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Baoyu Zheng,1 Manman Ren,2 Feiou Lin,3 Linjie Yao4 1Periodontic Department, 2Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, School and Hospital of Stomatology, 3Orthodontic Department, 4Pedodontic Department, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China Aim: To investigate whether pretreatment assessment of experimental pain can predict the level of pain after archwire placement.Methods: One hundred and twenty-one general university students seeking orthodontic treatment were enrolled in this study. A cold pressor test was performed to estimate the pain tolerance of subjects before treatment. Self-reported pain intensity was calculated using a 10 cm visual analog scale during the 7 days after treatment. The relationship between pain tolerance and orthodontic pain was analyzed using Spearman’s correlation analysis.Results: The maximum mean level of pain intensity occurred at 24 hours after bonding (53.31±16.13) and fell to normal levels at day 7. Spearman’s correlation analysis found a moderate positive association between preoperative pain tolerance and self-reported pain after archwire placement (P0.05).Conclusion: A simple and noninvasive preoperative sensory test (the cold pressor test) was useful in predicting the risk of developing unbearable pain in patients after archwire placement. Self-reported pain after archwire placement decreased as individual pain tolerance increased. Keywords: cold pressor test, intensity, self-reported

Background: Lung cancer screening is not limited to low dose computed tomography (LDCT). Recently, molecular biomarkers have been shown to have the potential to improve the current state of early lung cancer detection. The current study determined the efficiency of seven autoantibodies against tumor-associated antigens (7-AABs) and tumor markers in patients with lung cancer. Materials and Methods: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the levels of 7-AABs and tumor markers in 354 patients with lung cancer and 108 patients with benign pulmonary disease under care at Ethics Committee of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 7-AABs were 30.0%, 84.3%, 86.3%, and 0.61, respectively. When combining the 7-AABs and tumor markers, the sensitivity was 68.6%, the specificity was 52.8%, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.72. The 7-AABs positive expression rate in lung cancer patients was significantly higher than patients with benign pulmonary diseases (30.1% vs 15.7%); however, the 7-AABs positive expression rate was affected by clinical features and pathologic stages. When combining 7-AABs and tumor markers, the combined 7-AABs and tumor marker positive expression rate increased to 68.6%. Conclusion: Based on this study and previous literature, the supplemental diagnostic value of 7-AABs has been confirmed; however, due to the low sensitivity, the value of 7-AABs alone in lung cancer screening is limited. The combination of 7-AABs and tumor markers has improved sensitivity and positivity, but decreased specificity, which makes their performance in cancer screening and early detection worthy of further research.

To describe the impact of delayed call time for chest pain in the salvage of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients and its associated independent risk factors, and to identify risk factors associated with cumulative morbidity and mortality in STEMI patients at 4 years after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Retrospective analysis of 398 patients diagnosed with STEMI and treated with emergency PCI within 24 hours of symptom onset in Fuyang People's Hospital from April 2018 to April 2021. The enrolled patients were divided into ≤60 minutes group (193 cases), and > 60 minutes group (205 cases), according to the delayed call time of patients with chest pain. Analysis of basic clinical data, rescue time, and major cardiovascular adverse events in the 2 groups. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis of independent correlates of delayed chest pain calls and Cox proportional risk regression modeling of risk factors for cumulative morbidity and mortality at 4 years after surgery. Compared to the delayed call time ≤ 60 minutes group, the > 60 minutes group had a higher proportion of females, a history of diabetes, rural remote areas, and farmer occupation ( P 60 minutes for chest pain. In the delayed call time ≤60 minutes group, the time from symptom onset-to-balloon (S0-to-B) and from symptom onset-to-first medical contact (SO-to-FMC) were smaller than in the delayed call time >60 minutes group ( P 60 minutes ( P 60 minutes, left main + 3 branch lesions, and cardiac function Killip ≥ III were all risk factors for cumulative morbidity and mortality at 4 years after PCI in patients with STEMI. Delayed call time for chest pain >60 minutes, left main + 3 branch lesions, and cardiac function Killip ≥ III are all risk factors for cumulative morbidity and mortality in STEMI patients at 4 years after PCI. Reducing the delayed call time for chest pain can improve the long-term prognosis of patients.

With the improvement in survival of patients with tumors, and continuous advancement of diagnostic technology and treatment modalities, instances of multiple primary malignancies (MPMs) are becoming an increasingly common phenomenon. The occurrence of esophageal-relevant MPMs increases the difficulty of diagnosis and treatment, and the overall prognosis is poor. Esophageal cancer related-MPMs tend to occur in areas such as the head, neck, stomach, and lungs. “Field cancerization” is one theoretical basis for the disease, and chemoradiotherapy, environmental life factors, and gene polymorphism are etiological factors. However, the influence of new therapeutic methods on MPM is still unclear, and the relationship between gene polymorphism and MPMs related to esophageal cancer needs further elucidation. Additionally, there is a lack of unified standards for diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to review the causes, clinical features, and prognostic factors of MPMs related to esophageal cancer.

Uterine rupture and postterm pregnancy pose a number of life-threatening complications to both mother and child, including severe intra-abdominal bleeding and peritonitis, birth injury, hypoxia, and fetal loss. This report presents a rare case of a 20-year-old female experiencing fetal demise at 60 weeks of pregnancy, with uterine rupture and bone tissue discharge from her vagina without severe intra-abdominal bleeding and peritonitis. The mild clinical course despite complete uterine rupture was due to the firm adhesion of the amniotic sac to the uterus caused by inflammation. The adhesion of the intestines to the rupture site prevented dehiscence of the ruptured wound. Suppuration and bone tissue discharge relieved the pressure on the patient's abdominal cavity and prevented subsequent occurrence of severe peritonitis. Radiologists mistakenly regarded the thick amniotic sac wall on the right side of the uterine wall as a right cornual pregnancy with uterine rupture caused by chronic inflammation. This report aims to bring awareness of this rare condition to medical students and radiologists.

Objective : This study aimed to investigate the tolerance and pharmacokinetic characteristics of recombinant human endostatin (rh-endostatin) administered as single-dose or multiple-dose infusions in patients with advanced solid tumors. Methods : This phase I trial was designed as a single-center, single-arm, nonrandomized, open-label, dose-escalation study. The trial consisted of 2 parts: a single-dose part and a multiple-dose part, each with 3 dose comparison groups. Rh-endostatin was administered as an intravenous injection only once at a dose of 5 mg/m 2 , 7.5 mg/m 2 , or 10 mg/m 2 in the single-dose part and as a daily intravenous injection for 14 days at the same doses in the multiple-dose part. The serum pharmacokinetics, toxicity and immunogenicity of rh-endostatin were evaluated. Results : Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was not observed in any group. A few patients developed cardiotoxicity, such as QT prolongation or narrow arrhythmia. Other adverse events were slight coagulation abnormalities and haematological abnormalities. For rh-endostatin doses of 5 mg/m 2 , 7.5 mg/m 2 , and 10 mg/m 2 , the mean C max values in the single-dose part were 344 ± 38.7 ng/mL, 524 ± 157 ng/mL, and 800 ± 201 ng/mL, respectively, and the average AUC 0−t values were 3290 ± 3790 ng•h/mL, 4940 ± 4380 ng•h/mL, and 5050 ± 3980 ng•h/mL, respectively. The C max ss values of the 3 doses in the multiple-dose part were 575 ± 270 ng/mL, 531 ± 106 ng/mL, and 864 ± 166 ng/mL, respectively, and the AUC 0−τ values were 3610 ± 1040 ng•h/mL, 3290 ± 1090 ng•h/mL, and 5180 ± 1210 ng•h/mL, respectively. The C max of a single-dose regimen showed linear kinetic characteristics. The patients in the single-dose group were negative for serum antibodies against rh-endostatin, while one patient in the multiple-dose group was positive. Conclusions : Rh-endostatin as a daily intravenous injection for 14 days in patients with advanced solid tumors is safe and well tolerated, without DLT, at doses of 5 mg/m 2 , 7.5 mg/m 2 , and 10 mg/m 2 . Serum antibodies against rh-endostatin were very low after multiple infusions. For phase II trials, the recommended rh-endostatin dose is 10 mg/m 2 as a daily intravenous injection for 14 days.

To evaluate variations in coagulation, fibrinolysis and endothelial marker expression in cirrhotic patients and to explore their clinical value and predictive performance in cirrhotic patients with or without portal vein thrombosis (PVT), we performed a case-control study with 175 cirrhotic patients and 50 healthy individuals. 99 patients had PVT and another 76 patients did not. All participants were evaluated for plasma levels of conventional hemostatic markers. Thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), plasmin-α2-plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC), thrombomodulin (TM), tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor complex (t-PAIC), von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF: Ag) and coagulation factor Ⅷ (FⅧ: c) were also assessed and the ratio of TAT/t-PAIC was calculated. We analyzed differences in these biomarkers among the three groups and constructed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Patients with PVT exhibited significantly higher TAT and TAT/t-PAIC than cirrhotic patients without PVT (both P < 0.001). Areas under the curve (AUC) of ROC analyses for TAT and TAT/t-PAIC were 0.68 and 0.66, the cut-off levels were 1.55 ng/ml and 0.46, with sensitivities and specificities of 78.79% and 51.32% regarding TAT, 39.8% and 90.79% regarding TAT/t-PAIC. Levels of FⅧ: c and vWF: Ag in patients with PVT were significantly lower than those without PVT (p = 0.026 and p = 0.027, respectively). The AUC ROC , cut-off level, sensitivity and specificity of FⅧ: c were 0.64, 111.1%, 66.67% and 60%, respectively. For vWF: Ag they were 0.61, 429%, 89.66% and 38.71%, respectively. Cirrhotic patients have disorders of coagulation, fibrinolysis and the endothelial system. TAT, TAT/t-PAIC, FⅧ: c and vWF: Ag can be used as potential biomarkers for predicting PVT in cirrhotic patients.

To investigate changes in coagulation during twin pregnancies. Methods: A total of 108 women with twin pregnancies and 442 women with singleton pregnancies were recruited. Coagulation tests, including fibrinogen (Fib), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin time (TT), were performed during the course of the pregnancy. The level of fibrinogen gradually increased during singleton pregnancies, while the APTT and PT levels showed a decreasing trend with increasing gestational weeks. In twin pregnancies, the changes in PT and TT were similar, but other parameters displayed a different trend. Fibrinogen showed no significant difference between the second and third trimesters, while APTT showed an increasing trend from the second trimester to the third trimester. Compared with singleton pregnancies, the level of fibrinogen was higher in women pregnant with twins. APTT was longer in women pregnant with twins than in women with singleton pregnancies in the third trimester. PT was shorter in women pregnant with twins than in women with singleton pregnancies in the first and third trimesters. TT was shorter in women pregnant with twins than in women with singleton pregnancies in the first and second trimesters. Through this retrospective longitudinal analysis, this study presents the main coagulation parameter changes in singleton and twin pregnancies and confirms that coagulation is more enhanced in twin pregnancies than in singleton pregnancies.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of TurboHawk plaque rotation system combined with drug-coated balloon in treating lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) of diabetes patients, a total of 145 diabetic patients with LEAD from March 2015 to September 2016 were recruited in our study. Lower extremity arterial disease was diagnosed by ultrasound and CT angiography (CTA). According to the surgical method, 65 cases underwent TurboHawk plaque rotation combined with drug-coated balloon (group A), 80 cases underwent simple drug-coated balloon expansion (group B). The characteristics of lesion, function test, ankle-brachial index (ABI), and postoperative complications were analyzed. All the patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after operation. At baseline, there was no difference in all the characteristics between the 2 groups. The early postoperation minimum lumen diameter (MLD), lumen stenosis rate, and ABI in 2 groups both improved. As the follow-up time increased, patients in group A had significantly higher MLD and ABL value, as well as lower level of lumen stenosis rate, restenosis rate, late lumen loss, and target lesion revascularization (all P < .05). Accordingly, functional testing revealed the 6-minute walk distance, 6-minute claudication distance, resting ABI, and post-exercise ABI in group A were significantly higher than those in group B (all P < .05). Besides, major graft reintervention (4.62% vs 11.25%) and major adverse limb events (6.15% vs 12.5%) in group A occurred less frequently than group B (all P < .05). In conclusion, the long-term effect of the combined approach was better than only drug-coated balloon in LEAD in Chinese diabetes patients.

Chronic neuropathic pain has been one of the prominent causes of disability, and acupuncture has shown promise in treatment. The present study aimed to characterize acupuncture modulation of chronic neuropathic pain and explore the related functional brain changes. Sixty chronic sciatica patients were divided into acupuncture- or sham acupuncture groups and received 10 sessions of treatment during 4 weeks. The visual analog scale for leg pain, oswestry disability index (ODI), and resting-state functional magnetic resonance images were assessed at baseline and after treatment. Then, fractional amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) and support vector regression analyses were performed. Compared with sham acupuncture, acupuncture significantly improved symptoms, including visual analog scale for leg pain and ODI. In addition, acupuncture exhibited increased fALFF of the right superior parietal lobule (SPL) and right postcentral gyrus. Furthermore, the actual 4-week ODI values were positively correlated with the support vector regression-predicted values based on the right SPL fALFF and baseline clinical measurements. These results indicate that the spontaneous neural activity of the right SPL and right postcentral gyrus may be involved in the modulation of acupuncture in chronic neuropathic pain. In addition, the spontaneous neural activity of the right SPL might be used as the predictor of response to acupuncture therapy. PERSPECTIVE: This clinical neuroimaging study elucidated the neural basis of acupuncture in chronic sciatica. Neurological indicators and clinical measurements could be used as potential predictors of acupuncture response. This study combines neuroimaging and artificial intelligence techniques to highlight the potential of acupuncture for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100044585, http://www.chictr.org.cn., (Copyright © 2024 United States Association for the Study of Pain, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of COVID-19 throat swab samples delivered by medical drones in epidemic prevention and control. This study was carried out in both southern and northern hospital districts of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from May to October 2022. The main participants were the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University and Zhejiang Antwork Technology Co., Ltd. We first constructed an urban medical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivery system and developed a UAV-specific storage box for COVID-19 samples. The UAV system was used to transport COVID-19 throat swab samples from the northern hospital district to the southern hospital district, and the following indexes were obtained: (1) flight time of COVID-19 samples delivered by UAV, (2) real-time temperature of COVID-19 nucleic acid samples during transportation, and (3) the time of distribution of COVID-19 nucleic acid samples by road traffic as measured using the Baidu Maps application, compared with the flight time of UAV. The COVID-19 sample delivery system for urban medical UAV mainly consists of intelligent logistics UAV, low-temperature COVID-19 throat swab sample storage box, unmanned logistics hub, and cloud operation control platform. The flight distance between the northern and southern districts of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University was 10 km, and the ground distance was 24 km. From May 11 to October 28, 2022, a total of 1,190 UAV flights occurred. The average flight time was 13 minutes, which was 40 to 70 minutes faster than the average road travel time required for manual delivery of COVID-19 throat swab samples. At different time points in the day, UAV delivery efficiency increased by 67.5% to 82%. The use of 5G with the Internet of Things and UAV technology to deliver nucleic acid samples has the characteristics of fast speed, being unaffected by ground traffic conditions, and the ability to ensure the safety of nucleic acid samples in the transportation process, which is worthy of further study.

We herein report an unprecedented organic-inorganic hybrid borate incorporating a novel nonlinear-optical (NLO) active unit, namely, [C(NH 2 ) 3 ][B(C 2 O 2 H 4 ) 2 ]. The novel NLO active unit was derived from the condensation reaction between two glycol molecules and one (BO 4 ) 5- group. The title compound exhibits a moderate second-harmonic-generation effect (0.7 × KDP), a significant band gap (5.76 eV), and a suitable birefringence (0.078 at 550 nm). The optical properties are determined by the synergistic interaction between the C(NH 2 ) 3 + cation and the [B(C 2 O 2 H 4 ) 2 ] - group, as indicated by theoretical calculations.

The key to searching novel nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals was effectively combining the NLO-active units to obtain a noncentrosymmetric structure. Nevertheless, the present predicament lies in the growing challenge of discovering novel crystals within conventional inorganic frameworks that surpass the properties of the current NLO materials. In view of this, researchers expanded their research focus to the organic-inorganic hybridization system; it is foreseeable to concentrate the advantages from several kinds of NLO-active units to acquire novel NLO crystals with superior properties. We herein report an organic-inorganic hybrid molybdate crystal, namely, [C(NH 2 ) 3 ] 6 Mo 7 O 24 (GMO). It was successfully obtained via combining inorganic NLO-active MoO 6 octahedra and organic π-conjugated [C(NH 2 ) 3 ] + groups. GMO demonstrates a moderate second-harmonic-generation response, specifically measuring about 1.3 times the value of KDP. Additionally, it exhibits a significant birefringence value of 0.203 at the wavelength of 550 nm and possesses a wide band gap of 3.31 eV. Theoretical calculations suggest that the optical properties of the GMO are primarily influenced by the synergy effect of [C(NH 2 ) 3 ] + groups between MoO 6 octahedra.

We herein report a mixed organic cationic hybrid nitrate, namely, [C(NH 2 ) 2 NHNO 2 ][C(NH 2 ) 3 ](NO 3 ) 2 ( 1 ). It was successfully achieved via combining three different planar groups: [(C(NH 2 ) 2 NHNO 2 ] + , C(NH 2 ) 3 + , and NO 3 - . First-principles calculations confirm that the [(C(NH 2 ) 2 NHNO 2 ] + group is an excellent cationic nonlinear-optical (NLO)-active unit. The title compound exhibits a moderate second-harmonic-generation (SHG) response (1.5 × KDP), a wide band gap (3.58 eV), and a suitable birefringence of 0.071 at 550 nm. Theoretical calculations indicate that the synergy effect between the [(C(NH 2 ) 2 NHNO 2 ] + and C(NH 2 ) 3 + groups dominates the SHG process.

Herein, we report an unprecedented asymmetric guanidinium polyiodate, namely, C(NH 2 ) 3 (I 3 O 8 )(HI 3 O 8 )(H 2 I 2 O 6 )(HIO 3 ) 4 ·3H 2 O ( 1 ). The title compound was obtained via the hybridization of polyiodate anions and planar π-conjugated C(NH 2 ) 3 + ; meanwhile, its strong second-harmonic-generation (SHG) response (2.1 × KDP, where KDP = KH 2 PO 4 ) and wide band gap (3.89 eV) were mainly dominated by the synergy effect of the aforementioned structural units.

Bovine serum albumin methacryloyl (BSAMA) is a newly emerging photocurable globular protein-based material whereas gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) is one of the most popular photocurable fibrous protein-based materials. So far, the influence of their different structural conformations as building blocks on hydrogel properties and mineral deposition has not been investigated. Here, we compared their differences in structures, gelation kinetics, hydrogel properties, mineralization, and cell behaviors. BSAMA maintained a stable globular structure while GelMA exhibited temperature-sensitive conformations (4 - 37 °C). BSAMA displayed slower gelation kinetics and much more retarded enzymatic degradation compared to GelMA. Photocurable BSAMA (6.41 - 390.95 kPa) and GelMA hydrogels (36.09 - 199.70 kPa) exhibited tunable mechanical properties depending on their concentrations (10 - 20%). Interestingly, BSAMA hydrogels mineralized needle-like apatite (Ca/P: 1.409) with higher crystallinity compared to GelMA hydrogels (Ca/P: 1.344). BSAMA and GelMA supported satisfactory cell (MC3T3-L1) viability of 99.43 ± 0.57% and 97.14 ± 0.69%, respectively. However, BSAMA gels were less favorable to cell proliferation and migration than GelMA gels. In serum-free environments, cells on GelMA displayed a higher amount of attachment, a more elongated shape, and a longer protrusion compared to those on BSAMA (p < 0.01) during the early adhesion., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The development of zinc-ion storage cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) is a necessary step for the construction of large-scale electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices. Iron-doped alpha-manganese dioxide (α-MnO 2 ) nanocomposites were achieved in this study via pre-intercalation of Fe 3+ during the formation of α-MnO 2 crystals. A polypyrrole (PPy) granular layer was fabricated on the surface of α-MnO 2 using acid-catalyzed polymerization of pyrroles. The pre-intercalation of Fe 3+ effectively enlarges the lattice spacing of α-MnO 2 and consequently decreases the hindrance for Zn 2+ insertion/extraction in the iron-doped α-MnO 2 coated by PPy (Fe/α-MnO 2 @PPy) composite. Meanwhile, the PPy buffer layer can ameliorate electron and ion conductivity and prevent dissolution of α-MnO 2 during the charge/discharge process. This unique structure makes the Fe/α-MnO 2 @PPy composite an efficient zinc-ion storage cathode for AZIBs. The targeted Fe/α-MnO 2 @PPy cathode achieves superior performance with reversible specific capacity (270 mA h g -1 at 100 mA g -1 ) and exhibits highdiffusioncoefficientof 10 -10 -10 -14 cm -2 s -1 . Therefore, a feasible approach is implemented on advanced electrode materials using in AZIBs for practical applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) is considered a diagnostic biomarker for cancer; however, results of previous studies on HOTAIR are inconsistent. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to investigate the role of HOTAIR in cancer diagnosis. Medline, PubMed, Embase, Ovid, Web of Science and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant literature up to May 2019. Over all, we included 20 studies from 17 articles on the role of HOTAIR in cancer diagnosis (individual diagnosis) and 7 studies from 6 articles on the role of HOTAIR along with other biomarkers in cancer diagnosis (combinative diagnosis). The sensitivity and specificity of HOTAIR-mediated individual diagnosis of cancers were 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74-0.85) and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.66-0.81), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of HOTAIR-mediated combinative diagnosis of cancer were 0.82 (95% CI, 0.77-0.87) and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.80-0.91), respectively. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for individual and combinative diagnoses was 0.84 (95% CI, 0.81-0.87) and 0.91 (95% CI, 0.88-0.93), respectively, indicating that a combinative diagnosis has a relatively better diagnostic accuracy (z = -2.22, P = 0.01) than individual diagnosis. In conclusion, HOTAIR levels might be a promising biomarker in cancer diagnosis. In addition, using HOTAIR in combination with other biomarkers showed a relatively better diagnostic accuracy than HOTAIR alone., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: Long noncoding (lncRNA) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with the susceptibility to the development of various malignant tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) and its SNPs in lung cancer., Methods: Initially, the expression of HOTAIR in different tumors was investigated using the online Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) resource. Three SNPs (rs920778, rs1899663, and rs4759314) of HOTAIR were identified using the MassArray system. Following this, the relationship between these SNPs and susceptibility to lung cancer was investigated., Results: Expression of HOTAIR was found to increase in a variety of cancers, including nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We found that the genotypes of these SNPs (rs920778, rs1899663, and rs4759314) were not significantly associated with lung cancer type, family history, lymph node metastasis, or lung cancer stage. In gender stratification, the results of rs920778 genotypes showed that, compared to genotype AA, the AG (OR = 0.344, 95% CI: 0.133-0.893, p = .028) and AG + GG (OR = 0.378, 95% CI: 0.153-0.932, p = .035) genotypes of rs920778 are protective factors against NSCLC in females. In smoking stratification, compared with AA of rs920778, the genotype AG + GG (OR = 0.507, 95% CI: 0.263-0.975, p = .042) was a protective factor against NSCLC in nonsmoking people. No statistical differences were observed in the classifications of rs1899663 and rs4759314 genotypes. Linkage disequilibrium analysis revealed a high linkage disequilibrium between the rs920778 and rs1899663 (D' = 0.99, r 2  = .74), rs920778 and rs4759314 (D' = 0.85, r 2  = .13), and rs1899663 and rs4759314 (D' = 0.79, r 2  = .00)., Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that HOTAIR expression increased in NSCLC, and that the genotypes of rs920778 could be useful in the diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer., (© 2020 The Authors. Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Many studies have analyzed the association between traffic-related air pollution and risk of childhood leukemia, but the results are inconsistent. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to investigate the association between traffic-related air pollution and risk of childhood leukemia., Methods: PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases were searched by the index words to identify eligible case-control studies, and relevant literature sources were also searched. The latest research was performed in September 2017. Odds ratio (OR) along with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to analyzed the main outcomes., Results: Twenty-one case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated that in the studies of overall traffic density (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.98-1.04), high traffic density (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.91-1.17), moderate exposure to NO2 (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.93-1.10), and benzene (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.71-1.37), the risks of childhood leukemia incidence were higher in the case group than the control group, but no significant difference was found. In other analysis, no significant difference was observed in the risk of childhood leukemia in the 2 groups., Conclusions: Current evidence suggests that childhood leukemia is associated with traffic density, and moderate exposure to NO2 and benzene. However, more high-quality studies are required to confirm the conclusions.

The qualitative analysis of flavonoids in Coreopsis tinctoria was carried out by a combination of 2 D-TLC and HPLC-IT-TOF-MS. The separation was conducted on 2 D-TLC and a Phenomenex Kinetex Evo C&#95;(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 2.6 μm) with methanol-0.05% aqueous formic acid by gradient elution. Electrospray ionization-(ESI) source was applied and operated in both positive and negative ionization modes. Eighteen flavonoids including three flavonoids, one flavonol, nine flavonones, one flavanonol and four chalcones, were putatively identified from the flavone-enriched fraction of C. tinctoria. 2 D-TLC could separate the flavonoids from C. tinctoria. HPLC-IT-TOF-MS was able to quickly and accurately analyze the flavonoids in C. tinctoria. The results would provide experimental information for the efficacy material basis clarification of C. tinctoria.

Cytochrome P450 and UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT) as phase I and phase II metabolism enzymes, respectively, play vital roles in the breakdown of endobiotics and xenobiotics. Insects can increase the expression of detoxification enzymes to cope with the stress from xenobiotics including insecticides. However, the molecular mechanisms for insecticide detoxification in Spodoptera exigua remain elusive, and the genes conferring insecticide metabolisms in this species are less well reported. In this study, 68 P450 and 32 UGT genes were identified. Phylogenetic analysis showed gene expansions in CYP3 and CYP4 clans of P450 genes and UGT33 family of this pest. P450 and UGT genes exhibited specific tissue expression patterns. Insecticide treatments in fat body cells of S. exigua revealed that the expression levels of P450 and UGT genes were significantly influenced by challenges of abamectin, lambda-cyhalothrin, chlorantraniliprole, metaflumizone and indoxacarb. Multiple genes for detoxification were affected in expression levels after insecticide exposures. The results demonstrated that lambda-cyhalothrin, chlorantraniliprole, metaflumizone and indoxacarb induced similar responses in the expression of P450 and UGT genes in fat body cells; eight P450 genes and four UGT genes were co-up-regulated significantly, and no or only a few CYP/UGT genes were down-regulated significantly by these four insecticides. However, abamectin triggered a distinct response for P450 and UGT gene expression; more P450 and UGT genes were down-regulated by abamectin than by the other four compounds. In conclusion, P450 and UGT genes from S. exigua were identified, and different responses to abamectin suggest a different mechanism for insecticide detoxification., (© 2017 The Authors. Insect Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Objective: To investigate the effects of the repair and restitution of ear-shaped cartilage by adipose tissue-derived stem cells(ADSC) and cartilage acellular extracellular matrix. Methods: ADSC were extracted by digesting with collagenase type II from the adipose tissue from 32 patients with adiposity whose fats were drawn, and were cultured and subcultured in vitro. The natural biological scaffolds were prepared by acellular method using porcine ear cartilage, and then the second generation ADSC(5.0×10(7)/ml) were inoculated on the preformed natural bio-scaffold scaffold by culturing in vitro for 3 days to form a cell scaffold complex. 32 New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into the experimental groups, the control group A, the control group B and the control group C. All New Zealand white rabbits were modeled by ear cartilage defects. The cell scaffolds composite was implanted into the experimental group of the ear cartilage defects of rabbits, the ADSC were implanted into the control group A, the cartilage acellular extracellular matrix scaffold was implanted into the control group B and the control group C was modeled only by ear cartilage defects. After 16 weeks, the animals were sacrificed and the repair effect was observed by gross appearance and histological examinations including HE, Toluidine blue staining, Safranin O and typeⅡ collagen staining. Its were quantitatively analyzed by positive staining results of type Ⅱ collagen. Ear cartilage tissue elasticity was detected. SPSS 17.0 software was used to analyze the data. Results: The cartilage defects in the experimental group were repaired well by general shape observation and those in the control group was filled in with granulation tissue. There were significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in the wet weight( P< 0.05). HE staining showed that cartilage cavities formed in articular cartilage defects, and only the fibrous tissue was filled with the ear cartilage defect in the control groups. In the repair area, Toluidine blue staining, Safranin O and type Ⅱ collagen staining were positive in the experimental group, and negative in the control groups. There was no significant difference between the experimental group and the normal ear cartilage in the ear cartilage elastic constant detection( P> 0.05). Conclusions: The mechanics and histology of rabbit ear neonatal cartilage constructed by ADSC combined with cartilage acellular matrix are close to normal ear cartilage. Cartilage acellular matrix material combined with adipose-derived stem cells has good repair and reconstruction ability for ear cartilage defects, which possesses potential clinical application value.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical effect of titanium implants with SLA surface preparation for partial prostheses., Methods: One hundred and ninety-one implants with SLA surface preparation were implanted in 130 patients with dentition defect who required dental repair at Yantai Stomatologic Hospital Implant Center. Successful rate of the implant, changes of soft and hard tissue around the implants as well as the stability of the superstructure were recorded and evaluated by regular clinical and X-ray examinations. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 17.0 software package., Results: Twenty four patients with 31 implants were lost to follow up, one implant which loosened 1 week after operation was extracted. Four implants were found with peri-implantitis. The dropout rate, survival rate and successful rate was 18.46%, 99.38% and 96.88%, respectively. No obvious biological complications were observed in 155 successful implants during the observation period. Eight years later, the marginal bone resorption reached to (1.34±0.52) mm. After 8 years, a total of 25 implants had mechanical complications, including superstructure screw mobility, falling off of the crown, porcelain fracture of restorations, implant fracture and the prosthesis success rate was 83.87%., Conclusions: SLA surface implant can not only achieve good bone integration, but also long-time maintainanance of the soft tissue around the implant and implant superstructure at a healthy and stable state,the clinical effect is better than other dental implants.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of hypoxia on the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) mRNA in rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs)., Methods: rBMSCs were isolated and cultured by whole bone marrow cell adherent method, and an optimal hypoxic preconditioning model was established with CoCl 2 (cobalt chloride). rBMSCs were incubated in cell culture mediums with different concentrations of CoCl 2 (final concentrations of CoCl 2 were 0, 50, 100, 200, 400 μmol/L) and incubated for different times. MTT assay was applied to detect the effect of CoCl 2 on cell proliferation. mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α of rBMSCs was detected by real-time PCR and Western blot. After treated with 100 μmol/L CoCl 2 for 0, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 h, the expression of rBMSCs OPG/RANKL mRNA were detected by real-time PCR. The differences in distribution of each genotype were analyzed with SPSS 18.0 software package., Results: Compared with the control group, 200, 400 μmol/L CoCl 2 inhibited the proliferation of rBMSCs (P<0.05). However, 50, 100 μmol/L CoCl 2 had no significant impact on the proliferation of rBMSCs (P>0.05). Real-time PCR and Western blot showed that HIF-1α expression in 50 μmol/L and 100 μmol/L CoCl 2 groups was significantly higher than the control group; the effect of 100 μmol/L CoCl 2 was significantly greater than 50 μmol/L CoCl 2 . After cultivated in hypoxia condition for 12 h, the expression of OPG and RANKL mRNA in rBMSCs didn't change significantly (P>0.05). After cultured hypoxia condition for 24, 48, 72, 96 h, the expression of OPG mRNA in rBMSCs increased while the RANKL decreased, thus the ratio of OPG/RANKL increased and the difference was significant (P<0.05)., Conclusions: Hypoxia can regulate the mRNA expression of OPG and RANKL mRNA in rBMSCs and significantly promote osteogenic differentiation.

Objective: Periodontium regeneration is one of the most important processes for periodontitis therapy. Human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) play a vital role in the repair and regeneration of periodontal tissues. Our study aimed to investigated the mechanisms underlying the promotion of hPLDCs osteogenic differentiation by baicalein., Design: hPDLCs were obtained from periodontal ligament (PDL) tissues by primary culture. The MTT assay was used to determine the growth curves of hPDLCs treated with different concentrations of baicalein (1.25, 2.5, 5, or 10μM). Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and Alizarin red S staining were performed to assess osteogenic differentiation of hPDLCs administered baicalein. Osteogenic differentiation-related gene and protein expression levels and Wnt/β-catenin pathway signal changes were assessed by qRT-PCR and Western blotting analysis., Results: The results showed that baicalein decreased the growth of hPDLCs slightly and increased ALP activity and calcium deposition in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), Osterix (OSX) and osteocalcin (OCN) were elevated after baicalein administration. Moreover, baicalein strongly activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and up-regulated the expression of β-catenin, lymphoid enhancer factor 1 (LEF1) and Cyclin D1. Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK-1) significantly reversed the effects of baicalein on hPDLCs., Conclusions: Our findings indicated that baicalein enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of hPDLCs via the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which may represent a potential candidate for periodontitis therapy., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Dominant tree species are the main species in different layers of mixed-species forests. Examining competitive relationships among dominant tree species is important for proper management of mixedwood forests. In this study, we established a 100 m×100 m plot of uniform condition on Jingouling Forest Farm, Wangqing County, Jilin Province. The dominant tree species of the young forest community were first determined through dominance index analysis approach and the competitive relationships among dominant tree species were then examined using tree competition index that described intra- and inter-specific competition from the above and sides of individual tree crown. The results indicated three dominant tree species in this mixed-species community were Abies nephrolepis, Picea koraiensis and Pinus koraiensis. A. nephrolepis, Picea koraiensis, Pinus koraiensis, Betula costata, Tilia amurensis, Acer tegmentosum and Betula platyphylla were the main competitors of the dominant tree species, while A. nephrolepis was the major competitor for all three dominant tree species (1412.48), followed by Picea koraiensis (439.17) and Pinus koraiensis (245.28), they all had side squeeze effect (64.9%, 65.2% and 66.0% of the total competition for the three dominant tree species, respectively). The level of side and above competition decreased with individual tree DBH (diameter at breast height); the percentage of side competition was nearly equal to that of above competition in small trees and increased with tree size, reaching nearly 100% in large canopy trees. For the three dominant tree species, the side and above competition of three dominant tree species mainly came from A. nephrolepis, Picea koraiensis, Pinus koraiensis, T. amurensis, B. costata, A. tegmentosum and B. platyphylla, and the inter-specific competition was more intense than intra-specific competition (58.4%, 87.1%, 83.7% of the total competition for the three dominant species), both of which decreased with the increase of individual tree DBH.

Objective: Endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has recently emerged as an important intracellular gaseous signaling molecule within cellular systems. Endogenous H2S is synthesized from l-cysteine via cystathionine β-synthase and cystathionine γ-lyase and it regulates multiple signaling pathways in mammalian cells. Indeed, aberrant H2S levels have been linked to defects in bone formation in experimental mice. The aim of this study was to examine the potential production mechanism and function of endogenous H2S within primary human periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs)., Design: Primary human PDLCs were obtained from donor molars with volunteer permission. Immunofluorescent labeling determined expression of the H2S synthetase enzymes. These enzymes were inhibited with D,L-propargylglycine or hydroxylamine to examine the effects of H2S signaling upon the osteogenic differentiation of PDLCs. Gene and protein expression levels of osteogenic markers in conjunction with ALP staining and activity and alizarin red S staining of calcium deposition were used to assay the progression of osteogenesis under different treatment conditions. Cultures were exposed to Wnt3a treatment to assess downstream signaling mechanisms., Results: In this study, we show that H2S is produced by human PDLCs via the cystathionine β-synthase/cystathionine γ-lyase pathway to promote their osteogenic differentiation. These levels must be carefully maintained as excessive or deficient H2S levels temper the observed osteogenic effect by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling., Conclusions: These results demonstrate that optimal concentrations of endogenous H2S must be maintained within PDLCs to promote osteogenic differentiation by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascade., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We present a modified GPU (graphics processing unit) version of MrBayes, called ta(MC)(3) (GPU MrBayes V3.1), for Bayesian phylogenetic inference on protein data sets. Our main contributions are 1) utilizing 64-bit variables, thereby enabling ta(MC)(3) to process larger data sets than MrBayes; and 2) to use Kahan summation to improve accuracy, convergence rates, and consequently runtime. Versus the current fastest software, we achieve a speedup of up to around 2.5 (and up to around 90 vs. serial MrBayes), and more on multi-GPU hardware. GPU MrBayes V3.1 is available from http://sourceforge.net/projects/mrbayes-gpu/., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This study was purposed to observe the influence of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSC) on the peripheral blood CD4(+)CD25(+)regulatory T cells (Treg), Th17 cells and neutrophils in rats with collagen type II-induced arthritis(CIA), and to explore the regulating effect of UC-MSC transplantation on immunocyte subgroup. The rats wee divided into 3 groups: CIA group (model group), UC-MSC treated group and blank control group. The CIA rats were injected with UC-MSC via tail vein. The percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+) cells in peripheral blood and the expression of NCD11b on neutrophil surface in CIA rates was detected by flow cytometry (FCM), and the serum interleukin-17 (IL-17) was observed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that the mean fluorescence intensity(MFI) of NCD11b and the level of IL-17 in the model group were significantly higher than those in the blank control group, and the ratio of CD4(+)CD25(+) cells were significantly lower (P < 0.05). The MIF of NCD11b and the level of IL-17 in the UC-MSC treated group were significantly lower than that in the model group (P < 0.05), while the proportion of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg increased (P < 0.05). Since the fifth week, the above indicators in the UC-MSC group have almostly approached the control group. It is concluded that the UC-MSC can increase peripheral blood Treg proportion in CIA rat, inhibit the secretion of Th17 and the activity of neutrophils, reduce the immune inflammation reaction, decrease the release of proinflammatory factor, and induce immune reconstruction.

Dental defect caused by dental caries is usually restored by fillings, inlays or onlays at the present day. Although the therapeutic effects of these methods have already been confirmed, complications occasionally set in, such as pulp injury, fracture and secondary caries. Bionic dental organic center possesses similar functions of the natural dental organic center. So we put forward a hypothesis that bionic organic center can be transplanted onto the conditioned pulpal walls of the prepared cavity and a specific filling material, which the cavity will be filled with, provides oxygen, nutrition and raw materials for it to regenerate the lost odontal tissue in vivo. The regenerated odontal tissue which has similar properties of the healthy odontal tissue will restore the defect and it will be combined with the residual odontal tissue tightly, not only in physical structure but also in function. Then the teeth suffering from dental caries could live and function like healthy ones.