To determine whether B vitamin treatment was sufficient to reduce cognitive impairment associated with high-fat diets in rats and to modulate transketolase (TK) expression and activity.

To test this, we separated 50 rats into five groups that were either fed a standard chow diet (controls) or a high-fat diet (experimental groups H0, H1, H2, and H3). H0 group animals received no additional dietary supplementation, while H1 group animals were administered 100 mg/kg body weight (BW) thiamine, 100 mg/kg BW riboflavin, and 250 mg/kg BW niacin each day, and group H2 animals received daily doses of 100 mg/kg BW pyridoxine, 100 mg/kg BW cobalamin, and 5 mg/kg BW folate. Animals in the H3 group received the B vitamin regimens administered to both H1 and H2 each day.

Over time, group H0 exhibited greater increases in BW and fat mass relative to other groups. When spatial and memory capabilities in these animals were evaluated via conditioned taste aversion (CTA) and Morris Water Maze (MWM), we found B vitamin treatment was associated with significant improvements relative to untreated H0 controls. Similarly, B vitamin supplementation was associated with elevated TK expression in erythrocytes and hypothalamus of treated animals relative to those in H0 (P<0.05).

Together, these findings suggest B vitamin can modulate hypothalamic TK activity to reduce the severity of cognitive deficits in a rat model of obesity. As such, B vitamin supplementation may be a beneficial method for reducing cognitive dysfunction in clinical settings associated with high-fat diets.

Cardiac hypertrophy is an adaptive reaction of the heart against cardiac overloading, but continuous cardiac hypertrophy can lead to cardiac remodeling and heart failure. Cardiac hypertrophy is mostly considered reversible, and recent studies have indicated that decorin not only prevents cardiac fibrosis associated with hypertension, but also achieves therapeutic effects by blocking fibrosis-related signaling pathways. However, the mechanism of action of decorin remains unknown and unconfirmed.

We determined the degree of myocardial hypertrophy by measuring the ratios of the heart weight/body weight and left ventricular weight/body weight, histological analysis and immunohistochemistry. Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of CaMKII, p-CaMKII and MEF-2 in the heart.

Our results confirmed that decorin can regulate the CaMKII/MEF-2 signaling pathway, with inhibition thereof being similar to that of decorin in reducing cardiac hypertrophy.

Taken together, the results of the present study showed that decorin induced cardiac hypertrophy by regulating the CaMKII/MEF-2 signaling pathway in vivo, revealing a new therapeutic approach for the prevention of cardiac hypertrophy.

Filaggrin (FLG) is a protein expressed in the epidermis and involved in the maintenance of the epidermal barrier. However, the expression and localization of FLG in the upper airway remain controversial. The present study aimed to determine the significance of FLG and the effect of S100A7 on FLG expression in the upper respiratory mucosa.

Human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) were cultured and examined for FLG expression and S100A7 effects by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. The localization and distribution of FLG were assessed using sinonasal mucosa.

A significant expression of FLG was detected at the mRNA and protein levels in HNECs. A moderate FLG immunoreactivity was observed in the epithelial cells, but no staining was seen in epithelial goblet cells. S100A7 increased the FLG mRNA level in HNECs in a dose-dependent manner and also up-regulated the FLG protein in a dose-dependent manner.

This study significantly contributes to a better understanding of the role of FLG in the pathogenesis of airway inflammation from the viewpoint of the epithelial barrier function. FLG-related events in response to S100A7 protein may represent novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of upper airway inflammation.

To investigate the effects and mechanisms of genistein on the gene expression in the Wnt pathway in acute leukemia (AL) cells.

The expression of Wnt pathway genes and cell cycle-related genes were analyzed in two AL cell lines. Pyrophosphate sequencing was performed to determine the methylation degree. Then, the enrichment of H4K20me1 and H3K9ac was determined using ChIP-qPCR. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle.

The IC₅₀ of genistein in the two AL cell lines was lower than that for the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell line. Genistein upregulated H4K20me1, KMT5A and Wnt suppressor genes, including _Wnt5a, and downregulated the downstream target genes of Wnt, such as c-myc and β-catenin. The methylation degree and H3K9ac enrichment in the _Wnt5a promoter region remained unchanged. However, the enrichment of H4K20me1 in the _Wnt5a promoter and coding regions increased. In addition, genistein upregulated Phospho-cdc2, Myt1, Cyclin A, Cyclin E2, p21 and Phospho-histone H3, but downregulated Phospho-wee1. Cell cycle arrest was induced in the G2/M phase.

Genistein inhibits the activation of the Wnt pathway by promoting the expression of _Wnt5a through the activation of KMT5A and enrichment of H4K20me1 in the _Wnt5a gene promoter and coding regions, rather than demethylation. Genistein also blocks the cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Therefore, genistein is a potential anti-leukemia drug.

Diagnosis of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) requires the evaluation of renal biopsy specimens. However, renal biopsy is an invasive procedure and is not frequently performed for various reasons. Thus, recognized noninvasive biomarkers for predicting IgAN progression are urgently needed.

In the present study, we included 86 IgAN patients with renal biopsy from June 2015 to May 2016 and had their plasma interleukin-7 (IL-7) level measured with ELISA. The association between the plasma IL-7 level and clinico-pathological characteristics was analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining was used to assay the in situ expression of IL-7 in vivo. Western blotting was performed to examine the production of extracellular matrix, p-mTOR and the markers of autophagy under the treatment of IL-7 after TGF-β1 stimulation in renal tubular epithelial cells.

IL-7 was significantly decreased in patients with IgAN compared to healthy subjects (2.3077 vs. 8.6294 pg/mL, P<0.0001). There was a significant difference in the plasma IL-7 level between tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis T0 and T2 classes (P=0.0064). A lower plasma IL-7 value in patients at the time of biopsy indicated a poor renal outcome. In addition, IL-7 was over-expressed in renal tubular epithelial cells and significantly attenuated transforming growth factor βl-induced extracellular matrix production by suppression of cellular autophagy via activation of mTOR1 signaling.

These results suggested that IL-7 might be a noninvasive biomarker for predicating IgAN. It protected renal proximal tubular epithelial cells from cellular fibrosis by inhibiting autophagy via mTORl signaling.

Although relatively rare, adult immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) can lead to severe complications and longer hospitalization, and result in poor prognosis, when compared to childhood IgAV. Hence, early identification and prevention for patients prone to develop systemic involvement are essential. The purpose of this study was to explore the correlations of common serological markers with the development of systemic involvement in adult IgAV.

A retrospective analysis was performed for adult IgAV patients, who were hospitalized in Wuhan Union Hospital between January 2016 and December 2019. A total of 259 patients were enrolled, and the pre-treatment serological markers were comprehensively assessed.

In the present study, 49.0% and 33.2% of patients developed renal and gastrointestinal (GI) involvement, respectively. Furthermore, the elevated levels of white blood cells count, D-Dimer (D-D), C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil granulocyte ratio (NE%) >60% were significantly associated with GI involvement in the univariate analysis, while the decrease in high density lipoprotein level, and the elevated D-D and CRP levels were significantly associated with renal involvement (P<0.05). Moreover, a prediction model that combined multiple markers was established by performing a logistic regression analysis, and this presented a more favorable value of prediction than the individual serological markers.

The present study suggests that common serological markers have close correlations with systemic involvement in adult IgAV, and that the establishment of a prediction model for systemic involvement may be helpful in facilitating personalized therapeutic strategies and clinical management for IgAV patients.

To observe the influences of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) on nutrition metabolism and prognosis of patients with severe abdominal trauma; at the same time, to analyze and evaluate the pharmacoeconomics of it.

A total of 75 severe abdominal trauma patients were recruited from June 2016 to December 2017 and randomly divided into control group and observation group. After surgery and basic treatment, parenteral nutrition support therapy with iso-nitrogen and iso-calorie of both groups was administered. Meanwhile, an equivalent of 8.5% (18AA-II) and 10% (20AA) compound AA injection was administrated to the control and observation groups, respectively. The nitrogen balance, serum protein level and plasma amino spectrum of the patients were observed before and after treatment. Besides, the hospital stay, survival rate, complications, adverse reactions and hospitalization costs were also compared.

After a 7-day course treatment, the nitrogen balance level of the two groups was significantly improved, but no significant difference was found between them. In addition, the serum protein level and plasma amino spectrum of the two groups was generally improved when compared to before treatment. Compared with the control group, the level of albumin and transferrin in the observation group was improved significantly after treatment, while no difference in plasma amino spectrum was found between the two groups. Moreover, the cost analysis showed remarkably reduced hospitalization costs in the observation group.

To a certain degree, BCAAs could improve the nutritional metabolism and prognosis of patients with severe abdominal trauma, and have good cost-effectiveness.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a significant medical problem with a high mortality rate. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism for the progression and regression of AAA is unknown.

Experimental model of AAA was first created by porcine pancreatic elastase incubation around the infrarenal aorta of C57BL/6 mice. Then, AAA progression and regression were evaluated based on the diameter and volume of AAA. The aortas were harvested for hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE), orcein staining, sirius red staining, immunofluorescence analysis and perls’ prussian blue staining at the indicated time point. Finally, β-aminopropionitrile monofumarate (BAPN) was used to explore the underlying mechanism of the regression of AAA.

When we extended the observation period to 100 days, we not only observed an increase in the AAA diameter and volume in the early stage, but also a decrease in the late stage. Consistent with AAA diameter and volume, the aortic thickness showed the same tendency based on HE staining. The elastin and collagen content first degraded and then regenerated, which corresponds to the early deterioration and late regression of AAA. Then, endogenous up-regulation of lysyl oxidase (LOX) was detected, accompanying the regression of AAA, as detected by an immunofluorescent assay. BAPN and LOX inhibitor considerably inhibited the regression of AAA, paralleling the degradation of elastin lamella and collagen.

Taken together, we tentatively conclude that endogenous re-generation of LOX played an influential role in the regression of AAA. Therefore, regulatory factors on the generation of LOX exhibit promising therapeutic potential against AAA.

To evaluate the effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) on preventing rats from glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head (GCONFH) in the early stage in vivo and to investigate the possible mechanism of hUC-MSCs in regulating the balance of osteogenesis and adipogenesis.

All rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (C group), model group (M group), and intervention group (I group). The model of GC-ONFH was developed by a sequential administration of lipopolysaccharide and methylprednisolone. The rats in the I group were treated with caudal vein injection of hUC-MSCs. Six weeks later, the blood samples were obtained to measure the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and the content of triglyceride (TG) in serum, and the femoral heads were harvested and observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, Micro-CT, Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

After intervention of hUC-MSCs, the necrosis rate of femoral head decreased from 83% (10/12) to 33% (4/12), the rate of empty bone lacuna was significantly decreased, the activity of ALP increased significantly, the content of TG decreased significantly, the bone density increased obviously, the expression of RUNX2 and Col I increased significantly and the expression of PPARγ decreased significantly.

These results revealed that caudal vein injection of hUC-MSCs can effectively reduce the incidence of GC-ONFH in rats by increasing ALP activity and reducing TG content in serum, increasing bone mineral density, promoting the expression of RUNX2 and Col I, and inhibiting the expression of PPARγ.

Osteosarcoma is one of the most common types of bone sarcoma with a poor prognosis. However, identifying the predictive factors that contribute to the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy remains a significant challenge.

A public data series (GSE87437) was downloaded to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) between osteosarcoma patients that do and do not respond to preoperative chemotherapy. Subsequently, functional analysis of the transcriptome expression profile, regulatory networks of DEGs and DElncRNAs, competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) and protein-protein interaction networks were performed. Furthermore, the function, pathway, and survival analysis of hub genes was performed and drug and disease relationship prediction of DElncRNA was carried out.

A total of 626 DEGs, 26 DElncRNAs, and 18 hub genes were identified. However, only one gene and two lncRNAs were found to be suitable as candidate gene and lncRNAs respectively.

The DEGs, hub genes, candidate gene, and candidate lncRNAs screened out in this context were considered as potential biomarkers for the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy of osteosarcoma.

Both ligament-advanced reinforcement system (LARS) and hamstring tendon autograft can serve as grafts for posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction. However, few studies have compared the effectiveness of these two approaches. This study therefore aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of arthroscopic reconstruction of the PCL using either the LARS or hamstring tendon autograft.

A total of 36 patients who underwent PCL reconstruction were retrospectively analyzed. Within this cohort, 15 patients received a reconstruction using the LARS (LARS group) and 21 using the hamstring tendon autograft (HT group).

The pre- and post-operative subjective scores and knee stability were evaluated and the patients were followed up for a period of 2 to 10.5 years (4.11±2.0 years on average). The last follow-up showed that functional scores and knee stability were significantly improved in both groups (P<0.05). Six months after operation, Lysholm scores and IKDC subjective scores were higher in the LARS group than in the HT group (P<0.05). Nonetheless, the last follow-up showed no significant differences in the functional scores or the posterior drawer test between the two groups (P>0.05). In the LARS and HT groups, 12 and 9 patients, respectively exhibited KT1000 values <3 mm, with the difference being statistically significant (P<0.05). In the HT group, the diameter of the four-strand hamstring tendon was positively correlated with height (P<0.05), which was 7.37±0.52 mm in males and 6.50±0.77 mm in females (P<0.05).

Both LARS and hamstring tendon approaches achieved good efficacy for PCL reconstruction, but patients in the LARS group exhibited faster functional recovery and better knee stability in the long term. LARS is especially suitable for those who hope to resume activities as early as possible.

Wallerian degeneration is a pathological process closely related to peripheral nerve regeneration following injury, and includes the disintegration and phagocytosis of peripheral nervous system cells. Traditionally, morphological changes are observed by performing immunofluorescence staining after sectioning, which results in the loss of some histological information. The purpose of this study was to explore a new, nondestructive, and systematic method for observing axonal histological changes during Wallerian degeneration.

Thirty male Thy1-YFP-16 mice (SPF grade, 6 weeks old, 20±5 g) were randomly selected and divided into clear, unobstructed brain imaging cocktails and computational analysis (CUBIC) optical clearing (n=15) and traditional method groups (n=15). Five mice in each group were sacrificed at 1st, 3rd, and 5th day following a crush operation. The histological axon changes were observed by CUBIC light optical clearing treatment, direct tissue section imaging, and HE staining.

The results revealed that, compared with traditional imaging methods, there was no physical damage to the samples, which allowed for three-dimensional and deep-seated tissue imaging through CUBIC. Local image information could be nicely obtained by direct fluorescence imaging and HE staining, but it was difficult to obtain image information of the entire sample. At the same time, the image information obtained by fluorescence imaging and HE staining was partially lost.

The combining of CUBIC and Thy1-YFP transgenic mice allowed for a clear and comprehensive observation of histological changes of axons in Wallerian degeneration.

The use of the traditional American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system alone has limitations in predicting the survival of gingiva squamous cell carcinoma (GSCC) patients. We aimed to establish a comprehensive prognostic nomogram with a prognostic value similar to the AJCC system.

Patients were identified from SEER database. Variables were selected by a backward stepwise selection method in a Cox regression model. A nomogram was used to predict cancer-specific survival rates for 3, 5 and 10 years in patients with GSCC. Several basic features of model validation were used to evaluate the performance of the survival model: consistency index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration chart, net weight classification improvement (NRI), comprehensive discriminant improvement (IDI) and decision curve analysis (DCA).

Multivariate analyses revealed that age, race, marital status, insurance, AJCC stage, pathology grade and surgery were risk factors for survival. In particular, the C-index, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) and the calibration plots showed good performance of the nomogram. Compared to the AJCC system, NRI and IDI showed that the nomogram has improved performance. Finally, the nomogram’s 3-year and 5-year and 10-year DCA curves yield net benefits higher than traditional AJCC, whether training set or a validation set.

We developed and validated the first GSCC prognosis nomogram, which has a better prognostic value than the separate AJCC staging system. Overall, the nomogram of this study is a valuable tool for clinical practice to consult patients and understand their risk for the next 3, 5 and 10 years.

To investigate glucose metabolic alterations in cerebral cortical subareas using ¹⁸F-labeled glucose derivative fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) micro-positron emission tomography (PET) scanning in a rat renal ischemia/reperfusion (RIR) model.

Small-animal PET imaging in vivo was performed with ¹⁸F-labeled FDG as a PET tracer to identify glucose metabolic alterations in cerebral cortical subregions using a rat model of RIR.

We found that the average standardized uptake value (SUV_average) of the cerebral cortical subareas in the RIR group was significantly increased compared to the sham group (P<0.05). We also found that glucose uptake in different cortical subregions including the left auditory cortex, right medial prefrontal cortex, right para cortex, left retrosplenial cortex, right retrosplenial cortex, and right visual cortex was significantly increased in the RIR group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the SUV_average of right auditory cortex, left medial prefrontal cortex, left para cortex, and left visual cortex between the two groups.

The ¹⁸F-FDG PET data suggests that RIR causes a profound shift in the metabolic machinery of cerebral cortex subregions.

To comprehensively and accurately analyze the out-performance of low-dose chest CT (LDCT) vs. standard-dose CT (SDCT).

The image quality, size measurements and radiation exposure for LDCT and SDCT protocols were evaluated. A total of 117 patients with extra-thoracic malignancies were prospectively enrolled for non-enhanced CT scanning using LDCT and SDCT protocols. Three experienced radiologists evaluated subjective image quality independently using a 5-point score system. Nodule detection efficiency was compared between LDCT and SDCT based on nodule characteristics (size and volume). Radiation metrics and organ doses were analyzed using Radimetrics.

The images acquired with the LDCT protocol yielded comparable quality to those acquired with the SDCT protocol. The sensitivity of LDCT for the detection of pulmonary nodules (n=650) was lower than that of SDCT (n=660). There was no significant difference in the diameter and volume of pulmonary nodules between LDCT and SDCT (for BMI <22 kg/m², 4.37 vs. 4.46 mm, and 43.66 vs. 46.36 mm³; for BMI ≥22 kg/m², 4.3 vs. 4.41 mm, and 41.66 vs. 44.86 mm³) (P>0.05). The individualized volume CT dose index (CTDI_vol), the size specific dose estimate and effective dose were significantly reduced in the LDCT group compared with the SDCT group (all P<0.0001). This was especially true for dose-sensitive organs such as the lung (for BMI <22 kg/m², 2.62 vs. 12.54 mSV, and for BMI ≥22 kg/m², 1.62 vs. 9.79 mSV) and the breast (for BMI <22 kg/m², 2.52 vs. 10.93 mSV, and for BMI ≥22 kg/m², 1.53 vs. 9.01 mSV) (P<0.0001).

These results suggest that with the increases in image noise, LDCT and SDCT exhibited a comparable image quality and sensitivity. The LDCT protocol for chest scans may reduce radiation exposure by about 80% compared to the SDCT protocol.

To evaluate the analgesic effect of ultrasound-guided subcostal anterior quadratus lumborum block (QLB) for laparoscopic radical gastrectomy surgery.

Patients (aged 20–65 years, ASA I — II, and weighing 40–75 kg) scheduled for elective laparoscopic radical gastrectomy were enrolled in the current study. Sixty patients were randomly assigned to two groups by computer-generated randomization codes: an ultrasound-guided oblique subcostal transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) group (group T, n=30) or an ultrasound-guided subcostal anterior QLB group (group Q, n=30). In both groups, bilateral ultrasound-guided oblique subcostal TAPB and subcostal anterior QLB were performed before general anesthesia with 0.25% ropivacaine 0.5 mL/kg. For postoperative management, all patients received patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) with nalbuphine and sufentanil after surgery, maintaining visual analogue scale (VAS) scores ≤4 within 48 h. The intraoperative consumption of remifentanil, the requirement for sufentanil as a rescue analgesic, and the VAS scores at rest and coughing were recorded at 1, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after surgery. The recovery (extubation time after surgery, first ambulation time, first flatus time and length of postoperative hospital stay) and the adverse events (nausea and vomiting, skin pruritus, respiratory depression and nerve-block related complications) were observed and recorded. The primary outcome was the perioperative consumption of opioids.

Compared with group T, the intraoperative consumption of remifentanil, requirement for sufentanil and the frequency of PCIA were reduced in group Q. Meanwhile, VAS scores at all points of observation were significantly lower in group Q than in group T. Patients in group Q were also associated with shorter time to first out-of-bed activity and flatus, and shorter length of postoperative hospital stay than group T (P<0.05). There were no skin pruritus, respiratory depression or nerve-block related complications in both groups.

Compared with ultrasound-guided oblique subcostal TAPB, ultrasound-guided subcostal anterior QLB provided greater opioid-sparing effect, lower visual analogue scores, and shorter postoperative hospital stay for laparoscopic radical gastrectomy.

A diagnosis of drowning remains one of the most challenging issues in forensic science, especially for decomposed bodies. Diatom analysis is considered as an encouraging method for diagnosing drowning. In this study, we developed a drowned rat model using different diatom densities in water.

A total of 120 adult Sprague-Dawley rats were used and divided into six groups, wherein experimental groups 1–5 were drowned rats (group A) and postmortem submersion rats (group B) that were submerged in water with five different Cyclotella sp. diatom densities, while the remaining group was used as a blank control. The combination of microwave digestion and vacuum filtration method was used to accomplish efficient tissue digestion and ascertain higher accuracy of diatom determinations within organs.

The abundances of diatoms in the lungs, livers, and kidneys were significantly different. The diatom abundances in the lungs, livers, and kidneys were directly proportional to the water diatom densities, and specific quantitative relationships could be approximated by separate regression equations for each organ type. However, the trends associated with the diatom increases among organs slightly differed. In addition, the diatom abundances in the lungs, livers, and kidneys were all positively correlated. Diatoms were not observed in the postmortem submersion groups nor in the blank control groups.

The results of this study provide valuable information for establishing a quantitative diatom framework for informing future forensic medicine efforts.

Generic drugs provide an opportunity for savings in drug expenditure since they are available at a lower cost and do not affect patients’ health. A better understanding of pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes, and perception can promote the quality use of generic drugs. The objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and perception of pharmacists from tertiary hospitals in China regarding generic drugs.

A cross-sectional survey using a postal questionnaire was conducted, which was sent to 200 hospital pharmacists randomly selected from tertiary hospitals in Hubei Province. A total of 125 questionnaires out of 200 were received. Of the respondents, 80 were female and 45 were male.

The majority of respondents (87.2%) could clearly distinguish between original and generic drugs. Pharmacists agreed that generic drugs were less effective (52.8%) and produced more side effects (52%). Fortynine respondents thought that generic drug products were not adequately tested. Approximately 78% and 60% of the pharmacists indicated that generic substitution was not feasible for drugs with narrow therapeutic windows and drugs for critical diseases, respectively. Most of them supported the recommendation of generic drugs based on professional judgment.

Our study showed that a considerable portion of Chinese hospital pharmacists hold negative perceptions of generic drugs. Interventions to improve pharmacists’ knowledge of generic drugs are needed.

Lung cancer has the highest incidence and mortality of all malignant tumors in China. Cancer pain dramatically affects patients’ comfort level, causing insomnia, anorexia, anxiety, fear, depression, and a decline in the quality of life (QOL). The literature suggests a shortage of adequate cancer pain management for 59.1% of patients in China. The quality control circle (QCC) activity reflects the people-oriented core idea of management. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of QCC in enhancing the effectiveness of drug interventions in lung cancer patients with moderate to severe pain.

From January 2019 to July 2019, lung cancer patients with moderate to severe pain were treated with drugs. The total number of drug interventions was 3072. A QCC activity was performed following the ten steps of the plan-docheck- act (PDCA) model. The reasons for the poor effectiveness of drug intervention in lung cancer patients with moderate to severe pain were analyzed. Countermeasures were designed to improve the effectiveness of drug intervention, including setting up a pain college, writing a medication education manual, and formulating operational rules for the administration of narcotic drugs. The effectiveness of drug intervention in lung cancer patients with moderate to severe pain and activity ability scores of QCC members were analyzed statistically before and after QCC activity. The effectiveness of drug intervention was investigated and compared before and after establishing the QCC.

After establishing the PDCA model, the effectiveness of drug intervention for moderate to severe pain in lung cancer patients increased from 56.28% to 85.29%. Members had significant improvement in problem-solving ability, responsibility, communication, coordination, self-confidence, team cohesion, enthusiasm, QCC skills, and harmony.

QCC activity can significantly improve the efficiency of drug intervention in lung cancer patients with moderate to severe pain and their quality of life.

Various studies have suggested that metabolic genes play a significant role in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The current study aimed to identify a metabolic signature related biomarker to predict the prognosis of patients with PTC.

We conducted a comprehensive analysis on the data obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The correlation between survival result and metabolic genes was evaluated based on the univariate Cox analyses, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox analyses. The performance of a 7-gene signature was assessed according to Kaplan-Meier and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was adopted to unearth clinical factors related to the recurrence free survival (RFS) of patients with PTC. Finally, a prognostic nomogram was developed based on risk score, cancer status and cancer width to improve the prediction for RFS of PTC patients.

Seven metabolic genes were used to establish the prognostic model. The ROC curve and C-index exhibited high value in training, testing and the whole TCGA datasets. The established nomogram, incorporating the 7-metabolic gene signature and clinical factors, was able to predict the RFS with high effectiveness. The 7-metabolic gene signature-based nomogram had a good performance to predict the RFS of patients with PTC.

Our study identified a 7-metabolic gene signature and established a prognostic nomogram, which were useful in predicting the RFS of PTC.

The present study was aimed to identify novel key genes, prognostic biomarkers and molecular pathways implicated in tumorigenesis of colon cancer.

The microarray data GSE41328 containing 10 colon cancer samples and 10 adjacent normal tissues was analyzed to identify 4763 differentially expressed genes. Meanwhile, another microarray data GSE17536 was performed for weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA).

In present study, 12 co-expressed gene modules associated with tumor progression were identified for further studies. The red module showed the highest association with pathological stage by Pearson’s correlation analysis. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that genes in red module focused on cell division, cell proliferation, cell cycle and metabolic related pathway. Then, a total of 26 key hub genes were identified, and GEPIA database was subsequently selected for validation. Holliday junction-recognizing protein (HJURP) and cell division cycle 25 homolog C (CDC25C) were identified as effective prognosis biomarkers, which were all detrimental to prognosis. Gene set enrichment analyses (GSEA) found the two hub genes were enriched in “oocyte meiosis”, “oocyte maturation that are progesterone-mediated”, “p53 signaling pathway”, and “cell cycle”. Furthermore, the immunohistochemistry and western blotting showed that HJURP was highly expressed in colon cancer tissue.

HJURP was identified as a key gene associated with colon cancer progression and prognosis by WGCNA, which might influence the prognosis by regulating cell cycle pathways.

To investigate the application value of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), GeneXpert, mycobacterial culture, smear microscopy, TSPOT.TB (TSPOT), ratio of TB-specific antigen to phytohemagglutinin (TBAg/PHA ratio) in the detection of mycobacterium tuberculosis in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.

A retrospective analysis was performed on the patients who underwent bronchoscopy from December 2018 to November 2019 in Tongji Hospital. The patients with positive tuberculosis culture or positive GeneXpert in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were selected as the case group, and those without tuberculosis served as the control group. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of LAMP, GeneXpert, culture, smear microscopy, TSPOT, and TBAg/PHA ratio.

For the patients with positive cultures as case, the sensitivity of LAMP, GeneXpert, smear microscopy, TSPOT and TBAg/PHA ratio was 73.49%, 89.16%, 25.30%, 80.00%, 33.85%, respectively, the specificity was 99.00%, 100.00%, 99.00%, 86.00%, 100.00%, respectively, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.849, 0.938, 0.633, 0.830, 0.669, respectively. For the patients with positive GeneXpert as case, the sensitivity of LAMP, mycobacterial culture, smear microscopy, TSPOT and TBAg/PHA ratio was 73.20%, 74.23%, 22.68%, 68.92%, 29.73%, respectively, the specificity was 99.00%, 100.00%, 99.00%, 86.00%, 100.00%, respectively, the AUC was 0.853, 0.878, 0.623, 0.775, 0.649, respectively.

The sensitivity of GeneXpert was best. The sensitivity and diagnostic value of LAMP were slightly lower than those of GeneXpert, and were similar to tuberculosis culture. The sensitivity of smear microscopy was low. The specificity of TSPOT was low. When TBAg/PHA ratio >0.2 was used as a diagnostic index, the specificity was improved, but the sensitivity was low.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is mainly caused by the pathogenic mutation of PKD1 or PKD2 gene and usually affects bilateral kidneys. Synonymous mutations are generally assumed to be neutral as they do not alter amino acids. Herein, we described an extremely rare ADPKD child caused by a heterozygous synonymous mutation of PKD2 gene accompanied by massive proteinuria and congenital solitary kidney.

Clinical characteristics of the patients were summarized. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to screen the disease-causing gene mutation, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Sanger sequencing were applied to analyze the impact of the identified mutation on gene transcription and splicing.

Polycystic changes were found in the solitary kidney of a girl initially presented with nephrotic-range proteinuria. Thereafter her mother and 2 other family members were diagnosed to be ADPKD. Whole-exome sequencing of the proband identified a heterozygous synonymous mutation (c.1716G>A, p.Lys572=) located in the splicing site of exon 7 in PKD2 gene, which was co-segregated with the PKD phenotype in the family. RT-PCR and direct sequencing of amplified products revealed that this heterozygous synonymous mutation led to exon7 skipping in PKD2 gene.

We reported an extremely rare child case of ADPKD2 in combination with solitary kidney and nephrotic-range proteinuria, and firstly confirmed the pathogenicity of a heterozygous synonymous mutation (c.1716G>A) in PKD2 gene. The results indicate that synonymous mutations should not be excluded from disease-causing if they are located in splicing site of an exon.