italic>Artemisia argyi is a traditional Chinese medicine in China, which is used as medicine with its leaves. The leaves of A. argyi mainly contain flavonoids, phenolic acids, volatile oils and other compounds, and have a variety of pharmacological activities. AP2/ERF transcription factors are abundant in plants and are mainly involved in plant growth and development, abiotic stress response and secondary metabolite biosynthesis regulation. However, there are few reports on the AP2/ERF gene family and its functions in A. argyi. In this study, we systematically identified the AP2/ERF gene family in A. argyi genome, and analyzed its phylogenetic tree, protein physicochemical properties, subcellular localization, conserved motifs, promoter elements, and expression patterns. The results showed that a total of 204 AP2/ERF transcription factors were identified in A. argyi genome, encoding proteins consisting of 88-483 amino acids with a relative molecular mass of 10-52.94 kDa and a theoretical isoelectric point of 4.62-9.88. Subcellular prediction showed that the majority of AP2/ERFs were located in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and the minority of them is located in the membrane and chloroplasts. According to the Arabidopsis AP2/ERF family classification, A. argyi AP2/ERF proteins were divided into four subfamilies: Soloist, AP2, ERF (B3, B4, B5, B6), and DREB (A1, A2, A4, A5, A6), among which DREB family accounted for the largest proportion, and the same subfamily had similar conserved motifs. cis-Acting element analysis showed that AP2/ERF promoters have a large number of elements responding to light and abiotic stress. Expression pattern analysis showed that most of the genes of the AP2/ERF family were dominantly expressed mainly in roots and stems, of which 19 were dominantly expressed in leaves, 77 would be induced to be expressed by methyl jasmonate, of which 16 genes were both dominantly expressed in leaves and induced to be expressed by methyl jasmonate, and these AP2/ERF genes may be the key regulatory genes for the synthesis of active ingredients in A. argyi leaves.This study lays the foundation for the functional study of AP2/ERF family genes and their regulating roles in the active components biosynthesis in A. argyi leaves.

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of optic nerve sheath diameter(ONSD)measured on thin-slice CT scan in the diagnosis and prognostic assessment of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis(CVST).Methods The clinical data of patients with CVST,who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University of China to receive treatment from January 1,2016 to December 31,2022,were retrospectively analyzed.The difference in ONSD was compared between CVST patients and normal population,the postoperative changes in ONSD was analyzed.Results A total of 49 patients with CVST(CVST group)and 49 normal persons having no brain disorders(control group)were enrolled in this study.In CVST group,the preoperative ONSD was(5.33±0.50)mm,which was significantly higher than(4.40±0.40)mm in control group(P＜0.001),the postoperative ONSD remarkably decreased to(4.98±0.59)mm(P＜0.01).The difference value between postoperative ONSD and preoperative ONSD in the patients receiving pure anticoagulation treatment was not statistically significant different from that in the patients receiving endovascular treatment[(-0.43±0.22)mm vs.(-0.40±0.42)mm,P=0.84].The preoperative ONSD in the patients having intracranial hemorrhage and in the patients having no intracranial hemorrhage was(5.26±0.51)mm and(5.41±0.49)mm respectively(P=0.31),and the difference value between postoperative ONSD and preoperative ONSD was(-0.39±0.40)mm and(-0.45±0.25)mm respectively(P=0.66).At the three-month follow-up visit,the difference in ONSD between the patients having a good prognosis(mRS score being 0-2 points)and the patients having a poor prognosis was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion ONSD that is measured on plain head CT scan can be used as a response indicator of elevated intracranial pressure in CVST patients,which can be used to monitor the changes in intracranial pressure before and after treatment,but its value in assessing the curative efficacy of different therapeutic methods needs to be further explored.

Objective:To explore the prevalence, clinical features, genetic characteristics and prognosis of Citrin deficiency in Henan province of China.Methods:A total of 986 565 neonates screened by tandem mass spectrometry at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2013 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Analysis of SLC25A13 gene variants and parental verification were carried out for neonates suspected for Citrin deficiency by next-generation sequencing. The clinical, biochemical and genetic characteristics of Citrin deficiency patients were integrated to guide the diet treatment and follow up the growth and development. Paired- t test was used to compare the amino acid levels in the peripheral blood samples before and after the treatment. Results:Nine cases of Citrin deficiency were diagnosed among the 986 565 neonates. Specific elevation of citrulline was observed in all of the 9 cases. Six variants were detected by genetic sequencing, among which c. 852_855delTATG, c. 615+ 5G>A, c. 550C>T and IVS16ins3kb were known pathogenic variants, whilst c. 1111_1112delAT and c. 837T>A were unreported previously. The detection rate for c. 852_855delTATG was the highest (61.6%, 11/18), followed by IVS16ins3kb (16.7%, 3/18). The clinical symptoms of all patients were relieved after the treatment, and the blood amino acid profile and biochemical parameters were significantly improved by gradually falling within the normal range. By June 2022, all patients had shown a good prognosis.Conclusion:The prevalence of Citrin deficiency among neonates from Henan Province by tandem mass spectrometry is 1/109 618, and the carrier rate for the pathogenic variants of the SLC25A13 gene was 1/166. The c. 852_855delTATG may be a hot spot variant among the patients. Discovery of the novel variants has enriched the mutational spectrum of the SLC25A13 gene. Above results have provided a basis for the early diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and genetic counseling for the affected families.

The advantages of fluorescence detection of uric acid were introduced compared to the traditional detection methods.The preparation process,detection principle and performance of organic,inorganic and organic-inorganic hybrid fluorescent probes were reviewed.The advantages and disadvantages of kinds of fluorescent probes were analyzed when used for uric acid detection,and the futural directions were pointed out for related research.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(6):93-104]

Objective:To explore the assessment value of liver enzyme changes before and after hepatectomy on the prognosis of patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 421 patients with primary HCC who received at the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2016 to December 2020.The univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses were used to screen the risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with primary HCC,and the optimal cut-off value was selected to group the most valuable indicators among them,further analyzing the different factors among subgroups.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess the prognosis of the subgroups,and the survival curves were plotted and statistically tested. Results:Multivariate COX regression analysis revealed that Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC)stage,tumor number,alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),the quantitative change of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT)and total bilirubin(TBIL)before and after surgery were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with primary HCC(P＜0.01),and there were differences in hepatitis B virus surface antigen(HBsAg),TNM stage,BCLC stage,tumor size,tumor number,tumor differentiation degree,AFP,surgery type,intraoperative bleeding volume,postoperative albumin-bilirubin(ALBI)and white blood cell count between the high and low GGT variation groups(P＜0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the prognosis of patients with primary HCC between the high and low GGT variation groups was significantly different,with a hazard ratio of 2.603 for mortality and 1.449 for recurrence(both P＜0.01). Conclusion:The quantitative change of GGT before and after hepatectomy has an evaluation value for the prognosis of patients with primary HCC,and the quantitative change of GGT greater than 29.5 is an independent risk factor for the prognosis of patients with primary HCC.

Background: The incidence density of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and the effect of a healthy lifestyle on the risk of MAFLD remain unknown. We evaluated the prevalence and incidence density of MAFLD and investigated the association between healthy lifestyle and the risk of MAFLD. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 37,422 participants to explore the prevalence of MAFLD. A cohort analysis of 18,964 individuals was conducted to identify the incidence of MAFLD, as well as the association between healthy lifestyle and MAFLD. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) with adjustments for confounding factors. Results: The prevalence of MAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and their comorbidities were 30.38%, 28.09%, and 26.13%, respectively. After approximately 70 thousand person-years of follow-up, the incidence densities of the three conditions were 61.03, 55.49, and 51.64 per 1,000 person-years, respectively. Adherence to an overall healthy lifestyle was associated with a 19% decreased risk of MAFLD (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.72 to 0.92), and the effects were modified by baseline age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Subgroup analyses revealed that younger participants, men, and those with a lower BMI experienced more significant beneficial effects from healthy lifestyle. Conclusion Our results highlight the beneficial effect of adherence to a healthy lifestyle on the prevention of MAFLD. Health management for improving dietary intake, physical activity, and smoking and drinking habits are critical to improving MAFLD.

Based our previous work, twelve purine derivatives were designed and synthesized as dual modulators of GPR119 and DPP-4by conjugating the GPR119 activating and DPP-4 inhibiting fragments with the position 6 and 9 of purine core via an approach of merged pharmacophores. Compound 11, bearing 2-fluoro-4-methylsulphonyl anilide and cyanopyrrolidine moieties, exhibited the most potent GPR119 agonistic activities (EC₅₀ = 0.33 μmol·L^-1, IA = 71.1%) and DPP-4 inhibitory (58.4% inhibition at 10 μmol·L^-1, 21.2% inhibition at 1 μmol·L^-1) activities in the in vitro antidiabetic study. Subsequently, we performed studies on structure activity relationships and molecular docking to guide the further drug design.

italic>Artemisia argyi (A. argyi) is a Chinese herbal medicine in China. The main active components are volatile oils, flavonoids, and other compounds, which have various pharmacological activities. Methoxylated flavonoids are the main active ingredients in A. argyi. Flavonoid O-methyltransferase (FOMT) is a key enzyme in the O-methylation of flavonoids. In order to further understand the function and characteristics of FOMT proteins, this paper carried out the whole genome mining and identification of FOMT genes in A. argyi and performed phylogenetic, chromosomal localization, gene sequence characterization, subcellular localization prediction, protein structure, gene structure analysis, and expression pattern analysis. The results showed that a total of 83 FOMT genes were identified in the genome of A. argyi. The phylogenetic tree shows that FOMT genes are divided into two subgroups, CCoAOMT (caffeoyl CoA O-methyltransferase) subfamily (32 genes) and COMT (caffeic acid O-methyltransferase) subfamily (51 genes). Gene sequence analysis showed that the number of amino acids encoded by FOMT was 70-734 aa, the molecular weight was 25 296.55-34 241.3 Da, and the isoelectric point was 4.51-9.99. Compared with 32 members of the CCoAOMT subfamily, nearly 1/3 of the 51 members of the COMT subfamily were hydrophobic proteins and 2/3 were hydrophilic proteins. Subcellular localization prediction showed that more than 80% of CCoAOMT subfamily members were located in the cytoplasm, and 96% of COMT subfamily members were located in the chloroplast. COMT subfamily members have more motifs than CCoAOMT subfamily members. The N-terminal motifs of COMT subfamily proteins are relatively variable, while the C-terminal motifs are relatively conserved. Expression pattern analysis showed that CCoAOMT subfamily members were mainly expressed in roots, while COMT members were mainly expressed in leaves. Some FOMTs showed the tissue expression specificity by real-time quantitative PCR analysis, especially in leaves. In this study, we identified and analyzed the FOMT gene family in A. argyi, and provided a theoretical basis for further research on the function of FOMTs and the biosynthesis of methylated flavonoids in A. argyi.

Objective    To explore the short-term efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Methods    The clinical data of 11 male patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent pembrolizumab combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from December 2019 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The average age of the patients was 52.0-79.0 (62.0±6.9) years. The imaging data and pathological changes before and after neoadjuvant treatment were compared, and adverse reactions during neoadjuvant treatment were recorded. Objective remission rate (ORR) and main pathological remission rate (MPR) and pathological complete remission rate (pCR) were the main observation endpoints. Results    After preoperative neoadjuvant therapy with pembrolizumab combined with platinum or paclitaxel, all patients successfully underwent thoracoscopic radical resection of lung cancer. The ORR was 72.7%, and the MPR was 81.8%. Among them, 45.5% of patients achieved pCR. The main adverse reactions were hypoalbuminemia, decreased appetite and nausea. The mortality rate within 30 days after surgery was 0, and no tumor metastasis was observed. Conclusion    Pembrolizumab combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy is safe and feasible to treat non-small cell lung cancer, and the short-term efficacy is beneficial.

The powder modification technology was used to improve the powder properties and microstructure of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder, thereby solving the problem of poor solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules. The influence of modifier dosage and grinding time on the solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder was investigated with the solubility as the evaluation index, and the optimal modification process was selected. The particle size, fluidity, specific surface area, and other powder properties of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder before and after modification were compared. At the same time, the changes in the microstructure before and after modification was observed by scanning electron microscope, and the modification principle was explored by combining with multi-light scatterer. The results showed that after adding lactose for powder modification, the solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder was significantly improved. The volume of insoluble substance in the liquid of modified Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder obtained by the optimal modification process was reduced from 3.8 mL to 0 mL, and the particles obtained by dry granulation of the modified powder could be completely dissolved within 2 min after being exposed to water, without affecting the content of its indicator components adenosine and allantoin. After modification, the particle size of Dioscoreae Rhizoma extract powder decreased significantly, d_(0.9) decreased from(77.55±4.57) μm to(37.91±0.42) μm, the specific surface area and porosity increased, and the hydrophilicity improved. The main mechanism of improving the solubility of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules was the destruction of the "coating membrane" structure on the surface of starch granules and the dispersion of water-soluble excipients. This study introduced powder modification technology to solve the solubility problem of Dioscoreae Rhizoma formula granules, which provided data support for the improvement of product quality and technical references for the improvement of solubility of other similar varieties.
Powders ; Solubility ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; Technology ; Plant Extracts ; Particle Size