This study selected 6 529 plant-based Chinese materia medica(PCMM) from Chinese Materia Medica as research subjects and applied a random permutation test to explore the overall correlation characteristics between nature and flavor, as well as the correlation characteristics after distinguishing different medicinal parts and harvest seasons. The results showed that the overall correlation characteristics between nature and flavor in PCMM were significantly associated in the following pairs: cold and bitter, cool and bitter, cool and astringent, cool and light, neutral and sweet, neutral and astringent, neutral and light, neutral and sour, hot and pungent, and warm and pungent. When analyzing the data by distinguishing medicinal parts and/or harvest seasons, new correlation patterns emerged, characterized by the disappearance of some significant correlations and the emergence of new ones. When analyzing by medicinal parts alone, significant correlations were found in the following cases: cold and light in leaves, cold and salty in barks, cool and sweet in fruits and seeds, neutral and pungent in whole herbs, neutral and salty in stems, and warm and salty in flowers. However, no significant correlations were found between cool and bitter in stems and other types of herbs, cool and astringent in fruits, seeds, flowers, and other types of herbs, cool and light in leaves, fruits, seeds, barks, flowers and other types of herbs, neutral and sweet in barks, neutral and astringent in whole herbs and stems, neutral and light in leaves, fruits, seeds, and flowers, neutral and sour in whole herbs, stems, barks, flowers, and other types of herbs, and hot and pungent in whole herbs, stems, flowers, and other types of herbs. When analyzing by harvest season alone, significant correlations were found in the following cases: cold and salty, and cool and sour in herbs harvested in winter, and neutral and salty in herbs harvested year-round. However, no significant correlation was found between cool and light in herbs harvested in winter. When considering both medicinal parts and harvest seasons, compared to the independent influence of medicinal parts, 14 new significant correlations emerged(e.g., the correlation between cool and bitter in stems harvested in spring), while 53 previously significant correlations disappeared(e.g., the correlation between cool and bitter in barks harvested in summer). Compared to the independent influence of harvest seasons, 11 new significant correlations appeared(e.g., the correlation between cold and light in barks harvested in autumn), while 50 previously significant correlations disappeared(e.g., the correlation between hot and pungent in leaves harvested in winter). This study is the first to reveal the influence of medicinal parts and harvest seasons on the correlation between nature and flavor in PCMM, which highlights that these two factors can interact and jointly affect nature-flavor correlations. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms. This study provides a deeper understanding of the inherent scientific connotations of herbal properties and offers a theoretical foundation for the cultivation and harvesting of PCMM.
Seasons ; Plants, Medicinal/growth & development* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Taste

OBJECTIVE: Blood culture remains the gold standard for diagnosing bloodstream infections. Clinical laboratories must ensure the quality of blood culture processes from receipt to obtaining definitive results. We examined laboratory analytical indicators associated with positive blood culture results. METHODS: Blood cultures collected from Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. The mode of transportation (piping logistics delivery vs. staff), source of blood cultures (outpatient/emergency department vs. inpatient department), rotation of personnel, and time of reception (8:00-19:59 vs. 20:00-07:59) were compared between blood culture-positive and -negative results. RESULTS: Between 2020 and 2022, the total positive rate of blood culture was 8.07%. The positive rate of blood cultures in the outpatient/emergency department was significantly higher than that in the inpatient department (12.46% vs. 5.83%; P < 0.0001). The time-to-detection of blood cultures was significantly affected by the delivery mode and personnel rotation. The blood culture positive rate of the total pre-analytical time within 1 h was significantly higher than that within 1-2 h or > 2 h ( P < 0.0170). CONCLUSION Laboratory analytical indicators such as patient source, transportation mode, and personnel rotation significantly impacted the positive detection rate or time of blood culture.
Blood Culture/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data*

Objective To systematically evaluate the effects of total intravenous anesthesia and inhalational anesthesia on postoperative recovery in patients undergoing transsphenoidal pituitary tumor resection.Methods A comprehensive search was conducted in international biomedical databases including Ovid Medline,Embase,CINAHL(EBSCO),Cochrane Library,and Web of Science,from inception to July 4,2023.Additionally,ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched for ongoing and completed trials.The randomized controlled trials(RCT)comparing total intravenous anesthesia and inhalational anesthesia in patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary tumors were included.The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated by the Cochrane Collaboration tool.Relevant data were extracted and synthesized for analysis.Results A total of 327 records were identified,of which eight RCTs met the inclusion criteria.Four studies showed that the patients receiving desflurane or sevoflurane anesthesia experienced faster emergence from anesthesia than those receiving propofol.Two studies indicated that patients in the propofol group had lower levels of emergence agitation and a lower incidence of early postoperative nausea and vomiting.The results on postoperative cognitive function were inconsistent across studies.No differences were found between the groups in terms of postoperative complications or overall recovery quality during hospitalization.Conclusions Inhalational anesthesia appears to provide an advantage in promoting faster emergence following transsphenoidal pituitary surgery,whereas total intravenous anesthesia may contribute to smoother and more stable recovery.Further high-quality studies are needed to clarify the effects of different anesthetic techniques on both short- and long-term postoperative recovery.
Humans ; Anesthesia, Intravenous ; Pituitary Neoplasms/surgery* ; Anesthesia, Inhalation ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Anesthesia Recovery Period ; Pituitary Gland/surgery* ; Postoperative Period

BACKGROUND:Internal heat-type acupuncture therapy is a new treatment technique that combines acupuncture therapy with hyperthermia.It has good clinical effects on steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head,but the mechanism of action is still not fully clear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the possible mechanism of internal heat-type acupuncture therapy in treating steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head in rabbits. METHODS:Thirty-two New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into blank group,model group,internal heat-type acupuncture group and shock wave group using a random number table method,with 8 rabbits in each group.The model group,internal heat-type acupuncture group and shock wave group were modeled using methylprednisolone sodium succinate combined with Escherichia coli endotoxin.The internal heat-type acupuncture group received an internal heat-type acupuncture intervention on the buttocks of rabbits,once a week,for 20 minutes each time.The shock wave group received shock wave intervention on the buttocks of rabbits,once a week,with 2 000 beats per session.The blank group and model group were not given any treatment.After 4 weeks of intervention,blood samples and bilateral femoral head samples were collected from experimental rabbits.The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in serum were detected by ELISA;the histomorphology of the femoral head was observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining and the rate of empty lacunae was calculated;the protein expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 2,matrix metalloproteinase 9,matrix metalloproteinase tissue inhibitor 1,and matrix metalloproteinase tissue inhibitor 2 were detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the blank group,the model rabbits showed reduced food intake,mental fatigue,and decreased activity;compared with the model group,the above performance of the experimental rabbits was significantly improved after internal heat-type acupuncture and shock wave treatment.Compared with the blank group,the histomorphology of the femoral head in the model group deteriorated significantly and the rate of empty bone lacuna increased(P<0.001),while the histomorphology of the femoral head in the internal heat-type acupuncture group and shock wave group was significantly improved compared with the model group,and the rate of empty bone lacuna was reduced(P<0.001).The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in the model group were significantly higher than those in the blank group(P<0.05),while the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in the internal heat-type acupuncture group and the shock wave group were significantly lower than those in the model group(P<0.05).Compared with the blank group,the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and matrix metalloproteinase 9 in the femoral head of the model group were significantly increased,while the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase tissue inhibitor 1 and matrix metalloproteinase tissue inhibitor 2 were significantly decreased(P<0.001);compared with the model group,the protein expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and matrix metalloproteinase 9 were significantly decreased,while the protein expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase tissue inhibitor 1 and matrix metalloproteinase tissue inhibitor 2 were significantly increased in the internal heat-type acupuncture group and the shock wave group(P<0.001).Overall,these findings indicate that internal heat-type acupuncture may promote the repair of the necrotic femoral head by regulating the levels of matrix metalloproteinases/matrix metalloproteinase tissue inhibitors and serum inflammatory factors,thus treating early steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Objective: To accurately screen non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with KRAS G12C mutation and to evaluate their clinicopathological features, prognostic factors and current treatment status. Methods: A total of 19 410 NSCLC cases diagnosed at the Department of Pathology of Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai, China from January 2018 to September 2021 were retrospectively reviewed, and the cases with KRAS gene mutation detected by next-generation sequencing were included. The clinicopathological and genetic mutation data of these cases were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 1 633 (8.4%) NSCLC patients carried a KRAS gene mutation, among whom G12C was the most frequent (468 cases, 28.7%) mutant subtype. The mutation was more commonly found in males (414/468, 88.5%), patients with a history of smoking (308/468, 65.8%), and patients with a pathological type of invasive adenocarcinoma (231/468, 49.4%). The most common co-mutated genes in KRAS G12C mutant NSCLC were TP53 (52.4%, 245/468), STK11 (18.6%, 87/468) and ATM (13.2%, 62/468). The proportion of PD-L1 expression (≥1%) in KRAS G12C mutant NSCLC was significantly higher than that in patients without G12C mutation [64.3% (90/140) vs. 56.1% (193/344), P=0.014]. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) treatment significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in NSCLC patients (10.0 months vs. 5.0 months, P=0.011). However, combination of chemotherapy and ICIs with anti-angiogenesis inhibitors or multi-target inhibitors did not significantly improve PFS in patients with KRAS G12C mutant NSCLC (P>0.05). Patients with KRAS G12C mutation NSCLC treated with ICIs and KRAS G12C patients with TP53 mutation had significantly longer median PFS than those with STK11 mutation (9.0 months vs. 4.3 months, P=0.012). Conclusions: Patients with KRAS G12C mutant NSCLC have relatively higher levels of PD-L1 expression and can benefit from ICIs treatment. The feasibility of chemotherapy, ICIs therapy and their combination needs further investigation.
Humans ; Male ; B7-H1 Antigen/genetics* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; China ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Mutation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/genetics* ; Retrospective Studies ; Female

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of causative microorganisms recovered from patients with intra-abdominal infections (IAIs). METHODS: A total of 2,926 bacterial and fungal strains were identified in samples collected from 1,679 patients with IAIs at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 2011 and 2021. Pathogenic bacteria and fungi were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using the VITEK 2 compact system and the Kirby-Bauer method. AST results were interpreted based on the M100-Ed31 clinical breakpoints of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. RESULTS: Of the 2,926 strains identified, 49.2%, 40.8%, and 9.5% were gram-negative bacteria, gram-positive bacteria, and fungi, respectively. Escherichia coli was the most prevalent pathogen in intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients; however, a significant decrease was observed in the isolation of E. coli between 2011 and 2021. Specifically, significant decreases were observed between 2011 and 2021 in the levels of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli (from 76.9% to 14.3%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (from 45.8% to 4.8%). Polymicrobial infections, particularly those involving co-infection with gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, were commonly observed in IAI patients. Moreover, Candida albicans was more commonly isolated from hospital-associated IAI samples, while Staphylococcus epidermidis had a higher ratio in community-associated IAIs. Additionally, AST results revealed that most antimicrobial agents performed better in non-ESBL-producers than in ESBL-producers, while the overall resistance rates (56.9%-76.8%) of Acinetobacter baumanmii were higher against all antimicrobial agents than those of other common gram-negative bacteria. Indeed, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus faecalis, S. epidermidis, and S. aureus were consistently found to be susceptible to vancomycin, teicoplanin, and linezolid. Similarly, C. albicans exhibited high susceptibility to all the tested antifungal drugs. CONCLUSION The distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of the causative microorganisms from patients with IAIs were altered between 2011 and 2021. This finding is valuable for the implementation of evidence-based antimicrobial therapy and provides guidance for the control of hospital infections.
Humans ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Escherichia coli ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Retrospective Studies ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Intraabdominal Infections/epidemiology* ; Candida albicans ; Coinfection

Ulcerative colitis （UC） is a chronic recurrent inflammatory bowel disease which primarily affects the colonic mucosa. The UC patients mainly present diarrhea， abdominal pain， tenesmus， and mucous bloody stools， and even malnutrition and systemic symptoms in severe cases， with rising incidence， which has a significant impact on the health and quality of life of patients. The pathogenesis of UC is not clear， and the Western medical therapies include sulfasalazine， glucocorticoids， and immunosuppressants， which， however， have side effects and unsatisfactory effects. Chinese medicine with high safety， mild adverse reactions， and a multi-component， multi-target， and multi-pathway treatment manner has garnering increasing attention. Therefore， finding the Chinese medicine to treat UC has become a hot spot. Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is one of the commonly used Chinese herbal medicines， with the effects of tonifying spleen and reinforcing qi， clearing heat and detoxifying， dispelling phlegm and relieving cough， relieving pain， and harmonizing medicines. Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma mainly contains glycyrrhizic acid， glycyrrhetinic acid， diammonium glycyrrhizinate and other active ingredients. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma has anti-inflammatory， antioxidant， antimicrobial， and immunomodulatory activities. According to statistics， Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is among the top three Chinese herbal medicines for the treatment of UC. The recent years have witnessed progress in the treatment of UC with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and the related prescriptions. The present study summarized the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory， immunomodulatory， intestinal flora-regulating， cell apoptosis-inducing， and oxidative stress-reducing effects of the key chemical constituents （glycyrrhetinic acid， diammonium glycyrrhizinate， polysaccharide， glycyrrhetinic acid， and isoglycyrrhizin） and compound prescriptions of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. The findings provide a solid foundation for further development and clinical application of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.

Objective:To construct radiomics models of micro-calcification in carotid plaques, and compare their diagnostic values.Methods:Fifty-two patients with large atherosclerotic cerebral infarction admitted to Department of Neurology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from May 2017 to November 2019 were enrolled. All patients underwent conventional carotid artery Doppler ultrasound to detect carotid plaques and Micropure? ultrasound to detect micro-calcifications in the plaques. A cross-section image with maximum numbers of micro-calcifications was chosen when there were micro-calcifications in carotid plaques; otherwise, a cross-section image with the largest area of the plaque was chosen. After all images were normalized by Photoshop software, the plaques were delineated as regions of interest using MaZda 4.6 software and 283 texture features of the plaques were automatically extracted. The texture features with the strongest predictive value were selected through consistency analysis (intrclass correlation coefficient [ICC]>0.75), two-sample t-test, Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression. The predictive models were constructed by RandomForest (RF) and Support vector machine (SVM) classifiers. The training set and test set were divided by 7: 3 to analyze the classification accuracy. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) to evaluate the diagnostic values of the models. Delong test was used to compare the difference between the diagnostic values of the 2 classifiers in test set. Results:A total of 148 plaque images from 52 patients were enrolled, including 104 plaques with micro-calcification and 44 plaques without micro-calcification. Nine texture features were finally selected after ICC analysis, T test and Lasso regression: 5 image gray histogram features were mean, variance, skewness, kurtosis and 99 th percentile (Perc. 99%); 1 autoregressive model feature was Teta3, and 3 wavelet transform features were WavEnLH_s-3, WavEnLH_s-4, and WavEnLH_s-6. With RF classifier, accuracy of the diagnostic model was 0.93, enjoying AUC of 0.92; with SVM classifier, that was 0.91, enjoying AUC of 0.90; Delong test showed that the diagnostic values of the 2 classifiers in test set were significantly different ( Z=1.000, P=0.320). Conclusion:Radiomic models constructed by RF and SVM classifiers can identify micro-calcification in carotid plaques, and the 2 classifiers share equivalent diagnostic values.

Objective:To analyze the risk factors of bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)in very preterm infants(VPI), and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of BPD in VPI.Methods:A prospective multicenter study was designed to collect the clinical data of VPI in department of neonatology of 28 hospitals in 7 regions from September 2019 to December 2020.According to the continuous oxygen dependence at 28 days after birth, VPI were divided into non BPD group and BPD group, and the risk factors of BPD in VPI were analyzed.Results:A total of 2 514 cases of VPI including 1 364 cases without BPD and 1 150 cases with BPD were enrolled.The incidence of BPD was 45.7%.The smaller the gestational age and weight, the higher the incidence of BPD( P<0.001). Compared with non BPD group, the average birth age, weight and cesarean section rate in BPD group were lower, and the incidence of male infants, small for gestational age and 5-minute apgar score≤7 were higher( P<0.01). In BPD group, the incidences of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(NRDS), hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus, retinopathy of prematurity, feeding intolerance, extrauterine growth restriction, grade Ⅲ~Ⅳ intracranial hemorrhage, anemia, early-onset and late-onset sepsis, nosocomial infection, parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis were higher( P<0.05), the use of pulmonary surfactant(PS), postnatal hormone exposure, anemia and blood transfusion were also higher, and the time of invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation, oxygen use and total hospital stay were longer( P<0.001). The time of starting enteral nutrition, cumulative fasting days, days of reaching total enteral nutrition, days of continuous parenteral nutrition, days of reaching 110 kcal/(kg·d) total calorie, days of reaching 110 kcal/(kg·d) oral calorie were longer and the breastfeeding rate was lower in BPD group than those in non BPD group( P<0.001). The cumulative doses of amino acid and fat emulsion during the first week of hospitalization were higher in BPD group( P<0.001). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that NRDS, invasive mechanical ventilation, age of reaching total enteral nutrition, anemia and blood transfusion were the independent risk factors for BPD in VPI, and older gestational age was the protective factor for BPD. Conclusion:Strengthening perinatal management, avoiding premature delivery and severe NRDS, shortening the time of invasive mechanical ventilation, paying attention to enteral nutrition management, reaching whole intestinal feeding as soon as possible, and strictly mastering the indications of blood transfusion are very important to reduce the incidence of BPD in VPI.

As a traditional Chinese medicinal material， Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma has been extensively used in various formulae. According to modern pharmacological research， it has anti-tumor， anti-inflammatory， anti-viral， liver-protecting， anti-heart failure， immunoregulatory， and anti-fibrosis effects. Caused by the interaction of various factors， cancer features complex pathogenesis. It is a global challenge and one of the main causes of death in China. Statistics show that the morbidity and mortality of malignant tumors have been on the rise， particularly for the young， which threaten the health of human beings. At the moment， radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the main countermeasures. Most clinical anti-tumor drugs demonstrate non-selective toxicity. To be specific， they damage normal cells while killing tumor cells， thus injuring vital organs. In addition， long-term medication will reduce the sensitivity of tumor cells. However， traditional Chinese medicine， which is characterized by treatment based on syndrome differentiation， multiple components， and multiple targets， is superior in the treatment of tumor. Studies have shown that the combination of anti-tumor drugs with Chinese medicine can not only enhance the anti-tumor effect but also alleviate toxicity. Therefore， it has been a research hotspot to develop anti-tumor drugs based on traditional Chinese medicine. In recent years， major headway has been made in the research on active ingreddients of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in anti-liver cancer， anti-breast cancer， anti-lung cancer， and anti-colon cancer and the combination with other drugs for anti-tumor. On this basis， we summarized the mechanisms of active ingredients of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in inducing apoptosis， interfering with cell cycle， inducing autophagy， inhibiting glycolysis， regulating immunity， and modulating miRNA and signaling pathways， as well as the combination with other drugs in anti-tumor efficiency， toxicity reduction， and sensitivity enhancement， hoping to lay a theoretical basis for the further development and clinical application of active ingredients of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma.