BackgroundPatients with schizophrenia experience low quality of life， and internalized stigma is considered an important indicator for quality of life， while the mediating role of self-esteem and severity of negative symptoms in the relationship between internalized stigma and quality of life remains underexplored. ObjectiveTo examine the mediating role of self-esteem and severity of negative symptoms in the relationship between internalized stigma and quality of life， so as to provide references for improving their quality of life. MethodsA total of 342 patients with schizophrenia who were hospitalized in 6 hospitals in Xiangyang City， Siping City and Changchun City from April to September 2023 were included， and all of whom met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia according to the International Classification of Diseases， tenth edition （ICD-10）. Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale （ISMI）， Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale （SQLS）， Self-Esteem Scale （SES） and negative symptom subscale of Positive and Negative Symptom Scale （PANSS） were administered to all patients. Spearman correlation analysis was adopted to determine correlations between the different scales. A structural equation modeling was constructed using Amos 28.0， and Bootstrap method was employed to verify the mediating effect of self-esteem and negative symptom severity in the association between internalized stigma and quality of life. ResultsA total of 309 patients （90.35%） completed questionnaires in this study. The ISMI score of schizophrenia patients was positively correlated with both SQLS score and the PANSS negative symptom subscale score （r=0.612， 0.492， P<0.01）， while was negatively correlated with SES score （r=-0.513， P<0.01）. The SQLS score was negatively associated with the SES score （r=-0.555， P<0.01） and positively associated with PANSS negative symptom subscale score （r=0.672， P<0.01）. The SES score was negatively correlated with PANSS negative symptom subscale score （r=-0.433， P<0.01）.The total effect value of internalized stigma on quality of life was 0.746 （95% CI： 0.680~0.806）. Self-esteem and severity of negative symptoms independently mediated the relationship between internalized stigma and quality of life， and the indirect effect values were 0.151 （95% CI： 0.062~0.254） and 0.126 （95% CI： 0.047~0.205）， accounting for 20.24% and 16.89% of the total effect， respectively. In addition， a chained mediation effect of self-esteem and quality of life was also demonstrated， the indirect effect value was 0.102 （95% CI： 0.049~0.165）， accounting for 13.67% of the total effect）. ConclusionInternalized stigma in patients with schizophrenia patients can not only directly affect the quality of life， but also indirectly affect the quality of life of patients through either separate or chained mediation of self-esteem and the severity of negative symptoms. ［Funded by Hubei Provincial Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project （number， S202410519027）］

ObjectiveTo quantitatively investigate the changes in the total volume and contour density of hepatic oval cells （HOC） in hepatic lobules of rats with carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄）-induced hepatic fibrosis. MethodsA total of 11 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group with 5 rats and hepatic fibrosis group with 6 rats， and CCl₄ and olive oil suspension were injected subcutaneously twice a week， 3 mL/kg each time. After five weeks of hepatic fibrosis modeling， five liver tissue blocks with a size of about 1 mm³ were randomly selected from the liver of each rat to prepare one Epon812 epoxy resin-embedded ultrathin section， and the stereological method and transmission electron microscopy were used for the quantitative analysis of the total volume and contour density of HOC in the hepatic lobules of rats. In addition， four liver tissue blocks with a thickness of 2 mm were randomly selected from the remaining liver of each rat to prepare two paraffin-embedded Masson staining sections， and the degree of liver fibrosis in each rat was qualitatively evaluated according to the Metavir staging criteria for liver fibrosis. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups. ResultsThe quantitative stereological analysis showed that the total volume of HOC in hepatic lobules was 15.40±7.63 mm³ in the control group and 146.80±114.00 mm³ in the liver fibrosis group， and compared with the control group， the total volume of HOC in hepatic lobules of rats in the liver fibrosis group was significantly increased by 8.53 times （t=-2.551， P=0.031）； the contour density of HOC in hepatic lobules was 56.20±40.40 in the control group and 566.50±317.00 in the liver fibrosis group， and compared with the control group， the contour density of HOC in hepatic lobules of rats in the liver fibrosis group was significantly increased by 9.08 times （t=-3.539， P=0.006）. Qualitative observation showed that liver fibrosis stage of rats reached stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ according to the Metavir scoring criteria， and massive proliferation of HOC was observed around the proliferation site of hepatic stellate cells in the perisinusoidal space of rats. ConclusionCCl₄ induces significant proliferation of HOC in hepatic lobules of rats with liver fibrosis.

Objective To establish a high-throughput screening system to obtain key Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus)secretory proteins which required for S.aureus survival in macrophages.Methods Based on our validated eukaryotic expression vector library of S.aureus secretory proteins,DNA transfection was used to obtain an RAW264.7 macrophage array expressing S.aureus secretory proteins.After the RAW264.7 cells were infected with S.aureus,the extracellular bacteria were removed to observe the intracellular surviving situation of S.aureus.Finally,the screening results were validated by the overexpression and knockout S.aureus of corresponding secretory proteins.Results The optimal transfection dose (1.0 μg/well)of plasmids for RAW264.7,multiplicity of infection (MOI,1 .0 ),and infection time (4 h after removing extracellular bacteria of S.aureus ) were established respectively.To validate the screening results,the corresponding overexpression and knockout strains were constructed.And hypothetical protein and Serine protease E were found to promote the survival of intracellular S.aureus.Conclusion We successfully construct a screening system for key secreted secretory proteins which required for S.aureus surviving in macrophages,which may advance the study of the intracellular surviving mechanism of S.aureus.

Objective To investigate the distribution of B cells in both tumor and non-tumor tissues of gastric cancer patients,analyze their phenotypic characteristics and explore the impact on T cell proliferation.Methods Immunohistochemical staining was utilized to detect the expression of B cell surface marker CD 19 in tumor and non-tumor tissues from 33 gastric cancer patients.The expression levels of chemokine receptors and immunoglobulin molecules on B cells in both tumor and non-tumor tissues were measured using flow cytometry.Chemotaxis experiments were conducted to examine the role of the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis in B cell chemotaxis.B cells isolated and purified from both tissue types were co-cultured with autologous peripheral T cells to assess their effect on T cell proliferation.Results There were significantly more B cells infiltrated in tumor tissues than those infitrated in the non-tumor tissues of gastric cancer patients(P＜0.01),and CXCR4 was highly expressed on tumor-infiltrating B cells compared with B cells derived from non-tumor tissues(P＜0.05).The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)analysis indicated that the expression level of CXCL12 in tumor tissues was positively correlated with the expression level of CD19 in gastric cancer patients(r=0.15,P＜0.01).And the expression level of CXCL12 in tumor tissues of the gastric cancer patients was also positively correlated with the number of B cells infiltrated in tumor tissues.Chemotaxis experiments confirmed that the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis was involved in promoting B cell chemotaxis(P＜0.05).Although B cells in tumor and non-tumor tissues had similar levels of IgM,IgG,and IgA expression,tumor-infiltrating B cells significantly inhibited the proliferation of T cells when compared with B cells derived from non-tumor tissues(P＜0.01).Conclusion There are more B cells infiltrated in gastric cancer tissues,which may be recruited to tumor tissues through the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis,and then inhibit T cell proliferation to promote the progression of gastric cancer.

Objective To explore the mechanism which drives nimbolide(NIM)in treating acute pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus(S.auteus).Methods A mouse model of acute pneumonia caused by S.auteus was constructed through endotracheal intubation.After NIM treatment,the survival rate was observed,the amount of bacteria in the lung was tested by plate culture,and the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the lung tissues was detected with ELISA.After primary cultured peritoneal macrophages(PM)were infected with S.auteus,the effect of NIM on the expression of inflammatory cytokines and activation of inflammatory pathway were studied with ELISA and Western blotting,respectively.The effect of RNF114 knockdown by lentiviral shRNA infection on inflammation responses in PM was explored with ELISA and Western blotting.Results Acute infection of S.auteus in the lung could cause acute death in the mice,while NIM treatment significantly improved the survival rate and down-regulated the levels of inflammatory cytokines in the lung.However,it had no effect on the lung colonization of S.auteus in the short term.The results of in vitro experiments indicated that NIM may regulate RNF114 function to down-regulate the phosphorylation level of ERK,inhibit the activation of MAPK pathway,and thus suppress the expression of inflammatory cytokines.Conclusion NIM may inhibit the activation of MAPK pathway by regulating the function of RNF114,and thus suppress the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the lung,and finally inhibit the death of mice with acute pulmonary hyperinflammation caused by S.auteus.

Tumor has become the major reasons cause of death,and its vaccine has become the effective tracts of treatment and prevention by enhancing the immune response of patients.However,most vaccines which are recombination subunit protein antigens are poorly immunogenic and difficult to induce a robust immune response in patients with compromised immune systems,resulting in poor marketing approval.The core component of the vaccine adjuvant can greatly enhance the strength,speed and duration of the immune response,thus becoming the key to the development of an ideal tumor vaccine.Most tumor vaccines are combined with tradition adjuvant such as aluminum,MF59 and AS adjuvant,but their products and patents are monopolized by large foreign companies.We found that natural adjuvants have many unique advantages,such as good biocompatibility and biodegradability,promoting the maturation of dendritic cell and the secretion of immune cytokines,significantly enhancing the tumor vaccine immune response,etc.In this paper,the application and future development of natural polysaccharides,saponins,flavonoid and plant virus-like particles in cancer vaccines were reviewed,which may lay a solid foundation for the development of the original and innovative adjuvants with domestic independent intellectual property rights.

Objective:To examine the outcome of endovascular treatment in patients of isolated abdominal aortic dissection.Methods:From February 2012 to June 2020, 61 patients (44 males, 17 females) with an age of (60.2±11.4) years (range: 43 to 87 years) of isolated abdominal aortic dissection who underwent the endovascular treatment, including bifurcated and straight aortic stent graft, in the Department of Vascular Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University were enrolled. There were 47 patients treated with bifurcated aortic stent grafts and 14 patients with straight aortic stent grafts. Patient demographic, preoperative, intraoperative, perioperative data were collected. Clinical follow-up data, including mortality, relative complications and aortic remodeling, were obtained. Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test was used to calculate and compare the rates of survival and freedom from all adverse events.Results:The operative time was (142.4±47.9) minutes (range:70 to 310 minutes) and (95.7±23.7) minutes (range: 70 to 150 minutes) in bifurcated stent group and straight stent group, respectively. The perioperative mortality was 0. One patient had partial occlusion of the left renal artery, and 3 patients had type Ⅰa endoleak post-operation. The follow-up period was (37.1±22.1) months (range: 3 to 91 months). Three patents suffered from type B aortic dissection; one of them progressed into type A aortic dissection and died, another one was treated with secondary endovascular operation, and the remaining one was treated conservatively. One patient had type A aortic dissection and was treated conservatively for 57 months without any discomfort. Stent grafts in iliac artery occlusion happened in 2 patients treated with a bifurcated graft, one of them was treated with a secondary operation because of severe symptom. Aortic remodeling was well with the treatment of bifurcated and straight grafts. There was no difference in the cumulative survival ( P=0.584) and freedom from all adverse events ( P=0.309) between the two different endovascular treatment strategies. Conclusion:Endovascular aortic repair is an effective and safe treatment strategy for isolated abdominal aortic dissection with reliable mid-term result and excellent aortic remodeling.

Objective:To examine the outcome of endovascular treatment in patients of isolated abdominal aortic dissection.Methods:From February 2012 to June 2020, 61 patients (44 males, 17 females) with an age of (60.2±11.4) years (range: 43 to 87 years) of isolated abdominal aortic dissection who underwent the endovascular treatment, including bifurcated and straight aortic stent graft, in the Department of Vascular Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University were enrolled. There were 47 patients treated with bifurcated aortic stent grafts and 14 patients with straight aortic stent grafts. Patient demographic, preoperative, intraoperative, perioperative data were collected. Clinical follow-up data, including mortality, relative complications and aortic remodeling, were obtained. Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test was used to calculate and compare the rates of survival and freedom from all adverse events.Results:The operative time was (142.4±47.9) minutes (range:70 to 310 minutes) and (95.7±23.7) minutes (range: 70 to 150 minutes) in bifurcated stent group and straight stent group, respectively. The perioperative mortality was 0. One patient had partial occlusion of the left renal artery, and 3 patients had type Ⅰa endoleak post-operation. The follow-up period was (37.1±22.1) months (range: 3 to 91 months). Three patents suffered from type B aortic dissection; one of them progressed into type A aortic dissection and died, another one was treated with secondary endovascular operation, and the remaining one was treated conservatively. One patient had type A aortic dissection and was treated conservatively for 57 months without any discomfort. Stent grafts in iliac artery occlusion happened in 2 patients treated with a bifurcated graft, one of them was treated with a secondary operation because of severe symptom. Aortic remodeling was well with the treatment of bifurcated and straight grafts. There was no difference in the cumulative survival ( P=0.584) and freedom from all adverse events ( P=0.309) between the two different endovascular treatment strategies. Conclusion:Endovascular aortic repair is an effective and safe treatment strategy for isolated abdominal aortic dissection with reliable mid-term result and excellent aortic remodeling.

The outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection poses a serious threat to global public health. Vaccination is an effective way to prevent the epidemic of the virus. 2019-nCoV along with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) belong to the same β-genus of coronavirus family. Base on the previous experience and the technical platform of developing SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV vaccines, scientists from all over the world are working hard and quickly on the related fields. There are substantial progress in these fields including the characterizing the 2019-nCoV virus, identification of candidate antigens and epitopes, establishment of animal models, characterizing the immune responses, and the design of vaccines. The development of 2019-nCoV vaccines cover all types: inactivated virus vaccine, recombinant protein vaccine, viral vector-based vaccine, mRNA vaccine, and DNA vaccine, et al. As of March 2020, two 2019-nCoV vaccines have entered phase I clinical trials. One is named as Ad5-nCoV developed by the Chinese Institute of Biotechnology of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences and Tianjin Cansino Biotechnology Inc. Ad5-nCoV is based on the replication-defective adenovirus type 5 as the vector to express 2019-nCoV spike protein. The another vaccine is mRNA-1273 developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Moderna, Inc.. RNA-1273 is an mRNA vaccine expressing 2019-nCoV spike protein. Although the rapid development of 2019-nCoV vaccine, it still faces many challenges with unknown knowledge, including the antigenic characteristics of the 2019-nCoV, the influence of antigenic variation, the protective immune response of host, the protection of the elderly population, and the downstream manufacturing process of the new vaccine. The safety and efficacy of vaccines are the first priority for vaccine development and should be carefully evaluated.

Objective: Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) has been used to quantify inflammatory response in the body. The aim of the present study was to explore the possibility of using this method to evaluate the stability of atherosclerotic plaques and the efficacy of atorvastatin in stabilizing atherosclerotic plaques. Methods: Twenty New Zealand male white rabbits were included and divided into the atorvastatin intervention group and the control group, with 10 rabbits in each group. Rabbits in both groups were fed with a high fat diet for 20 weeks, and treated with thoracoabdominal aortic balloon-pulling to establish atherosclerosis model at the end of the 2nd week. Rabbits in atorvastatin intervention group was given atorvastatin intragastrically once a day. At the 8th week, thoracoabdominal aortic ultrasound was used to detect plaques in all rabbits. Blood was drawn at the 3rd and the 20th week, respectively, to measure blood lipids, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). At the end of experiment, survival animals were scanned by ¹⁸F-FDG PET-CT, and the average and maximum standard uptake values (SUVmean, SUVmax) of aortic segments were measured. Thereafter, the animals were sacrificed and aortic specimens of rabbits were taken and examined by immunohistochemistry. The pathological indexes were measured and compared. Results: At the end of experiment, the total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), hs-CRP [ (4.58±0.51) ng/ml vs.(5.87±0.66) ng/ml, P<0.01], MMP-9[ (43.93±2.16) ng/ml vs. (50.77±2.32) ng/ml, P<0.01], SUVmean (0.59±0.15 vs. 0.68±0.20, P<0.05) , SUVmax (0.68±0.20 vs. 0.81±0.27, P<0.05) , plaque area [ (0.36±0.24) mm² vs. (0.50±0.34) mm², P<0.05) ] and density of macrophage[ (4.34±1.54) % vs. (5.65±1.89) %, P<0.01] in the atorvastatin intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group. In contrast, fiber cap thickness of the plaque[ (4.12±0.66) μm vs. (2.96±0.37) μm, P<0.01] in the atorvastatin intervention group was higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant. The arterial plaque areas were positively correlated with SUVmean (r=0.27, P<0.05) and SUVmax (r=0.43, P<0.01) . Fiber cap thickness was negatively correlated with SUVmean (r=-0.38, P<0.05) and SUVmax (r=-0.47, P<0.01) . The density of macrophage were positively correlated with SUVmean (r=0.52, P<0.01) and SUVmax (r=0.51, P<0.01) . Conclusion ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT can be used to evaluate the efficacy of atorvastatin by the stability of atherosclerotic plaques.