This study aims to explore the impact of host plants on the quality of Taxilli Herba and provide a theoretical basis for the quality control of Taxilli Herba. The components of Taxilli Herba from three different host plants(Morus alba, Salix babylonica, and Cinnamomum cassia) and its 3 hosts(mulberry branch, willow branch, and cinnamon branch) were detected by widely targeted metabolomics based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS). Principal component analysis(PCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), and Venn diagram were employed for analysis. A total of 717 metabolites were detected in Taxilli Herba from the three host plants and the branches of these host plants by UPLC-MS/MS. The results of PCA and OPLS-DA of Taxilli Herba from the three different host plants showed an obvious separation trend due to the different effects of host plants. The Venn diagram showed that there were 32, 8, and 26 characteristic metabolites in samples of Taxilli Herba from M. alba host, S. babylonica host, and C. cassia host, respectively. It was found by comparing the characteristic metabolites of Taxilli Herba and its hosts that each host transmits its characteristic components to Taxilli Herba, so that the Taxilli Herba contains the characteristic components of the host. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway analysis showed that the differential metabolites of Taxilli Herba from the three hosts were mainly enriched in flavonoid biosynthesis, arginine and proline metabolism, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. Furthermore, the differential metabolites enriching pathways of Taxilli Herba from the three hosts were different depending on the host. In a word, host plants have a significant impact on the metabolites of Taxilli Herba, and it may be an important factor for the quality of Taxilli Herba.
Metabolomics/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Quality Control ; Salix/chemistry* ; Cinnamomum aromaticum/metabolism* ; Principal Component Analysis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect and safety of Chinese medicine (CM) Fuzheng Huazhuo Decoction (FHD) in treating patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who persistently tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Shanghai New International Expo Center shelter hospital in China between April 1 and May 30, 2022. Patients diagnosed as COVID-19 with persistently positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results for ⩾8 days after diagnosis were enrolled. Patients in the control group received conventional Western medicine (WM) treatment, while those in the FHD group received conventional WM plus FHD for at least 3 days. The primary outcome was viral clearance time. Secondary outcomes included negative conversion rate within 14 days, length of hospital stay, cycle threshold (Ct) values of the open reading frame 1ab (ORF1ab) and nucleocapsid protein (N) genes, and incidence of new-onset symptoms during hospitalization. Adverse events (AEs) that occurred during the study period were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 1,765 eligible patients were enrolled in this study (546 in the FHD group and 1,219 in the control group). Compared with the control group, patients receiving FHD treatment showed shorter viral clearance time for nucleic acids [hazard ratio (HR): 1.500, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.353-1.664, P<0.001] and hospital stays (HR: 1.371, 95% CI: 1.238-1.519, P<0.001), and a higher negative conversion rate within 14 days (96.2% vs. 82.6%, P<0.001). The incidence of new-onset symptoms was 59.5% in the FHD group, similar to 57.8% in the control group (P>0.05). The Ct values of ORF1ab and N genes increased more rapidly over time in the FHD group than those in the control group post-randomization (ORF1ab gene: β =0.436±0.053, P<0.001; N gene: β =0.415 ±0.053, P<0.001). The incidence of AEs in the FHD group was lower than that in the control group (24.2% vs. 35.4%, P<0.001). No serious AEs were observed. CONCLUSION FHD was effective and safe for patients with persistently positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests. (Registration No. ChiCTR2200063956).
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; SARS-CoV-2/drug effects* ; COVID-19/virology* ; Adult ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome

Hydrogel is a kind of material with high water content,good biocompatibility and extracellular matrix-like property,among which polypyrrole(PPy)conductive hydrogels have both physical characteristics and excellent conductivity of hydrogels themselves.Its conductivity can be used to detect electrical signals generated in biological systems and provide electrical stimulation to regulate the activities and functions of cells and tissues.These characteristics make it widely used in the biomedical field.The recent progress of PPy conductive hydrogels in biomedical field was reviewed in this paper.In terms of classification,according to the cross-linking mechanism of PPy and hydrogel matrix,the non-covalent cross-linked PPy conductive hydrogels and covalent cross-linked PPy conductive hydrogels were divided.The applications of PPy conductive hydrogels in the biomedical field(Skin damage repair,nerve repair,myocardial repair and flexible sensing,etc.)were mainly introduced,and the development trend and challenges of PPy conductive hydrogels in the biomedical field were discussed.

Objective:To explore the plasma metabolomic characteristics of children with transfusion-dependent thalassemia(TDT),and reveal the changes of metabolic pattern in children with TDT.Methods:23 children with TDT who received regular blood transfusion in Ganzhou Women and Children's Health Care Hospital in 2021 were selected,and 11 healthy children who underwent physical examination during the same period were selected as the control group.The routine indexes between children with TDT and the control group were compared,and then the metabolic composition of plasma samples from children with TDT and the control group was detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.An OPLS-DA model was established to perform differential analysis on the detected metabolites,and the differential metabolic pathways between the two groups were analyzed based on the differential metabolites.Results:The results of routine testing showed that the indexes of ferritin,bilirubin,total bile acid,glucose and triglycerides in children with TDT were significantly higher than those in healthy controls,while hemoglobin and total cholesterol were significantly lower(all P＜0.05).However there was no significant difference in lactate dehydrogenase between the two groups(P＞0.05).Compared with the control group,190 differential metabolites(VIP＞1)were identified in TDT children.Among them,168 compounds such as arginine,proline and glycocholic acid were significantly increased,while the other 22 compounds such as myristic acid,eleostearic acid,palmitic acid and linoleic acid were significantly decreased.The metabolic pathway analysis showed that the metabolic impact of TDT on children mainly focused on the upregulation of amino acid metabolism and downregulation of lipid metabolism.Conclusion:The amino acid and lipid metabolism in children with TDT were significantly changed compared with the healthy control group.This finding is helpful to optimize the treatment choice for children with TDT,and provides a new idea for clinical treatment.

Background: Diabetes-induced cardiac fibrosis is one of the main mechanisms of diabetic cardiomyopathy. As a common histone methyltransferase, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has been implicated in fibrosis progression in multiple organs. However, the mechanism of EZH2 in diabetic myocardial fibrosis has not been clarified. Methods: In the current study, rat and mouse diabetic model were established, the left ventricular function of rat and mouse were evaluated by echocardiography and the fibrosis of rat ventricle was evaluated by Masson staining. Primary rat ventricular fibroblasts were cultured and stimulated with high glucose (HG) in vitro. The expression of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) trimethylation, EZH2, and myocardial fibrosis proteins were assayed. Results: In STZ-induced diabetic ventricular tissues and HG-induced primary ventricular fibroblasts in vitro, H3K27 trimethylation was increased and the phosphorylation of EZH2 was reduced. Inhibition of EZH2 with GSK126 suppressed the activation, differentiation, and migration of cardiac fibroblasts as well as the overexpression of the fibrotic proteins induced by HG. Mechanical study demonstrated that HG reduced phosphorylation of EZH2 on Thr311 by inactivating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which transcriptionally inhibited peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) expression to promote the fibroblasts activation and differentiation. Conclusion Our data revealed an AMPK/EZH2/PPAR-γ signal pathway is involved in HG-induced cardiac fibrosis.

Purpose: Higher neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLRs) indicate a pro-inflammatory state and are associated with poor survival. Conversely, higher albumin-globulin ratio (AGRs) may be associated with improved prognosis. We aimed to investigate the association between NLR and AGR and prognosis and survival in patients with breast cancer. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients with stage I–III breast cancer between 2011 and 2017 in Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Center Singapore.Multivariate logistic regression analysis of NLR, AGR, age, stage, grade, and subtype was performed. Survival data between groups were compared using Cox regression analysis and log-rank tests. Results: A total of 1,188 patients were included, of whom 323 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and 865 underwent upfront surgery. In patients who underwent NACT, a higher AGR was significantly associated with a higher pCR rate (cut-off > 1.28; odds ratio [OR], 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–3.74; p = 0.020), better DFS (cut off > 1.55; hazard ratio [HR], 0.37; 95% CI, 0.16–0.85; p = 0.019), and better CSS (cut off > 1.46; HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.17–0.92; p = 0.031). Higher NLR was significantly associated with worse DFS (cut off > 4.09; HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.07–2.91; p = 0.026) and worse CSS (cut off > 4.09; HR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.11–3.53; p = 0.021). In patients who underwent upfront surgery, higher AGR correlated with significantly better OS (cut off > 1.17; HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.36–0.82; p = 0.004) and higher NLR correlated with worse OS (cut off > 2.38; HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.09–2.44; p = 0.018). Conclusion NLR and AGR are useful in predicting the response to NACT as well as prognosis of patients with breast cancer. Further studies are needed to explore their value in clinical decision making.

Objective: To understand the current situation of vaccination services for adults in China, explore how to establish a stable and efficient vaccination service system for adults, and provide reference for formulating corresponding policies. Methods: The vaccination information systems of nine provinces in China were used to obtain information on urban and rural vaccination of influenza vaccine, 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23), and human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) from 2019 to 2021. The indicator, vaccination rate/full vaccination rate, was used for statistical description. Results: The vaccination rate/full vaccination rate of the three vaccines in eastern China was generally higher than that in central and western China. The vaccination rate/full vaccination rate in urban areas was generally higher than that in rural areas. From 2019 to 2021, the vaccination rates of influenza vaccine among people aged 60 years and above in urban and rural areas were 2.96%, 6.29%, 6.14% and 1.29%, 2.58%, 2.94%, respectively. The vaccination rates of the PPV23 among people aged 60 years and above in urban and rural areas increased year by year, with rates of 0.38%, 1.05%, 1.15% and 0.14%, 0.49%, 0.59%, respectively. From 2019 to 2021, the HPV coverage of female adults aged 27-45 years in urban and rural areas increased year by year, with rates of 0.46%, 0.93%, 1.88% and 0.17%, 0.40%, 1.08%, respectively. Conclusion: The vaccination rates of influenza vaccine,PPV23 vaccine and HPV vaccine for adults in China are relatively low, with higher rates in the eastern region than in the central and western regions, and higher rates in urban areas than in rural areas. It is recommended to formulate corresponding health and economic policies and explore a suitable vaccination service system for adults in China to improve vaccination rates.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Influenza Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Papillomavirus Infections ; Vaccination ; China ; Papillomavirus Vaccines/therapeutic use*

Objective: To understand the current situation of vaccination services for adults in China, explore how to establish a stable and efficient vaccination service system for adults, and provide reference for formulating corresponding policies. Methods: The vaccination information systems of nine provinces in China were used to obtain information on urban and rural vaccination of influenza vaccine, 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23), and human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) from 2019 to 2021. The indicator, vaccination rate/full vaccination rate, was used for statistical description. Results: The vaccination rate/full vaccination rate of the three vaccines in eastern China was generally higher than that in central and western China. The vaccination rate/full vaccination rate in urban areas was generally higher than that in rural areas. From 2019 to 2021, the vaccination rates of influenza vaccine among people aged 60 years and above in urban and rural areas were 2.96%, 6.29%, 6.14% and 1.29%, 2.58%, 2.94%, respectively. The vaccination rates of the PPV23 among people aged 60 years and above in urban and rural areas increased year by year, with rates of 0.38%, 1.05%, 1.15% and 0.14%, 0.49%, 0.59%, respectively. From 2019 to 2021, the HPV coverage of female adults aged 27-45 years in urban and rural areas increased year by year, with rates of 0.46%, 0.93%, 1.88% and 0.17%, 0.40%, 1.08%, respectively. Conclusion: The vaccination rates of influenza vaccine,PPV23 vaccine and HPV vaccine for adults in China are relatively low, with higher rates in the eastern region than in the central and western regions, and higher rates in urban areas than in rural areas. It is recommended to formulate corresponding health and economic policies and explore a suitable vaccination service system for adults in China to improve vaccination rates.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Influenza Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; Papillomavirus Infections ; Vaccination ; China ; Papillomavirus Vaccines/therapeutic use*

ObjectiveArtificial intelligence （AI） full smear automated diatom detection technology can perform forensic pathology drowning diatom detection more quickly and efficiently than human experts.However， this technique was only used in conjunction with the strong acid digestion method， which has a low extraction rate of diatoms. In this study， we propose to use the more efficient proteinase K tissue digestion method （hereinafter referred to as enzyme digestion method） as a diatom extraction method to investigate the generalization ability and feasibility of this technique in other diatom extraction methods. MethodsLung tissues from 6 drowned cadavers were collected for proteinase K ablation and made into smears， and the smears were digitized using the digital image matrix cutting method and a diatom and background database was established accordingly.The data set was divided into training set， validation set and test set in the ratio of 3：1：1， and the convolutional neural network （CNN） models were trained， internally validated， and externally tested on the basis of ImageNet pre-training. ResultsThe results showed that the accuracy rate of the external test of the best model was 97.65 %， and the area where the model features were extracted was the area where the diatoms were located. The best CNN model in practice had a precision of more than 80 % for diatom detection of drowned corpses. ConclusionIt is shown that the AI automated diatom detection technique based on CNN model and enzymatic digestion method in combination can efficiently identify diatoms and can be used as an auxiliary method for diatom detection in drowning identification.

Objective: To study the incidence of bloodstream infections, pathogen distribution, and antibiotic resistance profile in patients with hematological malignancies. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2021, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics, pathogen distribution, and antibiotic resistance profiles of patients with malignant hematological diseases and bloodstream infections in the Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University. Results: A total of 582 incidences of bloodstream infections occurred in 22,717 inpatients. From 2018 to 2021, the incidence rates of bloodstream infections were 2.79%, 2.99%, 2.79%, and 2.02%, respectively. Five hundred ninety-nine types of bacteria were recovered from blood cultures, with 487 (81.3%) gram-negative bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Eighty-one (13.5%) were gram-positive bacteria, primarily Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterococcus faecium, whereas the remaining 31 (5.2%) were fungi. Enterobacteriaceae resistance to carbapenems, piperacillin/tazobactam, cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam, and tigecycline were 11.0%, 15.3%, 15.4%, and 3.3%, with a descending trend year on year. Non-fermenters tolerated piperacillin/tazobactam, cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam, and quinolones at 29.6%, 13.3%, and 21.7%, respectively. However, only two gram-positive bacteria isolates were shown to be resistant to glycopeptide antibiotics. Conclusions: Bloodstream pathogens in hematological malignancies were broadly dispersed, most of which were gram-negative bacteria. Antibiotic resistance rates vary greatly between species. Our research serves as a valuable resource for the selection of empirical antibiotics.
Humans ; Bacteremia/epidemiology* ; Cefoperazone ; Sulbactam ; Retrospective Studies ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Sepsis ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Piperacillin, Tazobactam Drug Combination ; Escherichia coli