Research on the influence of meteorological factors on the incidence of foodborne diseases / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To explore the correlation between the incidence of foodborne diseases and meteorological factors in Jinan, and to provide targeted measures for the prevention and control of foodborne diseases. Methods Data from the reporting systems of two sentinel hospitals for active surveillance of foodborne diseases from 2013 to 2021 in Jinan were collected. The meteorological data in the same period in Jinan were also collected. The generalized additive model was used to explore the nonlinear relationship between meteorological factors and the incidence of foodborne diseases, and threshold function analysis was use to perform subsection regression. Results The incidence of foodborne diseases was positively correlated with daily average temperature (rs=0.23), relative humidity (rs=0.05), and daily average wind speed (rs=0.01), and negatively correlated with daily average air pressure (rs=-0.19). Based on the GAM results and segmented regression analysis of meteorological factors, it was found that when the daily average temperature was below or above the threshold of 24.63°C, for every 1°C increase in daily average temperature, the incidence of foodborne diseases correspondingly increased by 0.04% and 0.18%. When the daily average wind speed was above the threshold of 2.26 m/s, the incidence of foodborne diseases decreased by 0.36% for every 1 m/s increase in the daily average wind speed. Conclusion Nine years of observation and data analysis have shown that meteorological factors such as daily average temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, and wind speed are related to the incidence of foodborne diseases. These findings suggest that meteorological factors may be important factors leading to foodborne diseases, which provides an important scientific basis for formulating effective prevention and control measures.

Application status and development trend of virtual clinical trials / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Virtual clinical trials are clinical trials conducted through computer simulation technology, which breaks through the limitations of traditional clinical trials and has the advantages of saving time, reducing costs, and reducing the risk of human trials. With the application of new computer technologies such as population pharmacokinetics, physiologically-based pharmacokinetics, quantitative systems pharmacology, and artificial intelligence, the field of virtual clinical trials in healthcare has become an important development direction. This article will give a preliminary review of the connotation, methods and future development trends of virtual clinical trials, aiming to provide reference for the application of new technologies and methods in clinical trials.

Research progress of chemotherapy-related diarrhea induced by molecularly targeted anti-tumor drugs / 中国药房

Diarrhea caused by chemotherapy is called chemotherapy-related diarrhea （CRD）. CRD can lead to reduced treatment effectiveness and compliance， affect the long-term outcome of tumor patients， and can be life-threatening in severe cases. In addition to conventional chemotherapy drugs， many molecularly targeted drugs are also associated with CRD， including small molecule epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） inhibitors， anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies， phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitors， small molecule inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor， BCR-ABL1 and KIT inhibitors， human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 target inhibitors， cyclin-dependent protein kinase inhibitors， antibody-drug conjugates and other molecularly targeted drugs. The occurrence mechanism may be related to the intestinal mucosal injury or enteritis caused by molecularly targeted drugs. The clinical manifestations are increased stool frequency and/or loose imposition， and patients are often associated with excess hyperproduction and/or colic. The incidence of CRD varies with different drugs. Great importance should be attached to collecting medical history and differential diagnosis， actively intervening and conducting dynamic evaluation， strengthening patient education， and timely detecting and preventing the occurrence of intestinal toxicity.

Evaluation of measuring vomer-palate diameters at 11-13 + 6 weeks of gestation and its diagnostic value for cleft lip and palate / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate the reference range of the length and thickness of the fetal vomer-palate diameters at 11-13 + 6 weeks, and their role in the diagnosis of cleft lip and palate(CLP). Methods:From May 2020 to August 2021, 1 559 pregnant women who underwent ultrasound examination at 11-13 + 6 weeks in Guangdong Women and Children Hospital were selected, and the fetal vomer-palate in the median sagittal plane of the face was observed. The length and thickness diameters of the fetal were measured separately to establish the reference value range of normal fetal.The reference range was compared with the vomer-palate data of fetuses with confirmed CLP. Results:The 1 518 normal fetuses were divided into 11-13 + 6 weeks, 12-12 + 6 weeks and 13-13 + 6 weeks. The reference values of the long diameter of fetal vomer-palatine were 4.3-5.9 mm, 5.0-6.8 mm, 5.4-7.7 mm, and the reference values of the thick diameter were 2.0-2.9 mm, 2.2-3.4 mm, and 2.5-3.8 mm, respectively. The length and thickness of the fetal vomer-palatine were significantly positively correlated with the Crown-rump length ( rs=0.733, 0.634; all P<0.001). In the 1 559 fetals, 25 cases were diagnosed and confirmed with CLP, and the vomer-palate thickness diameters were smaller than the reference values in all cases, meanwhile, the vomer-palate length diameters of 22(88.0)% cases were smaller than the reference values. Conclusions:The reference range of fetal vomer-palate length and thickness at 11-13 + 6 weeks of gestation is valuable for the screening of fetal CLP.

Prevalence of maturity-onset diabetes of the young in phenotypic type 2 diabetes in young adults: a nationwide, multi-center, cross-sectional survey in China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is the most common monogenic diabetes. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of MODY in phenotypic type 2 diabetes (T2DM) among Chinese young adults.@*METHODS@#From April 2015 to October 2017, this cross-sectional study involved 2429 consecutive patients from 46 hospitals in China, newly diagnosed between 15 years and 45 years, with T2DM phenotype and negative for standardized glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody at the core laboratory. Sequencing using a custom monogenic diabetes gene panel was performed, and variants of 14 MODY genes were interpreted as per current guidelines.@*RESULTS@#The survey determined 18 patients having genetic variants causing MODY (6 HNF1A , 5 GCK , 3 HNF4A , 2 INS , 1 PDX1 , and 1 PAX4 ). The prevalence of MODY was 0.74% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.40-1.08%). The clinical characteristics of MODY patients were not specific, 72.2% (13/18) of them were diagnosed after 35 years, 47.1% (8/17) had metabolic syndrome, and only 38.9% (7/18) had a family history of diabetes. No significant difference in manifestations except for hemoglobin A1c levels was found between MODY and non-MODY patients.@*CONCLUSION@#The prevalence of MODY in young adults with phenotypic T2DM was 0.74%, among which HNF1A -, GCK -, and HNF4A -MODY were the most common subtypes. Clinical features played a limited role in the recognition of MODY.

Advances in epidemiology, etiology, and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia / 中华预防医学杂志

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the third leading cause of death worldwide and one of the most commonly infectious diseases. Its epidemiological characteristics vary with host and immune status, and corresponding pathogen spectrums migrate over time and space distribution. Meanwhile, with the outbreak of COVID-19, some unconventional treatment strategies are on the rise. This article reviewed the epidemiological characteristics, pathogen spectrum and treatment direction of CAP in China over the years, and aimed to provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of CAP in clinical practice.

Impaired cognitive map in transgenic animals relevant to Alzheimer's disease: from neurons to network / 生理学报

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a typical cognitive disorder with an increasing incidence in recent years. AD is also one of the main causes of disability and death of the elderly in current aging society. One of the most common symptoms of AD is spatial memory impairment, which occurs in more than 60% of patients. This memory loss is closely related to the impairment of cognitive maps in the brain. The entorhinal grid cells and the hippocampal place cells are important cellular basis for spatial memory and navigation functions in the brain. Understanding the abnormal firing pattern of these neurons and their impaired coordination to neural oscillations in transgenic rodents is crucial for identifying the therapeutic targets for AD. In this article, we review recent studies on neural activity based on transgenic rodent models of AD, with a focus on the changes in the firing characteristics of neurons and the abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) rhythm in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. We also discuss potential cell-network mechanism of spatial memory disorders caused by AD, so as to provide a scientific basis for the diagnosis and treatment of AD in the future.

Glofitamab for diffuse large B cell lymphoma / 中国药房

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma （DLBCL） is a malignant tumor derived from mature B cells. Currently， chemotherapy is still the main clinical treatment. However， some patients experience recurrence or refractory conditions after treatment. On June 15， 2023， the FDA approved the marketing of glofitamab， a CD3/CD20 bispecific monoclonal antibody， to provide the new treatment plan for patients with recurrent or refractory DLBCL after receiving 2-line or above systemic treatment. This article reviews pharmacological effects， clinical studies， safety， usage and dosage of glofitamab. Glofitamab mainly plays a therapeutic role in DLBCL by promoting the activation and proliferation of T cells，activating T cells to release tumor cell-killing proteins， and mediating the lysis of B cells. Clinical studies have shown that glofitamab has a better complete and objective response rate for recurrent or refractory DLBCL. Common adverse reactions caused by glofitamab include mild/moderate cytokine release syndrome， musculoskeletal pain， rash， fatigue， and so on，without significant drug interactions.

Coagulation Factors for Diagnosis of Periprosthetic Joint Infection / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectivePeriprosthetic joint infections （PJI） are currently the most calamitous complication after arthroplasty. Although achievements have been made in many markers for the diagnosis of PJI， the lack of a gold standard remains a great obstacle for early diagnosis. This study aimed to investigate the association between coagulation markers and the development of PJI in patients undergoing revision total joint arthroplasty （TJA）. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study with a total of 2 517 patients who underwent hip or knee arthroplasties from January 2011 to January 2022 （2 394 with primary TJA， 87 with aseptic revision and 36 with PJI）. We applied univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression to analyze differences of coagulation factors between primary TJA and aseptic revision or PJI group. Receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve and area under the curve （AUC） were used to measure the diagnostic value of coagulation factors in predicting PJI. ResultsCoagulation factors and their ratios including plasma fibrinogen （FBG）， prothrombin time （PT）， thrombin time （TT）， activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT）， platelet （PLT）， mean platelet volume （MPV）， platelet distribution width （PDW）， plateletcrit （PCT）， PLT / MPV， PLT / PDW and PLT / PCT were included in this study. High FGB level was strongly correlated with the risk of PJI compared to other coagulation factors. The optimal threshold value of FBG was 4.53 g/L with a sensitivity of 47.22%， a specificity of 93.07% （Primary TJA group vs. PJI group）. Similarly， the optimal threshold value of FBG was 4.44 g/L with a sensitivity of 47.22%， a specificity of 95.40% between the other two groups （Aseptic revision group vs. PJI group）. ROC curve analysis demonstrated moderate diagnostic performance of FBG （AUC value）， indicating a potential to be a diagnostic marker for PJI. ConclusionsFBG is significantly correlated with PJI and it can be used as a potential non-invasive marker for early detection. It may serve as a safe and cost-effective tool for assessing PJI in clinical work.

Analysis of medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of renal anemia based on data mining / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To carry out data mining on the prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） for the treatment of renal anemia， and to explore the medication rules of TCM in the treatment of renal anemia. METHODS The Chinese and English databases including PubMed， the Cochrane Library， Web of Science， CNKI， Wanfang， VIP and CBM were searched by computer to screen the related literature about TCM in the treatment of renal anemia. Excel software was used to extract prescription information， including frequency of use， property and flavor， meridian tropism and efficacy of single TCM. Association rule analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis were performed for each ingredient of TCM with R language. RESULTS A total of 268 literature were included， involving 169 ingredients with a total use frequency of 3 919 times. Among them， Astragalus memeranaceus， Angelica sinensis， Atractylodes macrocephala， Rheum officinale， Poria cocos， Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata， Radix Codonopsis， Salvia miltiorrhiza and Ligusticum chuanxiong were used more than 100 times. The properties and flavors of the drugs were mainly warm and sweet； meridian tropism mainly targeted spleen， liver and kidney； the function was mainly in replenishing qi， nourishing blood， promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis， and clearing damp and promoting diuresis， purgation. The result of association rule analysis showed that the core ingredients were A. memeranaceus， A. sinensis， A. macrocephala， P. cocos and S. miltiorrhiza. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that the clustering results were divided into grade 1， 2 and 3， and the cluster classification of A. memeranaceus and A. sinensis was always the same. CONCLUSIONS The core prescription for treating renal anemia includes A. memeranaceus， A. sinensis， A. macrocephala， P. cocos and S. miltiorrhiza； among them， A. memeranaceus and A. sinensis are at the center of the core prescription and indispensable. The medication rule is mainly guided by drugs for invigorating qi， nourishing blood， strengthening spleen， and removing dampness. According to the characteristics of different symptoms of patients， dialectical treatment is made， and other TCM is added or subtracted on the basis of the core prescription.

Screening of active components and preliminary mechanism exploration of Lycii Fructus for improving osteoporosis based on the zebrafish model / 药学学报

Juvenile zebrafish were used to screen the active components of Lycii Fructus for improving osteoporosis. The screening results were further verified by zebrafish adult osteoporosis model and the action mechanism was explored. Prednisolone was used as the inducer to build osteoporosis models of juvenile and adult zebrafish, and 9 groups of samples of different extracts and chemical parts of Lycii Fructus were given. Alizarin red staining was applied for observing the scale matrix mineralization and bone resorption. The activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts were detected using alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP/TRACP) staining. The expressions of bone metabolism-related genes alp, osteoprotectin (opn), osteoblast specific transcription factor (sp7), cathepsin K (ctsk), tracp, and Runt family transcription factor 2b (runx2b) in each group were determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that all components of Lycii Fructus improved the formation area of the first vertebrae, the staining light density value, and the number of vertebrae joints in juvenile zebrafish and the Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) treatment group exerted the best effect. In addition, LBP prevented the formation of bone resorption lacunae in zebrafish scales, increased ALP activity, decreased TRAP activity, up-regulated the alp, sp7, and opn genes, and lowered the expressions of ctsk and tracp genes. In conclusion, LBP regulated the activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, reduced bone resorption, promoted bone formation and enhanced bone density, which might be the main anti-osteoporosis active fraction of Lycii Fructus. This study provided modern scientific evidence for the scientific connotation of the traditional effect of "strengthening bones and muscles" of Lycii Fructus, provided the reference for the evaluation of the anti-osteoporosis activity of traditional Chinese medicine based on zebrafish adult model, and provided beneficial enlightenment for the bone health needs of the aging society population.

Smokers' intention and attempts to quit smoking in a district of Beijing Municipality / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the smoking cessation intention and attempt to quit smoking among smokers at ages of 15 years and older in a district of Beijing Municipality, so as to provide insights into formulation of tobacco control interventions. @*Methods@#Permanent residents at ages of 15 years and older were sampled using a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method from a district in Beijing Municipality, and all smokers were recruited. Participants' demographic features, tobacco use, intention to quit smoking, attempts to quit smoking and awareness of tobacco-related hazards were collected using the Beijing Adult Tobacco Survey. The intention and attempts to quit smoking were analyzed among smokers, and factors affecting the attempt to quit smoking were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model. @*Results@#A total of 687 smokers were surveyed, including 669 men (97.38%), 497 from rural areas (72.34%), 351 daily smokers (51.09%), 336 occasional smokers (48.91%), 329 with intention to quit smoking (47.89%), and 178 with attempts to quit smoking during the past one year (25.91%). Univariable analysis showed that area, age, educational level, smoking status, tobacco health literacy and tobacco control information acquired from media were factors affecting intention and attempts to quit smoking among smokers (P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that smokers with intention to quit smoking (OR=5.444, 95%CI: 3.585-8.268) and occasional smoking (OR=2.142, 95%CI: 1.312-3.497) were more likely to attempt to quit smoking. @*Conclusions@#Approximately half of smokers have intention to quit smoking in a district of Beijing Municipality; however, the percentage of attempts to quit smoking is low. Targeted interventions are required for smokers with different characteristics to improve the intention to quit smoking and promote smoking-quitting behaviors.

Low STING expression in lung adenocarcinoma promotes tumor progression via inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[摘 要] 目的：分析干扰素基因刺激因子（STING）在肺腺癌中的表达及其与肺腺癌患者临床特征间的关系，探讨STING与内质网应激的相关性及其在调控肺腺癌进展中的作用机制。方法：利用TIMER数据库分析STING基因在泛癌水平的表达情况，利用UALCAN和HPA数据库分析STING在肺腺癌组织中的表达及其与肺腺癌患者临床特征间的关系，利用Kaplan-Meier生存函数分析STING表达与肺腺癌患者OS率间的关系。利用LinkedOmics数据库对肺腺癌表达谱数据进行STING基因共表达分析，对STING相关差异表达基因（DEG）进行GO功能与KEGG通路富集分析，通过GSEA筛选STING调控肺腺癌的潜在通路。使用STING激动剂diABZI及内质网应激抑制剂TUDCA对肺腺癌A549与H460细胞进行处理，通过qPCR、WB法检测STING及内质网应激相关分子的表达，通过CCK-8法检测细胞增殖活力。结果：肺腺癌组织和细胞中STING的表达水平均显著低于正常肺组织（均P<0.01），STING高表达肺腺癌患者5年OS率显著高于低表达患者（P<0.01），STING的表达与肺腺癌患者的年龄、性别等临床特征密切相关（均P<0.01）。STING高表达在肺腺癌外源性抗原处理及提呈等通路上存在富集（均P<0.01）。使用STING激动剂可显著诱导肺腺癌细胞发生内质网应激（P<0.05），STING诱导活化后肺腺癌细胞增殖活力显著下降（均P<0.01），内质网应激抑制剂能部分恢复STING活化诱导后下降的细胞活力（P<0.05）。结论：STING基因在肺腺癌中低表达，其表达下调与肺腺癌患者预后不良相关，其机制可能是STING通过诱导内质网应激而抑制肺腺癌细胞活力。

Homeostatic medicine: new strategy and concept of health maintenance as well as diagnosis and treatment of diseases / 中华口腔医学杂志

Homeostasis is a dynamic balance process of self-regulating. Biological systems remain stable through adapting to changing external conditions to maintain normal life activities. Homeostatic medicine is the science of studying homeostasis of human molecules, cells, organs and the whole body. It is a comprehensive discipline based on maintaining homeostasis to keep human health and assist for diseases prevention and diagnoses. Homeostatic medicine focuses on the whole body and on the role of homeostasis in health and disease, which is expected to provide new ideas and strategies for maintaining health as well as diagnosing and treating diseases. Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the control of multisystem homeostasis. Nitrate is an important substance in regulating NO homeostasis through the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway. Sialin, nitrate transporter which is located in the cell membrane and cytoplasm, mediates multiple cellular biological functions. The nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway and sialin-mediated biological functions play an important role in the regulation of body homeostasis.

Predictive validation of existing bleeding and thromboembolic scores in elderly patients with comorbid atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndrome / 老年心脏病学杂志（英文版）

BACKGROUND@#The validation of various risk scores in elderly patients with comorbid atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not been reported. The present study compared the predictive performance of existing risk scores in these patients.@*METHODS@#A total of 1252 elderly patients with AF and ACS comorbidities (≥ 65 years old) were consecutively enrolled from January 2015 to December 2019. All patients were followed up for one year. The predictive performance of risk scores in predicting bleeding and thromboembolic events was calculated and compared.@*RESULTS@#During the 1-year follow-up, 183 (14.6%) patients had thromboembolic events, 198 (15.8%) patients had BARC class ≥ 2 bleeding events, and 61 (4.9%) patients had BARC class ≥ 3 bleeding events. For the BARC class ≥ 3 bleeding events, discrimination of the existing risk scores was low to moderate, PRECISE-DAPT (C-statistic: 0.638, 95% CI: 0.611-0.665), ATRIA (C-statistic: 0.615, 95% CI: 0.587-0.642), PARIS-MB (C-statistic: 0.612, 95% CI: 0.584-0.639), HAS-BLED (C-statistic: 0.597, 95% CI: 0.569-0.624) and CRUSADE (C-statistic: 0.595, 95% CI: 0.567-0.622). However, the calibration was good. PRECISE-DAPT showed a higher integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) than PARIS-MB, HAS-BLED, ATRIA, and CRUSADE (P < 0.05) and the best decision curve analysis (DCA). For thromboembolic events, the discrimination of GRACE (C-statistic: 0.636, 95% CI: 0.608-0.662) was higher than CHA2DS2-VASc (C-statistic: 0.612, 95% CI: 0.584-0.639), OPT-CAD (C-statistic: 0.602, 95% CI: 0.574-0.629) and PARIS-CTE (C-statistic: 0.595, 95% CI: 0.567-0.622). The calibration was good. Compared to OPT-CAD and PARIS-CTE, the IDI of the GRACE score slightly improved (P < 0.05). However, NRI analysis showed no significant difference. DCA showed that the clinical practicability of thromboembolic risk scores was similar.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The discrimination and calibration of existing risk scores in predicting 1-year thromboembolic and bleeding events were unsatisfactory in elderly patients with comorbid AF and ACS. PRECISE-DAPT showed higher IDI and DCA than other risk scores in predicting BARC class ≥ 3 bleeding events. The GRACE score showed a slight advantage in predicting thrombotic events.

Distribution characteristics of pathogenic bacteria in hospitalized HIV/AIDS patients with wound infection in Yunnan / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　To analyze the distribution characteristics of the main pathogens of HIV/AIDS patients with wound infections and provide basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods　The clinical data of 294 patients with positive secretions or pus specimens from 2016 to 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Results　A total of 357 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated from 294 cases, of which 123 strains of Gram-negative bacilli (G-b), accounting for 34.5%, were mainly Escherichia coli (15.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (3.9%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.6%); Gram-positive bacilli (G+b) 14 strains, accounting for 3.9%; 108 Gram-positive cocci (G+c), accounting for 30.3%, of which 44 strains were coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus (12.3%), Coagulase-negative staphylococci were mainly Staphylococcus epidermidis (4.2%) and Staphylococcus hemolyticus (2.8%); 37 strains of fungi, accounting for 10.4%, were mainly Candida albicans (5.9%); 75 strains of Mycobacterium, accounting for 21.0%, including 41 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (11.5%) and 34 strains of non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (9.5%). 52 of the 294 HIV/AIDS patients had mixed infections, accounting for 17.7%. There was significant difference in the distribution of G+c, G-b, mycobacteria and mixed infection among different specimen sources (P<0.05), and there was significant difference in the distribution of mycobacteria among different CD4+T lymphocyte counts (P<0.05). There was significant difference in the level of CD4+T lymphocytes between patients of different ages (P<0.05), and there was significant difference in the level of CD4+T lymphocytes from postoperative incision and other parts (P<0.05). Conclusions　Patients with HIV/AIDS are prone to combined wound infections with various pathogenic bacteria. We should strengthen the research on wound infection in HIV/AIDS patients, and timely send patients with a low number of CD4+T lymphocytes for secretion or pus culture, so as to carry out targeted treatment and improve the prognosis of patients.

Alpha-kinase1 promotes tubular injury and interstitial inflammation in diabetic nephropathy by canonical pyroptosis pathway

BACKGROUND: Alpha-kinase 1 (ALPK1) is a master regulator in inflammation and has been proved to promote renal fibrosis by promoting the production of IL-1ß in diabetic nephropathy (DN) mice. Pyroptosis is involved in high glucose (HG)-induced tubular cells injury, characterized by activation of Gasdermin D (GSDMD) and the release of IL-1ß and IL-18, resulting in inflammatory injury in DN. It is reasonable to assume that ALPK1 is involved in pyroptosis-related tubular injury in DN. However, the mechanism remains poorly defined. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed to detect the expression of pyroptosis- and fibrosis-related proteins in renal sections of DN patients and DN mice. DN models were induced through injection of streptozotocin combined with a high-fat diet. Protein levels of ALPK1, NF-κB, Caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1ß, IL-18 and α-SMA were detected by Western blot. HK-2 cells treated with high-glucose (HG) served as an in vitro model. ALPK1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) was transfected into HK-2 cells to down-regulate ALPK1. The pyroptosis rates were determined by flow cytometry. The concentrations of IL-1ß and IL-18 were evaluated by ELISA kits. Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe translocation of NF-κB and GSDMD. RESULTS: The heat map of differentially expressed genes showed that ALPK1, Caspase-1 and GSDMD were upregulated in the DN group. The expression levels of ALPK1, Caspase-1, GSDMD and CD68 were increased in renal biopsy tissues of DN patients by IHC. ALPK1expression and CD68+ macrophages were positively correlated with tubular injury in DN patients. Western blot analysis showed increased expressions of ALPK1, phospho-NF-κB P65, GSDMD-NT, and IL-1ß in renal tissues of DN mice and HK-2 cells, accompanied with increased renal fibrosis-related proteins (FN, α-SMA) and macrophages infiltration in interstitial areas. Inhibition of ALPK1 attenuated HG-induced upregulation expressions of NF-κB, pyroptosis-related proteins Caspase-1, GSDMD-NT, IL-1ß, IL-18, α-SMA, and pyroptosis level in HK-2 cells. Also, the intensity and nuclear translocation of NF-κB and membranous translocation of GSDMD were ameliorated in HG-treated HK-2 cells after treatment with ALPK1 siRNA. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that ALPK1/NF-κB pathway initiated canonical caspase-1-GSDMD pyroptosis pathway, resulting in tubular injury and interstitial inflammation of DN.

Effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation combined with robot-assisted therapy on upper limb function of stroke patients / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) combined with robot-assisted therapy on upper limb function of subacute stroke patients. MethodsFrom March, 2022 to March, 2023, 60 subacute stroke patients from Dushu Lake Hospital and the First People's Hospital of Kunshan were randomly divided into control group (n = 20), robot group (n = 20) and combined group (n = 20). All the groups received conventional treatments including medication, physical therapy and occupational therapy; the robot group received sham taVNS combined with hand robot-assisted therapy; while the combined group received taVNS combined with hand robot-assisted therapy, for four weeks. They were assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremities (FMA-UE) and hand part, the root mean square (RMS) electromyography of the extensor carpi radialis and extensor digitorum muscles during contraction, and the latency and amplitude of transcranial magnetic stimulation motor-evoked potential (TMS-MEP) before and after treatment. ResultsAfter treatment, the scores of FMA-UE and hand part, RMS of the extensor carpi radialis and extensor digitorum muscles, and latency and amplitude of TMS-MEP improved in all the groups (t > 2.099, P < 0.05); and they were the best in all indicators in the combined group (F > 9.106, P < 0.001). ConclusiontaVNS combined with robot-assisted therapy can promote central nervous system remodeling and further improve upper limb function in stroke patients.

Effects of obstructive sleep apnea on brain electrical activity in children / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To explore the brain electrical activity and its correlation with polysomnography monitoring parameters in children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and primary snoring.Methods:It was a prospective observational study involving children aged 6-12 years who presented to the Sleep Center of Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University for polysomnography monitoring due to snoring at sleep from July 1 to December 31, 2019.Clinical data, polysomnography monitoring and 6-min measurement of brain electrical activity were collected from all the subjects.According to the results of polysomnography monitoring, the subjects were divided into the primary snoring group and the OSAS group at varying degrees.Based on the electroencephalogram (EEG) wavelet analysis, the brain injury index obtained by EEG synchronization and complexity analysis was used to reflect the changes of brain electrical activity in children in the resting state.Rank sum test was used to test the differences in brain injury index and the percentage of each frequency band of brainwave.Multivariate linear regression method was used to analyze risk factors for EEG activity.Results:A total of 149 children were recruited, including 110 males and 39 females.There was no significant difference in the proportions of α, θ, β and δ waves among OSAS children at varying degrees(all P>0.05). The brain injury index of the primary snoring group, mild OSAS group, moderate OSAS group and severe OSAS group was 0 (0, 3), 14 (9, 16), 26 (24, 28), and 34(30, 44), respectively.There were statistically significant differences in the brain injury index among groups ( H=129.70, P<0.01). The brain injury index gradually increased from the primary snoring group to the severe OSAS group.Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the obstructive apnea hypopnea index (OAHI), mean oxygen saturation and minimum oxygen saturation were independently correlated with the brain injury index (all P<0.05). Conclusions:There were no significant differences in the ratios of α, θ, β and δ waves among OSAS children at varying degrees, while the EEG complexity and synchronicity varied a lot.With the increase of OAHI, the brain injury index gradually increased.The brain injury index was independently correlated with OAHI, mean oxygen saturation and minimum oxygen saturation.

Surveillance on drug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus from bloodstream infection in Shandong, 2017-2020 / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　To analyze the drug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus in blood samples of children and adults from 50 hospitals in Shandong Province, and to understand the drug sensitivity characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection (BSI), so as to provide reference for clinical experience. Methods　The distribution and drug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from blood samples from 50 hospitals in Shandong province from 2017 to 2020 were analyzed based on the Cooperative Research Network of Pediatric Bacterial and Fungal Resistance Monitoring in Shandong Province. Meanwhile, the drug sensitivity characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus were divided into children group (<14 years old) and adult group (≥14 years old). The data were analyzed by Whonet 5.6 and SPSS 22.0 with reference to CLSI 2021 M100 document standard judgment results. Results　A total of 3 661 Staphylococcus aureus strains were collected from 50 medical institutions in Shandong Province, including 675 in 2017, 870 in 2018, 1 080 in 2019, and 1 036 in 2020. The drug resistance rates of multiple antibiotics in blood culture methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) group and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) group were significantly different (P<0.05). There were significant differences in antibiotic resistance rates between adult group and children group (P<0.05). The overall detection rate of MRSA was 27.5%, and no staphylococcus aureus strains resistant to vancomycin, linezolid and tigecycline were found. Conclusion　The detection rate of MRSA strains decreased continuously and increased by 2020. The detection rate of MRSA in adult group was lower than that in children group, suggesting that we should pay attention to the monitoring of bacterial resistance in children group, to the management of multiple resistant bacteria and rational use of antibacterial drugs.