Background::Bladder cancer, characterized by a high potential of tumor recurrence, has high lifelong monitoring and treatment costs. To date, tumor cells with intrinsic softness have been identified to function as cancer stem cells in several cancer types. Nonetheless, the existence of soft tumor cells in bladder tumors remains elusive. Thus, our study aimed to develop a microbarrier microfluidic chip to efficiently isolate deformable tumor cells from distinct types of bladder cancer cells.Methods::The stiffness of bladder cancer cells was determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The modified microfluidic chip was utilized to separate soft cells, and the 3D Matrigel culture system was to maintain the softness of tumor cells. Expression patterns of integrin β8 (ITGB8), protein kinase B (AKT), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) were determined by Western blotting. Double immunostaining was conducted to examine the interaction between F-actin and tripartite motif containing 59 (TRIM59). The stem-cell-like characteristics of soft cells were explored by colony formation assay and in vivo studies upon xenografted tumor models. Results::Using our newly designed microfluidic approach, we identified a small fraction of soft tumor cells in bladder cancer cells. More importantly, the existence of soft tumor cells was confirmed in clinical human bladder cancer specimens, in which the number of soft tumor cells was associated with tumor relapse. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the biomechanical stimuli arising from 3D Matrigel activated the F-actin/ITGB8/TRIM59/AKT/mTOR/glycolysis pathways to enhance the softness and tumorigenic capacity of tumor cells. Simultaneously, we detected a remarkable up-regulation in ITGB8, TRIM59, and phospho-AKT in clinical bladder recurrent tumors compared with their non-recurrent counterparts.Conclusions::The ITGB8/TRIM59/AKT/mTOR/glycolysis axis plays a crucial role in modulating tumor softness and stemness. Meanwhile, the soft tumor cells become more sensitive to chemotherapy after stiffening, that offers new insights for hampering tumor progression and recurrence.

Objective To observe the effect of minocycline hydrochloride ointment combined with metronidazole rod on soft tissue inflammation in patients with oral peri-implantitis.Methods Patients with oral peri-implantitis were divided into control group and treatment group according to cohort method.The patients in the two groups were treated with the same routine treatment such as supragingival scaling,supragingival scaling and local containing Kangfuxin solution(10 mL each time,qd).On this basis,the patients in the control group were placed with metronidazole rod in the periodontal pocket,once every 2 days.The treatment group was filled with minocycline hydrochloride ointment in the periodontal pocket on the basis of the control group,once a week;both groups were treated for 2 weeks.The clinical efficacy,periodontal related indexes[modified plaque index(mPLI),clinical attachment loss(CAL),modified sulcus bleeding index(mSBI)and probing depth(PD)],gingival crevicular fluid cytokines[interleukin-6(IL-6),IL-8,IL-1β,matrix metalloproteinase-8(MMP-8)]before and after treatment were compared between the two groups;and the safety was evaluated.Results The treatment group and the control group were included in 38 and 42 cases,respectively.The total effective rates of the treatment group and the control group were 94.74％(36 cases/38 cases)and 76.19％(32 cases/42 cases),respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).After treatment,the mPLI of treatment group and control group were(0.77±0.10)and(1.23±0.15)points,respectively;CAL were(1.18±0.16)and(2.74±0.31)mm,respectively;mSBI were(1.23±0.17)and(1.71±0.18)points,respectively;PD were(1.97±0.20)and(2.25±0.24)mm,respectively;IL-6 were(2.04±0.26)and(4.01±0.42)ng·mL-1,respectively;IL-8 were(4.01±0.42)and(7.00±0.73)ng·mL-1,respectively;IL-1β were(1.64±0.17)and(2.04±0.21)ng·mL-1,respectively;MMP-8 were(1.02±0.14)and(1.68±0.17)ng·mL-1,respectively.The above indexes in the treatment group were significantly different from those in the control group(all P＜0.05).The adverse drug reactions in the two groups mainly included nausea and vomiting,abdominal pain and diarrhea,and dizziness.The total incidence of adverse drug reactions in the treatment group and the control group were 34.21％(13 cases/38 cases)and 21.43％(9 cases/42 cases),and the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion Minocycline hydrochloride ointment combined with metronidazole rod is effective in the treatment of oral peri-implantitis,which can effectively improve the periodontal health status,significantly reduce the body's inflammatory damage,and has good safety.

Analyzing polysorbate 20(PS20)composition and the impact of each component on stability and safety is crucial due to formulation variations and individual tolerance.The similar structures and polarities of PS20 components make accurate separation,identification,and quantification challenging.In this work,a high-resolution quantitative method was developed using single-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)with charged aerosol detection(CAD)to separate 18 key components with multiple esters.The separated components were characterized by ultra-high-performance liquid chro-matography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS)with an identical gradient as the HPLC-CAD analysis.The polysorbate compound database and library were expanded over 7-time compared to the commercial database.The method investigated differences in PS20 samples from various origins and grades for different dosage forms to evaluate the composition-process relationship.UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS identified 1329 to 1511 compounds in 4 batches of PS20 from different sources.The method observed the impact of 4 degradation conditions on peak components,identifying stable components and their tendencies to change.HPLC-CAD and UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS results provided insights into fingerprint differences,distinguishing quasi products.

Autophagic flux refers to a series of dynamic process of autophagic bilayer membrane formation, autophagosome formation, autophagolysosomes formation and degradation. The etiology of cataract is complex, including congenital abnormalities in lens development due to genetic mutations, oxidative damage due to aging, abnormalities in glucose metabolism due to diabetes, and proliferation of lens epithelial cells(LECs)stimulated by postoperative inflammatory factor, all of which are associated with the development of cataracts. A growing number of research in recent years have discovered that altering the status of LECs can contribute to the pathophysiological process of cataract by regulating autophagic flux. This review summarized the impacts of autophagic flux regulation on cataract.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of infection with polymyxin resistant and carbapenemase-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae（PR-CRKP）. Methods:A total of 170 patients with CRKP infection admitted in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from July 2020 to October 2023 were enrolled，including 123 cases of CRKP infection and 47 cases of PR-CRKP infection. The general conditions，exposure of antibacterial drugs 6 months before admission，laboratory test indicators at admission，antibacterial drug use when target bacteria were detected，length of hospital stay and time of invasive procedures in two groups were retrospectively analyzed. The risk factors of PR-CRKP infection were analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression. SPSS 26.0 software was used to analyze the data.Results:Univariate analysis showed that compared with the CRKP group，the average age of patients in PR-CRKP group was older（ Z = -2.186， P = 0.029），the proportion of patients with exposure history to semisynthetic penicillins，carbapenems，polymyxins，and quinolones 6 months before admission was higher（ χ 2= 3.930，5.414，11.939，8.478，all P < 0.05），the proportion of infections diagnosed at admission and blood urea nitrogen levels（ χ 2= 7.268， Z = -2.406， P = 0.007 and 0.016）was higher，the hemoglobin level（ t = 2.641， P = 0.009）was lower，the length of hospital stay was longer，the rates of tracheal intubation，urinary catheter，and deep vein catheterization were higher（ Z = -4.243，-4.660，-5.341，-4.583，all P < 0.001），the duration of carbapenem and polymyxin B use was longer（ Z = -4.757，-7.554，both P < 0.001），the proportion of combined quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli（QREC）and carbapenem-resistant organism（CRO）infections and bloodstream infections，and the rate of admission to intensive care units was higher（ χ 2 = 33.737，42.041，5.426，12.991， P < 0.05 or < 0.01）. Multivariate analysis showed that time to polymyxin B use（ OR = 1.179， 95%CI 1.059-1.312， P = 0.003），combined QREC infection（ OR = 5.357， 95%CI 2.100-13.669， P < 0.001）and combined CRO infection（ OR = 3.302， 95%CI 1.146-9.514， P= 0.027）were independent risk factors for PR-CRKP. Conclusion:Prolonged use of polymyxin B is an independent risk factor for PR-CRKP，and mixed QREC and CRO infection can increase the risk of PR-CRKP.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are compounds composed of depolymerized DNA fibers and antimicrobial peptides released by neutrophils. NETs formation not only plays a role in pathological process of non-infectious diseases such as cystic fibrosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes and cancer, but also is closely related to many central nervous system diseases. In recent years, a large number of studies have found the presence of neutrophils and NETs in perivascular space of the infarcted lesions in patients with ischemic stroke (IS) and corresponding animal models. This article provides a review on NETs formation and clearance process, characteristics of NETs changes after IS, pathological processes involved in NETs after IS, and effects of NETs on neurons, to provide some references for IS.

In recent years, new orthopaedic implantable devices continue to emerge, which require higher requirements for technical evaluation. Animal study is an important part of the research and development process for the new orthopedic implantable devices, which provides relevant evidence for product design and stereotyping. By introducing the purpose of animal study, and the application of 3R principle (replacement, reduction, refinement) in this field, we summarize the concern on the animal study, in order to provide reference for the development and research of new orthopedic implantable devices and biomaterials. At the same time, the application of evidence-based research methods such as systematic review in the field is introduced, which provides new tools and approaches for the technical review and regulatory science.
Animals ; Orthopedics ; Biocompatible Materials ; Prostheses and Implants ; Research Design

The ossicular replacement prosthesis should have good biocompatibility, stability, easy to install, and excellent sound transmission capacity. In this study, the characteristics of ideal materials for the ossicular replacement prosthesis were analyzed by searching the types of materials used in clinical practice and comparing the advantages and disadvantages of various materials and structures. At the same time, in combination with the current evaluation requirements and evaluation experience, the focus of the performance research project of ossicular replacement prosthesis in the process of registration is discussed to clarify the performance evaluation requirements of these products, so as to provide reference for the future work of manufacturers and regulators. The performance evaluation of ossicular replacement prosthesis focuses on its mechanical properties, fixation stability, sound transmission characteristics, biological characteristics, and magnetic resonance compatibility.
Ossicular Prosthesis ; Ossicular Replacement ; Sound ; Prosthesis Design ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence of extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) and its risk factors in very preterm infants (VPIs) during hospitalization in China. METHODS: A prospective multicenter study was performed on the medical data of 2 514 VPIs who were hospitalized in the department of neonatology in 28 hospitals from 7 areas of China between September 2019 and December 2020. According to the presence or absence of EUGR based on the evaluation of body weight at the corrected gestational age of 36 weeks or at discharge, the VPIs were classified to two groups: EUGR group (n=1 189) and non-EUGR (n=1 325). The clinical features were compared between the two groups, and the incidence of EUGR and risk factors for EUGR were examined. RESULTS: The incidence of EUGR was 47.30% (1 189/2 514) evaluated by weight. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that higher weight growth velocity after regaining birth weight and higher cumulative calorie intake during the first week of hospitalization were protective factors against EUGR (P<0.05), while small-for-gestational-age birth, prolonged time to the initiation of total enteral feeding, prolonged cumulative fasting time, lower breast milk intake before starting human milk fortifiers, prolonged time to the initiation of full fortified feeding, and moderate-to-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia were risk factors for EUGR (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS It is crucial to reduce the incidence of EUGR by achieving total enteral feeding as early as possible, strengthening breastfeeding, increasing calorie intake in the first week after birth, improving the velocity of weight gain, and preventing moderate-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia in VPIs.
Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Gestational Age ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Aim To explore the roles of miRNA-132 and its related proteins(Mecp2, CREB)in the mechanism of methamphetamine(MA)-induced neurotoxicity and dependence.Methods The rats were intraperitioneally injected(ip)with MA(10 mg·kg-1·d-1)to establish methamphetamine dependence model with different dependent time courses of 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks respectively.The miRNA-132 and Mecp2 mRNA were detected by RT-qPCR, and the Mecp2, p-Mecp2, CREB and p-CREB proteins were detected by Western blot in the tissues of frontal cortex and hippocampus.Results In the frontal cortex, the miRNA-132 and Mecp2 mRNA were up-regulated in MA-dependent groups(P<0.05 and P<0.01), while the Mecp2 protein were down-regulated(P<0.01).MA could promote the phosphorylation of Mecp2 protein in the frontal cortex(P<0.01).In hippocampus, the miRNA-132 was down-regulated in the MA-dependent groups, but Mecp2 mRNA was up-regulated(P<0.05).Mecp2 protein increased in MA-dependent 1 week group(P<0.05), and then recovered with the prolonged time of MA dependence, then decreased in MA-dependent 4 weeks groups(P<0.05)in hippocampus.The phosphorylation level of Mecp2 was significantly decreased in the 1 week group(P<0.01), and then increased in the 2 weeks group(P<0.01)in hippocampus.Conclusions MA could induce an abnormal expression of miRNA-132 in the frontal cortex and hippocampus, and miRNA-132 might inhibit the translation of Mecp2 mRNA and induce the decrease expression of Mecp2 protein in the frontal cortex.But in hippocampus, miRNA-132 does not show the correlation with the Mecp2 expression trend of the frontal cortex.And miRNA-132 regulation does not depend on the expression of Mecp2 in hippocampus.