Objective To determine the median effective concentration(EC50)of ropivacaine at the volume of 0.5 mL/kg for ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus block in children aged 6 to 10 years.Methods A prospective dose-finding trial was conducted based a sequential Dixon up-and-down allocation.We recruited children aged 6 to 10 years who were scheduled for unilateral surgery on upper extremity regions in our hospital from April to December 2022.All of them were subjected to general intravenous anaesthesia combined with ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus block.The ropivacaine volume for each patient was 0.5 mL/kg.The concentration of 0.2%for the first patient,subsequent concentrations were adjusted based on the block effect of previous patient,increase or decrease by 0.02%.The trial was stopped when there were 7 turning points.Isotonic regression and Bootstrap were used to calculate the values of EC50 and 95%effective concentration(EC95),along with their 95%confidence intervals(CI).General data,incidence of adverse events,and score of postoperative pain were recorded.Results A total of 26 children aged 6 to 10 years were included.The EC50 of ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus block was determined to be 0.091%(95%CI:0.077%～0.105%),and the EC95 was estimated to be 0.117%(95%CI:0.110%～0.118%).Successful blockade was achieved in 16 cases(61.5%),while 10 cases(38.5%)failed.No statistical differences existed between successful and failed cases regarding sex,age,body weight,surgical site,surgical laterality,operative time,or anesthesia duration.None of the patients experienced adverse events such as pneumothorax,vascular injury,or Horner's syndrome,and the score of postoperative pain were all<6 by modified Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale.Conclusion In children aged 6 to 10 years,the EC50 of ropivacaine is 0.091%at a volume of 0.5 mL/kg for ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus block,and this low dose of regional anesthetic can reduce the risks such as systemic toxicity and direct neurotoxicity.

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is an inherited disease caused by a deficiency of the enzyme arylsulfatase A (ARSA). Lentivirus-modified autologous hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy (HSCGT) has recently been approved for clinical use in pre and early symptomatic children with MLD to increase ARSA activity. Unfortunately, this advanced therapy is not available for most patients with MLD who have progressed to more advanced symptomatic stages at diagnosis. Patients with late-onset juvenile MLD typically present with a slower neurological progression of symptoms and represent a significant burden to the economy and healthcare system, whereas those with early onset infantile MLD die within a few years of symptom onset. We conducted a pilot study to determine the safety and benefit of HSCGT in patients with postsymptomatic juvenile MLD and report preliminary results. The safety profile of HSCGT was favorable in this long-term follow-up over 9 years. The most common adverse events (AEs) within 2 months of HSCGT were related to busulfan conditioning, and all AEs resolved. No HSCGT-related AEs and no evidence of distorted hematopoietic differentiation during long-term follow-up for up to 9.6 years. Importantly, to date, patients have maintained remarkably improved ARSA activity with a stable disease state, including increased Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score and decreased magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion score. This long-term follow-up pilot study suggests that HSCGT is safe and provides clinical benefit to patients with postsymptomatic juvenile MLD.
Humans ; Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic/genetics* ; Pilot Projects ; Genetic Therapy/methods* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Male ; Follow-Up Studies ; Female ; Lentivirus/genetics* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Cerebroside-Sulfatase/metabolism* ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVE: Observational studies have found associations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and vascular dementia (VD); however, these findings are inconsistent. It remains unclear whether these associations are causal. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis by systematically searching for observational studies on the association between IBD and dementia. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis based on summary genome-wide association studies (GWASs) was performed. Genetic correlation and Bayesian co-localization analyses were used to provide robust genetic evidence. RESULTS: Ten observational studies involving 80,565,688 participants were included in this meta-analysis. IBD was significantly associated with dementia (risk ratio [ RR] =1.36, 95% CI = 1.04-1.78; I ² = 84.8%) and VD ( RR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.18-5.70; only one study), but not with AD ( RR = 2.00, 95% CI = 0.96-4.13; I ² = 99.8%). MR analyses did not supported significant causal associations of IBD with dementia (dementia: odds ratio [ OR] = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.98-1.03; AD: OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.95-1.01; VD: OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.97-1.07). In addition, genetic correlation and co-localization analyses did not reveal any genetic associations between IBD and dementia. CONCLUSION Our study did not provide genetic evidence for a causal association between IBD and dementia risk. The increased risk of dementia observed in observational studies may be attributed to unobserved confounding factors or detection bias.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/complications* ; Dementia/etiology* ; Observational Studies as Topic ; Genome-Wide Association Study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective To analyze the caregiver presence needs and their influencing factors among hospitalized elderly non-surgical patients and provide a basis for formulating relevant policies.Methods A descriptive qualitative study method was adopted.Through purposive sampling,semi-structured interviews were conducted on elderly non-surgical patients and their families and medical staff in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from September to October 2023.MAXQDA 2020 and the 7-step phenomenological analysis method of Colaizzi were used to classify and code the interview contents and identify themes.Results The categories of caregiver presence needs of elderly non-surgical patients included basic living assistance needs,disease monitoring needs,psychological support needs,as well as the needs for family members to provide economic support and participate in treatment decision-making.The influencing factors included advanced age,frailty,the lack of self-care ability in patients with comorbidities,the susceptibility of patients to sudden situations during the disease exacerbation period,the increased risk of unexpected events in patients with psychological distress,and patients' concerns about social support and medical decision-making.Conclusion The caregiver presence needs of elderly non-surgical patients during hospitalization are high and influenced by multiple factors.
Humans ; Caregivers/psychology* ; Aged ; Hospitalization ; Social Support ; Male ; Qualitative Research ; Female

Objective To explore the pioneering symptoms of the gastrointestinal symptom cluster and their influencing factors in gastric cancer patients with chemotherapy.Methods Based on the hospital's management system for scientific research data,463 gastric cancer patients with chemothera-py were surveyed through multicenter collaboration by the corresponding module of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory(MDASI),the Chinese Medicine Constitution Classification and Identification Standard,and the Chinese Medicine SyndromeIdentification Standard for Gastric Cancer.IBM SPSS Statistic 22.0 and IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 were used for data analysis.Results The first occurrence of dry mouth in the gastrointestinal symptom cluster of gastric cancer patients with chemotherapy was(22.99±10.70)hours after chemotherapy.The support,confidence,and lift for the association be-tween dry mouth and decreased appetite were 62.2％,94.8％and 1.52,respectively;for dry mouth and nausea,the numerical values were 62.2％,89.6％and 1.44;for dry mouth and vomiting,the numerical values were 62.2％,79.5％and 1.28.The results of one-way ANOVA and multivariate linear regression analysis showed that alcohol consumption,syndrome of stomach heat injuring yin,and phlegm-dampness constitution were independent influencing factors for dry mouth in gastric cancer patients with chemotherapy(P＜0.05).Conclusion Dry mouth,as a pioneering symptom of the gastroin-testinal symptom cluster,is of great significance in clinical assessment and management.Improved assessment of dry mouth can provide a basis for the construction of subsequent risk prediction model,the formulation of targeted interventions,and the enhancement of symptom management efficiency.

Objective To identify potential ergonomic risk factors of works and quickly assess their risks of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in the medical staff. Methods A total of 188 medical staff were selected as the research objects using a two-stage random sampling method. The method for the identification of musculoskeletal stress factors (PLIBEL) was used to analyze the adverse ergonomic factors in the work process, and the rapid entire body assessment (REBA) was used to quickly assess the whole-body posture load. Results The PLIBEL assessment results showed that various adverse ergonomic factors affected different parts of the body during the work process of medical staff. Specifically, 18 adverse ergonomic factors were identified in the neck, shoulders, and upper back, while 10 adverse ergonomic factors were identified in the elbow, forearm, hand, and lower back. Rehabilitation therapists and nurses engaged in patient handling in general wards and medication preparation and blood collection were exposed to ≥35 adverse ergonomic factors. The REBA assessment showed that the REBA score was 3-12 points for medical staff during their work process. Rehabilitation therapists were classified as having an extremely high ergonomic risk. High-risk occupations included ward housekeeping nurses, surgery assistant nurses, operating-room instrument nurses, and surgeons. Medium-risk occupations included general ward nurses (medication preparation and blood collection, venipuncture/infusion, and patient handling), intensive care unit (ICU) nurses, internal medicine residents, and dentists. Low-risk occupations included administrative front-desk nurses, outpatient internal medicine physicians, and technicians/physicians in ultrasonography, laboratory medicine, physical examination, and occupational health departments. Conclusion Adverse ergonomic factors of medical staff predominantly affect the neck, shoulders, upper back, elbows, forearms, hands, and the lower back during the work process. Rehabilitation therapists, ward housekeeping nurses, ICU nurses, operating-room instrument nurses, and surgeons are high-risk groups for WMSDs. Attention should be paid to the management and control of adverse ergonomic factors for medical staff to prevent the occurrence of WMSDs.

In this paper， by referring to ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Kochiae Fructus has been conducted to clarify the name， origin， distribution of production areas， quality specification， taste and efficacy， harvesting time， processing and compatibility taboo， so as to provide reference and basis for the development and utilization of related famous classical formulas. According to the investigation， it can be seen that Difuzi was first published in Sheng Nong's Herbal Classic， and has been used as the official name throughout history. It is also known by other names such as Dimai， Dikui， and Luozhou. The mainstream source of Difuzi in materia medica throughout history is the dried ripe fruit of Kochia scoparia， which is consistent throughout history. In the Han dynasty， it was recorded that Kochiae Fructus was produced in Jingzhou（Hubei province）， while modern literature records its distribution throughout the country， so it does not have obvious geoherbalism. The harvesting period of Kochiae Fructus is mostly in the late autumn， and the quality is best when it is full， gray green in color， and no impurities. There are two processing methods for its origin：from the Southern and Northern dynasties to the Ming dynasty， it was dried in the shade， and after the founding of the People's Republic of China， it was dried in the sun. There are few records about the processing of Kochiae Fructus， and its clinical application is mostly based on raw products as medicine. The seedlings are harvested in February of the lunar calendar， and the leaves are taken in April and May， processing in the place of origin is shade drying， the processing methods include burning ash and frying frost， pounding juice and wine soaking. For internal use， it is mostly decocted or mashed， while for external use， it is mostly washed with decoction or taken in a soup bath. Throughout history， it has been recorded that Kochiae Fructus is bitter and cold， and is mainly used for treating bladder fever. After the founding of the People's Republic of China， most of the literature classified it as damp-clearing medicine. Since the 1985 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia， it has been recorded that Kochiae Fructus has a pungent and bitter taste， and a cold nature. Returning to the kidney and bladder meridians with functions of clearing heat and dampness， dispelling wind and relieving itching. The clinical contraindications are mainly prohibited for those with deficiency and no dampness and heat. Throughout history， it has been recorded that the taste of the seedlings and leaves is bitter and cold for treatment of dysentery. Since modern times， it has been used to regulate the liver， spleen and large intestine meridians， with functions such as clearing heat and detoxifying， and diuresis. Based on the textual research， it is recommended to use the dried ripe fruit of K. scoparia when developing the famous classical formulas containing Kochiae Fructus， and processing shall be carried out according to the original processing requirements. If the original formula does not specify the processing requirements， the raw products is taken into medicine.

In this paper， by referring to ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Cnidii Fructus has been conducted to clarify the name， origin， distribution of production areas， quality specification， nature and flavour， efficacy， harvesting and processing， compatibility taboo and others， so as to provide reference and basis for the development and utilization of the relevant famous classical formulas. After textual research， it can be verified that Cnidii Fructus was first published in Sheng Nong's Herbal Classic， the materia medica of all dynasties was named Shechuangzi， and there are also aliases such as Shesu， Shemi， and Qiangmi. The main source for generations was the dried ripe fruit of Cnidium monnieri， and ancient and modern consistent. From the Eastern Han dynasty to Tang dynasty， the origin of Cnidii Fructus was Zibo， Shandong province. During the Five dynasties， it expanded to Yangzhou in Jiangsu province and Xiangyang in Hubei province， the Song dynasty added Shangqiu in Henan province， and it was considered that Yangzhou， Xiangyang and Shangqiu were its genuine producing areas. It was more widely distributed in Ming and Qing dynasties. After the founding of the People's Republic of China， the origin is clearly distributed throughout the country. For its quality evaluation， generally full grain， gray yellow color， strong aroma is the best. The harvesting period in the past dynasties was mostly the fifth lunar month， and the fruit was collected to remove impurities and dry. The mainstream processing in producing area of the past dynasties was net selection of raw products， mixing and steaming with the juice of Rehmanniae Radix and stir-frying were the mainstream processing methods in the past， there were also stir-frying with honey， stir-frying with salt and rice wine， immersing and steaming with rice wine and other methods. In recent times， it has been used in raw products as medicine. Sheng Nong's Herbal Classic recorded Cnidii Fructus was bitter， Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians recorded its acrid for the first time. It was recorded in the Ming dynasty that its nature was warm， acted on the kidney meridian， and had small toxicity. After the founding of the People's Republic of China， most of the literature classified it as a medicine to attack poison， kill insects and relieve itching with the functions of dispelling pathogenic wind and removing dampness， destroying parasites and elieving itching， warming kidney and activating Yang. Clinical contraindications are mainly contraindicated for people with damp-heat from the lower-jiao or kidney heat. Based on the textual research， it is suggested that when developing the famous classical formulas containing Cnidii Fructus， the source shall be the dried ripe fruit of C. monnieri， and then it shall be processed according to the original formulas. If there is no requirement for processing in the formulas， the raw products can be taken into medicine.

The phase changes and quantity-quality transfer of 17 batches of Ostreae Concha(Ostrea rivularis) during the raw material-calcined decoction pieces-standard decoction process were analyzed. The content of calcium carbonate(CaCO_3), the main component, was determined by chemical titration, and the extract yield and transfer rate were calculated. The CaCO_3 content in the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction was 94.39%-98.80%, 95.03%-99.22%, and 84.58%-90.47%, respectively. The process of raw material to calcined decoction pieces showed the yield range of 96.85% to 98.55% and the CaCO_3 transfer rate range of 96.92% to 99.27%. The process of calcined decoction pieces to standard decoction showed the extract yield range of 2.86% to 5.48% and the CaCO_3 transfer rate range of 2.59% to 5.13%. The results of X-ray fluorescence(XRF) assay showed that the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction mainly contained Ca, Na, Mg, Si, Br, Cl, Al, Fe, Cr, Mn, and K. The chemometric results showed an increase in the relative content of Cr, Fe, and Si from raw material to calcined decoction pieces and an increase in the relative content of Mg, Al, Br, K, Cl, and Na from calcined decoction pieces to standard decoction. X-ray diffraction(XRD) was employed to establish XRD characteristic patterns of the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction. The XRD results showed that the main phase of all three was calcite, and no transformation of crystalline form or generation of new phase was observed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) was employed to establish the FTIR characteristic spectra of the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction. The FTIR results showed that the raw material had internal vibrations of O-H, C-H, C=O, C-O, and CO■ groups. Due to the loss of organic matter components after calcination, no information about the vibrations of C-H, C=O, and C-O groups was observed in the spectra of calcined decoction pieces and standard decoction. In summary, this study elucidated the quantity-quality transfer and phase changes in the raw material-calcined decoction pieces-standard decoction process by determining the CaCO_3 content, calculating the extract yield and transfer rate, and comparing the element changes, FTIR characteristic spectra, and XRD characteristic pattern. The results were reasonable and reliable, laying a foundation for the subsequent process research and quality control of the formula granules of calcined Ostreae Concha(O. rivularis Gould), and providing ideas and methods for the quality control of the whole process of raw material-decoction pieces-standard decoction-formula granules of Ostreae Concha and other testacean traditional Chinese medicine.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Calcium Carbonate/analysis* ; Quality Control