Effects of FGFR2b-ligand signaling on pancreatic branching morphogenesis and postnatal islet function.

Pancreatic development is a complex process vital for maintaining metabolic balance, requiring intricate interactions among different cell types and signaling pathways. Fibroblast growth factor receptors 2b (FGFR2b)-ligands signaling from adjacent mesenchymal cells is crucial in initiating pancreatic development and differentiating exocrine and endocrine cells through a paracrine mechanism. However, the precise critical time window that affects pancreatic development remains unclear.

Practitioners' perspectives on acupuncture treatment for postpartum depression: A qualitative study.

Background: Acupuncture may become a treatment for postpartum depression (PPD). Currently, little is known about the use of acupuncture in the treatment of PPD from the point of view of practitioners. The aim of this study was to explore practitioners' perspectives on the treatment of PPD with acupuncture and provide suggestions for future improvement.

A survey of clinical and laboratory characteristics of the dengue fever epidemic from 2017 to 2019 in Zhejiang, China.

To explore the epidemic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of dengue patients in Zhejiang and the possible mechanism. Epidemic, clinical and laboratory data of 231 dengue patients admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Medicine University between August 2017 and December 2019 were collected. GSE43777 dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and was used for the immune cell infiltration analysis, logistic regression analysis, and nomogram construction.

Influence of Acupuncture on Microcirculation Perfusion of Pericardium Meridian and Heart in Acute Myocardial Ischemia Model Rats.

Objective: To observe the influence of acupuncture on microcirculation perfusion of the pericardium meridian and heart in acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) rats and evaluate whether acupuncture can simultaneously affect the meridians and corresponding viscera. Additionally, acupoints at different meridians were compared and whether they exert the same effects was discussed.

Methods: Totally 32 Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to left anterior descending (LAD) ligation to develop an AMI model.

Assessment of Benchmark Dose in BEAS-2B Cells by Evaluating the Cell Relative Viability with Particulates in Motorcycle Exhaust the Air-liquid Interface Exposure.

Objective: This study aimed to use an air-liquid interface (ALI) exposure system to simulate the inhalation exposure of motorcycle exhaust particulates (MEPs) and then investigate the benchmark dose (BMD) of MEPs by evaluating cell relative viability (CRV) in lung epithelial BEAS-2B cells.

Methods: The MEPs dose was characterized by measuring the number concentration (NC), surface area concentration (SAC), and mass concentration (MC). BEAS-2B cells were exposed to MEPs at different concentrations ALI and CRV was determined using Cell Counting Kit (CCK-8) assay.

miR-210 is a Serological Biomarker for Predicting Recurrence and Prognosis of Colon Carcinoma Patients with Liver Metastases After Radiofrequency Ablation Treatment.

Purpose: Hepatic metastasis of colon carcinoma seriously affects the prognosis of patients, and miRNA has attracted much attention in predicting hepatic metastasis of colon carcinoma (CC). This research aimed to explore the predictive role of miR-210 in serum for recurrence and prognosis of CC patients with hepatic metastasis.

Methods: Altogether, 150 patients with liver metastases of CC (research group, RG) and 130 patients with non-metastatic of CC (control group, CG) admitted to People's Hospital of Deyang City from March 2012 to March 2015 were obtained and their serum was collected.

Quercetin prevents bone loss in hindlimb suspension mice via stanniocalcin 1-mediated inhibition of osteoclastogenesis.

Recent studies demonstrate that diet quercetin (Quer) has obvious bone protective effects on ovariectomized rodents but thus far there is no direct evidence to support the inhibitory effect of Quer on bone loss caused by long-term unloading. In the present study, we investigated whether Quer could prevent bone loss induced by unloading in mice. Mice were subjected to hindlimb suspension (HLS) and received Quer (25, 50, 100 mg· kg ·day, ig) for 4 weeks.

Astrocyte elevated gene-1 serves as a target of miR542 to promote glioblastoma proliferation and invasion.

Background: Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is strongly linked with tumor invasion and metastasis, which performs a vital role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Emerging evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) expression are closely associated to EMT by regulating targeted genes. MiR542 has been found to be involved in the EMT program and bound up with various cancers.

[Association analysis of phenotypic traits of alkaloid content in Sophora alopecuroides with SSR molecular markers].

To further study and fully exploit the medicinal plant Sophora alopecuroides, the molecular markers related with the phenotypic traits of alkaloid content in S. alopecuroides should be detected. In this study, SSR molecular markers were used to analyze the genetic diversity and genetic structure of 23 S.

Efficacy of verum and sham acupoint catgut embedding for treatment of obesity: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Obesity has become a major public health hazard with epidemic proportions, affecting adults, adolescents, and children of both genders. Previous studies have suggested that acupoint catgut embedding (ACE) might be a potential therapeutic approach for obesity. The purpose of this study is to conduct a rigorous and normative trial to determine the efficacy of ACE for obesity.

Regulatory effect of a Chinese herbal medicine formula on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a major cause of chronic liver disease. The Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) Dachaihu decoction (DCHD) has been proved to treat NAFLD with good efficacy in previous studies. Based on the TCM principle of formula formation, we divided DCHD into soothing liver part, invigorating spleen part, and dredging intestine part.

Purines Change at Acupoints along the Pericardium Meridian in Healthy and Myocardial Ischemic Rats.

Objective: To quantify the purine concentrations of the acupoints along the pericardium and nonpericardium meridians under healthy and myocardial ischemia conditions to investigate the relationship between acupoint purine change and body functional status in rats.

Methods: A total of 70 rats underwent an operation for myocardial ischemia, while 40 of them survived. They were randomly assigned to the following 5 subgroups: Neiguan (PC 6), Quze (PC 3), Tianquan (PC 2), Quchi (LI 11), and Jianyu (LI 15).

Structural Changes Induced by Acupuncture in the Recovering Brain after Ischemic Stroke.

The aim of this study was to observe the grey matter (GM) tissue changes of ischemic stroke patients, to explore the therapy responses and possible mechanism of acupuncture. 21 stroke patients were randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture plus conventional (Group A) or only conventional (Group B) treatments for 4 weeks. All patients in both groups accepted resting-state functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) scan before and after treatment, and the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis was performed to detect the cerebral grey structure changes.

Regional brain structural abnormality in ischemic stroke patients: a voxel-based morphometry study.

Our previous study used regional homogeneity analysis and found that activity in some brain areas of patients with ischemic stroke changed significantly. In the current study, we examined structural changes in these brain regions by taking structural magnetic resonance imaging scans of 11 ischemic stroke patients and 15 healthy participants, and analyzing the data using voxel-based morphometry. Compared with healthy participants, patients exhibited higher gray matter density in the left inferior occipital gyrus and right anterior white matter tract.

[Maternal outcomes in pregnant women with pernicious placenta previa].

Objective: To analyze the maternal outcomes of pregnant women with pernicious placenta previa (PPP).

Methods: Clinical data of 470 patients with placenta previa admitted in Women's Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine from August 2012 to August 2014 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into pernicious group(n=101) and non-pernicious group(n=369) according to the history of cesarean section and location of placenta attached to the uterine.

Changes of resting cerebral activities in subacute ischemic stroke patients.

This study aimed to detect the difference in resting cerebral activities between ischemic stroke patients and healthy participants, define the abnormal site, and provide new evidence for pathological mechanisms, clinical diagnosis, prognosis prediction and efficacy evaluation of ischemic stroke. At present, the majority of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies focus on the motor dysfunction and the acute stage of ischemic stroke. This study recruited 15 right-handed ischemic stroke patients at subacute stage (15 days to 11.

[Study on the clinical manifestation of 438 cases with blepharitis].

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics and the therapy effect of blepharitis patients in clinic.

Methods: Retrospective case series study.Four hundred and thirty-eight patients were diagnosed clinically as blepharitis in Beijing Tongren Hospital from Jan 2009 to July 2012.

Yolk-type Au@Fe3O4@C nanospheres for drug delivery, MRI and two-photon fluorescence imaging.

Nearly monodispersed yolk-type Au@Fe3O4@C nanospheres with hollow cores of 50 nm in diameter were prepared through coating Au@SiO2 nanoparticles with Fe3O4@C double layers, followed by dissolving SiO2. The cytotoxicity of the nanospheres was evaluated by MTT assay, demonstrating a high biocompatibility. The yolk-type nanospheres show a high DOX loading content of 1237 mg g(-1).

Needle-age related variability in nitrogen, mobile carbohydrates, and δ13C within Pinus koraiensis tree crowns.

For both ecologists and physiologists, foliar physioecology as a function of spatially and temporally variable environmental factors such as sunlight exposure within a tree crown is important for understanding whole tree physiology and for predicting ecosystem carbon balance and productivity. Hence, we studied concentrations of nitrogen (N), non-structural carbohydrates (NSC = soluble sugars + starch), and δ(13)C in different-aged needles within Pinus koraiensis tree crowns, to understand the needle age- and crown position-related physiology, in order to test the hypothesis that concentrations of N, NSC, and δ(13)C are needle-age and crown position dependent (more light, more photosynthesis affecting N, NSC, and δ(13)C), and to develop an accurate sampling strategy. The present study indicated that the 1-yr-old needles had significantly higher concentration levels of mobile carbohydrates (both on a mass and an area basis) and N(area) (on an area basis), as well as NSC-N ratios, but significantly lower levels of N(mass) (on a mass basis) concentration and specific leaf area (SLA), compared to the current-year needles.