Circ_0000615 promotes high glucose-induced human retinal pigment epithelium cell apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress via miR-646/YAP1 axis in diabetic retinopathy.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a common complication of diabetes mellitus, is the major cause of visual impairment and blindness. Circ_0000615 was found to be elevated in retina samples of diabetic patients. Hence, the detailed effects and molecular mechanisms of circ_0000615 in DN progression were explored.

ATF4-mediated GDF15 suppresses LPS-induced inflammation and MUC5AC in human nasal epithelial cells through the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Aims: Growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is a stress-related factor, which implicated in various diseases. This study aimed to investigate the role of GDF15 in LPS-mediated inflammation and to explore the potential underlying molecular mechanisms in human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpCs).

Main Methods: HNEpCs were treated with LPS.

Effect of vitamin D3 supplementation during pregnancy on high risk factors - a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: Vitamin D plays an important role in the release of the placenta and implantation, and low levels are a risk factor for pre-eclampsia. Studies have also shown that symptomatic treatment of vitamin D3 deficiency can effectively reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia. In this study, vitamin D3 supplementation was performed on the risk of pre-eclampsia to observe its effect.

Eighty-year-old man with rare chronic neutrophilic leukemia caused by T618I mutation: A case report and review of literature.

Background: Chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) is a rare bone marrow proliferative tumor and a heterogeneous disorder. In 2016, the World Health Organization included activating mutations in the gene as one of the diagnostic criteria, with T618I being the most common mutation. The disease is often accompanied by splenomegaly, but no developmental abnormalities and significant reticular fibrosis, and no Ph chromosome and fusion gene.

Mining prognostic factors of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer patients using nomogram model.

This study is to establish the nomogram model and provide clinical therapy decision-making for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) patients with different metastatic sites using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.A total of 10,025 patients of ES-SCLC with metastasis from January 2010 to December 2016 were enrolled from the SEER database. All samples were randomly divided into a derivation cohort and a validation cohort, and the derivation cohort was divided into 6 groups by different metastatic sites: bone, liver, lung, brain, multiple organs, and other organs.

Comparison of Blood Glucose Variability Between Exenatide and Biphasic Insulin Aspart 30 in Chinese Participants with Type 2 Diabetes Inadequately Controlled with Metformin Monotherapy: A Multicenter, Open-Label, Randomized Trial.

Introduction: To compare blood glucose variability (GV) in Chinese participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) whose blood glucose levels are inadequately controlled with metformin monotherapy after twice-daily exenatide or biphasic insulin aspart 30 (BIAsp30).

Methods: In this 16-week multicenter, randomized clinical trial, 104 participants were randomized 1:1 to receive exenatide (exenatide group) or BIAsp30 (BIAsp30 group) twice daily. All participants continued metformin treatment.

Serum TSGF and miR-214 levels in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and their predictive value for the curative effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the expression of tumor-specific growth factor (TSGF) and microRNA-214 (miR-214) in the serum of patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) and their predictive values for the curative effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 87 PHC patients were treated with TACE. According to the curative effect 1 month after TACE, PHC patients were divided into disease control group (n=56) and disease progression group (n=31).

Clinical complete regression after local radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy for stage IV rectal cancer: A case report.

Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer worldwide with about 0.8 million new cases annually. Improving patient survival remains a challenge for clinicians.

Cervus and cucumis peptides combined umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells therapy for rheumatoid arthritis.

Cervus and cucumis peptides (Lugua polypeptides, LG) are traditional Chinese medicine, which are active components of polypeptide extracted from Sika deer bone and melon seed, and they contain bone induced polypeptide biological factors. Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell, (UC-MSC) have tissue repair multiple effects, anti-inflammatory, and immune regulation function, which become a very promising start in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. Hence, LG combined UC-MSC can significantly enhance the UC-MSC treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Mutation spectrum analysis of 29 causative genes in 43 Chinese patients with congenital hypothyroidism.

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common neonatal endocrine disorder with a genetic origin. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the mutation spectrum of CH patients in China. A targeted next‑generation sequencing panel covering all exons of 29 CH‑related causative genes was used in 43 Han Chinese patients with CH [11 dysgenesis and 32 glands in situ (GIS)].

miR-148a-3p exhaustion inhibits necrosis by regulating PTEN in acute pancreatitis.

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a necro-inflammatory disorder with high mortality rate. With advances in understanding the pathogenesis of AP, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to play an essential role in AP progression. However, the mechanism that allows miR-148a-3p to regulate necrosis in AP remains unclear.

A management program for preventing occupational blood-borne infectious exposure among operating room nurses: an application of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model.

Objectives: The study aim was to determine the effect of an occupational blood-borne pathogen exposure (OBE) management program based on the PRECEDE-PROCEED model on knowledge, attitude and behaviour regarding OBE prevention among operating room nurses.

Methods: This was a one-group pre-test post-test experimental study. The PRECEDE-PROCEED model was used to design and evaluate the effect of an OBE management program on 87 operating room nurses from February to July 2018.

[Decreased expression of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) in brain tissue of rats with thermoplegia is associated with encephaledema].

Objective To study the characteristics of the expression of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) in the brains and astrocytes of rats with thermoplegia. Methods Sixty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing (250±30) g were randomly divided into control group and model group. The quiet exposure method with high temperature (40DegreesCelsius) and high humidity (70%) was used to make a typical rat model of thermoplegia to monitor rectal temperature and record onset time every 10 minutes.

Genetic polymorphisms of IL-10, IL-18 and IL12B are associated with risk of non-small cell lung cancer in a Chinese Han population.

Purpose: IL-10, IL-18 and IL-12 are reported to participate in the inflammation process. The potential influences of IL-10, IL-18 and IL-12 polymorphisms on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) risk were explored in this study.

Methods: Six candidate SNPs from 500 NSCLC patients and 500 controls were genotyped.

Radiotherapy combined with cytokine-induced killer cell therapy for liver metastasis from rectal cancer: A case report.

Rationale: Colorectal cancer is the most common type of cancer leading to death; approximately 10% to 25% of rectal cancer patients present with synchronous colorectal liver metastases. However, the management of synchronous colorectal liver metastases is difficult, especially for patients unable to tolerate chemotherapy or surgery. To date, the optimum treatment of colorectal liver metastasis patients remains controversial, and the curative effect is unsatisfactory.

Clinical value of a new generation adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR-V) in the diagnosis of pulmonary nodule in low-dose chest CT.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of low-dose chest CT combined with the new generation adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR-V) algorithm in the diagnosis of pulmonary nodule.

Methods: 30 patients with pulmonary nodules underwent chest CT using Revolution CT. The patients were first scanned with standard-dose at a noise index (NI) of 14, and the images were reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP) algorithm.

Knockdown of TRIM32 Protects Hippocampal Neurons from Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation-Induced Injury.

Tripartite motif 32 (TRIM32) is a member of TRIM family that plays a potential role in neural regeneration. However, the biological function of TRIM32 in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury has not been investigated. In the present study, we evaluated the expression level of TRIM32 in hippocampal neurons following oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R).

[Application of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction veo and 80 kv in renal computed tomography angiography].

To explore the application of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction Veo (ASIR-V) and 80 kV in renal computed tomography angiography(CTA). Eighty patients with renal computed tomography angiography were prospectively collected from April 2018 to July 2018 in the Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine and randomly divided into group A and group B. The patients in group A adopted tube voltage 120 kV and contrast agent concentration 600 mgI/kg and reconstructed with filtered back projection (FBP), while the patients in group B were scanned with tube voltage 80 kV and contrast agent concentration 350 mgI/kg and reconstructed with FBP and ASIR-V from 10% to 100% with 10% interval.

CYLD deficiency exacerbates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pyroptosis in astrocytes of mice with sepsis.

Sepsis is a clinical syndrome occurring in patients following infection or injury, and is a leading cause of mortality in the world. However, the pathogenesis that contributes to sepsis and its associated brain injury is still unclear. Cylindromatosis (CYLD) is integrally involved in various physiological processes, such as immune responses, inflammation and cell cycle control.

Reducing Radiation Dose and Improving Image Quality in CT Portal Venography Using 80 kV and Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction-V in Slender Patients.

Objective: To explore the feasibility of reducing radiation dose and improving image quality in CT portal venography (CTPV) using 80 kV and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-V(ASIR-V) in slender patients in comparison with conventional protocol using 120 kV and ASIR.

Methods: Sixty slender patients for enhanced abdominal CT scanning were randomly divided into group A and group B. Group A used the conventional 120 kV tube voltage, 600 mgI/kg contrast dose and reconstructed with the recommended 40% ASIR.

Competing risk analysis of primary tracheal carcinoma based on SEER database.

Purpose: To analyze the prognostic factors of primary tracheal carcinoma.

Patients And Methods: All patients of primary tracheal carcinoma were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database during 1973-2015. The potential prognostic factors were analyzed by using the competing risk analysis of R statistical software.

Comparison of Nongated Chest CT and Dedicated Calcium Scoring CT for Coronary Calcium Quantification Using a 256-Dector Row CT Scanner.

Background: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a marker of atherosclerosis and an independent risk factor for cardiac-related mortality and frequently detected on noncontrast chest CT. We aimed to investigate the reliability and accuracy of determining CAC using noncontrast, nongated chest CT with 256-detector row.

Materials And Methods: A total of 1318 patients for chest examination were enrolled to undergo both nongated chest CT and dedicated calcium-scoring CT (CSCT) on a 256-detector row CT scanner.

Application of Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction-V With Combination of 80 kV for Reducing Radiation Dose and Improving Image Quality in Renal Computed Tomography Angiography for Slim Patients.

Objectives: To explore the application of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-V (ASIR-V) with combination of 80 kV for reducing radiation dose and improving image quality in renal computed tomography angiography (CTA) for slim patients compared with traditional filtered back projection (FBP) reconstruction using 120 kV.

Methods: Eighty patients for renal CTA were prospectively enrolled and randomly divided into group A and group B. Group A used 120 kV and 600 mgI/kg contrast agent and FBP reconstruction, while group B used 80 kV and 350 mgI/kg contrast agent and both FBP and ASIR-V reconstruction from 10%ASIR-V to 100%ASIR-V with 10%ASIR-V interval.

LncRNA ZEB2-AS1 contributes to the tumorigenesis of gastric cancer via activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Studies have shown that long noncoding RNA Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 2 antisense RNA 1 (ZEB2-AS1) is involved in the progression of lung cancer, bladder cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, its role in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer remains unknown. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway contributes to the development of gastric cancer.

Comparison of Prognostic Indices in NSCLC Patients with Brain Metastases after Radiosurgery.

Prognostic indices are commonly used in the context of brain metastases radiotherapy to guide patient decision-making and clinical trial stratification. This study is to choose an appropriate prognostic index (PI) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases (BM) who underwent radiosurgery. A total of 103 patients with BM from NSCLC receiving radiosurgery were analyzed retrospectively.