ICP-MS establishes blood lead reference method expected to improve detection accuracy / 中华检验医学杂志

Lead poisoning severely threatens human health with its cumulation and durability in the body. The analysis of lead in blood is vital for screening, diagnosis, treatment, and prognostication of lead poisoning and for indirectly monitoring the level of lead in the environment. Although the detection programs are available throughout our country, the accuracy and comparability of the results cannot meet the expectation. A variety of factors can affect the accuracy of blood lead testing. To promote the application of blood lead analysis in clinical trials and reduce the bias of results, a better reference system for blood lead analysis should be established to evaluate the accuracy of traditional methods, promote the standardization of blood lead analysis and achieve accurate blood lead testing.

Clinical observation of Qiliqiangxin capsule combined with recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide in patients with acute heart failure / 中华内科杂志

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of Qiliqiangxin capsule combined with recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide in acute left heart failure patients 7 days after onset as well as the effects of plasma MDA and ET-1. Methods: In total, 240 hospitalized patients with acute left heart failure from October 2017 to May 2021 were selected from the Department of Emergency and Critical Care Center of Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University and the Department of Cardiology of the Jilin Provincial People's Hospital. They were randomly divided into routine treatment group and combined treatment group, with 120 cases in each group. The routine treatment group was treated with vasodilation, diuresis, cardiotonic and recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide. The combined treatment group was treated with Qiliqiangxin capsules based on the routine treatment group. One week later, the changes in clinical efficacy, ejection fraction, left ventricular commoid diameter, and plasma BNP, MDA, and ET-1 were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. SPSS 11.5 statistical software was used. The measurement data was expressed in x¯±s, the independent sample t-test was used for comparison between groups, and the paired t-test was used for comparison before and after treatment within groups. Counting data was expressed as case (%), and the rank sum test was used for inter-group comparison. Result: In terms of clinical efficacy, the total effective rate of the combined treatment group was significantly higher than that of the conventional treatment group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with the routine treatment group, the left ventricular ejection fraction in the combined treatment group was significantly increased (P<0.05). The levels of plasma BNP, MDA and ET-1 were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion: Qiliqiangxin capsule combined with rhBNP treatment can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of acute heart failure, as well as reduce the lipid peroxidation product MDA content and endothetin ET-1 level in blood. The clinical application value of the Qiliqiangxin capsule needs to be further confirmed by further trials.

The prospect and challenge of liquid biopsy in the diagnosis and treatment of chest malignancy / 中华预防医学杂志

In recent years, the incidence of chest malignant tumors in China has increased year by year, which has seriously threatened the health problems of people. Among them, early screening and intervention of patients with chest malignancies is the key to cancer prevention. Early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment as the "three early prevention" of clinical practice are conducive to improve the survival rate of tumor patients. As a non-invasive and real-time reflection of tumor status, liquid biopsy has gradually received attention in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and exosomes as liquid biopsy "Three carriages" are not only widely used in the diagnosis, monitoring and prognostic evaluation of chest malignancies, but also face many unknown challenges. In this article, the application of liquid biopsy in chest malignancies in recent years is elaborated in detail, which provides a reference for the formulation of clinical tumor prevention and diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Role of histone posttranslational modifications in the regulation of ovarian function / 生理学报

The ovary is the reproductive organ of female mammals, which is responsible for producing mature eggs and secreting sex hormones. The regulation of ovarian function involves the ordered activation and repression of genes related to cell growth and differentiation. In recent years, it has been found that histone posttranslational modification can affect DNA replication, damage repair and gene transcriptional activity. Some regulatory enzymes mediating histone modification are co-activators or co-inhibitors associated with transcription factors, which play important roles in the regulation of ovarian function and the development of ovary-related diseases. Therefore, this review outlines the dynamic patterns of common histone modifications (mainly acetylation and methylation) during the reproductive cycle and their regulation of gene expression for important molecular events, focusing on the mechanisms of follicle development and sex hormone secretion and function. For example, the specific dynamics of histone acetylation are important for the arrest and resumption of meiosis in oocytes, while histone (especially H3K4) methylation affects the maturation of oocytes by regulating their chromatin transcriptional activity and meiotic progression. Besides, histone acetylation or methylation can also promote the synthesis and secretion of steroid hormones before ovulation. Finally, the abnormal histone posttranslational modifications in the development of two common ovarian diseases (premature ovarian insufficiency and polycystic ovary syndrome) are briefly described. It will provide a reference basis for understanding the complex regulation mechanism of ovarian function and further exploring the potential therapeutic targets of related diseases.

Cross-sectional study on the sleep status and risk factors for sleep problems in infants and young children in Jilin Province / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To explore the sleep status and risk factors for sleep problems in infants and young children in Jilin Province.@*METHODS@#A total of 1 080 healthy infants and young children aged 0-3 years from eight prefecture-level cities and one autonomous prefecture in Jilin Province were selected as subjects. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect the general information of the subjects, and the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire was used to understand the sleep status of the subjects. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for sleep problems.@*RESULTS@#The total detection rate of sleep problems in the infants and young children was 38.24% (413/1 080). The total sleep time in the 4-11 month, 12-24 month, and 25-36 month age groups was higher than the recommended total sleep time (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that full-term birth, higher educational level of the main caregiver, and higher daytime activity intensity were protective factors for sleep problems in the infants and young children (P<0.05), while lower frequency of vitamin D supplementation, frequent night feeding, and maternal snoring were risk factors for sleep problems (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The total sleep time of infants and young children over 4 months old in Jilin Province is higher than the recommended total sleep time, but the prevalence rate of sleep problems is higher. The occurrence of sleep problems is related to various factors. Strengthening follow-up on preterm infants, providing education on infant sleep knowledge to primary caregivers, and regularly supplementing with vitamin D can be beneficial in reducing sleep problems in infants and young children.

Genetic analysis of a Chinese family with cataract-microcornea syndrome / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical and molecular genetic characteristics of a Chinese family with congenital cataract-microcornea syndrome.Methods:The method of pedigree investigation was adopted.A Chinese Han family with congenital cataract-microcornea syndrome was recruited in Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University.All the family members received detailed ophthalmologic examination including the best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure measurement by handheld applanation tonometry, slit lamp biomicroscopy, color fundus photography, B-scan ultrasonography, corneal diameter, anterior segment optical coherence tomography, ultrasound biomicroscopy, corneal endoscopy, and corneal topography.Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral venous blood from some patients and unaffected family members.Targeted high-throughput DNA sequencing was performed on the proband.The sequencing chip contained 188 known pathogenic genes related to lens abnormalities.Suspected pathogenic genes were verified by Sanger sequencing in phenotypically normal family members to identify the co-segregation and the disease-causing gene.Bioinformatics analysis was performed to analyze the pathogenicity of variants by REVEL.Conserved protein domains were analyzed by InterPro.Physicochemical property of the mutant protein was analyzed by ProtParam.The deleteriousness of the protein was predicted by PolyPhen-2.Homology of the variants in pathogenic gene was analyzed by NCBI website to compare the conservation among various species.This study followed the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University (No.XMYKZX-LW-2009-003).Written informed consent was obtained from each subject prior to entering the study cohort.Results:There were 39 members of 4 generations in this family including 11 patients with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern.Clinical features of the patients included congenital cataract and microcornea.No obvious abnormality was found in ophthalmic and general examination.A heterozygous mutation c. 61C>T in the CRYAA gene was found, resulting in the mutation of the amino acid from arginine to tryptophan (p.Arg21Trp) at position 21, consistent with co-segregation.The number of cationic cluster in the mutant protein decreased, and the hydrophilicity and stability were reduced.The variant was predicted to be deleterious and was highly conserved in multiple species. Conclusions:A novel heterozygous mutation c.61C>T p. Arg21Trp in CRYAA gene is considered as the causal gene of this family.It is the first time this variant has been reported in China.

Application of flipped classroom model from the perspective of POA theory in the training of students during standardized residency training in department of hepatic surgery / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To explore the application of flipped classroom teaching in the standardized residency training of students in department of hepatic surgery from the perspective of production-oriented approach (POA) theory.Methods:Based on the implementation time of flipped classroom teaching (January 2017) from the perspective of POA theory in West China Hospital, 51 nursing students who were routinely trained in department of hepatic surgery before the implementation (January 2015 to January 2017) were included in the control group. After the implementation (January 2017 to January 2019), 51 nursing students under the residency training were included in the observation group. The changes of test scores, independent learning ability and professional awareness of the two groups of nursing students before and 6 months after the training were compared, and the teaching satisfaction after the training was recorded. SPSS 19.0 was performed for t test and chi-square test. Results:The total scores of the theoretical examination scores of the two groups of nursing students, the total scores of the clinical practice assessment scores, and the self-learning ability assessment scale for nursing college students (learning motivation, self-management ability, learning cooperation ability, information literacy) scores and total scores in each dimension were significantly higher than those before training, and the observation group was significantly higher than the control group ( P<0.05); the two groups of professional maturity scales (career goals, professional self-confidence, professional autonomy, professional value, dependence on relatives and friends, occupation reference) scores of all dimensions were significantly improved compared with those before the training, and the scores of the observation group (career goals, professional self-confidence, professional autonomy, professional value) were significantly higher than those of the control group during the same period ( P<0.05). There was no statistical significance in the comparison between the two groups' dependence on relatives and friends and occupational reference scores ( P>0.05); the teaching satisfaction rate of nursing students in the observation group was 96.08%, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (82.35%). Conclusion:The application of flipped classroom teaching from the perspective of POA theory in the standardized residency training of department of hepatic surgery can significantly improve the autonomous learning ability of nursing students, which is conducive to the improvement of test scores and professional awareness, with high teaching satisfaction.

Clinical diagnosis and treatment plan of medullary thyroid carcinoma / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective:To explore the key factors affecting the formulation of treatment and prognosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma.Methods:Patient data, clinical characteristics and the results of follow-up of typical cases of 23 patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma admitted to Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital Breast and Thyroid Surgery from Apr. 2007 to Mar. 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The therapeutic schedule and prognosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma were discussed in combination with ATA guidelines and others.Results:Of the 23 patients with MTC, 22 (95.65%) had elevated serum calcitonin, 15 (65.22%) had elevated carcinoembryonic antigen, 3 (13.04%) had suspected abnormal lymph nodes, and 2 (8.70%) had capsule invasion. Thyroid lobectomy, thyroid lobectomy with lateral lymph node dissection in level VI, total thyroidectomy, total thyroidectomy with lateral lymph node dissection in level VI, total thyroidectomy with bilateral lymph node dissection in level VI, total thyroidectomy with bilateral lymph node dissection in level VI with lymph node dissection in level I, II, III, IV, V or VII were performed in 1, 2, 3, 1, 13, 3 cases respectively. 8 cases had postoperative recurrence (34.78%) , of which 7 cases were caused by the first operation. The level of Ctn increased significantly in 2 cases before operation, who underwent total thyroidectomy with bilateral lymph node dissection in level VI, and no recurrence was found after operation.Conclusions:The key to the biological cure of medullary thyroid carcinoma is standardized surgical treatment. The surgery method cannot be determined simply by calcitonin. The modern treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma needs to follow the principle of standardization and individualization at the same time.

cDNA cloning of a novel lectin that induce cell apoptosis from Artocarpus hypargyreus / 中国天然药物

We isolated a novel lectin (AHL) from Artocarpus hypargyreusHance and showed its immunomodulatory activities. In this study, the amino acid sequence of AHL was determined by cDNA sequencing. AHL cDNA (875bp) contains a 456-bp open reading frame (ORF), which encodes a protein with 151 amino acids. AHL is a new member of jacalin-related lectin family (JRLs), which share high sequence similarities to KM+ and Morniga M, and contain the conserved carbohydrate binding domains. The antitumor activity of AHL was also explored using Jurkat T cell lines. AHL exhibits a strong binding affinity to cell membrane, which can be effectively inhibited by methyl-α-D-galactose. AHL inhibits cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner through apoptosis, evidenced by morphological changes, phosphatidylserine externalization, poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage, Bad and Bax up-regulation, and caspase-3 activation. We further showed that the activation of ERK and p38 signaling pathways is involved for the pro-apoptotic effect of AHL.

Effects of short-term exposure to ambient airborne pollutants on COPD-related mortality among the elderly residents of Chengdu city in Southwest China

BACKGROUND@#Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become a severe global burden in terms of both health and the economy. Few studies, however, have thoroughly assessed the influence of air pollution on COPD-related mortality among elderly people in developing areas in the hinterland of southwestern China. This study is the first to examine the association between short-term exposure to ambient airborne pollutants and COPD-related mortality among elderly people in the central Sichuan Basin of southwestern China.@*METHODS@#Data on COPD-related mortality among elderly people aged 60 and older were obtained from the Population Death Information Registration and Management System (PDIRMS). Data on airborne pollutants comprised of particulate matter < 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM@*RESULTS@#A total of 61,058 COPD-related deaths of people aged 60 and older were obtained. Controlling the influences of daily temperature and relative humidity, interquartile range (IQR) concentration increases of PM@*CONCLUSIONS@#Increased concentrations of ambient airborne pollutants composed of PM

Mental health status of primary school students during the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic and its influencing factors / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the mental health status of primary school students and the factors influencing the mental health status during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic.@*METHODS@#Online questionnaire surveys were conducted among 3 600 primary school students aged 6-12 years in Jilin Province, China in April, 2020 (during the epidemic) and 3 089 primary school students in September, 2020 (during the regular epidemic prevention and control). The general information and the data related to the Mental Health Scale for Child and Adolescent were collected by the questionnaire surveys. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the factors influencing the mental health status of the students during the epidemic.@*RESULTS@#The students during the epidemic had a significantly poorer mental health status in the emotional experience and volitional behavior than those during the regular epidemic prevention and control (@*CONCLUSIONS@#The COVID-19 epidemic has a certain impact on emotional experience and volitional behavior of primary school students. During the epidemic, particular attention should be paid to the mental health of primary school students, especially girls, younger students, and students from single-parent families, extended families or families with impatient parents and improper parental education.

Effects of Functional Electrical Stimulation on Lower-limb and Trunk Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Meta-analysis / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and long-term effect of functional electrical stimulation (FES) on cerebral palsy. Methods:Literature retrieval was carried out in the electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine Disc (CBM), CNKI, Wanfang Database and VIP. The time limit was from the establishment of these databases to March 26th, 2020. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, randomized controlled trials about FES for children with cerebral palsy were included. At least two evaluators extracted the data independently and used Cochrane 5.1.0 bias risk assessment tool to evaluate the quality of included studies. The data was analyzed with Review Manager 5.3 software. Results:A total of eleven studies with 513 children were included. The Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88) D/E scores (MD = 8.14, 95%CI 6.26 to 10.02, P < 0.001), GMFM-88 B score (MD = 8.77, 95%CI 4.00 to 13.53, P < 0.001), modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) score (MD = -1.05, 95%CI -1.25 to -0.84, P < 0.001), Kyphosis angle (MD = -10.67, 95%CI -12.21 to -9.13, P < 0.001), Cobb's angle (MD = -2.66, 95%CI -3.38 to -1.93, P < 0.001), step length (MD = 3.35, 95%CI 1.81 to 4.90, P < 0.001), walking speed (MD = 0.09, 95%CI 0.05 to 0.14, P < 0.001) and GMFM score at six weeks follow-up (MD = 4.84, 95%CI 1.90 to 7.77, P = 0.001) were better in FES group than in the control group. There was no significant difference in MAS score between two groups after six weeks of follow-up (MD = 0.04, 95%CI -0.30 to 0.37, P = 0.84). Conclusion:FES could improve the lower-limb and trunk function of children with cerebral palsy, however, the long-term effect of relieving muscle spasm was not significant.

Current status of the application of point-of-care testing in serum procalcitonin / 中华检验医学杂志

Serum procalcitonin (PCT) is an infectious biomarker that is widely used in clinical practice. Point-of-care testing (POCT) as a detection technology has been increasingly used in clinical application. This paper discussed the current status and problems in the application of POCT in PCT, with a view to improving the quality of diagnostic products in POCT.

Establishing allowable total error for serum total folate in external quality assessment / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To establish the allowable total error (TEa) of the national external quality assessment (EQA) program in line with the current quality level of serum folate measurement in China.Methods:The data of serum total folate test in the clinical laboratory of a hospital in Beijing in 2016 were collected, and the Stata SE 15 software was used for Monte Carlo simulation to obtain the false-negative rate under different bias and inaccuracy conditions. The Origin Pro 9.1 software was used to make the contour figure. The TEa of serum total folate test is derived based on the acceptable false-negative rate. National EQA data of serum total folate in 2020 were collected to calculate the pass rate of participating laboratories and the laboratory pass rate of quality control products at each level under the five TEa derived from the analysis performance on clinical outcomes, biological variation, and the evaluation criterion of national EQA.Results:Based on the influence of analytical performance on clinical outcomes, the TEa was 10%. Under this TEa, the pass rate of the first EQA program of serum total folate in 2020 was more than 80%, and the pass rate of the second time was 73.1%. Under the minimum (46.57%) and appropriate level of TEa (15.52%) derived from biological variation and national EQA evaluation criterion, the pass rate of serum total folate in the two EQA programs in 2020 exceeded 85%.Conclusion:The analytical performance of serum total folate in China cannot meet the requirements of TEa derived based on the effect of analytical performance on clinical outcomes. An appropriate level of TEa derived based on biological variation (15.52%) is suggested as the recommended criterion for the TEa of serum total folate test.

Commutability Assessment of Candidate External Quality Assessment Materials for Aminotransferase Activity Measurements Based on Different Approaches in China

Background@#Using commutable external quality assessment (EQA) materials is important for monitoring successful harmonization efforts. We assessed the commutability of four human serum pool (HSP) preparations to identify candidate EQA materials for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity measurement. @*Methods@#One set each of 85 clinical samples (CSs) was collected for ALT and AST activity measurement. The 15 candidate EQA materials included four types of HSP preparations (A to D): materials A, C, and D contained human original recombinant (HOR) aminotransferases; materials B was mixed leftover samples. The CSs and 15 candidate EQA materials were analyzed using seven routine assays, and the ln-transformed results were analyzed in 21 assay pairs. Commutability was assessed using Deming regression, with a 95% prediction interval (CLSI approach) and the difference in bias with an error component model (International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine [IFCC] approach). @*Results@#For ALT, all materials were commutable for 14–21 assay pairs according to the CLSI and IFCC approaches. For AST, B01-03 showed commutability for 14-21 assay pairs, and C01-03 and D01-03 showed commutability for no less than 10 assay pairs according to the two approaches. A01-06 were commutable for 9-16 assay pairs according to the CLSI approach, but for 6-9 assay pairs according to the IFCC approach. @*Conclusions@#Mixed leftover samples showed desirable commutability characteristics as candidate EQA materials for routine aminotransferase activity measurements. Human serum bases supplemented with HOR were commutable for most routine ALT activity measurements.

Effects of bronchial thermoplasty and cryoablation on airway smooth muscle / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#The effectiveness of bronchial thermoplasty (BT) has been reported in patients with severe asthma. This study compared the effects of BT and cryoballoon ablation (CBA) therapy on the airway smooth muscle (ASM).@*METHODS@#Eight healthy male beagle dogs were included in this experiment. In the preliminary experiment, one dog received BT treatment for both lower lobe bronchus, another dog received CBA treatment for 7 s on the upper and lower lobe of right bronchus, and 30 s on the left upper and lower lobe. The treatments were performed twice at an interval of 1 month. In subsequent experiments, the right lower lobe bronchus was treated with BT, and the left lower lobe bronchus was treated with CBA. The effects of treatment were observed after 1 (n = 3) month and 6 months (n = 3). Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson trichrome staining, and immunohistochemical staining were used to compare the effects of BT and CBA therapy on the ASM thickness, collagen fibers synthesis, and M3 receptor expression after treatment. One-way analysis of variance with Dunnett post hoc test was used to analyze the differences among groups.@*RESULTS@#In the preliminary experiment, the ASM ablation effect of 30-s CBA was equivalent to that of 7-s CBA (ASM thickness: 30.52 ± 7.75 μm vs. 17.57 ± 15.20 μm, P = 0.128), but the bronchial mucociliary epithelium did not recover, and large numbers of inflammatory cells had infiltrated the mucosal epithelium at 1-month post-CBA with 30-s freezing. Therefore, we chose 7 s as the CBA treatment time in our follow-up experiments. Compared with the control group (35.81 ± 11.02 μm), BT group and CBA group (13.41 ± 4.40 μm and 4.81 ± 4.44 μm, respectively) had significantly decreased ASM thickness after 1 month (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the ASM thickness was significantly lower in the 1-month post-CBA group than in the 1-month post-BT group (P = 0.015). There was no significant difference in ASM thickness between the BT and CBA groups after six months (9.92 ± 4.42 μm vs. 7.41 ± 7.20 μm, P = 0.540). Compared with the control group (0.161 ± 0.013), the average optical density of the ASM M3 receptor was significantly decreased in 6-month post-BT, 1-month post-CBA, and 6-month post-CBA groups (0.070 ± 0.022, 0.072 ± 0.012, 0.074 ± 0.008, respectively; all P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the average optical density of ASM M3 receptor between the BT and CBA therapy groups after six months (P = 0.613).@*CONCLUSIONS@#CBA therapy effectively ablates the ASM, and its ablation effect is equivalent to that of BT with a shorter onset time. A neural mechanism is involved in both BT and CBA therapy.

Advances on selective posterior rhizotomy for lower limb function in patients with cerebral palsy / 中国骨伤

Cerebral palsy is a common clinical syndrome of neurological disability in childhood, which seriously affects the quality of life of children and their families, and brings a heavy economic burden to the society. Domestic and foreign scholars had a long history of the application of selective posterior rhizotomy for the treatment of spastic cerebral palsy or mixed cerebral palsy with limb paralysis. It is effective in improving the lower extremity spasm of patients with cerebral palsy, and there are few cases with recurrences. After rehabilitation therapy, the muscle strength of patients with cerebral palsy was significantly improved compared with the previous one. The range of motion was significantly improved after operation, and there is no rebounded in aspect of joint activety in the long-term follow-up. The overall gait of the patient was significant improved. The author thought that selective posterior rhizotomy is effective in improving the motor function of lower limbs in patients with cerebral palsy, and it is worth being spread. However, it has to follow the principle of selecting appropriate cases before surgery, precise operation during operation, and timely and effective rehabilitation treatment after surgery, in order to achieve a better curative effect.

Prognostic factors of pacing-induced cardiomyopathy / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#The detrimental outcomes of right ventricular pacing on left ventricular electromechanical function ultimately result in heart failure, a phenomenon termed pacing-induced cardiomyopathy (PICM) in clinical research. This study aimed to validate prognostic factors that can be used to identify patients with higher susceptibility to progress to the stage of cardiomyopathy before pacemaker implantation.@*METHODS@#This observational analysis enrolled 256 patients between January 2013 and June 2016, 23 (8.98%) of whom progressed to PICM after 1 year of follow-up. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the prognostic factors associated with PICM. Dose-response analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between significant indicators in multifactor analysis and PICM.@*RESULTS@#The mean values of left ventricular ejection fraction before and after pacemaker implantation in 23 patients diagnosed with PICM were 62.3% and 42.7%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that sex, atrio-ventricular block, paced QRS duration, and ventricular pacing percentage were significantly associated with PICM. In the multivariate analysis, male sex (hazard ratio: 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-1.33, P < 0.005), paced QRS duration (hazard ratio: 1.95 per 1 ms increase, 95% CI: 1.80-2.12, P < 0.001), and ventricular pacing percentage (hazard ratio: 1.65 per 1% increase, 95% CI: 1.51-1.79, P < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors associated with the development of PICM. The ventricular pacing percentage and paced QRS duration level defined by the dose-response analysis were positively associated with PICM (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Our findings indicated that paced QRS duration and ventricular pacing percentage were the most sensitive prognostic factors for PICM.

Research on technology development trend of traditional Chinese medicine pharmaceutical equipment industry based on global patent analysis / 中草药

Based on the overall situation of global pharmaceutical equipment patents, featuring traditional Chinese medicine pharmaceutical equipment, the key technology areas of traditional Chinese medicine pharmaceutical processing, pelleting, and drying related equipment were in-depth analyzed. The core technical field of pharmaceutical equipment and its development trend were studied by the social network analysis method. The analysis results showed that the global pharmaceutical equipment industry had entered a period of rapid technological development. The technology and market of processing equipment are highly concentrated in China, but the technological innovation of the most characteristic of traditional Chinese medicine processing equipment is very weak. Tasly is the most important main body of technological innovation of dripping pills equipment. Tasly uses the vibrating dripping system process improvement as a breakthrough point, which has driven the innovation of dripping equipment technology. The competition in drying equipment technology is fierce, and well-known companies are from Denmark, Germany, and other countries. Pharmaceutical equipment such as drying, crushing and sieve analysis are the current core technology fields. It is recommended that domestic applicants strengthen the original innovation of the traditional Chinese medicine processed equipment, strengthen the innovation oftraditional Chinese medicine and pharmaceutical technology to realize the innovative research and protection model of product-process-equipment, grasp the green and intelligent development direction and strengthen the core field technology innovation.

Efficacy of Qingfei Huatantang in Treatment of COPD by Up-regulating Expression of CFTR Through JAK2/STAT3 Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the efficacy and mechanism of Qingfei Huatan Tang on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Method:The rat model of COPD was established through smoke inhalation combined with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and pulmonary compound injection. After successful modeling, the rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, namely the control group, the COPD model group, low, medium and high-dose Qingfei Huatan Tang groups and the ambroxol group. After 28 days of modeling, the drug was administered. Low, medium and high-dose Qingfei Huatan Tang (7.5, 15, 30 g·kg-1) and ambroxol (35 mg·kg-1) were administered continuously for 14 days. Immunohistochemistry and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) were used to detect protein expression and mRNA expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in pulmonary fibrosis. NCI-H292 cells were induced by LPS to establish a mucus hypersecretion model. The experiment was divided into 8 groups, namely the blank control group, LPS group, LPS+10% fetal bovine serum group, LPS+ physiological serum group, LPS+5% drug serum group, LPS+10% drug serum group, LPS+20% drug serum group and LPS+AG490 group. Immunofluorescence, Western blot and Real-time PCR were used to observe the protein and mRNA expressions of CFTR in NCI-H292 cells after LPS stimulation, and western blot was used to detect the expression of tyrosine kinase 2/transcription factor 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signaling pathway in NCI-H292 cells after LPS stimulation. Result:There were a large number of brown particles around the lumen of lung tissues in the normal group, with increased COPD expression. There were a few brown particles around the lumen of lung tissues in the model group compared with the normal group, with decreased COPD expression. Compared with the normal group, mRNA and protein expressions of CFTR in the lung tissues of the COPD model group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, mRNA and protein expressions of CFTR in the lung tissues of low, medium and high-dose Qingfei Huatan Tang groups (P<0.05). Compared with the blank control group, mRNA and protein expressions of CFTR in NCI-H292 cells of the LPS group (P<0.05), with significant increases in protein expressions of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, 5%, 10%, 20% Qingfei Huatan Tang-containing serum groups showed significant increases in mRNA and protein expressions of CFTR, but with significant decreases in p-JAK2, p-STAT3 protein expressions (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion:Qingfei Huatan Tang up-regulated CFTR in the treatment of COPD by inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 pathway.