Causal relationship between atrial fibrillation/warfarin and cutaneous melanoma: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Purpose: In recent years, the relationship between malignant tumors and atrial fibrillation has attracted more and more attention. Atrial fibrillation can also cause a series of adverse events, such as the risk of thromboembolism. Also, Warfarin is often used here. But, the relationship between cutaneous melanoma and atrial fibrillation, and between cutaneous melanoma and warfarin is still unclear. Therefore, we used a two-sample Mendelian randomization to assess the causal relationship between atrial fibrillation/warfarin and cutaneous melanoma (cM). Methods: Firstly, atrial fibrillation (ukb-b-11550; nCase = 3,518, nControl = 459,415) and warfarin (ukb-b-13248; nCase = 4,623, nControl = 458,310) as exposures, with genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data from the United Kingdom Biobank. And cM (ieu-b-4969; nCase = 3,751, nControl = 372,016) as outcome, with GWAS data from the IEU Open GWAS project. Subsequently, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were filtered from GWAS studies using quality control measures. In addition, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to explore the causal relationship between atrial fibrillation or warfarin and cM and used inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the primary analytical method. Finally, relevant heterogeneity and sensitivity analysis were performed to ensure the accuracy of the results. Results: A causal relationship between atrial fibrillation and cutaneous melanoma was observed, and between warfarin and cutaneous melanoma. Conclusion: The atrial fibrillation may play a causal role in the development of cutaneous melanoma, but the mechanism and the causal relationship between warfarin and cutaneous melanoma needs to be further elucidated.

Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of aspirin versus other anticoagulants in the prevention of thromboembolism after orthopedic surgery / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of aspirin versus other anticoagulants in the prevention of thromboembolism after orthopedic surgery. METHODS Retrieved from PubMed， Embase， the Cochrane Library， CNKI， Wanfang data and VIP， randomized controlled trials （RCTs） and cohort studies about aspirin （trial group） versus other anticoagulants （control group） were collected during the inception and June 1st， 2023. After literature screening， data extraction and quality evaluation， the meta-analysis was conducted by using RevMan 5.4 software. RESULTS A total of 22 studies were included， involving 9 RCTs and 13 cohort studies. RCT results showed that the incidences of deep vein thrombosis （DVT） [RR＝1.81， 95%CI（1.36， 2.40）， P＜0.000 1] and postoperative pulmonary embolism （PE） [RR＝1.55， 95%CI（1.01， 2.40）， P＝0.05] in trial group were significantly higher than control group. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidences of postoperative massive bleeding， postoperative surgical site infection， all-cause death， or any bleeding after surgery between 2 groups. In the cohort study， the incidence of any bleeding in trial group was significantly lower than control group [RR＝0.71，95%CI （0.64， 0.79）， P＜0.000 1]， while the differences in other indicators were not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. The results of subgroup analysis based on different anticoagulants showed that in RCT， the incidences of DVT and PE after surgery in patients using low-molecular-weight heparin （LMWH） were significantly lower than using aspirin （P＜0.05）； in the cohort study， the incidences of DVT and PE after surgery were significantly lower in patients using direct oral anticoagulants （DOAC） than using aspirin （P＜0.05）. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of major bleeding between patients using aspirin and using DOAC and LWMH （P＞0.05） in both RCT and cohort study. CONCLUSIONS Aspirin is equally safe as other anticoagulants for the prevention of thromboembolism after orthopedic surgery， but its efficacy may not be as good as other anticoagulants. After orthopedic surgery， other anticoagulants should be preferred to prevent venous thromboembolism， and aspirin should be carefully considered.

Evolution of peptide YY analogs for the management of type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Peptide YY (PYY) is a gastrointestinal hormone consisting of 36 amino acids, that is predominantly secreted by intestinal l-cells. Originally extracted from pig intestines, it belongs to the pancreatic polypeptide (PP) family, but has functions distinct from those of PP and neuropeptide Y (NPY). PYY is a potential treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) because of its ability to delay gastric emptying, reduce appetite, decrease weight, and lower blood glucose. However, the clinical use of PYY is limited because it is rapidly cleared by the kidneys and degraded by enzymes. In recent years, researchers have conducted various structural modifications, including amino acid substitution, PEGylation, lipidation, and fusion of PYY with other proteins to prolong its half-life and enhance its biological activity. This study presents an overview of the recent progress on PYY, including its physiological functions, metabolites and structure-activity relationships.

Cost-effective one-spot hydrothermal synthesis of graphene oxide nanoparticles for wastewater remediation: AI-enhanced approach for transition metal oxides.

Outer ear infections (OEs) affect millions of people each year and are associated with significant medical costs.The usage of multiple antibiotics to treat ear contamination is a concern because it can have an environmental impact, especially on soil and water.The increased use of antibiotics has exposed bacterial ecosystems to high concentrations of antibiotic residues.Although there have been efforts to minimize the impact of antibiotics, adsorption methods have yielded better and more viable results, and carbon-based materials are effective for environmental remediation.Graphene oxide (GO) is a versatile material used in various applications such as nanocomposites, antibacterial agents, photocatalysis, electronics, and biomedicine.GO can act as an antibiotic carrier and affect the antibacterial efficacy of antibiotics.However, the processes responsible for the antibacterial activity of GO and antibiotics in treating ear infections are unknown.This study investigates the effect of GO on the antibacterial activity of tetracycline (TT) against Escherichia coli (E.coli)-negative bacteria.Artificial Neural Network-Genetic Algorithm (ANN-GA) was applied to analyze data on the effectiveness of different doses and combinations of graphene oxide and antibiotics in treating ear infections.This study could help identify the most effective treatment protocols and potentially reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance.The R-squared (R2) value, RMSE, and MSE all fall within the proper levels for fitting criteria, with R2 ≥ 0.97 (97%), RMSE ≤ 0.036064, and MSE ≤ 0.00199 (6% variance).The outcomes showed high antimicrobial activity, resulting in a 5-log decline of E.coli.In experiments, GO was shown to coat the bacteria, interfere with their cell membranes, and aid in the prevention of bacterial growth, although this effect was somewhat weaker for E.coli.The concentration and duration at which bare GO can kill E.coli are both important factors.The antibacterial activity of antibiotics can be either boosted or reduced by the presence of GO, depending on the GO's interaction with the antibiotic, the GO's contact with the microbe, and the sensitivity of the bacteria to the antibiotic.The antibacterial efficiency of the combination of GO and antibiotics varies depending on the specific antibiotic and microorganism being targeted.

Emerging roles of oxyntomodulin-based glucagon-like peptide-1/glucagon co-agonist analogs in diabetes and obesity.

Oxyntomodulin (OXM) is an endogenous peptide hormone secreted from the intestines following nutrient ingestion that activates both glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucagon receptors. OXM is known to exert various effects, including improvement in glucose tolerance, promotion of energy expenditure, acceleration of liver lipolysis, inhibition of food intake, delay of gastric emptying, neuroprotection, and pain relief. The antidiabetic and antiobesity properties have led to the development of biologically active and enzymatically stable OXM-based analogs with proposed therapeutic promise for metabolic diseases. Structural modification of OXM was ongoing to enhance its potency and prolong half-life, and several GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist-based therapies are being explored in clinical trials for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications. In the present article, we provide a brief overview of the physiology of OXM, focusing on its structural-activity relationship and ongoing clinical development.

Discussion on safety and related pharmacological mechanism of compound anshen essential oil in relieving sleep disorders / 中国药理学通报

Aim To study the hypnotic effect and safety of compound anshen essential oil. Methods Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) was used to analyze the main active components of compound anshen essential oil. The mouse model of insomnia was established by intraperitoneal injection of para-chloro-phenyl alanine ( PC PA ) , combined with pentobarbital sodium sleep experiment and EEG characteristic monitoring in rats to study the hypnotic effect and mechanism. The safety of compound anshen essential oil was evaluated by acute toxicity test, skin irritation/allergy test and 90-day repeated administration toxicity test. The clinical effect and safety were evaluated by using the sleep monitoring technology for micro-motion sensitive mattress. Results Four components, including Atractylone (34.61%), (+) -Limonene (17.80%) , Linalool (11.63%), and Ocimene (11.67%) , were detected as the main active components of compound anshen essential oil. Compound anshen essential oil in-halation administration for seven days could effectively reduce the autonomic activity of insomnia mice, shorten the sleep latency (P <0.05) , improve the sleep duration, increase of neurotransmitters such as 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT) and -γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in brain of mice with insomnia, and the medium dose group had better hypnotic effect. There was no death or adverse reaction in the safety evaluation test. The sleep balance index of 10 subjects with difficulty in falling a-sleep significantly increased (P <0.05), sleep latency was significantly shortened (P <0.05) , total sleep duration and sleep efficiency were improved, and no ad¬verse reactions were found after using the compound anshen essential oil for two days. Conclusions The compound anshen essential oil developed by the research team is safe and effective in relieving sleep disorders, which may be closely related to the co-regulation of the levels of neurotransmitters such as 5-HT and GABA by the four main active components.

Effect of LINC00707 on proliferation, migration and inflammatory factors of human vascular smooth muscle cells induced by ox-LDL by targeting miR-30c-5p / 中国药理学通报

Aim To explore the effect of LINC00707 on the proliferation, migration and inflammatory factors of human vascular smooth muscle cells induced by oixidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and its possible mechanism. Methods ox-LDL was used to induce human vascular smooth muscle cells (HVSMCs) to establish an atherosclerotic cell model. si-NC, siLINC00707, miR-NC, miR-30c-5p mimic were trans-fected into HVSMCs, and then 100 mg • L~ ox-LDL was added to the cells. si-LINC00707 and anti-miRNC, or si-LINC00707 and miR-30c-5p Inhibitor were co-transfected into HVSMCs and then treated with 100 mg • L ox-LDL. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of LINC00707 and miR-30c-5p. CCK-8 and Transwell test were used to detect cell proliferation and migration. ELISA was used to detect the levels of IL-6, TNF-a, and IL-10. The dual-luciferase reporter experiment was used to detect the targeting relationship between LINC00707 and miR-30c-5p. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin. Results The expression of LINC00707 in HVSMCs induced by ox-LDL increased (P <0. 05), while the expression of miR-30c-5p decreased (P < 0. 05). After transfection with siLINC00707 or miR-30c-5p mimic, cell viability, the protein level of N-cadherin, the levels of IL-6 and TNF-a decreased (P < 0. 05), and the number of im grating cells decreased (P<0. 05), while the protein level of E-coadherin and the level of IL-10 increased (P <0. 05). LINC00707 could target miR-30c-5p. After co-transfection with si-LINC00707 and miR-30c-5p inhibitor, cell survival rate, the protein level of N-cadherin, the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α increased (P < 0.05), and the number of migrating cells increased (P <0. 05), while the protein level of E-cadherin and the level of IL-10 decreased (P < 0. 05). Conclusion Down-regulation of the expression of LINC00707 could inhibit the proliferation, migration and inflammation of human vascular smooth muscle cells induced by ox-LDL by promoting the expression of miR-30c-5p.

Research progress in 2023 ASCO-GU prostate cancer / 现代泌尿外科杂志

The 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium unveiled numerous research advances which provide meaningful insights into the selection of treatment regimens of prostate cancer. Precision multi-treatment based on patients’ characteristics has become the predominant approach, including the use of a three-drug combination therapy for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, and poly adenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase inhibitor therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Nuclear medicine therapy and radiotherapy are also receiving significant attention. Integrated nuclear medicine diagnosis and therapy show immense potential for non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Additionally, for localized prostate cancer, stereotactic body radiotherapy is a preferred alternative to surgery. This article sheds light on several key studies presented at the conference, focuses on prostate cancer treatment at different stages, and intends to enhance the therapeutic outcome for prostate cancer patients.

Protective effect and mechanism of AKAP1 on myocardial injury induced by highland hypobaric hypoxia / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To investigate the protective effect and its possible mechanism of A-kinase anchored protein 1 (AKAP1) on the myocardial injury induced by highland hypobaric hypoxia. Methods: From January 2021 to May 2022, male C57BL/6 SPF grade mice were divided into wild type control (WT) group and highland hypobaric hypoxia (HH) group with 6 mice in each group. HH group simulated 6000 m altitude with low pressure oxygen chamber for 4 weeks to build the model. Primary myocardial cells of SD rats were divided into normoxia control group and hypoxia experimental group (n=3). Cell models were constructed in a three-gas hypoxia incubator with 1% oxygen concentration for 24 h. AKAP1 protein and mRNA expression in myocardial tissue and cells were detected by western blotting, immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). After myocardial point injection of the AKAP1 or the control adenovirus, the mice were divided into 3 groups (n=6) : WT group, highland hypobaric hypoxia overexpression control group (HH+Ad-Ctrl group) and highland hypobaric hypoxia overexpression experimental group (HH+Ad-AKAP1 group). The cardiac function of mice was detected by noninvasive M-type ultrasonic cardiomotive, myocardial fibrosis was detected by Masson and Sirius Red staining, and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was detected by wheat germ agglutinin. After the expression of AKAP1 in primary cardiomyocytes was downregulated by siRNA and upregulated by adenovirus, the cells were divided into three groups (n=3) : normoxia control group, hypoxia interference control group (hypoxia+siCtrl group), hypoxia AKAP1 knockdown group (hypoxia+siAKAP1 group) ; normoxia control group, hypoxia overexpression control group (hypoxia+Ad-Ctrl group), hypoxia AKAP1 overexpression group (hypoxia+Ad-AKAP1 group). Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, AKAP1, apoptosis-related protein and mRNA expression levels were detected by western blotting and qPCR, mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by JC-1 staining, and mitochondrial reactive oxygen specie (ROS) level was detected by MitoSOX. Results: The expression of AKAP1 in cardiac muscle of HH group was lower than that in the WT group, and the expression of AKAP1 in hypoxia experimental group was lower than that in normoxia control group (P<0.01). Compared with WT group, the left ventricular ejection fraction and fraction shortening of left ventricle in HH+Ad-Ctrl group were decreased (P<0.01), myocardial fibrosis and hypertrophy were aggravated (P<0.01), and the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) was decreased, the expressions of BCL-2-associated X protein (BAX), Caspase 3 and Caspase 9 were increased (P<0.01). After AKAP1 overexpression, compared with HH+Ad-Ctrl group, the left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular fraction shortening were increased in HH+Ad-AKAP1 group (P<0.01), myocardial fibrosis and hypertrophy were reduced (P<0.01), and the expression of BCL-2 was increased, the expressions of BAX, Caspase 3 and Caspase 9 were decreased (P<0.01). Compared with normoxia control group, the expression of BCL-2 in hypoxia+siCtrl group was decreased, the expressions of BAX, Caspase 3, Caspase 9 were increased, the apoptosis level was increased (P<0.01), the mitochondrial membrane potential was decreased and the production of ROS was increased (P<0.01). After AKAP1 knockdown, compared with hypoxia+siCtrl group, the expression of BCL-2 in hypoxia+siAKAP1 group was decreased, the expressions of BAX, Caspase 3, Caspase 9 were increased, the apoptosis level was increased (P<0.01), mitochondrial membrane potential was decreased, and the production of ROS was increased (P<0.01). After AKAP1 overexpression, compared with hypoxia+Ad-Ctrl group, the expression of BCL-2 in hypoxia+Ad-AKAP1 group was increased, the expressions of BAX, Caspase 3 and Caspase 9 were decreased (P<0.05), the apoptosis level was decreased (P<0.01), and the mitochondrial membrane potential was enhanced, and the production of ROS was decreased (P<0.01) . Conclusion: The downregulation of AKAP1 in cardiomyocytes under highland hypobaric hypoxia may lead to the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential and the increase of ROS generation, leading to the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, and thus aggravating the myocardial injury at highland hypobaric hypoxia.

Concordance between three integrated scores based on prostate biopsy and grade-grouping of radical prostatectomy specimen / 中华病理学杂志

Objective: To analyze three different integrated scoring schemes of prostate biopsy and to compare their concordance with the scoring of radical prostatectomy specimens. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 556 patients with radical prostatectomy performed in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing, China from 2017 to 2020. In these cases, whole organ sections were performed, the pathological data based on biopsy and radical prostatectomy specimens were summarized, and 3 integrated scores of prostate biopsy were calculated, namely the global score, the highest score and score of the largest volume. Results: Among the 556 patients, 104 cases (18.7%) were classified as WHO/ISUP grade group 1, 227 cases (40.8%) as grade group 2 (3+4=7); 143 cases (25.7%) as grade group 3 (4+3=7); 44 cases (7.9%) as grade group 4 (4+4=8) and 38 cases (6.8%) as grade group 5. Among the three comprehensive scoring methods for prostate cancer biopsy, the consistency of global score was the highest (62.4%). In the correlation analysis, the correlation between the scores of radical specimens and the global scores was highest (R=0.730, P<0.01), while the correlations of the scores based on radical specimens with highest scores and scores of the largest volume based on biopsy were insignificant (R=0.719, P<0.01; R=0.631, P<0.01, respectively). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed tPSA group and the three integrated scores of prostate biopsy were statistically correlated with extraglandular invasion, lymph node metastasis, perineural invasion and biochemical recurrence. Elevated global score was an independent prognostic risk factor for extraglandular invasion and biochemical recurrence in patients; increased serum tPSA was an independent prognostic risk factor for extraglandular invasion; increased hjighest score was an independent risk factor for perineural invasion. Conclusions: In this study, among the three different integrated scores, the overall score is most likely corresponded to the radical specimen grade group, but there is difference in various subgroup analyses. Integrated score of prostate biopsy can reflect grade group of radical prostatectomy specimens, thereby providing more clinical information for assisting in optimal patient management and consultation.

Automatic sleep staging algorithm for stochastic depth residual networks based on transfer learning / 生物医学工程学杂志

The existing automatic sleep staging algorithms have the problems of too many model parameters and long training time, which in turn results in poor sleep staging efficiency. Using a single channel electroencephalogram (EEG) signal, this paper proposed an automatic sleep staging algorithm for stochastic depth residual networks based on transfer learning (TL-SDResNet). Firstly, a total of 30 single-channel (Fpz-Cz) EEG signals from 16 individuals were selected, and after preserving the effective sleep segments, the raw EEG signals were pre-processed using Butterworth filter and continuous wavelet transform to obtain two-dimensional images containing its time-frequency joint features as the input data for the staging model. Then, a ResNet50 pre-trained model trained on a publicly available dataset, the sleep database extension stored in European data format (Sleep-EDFx) was constructed, using a stochastic depth strategy and modifying the output layer to optimize the model structure. Finally, transfer learning was applied to the human sleep process throughout the night. The algorithm in this paper achieved a model staging accuracy of 87.95% after conducting several experiments. Experiments show that TL-SDResNet50 can accomplish fast training of a small amount of EEG data, and the overall effect is better than other staging algorithms and classical algorithms in recent years, which has certain practical value.

Study on influencing factors associated with the analysis of 226Ra gamma spectra / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To measure the influencing factors associated with the analysis of 226Ra gamma spectra in order to obtain more acurate and precise measuring result on a basis of further optimizing the gamma spectrometry method for 226Ra activity. Methods:A laboratory-based HPGe gamma spectrometer was used to carry out the studies on tracking measurement of sample sealing time, measurement of background fluctuation with lead shielding, analytical method, and selection of characteristic gamma ray energy peak of its daughter nuclides in 226Ra measurement. Results:After the sample was sealed for 12 d, the decay products of 226Ra- 222Rn basically reached equilibrium. The day and night fluctuations of 222Rn in the shielded lead room were obvious but had no obvious regularity. The way of filling nitrogen into the shielded lead room could reduce or avoid the influence of background fluctuations. For 31 soil samples measured after 23 days of sealing, the result of using the efficiency curve method showed that the 226Ra result calculated from the 351.9 keV energy peak were generally higher than the 609.3 keV energy peak, and the higher ratio ranged from 8.0% to 20.7%. The result of relative comparison method showed that the deviation ratio of the two peaks ranged from -4.1 % to 10.3 %. Conclusions:It is recommended to consider the uncertainty attributed from decay equilibrium about 4 % of measured at 12 d after the sample is sealed. When filling nitrogen through the shielded lead chamber to avoid background fluctuations, attention must be paid to the matching relationship between the volume of the lead chamber and the nitrogen filling flow. When the efficiency curve method is used to analyze the activity of 226Ra, the 214Bi ( 609.3 keV ) energy peak has the effect of cascade coincidence addition, so 214Bi(609.3 keV) energy peak should be avoided. When the relative comparison method is used to analyze the activity of 226Ra, both two energy peaks of 214Pb ( 351.9 keV ) and 214Bi ( 609.3 keV ) can be used.

Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporotic periarticular fracture of the shoulder in the elderly (version 2023) / 中华创伤杂志

Periarticular fracture of the shoulder is a common type of fractures in the elderly. Postoperative adverse events such as internal fixation failure, humeral head ischemic necrosis and upper limb dysfunction occur frequently, which seriously endangers the exercise and health of the elderly. Compared with the fracture with normal bone mass, the osteoporotic periarticular fracture of the shoulder is complicated with slow healing and poor rehabilitation, so the clinical management becomes more difficult. At present, there is no targeted guideline or consensus for this type of fracture in China. In such context, experts from Youth Osteoporosis Group of Chinese Orthopedic Association, Orthopedic Expert Committee of Geriatrics Branch of Chinese Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Osteoporosis Group of Youth Committee of Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons and Osteoporosis Committee of Shanghai Association of Chinese Integrative Medicine developed the Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporotic periarticular fracture of the shoulder in the elderly ( version 2023). Nine recommendations were put forward from the aspects of diagnosis, treatment strategies and rehabilitation of osteoporotic periarticular fracture of the shoulder, hoping to promote the standardized, systematic and personalized diagnosis and treatment concept and improve functional outcomes and quality of life in elderly patients with osteoporotic periarticular fracture of the shoulder.

Comprehensive structural analysis reveals broad-spectrum neutralizing antibodies against Omicron

The pandemic of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread around the world. Mutant strains of SARS-CoV-2 are constantly emerging. At present, Omicron variants have become mainstream. In this work, we carried out a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the reported spike protein antibodies, counting the antibodies epitopes and genotypes. We further comprehensively analyzed the impact of Omicron mutations on antibody epitopes and classified these antibodies according to their binding patterns. We found that the epitopes of one class of antibodies were significantly less affected by Omicron mutations than other classes. Binding and virus neutralization experiments show that such antibodies can effectively inhibit the immune escape of Omicron. Cryo-EM results show that this class of antibodies utilizes a conserved mechanism to neutralize SARS-CoV-2. Our results greatly help us deeply understand the impact of Omicron mutations. At the same time, it also provides guidance and insights for developing Omicron antibodies and vaccines.

Effectiveness and Safety of Acupoint Catgut Embedding for the Treatment of Poststroke Constipation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: Acupoint catgut embedding therapy has shown effectiveness in treating functional constipation; however, relevant, high-quality clinical evidence is scarce. This study aimed to systematically assess the effectiveness and safety of acupoint catgut embedding in treating poststroke constipation. Methods: Correlative randomized controlled trials were identified through a comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Library/Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Internet, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang, and VIP databases from inception until February 2022. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Results: Fifteen trials involving 1084 patients were identified. The meta-analysis revealed that the acupoint catgut embedding group was significantly superior to the non-catgut embedding group with regard to the efficacy rate (RR = 1.27, 95% CI (1.19, 1.37), P < 0.05), the first defecation time (MD = -3.08, 95% CI (-4.53, -1.63), P < 0.05), the defecation sensation score (MD = -0.44, 95% CI (-0.61, -0.26), P < 0.05), the degree of difficulty in defecation (MD = -0.73, 95% CI (-1.10, -0.37), P < 0.05), the PAC-QOL scale score (MD = -10.06, 95% CI (-13.47, -6.64), P < 0.05), and the symptom integral (MD = -3.15, 95% CI (-3.60, -2.71), P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the stool property score (MD = 0.06, 95% CI (-0.39, 0.50), P > 0.05) as well as the incidence of adverse reactions (RD = 0.01, 95% CI (-0.01, 0.03), P > 0.05) between the two groups. Conclusions: The results showed that acupoint catgut embedding is probably an effective and safe acupuncture treatment strategy for poststroke constipation. Nevertheless, more rigorously designed, standardized, large-sample, and multicenter randomized controlled designs are warranted to further verify the findings of this study.

Change in occupational internal dose coefficients for radiation workers / 中国辐射卫生

Objective@#To explore the effect of change in occupational internal dose coefficients on estimation of the in- ternal exposure dose of radiation workers.@*Methods@#Forty-one radionuclides were selected as the research objects, and their new and old occupational internal dose coefficients were summarized. The change in internal dose coefficients was analyzed by calculating the ratios of dose coefficients and using the frequency distribution of ratios.@*Results@#The occupational in- ternal dose coefficients of the 41 radionuclides analyzed had all changed, with ratios ranging from 0.1 to 4.5, and the maxim- um difference reaching 10 times (when the ratio was equal to 0.1).@*Conclusion@#It is recommended to revise the national standards concerning occupational internal dose coefficients in time and update the occupational internal dose coefficients, so as to better monitor the occupational health of radiation workers.

Discussion on dose estimation methods for internal exposure to tritiumm / 中国辐射卫生

@#<b>Objective</b> To discuss the selection of dose estimation methods for internal exposure to tritium, their applicable working scenarios, and accurate dose estimation. <b>Methods</b> We compared the process and formula of two methods of urine tritium concentration monitoring in estimating the committed effective dose, explained the limitations of the atmospheric tritium concentration monitoring method, and compared the three methods from the aspects of the application scope and measurement methods. <b>Results</b> The atmospheric tritium concentration monitoring and urine tritium concentration monitoring methods provided opposite results of the magnitude of the committed effective doses for persons 3 and 10. The mean of the absolute values of the percentages by which <i>E</i>(<i>τ</i>)₁values were higher than <i>E</i>(<i>τ</i>)₃values was 29.6%, and that of <i>E</i>(<i>τ</i>)₂ higher than <i>E</i>(<i>τ</i>)₃was 72.4%. The consistency between the reference man-based tritium dose estimation method and the atmospheric tritium concentration monitoring method was better. The atmospheric tritium concentration monitoring method tended to underestimate the committed effective dose of tritium. <b>Conclusion</b> We suggest urine tritium concentration monitoring for estimating the committed effective dose, rather than atmospheric tritium concentration monitoring. The use of the reference man-based tritium dose estimation method or urine tritium activity concentration integration method should be based on individual metabolic conditions, working environment, and intake time, and urine sampling should be on time and repeated for monitoring..

Application of sourceless efficiency calibration in activity measurement of gas source in Marinelli beaker / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To optimize the Marinelli beaker with the simulation of Laboratory Sourceless Object Calibration Software (LabSOCS), to investigate the detection efficiency of HPGe detector in measuring noble gas, and to provide a reference for the measurement and optimization of noble gas effluent from nuclear power plants. Methods LabSOCS was used to establish a Marinelli beaker model to investigate the relationship of gamma ray detection efficiency of noble gas with gas components, gas density, size and volume of the Marinelli beaker, and the shape of source container. Results The gas components had little effect on the detection efficiency of the noble gas in the Marinelli beaker. The gas density had a relatively great effect on the detection efficiency of low-energy gamma ray. The Marinelli beaker of appropriate height and radius enabled the HPGe detector to get better measurement results. For the BE5030 HPGe detector, the highest detection efficiency of the Marinelli beakers of different volumes were observed at the location where the radius/height ratio was 0.7, and the optimal values of height and radius were given for the Marinelli beakers of different volumes. Conclusion Choosing Marinelli beaker of the appropriate size can improve the detection efficiency of noble gas in the effluent from nuclear power plants.

Anticoagulant effectiveness and safety of new oral anticoagulants versus warfarin after heart valve replacement ： a meta-analysis / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To compare the anticoagulant effectiveness and safety of new oral anticoagulants （NOACs）and warfarin after heart valve replacement ，and to provide evidence-based reference for clinical drug use. METHODS Retrieved from PubMed，Cochrane Library ，Embase，Web of Science ，CNKI，Wanfang database and VIP ，clinical studies about the use of NOACs versus warfarin after heart valve replacement were collected during the inception to July 2021. After literature screening and data extrac tion，the quality of included randomized controlled trials （RCTs）were evaluat ed by bias risk assessment tool recommended by Cochrane system evaluator manual 5.2.0. After the quality of the included cohort studies was evaluated by Newcastle-Ottawa scale （NOS），RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis and sensitivity analysis. RESULTS A E-mail：carolmeng_0813@163.com total of 9 studies involving 4 962 patients were included ，of which 7 were RCTs and 2 were cohort studie s. Results of meta-analysis showed that after biological valve replacement/repair ，the incidence of stroke and systemic embolism （SSE）[OR＝0.71，95％CI（0.52，0.97），P＝0.03]，major bleeding [OR ＝0.40，95％CI （0.30，0.54），P＜0.000 01] and intracranial hemorrhage [OR ＝0.20，95％CI（0.04，0.95），P＝0.04] in trial group were significantly lower than warfarin group ；there was no significant difference in all-cause mortality between 2 groups [OR ＝1.25，95％CI（0.88， 1.79），P＝0.22]. After mechanical valve replacement/repair ，there were no significant difference in the incidence of SSE [OR ＝1.52， 95％CI（0.04，60.29），P＝0.82] or all-cause mortality [OR ＝0.26，95％CI（0.04，1.84），P＝0.18] between 2 groups. The results of subgroup analysis according to the follow-up time showed that after biological valve replacement/repair ，the incidence of SSE in trial group was significantly lower than that in control group when the follow-up time was ≤3 months [OR ＝0.20，95％CI（0.06， 0.74），P＝0.03]；but there was no significant difference in the incidence of major bleeding between 2 groups [OR ＝0.67，95％CI （0.19，2.38），P＝0.53]；when the follow-up time was longer than 3 months，there was no statistical significance in the incidence of SSE between 2 groups [OR ＝0.74，95％CI（0.54，1.02），P＝0.07]，while the incidence of major bleeding in trial group was significantly lower than control group [OR ＝0.39，95％CI（0.29，0.52），P＜0.001]. Subgroup analysis by study type showed that after biological valve replacement/repair ，the incidence of SSE in the RCT in trial group was significantly lower than that in control group [OR ＝0.51，95％CI（0.29，0.92），P＝0.03]，but there was no significant difference in the incidence of major bleeding between 2 groups[OR＝0.58，95％CI（0.33，1.03），P＝0.06]. In cohort study ，there was no significant difference in the incidence of SSE between 2 groups [OR ＝1.03，95％CI（0.40，2.66），P＝0.95]，while the incidence of major bleeding in trial group was significantly lower than control group [OR ＝0.20，95％CI（0.06，0.74），P＜0.001]. Sensitivity analysis results showed that the results of the above-mentioned meta-analysis were relatively robust. CONCLUSIONS For the patients underwent biological valve replacement/repair，the effectiveness and safety of NOACs are better than or similar to those of warfarin ；for the patients underwent mechanical valve replacement/repair ，there is no significant difference in the effectiveness and safety between NOACs and warfarin.