A new index for the outcome of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a common pathological form of nephrotic syndrome. This study analyzed the value of pathological lesions and clinical prognosis of different segmental glomerulosclerosis ratios in FSGS. Two hundred and six FSGS patients were collected from Dec 2013 to Apr 2016. The patients were divided into two groups according to the proportion of glomerular segmental sclerosis: F1 (SSR ≤ 15%, n = 133) and F2 (SSR > 15%, n = 73). The clinical and pathological data were recorded and analyzed, and statistical differences were observed between the serum uric acid level and the percentage of chronic renal failure. The pathological results showed significant differences in interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IFTA), degree of mesangial hyperplasia, vascular lesions, synaptopodin intensity, and foot process effacement between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed significant differences in creatinine (OR: 1.008) and F2 group (OR: 1.19). In all patients, the prognoses of urine protein and serum creatinine levels were statistically different. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that F2 (hazard ratio: 2.306, 95% CI 1.022-5.207) was associated with a risk of ESRD (end stage renal disease). The proportion of segmental glomerulosclerosis provides a guiding value in the pathological diagnosis and clinical prognosis of FSGS.

Current status and future of treatment of pulmonary fibrosis by mesenchymal stem cells and extracellular vesicles / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Despite a series of clinical treatment measures,the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis still faces challenges.In recent years,mesenchymal stem cells and their extracellular vesicles have attracted extensive attention as an emerging therapeutic strategy and are considered to be a promising means of treating pulmonary fibrosis. OBJECTIVE:To systematically review the application of mesenchymal stem cells and their extracellular vesicles in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis,to comprehensively understand their therapeutic mechanism,efficacy evaluation and problems,and provide reference and guidance for further research and clinical application in the future. METHODS:Using Chinese and English search terms"mesenchymal stem cells","mesenchymal stem cell extracellular vesicles","pulmonary fibrosis",we searched the CNKI and PubMed electronic journal databases.By means of manual reading and eliminating duplicate articles,112 articles were selected,but 58 Chinese and English articles were finally included for summary. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Mesenchymal stem cells and their extracellular vesicles have shown great potential in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis,such as regulating inflammatory responses,inhibiting fibroblast proliferation,and promoting damaged tissue repair.Preliminary results from clinical trials have also shown some effects of the treatment,including improved lung function and quality of life in patients.(2)However,mesenchymal stem cells and extracellular vesicles in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis still face some challenges.During treatment,technical challenges such as cell migration and intrachistological localization need to be addressed for it to accurately reach the damaged lung tissue.Furthermore,its long-term safety also needs to be further studied and improved.For translational medicine development,standardized procedures such as cell collection,cell isolation,cell culture,cell harvesting,and cell identification need to be refined.(3)Despite these challenges,through the joint efforts of scientific researchers and medical personnel,these problems are expected to be gradually solved.In the future,we can further improve treatment outcomes by optimizing treatment regimens and exploring individualized treatments.At the same time,in-depth research on the therapeutic mechanism of stem cells and their extracellular vesicles is expected to develop more efficient and safe therapeutic strategies.

[Quality of moxa with different leaf-to-moxa ratios based on correlation analysis of thermogravimetric properties, cellulose content, and microscopic characteristics of non-secretory trichomes].

The quality of moxa is a key factor affecting the efficacy of moxibustion. Traditional moxa grades are evaluated by the leaf-to-moxa ratio, but there is a lack of support from scientific data. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM), Image Pro Plus, Van Soest method, and stimultaneous thermal analysis(TGA/DSC) were used to characterize the scientific implication of the combustion differences between moxa with different leaf-to-moxa ratios(processed by crusher). The results showed that the median lengths from non-secretory trichomes(NSTs) of natural NSTs and moxa with leaf-to-moxa ratios of 3∶1, 5∶1, 10∶1, and 15∶1 were 542.46, 303.24, 291.18, 220.69, and 170.61 µm, respectively. The cellulose content of moxa increased significantly(P<0.05) with the increase in leaf-to-moxa ratio and the combustion parameters(T_i, t_i, D_i, C,-R_p,-R_v, S, D_b, and J_(total)) all showed an increasing trend. The correlation results showed that the burning properties of moxa(T_i,-R_v, t_i, and J_2) were significantly and positively correlated with cellulose content. NSTs with a length of 1-200 µm were significantly and positively correlated with J_2. NSTs with a length of 200-600 µm were significantly and positively correlated with J_1, T_(peak2), T_(peak1), and-R_v, and negatively correlated with J_(total), T_b, and t_b. As the leaf-to-moxa ratio increases, the NSTs in the moxa become shorter and the cellulose content increases, which is more conducive to ignition performance, heat release, and a milder, longer-lasting burn. The "NSTs-cellulose-TGA/DSC" quantitative evaluation method scientifically reveals the scientific connotation of the combustion of moxa with different leaf-to-moxa ratios and provides a scientific basis for the establishment of quality evaluation methods for moxa with different leaf-to-moxa ratios.

Efficacy of bioabsorbable dressing combined with antibacterial spray for treatment of third-degree burns.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a bioabsorbable dressing in combination with antibacterial spray in treating third-degree burns. METHOD: Patients with third-degree burns in our hospital from February 2019 to February 2020 were enrolled and divided into an experimental group and a control group. In all patients, two wound repair surgeries were performed. During the first surgery, bioabsorbable dressing (PELNAC, Gunze Medical Equipment (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., China) was used for wound treatment. During the second surgery, autologous split-thickness skin graft was performed. For patients in the experimental group, bioabsorbable dressings (PELNAC) were uniformly applied with antibacterial spray during the operation and during postoperative dressing. For patients in the control group, antibacterial spray was not used. RESULTS: A total of 68 patients took part in the study (experimental group n=36; control group n=32). Infection rate in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group (2.8% versus 21.9%, respectively; p<0.05). The mean wound healing time in the experimental group was shorter by 3.2 days and the wound healing rate of the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p<0.05). Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) scores at specific postoperative time intervals were significantly reduced in the experimental group compared with those in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Bioabsorbable dressing combined with antibacterial spray could reduce infection rate, shorten wound healing time and reduce scar formation in repairing third-degree burns.

Chiral separation methods and the applications in the study of chiral components of traditional Chinese medicines / 药学学报

Chirality is one of the fundamental properties of nature, and most of the important molecules in living organisms contain chiral structures. The efficacy and safety of drugs are often closely related to the chiral structure of compounds, however, there are relatively more studies on synthetic characterization, pharmacology, and toxicology of chiral small molecule chemical drugs, but relatively less studies on chiral compounds contained in natural drugs such as traditional Chinese medicines. Chiral separation, as the basis of chiral research, has a pivotal position in the study of chiral compounds. In this paper, we systematically describe the separation methods of chiral compounds from the classification of chiral splitting methods based on chromatographic and non-chromatographic methods, as well as chromatographic packing materials, chiral additives and chiral derivatization, and review the chiral compounds in natural drugs such as traditional Chinese medicines reported in the past ten years, in order to provide references for the splitting and evaluating the activity of chiral compounds, and the improvement of quality standards of traditional Chinese medicines.

A machine learning-based predictive model of nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior among college students in Guizhou Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the effectiveness of machine learning algorithms in predicting non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior among college students, and to analyze the influencing factors of NSSI behavior, thus providing a reference for promoting psychological well-being.@*Methods@#In December 2022, a stratified random cluster sampling method was used to select 835 college students from a university in Guizhou Province, China. The Adolescent Self-injury Scale, Family Function Assessment Scale, and Emotion Regulation Self-efficacy Scale were used to evaluate the participants. Demographic characteristics, family factors, and emotional factors were taken as independent variables, while the dependent variable was whether college students exhibited NSSI behavior. Machine learning algorithms, including Logistic regression, support vector machine (SVM), decision trees, algorithm gradient boosting trees, random forests, and AdaBoost, were used to construct predictive models.@*Results@#The detection rate of NSSI behavior among the college students was 23.23% (194 individuals). The NSSI behavior group scored higher than the non-NSSI behavior group in total family function, emotional communication, egoism, and family rules ( t=3.02, 3.35 , 2.23,2.87, P <0.05). On the other hand, the non-NSSI behavior group scored higher than the NSSI behavior group in total emotion regulation selfefficacy, managing negative emotion self-efficacy, and expressing positive emotion self-efficacy ( t=-5.04, -5.48 , -2.43, P <0.05). The recall rates of random forests, SVM, Logistic regression, decision trees, algorithm gradient boosting trees, and AdaBoost were 84.3% , 90.6%, 73.4%, 87.5%, 95.3%, 89.0%, respectively. The F1 scores were 84.4%, 92.1%, 71.2 %, 79.4%, 91.7%, 89.1% , respectively. The respective precision rates were 84.4%, 93.5%, 69.1%, 72.7%, 88.4%, 89.1 %. The AUC scores were 0.845, 0.922, 0.706, 0.776, 0.915, and 0.891, respectively.@*Conclusion@#Compared to the algorithm gradient boosting tree, random forest, Logistic regression, and AdaBoost models, the SVM model has a better predictive effect on whether college students in Guizhou Province exhibits NSSI behavior. It is recommended to use an appropriate model to identify students at risk of NSSI behavior as early as possible and provide psychological crisis interventions to promote their mental health.

Analysis of surgical types for patients with Kashin-Beck disease in Shaanxi Province from 2018 to 2020 / 中华地方病学杂志

Objective:To analyze the surgical types of patients with Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) in Shaanxi Province, and to provide reference for optimizing KBD surgery.Methods:Retrospective analysis was used to investigate KBD patients who underwent surgical treatment, and the patient's information was from the Shaanxi Provincial Endemic Disease Prevention and Control Information System. Patients with incomplete surgical treatment information were excluded, and χ 2 test was used to analyze the impact of factors such as gender, education level, living area, disease severity, and social environment on the selection of different surgical types (free body enucleation or joint replacement) for KBD patients. Using propensity score method to perform a 1 ∶ 1 match on patients with different surgical types, and analyzing the influencing factors of KBD patients receiving different types of surgical treatment through multivariate logistic regression. Results:From 2018 to 2020, a total of 1 084 KBD patients in Shaanxi Province underwent surgical treatment, including 555 males (51.20%) and 529 females (48.80%), with a median age of 64 years old. There were 917 patients (84.59%) in the Guanzhong region (Tongchuan, Xi'an, Weinan, Xianyang, Baoji), 120 patients (11.07%) in the northern Shaanxi region (Yulin, Yan'an), and 47 patients (4.34%) in the southern Shaanxi region (Ankang, Hanzhong, Shangluo). The number of patients with KBD grade Ⅰ,Ⅱ, and Ⅲ was 401 (36.99%), 525 (48.43%), and 158 (14.58%), respectively. Five hundred and forty-eight patients (50.55%) underwent free body enucleation surgery, and 536 patients (49.45%) underwent joint replacement surgery. Univariate analysis showed that different genders, educational levels, living areas, disease severity, economic status, whether to relocate, type of drinking water, type of staple food, and source of staple food were the influencing factors for KBD patients to choose the type of surgery (χ 2 = 81.82, 22.38, 93.68, 22.38, 5.17, 15.68, 13.82, 39.37, 49.63, P < 0.05). Among 374 pairs of patients who underwent free body enucleation and joint replacement through propensity score matching, multivariate logistic regression analysis found that high school and above education level [odds ratio( OR) = 0.42, P = 0.008], Guanzhong region ( OR = 0.12, P < 0.001), relocation ( OR = 0.60, P = 0.004), and drinking well water ( OR = 2.15, P = 0.001) were the influencing factors for KBD patients to choose different surgical types for treatment. Conclusion:When performing surgical treatment for KBD patients in Shaanxi Province, clinicians can consider the severity of the disease, as well as factors such as the education level, living area, relocation status, and type of drinking water of KBD patients, to provide more suitable surgical types for KBD patients.

Identification and analysis of terpene synthase (TPS) gene family in Schizonepeta tenuifolia / 中国中药杂志

Terpenoids are important secondary metabolites of plants that possess both pharmacological activity and economic value. Terpene synthases(TPSs) are key enzymes in the synthesis process of terpenoids. In order to investigate the TPS gene family members and their potential functions in Schizonepeta tenuifolia, this study conducted a systematic analysis of the TPS gene family of S. tenuifolia based on the whole genome data of S. tenuifolia using bioinformatics methods. The results revealed 57 StTPS members identified from the genome database of S. tenuifolia. The StTPS family members encoded 285-819 amino acids, with protein molecular weights ranging from 32.75 to 94.11 kDa, all of which were hydrophilic proteins. The StTPS family members were mainly distributed in the cytoplasm and chloroplasts, exhibiting a random and uneven physical localization pattern. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the StTPS genes family were divided into six subgroups, mainly belonging to the TPS-a and TPS-b subfamilies. Promoter analysis predicted that the TPS gene family members could respond to various stressors such as light, abscisic acid, and methyl jasmonate(MeJA). Transcriptome data analysis revealed that most of the TPS genes were expressed in the roots of S. tenuifolia, and qRT-PCR analysis was conducted on genes with high expression in leaves and low expression in roots. Through the analysis of the TPS gene family of S. tenuifolia, this study identified StTPS5, StTPS18, StTPS32, and StTPS45 as potential genes involved in sesquiterpene synthesis of S. tenuifolia. StTPS45 was cloned for the construction of an prokaryotic expression vector, providing a reference for further investigation of the function and role of the TPS gene family in sesquiterpene synthesis.

A pilot study of plasma interleukin-6 and interleukin-27 in differential diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the significance of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-27 (IL-27) in the differential diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) in preterm infants.@*METHODS@#The preterm infants with the manifestation of respiratory distress who were treated in the Neonatal Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, from March to November 2021, were enrolled in this prospective study. According to the diagnosis results, they were divided into two groups: ARDS group (n=18) and NRDS group (n=20). ELISA was used to measure the plasma levels of IL-6 and IL-27. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of each index in the diagnosis of ARDS.@*RESULTS@#The ARDS group had significantly higher plasma levels of IL-6 and IL-27 than the NRDS group (P<0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that IL-6 had an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.867 for the diagnosis of ARDS, with a sensitivity of 61.1% and a specificity of 95.0% at the cut-off value of 56.21 pg/mL. The ROC curve analysis also showed that IL-27 had an AUC of 0.881 for the diagnosis of ARDS, with a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 80.0% at the cut-off value of 135.8 pg/mL.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Plasma IL-6 and IL-27 can be used as biological indicators for early differential diagnosis of ARDS and NRDS in preterm infants.