BACKGROUND:Human periodontal stem cells have a certain inhibitory effect on the pro-inflammatory function of M1-type macrophages,and it is not clear whether icariin,which has anti-inflammatory and other pharmacological activities,can enhance the inhibitory effect of human periodontal stem cells on M1-type macrophages. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of icariin on M1 macrophages after pretreatment of human periodontal stem cells. METHODS:Primary human periodontal stem cells were isolated,cultured and characterized.THP-1 was induced and M1-type macrophages were identified by immunofluorescence staining and PCR.Human periodontal stem cells were cultured with α-MEM complete medium containing concentrations of 10-7,10-6,10-5,and 10-4 mol/L icariin,and the cytotoxicity of Icariin on human periodontal stem cells was detected by the CCK-8 assay at 1,3,5,and 7 days,respectively.α-MEM complete medium,untreated α-MEM conditioned medium for human periodontal stem cells and α-MEM conditioned medium for human periodontal stem cells pretreated with icariin for 24 hours were conditioned with RPMI-1640 complete medium in a 1:1 ratio for M1-type macrophages in the control,untreated,and pretreated groups,and 24 hours later,the mRNA expression of inflammatory factors in M1 macrophages was detected by RT-PCR.The protein expression of inflammatory factors in M1 macrophages was detected by ELISA.The expression of surface markers and nuclear factor-κB pathway-related proteins in M1/M2 macrophages was detected by western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)CCK-8 assay results showed that 10-7,10-6,10-5,10-4 mol/L icariin was not cytotoxic to the human periodontal stem cells,and from day 5 onwards,all the concentrations increased the cell viability,and promoted the cell proliferation.10-4 mol/L icariin was selected for follow-up experiment.(2)RT-PCR and ELISA results showed that compared with the control group,the untreated group and the pretreated group both decreased the expression and secretion of interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α of M1-type macrophages(P<0.05),and the pretreated group was lower than the untreated group(P<0.05).(3)Western blot assay results showed that compared with the untreated group,the expression of CD86 was significantly lower in the pretreated group(P<0.05);compared with the control group,the expression of CD206,a surface marker of M2-type macrophages,was elevated in both the untreated and pretreated groups(P<0.01),and it was significantly higher in the pretreated group than in the untreated group(P<0.01).In M1-type macrophages after 24 hours of conditioned culture,compared with the control group,the expression of nuclear factor-κB/P65 was decreased in the untreated group and the pretreated group(P<0.01),and the expression of p-IκBα was decreased only in the pretreated group(P<0.01);the expression of both nuclear factor-κB/P65 and p-IκBα was significantly reduced in the pretreated group compared with the untreated group(P<0.05),while the difference of IκBα in the three groups was not statistically significant.(4)These results indicated that icariin enhanced the inhibitory effect of human periodontal stem cells on M1-type macrophages,and this effect may be related to the inhibition of the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway of macrophages.

AIM: To explore the clinical application effect of visual training equipment combined with conventional corrective treatment on children with ametropic amblyopia(AMA).METHODS: Prospective randomized control study. A total of 188 children(376 eyes)with AMA treated in our hospital from June 2021 to December 2022 were selected, and they were divided into two groups using a random number table. The conventional correction group(94 cases, 188 eyes)received conventional correction treatment, while the visual training group(94 cases, 188 eyes)received visual training equipment combined with conventional correction treatment, both lasted for 12 mo. The best corrected visual acuity, diopter, eye accommodation function, adverse reactions, amblyopia recurrence rates, and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups at 6 and 12 mo after treatment.RESULTS:The two groups each had 8 cases(16 eyes)detached, the rate of loss to follow-up was 8.5%, and 86 cases(172 eyes)were included in each group. There were statistically significant differences in the best corrected visual acuity, diopter, amplitude of accommodation, accommodation facility and accommodative lag between the two groups of children before and after treatment(all P<0.05). The total effective rate of the visual training group(98.8%)was higher than that of the conventional correction group(91.9%; P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the total effective rate of clinical efficacy between the two groups in different age groups and different degrees of amblyopia(all P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of redness and swelling between the two groups(P>0.05). The recurrence rate of amblyopia in the visual training group(1.2%)was lower than that in the conventional correction group(8.1%; P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The combination of visual training equipment and conventional correction therapy has a significant clinical effect on children with AMA, which can effectively correct visual acuity, adjusting diopter and improve eye accommodation function, and recurrence rate of amblyopia is low and safety is high.

Objective:To establish a questionnaire regarding knowledge, attitude and practice on family-centered sensory stimulation among ICU nurses and examine its reliability and validity, so as to provide basis for subsequent nursing training targeted sensory stimulation.Methods:Based on the theory of knowledge, attitude and practice, the questionnaire of family-centered sensory stimulation for ICU nurses was constructed by literature review, semi-structured interview, expert consultation and questionnaire survey. From March to April 2022, convenience sampling was used to investigate 253 ICU nurses from 8 general hospitals in four provinces and cities to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire.Results:The final questionnaire included 33 items in 3 dimensions, and the cumulative variance contribution rate was 76.248%. The average content validity index of the total questionnaire was 0.970, and the content validity index of each item ranged from 0.894 to 1.000. The Cronbach′s α coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.965, the split-half reliability was 0.799, and the retest reliability was 0.818 after 2 weeks.Conclusions:It has good validity and reliability in this questionnaire and can be used as a preliminary assessment tool to understand the status quo of family-centered sensory stimulation in ICU nurses.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of a child with Intellectual developmental disorder with behavioral abnormalities and craniofacial malformations without epilepsy (IDDBCS). METHODS: A child who had visited the Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital in April 2021 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child were collected. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of the child and his parents and subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing of his family members. RESULTS: The child, a 3-year-and-4-month-old male, had presented with global developmental delay and cranial malformation. Genetic testing revealed that he has harbored a heterozygous c.1703delA (p.K568Sfs9) variant of the PHF21A gene, for which both of his parents were of the wild type. This low-frequency variant may alter the structure and function of the protein product. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), it was classified as a pathogenic variant (PVS1+PS2+PM2_Supporting). CONCLUSION The heterozygous c.1703delA (p.K568Sfs9) variant of the PHF21A gene probably underlay the IDDBCS in this patient.
Child ; Male ; Humans ; Infant ; Developmental Disabilities/genetics* ; Craniofacial Abnormalities/genetics* ; Seizures/genetics* ; Intellectual Disability/genetics* ; Problem Behavior ; Mutation

Objective:To compare the differences in the prevalence of mild micro-hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) among patients with cirrhosis by using the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) and the Stroop smartphone application (Encephal App) test.Methods:This prospective, multi-center, real-world study was initiated by the National Clinical Medical Research Center for Infectious Diseases and the Portal Hypertension Alliance and registered with International ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05140837). 354 cases of cirrhosis were enrolled in 19 hospitals across the country. PHES (including digital connection tests A and B, digital symbol tests, trajectory drawing tests, and serial management tests) and the Stroop test were conducted in all of them. PHES was differentiated using standard diagnostic criteria established by the two studies in China and South Korea. The Stroop test was evaluated based on the criteria of the research and development team. The impact of different diagnostic standards or methods on the incidence of MHE in patients with cirrhosis was analyzed. Data between groups were differentiated using the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ2 test. A kappa test was used to compare the consistency between groups. Results:After PHES, the prevalence of MHE among 354 cases of cirrhosis was 78.53% and 15.25%, respectively, based on Chinese research standards and Korean research normal value standards. However, the prevalence of MHE was 56.78% based on the Stroop test, and the differences in pairwise comparisons among the three groups were statistically significant (kappa = -0.064, P < 0.001). Stratified analysis revealed that the MHE prevalence in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C was 74.14%, 83.33%, and 88.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Chinese researchers, while the MHE prevalence rates in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C were 8.29%, 23.53%, and 38.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Korean researchers. Furthermore, the prevalence rates of MHE in the three groups of patients with Child-Pugh grades A, B, and C were 52.68%, 58.82%, and 73.53%, respectively, according to the Stroop test standard. However, among the results of each diagnostic standard, the prevalence of MHE showed an increasing trend with an increasing Child-Pugh grade. Further comparison demonstrated that the scores obtained by the number connection test A and the number symbol test were consistent according to the normal value standards of the two studies in China and South Korea ( Z = -0.982, -1.702; P = 0.326, 0.089), while the other three sub-tests had significant differences ( P < 0.001). Conclusion:The prevalence rate of MHE in the cirrhotic population is high, but the prevalence of MHE obtained by using different diagnostic criteria or methods varies greatly. Therefore, in line with the current changes in demographics and disease spectrum, it is necessary to enroll a larger sample size of a healthy population as a control. Moreover, the establishment of more reliable diagnostic scoring criteria will serve as a basis for obtaining accurate MHE incidence and formulating diagnosis and treatment strategies in cirrhotic populations.

Objective:To analyze the experiences and practice in the reform of public hospital salary system in Sichuan province, summarize the typical modes of such reform in the province, and provide references for further reform.Methods:As of October 29, 2021, the research group received 77 sets of typical experience materials submitted by the health commissions and public hospitals in Sichuan province on enforcing the reform of the public hospital salary system. The analysis framework was based on the five main elements proposed in the Guidance to Deepening the Reform of the Salary System of Public Hospitals for the purpose of furthering the reform. These five elements refer to " reasonably determining the level of salary in public hospitals" " fully implementing the autonomy of internal distribution in public hospitals " " establishing and improving the incentive and restraint mechanism for the remuneration of public hospital leaders" " improving the assessment and evaluation mechanism oriented to public welfare" and " funding sources ". A quantitative analysis was made on the typical experience materials using the social network analysis method, while a qualitative analysis was made on the typical experience materials using the content analysis method. Results:The results of social network analysis showed that the network density was 0.272; the highest point centrality was " fully implement the autonomy of internal distribution in public hospitals" (0.935), and the highest intermediary centrality was " improving the assessment and evaluation mechanism oriented to public welfare" (0.870), while the closeness to centrality of " establishing and improving the incentive and constraint mechanism for the salary of public hospital leaders" (0.434) and " funding sources" (0.421) were relatively low. The results of content analysis showed that the ones with higher frequency among all the typical experience materials were " fully implementing the autonomy of internal distribution of hospitals" (72 times) and " improving the assessment and evaluation mechanism oriented to public welfare" (67 times), while the ones with lower frequency were " establishing and improving the salary incentive and constraint mechanism for public hospital leaders" (17 times) and " funding sources" (14 times). In terms of unity and synergy, the typical models of public hospital salary system reform in the province could be categorized as the fine standard mode, the fair value mode, the autonomous synergy mode and the circular symbiosis mode.Conclusions:Deepening the reform of the salary system of public hospitals should unify the standards and improve the fair and refined assessment and evaluation mechanism; explore various forms of distribution and build an internal autonomous and synergistic incentive mechanism; pay attention to the weak remuneration incentive mechanism for hospital leaders and the problem of a relatively single source of funding.

AIM: To describe and evaluate the clinical characteristics, treatment management and clinical outcomes of ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) in the treatment of patients with multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacterial (MDR-GNB) infections. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed on patients hospitalized in the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from September 2019 to December 2021. Adult patients who received CZA for ≥ 72 hours consecutively were eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome was clinical failure, defined as a composite of 30-day all-cause mortality, microbiological failure and / or failure to resolve or improve signs and symptoms of infection during treatment with CZA. RESULTS: A total of 198 patients with MDR-GNB infections were described and evaluated, including 132 in the carbapenem-resistant Enterobatceriaceae (CRE) cohort and 66 in the Pseudomonas spp. cohort. The main infection sites were lung infection (92.42%), abdominal infection (10.61%), and intracranial infection (10.61%), among which 63 patients (31.82%) were positive for blood culture. Clinical failure, 30-day all-cause mortality and microbiological failure occurred in 61 (30.81%), 33(16.67%) and 11(5.56%) patients, respectively. Body mass index (BMI), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation scoring system (APACHE Ⅱ) and polymicrobial infections were positively associated with clinical outcome failureadjusted OR 1.109, 95%CI 1.017, 1.209; adjusted OR 1.071, 95%CI 1.015, 1.129; adjusted OR 2.844, 95%CI 1.391, 5.814, however, initiation of CZA within 48 hours of admission was protective (adjusted OR 0.424, 95%CI 0.205, 0.879). A total of 15 patients had adverse reactions possibly related to CZA, including 2 cases of rash, 6 cases of nausea and vomiting, and 7 cases of antibiotic-related diarrhea. CONCLUSION: CZA can be used to treat infections caused by a range of MDR-GNB, including Pseudomonas spp. and CRE.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to predict the pharmacodynamic material basis and core targets of Bailing capsules in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） based on network pharmacology and molecular docking， which were further verified by cell experiments to explore the mechanism. MethodThe main active ingredients and related targets of Bailing capsules were screened in Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP） and SwissTargetPrediction. The main COPD targets were searched from GeneCards， DrugBank， Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM） and Therapeutic Target Database （TTD）. The protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed by STRING and Cytoscape 3.6.1. Gene Ontology （GO） function annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis were performed by the Database for Annotation， Visualization and Integrated Discovery （DAVID）. Molecular docking verification was carried out using AutoDock Vina. The cell viability was detected by 3-（4，5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-5-（3-carboxymethoxyphenyl）-2-（4-sulfophenyl）-2H-tetrazolium （MTS） assay， and the mRNA level of the targets was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultA total of 11 active ingredients of Bailing capsules such as cerevisterol， 270 related drug targets， and 1 020 COPD target proteins were obtained， with 74 intersection targets. The visualization analysis of the PPI network showed that the core targets of Bailing capsules in the treatment of COPD were tumor protein P53 （TP53）， catenin beta 1 （CTNNB1）， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and insulin （INS）. Further， 20 signaling pathways were screened by KEGG enrichment analysis as the main pathways for Bailing capsules to treat COPD， involving phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt）， cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP）， forkhead box O （FoxO）， TNF， and hypoxia inducible factor-1 （HIF-1） signaling pathways. Molecular docking validation demonstrated that four active ingredients had stable binding to IL-6， with the lowest energy. Bailing capsules could reduce the mRNA level of IL-6 in RAW264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide （LPS） （P<0.01） compared with the control group. ConclusionThe pharmacological mechanism of Bailing capsules in the treatment of COPD might be that its main active ingredients improved the inflammatory response by acting on TP53， CTNNB1， TNF， IL-6 and other targets and regulating PI3K/Akt， cAMP and other signaling pathways， thereby ameliorating COPD symptoms. This study provided experimental basis for subsequent in-depth research， and provided a diagnosis and treatment direction for disease-related clinical treatment.

Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) emerged as a new hypoglycemic agent, which can inhibit glucose reabsorption and thus play a hypoglycemic role. Recent studies have shown that SGLT2i not only lowers blood glucose, but also has a protective effect on the cardiovascular system, which may benefit patients with heart failure.The specific mechanism of action is still not fully elucidated. This paper aims to summarize the latest research results of SGLT2i in the treatment of heart failure, and analyze the possible mechanisms for clinical guidance.

AIM: To explore which variables can predict the weight response to exenatide and to individualize specific therapies for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who need treatment with exenatide. METHODS: We performed a study among T2DM patients who were treated with exenatide twice daily for at least 12 months from January 2017 to December 2020. Data of the height, weight, body mass index (BMI) calculated, and HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial plasma glucose (PPG), fasting serum insulin (FINS), postprandial serum insulin (PINS), blood lipids and concurrent diabetic medications at baseline, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after exenatide initiation were collected. Patients were categorized into two cohorts based on weight loss ≥3%: responders and non-responders. The binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the major variables of weight response to exenatide. RESULTS: The duration of diabetes in the responder group was shorter than that in patients in the non-responder group (P<0.05). For patients in the responder and non-responder groups, there was a significant decrease in weight, BMI, HbA1c, FPG, PPG, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and increase in homeostasis model assessment for beta cell function (HOMA-B) compared with the prarameters before treatment with exenatide (P<0.001). The baseline weight and baseline HbA1c were associated with weight loss after 6 months of treatment with exenatide (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Baseline weight and HbA1c improvement were positively correlated with weight loss after 6 months of treatment with exenatide and the major predictors of weight response to exenatide.