Use of antenatal corticosteroids among infants with gestational age at 24 to 31 weeks in 57 neonatal intensive care units of China: a cross-sectional study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) can significantly improve the outcomes of preterm infants. This study aimed to describe the ACS use rates among preterm infants admitted to Chinese neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and to explore perinatal factors associated with ACS use, using the largest contemporary cohort of very preterm infants in China.@*METHODS@#This cross-sectional study enrolled all infants born at 24 +0 to 31 +6 weeks and admitted to 57 NICUs of the Chinese Neonatal Network from January 1st, 2019 to December 30th, 2019. The ACS administration was defined as at least one dose of dexamethasone and betamethasone given before delivery. Multiple logistic regressions were applied to determine the association between perinatal factors and ACS usage.@*RESULTS@#A total of 7828 infants were enrolled, among which 6103 (78.0%) infants received ACS. ACS use rates increased with increasing gestational age (GA), from 177/259 (68.3%) at 24 to 25 weeks' gestation to 3120/3960 (78.8%) at 30 to 31 weeks' gestation. Among infants exposed to ACS, 2999 of 6103 (49.1%) infants received a single complete course, and 33.4% (2039/6103) infants received a partial course. ACS use rates varied from 30.2% to 100% among different hospitals. Multivariate regression showed that increasing GA, born in hospital (inborn), increasing maternal age, maternal hypertension and premature rupture of membranes were associated with higher likelihood to receive ACS.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The use rate of ACS remained low for infants at 24 to 31 weeks' gestation admitted to Chinese NICUs, with fewer infants receiving a complete course. The use rates varied significantly among different hospitals. Efforts are urgently needed to propose improvement measures and thus improve the usage of ACS.

Comparison of alkaloids in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Aconiti Radix, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS / 中国中药杂志

UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS/MS was used to systematically analyze and compare the alkaloids in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Aconiti Radix, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata. After the samples were pretreated in the solid-phase extraction cartridges, 0.1% ammonium hydroxide(A)-acetonitrile(B) was used for gradient elution. The LC-MS method for characterization of alkaloids in the three herbal medicines was established in ESI positive ion mode to collect high resolution MS data of reference substances and samples. On the basis of the information of reference substance cracking behavior, retention time, accurate molecular mass, and related literature, a total of 155 alkaloids were identified in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Aconiti Radix, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Prae-parata. Specifically, 130, 127, and 92 alkaloids were identified in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix, Aconiti Radix, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, respectively. Monoester alkaloids and amino-alcohol alkaloids were dominant in the three herbal medicines, and the alkaloids in Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix and Aconiti Radix were similar. This paper can provide a reference for elucidating the pharmacological effects and clinical application differences of the three herbal medicines produced from plants of Aconitum.

Protection of side-branch ostium by the jailed balloon technique validated by three-dimensional optical coherence tomography / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To evaluate the protective effect of jailed balloon technique on side branch (SB) ostium using three-dimensional optical coherence tomography(OCT). Methods: This is a retrospective study. Consecutive coronary disease patients with coronary artery bifurcation lesions who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and completed pre-and post-procedural OCT examinations at the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital from September 2019 to March 2022 were enrolled. Patients were divided into the jailed balloon technique group and the unprotected group according to the options applied for the SB. The SB ostium area difference was calculated from OCT images (SB ostium area difference=post-PCI SB ostium area-pre-PCI SB ostium area). The SB ostium area differences were compared between the two groups and compared further in the subgroup of true bifurcation lesions and non-true bifurcation lesions. In the jailed balloon group, the SB ostium area difference was compared between the active jailed balloon technique and the conventional jailed balloon technique, between the jailed balloon>2.0 mm diameter and the jailed balloon≤2.0 mm diameter, and between the higher balloon pressure (>4 atm, 1 atm=101.325 kPa) and the lower balloon pressure (≤4 atm). Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to explore the correlation between the technical parameters of the jailed balloon technique and the SB protection effect. Results: A total of 176 patients with 236 bifurcation lesions were enrolled, aged (60.7±9.3) years, and there were 128 male patients (72.7%). There were 67 patients in the jailed balloon technique group with 71 bifurcation lesions and 123 patients in the unprotected group with 165 bifurcation lesions. Fourteen patients had 2 to 3 lesions, which were treated in different ways, so they appeared in the unprotected group and the jailed balloon technique group at the same time. The area difference in SB ostium was greater in the jailed balloon group than in the unprotected group (0.07 (-0.43, 1.05)mm2 vs.-0.33 (-0.83, 0.26)mm2, P<0.001), and the results were consistent in the true bifurcation lesion subgroup (0.29 (-0.35, 0.96)mm2 vs.-0.26 (-0.64, 0.29)mm2, P=0.004), while the difference between the two groups in the non-true bifurcation lesion subgroup was not statistically significant (P=0.136). In the jailed balloon technique group, the SB ostium area difference was greater in patients treated with the active jailed balloon technique than in those treated with the conventional jailed balloon technique ((0.43±1.36)mm2 vs. (-0.22±0.52)mm2, P=0.013). The difference in SB ostium area was greater in those using>2.0 mm diameter jailed balloons than in those using≤2.0 mm diameter jailed balloons (0.25 (-0.51, 1.31) mm2 vs.-0.01 (-0.45, 0.63) mm2, P=0.020), while SB ostium area difference was similar between those endowed with higher balloon pressure (>4 atm) compared to those with lower balloon pressure (≤4 atm) (P=0.731). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between jailed balloon diameter and SB ostium area difference (r=0.344, P=0.019). Conclusions: The jailed balloon technique significantly protects SB ostium, especially in patients with true bifurcation lesions. The active jailed balloon technique and larger diameter balloons may provide more protection to the SB.

Evaluation of metoprolol standard dosing pathway in Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome: a prospective multicenter single-arm interventional study / 老年心脏病学杂志（英文版）

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the feasibility and tolerability of metoprolol standard dosing pathway (MSDP) in Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).@*METHODS@#In this multicenter, prospective, open label, single-arm and interventional study that was conducted from February 2018 to April 2019 in fifteen Chinese hospitals. A total of 998 hospitalized patients aged ≥ 18 years and diagnosed with ACS were included. The MSDP was applied to all eligible ACS patients based on the standard treatment recommended by international guidelines. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients achieving the target dose at discharge (V2). The secondary endpoints included the heart rate and blood pressure at V2 and four weeks after discharge (V4), and percentage of patients experiencing bradycardia (heart rate < 50 beats/min), hypotension (blood pressure < 90/60 mmHg) and transient cardiac dysfunction at V2 and V4.@*RESULTS@#Of the 998 patients, 29.46% of patients achieved the target dose (≥ 95 mg/d) at V2. The total population was divided into two groups: target group (patients achieving the target dose at V2) and non-target group (patients not achieving the target dose at V2). There was significant difference in the reduction of heart rate from baseline to discharge in the two groups (-4.97 ± 11.90 beats/min vs. -2.70 ± 9.47 beats/min, P = 0.034). There was no significant difference in the proportion of bradycardia that occurred in the two groups at V2 (0 vs. 0, P = 1.000) and V4 (0.81% vs. 0.33%, P = 0.715). There was no significant difference in the proportion of hypotension between the two groups at V2 (0.004% vs. 0.004%, P = 1.000) and V4 (0 vs. 0.005%, P = 0.560). No transient cardiac dysfunction occurred in two groups during the study. A total of five adverse events (1.70%) and one serious adverse event (0.34%) were related to the pathway in target group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#In Chinese ACS patients, the feasibility and tolerability of the MSDP have been proved to be acceptable.

Manufacturing classification system for oral solid dosage forms of traditional Chinese medicines (Ⅱ): classification of tablets disintegration behavior / 中国中药杂志

In this paper, 50 batches of representative traditional Chinese medicine tablets were selected and the disintegration time was examined with the method in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The disintegration time and disintegration phenomenon were recorded, and the dissolution behaviors of water-soluble and ultraviolet-absorbent components during the disintegration process of tablets were characterized by self-control method. The results revealed that coating type and raw material type influenced the disintegration time of tablets. It was found that only 4% of traditional Chinese medicine tablets had obvious fragmentation during the disintegration process, while 96% of traditional Chinese medicine tablets showed gradual dissolution or dispersion. Furthermore, according to the disintegration speed, disintegration phenomenon, and whether the cumulative dissolution of measured components was > 90% at complete disintegration, a disintegration behavior classification system(DBCS) was created for the regular-release traditional Chinese medicine tablets. As a result, the disintegration behaviors of 50 batches of traditional Chinese medicine tablets were classified into four categories, i.e. ⅠA_2, ⅠB_1, ⅡB_1, and ⅡB_2. traditional Chinese medicine tablets(Class I) with disintegration time ≤ 30 min were defined to be rapid in disintegration, which can be the objective of optimization or improvement of Chinese herbal extract(semi extract) tablets. Different drug release models were used to fit the dissolution curve of traditional Chinese medicine tablets with gradual dissolution or dispersion phenomenon(i.e. Type B tablets). The results showed that the dissolution curves of water-soluble components in the disintegration process conformed to the zero order kinetics and the Ritger-Peppas model. It could be inferred that the disintegration mechanisms of type B tablets were a combination of dissolution controlled and swelling controlled mechanisms. This study contributes to understanding the disintegration behavior of traditional Chinese medicine tablets, and provides a reference for the design and improvement of disintegration performance of traditional Chinese medicine tablets.

A comparative analysis of the distribution of the high-risk population of upper gastrointestinal cancer and endoscopic screening compliance in two urban areas and two rural areas in China / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To analyze and compare the distribution of the high-risk population of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer and the factors influencing the compliance rate of endoscopic screening in urban China and rural China. Methods: From 2015 to 2017, an epidemiological survey was conducted on residents aged 40-69 in two rural areas (Luoshan county of Henan province, Sheyang county of Jiangsu province) and two urban areas (Changsha city of Hunan province, Harbin city of Heilongjiang province). As a result, high-risk individuals were recommended for endoscopic screening. Chi-square χ(2) test was used to compare the high-risk rate of UGI cancer between urban and rural residents. In addition, the multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors influencing the compliance rate of endoscopic screening. Results: A total of 48, 310 residents aged 40-69 were enrolled in this study, including 22 870 (47.34%) residents from rural areas and 25 440 (52.66%) residents from urban areas. A total of 23 532 individuals were assessed with a high risk of UGI cancer, with an overall risk rate of 48.71%. A higher proportion of participants with high risk was observed in rural China (56.17%, 12 845/22 870) than in urban China (42.01%, 10 687/25 440). A total of 10 971 high-risk individuals with UGI cancer participated in endoscopic screening, with an overall compliance rate of 46.62% (10 971/23 532), 45.15% (5 799/12 845) in rural China, and 48.40% (5 172/10 687) in urban China. In rural population, the compliance rate of endoscopic screening was higher in those of females, aged 50-69 years, primary school education or above, high income, a family history of UGI cancer, history of gastric and duodenal ulcer, history of reflux esophagitis, and history of superficial gastritis, but lower in smokers (P<0.05). Among the urban population, the compliance rate of endoscopic screening was higher in those aged 40-49 years, uneducated, low income, family history of UGI cancer, history of reflux esophagitis, history of superficial gastritis, but lower in smokers (P<0.05). Conclusions: The proportion of participants with high risk of UGI cancer in rural areas is higher than that of urban areas. The compliance rates of endoscopic screening in urban and rural areas are low, and influencing factors of endoscopic screening exhibit some differences in rural China and urban China.

A cyclodextrin-based nanoformulation achieves co-delivery of ginsenoside Rg3 and quercetin for chemo-immunotherapy in colorectal cancer

The immune checkpoint blockade therapy has profoundly revolutionized the field of cancer immunotherapy. However, despite great promise for a variety of cancers, the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors is still low in colorectal cancer (CRC). This is mainly due to the immunosuppressive feature of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Emerging evidence reveals that certain chemotherapeutic drugs induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), demonstrating great potential for remodeling the immunosuppressive TME. In this study, the potential of ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) as an ICD inducer against CRC cells was confirmed using in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches. The ICD efficacy of Rg3 could be significantly enhanced by quercetin (QTN) that elicited reactive oxygen species (ROS). To ameliorate in vivo delivery barriers associated with chemotherapeutic drugs, a folate (FA)-targeted polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified amphiphilic cyclodextrin nanoparticle (NP) was developed for co-encapsulation of Rg3 and QTN. The resultant nanoformulation (CD-PEG-FA.Rg3.QTN) significantly prolonged blood circulation and enhanced tumor targeting in an orthotopic CRC mouse model, resulting in the conversion of immunosuppressive TME. Furthermore, the CD-PEG-FA.Rg3.QTN achieved significantly longer survival of animals in combination with Anti-PD-L1. The study provides a promising strategy for the treatment of CRC.

Bax inhibitor 1 inhibits vascular calcification in mice by activating optic atrophy 1 expression / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of Bax inhibitor 1 (BI- 1) and optic atrophy protein 1 (OPA1) on vascular calcification (VC).@*METHODS@#Mouse models of VC were established in ApoE-deficient (ApoE-/-) diabetic mice by high-fat diet feeding for 12 weeks followed by intraperitoneal injections with Nε-carboxymethyl-lysine for 16 weeks. ApoE-/- mice (control group), ApoE-/- diabetic mice (VC group), ApoE-/- diabetic mice with BI-1 overexpression (VC + BI-1TG group), and ApoE-/- diabetic mice with BI-1 overexpression and OPA1 knockout (VC+BI-1TG+OPA1-/- group) were obtained for examination of the degree of aortic calcification using von Kossa staining. The changes in calcium content in the aorta were analyzed using ELISA. The expressions of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) were detected using immunohistochemistry, and the expression of cleaved caspase-3 was determined using Western blotting. Cultured mouse aortic smooth muscle cells were treated with 10 mmol/L β-glycerophosphate for 14 days to induce calcification, and the changes in BI-1 and OPA1 protein expressions were examined using Western blotting and cell apoptosis was detected using TUNEL staining.@*RESULTS@#ApoE-/- mice with VC showed significantly decreased expressions of BI-1 and OPA1 proteins in the aorta (P=0.0044) with obviously increased calcium deposition and expressions of RUNX2, BMP-2 and cleaved caspase-3 (P= 0.0041). Overexpression of BI-1 significantly promoted OPA1 protein expression and reduced calcium deposition and expressions of RUNX2, BMP-2 and cleaved caspase-3 (P=0.0006). OPA1 knockdown significantly increased calcium deposition and expressions of RUNX2, BMP-2 and cleaved caspase-3 in the aorta (P=0.0007).@*CONCLUSION@#BI-1 inhibits VC possibly by promoting the expression of OPA1, reducing calcium deposition and inhibiting osteogenic differentiation and apoptosis of the vascular smooth muscle cells.

Characterization of the critical quality attributes for hydroxypropyl methylcellulose with different sources and analysis of the release of sustained-release tablets in vitro / 药学学报

The quality difference of pharmaceutical excipients from different sources affects the molding properties of the powder, resulting in changes in the properties of the final product. In this study, the critical quality attributes of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) with different specifications from two manufacturers (manufacturer A and manufacturer B) were characterized including particle size, physical morphology, viscosity and powder physical quality attributes. Aminophylline, diclofenac sodium, and metformin hydrochloride were utilized as model drugs with different solubility to prepare sustained-release tablets, and the effect of HPMC from different sources on drug release of sustained-release tablets in vitro was investigated. The results showed that HPMC with the same viscosity specification from different sources had outstanding differences in the physicochemical properties (including particle size, physical morphology, viscosity, dimension, compressibility and powder flow), which could change the hardness and friability of the sustained-release tablets. The differences in the physicochemical properties of HPMC had different effects on the dissolution of different sustained-release tablets in vitro. It had no significant effect on the release of easily soluble aminophylline and metformin hydrochloride, but had a greater impact on the release of poorly soluble diclofenac sodium. Compared with manufacturer A, the sustained-release effect of matrix tablets prepared by HPMC from manufacturer B was more excellent. The results of this study will provide a theoretical reference on selecting the appropriate excipients for formulation design.

The influence of pressure range on the fitting results of tablet compression equation / 药学学报

According to the commonly used tablet compressibility, compactability and tabletability equation, the influence of pressure range on the fitting results and parameters of different compression equations was studied, and the optimal pressure range of different equations was determined. Plastic material microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) PH102, brittle material spray dried lactose and Chinese medicine Sanqi were used as experimental objects, the compression curves of tablets were obtained by the combination of dies with different diameters. For Heckel equation, the shape of Heckel section of different materials is not uniform, and the specified linear fitting range cannot be obtained, therefore, different distances between fitting pressure starting point and starting point were set to observe the influence of pressure range on R2 of Heckel equation. The Kawakita equation, Gurnham equation, Ryshkewitch-Duckworth (R-D) equation and Power equation are fitted in three different pressure ranges of 15-200, 15-300 and 15-400 MPa, respectively. In order to find the best linear region of Heckel equation, the 3D scatter diagram of "starting point of pressure, pressure range and R2" is drawn. The best linear pressure ranges of Heckel curves of MCC, lactose and Sanqi were 20-170, 20-220 and 10-90 MPa, respectively. It is proved that the 3D scatter diagram is an effective method to find the linear range of Heckel equation. The change of pressure range has little influence on the curve fitting effect and compression parameters of Kawakita equation, Gurnham equation and Ryshkewitch-Duckworth equation. The low pressure range of 15-200 MPa can meet the fitting requirements of Kawakita equation, Gurnham equation, R-D equation and Power equation for different materials. Therefore, only by optimizing the pressure range, can the good fitting effect be ensured and the obtained compression parameters be more reliable and interpretable.

Summary of Research on Intervention of Chinese Medicine in Breast Cancer Treatment / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor with a variety of complex mechanisms. Current researchers generally believe that its cause may be related to living environment， daily mood， heredity， behavior habits， et al， but its specific pathogenesis has not yet been studied clearly. With the rapid increase in the number of breast cancer patients worldwide， the clinical treatment methods in most countries have also been continuously improved. At present， the methods such as surgery， radiotherapy and chemotherapy， immunotherapy， and endocrine therapy are mainly adopted in clinical practice. These methods have increased the survival rate of patients， but still with the possibility of recurrence and metastasis， and there are obvious sequelae. Some postoperative patients also experience psychological pressure and burden， which would greatly affect the quality of life. A large number of experiments and clinical experience have proved that due to its unique advantages， traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） has serially improved its current status in the extensive treatment of breast cancer. No matter in post-operative rehabilitation or in the process of co-radiation and chemotherapy， it has played an increasingly prominent role. TCM can improve human immunity， regulate the body's environment， effectively prevent the recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer， improve postoperative recovery， reduce the complications of radiation treatment and iatrochemistry， expressively improve the quality of life of patients， and prolong the survival time of patients. In recent years， the effectiveness of TCM in the treatment of breast cancer has brought more and more great trust from the patients in TCM， and most patients are willing to actively receive TCM treatment， so the mechanisms and approaches of TCM intervention in the treatment of breast cancer still need further research and exploration by our medical workers. By consulting the latest domestic and foreign literature， we reviewed the research progress on five approaches of TCM intervention in the treatment of breast cancer， including signaling pathways， immunotherapy， endocrine therapy， chemotherapy， and radiotherapy. Signal pathway intervention was explained mainly based on wingless-type MMTV integration site family members（Wnt）signaling pathway ， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）-associated X protein（Bax）/Bcl-2/cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-3（Caspase-3）signaling pathway， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B（PKB/Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR）signaling pathway， a highly conserved signal transduction pathway to regulate cell-cell communication（Notch）signaling pathway， mitogen-activated proteinkinase （MAPK） signaling pathway， etc. This article aims to provide reference for the treatment of breast cancer by Chinese medicine.

Influencing factors of image cleanliness scores of magnetically-controlled capsule endoscopy / 中华消化内镜杂志

Objective:To explore the influencing factors of the image cleanliness scores of magnetically-controlled capsule endoscopy (MCE) and the methods to improve cleanliness scores.Methods:Data of patients undergoing MCE from October 2017 to August 2020 in Peking University First Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. The cleanliness scores at six regions of the stomach (cardia, fundus, body, angularis, antrum, and pylorus) were recorded (1-4 points), and the sum of the scores from these six regions was also calculated. Clinical features [gender, age, body mass index, indication, use of esophagus cap, and medication of proton pump inhibitors(PPI)], and gastric preparation regimens (one dose of pronase: simethicone 5 mL + pronase 20 000 U + sodium bicarbonate 1 g; or two doses of pronase: simethicone 5 mL + pronase 40 000 U + sodium bicarbonate 2 g) were collected. Cleanliness scores were defined as poor (group P, total cleanliness scores≤18) and as good (group G, total cleanliness scores>18). Clinical features, indication, use of esophagus cap and PPI, and preparation regimes were compared. Factors influencing cleanliness scores were analyzed.Results:A total of 238 consecutive patients with median age of 61.5 (54.0, 76.3) years were recruited according to inclusion criteria, among whom 68(28.6%) were female. There were 35 patients (14.7%) in group P with median age of 67.0 (56.0, 83.0) years. There were 203 patients(85.3%)in group G with median age of 61.0 (53.0, 75.0) years. No significant differences were found in age, sex, body mass index or esophagus cap use( P>0.05). Indications of abdominal symptoms or digestive system diseases( OR= 2.899, 95% CI: 1.258-6.681, P=0.012) and PPI use ( OR=3.168, 95% CI: 1.261-7.959, P=0.014) were more likely to yield a low cleanliness score. Gastric preparation regimen with two doses of pronase ( OR=0.201, 95% CI: 0.067~0.603, P=0.004)was more likely to avoid a low cleanliness score. Conclusions:Indications of digestive system diseases or abdominal symptoms and PPI use may decrease the cleanliness scores of MCE, while gastric preparation with double doses of pronase may improve it.

Effects of smoking and drinking status before operation on recurrence and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To evaluate the effect of smoking and drinking status on the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods    The clinical data of 483 patients with ESCC who underwent surgical treatment in Shannxi Provincial People's Hospital from 2007 to 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 352 patients were male and 131 were female, with a median age of 64 (37-80) years. There were 311 smokers and 172 drinkers. The relationship between preoperative drinking or smoking status and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with ESCC was analyzed. Log-rank method and Cox risk regression were used to conduct univariate and multivariate survival analysis, respectively. Results    The preoperative smoking status was related to the patient's tumor location (P=0.030). Drinking status was associated with tumor location (P=0.001), degree of differentiation (P=0.030), pathological T stage (P=0.024) and pathological N stage (P=0.029). Univariate survival analysis showed that smoking status did not affect the disease-free survival (DFS) (P=0.188) and overall survival (OS) (P=0.127) of patients with ESCC. However, patients who drank alcohol had worse PFS than non-drinking patients (29.37 months vs. 42.87 months, P=0.009). It was further proved that alcohol consumption was an independent risk factor affecting patients' recurrence and metastasis by using multivariate analysis (RR=1.28, P=0.040). Alcohol consumption also reduced the OS of patients by 21.47 months (P=0.014), however, multivariate analysis did not yield significant results. Conclusion    Preoperative drinking status is related to the stage and differentiation of patients with ESCC. It is an independent risk factor affecting the recurrence and metastasis of ESCC.

Cardiac valve calcification in patients with end stage renal disease and its correlation with left ventricular function / 医学研究生学报

ObjectiveCardiovascular calcification is a highly common complication in patients with end stage renal disease. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of cardiac valve calcification (VC) on left ventricular function and morphology in patients with end stage renal disease by echocardiography. Methods Echocardiography results of 137 patients with end stage renal disease who underwent hemodialysis in the general hospital of the eastern theater of war from June 2013 to August 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. The morphological structure and function parameters of the left ventricle were measured by echocardiography and tissue doppler imaging to assess cardiovascular calcification. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the independent risk factors of cardiac valve calcification.Results VC was found in 55 patients (40.1%) in this study. The age [(52.7±11.1) vs (42.6±12.3)], low density lipoprotein [(2.7±0.8)mg/dL vs (2.2±0.6)mg/dL], cholesterol [(5.2±1.1)mg/dL vs (4.5±0.9)mg/dL] levels were higher, while serum creatinine [(10.7±2.7)mg/dL vs (13.2±8.5)mg/dL] was lower in patients with VC than patients without VC (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the older age, longer dialysis time and higher mean value of mitral annular systolic values were the independent risk factors for VC. The morphological and structural parameters of the left ventricle of the group with VC were higher than those of the group without VC (P<0.05), while the parameters of left ventricular diastolic function of the group with VC were lower than those of the group without VC (P<0.05).ConclusionVC diagnosed by echocardiography in patients with end stage renal disease may indicate significantly higher incidence of left ventricular hypertrophy and reduction of left ventricular diastolic function in comparison to those without VC.

Professor 's experience in treatment of alopecia areata with the combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbs based on theory / 中国针灸

Professor -'s clinical experience of treating alopecia areata with combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbs based on theory was summarized. Professor divides alopecia areata into disease and disease. Alopecia areata belonging to disease locates on the skin and is related to the lung and kidney, and belonging to disease locates in the meridians and is related to the heart, spleen and stomach. Acupuncture is chosen when the disease locates in the skin and meridians. If both viscera and meridians suffered, acupuncture and Chinese herbs should be combined. As for the acupuncture, professor used the method of harmonizing needling to treat alopecia areata, which includes regulating the origin of , regulating the deficiency and excess of and regulating the operation of local . As for the Chinese herbs, disease can be washed out by Chinese herbs of relieving exterior wind and activating meridians and collaterals. The disease can be washed out by Chinese herbs in mild condition, and long course of disease can be given Guizhi decoction as the base, add or subtract according to syndrome.

Quality consistency evaluation and intelligent visualization of performance parameters of carboxymethylcellulose sodium / 药学学报

In this study, physical fingerprint and multivariate statistical analysis was applied to characterize the quality consistency of different sources of carboxymethylcellulose sodium, and the visualization of R language was used to explore the intrinsic correlation on its performances, and we drew contour maps between independent variables and flowability of powder to find the design space. Through the physical fingerprint and multivariate statistical analysis, it was found that there were differences in the powder properties of carboxymethylcellulose sodium from different sources, and its moisture content, bulk density and tapped density have a great influence on the fluidity. The fillibility was positively correlated with flowability, both negatively correlated with compressibility by R intelligent visualization analysis, which was statistically significant (P < 0.01). When the angle of repose is 30° - 40°, the appropriate design space was found as 5.092 2% < moisture content < 7.006 7%, 0.560 2 g·cm-3 < bulk density < 0.579 9 g·cm-3, and 0.646 3 g·cm-3 < tapped density < 0.816 5 g·cm-3. The results show that it is scientific and feasible to evaluate the quality consistency of pharmaceutical excipients by using the physical fingerprint, multivariate statistical analysis and visualization methods, which provides new ideas for the production and quality evaluation of excipients and the development of generic prescriptions.

Resting heart rate control and prognosis in coronary artery disease patients with hypertension previously treated with bisoprolol: a sub-group analysis of the BISO-CAD study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Resting heart rate (RHR) is considered as a strong predictor of total mortality and hospitalization due to heart failure in hypertension patients. Bisoprolol fumarate, a second-generation beta-adrenoreceptor blockers (β-blocker) is commonly prescribed drug to manage hypertension. The present study was to retrospectively evaluate changes in the average RHR and its association with cardiovascular outcomes in bisoprolol-treated coronary artery disease (CAD) patients from the CAD treated with bisoprolol (BISO-CAD) study who had comorbid hypertension.@*METHODS@#We performed ad-hoc analysis for hypertension sub-group of the BISO-CAD study (n = 866), which was a phase IV, multination, multi-center, single-arm, observational study carried out from October 2011 to July 2015 across China, South Korea, and Vietnam. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with incidence of composite cardiac clinical outcome (CCCO), the results were presented as adjusted odds ratio (OR) along with 95% confidence interval (CI) and adjusted P value.@*RESULTS@#A total of 681 patients (mean age: 64.77 ± 10.33 years) with hypertension from BISO-CAD study were included in the analysis. Bisoprolol improved CCCOs in CAD patients with comorbid hypertension, with RHR <65 and <70 beats/min compared with RHR ≥65 and ≥75 beats/min, respectively, in the efficacy analysis (EA) set. In addition, it lowered RHR in both intent-to-treat (ITT) and EA groups after 6, 12, and 18 months of treatment. Further, RHR 70 to 74 beats/min resulted in significantly higher risk of CCCOs EA set of patients (adjusted OR: 4.34; 95% CI: 1.19-15.89; P = 0.03). Also, events of hospitalization due to acute coronary syndrome were higher when RHR 69 to 74 beats/min compared to RHR <69 beats/min in ITT patients.@*CONCLUSION@#Bisoprolol can effectively reduce RHR in Asian CAD patients with comorbid hypertension and hence, improve CCCO without affecting their blood pressure.

Clinical Efficacy of Modified Danggui Niantongtang Combined with Xuanbitang in Treating Damp-heat Type Acute Gouty Arthritis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of modified Danggui Niantongtang combined with Xuanbitang in treating damp-heat type acute gouty arthritis, and investigate its effect on levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Method:Totally 126 patients were randomly divided into control group and observation group, with 63 cases in each group. In addition to non-medication treatment, patients in control group were given conventional western medicine treatment for 1 week, while patients in observation group were given modified Danggui Niantongtang combined with Xuanbitang for 1 week. The levels of IL-1β，IL-6，IL-8，TNF-α before and after treatment were observed. Result:The total effective rate was 79.37% in control group and 95.24% in observation group, with significant differences (P<0.05). After treatment, the scores of arthralgia, tenderness, swelling, activity restriction in both groups were significantly decreased (P<0.01), and those in observation group were lower than those in control group (P<0.05). The levels of uric acid (UA), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were significantly decreased (P<0.01) after treatment, and those in observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of IL-1β，IL-6，IL-8，TNF-α were significantly decreased (P<0.01) after treatment, and those in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with conventional western medicine treatment, modified Danggui Niantongtang combined with Xuanbitang has a better efficacy in treating damp-heat type acute gouty arthritis and reducing levels of IL-1β，IL-6，IL-8，TNF-α.

Preparation and characterization of rivaroxaban as an anticoagulant / 药学学报

The preparation of polymorphic forms of rivaroxaban was carried out using a recrystallization method based on that for crystal form-Ⅰ. Preparation methods were developed for two crystal forms-Ⅱ (medicinal crystal form) and five crystal forms-Ⅳ and the crystals were then characterized. The crystalline form was identified by applying modern analytical means including X-ray powder diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), element analysis (EA), mass spectrometry (MS), and infrared spectrum (IR), and the morphology of different crystal forms was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that the PXRD and DSC characteristics of prepared crystal forms-II and IV are consistent with those described in patents at home and abroad, and the test results with EA, MS and IR are in accordance with the chemical structure of rivaroxaban. The crystal form-I is lamellar, the crystal form-II is linear and crystalline form-IV is striped as determined by SEM. In summary, the methods for preparing crystal form-II and form-IV are reliable, the required reagents are easily available, the experimental conditions are easy to implement and the preparation process is simple. Our study provides a new reference for the production and application of rivaroxaban.