OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Herba Epimedii flavone (HEF) on the osteoblast metabolism in vitro.

METHODOsteoblast were obtained from new born rat calvaria by digestive enzymes. MTF, PNPP and RT-PCR were used to observe the proliferation, activity of ALP and mRNA expression of OPG and RANKL of cultured osteoblasts in vitro.

RESULTIt was found that HEF had the effect on stimulating cell proliferation, activity of ALP and the mRNA expression of OPG of cultured osteoblasts (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHEF can promote the proliferation, the differentiation and the expression of OPG mRNA of the osteoblasts cultured in vitro.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Carrier Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Flavones ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glycoproteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Osteoprotegerin ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; RANK Ligand ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor ; biosynthesis ; genetics

BACKGROUNDSoft tissue rheumatism is a group of common rheumatic disorders reported in many countries. For investigating the prevalence rate of soft tissue rheumatism in different population in China, we carried out a population study in Shantou rural and Taiyuan urban area.

METHODSSamples of 3915 adults in an urban area of Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, and 2350 in a rural area of Shantou, Guangdong Province were surveyed. Modified International League of Association for Rheumatology (ILAR)-Asia Pacific League of Association for Rheumatology (APLAR) Community Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD) core questionnaire was implemented as screening tool. The positive responders were then all examined by rheumatologists.

RESULTSPrevalence rate of soft tissue rheumatism was 2.0% in Taiyuan, and 5.3% in Shantou. Rotator cuff (shoulder) tendinitis, adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), and digital flexor tenosynovitis (trigger finger) were the commonly seen soft tissue rheumatism in both areas. Tatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis, and De Quervain's tenosynovitis were more commonly seen in Shantou than that in Taiyuan. Only 1 case of fibromyalgia was found in Taiyuan and 2 cases in Shantou. The prevalence of soft tissue rheumatism varied with age, sex and occupation.

CONCLUSIONSSoft tissue rheumatism is common in Taiyuan and Shantou, China. The prevalence of soft tissue rheumatism was quite different with different geographic, environmental, and socioeconomic conditions; and varying with age, sex, and occupation. The prevalence of fibromyalgia is low in the present survey.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Bursitis ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Rheumatic Diseases ; epidemiology ; Sex Distribution ; Tendinopathy ; epidemiology ; Tenosynovitis ; epidemiology ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDSince knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the common diseases, identification of its associated risk factors is of preventive significance. This investigation was designed to investigate the prevalence of KOA in Taiyuan, and identify the associated risk factors of KOA.

METHODSA population sample was surveyed of 2188 adults aged from 35 to 64 years, living in 6-story buildings without elevators. The protocol of Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR) Community Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD) core questionnaire was implemented. The data on knee pain and KOA were collected and analyzed. Variables such as sex, age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), education level, and smoking history, were included in binary logistic regression model for further analysis.

RESULTSThe prevalence rates of knee pain and KOA were 13.6% and 10.9%, respectively, significantly higher than those in Shantou of south China and similar to those in Beijing of north China. The prevalence of KOA was significantly higher in women than in men (18.3% versus 8.7% and 15.1% versus 6.3%), with a tendency of increase with age. The prevalence was increased more obviously in women after 40 years old and in men after 45 years old. BMI in KOA group was significantly higher than that in non-KOA group. Binary Logistic regression revealed that age, sex, and BMI were significantly associated with KOA, whereas no significant correlation was seen between KOA and other factors such as climbing stairs, WC, time length of occupation service, education level, smoking history and religious belief.

CONCLUSIONGeography, age, sex, and BMI might be the risk factors of KOA, but climbing stairs, WC, time length of occupation service, education level, smoking history and religious belief are not correlated with KOA. Prevention of KOA should be initiated before the middle-age, especially in female adults, and weight control is necessary. Other factors might also contribute to the development of KOA, but further study is needed to elucidate the role of these factors.

Adult ; Age Distribution ; Age Factors ; Body Mass Index ; China ; epidemiology ; Educational Status ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; pathology ; radiation effects ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; complications ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Pain ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Smoking ; adverse effects

Objective To explore the feasibility and related factors of using semen samples from condoms collected by their female sex workers (FSWs) for HIV-antibody testing. Methods FSWs were recruited by outreach workers. Semen samples from condoms of their sexual partners (paid or regular) were collected by FSWs themselves after intercourse and for HIV testing. Male partners were asked to participate in the study. Questionnaires were administered for both FSWs and their male sexual parmers. Blood samples were also collected for HIV testing. Results In total, 54 FSWs with 43 of their regular sexual partners and 57 casual clients were recruited. HIV prevalence,determined from serum samples, were 33.33% among FSWs, 29.82% and 23.26% among their clients and regular sexual partners. 40.35% and 30.23% of the semen samples from the condoms they used,were tested positive for HIV among clients and regular sexual partners of the FSWs. The sensitivity of semen samples from condoms for HIV-antibodies was 100% among both clients and regular sexual partners of the FSWs, while the rates of specificity were 85.00% and 90.91% respectively. Data from Univariate analysis indicated that among FSWs, factors as the characteristics of self-reported needle sharing and the male sexual partners who had one child, were associated with the disparity between serum and condom semen sample for HIV-antibody testing. Conclusion HIV prevalence in male clients and regular sexual partners of the FSWs might be overestimated according to the HIV-antibody testing results of semen samples from condoms collected by FSWs themselves. Lower specificity indicated that FSWs with positive HIV might have contaminated the semen samples from the condom used by their HIV negative sexual partners.

Cysticercosis refers to a parasitic infection caused by the larvae of pork tapeworm Taenia solium.It is a parasitic zoonosis and listed by the World Health Organization(WHO)as one of the neglected tropical diseases.Cysticercosis is spread-ing all over the world through globalization and it mainly epidemic in developing countries.In the southwest and minority nation-ality areas of China,as a result of the low level of medical and health care,and the unchangeable diet custom,there are still many cases of cysticercosis,which is manifested as a local high prevalence.Neuroimaging is the preferred method for cysticerco-sis diagnosis,and by using CT and MRI scans it is possible to visualise the infecting cysticerci and assess their number and loca-tion within the central nervous system(CNS).The immunological assay is also required in the diagnosis.At present,the preven-tion and control of cysticercosis is still relatively weak.In this paper,the current status and research progress of cysticercosis are reviewed,and further suggestions on the prevention and control of cysticercosis are put forward.

Ascariasis once was a common disease in rural areas of China. It is showed that the average infection rate of Ascaris lumbricoides in China was 1.36% according to the results of the national survey of important human parasitic diseases in 2015. Although the prevalence of ascariasis has been greatly reduced as compared with that at the beginning of this century, ascariasis is still widespread in China. The Diagnostic Criteria for Ascariasis (WS/565–2017) was promulgated and implemented by the former National Health and Family Planning Commission on August 1st, 2017. This Diagnostic Criteria for Ascariasis is composed of six chapters, including the Range of Application, Terms and Definitions, Diagnostic Basis, Diagnostic Principle, Diagnostic Standard, and Differential Diagnosis. Four informative appendixes (etiology, epidemiology, clinical manifestation, and differential diagnosis) and one normative appendix (laboratory examination) are appended. The criteria provide the technical reference for diagnosis of ascariasis in medical institutions and disease control institutions. Combined with the current epidemic situation of ascariasis in China, this paper interprets the main contents of the Diagnostic Criteria for Ascariasis (WS/565–2017), so as to promote its learning and implementation.

Objective: To explore the promotion effect of laparoscopic standardized surgery for gastric cancer observational in some regional medical centers in Shanghai. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out. Eleven regional medical centers in Shanghai received the promotion program of laparoscopic standardized surgery for gastric cancer, which was led by Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine (Shanghai Minimally Invasive Surgery Center) from January to December 2020. Clinicopathological data of gastric cancer patients treated at these 11 regional medical centers before and after the promotion program were collected. Inclusion criteria were as follows: patients undergoing laparoscopic distal gastrectomy or total gastrectomy; gastric cancer confirmed by pathology; without distant metastasis or peritoneal metastasis. Patients who did not undergo laparoscopic D2 radical resection, or received neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery, or without complete clinical data were excluded. Patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery from January to December 2019 were included in the pre-promotion group (46 cases). Patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery from January to December 2021 were included in the post-promotion group (102 cases). In addition, patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery at Ruijin Hospital from January 2021 to December were included in the control group (138 cases). The baseline data, perioperative measurements postoperative complications, and pathological results of the three groups were analyzed and compared. Results: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics among the three groups (all P>0.05). Compared with the pre-promotion group, the operation time in post-promotion group was significantly shorter [(207.3±36.0) minutes vs. (254.2±47.1) minutes, t=7.038,P<0.001], and the number of harvested lymph node was significantly more (24.4±12.2 vs. 18.9±5.5, t=2.900, P=0.004). However, there were no significant differences in the extent of resection, time to fluid intake, and postoperative hospital stay between the two groups (all P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the operation time [(207.3±36.0) minutes vs (172.6±26.0) minutes, t=8.281, P<0.001], time to fluid intake [(6.3±3.2) days than (5.5±3.0) days, t=2.029, P=0.044], and the postoperative hospital stay [(14.3±5.6) days vs. (10.1±4.8) days, t=6.036, P<0.001] in the post- promotion group were still longer. Total gastrectomy was less common in the post-promotion group compared with the control group [18 cases (17.6%) vs. 41 cases (29.7%), χ²=7.380, P=0.007]. However, there was no significant difference in the number of harvested lymph node between the two groups (P>0.05). The morbidity of postoperative complication in the post-promotion group (9.8%, 10/102) was significantly lower than that in the pre-promotion group (23.9%, 11/46) (χ²=5.183, P=0.023), while above morbidity was not significantly different between the post-promotion group and the control group [9.8% vs. 6.5% (9/138), χ²=0.867, P=0.352]. Conclusion: After the promotion of laparoscopic standardized surgery for gastric cancer in regional medical centers, the standardization degree of surgery has been improved, and the morbidity of postoperative complication decreases. Laparoscopic standardized surgery for gastric cancer can be promoted to more regional medical centers.
China ; Gastrectomy/methods* ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Lymph Node Excision/methods* ; Postoperative Complications/etiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To understand the basic information and epidemic characteristics of new cases of cysticercosis in Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province, so as to provide the evidence for formulating the prevention and control strategy of cysticercosis. Methods The data of inpatients in the Dali Parasitic Disease Prevention and Control Center from 2014 to 2017 were collected and the eligible data of new cases of cysticercosis were analyzed by the epidemiological method. Results There were 1 552 patients with cysticercosis, including 549 new cases of cysticercosis. Among the new cysticercosis patients, most were neurocysticer-cosis cases (484 / 549, 88.16%). The symptoms included epilepsy and headache (51.73%), headache (40.98%), and dizziness (18.76%). The new cysticercosis patients were mainly middle-aged male farmers of Bai nationality, and they were distributed in all counties (cities) of Dali Prefecture, especially in Eryuan County (26.78%), and Dali City (19.49%). The annual incidence rate was 4.423/105 in 2014, 3.837/105 in 2015, 3.765/105 in 2016, and 3.442/105 in 2017, and there was no significance among the different years’incidence ( χ² = 4.595, P > 0.05). Conclusion Dali Prefecture is still an endemic area of cysticercosis. Therefore, the monitoring, prevention and control of the disease should be strengthened.

The modernization and development of traditional Chinese medicine has led to higher standards for the quality of traditional Chinese medicine products. The extraction process is a crucial component of traditional Chinese medicine production, and it directly impacts the final quality of the product. However, the currently relied upon methods for quality assurance of the extraction process, such as simple wet chemical analysis, have several limitations, including time consumption and labor intensity, and do not offer precise control of the extraction process. As a result, there is significant value in incorporating near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in the production process of traditional Chinese medicine to improve the quality control of the final products. In this study, we focused on the extraction process of Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike oral liquid (XXZOL), using near-infrared spectra collected by both a Fourier transform near-infrared spectrometer and a portable near-infrared spectrometer. We used the concentration of synephrine, a quality control index component specified by the pharmacopoeia, to achieve rapid and accurate detection in the extraction process. Moreover, we developed a model transfer method to facilitate the transfer of models between the two types of near-infrared spectrometers (analytical grade and portable), thus resolving the low resolution, poor performance, and insufficient prediction accuracy issues of portable instruments. Our findings enable the rapid screening and quality analysis of XXZOL onsite, which is significant for quality monitoring during the traditional Chinese medicine production process.