[Element relationship and extension path of clinical evidence knowledge map with Chinese patent medicine].

This study aims to construct the element relationship and extension path of clinical evidence knowledge map with Chinese patent medicine, providing basic technical support for the formation and transformation of the evidence chain of Chinese patent medicine and providing collection, induction, and summary schemes for massive and disorganized clinical data. Based on the elements of evidence-based PICOS, the conventional construction methods of knowledge graph were collected and summarized. Firstly, the data entities related to Chinese patent medicine were classified, and entity linking was performed(disambiguation). Secondly, the study associated and classified the attribute information of the data entity. Finally, the logical relationship between entities was constructed, and then the element relationship and extension path of the knowledge map conforming to the characteristics of clinical evidence of Chinese patent medicine were summarized. The construction of the clinical evidence knowledge map of Chinese patent medicine was mainly based on process design and logical structure, and the element relationship of the knowledge map was expressed according to the PICOS principle and evidence level. The extension path crossed three levels(model layer, data layer application, and new evidence application), and the study gradually explored the path from disease, core evaluation indicators, Chinese patent medicine, core prescriptions, syndrome and treatment rules, and medical case comparison(evolution law) to new drug research and development. In this study, the top-level design of the construction of the clinical evidence knowledge map of Chinese patent medicine has been clarified, but it still needs the joint efforts of interdisciplinary disciplines. With the continuous improvement of the map construction technology in line with the characteristics of TCM, the study can provide necessary basic technical support and reference for the development of the TCM discipline.

Estimated glomerular filtration rate is a biomarker of cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease.

Backgrounds: The relationship between kidney function and cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) is poorly understood and underexplored. This study aims to explore whether renal indices can serve as indicators to monitor the cognitive impairment of PD. Methods: A total of 508 PD patients and 168 healthy controls from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) were recruited, and 486 (95.7%) PD patients underwent longitudinal measurements. The renal indicators including serum creatinine (Scr), uric acid (UA), and urea nitrogen, as well as UA/Scr ratio and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), were measured. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between kidney function and cognitive impairment were evaluated using multivariable-adjusted models. Results: eGFR was associated with lower levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aß1-42 (p = 0.0156) and α-synuclein (p = 0.0151) and higher serum NfL (p = 0.0215) in PD patients at baseline. Longitudinal results showed that decreased eGFR predicted a higher risk of cognitive impairment (HR = 0.7382, 95% CI = 0.6329-0.8610). Additionally, eGFR decline was significantly associated with higher rates of increase in CSF T-tau (p = 0.0096), P-tau (p = 0.0250), and serum NfL (p = 0.0189), as well as global cognition and various cognitive domains (p < 0.0500). The reduced UA/Scr ratio was also linked to higher NfL levels (p = 0.0282) and greater accumulation of T-tau (p = 0.0282) and P-tau (p = 0.0317). However, no significant associations were found between other renal indices and cognition. Conclusion: eGFR is altered in PD subjects with cognitive impairment, and predict larger progression of cognitive decline. It may assist identifying patients with PD at risk of rapid cognitive decline and have the potential to monitoring responses to therapy in future clinical practice.

[Clinical evidence analysis report of Chinese patent medicine in 2020].

The present study collected, collated, analyzed, and evaluated randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Chinese patent medicine published in Chinese and English journals in 2020, and summarized clinical evidence of Chinese patent medicine in stages, providing references for follow-up clinical research and evidence transformation and application. On the basis of the collection in the Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) Clinical Evidence Database System(EVDS), CNKI, Wanfang, SinoMed, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and EMbase were searched for RCTs of Chinese patent medicine published in 2020, and their research characteristics and methodological quality were analyzed and evaluated. A total of 1 285 research papers on Chinese patent medicine(1 257 in Chinese/28 in English) were included, involving 146 054 patients and 639 Chinese patent medicines, including 526 oral drugs, 68 injections, and 45 external drugs. A total of 412 diseases in 23 types were involved, which were dominated by circulatory system diseases and respiratory system diseases, specifically, cerebral infarction and angina pectoris. The sample size ranged from 20 cases to 2 673 cases, and 57.67% of RCTs had samples sizes less than 100. Single-center trials were the main ones, and multi-center trials only accounted for 4.75%(n=61). In terms of methodological quality, 52.91% of the RCTs had unclear descriptions or incorrect application of randomization methods, and the implementation of allocation concealment and blinding methods has not been paid much attention. In conclusion, compared with the conditions in 2019, the number of RCTs published in 2020 has decreased, and the research interest in respiratory diseases has increased, while the quality control in the process of research design and implementation has not been improved. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the methodological training of researchers and promote the output of high-quality research evidence.

[Clinical trials and evaluation of Chinese patent medicine for heart failure].

The present study systematically collected, analyzed, and evaluated randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of heart failure to provide references for follow-up clinical research design, guideline update, and policy formulation, and promote the improvement of clinical evidence quality. On the basis of the collection in the Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) Clinical Evidence Database System(EVDS), CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, SinoMed, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched for RCTs of Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of heart failure from database inception to December 31, 2020. The di-sease type, publication time, sample size, intervention/control setting, course of treatment, evaluation indexes, and methodological quality were analyzed and evaluated. A total of 1 631 RCTs were included, including 1 622 in Chinese and 9 in English. It was first published in 1995, with the largest number of publications in 2016. There were only 56 RCTs(3.43%) with a sample size≥200. Seventy-eight types of Chinese patent medicines were involved, including 49 types of oral drugs and 29 types of injections. There were 34 intervention/control protocols, which were dominated by Chinese patent medicine+conventional treatment vs conventional treatment, accounting for 28.51%(n=465). About 94.0% of RCTs reported the course of treatment, mainly 14-56 days. The evaluation indexes were mainly physical and chemical tests and symptoms/signs, and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) was the most frequently used measurement index. In enumeration indexes, clinical efficacy(response rate) was used the most frequently. Methodologically, 92.0% of the research subjects were rated as high risk of blindness. There were only 13 RCTs(0.80%) reporting registered information. It is necessary to further standardize the design, implementation, and quality control of clinical studies in order to improve the quality of evidence and avoid research waste.

A nomogram based on iron metabolism can help identify apathy in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Backgrounds: Apathy is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) but difficult to identify. Growing evidence suggests that abnormal iron metabolism is associated with apathy in PD. We aimed to investigate the clinical features and iron metabolism of apathetic patients with PD, and construct a nomogram for predicting apathy in PD. Methods: Data of 201 patients with PD were analyzed. Demographic data, Apathy Scale (AS) assessments, and serum iron metabolism parameters were obtained. Spearman correlations were used to assess relationships between AS scores and iron metabolism parameters, separately for male and female patients. Additionally, a nomograph for detecting apathetic patients with PD was built based on the results of logistic regression analysis. Results: The serum transferrin (TRF, p < 0.0024) concentration and total iron binding capacity (TIBC, p < 0.0024) were lower in the apathetic group after Bonferroni correction, and they were negatively associated with AS scores in male participants with PD (TRF, r = -0.27, p = 0.010; TIBC, r = -0.259, p = 0.014). The nomogram was developed by incorporating the following five parameters: age, sex, serum iron concentration, TIBC and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores, which showed good discrimination and calibration, with a consistency index of 0.799 (95% confidence interval = 0.732-0.865). Conclusion: Abnormal iron metabolism may contribute to apathy in PD, especially among men. TIBC levels in combination with HAMD scores can be effectively used for the prediction of apathetic patients with PD.

[Effects of different low limits of irrigation on nutrients, enzyme activity and glomalin-rela-ted soil protein in soil aggregates of drip irrigation under plastic film.] / è†œä¸‹æ»´çŒä¸åŒçŒæ°´æŽ§åˆ¶ä¸‹é™å¯¹è®¾æ–½åœŸå£¤å›¢èšä½“å »åˆ†ã€é ¶æ´»æ€§å’Œçƒå›Šéœ‰ç´ å«é‡çš„å½±å“.

Irrigation is the main source of soil water in greenhouse. There is a lack of understanding on the effects of drip irrigation under the plastic film on the distribution characteristics of soil nutrients, enzyme activity and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) in soil aggregates. The effects of different irrigation low limits (20 kPa, D20; 30 kPa, D30; 40 kPa, D40) on soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), urease activity, invertase activity and GRSP in soil aggregates were investigated under the greenhouse with the continuously six years' irrigation. The results showed that compared with D20 and D40 treatments, D30 treatment significantly decreased the proportion of micro-aggregate (<0.25 mm), increased the proportion of macro-aggregate (>0.25 mm), and improved the mean mass diameter (MWD) by 26.4% and 13.4%, respectively. The concentrations of SOC, TN, TP and GRSP were relatively higher in 2-1 mm, 1-0.25 mm, and <0.053 mm aggregates. About 46.5% of SOC, 53.3% of TN and 37.7% of TP were distributed in the 1-0.25 mm aggregates. The urease and invertase activities were increased with the decreases in the size of aggregates, which were significantly increased in D30 and D40 treatments. The 1-0.25 mm aggregates had highest contributions to enzyme activities, with 38.7% of urease and 41.2% of invertase in bulk soil. Results from the correlation analysis showed that MWD was highly positively correlated with GRSP, SOC and urease activity, and the concentration of GRSP was highly positively correlated with SOC and urease activity. Therefore, the irrigation low limits of 30 kPa promoted soil aggregate stability and protection of soil aggregates to nutrients, enzyme activities and GRSP in greenhouse.

[Lung squamous cell carcinoma-related genes cloned by using suppression subtractive hybridization].

OBJECTIVE: To identify genes differentially expressed in human lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). METHODS: A subtracted cDNA library of human LSCC constructed by using suppression subtracted hybridization (SSH) method was screened. Clones representing mRNAs that were truly differentially expressed in LSCC but not in its adjacent non-cancerous tissues were identified by semi-quantitative RT-PCR in 12 patients with LSCC. Partial novel genes were detected by Northern blot. RESULTS: Ten differentially expressed gene cDNA fragments of LSSC were obtained by SSH. Among them six were known genes; two sequences were identified but their functions were unknown (hypothetical protein); two were novel (GenBank accession numbers AF363068 and AY032661, respectively). The results from semiquantitative RT-PCR showed that the transcription expression level of PPP1CB, calumenin, S100A2, HSNOV1, OCIA and AY032661 was down-regulated in some LSCC cases, while the transcription of HSP90, ferritin, gp96 and AF363068 was up-regulated in others. CONCLUSIONS: Six known genes identified by SSH technique have been implicated in the pathogenesis of lung carcinogenesis, or they are involved in immunological defense mechanism in human body. Two hypothetical proteins probably also play an important role in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. The function of the two novel genes in lung carcinogenesis are under investigation.