BACKGROUND:Compound Shengmai Chenggu capsule has good therapeutic effects on early steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head,but the exact mechanism of treatment is not fully understood. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of compound Shengmai Chenggu capsule on fucosyltransferase 8,osteogenic gene and Wnt/β-catenin in bone tissue of rats with steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head. METHODS:Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into blank group,model group,low-,middle-,and high-dose drug groups(n=12 per group).In the latter four groups,animal models of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head were established by subcutaneous injection of imiquimod(once every 2 weeks,2 times in total)and gluteal muscle injection of methylprednisolone(once a week,4 times in total).The low-,middle-and high-dose drug groups were given 1.89,3.78 and 7.56 g/kg per day compound Shengmai Chenggu capsule solution by gavage respectively on the second day after the last modeling.The same amount of saline was given by gavage to the model group.Administration lasted 8 weeks.After the administration,micro-CT scan,histological staining,compression test,RT-qPCR and western blot were performed on the femoral head. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Micro-CT scan results showed that compared with the blank group,trabecular volume fraction,trabecular number and trabecular thickness were significantly decreased(P<0.05),while trabecular separation was increased in the model group(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the compound Shengmai Chenggu capsule could increase trabecular volume fraction,trabecular number and trabecular thickness(P<0.05),and decrease trabecular separation(P<0.05)in a dose-dependent manner.Hematoxylin-eosin staining results showed that compared with the model group,the rate of empty bone lacunae was reduced in a dose-dependent group in the low-,middle-,and high-dose compound Shengmai Chenggu capsule groups(P<0.05).Immunohistochemical staining results showed that compared with the blank group,the protein expression of fucosyltransferase 8,Runx2 and bone morphogenetic protein 2 was reduced in the model group(P<0.05);compared with the model group,the compound Shengmai Chenggu capsule increased the protein expression of fucosyltransferase 8,Runx2 and bone morphogenetic protein 2 in a dose-dependent manner(P<0.05).Results from the compression test showed that there was a dose-dependent increase in the maximum load and elastic modulus of the femoral head in the low-,middle-,and high-dose compound Shengmai Chenggu capsule groups compared with the model group(P<0.05).RT-qPCR and western blot results showed that the mRNA and protein expressions of fucosyltransferase 8,Runx2,alkaline phosphatase,osteocalcin,osteoblast-specific transcription factor and bone morphogenetic protein 2 were decreased in the model group compared with the blank group(P<0.05);compared with the model group,there was a dose-dependent increase in the mRNA and protein expressions of the above indicators in the low-,middle-,and high-dose compound Shengmai Chenggu capsule groups compared with the model group(P<0.05).Compared with the blank group,the mRNA and protein expression of Wnt2,low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 and β-catenin were decreased(P<0.05)and the mRNA and protein expressions of glycogen synthase kinase 3β were increased(P<0.05)in the model group;compared with the model group,there was a dose-dependent increase in the mRNA and protein expressions of Wnt2,low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 and β-catenin(P<0.05)but a dose-dependent decrease in the mRNA and protein expressions of lycogen synthase kinase 3β(P<0.05)in the low-,middle-,and high-dose compound Shengmai Chenggu capsule groups.To conclude,the mechanism by which the compound Shengmai Chenggu capsule treats steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head may activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway through the up-regulation of fucosyltransferase 8,thereby promoting bone formation.

BACKGROUND:Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture is a common fracture secondary to osteoporosis.At present,there is no effective prediction index and method for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the predictive effect of the comprehensive index of lumbar vertebral body bone strength on osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture. METHODS:233 patients with osteoporosis were divided into a fracture group and a non-fracture group according to whether a vertebral fracture occurred.The demography,body mass index,vertebral bone mineral density and other details were collected.Lateral X-ray films of the lumbar spine were photographed.The vertebral body width,vertebral body length,sacral slope,pelvic tilt,pelvic incidence,lumbar compressive strength index and the lumbar impact strength index were measured,calculated,and analyzed by univariate and multivariate,and the receiver operating characteristic curve was analyzed.The survival analysis was conducted according to the cut-off value. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)All patients were followed up for 2-4 years,with an average of 3.1 years.During the follow-up period,99 cases(38 cases of L1 vertebral body,61 cases of L2 vertebral body)had fractures(fracture group),and 134 cases(52 cases of L1 vertebral body,82 cases of L2 vertebral body)had no fractures(non-fracture group).Univariate analysis showed that there was no significant difference in age,sex,height,body mass,body mass index and fracture segment between the two groups(P>0.05).(2)Lumbar compressive strength index and lumbar impact strength index in the fracture group were lower than those in the non-fracture group(P<0.05).Pelvic incidence and pelvic tilt in the fracture group were higher than those in the non-fracture group(P<0.05).(3)Multivariate analysis showed that lumbar compressive strength index,lumbar impact strength index and pelvic tilt were risk factors for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures(P<0.05).(4)Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the cutoff values of vertebral bone mineral density,lumbar compressive strength index,lumbar impact strength index,pelvic tilt and pelvic incidence were 0.913 5 g/cm2,1.932,0.903,21.5° and 55°,respectively;areas under the curve were 0.630,0.800,0.911,0.633 and 0.568,respectively.(5)According to the survival analysis(with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture as the end point),the average survival time of the patients with lumbar impact strength index≥0.903 was significantly longer than that of the patients with lumbar impact strength index<0.903(P<0.05).(6)These findings conclude that the comprehensive index of lumbar vertebral body bone strength is more accurate than the bone mineral density of the vertebral body and spine-pelvis sagittal parameters in predicting osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures,which is helpful for early prevention and treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

BACKGROUND:Osteoporosis vertebral compression fracture is a common fracture secondary to osteoporosis,and there is currently a lack of effective predictive indicators and methods for osteoporosis vertebral compression fracture. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the predictive effects of paravertebral muscle degeneration,functional cross-sectional area,and percentage of fat infiltration on osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. METHODS:The 224 patients with osteoporosis diagnosed from January 2018 to June 2022 were included.They were followed up for more than 2 years.They were divided into fracture group and non-fracture group according to the presence and absence of vertebral fracture.The detailed information of demographics,body mass index,bone mineral density and so on were collected.The functional cross-sectional area and percentage of fat infiltration of bilateral Psoas major muscle and extensor dorsi(Erector spinae muscles muscle and multifidus muscle)at the level of lower endplate of L2 vertebral body were measured and calculated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)224 patients were ultimately included,of which 126 had fractures as the fracture group and 98 had no fractures as the non-fracture group.There was no statistically significant difference in age,gender,height,body mass,body mass index,and fracture segment between the two groups(P>0.05).(2)The bone mineral density of the fracture group was significantly lower than that of the non-fracture group(P<0.05).Functional cross-sectional areas of Psoas major muscle and extensor dorsi in the fracture group were significantly lower than those in the non-fracture group(P<0.05).The percentage of fat infiltration of the extensor dorsi in the fracture group was significantly higher than that in the non-fracture group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in percentage of fat infiltration of Psoas major muscle between the two groups(P>0.05).(3)Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the vertebral bone mineral density,percentage of fat infiltration of extensor dorsi,functional cross-sectional area of extensor dorsi and percentage of fat infiltration of Psoas major muscle were 0.903 g/cm2,35.426%,418.875 mm2,and 6.375%,respectively.The areas under curve were 0.634,0.755,0.876,and 0.585,respectively.(4)These findings indicate that paravertebral muscle degeneration is strongly associated with the occurrence of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.The functional cross-sectional area of extensor dorsi muscle can effectively predict the occurrence of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures,which is helpful for early prevention and treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

Objective Neuromuscular electrical stimulation(NMES)-evoked kinesthetic information in muscle spindle can be purely extracted from the mixed motor and sensory afferents using Ischemic nerve block(INB).This study aims to investigate the somatosensory cortical response evoked by NMES activating muscle spindle afferents in forearm.Methods All subjects performed four experimental tasks designed according to a 2×2 factors,including one factor of the INB state(without INB and within INB)and the other of the stimulation intensity(above and below motor threshold).During the experiment,we recorded EEG data with 64 channels and then beta event-related desynchronization(Beta ERD)were utilized quantize somatosensory cortical excitability evoked by the tasks.The subjective perception about the sensation and movement of the right hand were evaluated by a psychophysical test after the right wrist was performed by INB.Results INB significantly reduced beta ERD on the contralateral somatosensory cortex evoked by NMES above the motor threshold,and there was significant difference of NMES-evoked beta ERD values on the contralateral somatosensory cortex between above and below motor threshold.Meanwhile,contralateral dominance of NMES-evoked beta ERD on the somatosensory cortex was transferred to ipsilateral hemisphere under INB.Conclusion INB can significantly reduce NMES-evoked somatosensory cortical response above motor threshold and decrease cortical perception on the stimulus intensity,which may be due to INB resulting in rapid functional reorganization of somatosensory cortex.

Objective To explore the value of probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy(pCLE)in the differential diagnosis of fundic gland polyps.Methods A total of 63 patients who underwent conventional white light image(WLI)and suggested with gastric polyps in our gastroenterology endoscopy center during June and December 2023 were enrolled,and their clinical data,WLI,narrow band images(NBI),pCLE images and postoperative histopathological findings were collected.The characteristics of fundic gland polyps under pCLE were statistically verified,and the sensitivity,specificity,accuracy and consistency of different endoscopic diagnoses were calculated respectively.Results Under pCLE,fundic gland polyps were mainly manifested as elongated gastric pit opening,"hand-in-hand"gastric pit opening,well-arranged blood vessels around the pit opening,and no luciferin oozing.The sensitivity,specificity,accuracy of WLI were 72.73％,75.00％,73.13％and 0.343 for fundic gland polyps,and 81.82％,71.43％,71.64％and 0.354 for hyperplastic polyps,respectively.While,the above values of NBI were 87.27％,83.33％,86.57％and 0.673 for fundic gland polyps,and 81.82％,85.71％,85.07％and 0.554 for hyperplastic polyps;and those of pCLE were 92.73％,91.67％,92.53％and 0.769 for fundic gland polyps,and 90.91％,94.64％,94.03％and 0.797 for hyperplastic polyps pCLE had better sensitivity,specificity and accuracy than WLI and NBI,and had the results consistent with histopathological findings.Conclusion pCLE can be used in the differential diagnosis of fundic gland polyps.

Objective:To investigate the application value of fluorescence imaging in single-port thoracoscopic anatomic segmentectomy.Methods:The clinical data of 280 patients (145 patients with fluorescence method and 135 patients with modified inflation-deflation method) who underwent thoracoscopic anatomic segmentectomy were retrospectively studied in the Anhui Chest Hospital from June 2020 to June 2021. There were 113 patients in the simple segmentectomy group and 167 patients in the complex segmentectomy group. The baseline data of the fluorescence method and the modified inflation-deflation method in the complex segmentectomy group were corrected by propensity score matching, and the perioperative results were compared between the groups.Results:There were no significant differences in segmental resection time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, postoperative pain, postoperative extubation time, length of hospital stay, incidence of complications and cost of hand-holding between the fluorescence method and the modified method of the simple segmentectomy group.In the complex segmentectomy group, the time of segmental resection with the fluorescence method was significantly shorter than that with the modified inflation-deflation method( P<0.05), and other indexes had no significant difference. Conclusion:Fluorescence method single-port thoracoscopic anatomic segmentectomy has the same perioperative safety and short-term efficacy as modified inflation-deflation method, which can significantly shorten the operative time and improve the operative efficiency in complex anatomic segmentectomy.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sodium hyaluronate gel in preventing adhesion after prophylactic enterostomy.Methods:One hundred and twenty four patients from 6 hospitals were enrolled in this prospective multi-center randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomized into the study group ( n=59) or the control group ( n=65).All patients underwent prophylactic enterostomy. Patients of study group received odium hyaluronate gel for adhesion-prevention,while those in control group did not receive any adhesion-prevention treatment. The incidence of moderate to severe adhesion around the incision in the stoma area were evalutated during stoma reduction surgery. Results:The incidence of moderate to severe adhesion around the incision in the stoma area was 6.3% in the study group, the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05) compared to that of the control group (32.6%). Conclusion:Sodium hyaluronate gel can safely and effectively reduce the incidence of moderate and severe adhesions after abdominal surgery.

Chromatin modification contributes to pluripotency maintenance in embryonic stem cells(ESCs).However,the related mechanisms remain obscure.Here,we show that Npac,a"reader"of histone H3 lysine 36 trimethylation(H3K36me3),is required to maintain mouse ESC(mESC)pluripotency since knockdown of Npac causes mESC differentiation.Depletion of Npac in mouse embryonic fibroblasts(MEFs)inhibits reprogramming efficiency.Furthermore,our chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing(ChIP-seq)results of Npac reveal that Npac co-localizes with histone H3K36me3 in gene bodies of actively transcribed genes in mESCs.Interestingly,we find that Npac interacts with positive transcription elongation factor b(p-TEFb),Ser2-phosphorylated RNA Pol Ⅱ(RNA Pol Ⅱ Ser2P),and Ser5-phosphorylated RNA Pol Ⅱ(RNA Pol Ⅱ Ser5P).Furthermore,depletion of Npac disrupts transcriptional elongation of the pluripotency genes Nanog and Rifl.Taken together,we propose that Npac is essential for the transcriptional elongation of pluripotency genes by recruiting p-TEFb and interact-ing with RNA Pol Ⅱ Ser2P and Ser5P.

To investigate the clinical features and influencing factors for new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) early after coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods    The clinical data of 339 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting in our hospital from January 2012 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 267 males and 72 females with an average age of 37-83 (58.03±8.90) years. The clinical features and influencing factors for new-onset AF after surgery were investigated. Results    There were 234 patients of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG), with 36 (15.4%) new-onset AF patients after operation, among whom 16.1% were males and 12.5% were females. There were 105 patients of on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), with 39 (37.1%) new-onset AF patients, among whom 40.7% were males and 25.0% were females. The incidence was higher after the CABG surgery than that after the OPCABG surgery (37.1% vs. 15.4%, P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the incidence rate between males and females (P>0.05). The incidence of new-onset AF after surgery was higher in ≥60 years patients for both  operations (18.9% and 45.8%), which was significantly higher than that in <45 years patients (P<0.05). For both operations, the incidence of new-onset AF after surgery was high on the second day (24-48 h) after surgery, and most of the AF lasted for 1 day (P<0.05). The hypertension (OR=4.983, P=0.036), frequent premature atrial contraction or atrial tachycardia (OR=17.682, P=0.002), postoperative creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CKMB) (OR=0.152, P=0.042), left anterior and posterior diameters (OR=17.614, P<0.001) and preoperative ejection fraction (OR=7.094, P=0.011) were influencing factors for new-onset AF after OPCABG. Diabetes (OR=11.631, P=0.020), other cardiac malformations (OR=29.023, P=0.002), frequent premature ventricular contraction or ventricular tachycardia (OR=0.047, P=0.001), and postoperative CKMB (OR=3.672, P=0.040) were influencing factors for new-onset AF after CABG. Conclusion    The incidence of new-onset AF after CABG is higher than that after OPCABG, and it increases with age increasing. There is no difference in the incidence between males and females. The influencing factors for the two operations are different.

Objective:To understand the mastery of occupational hygienic knowledge and the implementing of occupational health protection measures in the group which were exposed to the procedure of manufacture and use in glass fiber company, and to explore the feasibility of the prevention of the skin injury by occupational health education in glass fiber workers.Methods:We selected 257 on-the-job employees as the research object in a ceramic enterprise in Nanjing from June 2018 to August 2019, with the method of cluster random sampling. According to Solomon's design, the intervention group in which we took measures with health education was divided into RG 1 (O 1XO 2) and RG 3 (XO 5) group, and the control group where we didn't take any intervention was divided into RG 2 (O 3-O 4) and RG 4 (-O 6) group. The intervention effect of health education on the occupational protection of glass fiber workers was evaluated by the results of questionnaire. Results:After training, the average score of occupational health knowledge in the intervention group was 27.34 points higher than that before training, the intervention index was 1.42, 23.62-27.73 points higher than the control glass fiber workers and 33.62-35.52 points higher than the control glass non-glass fiber workers; Compared with the control group, the positive attitude rate of fiber glass workers in the intervention group increased by 13.28%, 13.51%, 11.68% and 11.48%, and the intervention indexes were 1.18, 1.17, 1.14 and 1.15, which was corresponding to using protective cream, wearing gloves, wearing working clothes, washing hands and bathing after work, respectively; Compared with the control group, the implementation rate of occupational protection measures which were represented by wearing gloves、washing hands and bathing for glass fiber workers in the intervention group increased by 29.25% and 7.27% respectively, and the intervention indexes were 1.43 and 1.08 respectively; The skin injury rate of fiberglass workers in the intervention group was reduced by 11.43% comparing to the control group, the intervention index was 1.67.Conclusion:According to the occupational health education of fiberglass workers, it improves the mastery of occupational health knowledge, positive atti-tude rate and the implementation rate of occupational protection measures, meanwhile, it reduces the skin injury rate of the intervention objects to a certain extent.