Abstract Objective To evaluate the effect of the labiolingual diameter and construction of an endodontically treated (ET) anterior tooth with crown restoration on stress distribution and biomechanical safety under occlusal loading. Methodology Three-dimensional finite element models were generated for maxillary central incisors with all-ceramic crown restorations. The labiolingual diameters of the tooth, defined as the horizontal distance between the protrusion of the labial and lingual surfaces, were changed as follows: (D1) 6.85 mm, (D2) 6.35 mm, and (D3) 5.85 mm. The model was constructed as follows: (S0) vital pulp tooth; (S1) ET tooth; (S2) ET tooth with a 2 mm ferrule, restored with a fiber post and composite resin core; (S3) ET tooth without a ferrule, restored with a fiber post and composite resin core. A total of 12 models were developed. In total, two force loads (100 N) were applied to the crown’s incisal edge and palatal surface at a 45° oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the teeth. The Von Mises stress distribution and maximum stress of the models were analyzed. Results Regardless of the loading location, stress concentration and maximum stress (34.07~66.78MPa) in all models occurred in the labial cervical 1/3 of each root. Both labiolingual diameter and construction influenced the maximum stress of the residual tooth tissue, with the impact of the labiolingual diameter being greater. A reduction in labiolingual diameter led to increased maximum stress throughout the tooth. The ferrule reduced the maximum stress of the core of S2 models (7.15~10.69 MPa), which is lower compared with that of S3 models (19.45~43.67 MPa). Conclusion The labiolingual diameter exerts a greater impact on the biomechanical characteristics of ET anterior teeth with crown restoration, surpassing the influence of the construction. The ferrule can reduce the maximum stress of the core and maintain the uniformity of stress distribution. (ET Threedimensional Three dimensional allceramic ceramic restorations surfaces follows D1 D (D1 685 6 85 6.8 D2 (D2 635 35 6.3 D3 (D3 585 5 5.8 S0 S (S0 S1 (S1 (S2 (S3 1 developed 100 (10 N crowns s 45 analyzed location 34.07~66.78MPa 34076678MPa MPa 34 07 66 78MPa (34.07~66.78MPa 13 3 1/ root tissue 7.15~10.69 7151069 7 15 10 69 (7.15~10.6 MPa, , MPa) 19.45~43.67 19454367 19 43 67 (19.45~43.6 MPa. . (D 68 8 6. 63 58 5. (S (1 4 0 7.15~10.6 715106 (7.15~10. 19.45~43.6 1945436 (19.45~43. ( 7.15~10. 71510 (7.15~10 19.45~43. 194543 (19.45~43 7.15~10 7151 (7.15~1 19.45~43 19454 (19.45~4 7.15~1 715 (7.15~ 19.45~4 1945 (19.45~ 7.15~ 71 (7.15 19.45~ 194 (19.45 7.15 (7.1 19.45 (19.4 7.1 (7. 19.4 (19. 7. (7 19. (19

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between skeletal muscle content and the presence and severity of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in patients with metabolic dysregulation in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients from the endocrinology outpatient department at Ningbo First Hospital, in Ningbo, China, in April 2021. Adult patients with metabolic dysregulation who accepted FibroScan ultrasound were included in the study. However, those without clinical data on skeletal muscle mass were excluded. FibroScan ultrasound was used to noninvasively evaluate metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease. The controlled attenuation parameter was used as an evaluation index for the severity of liver steatosis. Bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to measure the skeletal muscle index. RESULTS: A total of 153 eligible patients with complete data were included in the final analysis. As the grading of liver steatosis intensifies, skeletal muscle index decreases (men: Ptrend<0.001, women: Ptrend=0.001), while body mass index, blood pressure, blood lipid, uric acid, aminotransferase, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance increase (Ptrend<0.01). After adjusting for confounding factors, a negative association between skeletal muscle index and the presence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease was observed in men (OR=0.691, p=0.027) and women (OR=0.614, p=0.022). According to the receiver operating characteristic curve, the best cutoff values of skeletal muscle index for predicting the metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease presence were 40.37% for men (sensitivity, 87.5%; specificity, 61.5%) and 33.95% for women (sensitivity, 78.6%; specificity, 63.8%). CONCLUSION: Skeletal muscle mass loss among patients with metabolic dysregulation was positively associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease severity in both sexes. The skeletal muscle index cutoff value could be used to predict metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease. OBJECTIVE dysfunctionassociated dysfunction China METHODS crosssectional cross sectional Hospital 2021 However excluded RESULTS 15 intensifies (men Ptrend0001 Ptrend 0 001 Ptrend<0.001 Ptrend=0.001, Ptrend=0.001 , Ptrend=0.001) pressure lipid acid aminotransferase Ptrend<0.01. Ptrend001 Ptrend<0.01 . 01 (Ptrend<0.01) factors OR=0.691, OR0691 OR 691 (OR=0.691 p=0.027 p0027 p 027 OR=0.614, OR0614 614 (OR=0.614 p=0.022. p0022 p=0.022 022 p=0.022) curve 4037 40 37 40.37 sensitivity, sensitivity (sensitivity 87.5% 875 87 5 specificity 61.5% 615 61 3395 33 95 33.95 78.6% 786 78 6 63.8%. 638 63.8% 63 8 63.8%) CONCLUSION sexes 202 1 Ptrend000 00 Ptrend<0.00 Ptrend=0.00 Ptrend00 Ptrend<0.0 (Ptrend<0.01 OR=0.691 OR069 69 (OR=0.69 p=0.02 p002 02 OR=0.614 OR061 (OR=0.61 403 4 3 40.3 87.5 61.5 339 9 33.9 78.6 7 63.8 20 Ptrend=0.0 Ptrend0 Ptrend<0. (Ptrend<0.0 OR=0.69 OR06 (OR=0.6 p=0.0 p00 OR=0.61 40. 87. 61. 33. 78. 63. 2 Ptrend=0. Ptrend<0 (Ptrend<0. OR=0.6 OR0 (OR=0. p=0. p0 Ptrend=0 Ptrend< (Ptrend<0 OR=0. (OR=0 p=0 Ptrend= (Ptrend< OR=0 (OR= p= (Ptrend OR= (OR

Abstract A damage detection method based on the quadratic correlation function of strain responses (QCoS) and pattern matching degree (PMD) is proposed in the present study. For this method, only QCoS is calculated in time domain by strain responses, and there is no need for modal parameter extraction and analytical model of structures. It is proved that QCoS is the function of modal parameters of structures, such as natural frequency, mode shape and damping ratio. Numerical simulations of a simply supported steel beam are analyzed for illustrating the effect of excitation position, reference point and damage level on QCoS, respectively. The results show that QCoS is sensitive to local damage in the structure and robust to measurement noise. Therefore, QCoSs are used to construct the damage feature vector. The damage detection is performed by comparing the damage feature vectors before and after the structural damage. Three simply supported aluminum beams are tested in the laboratory to demonstrate the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method. (QCoS PMD (PMD study structures frequency ratio position respectively noise Therefore vector

ABSTRACT Purpose Targeted biopsy (TB) combined with systematic biopsy (SB) is an optimized mode of prostate biopsy but can often lead to oversampling and overdiagnosis accompanied by potential biopsy-related complications and patient discomfort. Here, we attempted to reasonably stratify the patient population based on multi-parameter indicators with the aim of avoiding unnecessary SB. Methods In total, 340 biopsy-naïve men with suspected lesions, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) < 20 ng/mL and prostate imaging-reporting and data system (PI-RADS) ≥ 3 enrolled for study underwent both TB and SB. The primary outcome was to determine independent predictors for a valid diagnosis, assuming that only TB was performed and SB omitted (defined as mono-TB), taking TB + SB as the reference standard. The secondary outcomes were exploration of the predictive factors of mono-TB and TB + SB in detection of prostate cancer (PCa) and clinically significant PCa (csPCa). Results The mean PSA density (PSAD) of patient group was 0.27 ng/mL/mL. Multiparametric MRI PI-RADS scores were 3-5 in 146 (42.94%), 105 (30.88%), and 89 (26.18%) cases, respectively. PCa and csPCa were detected in 178/340 (52.35%) and 162/340 (47.65%) patients, respectively. Overall, 116/178 (65.17%) patients diagnosed with PCa displayed pathological consistencies between mono-TB and TB + SB modes. PSAD and PI-RADS were independent predictors of valid diagnosis using mono-TB. Conclusions PSAD combined with PI-RADS showed utility in guiding optimization of the prostate biopsy mode. Higher PSAD and PI-RADS values were associated with greater confidence in implementing mono-TB and safely omitting SB, thus effectively balancing the benefits and risks. (TB (SB biopsyrelated related discomfort Here multiparameter multi parameter total 34 biopsynaïve naïve lesions prostatespecific specific (PSA 2 ngmL ng mL imagingreporting imaging reporting PIRADS PI RADS (PI-RADS defined monoTB, monoTB mono , mono-TB) standard (PCa csPCa. . (csPCa) (PSAD 027 0 27 0.2 ngmLmL ng/mL/mL 35 5 3- 14 42.94%, 4294 42.94% 42 94 (42.94%) 10 30.88%, 3088 30.88% 30 88 (30.88%) 8 26.18% 2618 26 18 (26.18% cases respectively 178340 178 178/34 52.35% 5235 52 (52.35% 162340 162 162/34 47.65% 4765 47 65 (47.65% Overall 116178 116 116/17 65.17% 6517 17 (65.17% modes monoTB. TB. risks (csPCa 02 0. 1 429 42.94 4 9 (42.94% 308 30.88 (30.88% 26.18 261 (26.18 17834 178/3 52.35 523 (52.35 16234 16 162/3 47.65 476 6 (47.65 11617 11 116/1 65.17 651 (65.17 42.9 (42.94 30.8 (30.88 26.1 (26.1 1783 178/ 52.3 (52.3 1623 162/ 47.6 (47.6 1161 116/ 65.1 (65.1 42. (42.9 30. (30.8 26. (26. 52. (52. 47. (47. 65. (65. (42. (30. (26 (52 (47 (65 (42 (30 (2 (5 (4 (6 (3 (

Abstract Voriconazole increases tacrolimus blood concentration significantly when coadministrated. The recommendation of reducing tacrolimus to 1/3 in voriconazole package insert seems not to be satisfactory in clinical practice. In vitro studies demonstrated that the magnitude of inhibition depends on the concentration of voriconazole, while voriconazole exposure is determined by the genotype status of CYP2C19. CYP2C19 gene polymorphism challenges the management of drug-drug interactions(DDIs) between voriconazole and tacrolimus. This work aimed to predict the impact of CYP2C19 polymorphism on the DDIs by using physiologically based pharmacokinetics (PBPK) models. The precision of the developed voriconazole and tacrolimus models was reasonable by evaluating the pharmacokinetic parameters fold error, such as AUC0-24, Cmax and tmax. Voriconazole increased tacrolimus concentration immediately in all population. The simulated duration of DDIs disappearance after voriconazole withdrawal were 146h, 90h and 66h in poor metabolizers (PMs), intermediate metabolizers (IMs) and extensive metabolizers(EMs), respectively. The developed and optimized PBPK models in this study can be applied to assit the dose adjustment for tacrolimus with and without voriconazole. coadministrated 13 1 3 1/ practice CYPC CYP C CYP2C1 drugdrug drug interactionsDDIs interactions interactions(DDIs (PBPK error AUC024, AUC024 AUC AUC0 24, 24 AUC0-24 tmax population 146h h PMs, PMs , (PMs) IMs (IMs metabolizersEMs, metabolizersEMs EMs metabolizers(EMs) respectively CYP2C AUC02 2 AUC0-2 (PMs metabolizers(EMs AUC0-

Abstract Objective Trastuzumab is the preferred drug for the treatment of breast cancer. However, research on the cellular mechanisms of trastuzumab's potential cardiotoxicity is insufficient. The purpose of this study was to explore the toxic effects and potential mechanism of action of trastuzumab on cardiomyocytes. Method Human Cardiomyocyte (HCM) viability was assessed using the MTT method. HCM apoptosis was detected using the Hoechst33342/PI Fluorescent staining. The LDH and CK activities of the cell were measured using commercially available LDH and CK assay kits. The expression levels of Notch2, JAK2, STAT3, cleaved caspase 3, bax, and bcl 2 in HCMs were detected using western blotting. Results The results showed that 250 mg/L trastuzumab induced cardiomyocyte injury and apoptosis, inhibited viability, activated the Notch2 receptor, and inhibited JAK2/STAT3 expression in HCM. Inhibition of Notch2 expression in HCM by targeted siNotch2 transfection reversed the trastuzumab-induced injury and apoptosis, and the expression of JAK2/STAT3 returned to normal levels. Conclusions Trastuzumab induces Notch2 expression by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 pathway of HCMs, promotes cell apoptosis, and causes cardiomyocyteinjury. Notch2 may be a potential target of trastuzumab-inducedmyocardial injury. This experiment reveals the mechanism of trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity, providing a theoretical basis for the application of trastuzumab.

ABSTRACT Objective: To explore the factors affecting short-term prognosis of circulatory failure patients undergoing venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) treatment. Methods: A total of 136 patients undergoing VA-ECMO were enrolled in this study and subsequently divided into the death group (n=35) and the survival group (n=101) based on whether death occurred during hospitalisation. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) running time, length of intensive care unit stay, length of hospital stay, costs, and ECMO complications were then compared between the two groups. Results: The average age of all patients undergoing ECMO was 47.64±16.78 years (53.2±16.20 years in the death group and 45.713±16.62 years in the survival group) (P=0.022). Patients in the survival group exhibited a clear downward trend in lactic acid value following ECMO treatment compared to those in the death group. Total hospitalisation stay was longer in the survival group (35 days) than in the death group (15.5 days) (P<0.001). In the analysis of ECMO complications, the incidence of neurological complications, renal failure, limb complications, and infection were higher in the death group than in the survival group (P<0.05 for all). Specifically, as a risk factor for patient survival and discharge, the occurrence of infection will lead to increased hospitalisation stays and costs (P<0.05 for both). Conclusion: Complications such as kidney failure and infection are associated with in-hospital death, and ECMO-related complications should be actively prevented to improve the survival rate of VA-ECMO treatment.

RESUMO Antecedentes: A acupuntura é um tratamento para a dor neuropática, mas seu mecanismo permanece obscuro. Estudos anteriores mostraram que a analgesia foi induzida em ratos com dor neuropática quando o conteúdo de adenosina da medula espinhal aumentou após a eletroacupuntura (EA); no entanto, o mecanismo por trás desse aumento induzido por eletroacupuntura não foi esclarecido. Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo determinar o papel que a ecto-5'-nucleotidase desempenha na analgesia induzida por EA para dor neuropática. Métodos: Realizamos eletroacupuntura no ponto de acupuntura de Zusanli no sétimo dia após estabelecer um modelo de rato de dor neuropática induzida por lesão de constrição crônica. Observamos o limiar de retirada mecânica e o limiar de dor térmica, e detectamos a expressão de ecto-5'-nucleotidase na medula espinhal usando Western blot. Modelos de ratos com lesão de constrição crônica foram injetados intraperitonealmente com α, β-metilenadenosina 5'-difosfato, um inibidor de ecto-5'-nucleotidase, 30 min antes da eletroacupuntura. O conteúdo de adenosina da medula espinhal foi detectado por meio de cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência. Por último, o agonista do receptor de adenosina A1 N6-ciclopentiladenosina foi injetado por via intratecal no edema lombar dos ratos, e a retirada mecânica e os limiares de dor térmica foram reavaliados. Resultados: Analgesia e aumento da expressão de ecto-5'-nucleotidase e conteúdo de adenosina na medula espinhal foram observados 1 h após a eletroacupuntura. α, β-metilenadenosina 5'-difosfato foi capaz de inibir a sobrerregulação do conteúdo de adenosina e analgesia induzida por eletroacupuntura. Após administração de N6-ciclopentiladenosina, a analgesia induzida por eletroacupuntura foi restaurada. Conclusões: Nossos resultados sugerem que a eletroacupuntura em Zusanli pode produzir analgesia em modelos de ratos com lesão de constrição crônica, possivelmente por meio do aumento da expressão de ecto-5'-nucleotidase induzida por eletroacupuntura, levando ao aumento da expressão de adenosina na medula espinhal.

ABSTRACT Background: Acupuncture is a treatment for neuropathic pain, but its mechanism remains unclear. Previous studies showed that analgesia was induced in rats with neuropathic pain when their spinal cord adenosine content increased after electroacupuncture (EA); however, the mechanism behind this electroacupuncture-induced increase has not been clarified. Objective: This study aimed to determine the role that ecto-5’-nucleotidase plays in EA-induced analgesia for neuropathic pain. Methods: We performed electroacupuncture at the Zusanli acupoint on the seventh day after establishing a rat model of neuropathic pain induced through chronic constriction injuries. We observed the mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal pain threshold and detected the expression of ecto-5’-nucleotidase in the spinal cord using Western blot. Chronic constriction injury rat models were intraperitoneally injected with α,β-methyleneadenosine 5'-diphosphate, an ecto-5’-nucleotidase inhibitor, 30 min before electroacupuncture. The adenosine content of the spinal cord was detected using high-performance liquid chromatography. Lastly, the adenosine A1 receptor agonist N6-cyclopentyladenosine was intrathecally injected into the lumbar swelling of the rats, and the mechanical withdrawal and thermal pain thresholds were reevaluated. Results: Analgesia and increased ecto-5’-nucleotidase expression and adenosine content in the spinal cord were observed 1 h after electroacupuncture. α,β-methyleneadenosine 5'-diphosphate was able to inhibit upregulation of adenosine content and electroacupuncture-induced analgesia. After administration of N6-cyclopentyladenosine, electroacupuncture-induced analgesia was restored. Conclusions: Our results suggest that electroacupuncture at Zusanli can produce analgesia in chronic constriction injury rat models, possibly via the increased ecto-5’-nucleotidase expression induced through electroacupuncture, thus leading to increased adenosine expression in the spinal cord.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharide (MOO) capsules for depressive disorder. Methods: Eight electronic databases were searched for relevant studies from inception to April 19, 2020. Randomized controlled trials comparing MOO capsules with antidepressants were included. Data analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.3 software. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, and the quality of the studies was evaluated by two researchers using the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) software. Results: Seven studies involving 1,384 participants were included in this study. The effect of MOO capsules for moderate depressive disorder was not different from that of antidepressants (risk ratio [RR] = 0.99, 95%CI 0.92-1.06). Regarding adverse events, no significant difference was found between MOO capsules and antidepressants (RR = 0.84, 95%CI 0.65-1.07). In addition, the quality of evidence related to these adverse events was rated as low. Conclusion: This systematic review suggests that the efficacy of MOO capsules in the treatment of mild to moderate depression is not inferior to that of conventional antidepressants, which may provide a new direction for clinical alternative selection of antidepressants. However, more high-quality research and detailed assessments are needed.

Resumo: Sementes de muitas espécies de peônia contêm grande conteúdo de lipídios. No entanto, a exploração de seu potencial para a produção de óleo é dificultada pela falta de informações básicas sobre a biologia do desenvolvimento das sementes. Objetivou-se determinar o acúmulo de vários compostos de reserva durante o desenvolvimento de sementes da espécie Paeonia lactiflora ‘Hangshao’. As sementes foram coletadas em cinco estádios de desenvolvimento: 30 dias após a floração (DAF), 45 DAF, 60 DAF, 75 DAF e 90 DAF. Foram realizadas análises anatômicas e histológicas e o peso de sementes, conteúdo de água, proteínas, amido e ácidos graxos foram determinados. O período de tempo para o completo desenvolvimento das sementes foi de 90 DAF. As sementes estavam fisiologicamente maduras aos 75 DAF. Durante o desenvolvimento das sementes, o conteúdo de amido e de lipídio aumentaram para, em seguida, diminuir, atingindo o conteúdo máximo aos 60 DAF e aos 75 DAF, respectivamente. O teor de proteínas apresentou uma ligeira diminuição e, em seguida, aumentou. Lipídio foi o principal composto de reserva presente nas sementes maduras. Um total de 26 tipos de ácidos graxos foram detectados entre os quais, sete tipos atingiram mais de 100 mg.Kg-1 em sementes de todos os estádios de desenvolvimento. Esses sete ácidos graxos foram ácido palmítico, ácido esteárico, ácido oleico, ácido trans-oleico, ácido linoleico, ácido α-linolenic e ácido erécico. Além disso, o teor de ácido α-linolenic representou mais de 40% do teor total de ácidos graxos em cada estádio.

Abstract: Seeds of many peony species contain a large amount of oil. However, the exploiting of its potential for oil production is hampered by a lack of basic information regarding the developmental biology of the seeds. Our aim was to obtain a detailed relationship between seed development and accumulation of various storage compounds of Paeonia lactiflora ‘Hangshao’ seed. Seeds were collected at five developmental stages including 30 days after flowering (DAF), 45 DAF, 60 DAF, 75 DAF and 90 DAF. Anatomical and histological analysis, seed weight and water content, proteins, starch, and fatty acids contents were determinated. The time span of seed development for P. lactiflora ‘Hangshao’ was 90 DAF. Seeds were physiologically mature by 75 DAF, with maximum dry matter content. During seed development, the starch and lipid content showed an increased and then decrease pattern, while they reached their maximum content differed with starch for 60 DAF and lipid for 75 DAF. Protein content showed a slight decreased and then increased pattern. Lipid was the main storage reserve of mature seeds. A total of 26 kinds of fatty acid were detected and among which, seven kinds was all more than 100 mg.Kg-1 in all developmental seeds. Those seven fatty acids were palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, trans-oleic acid, linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, and erucic acid. Besides, the content of α-linolenic acid accounted for more than 40% of the total fatty acid content in each stage.

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the mechanism of Periplaneta americana extract promoting intestinal mucosal repair of OXZ-induced colitis in rat. Methods: All experiments used an equal number of male and female SD rats (n=48). We injected OXZ into the colon to induce UC rat model. To determine the optimal concentration of P. Americana's extract (PA-40), it was classified into low (L), medium (M), and high (H) doses. After OXZ treatment, each drug was administered by enema for 7 consecutive days. Rats were divided into the following 6 groups: (1) Saline treatment group (NC), (2) OXZ treatment UC model group (MC), (3) OXZ + budesonide group (BUN), (4) OXZ + PA-40 L group, (5) OXZ + PA-40 M group, (6) OXZ + PA-40 H group. Disease activity index (DAI) scores, colon length, histopathological score, serum cytokine level (IL-4, IL-10, iNOS, tNOS), and amount of MPO, EGF, IL-13 in colonic mucosa were measured. Results: PA treatment had a significant healing effect on the OXZ-colitis model and significantly reduced the lesioned area, especially in the PA-40H groups. PA treatment did not alter the expression of IL-10 and MPO level, but increased EGF (epidermal growth factor) and decrease IL-13 in the colonic tissue. PA inhibited the rise of NOSs (nitric oxide synthase) and decreased the serum IL-4 level. Conclusions: The data suggest that Periplaneta americana extract may be a potential compound for the treatment of colonic lesions. The mechanism may be related to inhibiting the secretion of IL-13 and promoting the formation of EGF.

Abstract With the rapid development of China's economy, many long-span bridges have been built and put into service. Vehicle load has been changing year by year in terms of the gross vehicle weight (GVW), the wheelbase and the traffic volume, especially the overload of heavy vehicles, which is a major challenge to the safety and durability of bridges. It is necessary to establish the vehicle load model through the measured traffic data for actual traffic conditions of the given bridge. In this study, the weigh-in-motion (WIM) data collected from an operational long-span urban highway bridge located in Wuhan, China, were used to analyze the statistical characteristics of vehicle loads. On the basis of the types of vehicles, (1) Considering the double or multimodal Gauss distribution characteristics of the GVW, the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm was used to estimate the statistical parameters of the Gauss distribution; (2) The generalized extreme value distribution (GEV) was used to develop the statistical model of the vehicle load extreme value; (3) The vehicle load extreme values in the design reference period of the urban highway bridge were estimated by the extreme value type I distribution; (4) According to the axle weight and the axle spacing, a statistical fatigue vehicle load model for the small and medium span urban highway bridges located in Wuhan, China was presented based on the Miner linear accumulated damage hypothesis and the effective fatigue damage principle.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the risk factors for pulmonary abscess-related empyema by investigating the clinical characteristics and chest computed tomography imaging features of patients with pulmonary abscesses. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the chest computed tomography findings and clinical features of 101 cases of pulmonary abscess, including 25 cases with empyema (the experimental group) and 76 cases with no empyema (the control group). The potential risk factors for pulmonary abscess-related empyema were compared between the groups by using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The incidence of pulmonary abscess-related empyema was 24.8% (25/101). Univariate analysis showed that male gender, diabetes, pleuritic symptoms, white blood cells >10×109/L, albumin level <25 g/L, and positive sputum cultures were potential clinical-related risk factors and that an abscess >5 cm in diameter and transpulmonary fissure abscesses were potential computed tomography imaging-related risk factors for pulmonary abscess-related empyema. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that transpulmonary fissure abscesses (odds ratio=9.102, p=0.003), diabetes (odds ratio=9.066, p=0.003), an abscess >5 cm in diameter (odds ratio=8.998, p=0.002), and pleuritic symptoms (odds ratio=5.395, p=0.015) were independent risk factors for pulmonary abscess-related empyema. CONCLUSIONS: Transpulmonary fissure abscesses, diabetes, giant pulmonary abscesses, and pleuritic symptoms increased the risk of empyema among patients with pulmonary abscesses.

Preeclampsia is a major reason of morbidity and mortality in pregnant women and perinatal fetus. Hence, it is of prime importance that diagnostic markers are defined to predict chances of preeclampsia in pregnant women. It has been previously shown that microRNA (miRNA)-376c expression is decreased in the placenta of preeclampsia patients at term. Even though this decrease was not mimicked in the placenta at the pre-term stage, miR-376c expression was decreased in the plasma of these patients as early as the second trimester. Plasma and placenta specimens were obtained from pregnant women having unifetal gestation undergoing perinatal care between January 2014 and December 2016 (n=49). Early trimester placentas were collected from patients undergoing terminated pregnancies through dilation and curettage procedure. Our results showed that in addition to miR-376c, miR-441 levels were decreased in the placenta of preeclampsia patients, and this decrease occurred both at pre-term and at term. This decrease is also mimicked in the plasma levels at both early and late weeks of pregnancy, highlighting that miR-441 levels can serve as a diagnostic marker of risk of preeclampsia in pregnant women. Overexpression of the miR-441, as well as miR-376c, promoted cell viability, migration, and invasion in the human immortalized cytotrophoblast cell line HTR8/SVneo, indicating that their decrease in pregnant women would result in anomalous apoptosis and functional imbalance resulting in premature abortion and other complications. MiR-441 level can thus potentially serve as diagnostic marker of preeclampsia in pregnant women.

Abstract Background: Prunella vulgaris L. has been an important medicinal plant for the treatment of thyroid gland malfunction and mastitis in China for over 2000 years. There is an urgent need to select effective wavelengths for greenhouse cultivation of P. vulgaris as light is a very important factor in P. vulgaris growth. Here, we described the effects of natural light (control) and UV solar exclusion on the morphological and physiological traits, secondary metabolites contents and antioxidant activities of P. vulgaris. Results: The results showed that UV solar exclusion resulted in remarkable alterations to morphological and biomass traits; significantly reduced the chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll contents; significantly enhanced the ratio of chlorophyll a to b; and significantly increased the carotenoid and anthocyanin contents in P. vulgaris. UV solar exclusion significantly increased the catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities, increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities and slightly decreased the glutathione (GSH) content. UV solar exclusion significantly increased the soluble sugar and H2O2 contents and increased the soluble protein content but significantly decreased the proline content and slightly decreased the MDA content. The secondary metabolite contents (total phenolics, rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, hyperoside, ursolic acid and oleanolic acid) and in vitro antioxidative properties (DPPH· and ABTS·+scavenging activities) were significantly increased in P. vulgaris spicas under UV solar exclusion. Additionally, the total polysaccharide and total flavonoids contents were slightly increased by UV solar exclusion. The salviaflaside content was significantly reduced by UV solar exclusion. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that P. vulgaris activates several antioxidant defence systems against oxidative damage caused by UV solar exclusion.