Objective To explore the imaging features, clinical outcome, and prognosis of indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPN) in patients with high-grade soft tissue sarcoma. Methods A retrospective study of 82 patients with high-grade soft tissue sarcoma who have IPNs. The clinical characteristics, imaging features of IPN, and survival of patients were analyzed with statistical software. Results The IPN size of 82 patients was 6.453±0.864 mm. IPN diameter, shape, density, and nodule discovery interval may be CT imaging features related to malignancy tendency. Age (HR=1.047, 95%CI: 1.007-1.088) and interval between each nodule discovery (HR=3.194, 95%CI: 1.052-9.694) are independent factors that affect the survival of patients with malignant IPN. Conclusion The imaging features of chest CT may provide important guidance for determining the nature and survival prognosis of benign and malignant nodules.

Background Multiple studies have shown a close relationship between changes in gut microbiota composition and obesity, and research results are influenced by factors such as race and geographical location, but there are few studies on children. Objective To analyze the diversity of gut microbiota related to obesity in a population of 2-6 years old, observe the distribution characteristics and species differences of gut microbiota between obese/overweight and normal weight groups, and explore the association betweenobese/overweight and gut microbiota diversity. Methods Fecal samples were collected from 74 children aged 2-6 years in Shanghai, including 18 obese/overweight individuals, 6 males and 12 females (male to female ratio of 1∶2), and 56 normal weight individuals, 18 males and 38 females (male to female ratio is nearly 1∶2). The 16S rDNA was extracted from bacteria in fecal samples, followed by PCR amplification, cDNA construction, and high-throughput sequencing. Naive Bayes algorithm was used to perform taxonomic analysis (phylum, class, order, family, genus, species) and community diversity analysis (Sobs index, Shannon index, Shannoneven index, Coverage index, PD index, and principal co-ordinates analysis) on representative sequences and abundance of amplicon sequence variants (ASV). Wilcoxon rank sum test, P-value multiple test correction, and analysis of similarities were used to test differences between the two groups to obtain information on the distribution characteristics and species differences of intestinal microbiota in children. Results Seventy-four fecal samples were sequenced, and the sequencing results were subjected to quality control and filtering. A total of 4905306 optimized sequences were obtained, resulting in 1860 ASVs. The diversity data analysis of ASVs generated 889 species annotation results at 8 taxonomic levels. The alpha diversity analysis showed that the richness (Sobs index), diversity (Shannon index), evenness (Shannoneven index), and phylogenetic diversity (PD index) of fecal community of the obese/overweight children were increased compared to those of the normal weight children, but there were no statistical differences between the two groups (P>0.05). The beta diversity analysis showed that there was little difference in the composition of microbial species between the two groups, and no significant clustering separation was observed. The results of species composition analysis at phylum, order, family, and genus levels of 74 samples showed a consistent core microbiota structure in the two groups of gut microbiota, but there were differences in microbiota composition. The differences in microbial community composition between the two groups were manifested at the taxonomic levels of order, family, and genus, among which phylum Firmicutes, order Erysipelotrichales, family Erysipelatocyclostridiaceae, genus Erysipelotrichaceae_ UCG-003 and genus Catenibacterium were significantly enriched in the obese/overweight group and contributed significantly to the phenotypic difference of obese/overweight [linear discriminant analysis (LDA)=3.72, P<0.01; LDA=3.29, P<0.05). Phylum Proteobacteria, order Enterobacterales, family Enterobacteriaceae, genus unclassified was significantly enriched in the normal weight group and contributed significantly to the phenotypic difference of normal body weight (LDA=3.93, P<0.05). Conclusion The richness and diversity of gut microbiota in obese/overweight children aged 2-6 years in Shanghai are increased, but there is no difference compared to normal weight children. There is a difference in the composition of gut microbiota between the obese/overweight group and the normal weight group.

Objective To investigate the application value of quantitative parameters MRFDGmax and SUVmax in the stages of hepatitis,liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in rats by whole-body dynamic 18 F-FDG PET/CT Patlak imaging.Methods Twenty-four SD rats were randomly divided into four groups of six rats each,which were the normal group,hepatitis group,liver fibrosis group and cirrhosis group.According to the experimental grouping,rats in each group were induced by the CC14 oil solution complex method.Whole-body dynamic 18 F-FDG PET/CT patlak imaging was performed on each group of rats separately at the completion of induction.After the imaging was com-pleted,the MRFDGmax,SUVmax and CT values of the livers of each group were analyzed;subsequently,the serum of rats in each group was extracted for the detection of liver function indexes(AST,ALT and ALP),and HE staining was performed on the livers of rats in the normal,hepatitis and cirrhosis groups,and Masson staining was performed on those in the liver fibrosis group;the α-SMA expression in the liver tissues of each group was analyzed by immu-nohistochemical method.The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA,two independent samples t-test and Pearson correlation analysis.Results MRFDGmax,SUVmax values were statistically significant differences among normal,hep-atitis,liver fibrosis and cirrhosis groups(F=84.54,38.35,P＜0.001).The difference in CT values between liver fibrosis and cirrhosis groups was not statistically significant(t=-0.407,P=0.693),and the difference was statistically significant when compared between the rest of the groups(F=112.25,P＜0.001).Compared with the normal group,AST,ALT and ALP of the experimental group showed a staged increase,and the differences were statistically significant(F=93.32,64.63,145.03,P＜0.001).HE staining showed that hepatocytes of the normal group were neatly arranged and structurally intact;a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrated the hepa-titis group with steatosis;pseudo lobe formation was observed in the cirrhosis group.Masson staining of the liver fi-brosis group showed collagen fiber proliferation and thickening of the peritoneum.Immunohistochemistry test results showed that α-SMA expression increased in hepatitis group,liver fibrosis group and cirrhosis group,with a staged increase,and the difference was statistically significant(F=80.57,P＜0.001).Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between SUVmax and MRFDGmax(r=0.967,P＜0.01).α-SMA was positively correlated with AST,ALT and ALP in the hepatitis,liver fibrosis and cirrhosis groups,respectively(r=0.924,0.756,0.934,P＜0.01).Conclusion Whole-body dynamic 18F-FDG PET/CT Patlak imaging has application value in monitoring hepatitis,liver fibrosis and cirrhosis stages through quantitative parameters MRFDGmax and SUVmax changes.

Pulmonary disease is one of the major threats to human health. However, the current clinical treatment drugs for lung diseases generally have problems such as low lung delivery efficiency, fast clearance rate and obvious toxic side effects. Recently, membrane biomimetic nanocarriers have attracted more and more attention. Due to their advantages of high targeting, long cycle time, good biocompatibility and strong immune escape ability, membrane biomimetic nanocarriers have become a major research hotspot in targeted therapy of lung diseases. In this review, we discuss the main preparation methods of membrane biomimetic nanoparticles, the characteristics of membrane biomimetic nanocarriers from different cell sources and their application in the targeted therapy of lung diseases. At the same time, according to the characteristics of different membranes, the shortcomings, current technical limitations and future prospects are discussed. This review is expected to provide references for the design of membrane biomimetic nanocarriers and their potential applications in the treatment of lung diseases.

Brasilicardin A, a diterpene glycoside isolated from pathogenic actinomycete Nocardia brasiliensis IFM 0406, has become a novel immunosuppressant candidate due to its significant immunosuppressive activity, low toxicity and unique mechanism of action. However, brasilicardin A and its analogues have become a research hotspot to the development of this promising immunosuppressant because of the low-yield production in the natural pathogenic producer and the synthetically challenging skeleton. According to the reported biosynthetic pathway of brasilicardin A, the function of involved diterpene synthase was analyzed by bioinformatics. Then the genes bra1-5 that synthesize the brasilicardin A skeleton were directionally amplified from the pathogenic strain N. brasiliensis IFM 0406, and heterologous expression was achieved successfully in Streptomyces albus R1. The compounds were isolated and purified by using various column chromatographies including silica gel column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Six new brasilicardins were established and named brasilicardin H-M. The activity of brasilicardins was screened using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mouse primary macrophage inflammation model. Brasilicardin H-M exhibited good inhibitory activity on nitric oxide (NO) release with IC₅₀ values of 28.24 ± 3.70, 37.44 ± 2.00, 39.85 ± 4.02, 26.77 ± 4.40, 65.25 ± 1.48 and 15.24 ± 2.72 μmol·L^-1, respectively (indomethacin as the positive control with IC₅₀ value of 34.28 ± 4.10 μmol·L^-1). The results indicated that six compounds had potential anti-inflammatory activity. This study laid a foundation for the elucidation of the brasilicardin A biosynthetic pathway and evaluation of the structure-activity relationship as well as new drug developments.

Objective To investigate the regulatory effect of miR-132-3p on calmodulin-binding transcription activator 1(CAMTA1)and Schwann cell activity in rats with facial nerve injury(FNI)treated with I-125 seeds.Methods Rat Schwann cells were irradiated with I-125 seeds and transfected with miR-132-3p mimic,miR-132-3p inhibitor or sh-CAMTA1.The expressions of S100B and β-tubulin Ⅲ in the cells were detected with immunofluorescence assay,and the expressions of miR-132-3p and CAMTA1 protein were determined using RT-qPCR and Western blotting,respectively.EdU staining and Transwell assay were used to evaluate the changes in cell proliferation and migration ability.In a rat model of FNI,I-125 seeds were implanted into the facial tissues near the facial nerve 2 weeks before modeling,and miR-132-3p mimic was injected subcutaneously in the face after modeling.The pathologies of the facial nerve was assessed by HE,LFB and immunofluorescence staining.The targeting relationship between miR-132-3p and CAMTA1 was verified using StarBase v2.0 database and dual-luciferase reporter assay.Results Rat Schwann cells showed high expressions of S100B and β-tubulin Ⅲ.I-125 seeds radiation significantly decreased miR-132-3p expression and repressed proliferation and migration of the cells(P<0.001).Overexpression of miR-132-3p or CAMTA1 knockdown obviously enhanced proliferation and migration of the Schwann cells,while miR-132-3p knockdown produced the opposite effect.MiR-132-3p negatively regulated CAMTA1 expression.In the rat models of FNI,miR-132-3p injection significantly inhibited CAMTA1 expression and attenuated I-125 seeds-induced exacerbation of FNI.Conclusion Overexpression of miR-132-3p suppresses CAMTA1 expression and promotes Schwann cell proliferation and migration to alleviate I-125 seeds-induced exacerbation of FNI in rats.

Objective:To investigate the optimal serum antibody titer in acute stage for the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection by passive agglutination, and to evaluate the clinical diagnostic value of different antibody titers.Methods:A cross-sectional study.Eighty-eight pairs of clinical serum samples were collected from children with MP infection treated at the Department of Pediatrics in Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from December 2016 to February 2017 and Children′s Hospital of Baotou in November 2019.The four-fold change of the double serum specific antibody titer was used as the gold standard, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted.When detecting the single serum in acute stage, different antibody titers were used as positive criteria to evaluate their clinical application value in the diagnosis of MP infection and find the most appropriate serum antibody titer as the diagnostic cut-off value.Results:(1)When the serum specific antibody titer ≥1∶40 was used as the positive criterion, the sensitivity was 72.9%, the area under the ROC curve was 0.817, and the specificity was 87.5%, which might cause overdiagnosis.When the serum specific antibody titer ≥1∶160 was used as the positive criterion, the specificity was 97.5%, the area under the ROC curve was 0.775, and the sensitivity was 52.1%, which might cause missed diagnosis.When the serum specific antibody titer ≥1∶80 was used as the positive criterion, the sensitivity was 60.4%, the specificity was 97.5%, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.823, overall performing better compared with the said two criteria.(2)After the disease lasted at least 5 days, blood samples were collected.About 72.5% of the children had antibodies, and 60.0% of the children had antibody titers ≥1∶80.Conclusions:(1)When the passive agglutination method is used to detect MP infection, antibody titer ≥1∶80 is recommended as the diagnostic standard.However, in clinical practice, the diagnosis of MP infection depends on clinical and other laboratory test results.(2) It is appropriate to collect blood samples on 5-7 days of illness.If MP infection is clinically suspected, and an antibody titer of 1∶40 is also suggestive, it can perform cooperative diagnosis based on molecular biology lab results or retest at a shorter interval.

Aim To explore the effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on the biological behavior of human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells by regulating E2F1.Methods MTT assay was used to determine the effect of ginsenoside Rg3(0,80,160,320 μmol·L-1)on cell prolifera-tion.The effects of different concentrations of ginsen-oside Rg3 on apoptosis were measured by flow cytome-try.The effects of different concentrations of ginsen-oside Rg3 on cell migration and invasion were deter-mined by scratch healing experiment and Transwell ex-periment.The effects of different concentrations of gin-senoside Rg3 on the expression of E2F1,MMP-2,MMP-9,BCL-2 and Bax were determined by Western blot.Results Compared with the blank control group,the cell survival rate of 80,160 and 320 μmol ·L-1 ginsenoside Rg3 group was significantly lower,and it was concentration-dependent(P＜0.05).Com-pared with the blank control group,the apoptosis rate of 80,160 and 320 μmol·L-1 ginsenoside Rg3 group significantly increased in a concentration-dependent manner(P＜0.05).Compared with the blank control group,the number of cell migration in 80,160 and 320 μmol·L-1 ginsenoside Rg3 groups was significantly lower in a concentration-dependent manner(P＜0.05).Compared with the blank control group,the number of cell invasion in 80,160 and 320 μmol· L-1 ginsenoside Rg3 groups was significantly lower in a concentration-dependent manner(P＜0.05).The E2F1 mRNA and E2F1 protein expression in the 80,160,and 320 μmol·L-1 ginsenoside Rg3 groups were significantly reduced in a concentration-dependent manner compared with that in the blank control group(P＜0.05).The protein expression of MMP-2,MMP-9,and BCL-2 in the cells of 80,160,and 320 μmol ·L-1 ginsenoside Rg3 group significantly decreased compared with those of the blank control group,and BCL-2 significantly increased compared with that of the blank control group in a concentration-dependent man-ner(P＜0.05).Conclusions Ginsenoside Rg3 can reduce the proliferation,inhibit the migration and inva-sion of gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells,and promote the apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells in a concentration-depend-ent manner,and its mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of MMP-2,MMP-9,and BCL-2 ex-pression and up-regulation of Bax expression through E2F1.

Aim To explore the effect and mechanism of the artesunate(ART)on hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods The cell lines MHCC-97H and HCC-LM3 were used to be detected.MTT and clone formation were used to determine the cell proliferation;Wound healing was used to detect the cell migration;Transwell was used to test the cell invasion.Flow-cy-tometry was used to detect cell apoptosis and cell cy-cle.RNA-seq and qRT-PCR was used to detect the genes expression.Results The proliferation,migra-tion and invasion of treated cells were obviously inhibi-ted(P＜0.01).Moreover,the apoptosis rate in-creased significantly,so did the proportion of G2/M cells.Transcriptomic analysis identified GADD45A as a potential target of ART through RNA-sequencing da-ta,and suggested that ART might induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest through regulating the expression of GADD45A.In addition,the results of mechanism studies and signaling analysis suggested that GADD45A had interaction with its upstream gene NACC1(nucle-us accumbens associated 1).Moreover,after ART treatment,the expressions of GADD45A and NACC1 were changed significantly.Conclusion ART may be a potential drug to resist HCC by affecting the expres-sion of GADD45A and its upstream gene NACC1,which provides a new drug,a new direction and a new method for the clinical treatment of HCC.

Objective:To analyze the incidence and clinical phenotype of the concomitant extragenital malformations in the patients with female reproductive tract anomalies.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted using clinical data of hospitalized patients diagnosed with uterine, cervical, or vaginal malformations from January 2003 to December 2022 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The malformations were classified according to American Society for Reproductive Medicine müllerian anomalies classification 2021, and in each type, the incidence and specific manifestations of concomitant extragnital malformations were analyzed.Results:A total of 444 patients were included. The overall incidence of concomitant extragenital malformations was 43.5% (193/444), including urinary system, skeletal system, and other system malformations. Renal malformations on the obstructed side were present in all patients with oblique vaginal septum syndrome (100.0%, 78/78). The total incidence of concomitant extragnital malformations was as high as 8/11 in uterus didelphys, 43.5% (10/23) in unicornuate uterus, 33.6% (79/235) in Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, 18.8% (6/32) in septate uterus and 18.5% (12/65) in cervical agenesis. Urinary system malformations (30.6%, 136/444) and skeletal system malformations (13.5%, 60/444) were the most common concomitant malformations in all types, in which, unilateral renal agenesis and scoliosis were the most common.Conclusions:Urinary and skeletal system malformations are important features of female reproductive tract anomalies. Urologic ultrasonography and spinal roentgenogram are recommended for all patients with female reproductive tract anomalies.