Clinical practice and research advances in artificial liver support therapy / 临床肝胆病杂志

Artificial liver support system is one of the important therapies for liver failure， and in recent years， the role of non-bioartificial liver support system in the treatment of liver failure has been gradually recognized， with wide application in non-liver failure diseases. In clinical practice， various factors should be considered to reasonably select the timing and mode of non-bioartificial liver support therapy， and standardized， individualized， and precise treatment and optimal combination of different modes are the trend of the clinical application of artificial liver support therapy. There have been constant improvements in the key techniques of bioartificial liver support system such as seed cell source and bioreactor， and some of them have entered the stage of clinical trial. Although remarkable progress has been made in the clinical practice and research of artificial liver support therapy， there are still many challenges， and it is urgently needed to solve the problems of how to further improve its efficacy and safety through technological innovation and combination optimization and how to obtain higher-level evidence-based medical evidence through high-quality clinical trials.

Evaluation of the measles surveillance system performance in Jiading District， Shanghai from 2020 to 2022 / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo evaluate the measles surveillance system （MSS） in Jiading District， Shanghai from 2020 to 2022， and to provide evidence for the elimination of measles. MethodsDescriptive methods were used to analyze the MSS data and confirmed measles cases from 2020 to 2022 and to evaluate MSS performance indicators. ResultsA total of 120 suspected cases were reported through the MSS from 2020 to 2022， of which 12 were classified as measles， 9 as rubella， and 99 as non-measles /rubella. The incidence of reported non-measles /rubella was 1.44 per 100 000 population in 2020， 2.01 per 100 000 population in 2021， and 1.99 per 100 000 population in 2022. The rates of complete investigation within 48 hours， blood samples and etiology collection， timely delivery， and timely reporting were all 100%. Among the 12 confirmed measles cases from 2020 to 2022， seven routine immunization subjects completed the required doses of measles vaccines， while two out five adult cases had a history of measles vaccine-related immunization. The confirmed cases comprised six with fever accompanied by rash， five with rash alone， and one with fever alone. ConclusionThe MSS results in Jiading District， Shanghai are overall satisfactory. However， there is a need to improve sensitivity， especially in detecting and reporting cases with atypical symptoms. It is imperative to maintain high vaccination coverage for age-appropriate children， promote supplementary immunization activities， and elevate the overall immunity of the entire population.

Effects of traditional Chinese medicine on treatment outcomes in severe COVID-19 patients: a single-centre study / 中国天然药物

As the search for effective treatments for COVID-19 continues, the high mortality rate among critically ill patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) presents a profound challenge. This study explores the potential benefits of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a supplementary treatment for severe COVID-19. A total of 110 critically ill COVID-19 patients at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Vulcan Hill Hospital between Feb., 2020, and April, 2020 (Wuhan, China) participated in this observational study. All patients received standard supportive care protocols, with a subset of 81 also receiving TCM as an adjunct treatment. Clinical characteristics during the treatment period and the clinical outcome of each patient were closely monitored and analysed. Our findings indicated that the TCM group exhibited a significantly lower mortality rate compared with the non-TCM group (16 of 81 vs 24 of 29; 0.3 vs 2.3 person/month). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, TCM treatment was associated with improved survival odds (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis also revealed that TCM treatment could partially mitigate inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and contribute to the recovery of multiple organic functions, thereby potentially increasing the survival rate of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Advances in mesenchymal stem cells therapy for tendinopathies / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

Tendinopathies are chronic diseases of an unknown etiology and associated with inflammation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a viable therapeutic option to combat the pathological progression of tendinopathies, not only because of their potential for multidirectional differentiation and self-renewal, but also their excellent immunomodulatory properties. The immunomodulatory effects of MSCs are increasingly being recognized as playing a crucial role in the treatment of tendinopathies, with MSCs being pivotal in regulating the inflammatory microenvironment by modulating the immune response, ultimately contributing to improved tissue repair. This review will discuss the current knowledge regarding the application of MSCs in tendinopathy treatments through the modulation of the immune response.

Application of three-dimensional imaging device to colonoscopy / 中华消化内镜杂志

Objective:To evaluate the application of three-dimensional (3D) imaging device to colonoscopy.Methods:A total of 60 patients who underwent painless colonoscopy in Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from November to December, 2019 were enrolled and divided into 2 groups according to random code. Each patient underwent colonoscopy twice, while 2D colonoscopy was used for cecal intubation. Thirty patients were assigned to the experimental group (primary withdrawal used 3D colonoscopy, and secondary withdrawal used 2D colonoscopy), and 30 others to the control group (primary withdrawal used 2D colonoscopy, and secondary withdrawal used 3D colonoscopy). The detection of polyps, the withdrawal time, operating experience, image quality and complication were evaluated in the two groups.Results:The polyp detection rate at the first colonoscopy in the experimental group was 77.3% (17/22), which was higher than 43.5% (10/23) in the control group ( χ2=5.351, P=0.021). Ten operators in the experimental group had dizziness, while the operators in the control group had no dizziness ( P=0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the polyp diameter [0.50 (0.70) cm VS 0.30 (0.20) cm, U=57.000, P=0.170], withdrawal time (4.6±1.5 min VS 5.2±1.9 min, t=-1.189, P=0.239) or image quality (27 cases with 3 points in the identification of lesion nature, and 28 cases with 3 points in the identification of duct both in the two groups, P=1.000) at the first colonoscopy. No complication occurred in either group. Conclusion:Application of 3D imaging device is feasible for colonoscopic polyp detection, and it can be used in clinical practice.

Effect of muscle mass reduction on the progression of coronary artery calcification in maintenance hemodialysis patients / 中华肾脏病杂志

Objective:To evaluate the extent and progression of coronary artery calcification in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, and to explore the risk factors of rapid progression of coronary artery calcification in MHD patients.Methods:The patients who underwent MHD in the Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2017 were enrolled. This study included cross-sectional study and prospective cohort study. Multi-slice spiral computed tomography was used to measure coronary artery calcification, and coronary artery calcium score (CACS) was calculated. In the cross-sectional study, 62 MHD patients were enrolled. According to baseline CACS, the patients were divided into low calcification group (CACS < 100) and high calcification group (CACS ≥ 100). The nutritional and bone mineral metabolism indexes were compared between the two groups. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation between CACS and muscle mass and laboratory indicators. Since 6 patients were lost to follow-up, 56 MHD patients who were followed-up regularly were enrolled in the prospective cohort study. According to the progression of CACS, the patients were divided into slow progression group (ΔCACS/year < 100) and rapid progression group (ΔCACS/year ≥ 100). Logistic regression equation was used to analyze the risk factors of coronary calcification progression. Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test and receiver operating characteristic curve were used to evaluate the performance of multivariate logistic regression model.Results:In the cross-sectional study, the age of 62 patients was (62.34±10.82) years old, and the median dialysis age was 78 (39,139) months. Among the 33 male patients, compared with the low calcification group ( n=7), the high calcification group ( n=26) had older age ( t=-2.281, P=0.030) and higher blood triglyceride ( Z=-1.985, P=0.047), and there was no statistically significant difference in muscle mass between the two groups; among the 29 female patients, the muscle mass/height 2 ( t=-2.600, P=0.015) and serum calcium ( t=-2.641, P=0.014) in the high calcification group ( n=15) were both higher than those in the low calcification group ( n=14), and the hemoglobin level was lower ( t=2.531, P=0.018), and the difference in muscle mass between the two groups was not statistically significant. High sensitivity C-reactive protein ( β=0.425, P=0.022) was independently correlated with CACS in male patients, and muscle mass/extracellular water ( β=-0.580, P=0.001) was independently correlated with CACS in female patients. In the prospective cohort study, the age of 56 patients was (59.82±11.14) years old, and the median dialysis age was 82 (40, 146) months. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality between slow progression group ( n=22) and rapid progression group ( n=34), but the proportion of cardiovascular events in rapid progression group was significantly higher than that in slow progression group ( P=0.017). Compared with the slow progression group, the rapid progression group had higher proportion of males ( χ2=4.791, P=0.029), older age ( Z=-2.131, P=0.038), lower baseline muscle mass/extracellular water ( Z=2.482, P=0.016) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( t=2.133, P=0.042), and faster rate of muscle mass loss (Δmuscle mass·height -2·year -1) ( Z=-2.282, P=0.023). Multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that muscle mass loss ( OR=0.089, 95% CI 0.010-0.792, P=0.030) and baseline CACS ( OR=1.003, 95% CI 1.000-1.005, P=0.021) were influencing factors for progression of coronary artery calcification in MHD patients. Conclusion:Increasing baseline CACS and rapid reduction in muscle mass are risk factors for the progression of coronary artery calcification in MHD patients.

Correlation between cognitive impairment and cortical atrophy in elderly patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective:To analyze the correlation between cognitive impairment and cortical atrophy in elderly patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACAS).Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 40 consecutive elderly patients with ACAS treated in the Department of Neurology, Northern Jiangsu People′s Hospital from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 (ACAS group), and 40 elderly healthy controls who accepted physical examination during the same period (control group) were included. Cognitive assessment was performed using the Mental State Examination Scale (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), and brain magnetic resonance imaging scanning was performed in the ACAS group. The artificial intelligence technique was applied for brain lobe segmentation and cortical volume calculation. The χ2-test, independent sample t-test and Wilcoxon non-parametric test were used to analyze the difference of clinical data and cognitive scores between the two groups. In the ACAS group, the cortical volumes of the side with carotid stenosis was compared with that of the normal side, and Spearman′s correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between cognitive scores and cortical atrophy. Results:Compared with the control group, the ACAS group got significantly lower scores of MMSE and MoCA, as well as lower scores of visuospatial executive function, attention and calculation, language function, abstraction ability and delayed recall [(25.60±2.49) vs (27.18±1.01), (22.05±3.59) vs (25.60±1.43), (2.73±1.04) vs (4.08±0.62), (4.53±0.93) vs (5.03±0.66), 2.00 (0.00) vs 3.00 (0.00), 1.00 (1.00) vs 2.00 (0.00), and (2.95±0.96) vs (3.35±0.62)] (all P<0.05). There was not significant differences in naming and orientation ability between the two groups (both P>0.05). The volume of cortical, temporal lobe, frontal lobe, parietal lobe and insular lobe on the side with carotid stenosis in the ACAS group were significantly smaller than those on the normal side [186.23 (177.97, 202.53) vs 194.67 (185.65, 204.82) cm 3, 54.74 (50.66, 56.95) vs 55.61 (51.24, 58.49) cm 3, 72.98 (70.76, 78.34) vs 75.27 (72.34, 80.66) cm 3, 53.66 (51.11, 57.86) vs 56.59 (52.80, 60.09) cm 3, 6.57 (6.35, 7.07) vs 6.72 (6.46, 7.34) cm 3] (all P<0.05). The MoCA score in the ACAS group was positively related to the cortical volume ratio of the two sides ( r=0.427, P<0.01). The attention ( r=0.353) and abstraction ( r=0.226) ability scores were positively correlated with the temporal lobe volume ratios of the two sides (both P<0.05). The visuospatial executive ( r=0.187) and language ( r=0.373) ability scores were positively correlated with frontal lobe volume ratios of the two sides (both P<0.05), and visuospatial executive ( r=0.386), naming ( r=0.344), language ( r=0.517), abstraction ( r=0.335) and delayed recall ( r=0.333) ability scores were positively correlated with parietal lobe volume ratios of the two sides (all P<0.05). Conclusion:In elderly patients with ACAS, the cognitive impairment and cortical atrophy on the sides with carotid stenosis are significant and a positive correlation is detected between them.

Applicability analysis of bone age assessment standards for children in rural areas of Beijing / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the applicability of bone age (BA) assessment methods and to investigate the difference between BA and chronological age (CA) based on the data of children in rural areas of Beijing.Methods:A total of 412 healthy children (226 boys, 186 girls) with the age 8.6 (6.8, 10.3) years old were included in this study. The data of the prospective study were from a subgroup of the project "National Nutrition and Health Systematic Survey for 0-18 Years Old Children in China", which included children with age of 3-12 years old in Beijing rural areas. The non-dominant hand-wrist radiographs of all participants were obtained in April 2021. The Dr.Wise BA detection and analysis system was used to assess the BA according to the Tanner Whitehouse 3 (TW3) radius-ulna-short bone score (TW3-RUS), TW3 carpal bone score (TW3-Carpal), China-05 TW3-Chinese RUS (TW3-C RUS), China-05 TW3-Chinese carpal (TW3-C Carpal), and Greulich-Pyle (G-P) standards. The cases were stratified by the sex and different CA in the statistical analysis. The estimated BA obtained using different methods were compared with the CA using Wilcoxon signed ranks test.Results:The sex-stratified results showed that no significant difference was found between the estimated BA using G-P standards and CA in boys ( Z=-0.694, P=0.488), while all the other estimated BA results were statistically significantly higher than CA ( P<0.05). Stratified by both sex and CA, the estimated BA using G-P standards in 4-6 years old boy groups, as well as the estimated BA using TW3-Carpal and TW3-C Carpal standards in 11-12 years old girl groups were lower than CA, while in the other groups, the estimated BA were higher than CA. Conclusions:There were varying degrees of deviations in the BA estimations using TW3, China 05, and G-P methods for children in rural areas of Beijing. It is imperative to establish a new standard for the BA evaluation of the contemporary Chinese children.

Sampling study design and radiography protocol of a large-sample investigation on skeletal maturation in 3 to 18-year-old children in China / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To report the sampling study design and radiography protocol of a large-sample investigation on skeletal maturation of 3 to 18-year-old children in China.Methods:Multi-stage stratified random sampling was employed in this study. Two provinces, municipalities, or autonomous regions were randomly selected from each of the seven regions of China, including Northeast China, Northwest China, North China, Central China, East China, Southwest China, and South China. Then one rural and one urban investigation site were randomly selected from each province, municipality, or autonomous region. In total 28 sites were included. Among those sites, four residential districts were randomly selected from each urban site, and four townships from each rural site. For each residential district or township, 1-4 kindergartens, primary schools, and middle schools were chosen. Random cluster sampling was used to extract 3-<6-year-old children in kindergartens, and 6-18-year-old children in primary schools and middle schools. The investigation on skeletal maturation was sampled proportionate to the sampling of the whole study. The estimated simple size was 780 for each site, and 21 840 for all 28 sites in total. There were six groups of 3-<6-year-old children classified at 0.5-year intervals, and 12 groups of 6-18-year-old children classified at 1-year intervals. Posteroanterior position radiography of the left hand and wrist was achieved for all subjects.Results:The study was performed from August 26, 2019 to October 16, 2021. In total, 20 444 children received posteroanterior position radiography of the left hand and wrist, including 10 196 males and 10 248 females, 9 711 urban and 10 733 rural, respectively. The 3-<6-year-old group included 1 611 (male 819, female 792) subjects, and the 6 to 18-year-old group included 18 833 (male 9 377, female 9 456) subjects.Conclusion:This nationwide investigation on skeletal maturation of 3 to 18-year-old children in seven regions of China was successfully preformed. The results of this study can provide an important reference for establishing the current evaluation criteria of bone age in Chinese children and adolescents.

Apoptosis-promoting effect of temozolomide loaded nanoparticles combined with low intensity focused ultrasound on human glioma cells / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To prepare liquid-gas phase modified nanoparticles (TMZ/PFP/PLGA NPs) of perfluoropentane (PFP) and temozolomide (TMZ) encapsulated by polylactic-glycolic acid copolymer (PLGA), combined with low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) irradiation, and to investigate its ultrasound imaging ability and intervention effect on human glioma cells in vitro.Methods:TMZ/PFP/PLGA NPs were prepared by compound emulsion method. The basic physical and chemical properties and drug loading ability of TMZ/PFP/PLGA NPs were detected. CCK-8 assay was used to detect the cytotoxicity of nanoparticles in vitro and the effect of synergistic intervention with LIFU on the survival rate of glioma cells. The expression levels of apoptosis related proteins Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 were detected by Western blot.Results:Under transmission electron microscope, TMZ/PFP/PLGA NPs showed a circular core-shell structure with regular morphology, particle size was (137.9±63.31)nm, encapsulation efficiency of TMZ was (83.01±5.57)%, drug loading was (3.19±0.22)%. The survival rate of U251 cells was still above 70% after 24 hours of co-incubation with nanoparticles. Under the synergistic effect of LIFU irradiation, the apoptosis of U251 cells was accelerated and the survival rate of U251 cells was significantly decreased. The results of Western blot showed that the synergic intervention could significantly down-regulate the expression of apoptosis related protein Bcl-2, and significantly up-regulate the expression of Bax protein and caspase-3 protein (all P<0.05). Conclusions:TMZ/PFP/PLGA NPs have good basic physical and chemical properties. TMZ/PFP/PLGA NPs have low cytotoxicity in vitro while efficiently loading chemotherapeutic drug timozolomide. Synergistic intervention under LIFU irradiation can significantly accelerate the apoptosis of U251 glioma cells, which has a good application prospect.

Application of laparoscopic surgery skills training course in the standardized residency training of surgery / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To explore the application effect of laparoscopic surgery skills training course in the standardized residency training of surgery.Methods:A total of 40 standardized trainees of surgical residents rotating in general surgery were selected as the research objects, and randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group was offered laparoscopic surgery skills training course. The course content includes theoretical teaching module, simulated teaching module, virtual teaching module and clinical surgery practice teaching module. The control group was taught by traditional theory teaching and clinical surgery practice teaching. At the end of the courses, the two groups of students were assessed for their skills in laparoscopic grasping and pass, suture and knotting. At the same time, a questionnaire survey was conducted among the students and teachers. The t-test was performed using SPSS 22.0 statistical software. Results:The theoretical scores of the experimental and control groups were (67.90±13.24) and (69.70±13.46), respectively, with no statistically significant difference ( P > 0.05). After the courses, the performance of grasping and pass, suture and knotting of the experimental group (15.25±3.24 and 5.45±2.14) was higher than that of the control group (11.25±2.12 and 2.75±1.16), and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.01).The questionnaire survey showed that the proportion of "better" feedback from students and teachers on laparoscopic skills training courses was significantly higher than that of "general" and "poor". Conclusion:The laparoscopic surgery skills training course can improve the laparoscopic surgery skills of the trainees in the standardized residency training of surgery, shorten the learning curve, and make the training standardized and homogeneous. It is worthy of wide promotion and application in the standardized training base.

Postgraduate training system of biomedical science in the USA and its implications to China: taking the City of Hope National Medical Center as an example / 中华医学教育探索杂志

This paper, taking the City of Hope National Medical Center as an example, introduces the application and admission of biomedical science doctors in the USA, analyzes the curriculum system and teaching patterns, elaborates the requirement of degree awarding, and compares the differences in postgraduate training system between China and the USA, thereby providing valuable experience and reference for training biomedical science postgraduate students with Chinese characteristics in the domestic universities.

Effects of Satir model group intervention on coping style, self-consistency and congruence and subjective well-being among re-employment nurses / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of Satir model group intervention on stress coping style, self-consistency and congruence and subjective well-being of re-employment nurses, in order to provide evidence for nursing managers to take targeted intervention measures.Methods:This was a quasi-experimental study. Convenience sampling was used to select 63 re-employment nurses from Shandong Provincial Third Hospital in 2021 as the research objects. The re-employment nurses were divided into control group (32 cases) and observation group (31 cases) by random number table method. The control group received humanistic care including heart-to-heart talk, group discussion and psychological lecture, and the observation group received Satir model group intervention for 6 weeks. Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, Self Consistency and Congruence Scale and General Well-Being Scale were used to evaluate the intervention effect before intervention, immediately after intervention, 3 months after intervention, and 6 months after intervention.Results:There was no significant difference in coping style, self-consistency and congruence and subjective well-being between the two groups before intervention ( P>0.05). The positive coping scores of the observation group immediately after intervention, 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention were (28.94 ± 2.99), (28.71 ± 4.70) and (29.16 ± 3.23) points, significantly higher than the control group (23.38 ± 5.50), (24.72 ± 5.91), (24.65 ± 5.65) points, the differences were statistically significant ( t=4.96, 2.96, 3.87, all P<0.01); the total self-consistency and congruence scores were (94.52 ± 14.00), (99.87 ± 16.82), (91.84 ± 10.36) points, significantly lower than the control group (105.72 ± 10.75), (114.23 ± 20.10), (107.41 ± 13.39) points, the differences were statistically significant ( t=-3.57, -3.07, -5.15, all P<0.01); the total subjective well-being scores were (84.97 ± 7.37), (84.58 ± 10.33), (91.84 ± 7.01) points, which were higher than the control group (75.69 ± 7.94), (77.28 ± 8.27), (77.00 ± 8.48) points, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=4.80, 3.69, 7.56, all P<0.01). Conclusions:Satir model group intervention can improve the coping style, enhance the level of self-consistency and congruence and subjective well-being among re-employment nurses.

Based on Delphi method improved early graded rehabilitation nursing model for postoperative children with congenital heart disease / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To improve the early graded rehabilitation nursing model suitable for postoperative children with congenital heart disease, providing reference for related research and clinical practice.Methods:Searched databases like JBI, PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, CNKI, Wanfang Data and related websites for information on postoperative rehabilitation of children with congenital heart disease. We improved the first draft model with qualitative interview results and used Delphi method to conduct two rounds of consultation for 16 experts from 6 provinces and cities to further test the scientific and feasibility of the model.Results:The early graded rehabilitation nursing model for postoperative children with congenital heart disease includes 4 first-level items, 15 second-level items and 48 third-level items. The 4 first-level items are the evaluation of the early graded rehabilitation nursing model, the grading standard of the early graded rehabilitation nursing model, the implementation of the early graded rehabilitation nursing model, the effect evaluation and health education. Experts′ response rates were 100% in the 2 rounds, experts′ authority coefficient were 0.82 and 0.84 respectively, and the Kendall′ s W rank-order correlation coefficients of all levels of indicators were 0.188-0.246, 0.223-0.287 (all P<0.01). Conclusions:The improved early graded rehabilitation nursing model for postoperative children with congenital heart disease is scientific, pertinence and safe, which can provide guidance for clinical rehabilitation nursing practice.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Health Status of Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution based on Improved Radar Chart / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo present the health status of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） constitutions more intuitively and comprehensively based on improved radar chart. MethodsParticipants who completed a 26-week comprehensive intervention based on TCM constitution from February 2013 to January 2014 in Zhuhai branch of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine were included in the study. They were divided into groups according to gender and age， i.e. young， middle-aged， and elderly male and female groups. TCM constitution scale and health survey short form （SF-36） were used to evaluate the 9 basic TCM constitution types and quality of life at three time points， including pre-intervention （T1）， at 13-week intervention （T2）， and at 26-week intervention （T3）. The improved radar charts were drawn to visually present the comprehensive evaluation results on the health status of 9 TCM constitutions， and graphic features （area S value， perimeter L value） were extracted to construct a comprehensive health index for TCM constitutions （H value）. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between H value and SF-36 total score. ResultsAmong the included 509 participants， there were 45 elderly male， 76 elderly female， 60 middle-aged male， 140 middle-aged female， 53 young male and 135 young female. The radar charts for comprehensive evaluation of TCM constitution health status showed that the total areas for all groups increased at T3 compared to T1， with the most significant increase in the young population. In the middle-aged population， the fan-shaped areas of certain constitutions decreased at T2 than T1. At T3， the radar chart shapes for females were more balanced than males in the same age group. By calculating the features of function graphs， it was found that the S， L， and H values for the elderly population were relatively higher than those for the middle-aged and young population with the same gender， and the young population increased by highest ratio. The values measured at T3 compared to T1 showed average increase of 26% for S value （11% for the middle-aged and 14% for the elderly）， 22% for L value （10% for the middle-aged and the elderly each）， and 22% for H value （10% for the middle-aged and 9% for the elderly）. The female had lower S and L values， as well as higher H value than the male of the same age group measured at T3. The correlation coefficient between the H value of all participants and the total SF-36 score was 0.662 （P＜0.01）. ConclusionThe comprehensive evaluation model for the health status of TCM constitution based on the improved radar chart constructed in this study can present the health status of TCM constitutions and intervention effectiveness more comprehensively and intuitively. It is suggested to regulate the constitution in pursuit of the dynamic balance of the constitution health status， as well as consider the parts from the whole， and put focus on the balance of nine TCM constitutions.

Ultrasound-guided anhydrous ethanol and microwave ablation for functional parathyroid cyst: a case report / 南方医科大学学报

We report a case of functional parathyroid cyst treated by ultrasound-guided anhydrous ethanol sclerotherapy and microwave ablation. The 63-year-old female patient was diagnosed to have functional parathyroid cyst with hypercalcemia, high PTH and cystic space-occupying lesions in the neck by ultrasound, radionuclide scanning and PTH measurement of the cystic fluid. The patient refused to receive cyst resection, and anhydrous ethanol sclerotherapy with microwave ablation was performed under ultrasound guidance. The procedure was completed smoothly without any complications either during or after the operation. Follow-up examination of the patient at 18 months after the operation showed a significant reduction of the mass and normal blood calcium and iPTH levels, demonstrating a clinical cure of the patient. Ablative treatment of functional parathyroid cyst has not been documented so far. This approach provides a minimally invasive treatment modality for such cases where surgical resection is not an option, but its efficacy and safety need to be evaluated in more cases with longer follow-up time.

Association between vitamin D level and blood eosinophil count in healthy population and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its association with blood eosinophil count in healthy population and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).@*METHODS@#We analyzed the data of a total 6163 healthy individuals undergoing routine physical examination in our hospital between October, 2017 and December, 2021, who were divided according to their serum 25(OH)D level into severe vitamin D deficiency group (< 10 ng/mL), deficiency group (< 20 ng/mL), insufficient group (< 30 ng/mL) and normal group (≥30 ng/mL). We also retrospectively collected the data of 67 COPD patients admitted in our department from April and June, 2021, with 67 healthy individuals undergoing physical examination in the same period as the control group. Routine blood test results, body mass index (BMI) and other parameters were obtained from all the subjects, and logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between 25(OH)D levels and eosinophil count.@*RESULTS@#The overall abnormal rate of 25(OH)D level (< 30 ng/mL) in the healthy individuals was 85.31%, and the rate was significantly higher in women (89.29%) than in men. Serum 25(OH)D levels in June, July, and August were significantly higher than those in December, January, and February. In the healthy individuals, blood eosinophil counts were the lowest in severe 25(OH)D deficiency group, followed by the deficiency group and insufficient group, and were the highest in the normal group (P < 0.05). Multivariable regression analysis showed that an older age, a higher BMI, and elevated vitamin D levels were all risk factors for elevated blood eosinophils in the healthy individuals. The patients with COPD had lower serum 25(OH)D levels than the healthy individuals (19.66±7.87 vs 26.39±9.28 ng/mL) and a significantly higher abnormal rate of serum 25(OH)D (91% vs 71%; P < 0.05). A reduced serum 25(OH)D level was a risk factor for COPD. Blood eosinophils, sex and BMI were not significantly correlated with serum 25(OH)D level in patients with COPD.@*CONCLUSION@#Vitamin D deficiency is common in both healthy individuals and COPD patients, and the correlations of vitamin D level with sex, BMI and blood eosinophils differ obviously between healthy individuals and COPD patients.

An examination of the carbon metabolic pathways in Acinetobacter sp. TAC-1 in the context of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) utilization / 生物工程学报

The present study aimed to unravel the carbon metabolism pathway of Acinetobacter sp. TAC-1, a heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) strain that utilizes poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) as a carbon source. Sodium acetate was employed as a control to assess the gene expression of carbon metabolic pathways in the TAC-1 strain. The results of genome sequencing demonstrated that the TAC-1 strain possessed various genes encoding carbon metabolic enzymes, such as gltA, icd, sucAB, acs, and pckA. KEGG pathway database analysis further verified the presence of carbon metabolism pathways, including the glycolytic pathway (EMP), pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), glyoxylate cycle (GAC), and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in the TAC-1 strain. The differential expression of metabolites derived from distinct carbon sources provided further evidence that the carbon metabolism pathway of TAC-1 utilizing PHBV follows the sequential process of PHBV (via the PPP pathway)→gluconate (via the EMP pathway)→acetyl-CoA (entering the TCA cycle)→CO2+H2O (generating electron donors and releasing energy). This study is expected to furnish a theoretical foundation for the advancement and implementation of novel denitrification processes based on HN-AD and solid carbon sources.

DJ1 Ameliorates AD-like Pathology in the Hippocampus of APP/PS1 Mice / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To explore whether the protein Deglycase protein 1 (DJ1) can ameliorate Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like pathology in Amyloid Precursor Protein/Presenilin 1 (APP/PS1) double transgenic mice and its possible mechanism to provide a theoretical basis for exploring the pathogenesis of AD.@*METHODS@#Adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV) of DJ1-overexpression or DJ1-knockdown were injected into the hippocampus of 7-month-old APP/PS1 mice to construct models of overexpression or knockdown. Mice were divided into the AD model control group (MC), AAV vector control group (NC), DJ1-overexpression group (DJ1 +), and DJ1-knockdown group (DJ1 -). After 21 days, the Morris water maze test, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and western blotting were used to evaluate the effects of DJ1 on mice.@*RESULTS@#DJ1 + overexpression decreased the latency and increased the number of platform traversals in the water maze test. DJ1 - cells were cured and atrophied, and the intercellular structure was relaxed; the number of age spots and the expression of AD-related proteins were significantly increased. DJ1 + increased the protein expression of Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), light chain 3 (LC3), phosphorylated AMPK (p-AMPK), and B cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2), as well as the antioxidant levels of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), while decreasing the levels of Kelch-like hydrates-associated protein 1 (Keap1), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p62/sequestosome1 (p62/SQSTM1), Caspase3, and malondialdehyde (MDA).@*CONCLUSION@#DJ1-overexpression can ameliorate learning, memory, and AD-like pathology in APP/PS1 mice, which may be related to the activation of the NRF2/HO-1 and AMPK/mTOR pathways by DJ1.

Effect of down-regulation of let-7c/g on triggering a double-negative feedback loop and promoting restenosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Excessive proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are the main causes of restenosis (RS) in diabetic lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD). However, the relevant pathogenic mechanisms are poorly understood.@*METHODS@#In this study, we introduced a "two-step injury protocol" rat RS model, which started with the induction of atherosclerosis (AS) and was followed by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry staining were used to verify the form of RS. Two-step transfection was performed, with the first transfection of Lin28a followed by a second transfection of let-7c and let-7g, to explore the possible mechanism by which Lin28a exerted effects. 5-ethynyl-2΄-deoxyuridine (EdU) and Transwell assay were performed to evaluate the ability of proliferation and migration of VSMCs. Western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were performed to detect the expression of Lin28a protein and let-7 family members.@*RESULTS@#Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo experiments, we discovered that let-7c, let-7g, and microRNA98 (miR98) were downstream targets of Lin28a. More importantly, decreased expression of let-7c/let-7g increased Lin28a, leading to further inhibition of let-7c/let-7g. We also found an increased level of let-7d in the RS pathological condition, suggesting that it may function as a protective regulator of the Lin28a/let-7 loop by inhibiting the proliferation and migration of VSMCs.@*CONCLUSION@#These findings indicated the presence of a double-negative feedback loop consisting of Lin28a and let-7c/let-7g, which may be responsible for the vicious behavior of VSMCs in RS.