BACKGROUND:Early exercise treatment is the main prevention way for traumatic joint contracture and is also a research focus.Swimming may be a potential intervention for joint contracture due to the special physical properties of water. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of swimming on the development of joint contracture in a rat model and study its mechanisms. METHODS:Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a blank control group(n=8)and a joint contracture group(n=16).After the surgical operation of knee joint contracture rat models,the joint contracture group was randomly subdivided into a surgical control group(n=8)and a swimming treatment group(n=8).Swimming started in the swimming treatment group in the second week after surgery and lasted for a total of 5 weeks.At the 6th week after surgery,the body mass,knee joint range of motion,and quadriceps diameter were tested,and the diameter/body mass index was calculated.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to detect the pathological changes in the knee joint capsule and quadriceps muscle,and Masson staining was used to observe fibrotic changes in the knee joint capsule.Furthermore,the protein expression of transforming growth factor β1 and type I collagen in the knee joint capsule was quantified by immunohistochemical assay and western blot was performed to detect the protein expression of MuRF1 in the quadriceps femoris. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the blank control group,the knee range of motion decreased in the surgical control and swimming treatment groups(P<0.01),and knee extension deficit and arthrogenic extension deficit were significantly increased(P<0.01),the diameter of the quadriceps muscle was decreased(P<0.01),the joint capsule showed significant fibrosis,the quadriceps muscle was atrophied,and the diameter/body mass index was decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the surgical control group,the swimming treatment group showed a significant increase in knee joint range of motion and quadriceps diameter(P<0.01),and significant improvement in joint capsule fibrosis and quadriceps atrophy.Compared with the blank control group,collagen fiber content and expression of transforming growth factor β1 and type I collagen were increased in the joint capsule of rats in both the surgical control group and the swimming treatment group(P<0.01).Compared with the surgical control group,collagen fiber content and expression of transforming growth factor β1 and type I collagen protein in the joint capsule were decreased in the swimming treatment group.Compared with the blank control group,the expression of MuRF1 protein in the quadriceps muscle of rats in the surgical control group and the swimming treatment group was increased(P<0.05).Compared with the surgical control group,the expression of MuRF1 protein in the quadriceps muscle of rats in the swimming treatment group was decreased(P<0.05).To conclude,early swimming intervention reduces transforming growth factor β1 and type I collagen expression in the joint capsule of traumatic joint contracture rats,decreases MuRF1 expression in the quadriceps muscle,and increases joint range of motion and quadriceps diameter,thereby inhibiting the development of joint contracture.

Objective To investigate the clinical diagnostic value of plasma serine protease inhibitor Ka-zal-type 4(SPINK4)expression in colorectal adenocarcinoma(CRC)and progressive adenoma(AA).Methods A total of 62 patients with CRC(CRC group)and 15 patients with AA(AA group)diagnosed by colonoscopy and pathological examination in this hospital from June 2020 to December 2021 were selected,and 22 healthy people undergoing physical examination during the same period were selected as the HC group.The expression of SPINK4 in plasma was detected by ELISA,and the expression of CEA in plasma was detected by electrochemiluminescence,and the correlation was analyzed.The diagnostic efficiency was analyzed by re-ceiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,and the expression of p53 in CRC tissues was detected by immu-nohistochemistry.Results The expression of plasma SPINK4 in the CRC group and AA group was lower than that in the HC group(Z=3.72,-0.41,P＜0.05),and the expression of CEA in the CRC group was higher than that in the HC group(Z=-3.63,P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC),accuracy,sensi-tivity and specificity of SPINK4 combined with CEA in the diagnosis of CRC and AA were higher than those of SPINK4 and CEA alone.The positive rate of mutant type p53 in SPINK4 low expression group and CEA high ex-pression group was significantly increased in CRC patients(72.55％,75.00％,P＜0.05).Conclusion The expression of plasma SPINK4 is decreased in CRC and AA,and the combined detection of SPINK4 and CEA has a good di-agnostic efficiency in CRC and AA.

Objective:To explore the clinical and molecular basis for a Chinese pedigree affected with Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS).Methods:A CAIS pedigree presented at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital between 2019 and 2021 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the proband was collected, along with peripheral blood samples from the proband and her family members. Chromosomal karyotyping, sex-determining region of the Y chromosome ( SRY) testing, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) were carried out for the proband, and candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing of her family members. Prenatal diagnosis was provided for the sister of the proband. This study was approved by Medical Ethics Committee of the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital (Ethics No. IRB2023-WZ-070). Results:The 18-year-old proband, who has a social gender of female, underwent laparoscopic examination, which showed no presence of uterus and ovaries. The karyotype of peripheral blood sample was 46, XY, with SRY gene detected. NGS indicated that the proband has harbored a heterozygous c. 1988C>G (p.Ser663Ter) variant of the AR gene. Sanger sequencing confirmed that her mother and sister had both harbored the same variant, whilst her father and younger sister were of the wild-type. Prenatal diagnosis revealed that her sister′s first fetus had harbored carried the same variant, which had led to termination of pregnancy. Her second fetus did not carry the variant, and a healthy boy was born. Based on guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the variant was classified as likely pathogenic (PM2_Supporting+ PM4+ PP3_Moderate+ PP4). Conclusion:The c. 1988C>G (p.Ser663Ter) variant of the AR gene probably underlay the CAIS in the proband. The accurate diagnosis of sex development disorders will rely on the physicians′ thorough understanding of the clinical symptoms and pathogenic genes. Genetic testing and counseling can enable precise diagnosis, prenatal diagnosis, and guidance for reproduction

Objective To compare the external morphological characteristics and movement patterns between Schistosoma japonicum and S. sinensis cercariae. Methods S. japonicum and S. sinensis cercariae were heat-fixed, and well-extended cercariae, of 50 each species, were randomly selected for measurement of body length, body width, tail stem length, and tail fork length. The external morphological characteristics of S. japonicum and S. sinensis cercariae were compared. In addition, S. japonicum-infected Oncomelania snails and S. sinensis-infected Tricula snails were observed under a microscope and the movement patterns of S. japonicum and S. sinensis cercariae were compared. Results The mean body length, body width, tail stem length, and tail fork length were (0.16 ± 0.01), (0.05 ± 0.01), (0.14 ± 0.01) mm and (0.06 ± 0.01) mm for S. japonicum cercariae, and (0.13 ± 0.01), (0.05 ± 0.01), (0.13 ± 0.01) mm and (0.06 ± 0.01) mm for S. sinensis cercariae, respectively, and there were significant differences in terms of cercaria body length (t = 14.583, P < 0.05) and tail stem length (t = 3.861, P < 0.05), while no significant differences were seen in terms of body width (t = 0.896, P > 0.05) or tail fork length (t = −0.454, P > 0.05). Microscopy revealed that the tails of both S. japonicum and S. sinensis cercariae swung from side to side and there was no significant difference in their movement pattern. Conclusion S. sinensis and S. japonicum cercariae share highly similar external external morphological characteristics and movement patterns.

Objectives:To observe the incidence of residual shunt post patent foramen ovale(PFO)closure and the effect of PFO closure in these migraine patients at one year after PFO. Methods:This retrospective study included patients who underwent PFO closure for migraine in the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2019 to June 2022,patients were divided into the grade 0 shunt group(n=67),the grade Ⅰ shunt group(n=10),the grade Ⅱ shunt group(n=13)and the grade Ⅲ shunt group(n=16)according to the results of contrast transthoracic echocardiography(cTTE)at 1 year after PFO closure.The incidence of postoperative migraine attacks among different groups of patients were compared.The risk factors of residual shunt after PFO closure were explored. Results:The mean age of enrolled 106 patients with migraine was(35.80±11.70)years,of which 83 patients(78.30%)were female.One year after PFO closure,the migraine attack and rating scale were significantly decreased compared to baseline in the grade 0 shunt group,in the grade Ⅰ shunt group and in the grade Ⅱ shunt group(all P<0.05),but not in the grade Ⅲ shunt group(P>0.05).The rate of significant and complete migraine was significantly higher in the grade 0 shunt group(58.21%),in the gradeⅠ shunt group(60.00%),in the grade Ⅱ shunt group(69.23%)as compared to the grade Ⅲ shunt group(18.75%,P=0.02)at one year after PFO.The rate of grade 0 shunt after PFO closure in patients with the microvesicles appearing in≥6 cardiac cycles in resting state before operation was significantly lower than in patients with the microvesicles appearing within 6 cardiac cycles and no microvesicles in resting state(24.00%vs.83.87%vs.70.00%,P=0.04).Logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that patients with microvesicles appearing beyond 6 cardiac cycles in resting state were more likely to have residual shunts in postoperative cTTE compared to the patients with negative cTTE and microvesicles appearing within 6 cardiac cycles in the cTTE in resting state before operation(OR=0.06,95%CI:0.02-0.23,P<0.01;OR=0.014,95%CI:0.05-0.41,P<0.01). Conclusions:Migraine patients who underwent PFO closure and with grade 0 to grade Ⅱ residual shunt at one year after PFO are most likely to have significant remission of migraine,while the incidence of migraine remission is low in patients with grade Ⅲresidual shunt.The incidence of residual shunt after PFO closure is higher in patients with the microvesicles appearing in 6 cardiac cycles in resting state in the cTTE before operation than in patients with the microvesicles appearing within 6 cardiac cycles and no microvesicles.

Background: To date, consistent data have not been reported on the association between serum amyloid A (SAA) levels and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The purpose of this study was to systematically summarize their relationship. Methods: Databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and MEDLINE were searched until August 2021. Cross-sectional and case-control studies were included. Results: Twenty-one studies with 1,780 cases and 2,070 controls were identified. SAA levels were significantly higher in T2DM patients than in healthy groups (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39 to 0.98). A subgroup analysis showed that the mean age of participants and the continent that participants were from were related to differences in SAA levels between cases and controls. Furthermore, in T2DM patients, SAA levels were positively associated with body mass index (r=0.34; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.66), triglycerides (r=0.12; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.24), fasting plasma glucose (r=0.26; 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.45), hemoglobin A1c (r=0.24; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.33), homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (r=0.22; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.34), C-reactive protein (r=0.77; 95% CI, 0.62 to 0.91), and interleukin-6 (r=0.42; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.54), but negatively linked with highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (r=–0.23; 95% CI, –0.44 to –0.03). Conclusion The meta-analysis suggests that high SAA levels may be associated with the presence of T2DM, as well as lipid metabolism homeostasis and the inflammatory response.

T 3 rectal cancer patients are a heterogeneous group of populations. T 3 stage patients with good prognosis are similar to their T 2 stage counterparts, and T 3 stage patients with poor prognosis are similar to T 4 stage counterparts. Although small sample clinical trials, meta-analyses and retrospective analyses have been conducted, clinical guidelines are not completely consistent with the definition of risk factors and treatment recommendations for this group of populations. At present, the treatment strategy for T 3 rectal cancer is still controversial, especially the application of perioperative radiotherapy. In this article, current application status and research progress in perioperative chemoradiotherapy for T 3 rectal cancer were reviewed.

The incidence of lateral lymph node metastases (LLN) of locally advanced middle-low rectal cancer (II-Ⅲ stage) is high and clinical prognosis is poor. At present, the treatment plan of LLN is controversial between the East and the West. Scholars from the East represented by Japan believe that LLN is a regional disease. Lateral pelvic lymph node dissection (LPLND) is recommended when the tumor is located under the peritoneal reflection and invades into the muscular layer, regardless of the presence or absence of LLN. However, European and American scholars believe that LLN is a systemic disease and recommend neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) combined with total mesorectal excision (TME). Nevertheless, recent studies have found that neither nCRT nor LPLND can significantly reduce the locoregional recurrence (LR) rate in patients with LLN, while nCRT combined with LPLND yields better prognosis. Some studies have also demonstrated that increasing the radiotherapy dose of metastatic lymph nodes can improve the local control rate. In this article, current treatment status of this population was reviewed, aiming to provide a basis for clinical treatment.

Objective To compare the effects of Flexi-bar training in different exercise patterns on trunk stability muscles.Methods From June, 2020 to January, 2021, 21 healthy men in Beijing Bo'ai Hospital finished Flexi-bar exercise in seven patterns in random order, namely no vibration, two hands-front vibration, dominant hand-front vibration, non dominant hand-front vibration, two hands-up vibration, two hands-down vibration and two hands-back vibration. The average voltage of electromyography of upper trapezius, middle trapezius, lower trapezius, latissimus dorsi and lumbar multifidus were recorded with surface electromyography during seven kinds of Flexi-bar exercise.Results The average voltage of lumbar multifidus was the most as two hands-front vibration (F=42.362, P<0.001); however, it was the most for upper trapezius and lower trapezius as two hands-up vibration (F > 10.935, P<0.001), it was the most for latissimus dorsi as two hands-back vibration (F=35.243, P<0.001), and it was the most for ipsilateral middle trapezius as non dominant hand-front vibration (F=40.400, P<0.001).Conclusion Flexi-bar training can effectively activate the contraction of trunk stability muscles, and it can be optimized in targeted patterns.

AIM: To investigate the mechanism of acquired resistance remodeling to DDP (named cisplatin) by comparing the level of autophagy between the parental and DDP-resistant cells. METHODS: Human lung adenocarcinoma A549 (parental cells) and A549/DDP cells (DDP-resistant cells) were treated with different concentrations of DDP, the drug resistance index (RI) was determined by CCK-8 assay and the autophagy associated proteins, like Beclin 1, LC3Ⅱ and p62 were measured by Western blot. A549 and A549/DDP cells were treated with 10 μmol/L DDP (about IC50 of A549 cells), the cell viability was determined by CCK-8 assay, the autophagy and apoptosis associated proteins (including Beclin 1, LC3Ⅱ, p62, Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved-caspase 3) were measured by Western blot, and the activity of transcription factor FOXO3a and its subcellular localization were detected by Western blot and laser confocal scanning microscopy. Finally, the autophagy inhibitor Baflomycin A1 (Baf A1) and the protein kinase inhibitor of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were co-treated with DDP respectively to test the mechanism of drug resistance. RESULTS: Compared with the parental A549 cells, the acquired resistant A549/DDP cells showed DDP-resistance and higher level of basal autophagy. More survival count of A549/DDP cells than that of A549 cells in the same environment stress of 10 μmol/L DDP. 10 μmol/L DDP induced A549 cells apoptosis by down-regulated Bcl-2, and increased Bax and cleaved-caspase 3, which followed the inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and up-regulated the expression level of transcription factor FOXO3a. While the same concentration of DDP activated A549/DDP cells autophagy by up-regulated Beclin 1 and LC3Ⅱ, down-regulated p62, which followed the inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and inhibited the phosphorylation of FOXO3a. CONCLUSION: DDP induces apoptosis by up-regulating the transcription factor FOXO3a via inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/FOXO3a signaling pathway in A549 cells, while activating autophagy by inducing the phosphorylation of FOXO3a via inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/FOXO3a signaling pathway in A549/DDP cells.