The value of the malignant subregion-based texture analysis in predicting the Ki-67 status in breast cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the value of the malignant subregion-based texture analysis in predicting Ki-67 status in breast cancer. Materials and methods: The dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging data of 119 histopathologically confirmed breast cancer patients (81 patients with high Ki-67 expression status) from January 2018 to February 2023 in our hospital were retrospectively collected. According to the enhancement curve of each voxel within the tumor, three subregions were divided: washout subregion, plateau subregion, and persistent subregion. The washout subregion and the plateau subregion were merged as the malignant subregion. The texture features of the malignant subregion were extracted using Pyradiomics software for texture analysis. The differences in texture features were compared between the low and high Ki-67 expression cohorts and then the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to evaluate the predictive performance of texture features on Ki-67 expression. Finally, a support vector machine (SVM) classifier was constructed based on differential features to predict the expression level of Ki-67, the performance of the classifier was evaluated using ROC analysis and confirmed using 10-fold cross-validation. Results: Through comparative analysis, 51 features exhibited significant differences between the low and high Ki-67 expression cohorts. Following feature reduction, 5 features were selected to build the SVM classifier, which achieved an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.77 (0.68-0.87) for predicting the Ki-67 expression status. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.76, 0.80, and 0.68, respectively. The average AUC from the 10-fold cross-validation was 0.72 ± 0.14. Conclusion: The texture features of the malignant subregion in breast cancer were potential biomarkers for predicting Ki-67 expression level in breast cancer, which might be used to precisely diagnose and guide the treatment of breast cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibody/tyrosine kinase inhibitors with or without transarterial chemoembolization as first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (CHANCE2201): a target trial emulation study.

Background: The role of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unconfirmed. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) antibody/tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) with or without TACE as first-line treatment for advanced HCC. Methods: This nationwide, multicenter, retrospective cohort study included advanced HCC patients receiving either TACE with ICIs plus anti-VEGF antibody/TKIs (TACE-ICI-VEGF) or only ICIs plus anti-VEGF antibody/TKIs (ICI-VEGF) from January 2018 to December 2022. The study design followed the target trial emulation framework with stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting (sIPTW) to minimize biases. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and safety. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05332821. Findings: Among 1244 patients included in the analysis, 802 (64.5%) patients received TACE-ICI-VEGF treatment, and 442 (35.5%) patients received ICI-VEGF treatment. The median follow-up time was 21.1 months and 20.6 months, respectively. Post-application of sIPTW, baseline characteristics were well-balanced between the two groups. TACE-ICI-VEGF group exhibited a significantly improved median OS (22.6 months [95% CI: 21.2-23.9] vs 15.9 months [14.9-17.8]; P < 0.0001; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.63 [95% CI: 0.53-0.75]). Median PFS was also longer in TACE-ICI-VEGF group (9.9 months [9.1-10.6] vs 7.4 months [6.7-8.5]; P < 0.0001; aHR 0.74 [0.65-0.85]) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) version 1.1. A higher ORR was observed in TACE-ICI-VEGF group, by either RECIST v1.1 or modified RECIST (41.2% vs 22.9%, P < 0.0001; 47.3% vs 29.7%, P < 0.0001). Grade ≥3 adverse events occurred in 178 patients (22.2%) in TACE-ICI-VEGF group and 80 patients (18.1%) in ICI-VEGF group. Interpretation: This multicenter study supports the use of TACE combined with ICIs and anti-VEGF antibody/TKIs as first-line treatment for advanced HCC, demonstrating an acceptable safety profile. Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Jiangsu Provincial Medical Innovation Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, and Nanjing Life Health Science and Technology Project.

A newly evolved rice-specific gene JAUP1 regulates jasmonate biosynthesis and signalling to promote root development and multi-stress tolerance.

Root architecture and function are critical for plants to secure water and nutrient supply from the soil, but environmental stresses alter root development. The phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA) regulates plant growth and responses to wounding and other stresses, but its role in root development for adaptation to environmental challenges had not been well investigated. We discovered a novel JA Upregulated Protein 1 gene (JAUP1) that has recently evolved in rice and is specific to modern rice accessions. JAUP1 regulates a self-perpetuating feed-forward loop to activate the expression of genes involved in JA biosynthesis and signalling that confers tolerance to abiotic stresses and regulates auxin-dependent root development. Ectopic expression of JAUP1 alleviates abscisic acid- and salt-mediated suppression of lateral root (LR) growth. JAUP1 is primarily expressed in the root cap and epidermal cells (EPCs) that protect the meristematic stem cells and emerging LRs. Wound-activated JA/JAUP1 signalling promotes crosstalk between the root cap of LR and parental root EPCs, as well as induces cell wall remodelling in EPCs overlaying the emerging LR, thereby facilitating LR emergence even under ABA-suppressive conditions. Elevated expression of JAUP1 in transgenic rice or natural rice accessions enhances abiotic stress tolerance and reduces grain yield loss under a limited water supply. We reveal a hitherto unappreciated role for wound-induced JA in LR development under abiotic stress and suggest that JAUP1 can be used in biotechnology and as a molecular marker for breeding rice adapted to extreme environmental challenges and for the conservation of water resources.

Arterial chemotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in China: consensus recommendations.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) treatment is widely accepted as one of the alternative therapeutic modalities for HCC owing to its local control effect and low systemic toxicity. Nevertheless, although accumulating high-quality evidence has displayed the superior survival advantages of HAIC of oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin (HAIC-FOLFOX) compared with standard first-line treatment in different scenarios, the lack of standardization for HAIC procedure and remained controversy limited the proper and safe performance of HAIC treatment in HCC. Therefore, an expert consensus conference was held on March 2023 in Guangzhou, China to review current practices regarding HAIC treatment in patients with HCC and develop widely accepted statements and recommendations. In this article, the latest evidence of HAIC was systematically summarized and the final 22 expert recommendations were proposed, which incorporate the assessment of candidates for HAIC treatment, procedural technique details, therapeutic outcomes, the HAIC-related complications and corresponding treatments, and therapeutic scheme management.

Characteristics of the chloroplast genome of Camellia insularis / 生物工程学报

In this study, the chloroplast genome of Camellia insularis Orel & Curry was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that the chloroplast genome of C. insularis was 156 882 bp in length with a typical tetrad structure, encoding 132 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Codon preference analysis revealed that the highest number of codons coded for leucine, with a high A/U preference in the third codon position. Additionally, 67 simple sequence repeats (SSR) loci were identified, with a preference for A and T bases. The inverted repeat (IR) boundary regions of the chloroplast genome of C. insularis were relatively conserved, except for a few variable regions. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that C. insularis was most closely related to C. fascicularis. Yellow camellia is a valuable material for genetic engineering breeding. This study provides fundamental genetic information on chloroplast engineering and offers valuable resources for conducting in-depth research on the evolution, species identification, and genomic breeding of yellow Camellia.

Identification of (E)-1-((1H-indol-3-yl)methylene)-4-substitute-thiosemicarbazones as potential anti-hepatic fibrosis agents.

Liver fibrosis remains a global health challenge due to its rapidly rising prevalence and limited treatment options. The orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 has been implicated in regulation of autophagy and liver fibrosis. Targeting Nur77-mediated autophagic flux may thus be a new promising strategy against hepatic fibrosis. In this study, we synthesized four types of Nur77-based thiourea derivatives to determine their anti-hepatic fibrosis activity. Among the synthesized thiourea derivatives, 9e was the most potent inhibitor of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) proliferation and activation. This compound could directly bind to Nur77 and inhibit TGF-ß1-induced α-SMA and COLA1 expression in a Nur77-dependent manner. In vivo, 9e significantly reduced CCl4-mediated hepatic inflammation response and extracellular matrix (ECM) production, revealing that 9e is capable of blocking the progression of hepatic fibrosis. Mechanistically, 9e induced Nur77 expression and enhanced autophagic flux by inhibiting the mTORC1 signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. Thus, the Nur77-targeted lead 9e may serve as a promising candidate for treatment of chronic liver fibrosis.

A prediction model for osteonecrosis of femoral head after internal fixation with multiple cannulated compression screws for adult femoral neck fractures.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the high-risk factors for osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) after internal fixation with multiple cannulated compression screws for adult femoral neck fractures and to construct a prediction model. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between from January 2012 and December 2020, a total of 268 patients (138 males, 130 females; mean age: 53±10 years; range, 23 to 70 years) with ONFH who had complete follow-up data were included. Closed reduction in combination with open reduction were performed. All patients received internal fixation with multiple cannulated compression screws and were assigned to ONFH and non-ONFH groups. Logistic regression model was utilized to identify independent risk factors for postoperative ONFH, followed by constructing a nomogram prediction model. The predictive ability of the model was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve, Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and calibration curve. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis revealed that older age (odds ratio [OR]: 2.307, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.295-4.108], Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) ≥2 (OR: 2.214, 95% CI: 1.035-4.739), fracture displacement (OR: 2.426, 95% CI: 1.122-5.247), unsatisfactory reduction (OR: 2.629, 95% CI: 1.275-5.423), postoperative removal of internal fixation implant (OR: 2.200, 95% CI: 1.051-4.604) were independent risk factors for postoperative ONFH (p<0.05). The nomogram prediction model constructed based on these clinical characteristics showed high predictive value (AUC=0.807) and consistency (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Age, comorbidity index, fracture type, reduction quality and postoperative removal of internal fixation implant are of utmost importance for postoperative ONFH in patients with femoral neck fractures. The established nomogram prediction model can accurately predict the occurrence of postoperative ONFH.

Spinosin inhibits activated hepatic stellate cell to attenuate liver fibrosis by targeting Nur77/ASK1/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

AIM: Liver fibrosis remains a great challenge in the world. Spinosin (SPI), a natural flavonoid-C-glycoside, possesses various pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory and anti-myocardial fibrosis effects. In this study, we investigate whether SPI can be a potential lead for the treatment of liver fibrosis and explore whether the orphan nuclear receptor Nur77, a negative regulator of liver fibrosis development, plays a critical role in SPI's action. METHODS: A dual luciferase reporter system of α-SMA was established to evaluate the effect of SPI on hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation in LX2 and HSC-T6 cells. A mouse model of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis was used to test the efficacy of SPI against liver fibrosis. The expression levels of Nur77, inflammatory cytokines and collagen were determined by Western blotting and qPCR. Potential kinase pathways involved were also analyzed. The affinity of Nur77 with SPI was documented by fluorescence titration. RESULTS: SPI can strongly suppress TGF-ß1-mediated activation of both LX2 and HSC-T6 cells in a dose-dependent manner. SPI increases the expression of Nur77 and reduces TGF-ß1-mediated phosphorylation levels of ASK1 and p38 MAPK, which can be reversed by knocking out of Nur77. SPI strongly inhibits collagen deposition (COLA1) and reduces inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-1ß), which is followed by improved liver function in the CCl4-induced mouse model. SPI can directly bind to R515 and R563 in the Nur77-LBD pocket with a Kd of 2.14 µM. CONCLUSION: Spinosin is the major pharmacological active component of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa which has been frequently prescribed in traditional Chinese medicine. We demonstrate here for the first time that spinosin is a new therapeutic lead for treatment of liver fibrosis by targeting Nur77 and blocking the ASK1/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

A case report of dermatomyositis mimicking myasthenia gravis.

RATIONALE: Patients who have myasthenia gravis or dermatomyositis show clinical signs of muscular weakening. Ocular muscle involvement is uncommon, and symmetrical proximal limb weakness is the typical presentation of dermatomyositis. However, the earliest and most noticeable sign in those with myasthenia gravis is extraocular muscular paralysis. Dermatomyositis is frequently complicated by malignancy, and the common malignancies associated with dermatomyositis vary by region and ethnicity, while thymoma is relatively rare. About 10% to 15% of people with myasthenia gravis have thymoma, which is involved in the etiology of the disease. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 68-year-old female presented with ocular muscle weakness for 10 days that manifested as bilateral blepharoptosis with the phenomenon of "light in the morning and heavy in the evening." Imaging examination showed anterior mediastinal thymic tumor with metastasis. DIAGNOSES: After a thorough physical examination, we discovered bilateral upper limbs with grade IV muscle strength and the typical rash of dermatomyositis. In combination with elevated serum kinase levels and electromyography suggesting myogenic damage, the patient was finally diagnosed as dermatomyositis with multiple metastases of thymoma. INTERVENTIONS: The patient received oral hydroxychloroquine sulfate, topical corticosteroids, and tacrolimus ointment, but these did not work very well. Subsequently, the patient underwent surgery combined with radiotherapy for the thymoma. OUTCOMES: Muscle weakness in the patient improved after effective treatment of tumor, and the rash mostly disappeared. CONCLUSION: Ocular muscle weakness and thymoma are more common in myasthenia gravis, but we cannot ignore the possibility of dermatomyositis. To further establish the diagnosis, a thorough physical examination and laboratory findings are required. Further tumor screening should be performed for patients with dermatomyositis. Early detection and management of possible tumors are essential to the treatment of dermatomyositis linked to malignancies.

High precision measurements of lithium isotopic composition at sub-nanogram by MC-ICP-MS with membrane desolvation.

The geochemistry of Li and Li isotopes is a promising tracer of chemical weathering processes for both modern and ancient times. Therefore, accurate and precise determination of the isotopic composition of Li is required for a large variety of complex geological samples with different Li concentrations and matrix/Li ratios. Especially, geochemical studies of precious geological samples with ultra-low lithium content and high matrix. In this study, the accuracy and the precision corresponding to Li isotopic measurements of low-level samples using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) with membrane desolvation introduction system was evaluated. The method of MC-ICP-MS with membrane desolvation and a high-sensitivity X-skimmer cone, together with a simple one-step column separation enabled the high-precision isotopic analysis of Li quantities as small as 2 ng. The long-term instrumental external reproducibility of δ7Li values for the L-SVEC and SPEX-Li were 0.0 ± 0.1‰ (n = 20) and 12.1 ± 0.4‰ (n = 20), respectively. Based on the measurements on a series of international reference materials over the last two years. The measured δ7Li values for the standards with a variety of matrices, including BHVO-2, AGV-2 and seawater (NASS-6). The δ7Li values of BHVO-2 (4.58 ± 0.35‰), AGV-2 (6.85 ± 0.40‰) and NASS-6 (30.88 ± 0.20‰) are in agreement with the published data within the uncertainty. We also present analytical results for South China Sea surface seawater water, meteorite, limestones and rain water. These results demonstrate the validity of the method for obtaining highly precise and accurate outcomes.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of carbonyl-hydrazine-1-carboxamide derivatives as anti-hepatic fibrosis agents targeting Nur77.

Hepatic fibrosis remains a great challenge clinically. The orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 is recently suggested as the critical regulator of transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling, which plays a central role in multi-organic fibrosis. Herein, we optimized our previously reported Nur77-targeted compound 9 h for attempting to develop effective and safe anti-hepatic fibrosis agents. The critical pharmacophore scaffold of pyridine-carbonyl-hydrazine-1-carboxamide was retained, while the naphthalene ring was replaced with an aromatic ring containing pyridyl or indole groups. Four series of derivatives were thus generated, among which the compound 16f had excellent binding activity toward Nur77-LBD (KD = 470 nM) with the best inhibitory activity against the TGF- ß 1 activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and low cytotoxicity to normal mice liver AML-12 cells (IC50 > 80 µM). In mice, 16f displayed potent activity against CCl4-induced liver fibrosis with improved liver function. Mechanistically, 16f-mediated inactivation of HSC and suppression of liver fibrosis were associated with its enhancement of autophagic flux in a Nur77-dependent manner. Together, 16f was identified as a potential anti-liver fibrosis agent. Our study suggests that Nur77 may serve as a critical anti-hepatic fibrosis target.

Cultural differences in intertemporal decision making: A comparison between Chile and China.

A cross-cultural comparison is made of delay discounting in samples of participants from Chile and China. Comparisons are made based on previous literature that suggests that individuals from an Asian culture should be willing to postpone delayed rewards more than are individuals from a Latin American culture. To test the cross-cultural validity of a hyperbolic discounting model, the model was fitted to both data sets. Additionally, a self-enhancement measure was evaluated as a potential mediator between culture of origin and delay discounting. Seventy-eight college students from China and 120 college students from Chile, with similar demographic backgrounds, discounted hypothetical monetary outcomes using an adjusting-amount titration procedure. Additionally, participants completed a self-enhancement measure. Age, academic major, gender, and grade point average were controlled. Chilean participants discounted much more steeply than Chinese nationals did. No support was obtained for the mediation of self-enhancement between culture of origin and degree of delay discounting. In both samples, delay discounting was better described by a hyperboloid than an exponential function, the only exception being the $10,000 condition in which the medians for Chilean participants' present subjective value were equally well explained by a hyperboloid and an exponential function.

Synergistic effect of porous carbon shell confinement and catalytic conversion of nickel nanoparticle cores for improved lithium-sulfur batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are some of the most promising energy storage systems to break the ceiling of Li-ion batteries. However, the notorious shuttle effect and slow redox kinetics give rise to low sulfur utilization and discharge capacity, poor rate performance, and fast capacity decay. It is proved that the reasonable design of the electrocatalyst is one of the important ways to improve the electrochemical performance of LSBs. Here, a core-shell structure with gradient adsorption capacity for reactants and sulfur products was designed. The Ni nanoparticles core coated with graphite carbon shell was prepared by one-step pyrolysis of Ni-MOF precursors. The design takes advantage of the principle that the adsorption capacity decreases from the core to the shell, and the Ni core with strong adsorption capacity is easy to attract and capture soluble lithium polysulfide (LiPS) during the discharge/charging process. This trapping mechanism prevents the diffusion of LiPSs to the outer shell and effectively inhibits the shuttle effect. In addition, the Ni nanoparticles within the porous carbon, as the active center, expose most of the inherent active sites to the surface area, thus achieving a rapid transformation of LiPSs, significantly reducing the reaction polarization, and improving the cyclic stability and reaction kinetics of LSB. Therefore, the S/Ni@PC composites exhibited excellent cycle stability (a capacity of 417.4 mA h g-1 for 500 cycles at 1C with a fading rate of 0.11%) and outstanding rate performance (1014.6 mA h g-1 at 2C). This study provides a promising design solution of Ni nanoparticles embedded in porous carbon for high-performance, safe and reliable LSB.

Remote Sensing Image Characteristics and Typical Area Analysis of Taiyuan Xishan Ecological Restoration Area.

The Taiyuan Xishan Ecological Restoration Zone is located in the west of Taiyuan City and belongs to the Xishan Coalfield. Due to the resource development activity of coal mining, which is caused by coal gangue accumulation, surface vegetation degradation, bare surfaces, and other phenomena, it is most common in this area. These have an impact on the surface ecology; however, after ecological restoration, the surface ecology has been greatly improved. There are many extraction models of vegetation coverage based on pixel dichotomology combined with multispectral vegetation index, but we believe that the combination of visible light vegetation index to construct models is relatively unexplored. The main problem of how to use the RGB image data in order to quickly and accurately extract vegetation coverage information is still under investigation and needs researchers' attention. In this paper, through selecting the vegetation coverage as the evaluation index of ecological restoration effect, a new RGB vegetation coverage CIVE calculation model is innovatively proposed to solve the above problem, and on the basis of this model, the vegetation cover change analysis is carried out in the Xishan ecological restoration area of Taiyuan. According to the analysis of vegetation coverage change, relevant paper data, and the characteristics of multiple historical remote sensing images, the ecological restoration area of Taiyuan Xishan is divided into six typical areas. Through empirical evaluation, we summarize and analyze these six typical areas, which can provide typical demonstration roles for other ecological restoration areas. Our findings suggest that the proposed CIVE model realizes the extraction of vegetation cover information and long-term series dynamic monitoring of vegetation coverage.

Visual analysis of research hotspots and trends of exercise therapy for hypertension in China based on CiteSpace and VOS viewer / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective:To analyze the research hotspots and trends of exercise treatment of hypertension in China with bibliometrics software of CiteSpace and VOS viewer.Methods:The databases of CNKI, VIP, WanFang Data and the core collection of Web of Science were searched with the key words of exercise therapy, exercise intervention, exercise prescription, sports, movement, high blood pressure, hypertension, etc. Relevant periodical literature in Chinese and English were retrieved from the establishment of the databases to December 31, 2021. The CiteSpace and VOS viewer were used to perform visual analysis of the literature in the field of exercise therapy for hypertension in China.Results:A total of 1 507 literatures were included, including 1 430 in Chinese and 77 in English. In recent years, the number of studies on exercise treatment of hypertension in China showed a fluctuating upward trend. The research institutions were mainly universities and hospitals, high-yield institutions mainly included Beijing Sport University (20 articles), the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (12 articles), the PLA General Hospital (13 articles) and Shanghai Sport University (11 articles). There was less cooperation between institutions and less cross-border cooperation. The proportion of sports and medical compound researchers in high-yield authors was relatively low (22.2%, 2/9). Keyword clustering could be summarized as three aspects: disease research, research objects and intervention methods. In terms of disease research, “pregnancy outcome”, “blood pressure”, “blood lipid” and “coronary heart disease” had strong burst (burst intensity 3.75, 3.70, 3.52, 3.12); in terms of research objects, “elderly patients” had the strongest burst (burst intensity 3.10); in terms of intervention methods, “exercise prescription”, “aerobic exercise” and “health education” had strong emergence (emergence intensity 6.08, 5.47, 4.01).Conclusions:Research achievements in the field of exercise therapy for hypertension in China are relatively rich in recent years. At present, the main research hotspots are disease research, research objects and intervention methods, and the integration degree of sports and medicine needs to be improved.

The status, problems and countermeasures of online teaching design and operation management in medical colleges: a case study of Harbin Medical University / 中华医学教育探索杂志

This paper first summarizes the cognition and understanding of online teaching, then introduces the active design and practice of online teaching in Harbin Medical University, and fully comprehends the quality of online teaching through the feedback to teachers and students. Through the investigation, the research group found that there are problems in online teaching, including teachers' difficulty in applying the teaching platform efficiently, limited Internet speed and hardware equipment, insufficient understanding and attention of individual teachers to online teaching, insufficient interaction between teachers and students, and difficulty in carrying out experiments and practical teaching. In this regard, the research group proposed countermeasures to change online teaching concept, reform online teaching methods, improve the function of online teaching platform, and optimize online course resources in order to timely summarize the online teaching situation, improve the shortcomings and promote advanced experience, and ensure the quality of follow-up online teaching.

Observation on the therapeutic efficacy and survival rate of oral Etoposide in children with disseminated medulloblastoma after the standard treatment plan / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To explore the therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of oral Etoposide chemotherapy in children with disseminated medulloblastoma (MB) after the standard treatment plan.Methods:The clinical data of 86 children with disseminated MB admitted in the Department of Pediatrics, Beijing Shijitan Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2016 to May 2020 were analyzed retrospectively.The median age of children was 8.8 (3.0-16.7) years old.Among them, 33 children treated with maintenance chemotherapy via oral Etoposide were included in the chemotherapy group, and 53 children without oral maintenance chemotherapy were included in the non-chemotherapy group.The gender distribution, surgical resection range, pathological type, molecular classification, postoperative mutism, M-stage and survival[progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS)] of the 2 groups were compared.The main adverse events of oral Etoposide chemotherapy were recorded. Chi- square test is used for data comparison, Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot the survival curve of disseminated MB patients, followed by the Log- rank test. Results:There were no significant differences in gender, surgical resection range, pathological type, molecular typing, postoperative mutism and M-stage between the 2 groups (all P>0.05). Of 86 patients, the median PFS and OS were 3.0 (0.2-6.3) years, and 3.6 (0.5-6.3) years, respectively.Twenty five cases (29.1%) relapsed, 13 cases (15.1%) died.The 3-year[(65.8±6.8)% vs.(82.0±7.3)%] and 5-year PFS[(56.8±7.7)% vs.(82.0±7.3)%] in non-chemotherapy group were significantly lower than those of chemotherapy group ( P=0.037). The 3-year[(81.6±5.6)% vs.100.0%] and 5-year OS[(71.2±7.7)% vs.(92.3±7.4)%] in non-chemotherapy group were significantly lower than those of chemotherapy group ( P=0.025). Among the children with the SHH subtype, the PFS of children with oral Etoposide maintenance chemotherapy after a regular treatment was significantly higher than that without oral maintenance chemotherapy (100.0% vs.57.1%)( P=0.021). The major adverse events of oral Etoposide were myelosuppression and gastrointestinal symptoms, which were mostly relieved after a symptomatic treatment.Treatment-related deaths were not reported. Conclusions:The prognosis of disseminated MB in children is relatively poor.Oral Etoposide for maintenance therapy after a standard treatment is beneficial in reducing relapse and improving the 5-year survival, which is well tolerated.

Study on the molecular mechanism of Linggui Zhugan Decoction in treating hypertension and obesity based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To explore the material basis and mechanism of Linggui Zhugan Decoction in treating hypertension and obesity by means of network pharmacology and molecular docking technique.Methods:The TCMSP was retrieved and the main active components and action targets of Linggui Zhugan Decoction were screened. The GeneCards, OMIM, TTD, DisGeNET and DrugBank databases were used to screen disease-related targets of hypertension and obesity. The Cytoscape 3.9.0 was used to draw Chinese materia medica-composition-intersection target-disease network diagram. The STRING 11.5 database was used to draw PPI network. The cytoNCA plug-in was used to screen core active components and targets. The bioenrichment analysis of GO and KEGG was carried out in the R4.1.2, and the Chinese materia medica-intersection target-path diagram was drawn, and the core active components and core targets were docked in PyMOL and AutoDockTools 1.5.7.Results:A total of 102 potentially active components and 62 intersection targets were obtained, and 8 active components and 7 core targets were screened. Enrichment analysis showed that the key targets were mainly enriched through the signaling pathways of fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, lipid and atherosclerosis, and AGE-RAGE, which were involved in biological processes such as the response to nutritional levels and the regulation of small molecule metabolism. Molecular docking showed that there were 37 groups with addinity < -7 kcal/mol.Conclusion:The main active components of Linggui Zhugan Decoction are quercetin, kaempferol and naringenin, which may play a role in fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis pathway, lipid and atherosclerosis pathway and AGE-RAGE signal pathway through AKT1, EGFR, IL1B and other targets.

Effect of self-made Bushen Jiangu Decoction combined with conventional western medicine therapy on the postoperative efficacy and bone transformation markers of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture in the elderly / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of self-made Bushen Jiangu Decoction on bone transformation markers in elderly patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture after operation, and to evaluate the clinical efficacy.Methods:Prospective cohort study. A total of 92 patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture after operation in Fangshan Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from April 2020 to December 2021 who met the inclusion criteria were divided into 2 groups by random drawing method, with 46 in each group. The control group was treated with routine western medicine after operation, and the observation group was treated with self-made Bushen Jiangu Decoction on the basis of the control group. Both groups were treated for 3 months. TCM symptom scores were performed before and after treatment, and the prognosis of the patients was evaluated with the Chinese Osteoporosis Quality of Life (COQOL), VAS scale, and the Oswestry Dysfunction Index (ODI). The levels of amino terminal propeptide (PINP), cross-linked terminal peptide β special sequence (β-CTX) and bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) of type Ⅰ procollagen were determined by contrast chromogenic method with o-benzaldehyde. The adverse reactions during treatment were recorded and the clinical efficacy was evaluated.Results:The total effective rate was 95.7% (44/46) in the observation group and 82.6% (38/46) in the control group, and there was a significant difference between the two groups ( χ 2=4.04 , P=0.044). After treatment, the scores of fracture nonunion, pain in back and loin, chilliness and lassitude, and pallor in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t values were 4.84, 4.09, 4.87, 4.14, respectively, P<0.01). The scores of COQOL, VAS and ODI in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t values were 6.26, 10.57 and 6.15, respectively, P<0.01). The levels of PINP [(44.93±5.86)μg/L vs. (49.76±6.02)μg/L, t=3.90] and β-CTX [(0.49±0.17) μg/L vs. (0.68±0.20) μg/L, t=4.91] in observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group after treatment ( P<0.05). The level of BMP6 [(81.23±9.14) μg/L vs. (75.14±8.25) μg/L, t=3.36] in observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group ( P<0.05). During the treatment,the incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was 13.0% (6/46), while that in the control group was 8.7% (4/46), and there was no significant difference between the two groups ( χ 2=0.45, P=0.503). Conclusion:The self-made Bushen Jiangu Decoction combined with conventional western medicine therapy can adjust the level of bone transformation markers in elderly patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, improve the lumbar function and quality of life, and improve the clinical efficacy.

Evaluation of the effect of sham feeding on the recovery of gastrointestinal function after laparoscopic appendectomy based on an artificially intelligent bowel sound monitoring system / 国际外科学杂志

Objective:To explore and analyze the reliability and safety of sham feeding in facilitating the recovery of gastrointestinal function after laparoscopic appendectomy (LA), by using a new device, the Artificial Intelligence Bowel Tone Monitoring System.Methods:The data of 100 cases in Shaanxi Provincial People′s Hospital from Dec. 2020 to Sep. 2022 with acute appendicitis operated by LA who met the inclusion criteria. In this prospective study, participants were divided by random number table into a control group and an experimental group, with 50 cases in each group. The control group performed routine postoperative LA care, and the experimental group performed routine postoperative LA care and sham-feeding state care. The age, gender, recovery time of postoperative bowel sounds, time of first postoperative anal discharge, postoperative nausea and vomiting, abdominal distention, dry mouth and halitosis, and postoperative abdominal pain and other complications were recorded. GraphPad Prism 9.0 and SPSS 22.0 software were adopted to conduct data organization and analysis.Results:There were 100 valid cases in this trial. There were no statistical differences between the two groups in terms of gender, age, duration of surgery, abdominal pain and other symptoms ( P>0.05). The recovery time of bowel sounds after surgery was (8.92±0.56) h in the experimental group and (10.55±0.88) h in the control group, which was statistically significant ( t=10.99, P<0.0001); the recovery time of bowel sounds after surgery was (20.10±0.50) h in the experimental group and (20.96±0.59) h in the control group. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups ( t=7.84, P<0.0001); there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental group (22%) and the control group (42%) for postoperative nausea and vomiting ( χ2=4.60, P=0.032); there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental group (16%) and the control group (52%) for postoperative abdominal distension ( χ2= There was a statistical difference between the experimental group (40%) and the control group (68%) ( χ2=7.89, P=0.005). The number of hospitalization days in the control group was (11.40±2.47) days and the days in the experimental group was (9.30±2.01) d, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=4.65, P<0.001); the hospitalization cost in the control group was (27 270.11±2 645.30) yuan and the cost in the experimental group was (23 669.68±2 841.28) yuan, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=6.56, P<0.001). Conclusion:To a certain extent, sham feeding can accelerate the recovery of gastrointestinal function in patients after LA, reduce the common postoperative discomfort, length of stay and hospital costs of patients.