Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and osteoporosis (OP) are two very common metabolic diseases. A growing body of experimental evidence supports a pathophysiological link between MAFLD and OP. MAFLD is often associated with the development of OP. Rutaecarpine (RUT) is one of the main active components of Chinese medicine Euodiae Fructus. Our previous studies have demonstrated that RUT has lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects, and can improve the OP of rats. However, whether RUT can improve both fatty liver and OP symptoms of MAFLD mice at the same time remains to be investigated. In this study, we used C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 months to construct a MAFLD model, and gave the mice a low dose (5 mg·kg^-1) and a high dose (15 mg·kg^-1) of RUT by gavage for 4 weeks. The effects of RUT on liver steatosis and bone metabolism were then evaluated at the end of the experiment [this experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (approval number: IMB-20190124D₃03)]. The results showed that RUT treatment significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and lipid accumulation, and significantly reduced bone loss and promoted bone formation. In summary, this study shows that RUT has an effect of improving fatty liver and OP in MAFLD mice.

Coronary restenosis is an important cause of poor long-term prognosis in patients with coronary heart disease. Here, we show that lysine methyltransferase SMYD2 expression in the nucleus is significantly elevated in serum- and PDGF-BB-induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and in tissues of carotid artery injury-induced neointimal hyperplasia. Smyd2 overexpression in VSMCs (Smyd2-vTg) facilitates, but treatment with its specific inhibitor LLY-507 or SMYD2 knockdown significantly inhibits VSMC phenotypic switching and carotid artery injury-induced neointima formation in mice. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that SMYD2 knockdown represses the expression of serum response factor (SRF) target genes and that SRF overexpression largely reverses the inhibitory effect of SMYD2 knockdown on VSMC proliferation. HDAC3 directly interacts with and deacetylates SRF, which enhances SRF transcriptional activity in VSMCs. Moreover, SMYD2 promotes HDAC3 expression via tri-methylation of H3K36 at its promoter. RGFP966, a specific inhibitor of HDAC3, not only counteracts the pro-proliferation effect of SMYD2 overexpression on VSMCs, but also inhibits carotid artery injury-induced neointima formation in mice. HDAC3 partially abolishes the inhibitory effect of SMYD2 knockdown on VSMC proliferation in a deacetylase activity-dependent manner. Our results reveal that the SMYD2-HDAC3-SRF axis constitutes a novel and critical epigenetic mechanism that regulates VSMC phenotypic switching and neointimal hyperplasia.

Objective:To study the effects of biologically oriented preparation technique(BOPT)on periodontal plaque colonization and inflammatory factor expression in gingival crevicular fluid(GCF).Methods:102 patients with chronic periodontitis were randomly divided into 2 groups(n=51).The subjects in control group received traditional tooth preparation,while those in observation group re-ceived BOPT.The probing depth,modified plaque index,gum papillary index,marginal bone resorption and modified gingival groove bleeding index were measured and compared between the 2 groups.The GCF was collected at the restoration site before and after 6 month restoration,the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-6 and matrix metalloproteinase 8 were measured at different time periods.Results:6 months after surgery,there was no significant difference in near-middle,far-middle and mean bone resorption be-tween the 2 groups(P＞0.05).The restoration periodental indexes were decreased in both groups(P＜0.05),and the modified gingival hemorrhage index,probing depth,gum papilla index and modified plaque index in the observation group were obvious lower than in the control(P＜0.05).The inflammatory factor expression in GCF was significantly decreased in both groups(P＜0.05),and in the obser-vation group was obvious lower than in the control(P＜0.05).Patient comfort,retention function,aesthetics and total score in the ob-servation group was obvious higher than in the control(P＜0.05),but there was no statistically significant difference in chewing func-tion,language function between the 2 groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion:BOPT may improve the restoration level,eliminate the inflamma-tory response of GCF and improve satisfaction in patients with chronic periodontitis.

Human-animal interaction has a long-standing tradition dating back to ancient times. With the rapid advancements in intelligent chips, wearable devices, and machine algorithms, the intelligent interaction between animals and electronic technology, facilitated by electronic devices and systems for communication, perception, and control, has become a reality. These electronic devices aim to implement an animal-centric working mode to enhance human understanding of animals and promote the development of animal intelligence and creativity. This article takes medium-sized and large animals as research objects, with the goal of developing their ability enhancement, and introduces the concept of “intelligent animal augmentation system (IAAS)”. This concept is used to describe the characteristics of such devices and provides a comprehensive overview of existing animal and computer interface solutions. In general, IAAS can be divided into implantable and non-implantable types, each composed of interface platforms, perception and interpretation, control and instruction components. Through various levels of enhancement systems and architectural patterns, intelligent interaction between humans and animals can be realized. Although existing IAAS still lack a complete independent interaction system architecture, they hold great promise and development space in the future. Not only can they be applied as substitutes for cutting-edge devices and transportation equipment, but they are also expected to achieve cross-species information interaction through intelligent interconnection. Additionally, IAAS can promote bidirectional interaction between humans and animals, playing a significant role in advancing animal ethics and ecological protection. Furthermore, the development of interaction models based on animal subjects can provide insightful research experiences for the design of human-computer interaction systems, thereby contributing to the more efficient realization of the ambitious goal of human-machine integration.

Objective To study the effect of Hedysarum polysaccharides(HPS)on the expression of transforming growth factor-β,(TGF-β1),smad homologue 3 recombinant protein(smad3)and smad7 in renal tissue of db/db mice with diabetic nephropathy(DN).Methods According to their body weight,6-week-old male db/db mice were randomly divided into 5 groups:model group(0.9％NaCl 0.2 mL·d-1),positive control group(22.75 mg·kg-1·d-1 irbesartan)and experimental-H,-M,-L groups(200,100,50 mg kg-1·d-1 HPS),with 10 mice in each group;another 10 SPF grade male C57BL/6 mice of the same week were selected as normal group(0.9％NaCl 0.2mL·d-1).The mice in the 6 groups were given intragastric administration once a day for 12 weeks.The blood glucose concentration of mice was measured before treatment and at the 4th,8th and 12th week after treatment.The expression levels of TGF-β1,smad3 and smad7 were detected by Western blotting.Results After treatment,the blood glucose levels of the model group was significantly higher than those of the normal group(all P＜0.01);compared with the model group,the levels of blood glucose in the experimental-H,-M groups decreased significantly,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The relative expression levels of TGF-β,protein in normal group,model group,positive control group and experimental-H,-M groups were 0.71±0.16,1.66±0.18,1.00±0.17,0.88±0.15 and 1.23±0.15;the relative expression levels of smad3 protein were 0.89±0.32,2.26±0.35,1.24±0.31,1.05±0.30 and 1.67±0.35;the relative expression levels of smad7 protein were 1.66±0.03,0.60±0.03,1.10±0.07,1.48±0.08 and 0.97±0.09;there were statistically significant differences between the experimental-H,-M groups and the model group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion Hedysarum polysaccharides can improve renal fibrosis and delay the development of diabetic nephropathy by regulating the level of blood glucose,inhibiting TGF-β1,smad3 and increasing the expression of smad7.

Objective:To analyze the genetic variant and molecular pathogenesis in a Chinese pedigree affected with Multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED).Methods:A MED pedigree which had presented at the Beijing Jishuitan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University on September 13, 2020 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the pedigree were collected. Peripheral blood samples were drawn from pedigree members for the extraction of genomic DNA. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out for the pedigree. Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. Wild type and mutant SLC26A2 expression plasmids were constructed and transfected into human primary chondrocytes. The effect of the variants on the protein localization and cell proliferation was determined by immunofluorescence and CCK8 assays. Results:WES and Sanger sequencing revealed that the proband has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the SLC26A2 gene, including a paternally derived c. 484G>T (p.Val162Leu) missense variant and a maternally derived c. 485_486delTG (p.Val162Glyfs*12) frameshifting variant. The SLC26A2 WT and its mutant SLC26A2 Val162Leu and SLC26A2 Val162Glyfs*12 expression plasmids were distributed in the nuclei and cytoplasm of human primary chondrocytes. Compared with SLC26A2 WT, the expressions of SLC26A2 Val162Leu and SLC26A2 Val162Glyfs*12 were decreased, along with reduced proliferation of human primary chondrocytes. Conclusion:The c. 484G>T and c. 485_486delTG compound heterozygous variants of the SLC26A2 gene may affect the proliferation of human primary chondrocytes and underlay the pathogenesis of MED in this pedigree.

Objective To explore the application value of low-flow rate and-contrast injection scheme for pulmonary artery computed tomography angiography(CTA)in the elderly patients.Methods Sixty elderly patients undergoing pulmonary artery CTA in some hospital from April 2020 to January 2023 were selected and divided into a control group(30 cases)and an experimental group(30 cases)according to the contrast agent injection schemes.A conventional contrast injection scheme was used for the control group,and an optimized contrast injection scheme with low flow rate and low contrast dose was designed for the experimental group.The two gorups were observed and subjectively scored in terms of the degree of pulmonary artery enhancement,the display of pulmonary artery trunks and branches and the sharpness of image vessel edges,and objectively evaluated for the degree of contrast sclerosis artifacts in the superior vena cava and the enhancement CT values of the pulmonary artery trunks and the left and the right pulmonary veins.The extravasation of the contrast agent was recorded for the patients in the 2 groups.SPSS 25.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results The two groups had no significant differences in score pulmonary artery CTA image quality(P＞0.05);the experimental group had the socre of contrast sclerosis artifacts in the superior vena cava statistically lower than that of the control group(P＜0.05).The two groups had no obvious differences in the CT values of the pulmonary artery trunks and the left and the right pulmonary veins(P＞0.05).There were no patients with the extravasation of the contrast agent found in the experimental group,while there one case with severe extravasation and 4 cases with mild or moderate extravasation in the control group.Conclusion Low-flow rate and-contrast injection scheme for pulmonary artery CTA of the elderly patients contributes to avoiding contrast agent extrava-sation while ensuring image quality,enhancing patient experience and safety.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(10):66-70]

Objective:To explore the application value of histogram and texture feature analysis based on CT images in distinguishing long bone osteosarcoma (OS) from Ewing sarcoma (ES).Methods:A retrospective collection of 25 patients with long bone osteosarcoma and 25 patients with Ewing sarcoma confirmed by surgery and pathology in National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University Medical School, from March 2018 to May 2023 was conducted. All patients were randomly divided into a training set (21 cases of OS and 19 cases of ES) and a validation set (4 cases of OS and 6 cases of ES) in an 8∶2 ratio. The region of interest (ROI) on CT images to extract texture feature parameters was manually sketched. Random forest and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm were used for feature screening. Logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN) classifiers were used to establish models respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC)curve was drawn and area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the four models.Results:A total of 100 texture parameters were extracted from CT images, and 8 feature parameters (maximum 3D diameter, 10th percentile, kurtosis, maximum pixel intensity value, inverse normalization, grayscale level variance, long range high grayscale emphasis, and low grayscale area emphasis) were obtained through screening. Four classifiers were used to establish models, and the AUC values of the four models (LR, RF, SVM, KNN) in the validation group were 0.92, 0.79, 0.83, and 0.73, respectively. LR and SVM classifier algorithm trains models had high diagnostic efficiency, with an accuracy of 90%, sensitivity of 83%, specificity of 100%, and AUC of 92% for the LR classifier validation set; the accuracy of SVM classifier validation set was 80%, sensitivity was 67%, specificity was 100%, and AUC was 83%.Conclusions:LR and SVM models have high value in distinguishing OS and ES.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of virtual reality arthroscopic simulation system combined with case-based learning (CBL) in orthopedic clinical teaching.Methods:From January 2021 to June 2022, a total of 36 residents who took the standardized residency training at Department of Articular Orthopedics in The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were enrolled in this study. They were randomized into an experimental group and a control group, with 18 trainees in each group. The experimental group adopted the virtual reality arthroscopic simulation system combined with CBL teaching mode, while the control group adopted simple endoscopic simulation training box with traditional teaching mode. Theoretical and practical tests and questionnaire survey were carried out to evaluate the teaching effects in two groups. SPSS 22.0 was performed to conduct t-test on the measurement data between the two groups. Results:The theoretical and practical test scores of the experimental group [(89.39±3.09) and (82.72±4.28)] were better than those of the control group [(86.22±4.43) and (76.61±5.65)], with statistically significant differences ( t= 2.49, P=0.018; t=3.66, P=0.001). The questionnaire survey showed that the experimental group was better than the control group in creating novel forms of courses [(4.94±0.24) vs. (4.11±0.58), t=5.62, P<0.001], simulating more real scenes [(4.83±0.38) vs. (3.78±0.43), t=7.80, P<0.001], inspiring learning interests [(4.78±0.43) vs. (4.00±0.59), t=4.51, P<0.001], improving practical skills [(4.83±0.38) vs. (3.83±0.51), t=6.61, P<0.001], and building career confidence [(4.50±0.62) vs. (3.06±0.54), t=7.47, P<0.001], with statistically significant differences (all P<0.001). Conclusions:The virtual reality arthroscopic simulation system combined with CBL teaching mode can better simulate the real clinical scenes, help inspire the interest of learning and quickly improve practical skills, thereby improving the effect of orthopedic clinical teaching.

Objective To investigate the incidence rate,clinical characteristics,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen,China.Methods Led by Shenzhen Children's Hospital,the Shenzhen Neonatal Data Collaboration Network organized 21 institutions to collect 36 cases of neonatal stroke from January 2020 to December 2022.The incidence,clinical characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen were analyzed.Results The incidence rate of neonatal stroke in 21 hospitals from 2020 to 2022 was 1/15 137,1/6 060,and 1/7 704,respectively.Ischemic stroke accounted for 75％(27/36);boys accounted for 64％(23/36).Among the 36 neonates,31(86％)had disease onset within 3 days after birth,and 19(53％)had convulsion as the initial presentation.Cerebral MRI showed that 22 neonates(61％)had left cerebral infarction and 13(36％)had basal ganglia infarction.Magnetic resonance angiography was performed for 12 neonates,among whom 9(75％)had involvement of the middle cerebral artery.Electroencephalography was performed for 29 neonates,with sharp waves in 21 neonates(72％)and seizures in 10 neonates(34％).Symptomatic/supportive treatment varied across different hospitals.Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment was performed for 12 neonates(33％,12/36),with a mean score of(32±4)points.The prognosis of 27 neonates was followed up to around 12 months of age,with 44％(12/27)of the neonates having a good prognosis.Conclusions Ischemic stroke is the main type of neonatal stroke,often with convulsions as the initial presentation,involvement of the middle cerebral artery,sharp waves on electroencephalography,and a relatively low neurodevelopment score.Symptomatic/supportive treatment is the main treatment method,and some neonates tend to have a poor prognosis.