competence" were 13, 9, and 5 respectively. Conclusion:The Chinese version of KPCS can be used to assess the parenting confidence of infants in urban areas of China. It can used as one of the bases for scientific and objective evaluation of the parenting status of families.