ObjectiveTo analyze the changes in the degree of coordination of China's major epidemic prevention and control efforts before and after the outbreak of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), so as to explore the impact of epidemic prevention and control measures on coordination dynamics. MethodsA total of 3 864 policy documents related to epidemic prevention and control from January 2000 to December 2020 across 31 provinces (autonomous regions, and municipalities) in China were systematically collected. Contents specific to collaborative and cooperative efforts were extracted, and the extent of interdepartmental coordination were quantified to assess the effectiveness of epidemic prevention and control efforts. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was adopted to statistically analyze the differences between the indicators before and after the epidemic. ResultsThe average overall coordination level for major epidemic prevention and control in 31 provinces (autonomous regions, and municipalities) increased from 43.06% to 97.62%, and the average coordination levels in the eastern, central, and western China soared from 42.29%, 37.50%, and 47.46%, to 98.81%, 96.20%, and 97.46%, respectively, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). In terms of department categorization, coordination levels in the professional departments and the key support departments peaked at 100.00%, while other support departments rose to 95.43%, with an increase of 77.15%, 181.85%, and 139.89%, respectively, exhibiting noteworthy statistically significant differences (all P<0.001). ConclusionThe scope of coordination departments of China’s major epidemic prevention and control exists a remarkable surge following the COVID-19 outbreak, notable heightened coordination is particularly observed among the key support departments. Future endeavors should prioritize the roles played by diverse departments in epidemic prevention and control, enhancing both the clarity of departmental responsibilities and the effectiveness of interdepartmental coordination.

ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the public health governance capacity of 40 cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui Provinces, providing a scientific evaluation basis for building a "Healthy Yangtze River Delta". MethodsA comprehensive collection of policy documents, public information reports, and research literature related to public health governance capacity in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui Provinces was conducted, totaling 6 920 policy documents, 1 720 information reports, and 1 200 literature pieces. Based on the evaluation standards for an appropriate public health system established by the research team, the basic status of public health governance capacity was assessed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the 40 cities. ResultsIn 2022, the public health governance capacity score for the 40 cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui Provinces was (562.5±38.0) points. In terms of specific areas, the emergency response field received the highest score of (791.4±49.7) points, while the chronic disease prevention and control field received the lowest score of (368.2±29.6) points. The Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Anhui region has largely achieved the strategic priority of health, gradually improved public health legal regulations, and established a basic organizational framework with a solid foundation for information and data infrastructure. However, challenges still need to be addressed, such as unstable government funding for public health, unclear departmental responsibilities, and barriers to information interoperability. ConclusionThe public health governance capacity of the 40 cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui Province has been at a moderate level, but disparities have still existed across regions and fields. In the future, while continuing to deepen existing advantages, it is essential to accurately identify the causes of problems, establish a long-term and stable investment mechanism, enhance information connectivity mechanisms, further clarify departmental responsibilities, and promote the achievement of the "Healthy Yangtze River Delta" goal.

ObjectiveThe U6 promoter is an essential element for driving sgRNA expression in the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat sequences/CRISPR-associated protein 9（CRISPR/Cas9）gene editing system in dicotyledonous plants. Endogenous U6 promoters typically exhibit higher transcriptional activity， which can significantly improve gene editing efficiency. This study aims to identify endogenous U6 promoters in Artemisia annua to optimize its CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system， which holds significant importance for its molecular breeding. MethodsOn the basis of the highly conserved U6 snRNA sequences in Arabidopsis thaliana， endogenous U6 promoters were screened in the A. annua genome. Expression vectors were constructed with candidate AaU6 promoter driving the firefly luciferase （LUC） reporter gene， and then transiently transformed into Nicotiana benthamiana. Transcriptional activities of the promoters were measured and compared by in vivo imaging and the Dual Luciferase Reporter assay. ResultsEight endogenous U6 promoters were successfully cloned from A. annua. Sequences alignment revealed that all these promoters contained the two conserved cis-acting elements， upstream sequence element （USE） and TATA-box， which affected their transcriptional activity. Dual-luciferase activity assays indicated that the transcriptional activities of AaU6-3， AaU6-1， and AaU6-5 were significantly higher than that of the Arabidopsis AtU6-26 promoter， with AaU6-3 exhibiting the highest activity. ConclusionThis study identified three endogenous AaU6 promoters with high transcriptional activity in A. annua， providing key functional elements for establishing an efficient gene editing system in A. annua. These findings will contribute to advancing precision molecular breeding and high-quality germplasm innovation in A. annua.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the early effectiveness of navigation-free robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) compared to traditional TKA in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis combined with extra-articular deformities. METHODS: The clinical data of 30 patients with knee osteoarthritis combined with extra-articular deformities who met the selection criteria between June 2019 and January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Fifteen patients underwent CORI navigation-free robot-assisted TKA and intra-articular osteotomy (robot group) and 15 patients underwent traditional TKA and intra-articular osteotomy (traditional group). There was no significant difference in age, gender, body mass index, affected knee side, extra-articular deformity angle, deformity position, deformity type, and preoperative knee range of motion, American Knee Society (KSS) knee score and KSS function score, and lower limb alignment deviation between the two groups ( P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and complications of the two groups were recorded and compared. The knee range of motion and lower limb alignment deviation were recorded before operation and at 6 months after operation, and the knee joint function was evaluated by KSS knee score and function score. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in operation time between the two groups ( P>0.05); the intraoperative blood loss in the robot group was significantly less than that in the traditional group ( P<0.05). Patients in both groups were followed up 6-12 months, with an average of 8.7 months. The incisions of all patients healed well, and there was no postoperative complication such as thrombosis or infection. At 6 months after operation, X-ray examination showed that the position of the prosthesis was good in both groups, and there was no loosening or dislocation of the prosthesis. The knee joint range of motion, the lower limb alignment deviation, and the KSS knee score and KSS function score significantly improved in both groups ( P<0.05) compared to preoperative ones. The changes of lower limb alignment deviation and KSS function score between pre- and post-operation in the robot group were significantly better than those in the traditional group ( P<0.05), while the changes of other indicators between pre- and post-operation in the two groups were not significant ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION Compared to traditional TKA, navigation-free robot-assisted TKA for knee osteoarthritis with extra-articular deformities results in less intraoperative blood loss, more precise reconstruction of lower limb alignment, and better early effectiveness. However, long-term effectiveness require further investigation.
Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/methods* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery* ; Robotic Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Osteotomy/methods* ; Knee Joint/physiopathology* ; Operative Time

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effectiveness of single three-dimensional (3D)-printed microporous titanium prostheses and flap combined prostheses implantation in the treatment of large segmental infectious bone defects in limbs. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 76 patients with large segmental infectious bone defects in limbs who were treated between January 2019 and February 2024 and met the selection criteria. Among them, 51 were male and 25 were female, with an age of (47.7±9.4) years. Of the 76 patients, 51 had no soft tissue defects (single prostheses group), while 25 had associated soft tissue defects (flap combined group). The single prostheses group included 28 cases of tibial bone defects, 11 cases of femoral defects, 5 cases of humeral defects, 4 cases of radial bone defects, and 3 cases of metacarpal, or carpal bone defects, with bone defect length ranging from 3.5 to 28.0 cm. The flap combined group included 3 cases of extensive dorsum of foot soft tissue defects combined with large segmental metatarsal bone defects, 19 cases of lower leg soft tissue defects combined with large segmental tibial bone defects, and 3 cases of hand and forearm soft tissue defects combined with metacarpal, carpal, or radial bone defects, with bone defect length ranging from 3.8 to 32.0 cm and soft tissue defect areas ranging from 8 cm×5 cm to 33 cm×10 cm. In the first stage, vancomycin-loaded bone cement was used to control infection, and flap repair was performed in the flap combined group. In the second stage, 3D-printed microporous titanium prostheses were implanted. Postoperative assessments were performed to evaluate infection control and bone integration, and pain release was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) score. RESULTS: All patients were followed up postoperatively, with an average follow-up time of (35.2±13.4) months. In the 61 lower limb injury patients, the time of standing, walk with crutches, and fully bear weight were (2.2±0.6), (3.9±1.1), and (5.4±1.1) months, respectively. The VAS score at 1 year postoperatively was significantly lower than preoperative one ( t=-10.678, P<0.001). At 1 year postoperatively, 69 patients (90.8%) showed no complication such as infection, fracture, prosthesis displacement, or breakage, and X-ray films indicated good integration at the prosthesis-bone interface. According to the Paley scoring system for the healing of infectious bone defects, the results were excellent in 37 cases, good in 29 cases, fair in 3 cases, and poor in 7 cases. In the single prostheses group, during the follow-up, there was 1 case each of femoral prostheses fracture, femoral infection, and tibial infection, with a treatment success rate of 94.1% (48/51). In lower limb injury patients, the time of fully bear weight was (5.0±1.0) months. In the flap combined group, during the follow-up, 1 case of tibial fixation prostheses screw fracture occurred, along with 2 cases of recurrent foot infection in diabetic patients and 1 case of tibial infection. The treatment success rate was 84.0% (21/25). The time of fully bear weight in lower limb injury patients was (5.8±1.2) months. The overall infection eradication rate for all patients was 93.4% (71/76). CONCLUSION The use of 3D-printed microporous titanium prostheses, either alone or in combination with flaps, for the treatment of large segmental infectious bone defects in the limbs results in good effectiveness with a low incidence of complications. It is a feasible strategy for the reconstruction of infectious bone defects.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Titanium ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Flaps ; Adult ; Prosthesis Implantation/methods* ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Prostheses and Implants ; Bone Diseases, Infectious/surgery* ; Extremities/surgery* ; Prosthesis Design

The adulteration and counterfeiting of herbal ingredients in medicinal and food homology (MFH) have a serious impact on the quality of herbal materials, thereby endangering human health. Compared to pharmaceutical drugs, health products derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are more easily accessible and closely integrated into consumers' daily life. However, the authentication of the authenticity of TCM ingredients in MFH has not received sufficient attention. The lack of clear standards emphasizes the necessity of conducting systematic research in this area. This study utilized DNA barcoding technology, combining ITS2, psbA-trnH, matK as universal barcode sequences, and DX, HH, JYH as specific barcode sequences, to identify the authenticity of commercial medicinal and food homology scented herbal teas. The aim was to investigate the authenticity of scented herbal tea products circulating in the market. The research results revealed that among 180 scented herbal tea samples, DNA barcodes were successfully obtained from 164 samples, while the remaining samples either lacked the target components or suffered severe DNA degradation, resulting in failed amplification. Combined with morphological identification studies, it was found that out of the 180 samples, 141 were authentic, accounting for 78.33% of the total samples, while 31 samples showed adulteration and 8 samples lacked the target components, accounting for 21.67% of the total samples. Additionally, water testing revealed that 5 samples of Carthamus tinctorius herbal tea exhibited the phenomenon of weight adulteration. This study exposed the presence of adulteration and weight adulteration in scented herbal tea products, highlighting the need for regulatory authorities to expedite the establishment of quality standards in scented herbal tea industry. These findings provide valuable insights for the rapid development of the scented herbal tea industry.

Objective We aimed to observe the effect of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)-based"tertiary hospital-community integrated"treatment program in patients with diabetic kidney disease.Methods A total of 126 patients from the Jiangtai and Cuigezhuang Communities in Chaoyang District were randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group(n=63 patients per group).In the experimental group,the"tertiary hospital-community integrated"treatment program was implemented(including TCM differentiated health preservation,chronic disease management,comprehensive diagnosis and treatment program of integrated Chinese and Western medicine),while in the control group,the existing chronic disease diagnosis,treatment,and management program in the community was implemented(including chronic disease management with regular follow-ups,diagnosis and treatment program of Western medicine).The observation period was 6 months,with 3 months as a course of treatment.The 24 h urine total protein level(24 hUTP),the serum level of creatinine(Scr),and the estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)were compared between the two groups,as well as the effective rates of 24 hUTP,Scr,and eGFR,the rate of achieving standard glucose levels and normal lipid metabolism,including low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C),triglyceride(TG),and glycosylated hemoglobin(GHB),the level of patients'self-management,and the medical service in utilization.Results There were 120 patients included for analysis(60 in the experimental group and 60 in the control group).The difference in 24 hUTP was significantly different(P＜0.05),while Scr and eGFR were not statistically different between the experimental and control groups after 3 months of treatment.The differences in 24 hUTP,Scr,and eGFR were statistically significant after 6 months(P＜0.05).After 6 months of treatment in both groups,the effective rates of 24 hUTP,Scr,and eGFR were higher in the experimental group than in the control group(78.3％,48.3％,and 50.0％in the experimental group and 35.0％,18.3％,and 15.0％in the control group,respectively)(P＜0.05);after 6 months,the LDL-C,TG,and GHB qualified rates were higher in the experimental group than in the control group(75.0％,83.3％,and 71.7％in the experimental group and 56.7％,63.3％,and 46.7％in the control group,respectively;P＜0.05);comparing the self-management levels of the two groups after 3 and 6 months of treatment,the total self-management score and the total self-efficacy score were both higher in the experimental group than in the control group(P＜0.05);comparing the time of hospitalization and hospitalization costs of the two groups 6 months after enrollment,the time of hospitalization and hospitalization costs were lower in the experimental group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The"tertiary hospital-community integrated"TCM-based treatment program improves renal function,glucose and lipid metabolism,and patients'self-management;it can reduce the economic burden of families,save medical resources,and improve the utilization of medical services.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal enema combined with fumigation as adjunctive therapy for non-dialysis chronic kidney disease （CKD） patients of stage 3-5 with spleen-kidney yang deficiency and turbid toxin blood stasis pattern. MethodsA total of 120 non-dialysis CKD，patients of stage 3-5 with spleen-kidney yang deficiency and turbid toxin blood stasis pattern were randomly divided into treatment group and control group， with 60 cases in each group. The control group received conventional western medical treatment， while the treatment group additionally received Chinese herbal enema combined with fumigation， with enema and fumigation performed alternately， once every other day， three times a week. The treatment course for both groups was 4 weeks. The levels of serum creatinine （Scr）， estimated glomerular filtration rate （eGFR）， and the total score of traditional Chinese medicine symptoms were compared before and after treatment in both groups. The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine symptoms and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups after treatment. Adverse reactions in both groups were observed during the treatment period. ResultsThe total score of traditional Chinese medicine symptoms was significantly reduced after treatment in both groups （P＜0.01）. Compared to the control group after treatment， the treatment group showed significant decreases in Scr and the total score of traditional Chinese medicine symptoms， and a significant increase in eGFR （P＜0.05）. The total effective rate of traditional Chinese medicine symptoms in the treatment group （96.67%） was higher than that in the control group （46.67%， P＜0.01）， as well as the total effective rate of clinical efficacy in the treatment group （75.00%） versus that in the control group （28.33%， P＜0.01）. During the treatment period， the vital signs of patients in both groups remained stable， and there were no significant abnormalities in blood routine， urine routine， stool routine， liver function indicators， and electrocardiogram after treatment. ConclusionChinese herbal enema combined with fumigation as adjunctive therapy can significantly alleviate clinical symptoms， improve renal function， and demonstrate good safety for non-dialysis CKD patients of stage 3-5 with spleen-kidney yang deficiency and turbid toxin blood stasis pattern.

BACKGROUND:As a member of bone morphogenetic proteins,growth differentiation factor-5 shows promising potential in the application of cartilage and bone repair.The affinity of growth differentiation factor-5 onto bone tissue determines protein use efficiency,so it is of great significance to prepare growth differentiation factor-5 with bone targeting capability. OBJECTIVE:To modify growth differentiation factor-5 using bisphosphonates and investigate the effects of modified protein on the growth of preosteoblasts in mice. METHODS:Pamidronate disodium/growth differentiation factor-5 complex was prepared using chemical crosslinking to couple growth differentiation factor-5 with pamidronate disodium.The functional groups and structures of the complex were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and circular dichromatography.To determine the bone targeting in vitro,the binding of the modified growth differentiation factor-5 with calcium phosphate and in vitro release amount of growth differentiation factor-5 were measured with an ELISA kit.Growth differentiation factor-5(control group)and the pamidronate disodium/growth differentiation factor-5 complex(experimental group)were co-cultured with preosteoblasts MC3T3-E1.Individually cultured cells were blank controls.The effect of the complex on cell proliferation and differentiation was evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The infrared spectroscopy and circular dichromatography results indicated that the bisphosphonate/growth differentiation factor-5 complex was successfully prepared without significant changes in the protein secondary structure.In vitro protein adsorption results showed that growth differentiation factor-5 adsorption on calcium phosphate was increased by about one time after coupling with a bisphosphonate.In the presence of cysteine,growth differentiation factor-5 could be released from the bisphosphonate/growth differentiation factor-5 complex.(2)CCK-8 assay results showed that the absorbance value of the experimental group cultured for 4 and 7 days was higher than that of the control group and blank control group(P<0.000 1).After 7 days of culture,the expression of alkaline phosphatase in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group and blank control group(P<0.000 1).After 13 days of culture,the content of calcium nodules in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group and the blank control group(P<0.000 1).The results of qRT-PCR showed that the mRNA expression of alkaline phosphatase,osteocalcin and Runx2 in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group and the blank control group after 7 days of culture(P<0.01,P<0.001,P<0.000 1).(3)These findings exhibit that bisphosphonate modification can enhance the binding capacity of growth differentiation factor-5 to calcium phosphate as well as improve its biological activity.

BACKGROUND:Interspinous distraction fusion device BacFuse was used for the management of lumbar degenerative disease and obtained good clinical efficacy in recent years.However,the related biomechanical study was lacking. OBJECTIVE:To explore the related biomechanical characteristics of BacFuse,a novel interspinous distraction fusion device,which was used in lumbar degenerative disease. METHODS:After constructing the goat spinal models(L1-L6),they were grouped into four groups based on different simulated surgeries:the control group,the BacFuse group(L3/4),the screw-rod fixation group(L3/4)and the Topping-off group(L3/4 screw-rod fixation + L2/3 BacFuse fixation).The goat lumbar spine surgical model was assembled into a biomechanical testing system.A biomechanical machine was used for mechanical loading,simulating lumbar spine movement of flexion,extension,lateral flexion and rotation with a 4 Nm moment.A visual tracking system was used for positioning and capturing.Finally,mechanical and optical calibration was completed to calculate the range of motion of the L2/3,L3/4 and L4/5 segments. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,the range of motion of the L3/4 segment in the BacFuse group decreased 27.27%,70%,38.1%and 23.08%in the flexion,extension,lateral bending and rotation directions,respectively(P<0.05).The range of motion of L3/4 segment in the screw-rod fixation group decreased 72.73%,80%,71.43%and 73.08%in the flexion,extension,lateral bending and rotation directions,respectively(P<0.05).(2)Compared with the control group,the range of motion of the adjacent segment L2/3 increased by 33.33%,25%and 23.81%in the extension,lateral bending and rotation directions,respectively in the BacFuse group(P<0.05),with no significant change in flexion.In the screw-rod fixation group,there was a 50%,44.44%,50%and 58.96%increase in the adjacent segment L2/3 in the flexion,extension,lateral calibration and rotation directions,respectively(P<0.05).(3)Compared with the control group,the BacFuse group showed an increase in range of motion in proximal segment L4/5 in the extension and rotation directions by 27.3%and 17.39%(P<0.05)respectively,with no significant change in flexion or lateral bending.In the screw-rob fixation group,the proximal segment L4/5 demonstrated 38.89%,22.73%and 26.09%(P<0.05)increases in range of motion in the flexion,extension and rotation directions,respectively,with no significant change in lateral bending.(4)In the Topping-off group,the range of motion of L2/3 was reduced by 37.04%,73.08%,56.67%and 38.46%in flexion,extension,lateral flexion and rotation,respectively,compared to the screw-rob fixation group(P<0.05).Compared with the screw-rob fixation group,the Topping-off group showed a 20%reduction in the range of motion of the L4/5 in the flexion direction(P<0.05),with no significant differences seen in extension,lateral bending and rotation.(5)It is concluded that the interspinous distraction fusion device BacFuse significantly reduces the range of motion of the implanted segment and provides some stability.It still retains more mobility and reduces the impact on the adjacent segment compared to screw-rob fixation,while the Topping-off tip,which can be used for intervertebral fusion fixation,significantly reduces the range of motion of the adjacent segment and reduces the risk of adjacent segment degeneration.