BACKGROUND:Overactive osteoclasts disrupt bone homeostasis and play a bad role in the pathological mechanisms of related skeletal diseases,such as osteoporosis,fragility fractures,and osteoarthritis.Studies have confirmed that ellagic acid and ellagtannin have the potential to inhibit osteoclast differentiation.As their natural metabolites,urolithin A has antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,anti-proliferative and anti-cancer effects,but its effect on osteoclast differentiation and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of urolithin A on osteoclast differentiation induced by receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand and its mechanism. METHODS:Mouse mononuclear macrophage leukemia cells(RAW264.7)that grew stably were cultured in vitro.Toxicity of urolithin A(0,0.1,0.5,1.5,2.5 μmol/L)to RAW264.7 cells were detected by cytotoxic MTS assay to screen out the safe concentration.Different concentrations of urolithin A were used again to intervene with receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand-induced differentiation of RAW264.7 cells in vitro.Then,tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining and F-actin ring and nucleus staining were performed to observe its effect on the formation and function of osteoclasts.Finally,the expressions of urolithin A on upstream and downstream genes and proteins in the MAPK signaling pathway were observed by western blot and RT-qPCR assays. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Urolithin A inhibited osteoclast differentiation and F-actin ring formation in a concentration-dependent manner and 2.5 μmol/L had the strongest inhibitory effect.Urolithin A inhibited the mRNA expression of Nfatc1,Ctsk,Mmp9 and Atp6v0d2 and the protein synthesis of Nfatc1 and Ctsk,related to osteoclast formation and bone resorption.Urolithin A inhibited the activity of osteoclasts by downregulating the phosphorylation of p38 protein to inhibit the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the current status of vocational training for pediatric clinical research coordinators (CRC), and discuss the construction of base-based pediatric CRC training, and to promote the ability of pediatric CRCs.Methods:From July 25 to October 16, 2023, an anonymous self-designed questionnaire survey was conducted through the Wenjuanxing platform to investigate the current situation of pediatric CRC vocational training and base training needs. The data were collated using Excel. Categorical data were described as numbers and percentages.Results:A total of 328 usable questionnaires were returned. Only 7.62% (25 people) believed that existing CRC training was sufficient and could meet actual work needs; 4.88% (16 people) responded that there was no training; 46.34% (152 people) believed that the training was insufficient to support actual work needs; 87.50% (287 people) believed that continuous CRC training was needed; 46.95% (154 people) preferred experienced CRCs for teaching, who should have at least 3 years of CRC work experience; and 46.95% (154 people) preferred a duration of 3 months for CRC training. The preferred training methods were: practice under the direction of experienced CRCs (90.85%, 298 people), step-by-step teaching of practical skills (88.41%, 290 people), case analysis and discussion (87.20%, 286 people), process simulation (83.23%, 273 people), and lecture-based teaching (76.52%, 251 people). The preferred post-training assessment methods were: case analysis (76.52%, 251 people), operation simulation (74.09%, 243 people), process simulation (73.17%, 240 people), written examination (66.16%, 217 people), and interview (63.72%, 209 people).Conclusions:The current pediatric CRC training is not enough to meet actual work needs. It is urgent to develop and promote a CRC training system that can meet work needs, laying the foundation for the construction of pediatric clinical research ecology in China.

Background::We previously reported that activation of the cell cycle in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) enhances their remuscularization capacity after human cardiac muscle patch transplantation in infarcted mouse hearts. Herein, we sought to identify the effect of magnesium lithospermate B (MLB) on hiPSC-CMs during myocardial repair using a myocardial infarction (MI) mouse model.Methods::In C57BL/6 mice, MI was surgically induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. The mice were randomly divided into five groups ( n = 10 per group); a MI group (treated with phosphate-buffered saline only), a hiPSC-CMs group, a MLB group, a hiPSC-CMs + MLB group, and a Sham operation group. Cardiac function and MLB therapeutic efficacy were evaluated by echocardiography and histochemical staining 4 weeks after surgery. To identify the associated mechanism, nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1) signals, cell adhesion ability, generation of reactive oxygen species, and rates of apoptosis were detected in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and hiPSC-CMs. Results::After 4 weeks of transplantation, the number of cells that engrafted in the hiPSC-CMs + MLB group was about five times higher than those in the hiPSC-CMs group. Additionally, MLB treatment significantly reduced tohoku hospital pediatrics-1 (THP-1) cell adhesion, ICAM1 expression, NF-κB nuclear translocation, reactive oxygen species production, NF-κB p65 phosphorylation, and cell apoptosis in HUVECs cultured under hypoxia. Similarly, treatment with MLB significantly inhibited the apoptosis of hiPSC-CMs via enhancing signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation and B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) expression, promoting STAT3 nuclear translocation, and downregulating BCL2-Associated X, dual specificity phosphatase 2 (DUSP2), and cleaved-caspase-3 expression under hypoxia. Furthermore, MLB significantly suppressed the production of malondialdehyde and lactate dehydrogenase and the reduction in glutathione content induced by hypoxia in both HUVECs and hiPSC-CMs in vitro. Conclusions::MLB significantly enhanced the potential of hiPSC-CMs in repairing injured myocardium by improving endothelial cell function via the NF-κB/ICAM1 pathway and inhibiting hiPSC-CMs apoptosis via the DUSP2/STAT3 pathway.

Adult ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Pneumonia ; Community-Acquired Infections/epidemiology* ; Hospitalization

Objective:To understand the current situation and problems of pediatric drug clinical trials in China, and provide reference for the healthy development of pediatric drug clinical trials.Methods:Such keywords as " pediatrics" " children" " annual reports" " children′s drug research and development" " policies" were used, to search for information on China′s pediatric drug research and development policies and regulations, pediatric drug clinical trial institutions and pediatric drug clinical trial professional registration status, as well as pediatric drug clinical trial project registration status as of October 2023 on the drug clinical trial institution registration management information platforms and relevant government department websites. Then descriptive analysis was made on the collected information.Results:China has released 9 policies and regulations on pediatric drug research and development, supporting the development of new varieties, dosage forms, and specifications of pediatric drugs that meet the physiological characteristics of children, and giving priority review and approval to pediatric drugs. 477 drug technology guiding principles have been released, but only 14 of them were specifically designed for pediatric populations. As of March 20, 2023, there were a total of 272 registered pediatric drug clinical trial institutions, accounting for 20.72% of the total number of registered institutions. The top 5 provinces for their number of registered institutions were Guangdong province (34), Henan province (21), Zhejiang province (20), Beijing (20), and Jiangsu province (18); A total of 26 clinical trial specialties for pediatric drugs have been registered, with the largest number of registrations being pediatric respiratory (143), pediatric hematology (72), pediatrics other (71), pediatric endocrinology (68), and pediatric neurology (64). From 2020 to 2022, the proportion of pediatric drug clinical trial registration projects in newly registered drug clinical trials was 8.8% (129/1 473), 8.3% (168/2 033), and 8.3% (164/1 974), respectively, while clinical trials conducted only in the pediatric population accounted for 2.2% (33/1 473), 3.0% (61/2 033), and 3.2% (64/1 974), respectively.Conclusions:The policies and regulations on pediatric drug research and development in China still need further improvement. The number of registered pediatric drug clinical trial institutions and pediatric specialties is lower than that of adults and distributed unevenly. Clinical trial registration projects for pediatric drugs, especially those conducted in the pediatric population, account for a relatively small proportion. It is recommended to further improve the policy system for drug research and development in the pediatric population, optimize the layout of pediatric drug clinical trial institutions and specialties in the country.

Objective:To document the blood indexes of middle-aged and elderly intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients complicated with deep vein thrombosis (DVT).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted of 77 hospitalized ICH patients using venous color Doppler ultrasonography within 3 days of admission. According to the results, they were divided into a DVT group (18 cases) and a non-DVT group (59 cases). The blood routine, biochemistry, coagulation, and D-dimer examinations were conducted on the 2nd day after admission. T-tests and rank sum tests tested the significance of any differences between the groups in average white blood cell counts, neutrophil percentages, platelets, albumin, globulin, fasting blood glucose, urea nitrogen, creatinine, uric acid, electrolytes, fibrinogen or D-dimer.Results:The average levels of albumin, uric acid and calcium in the DVT group were significantly lower than in the non-DVT group. The average levels of fasting blood glucose and D-dimer were significantly higher.Conclusions:Decreased serum uric acid, calcium and albumin levels, together with increased fasting blood glucose and D-dimer are related to the occurrence of DVT in ICH patients. To reduce the risk of DVT it is important to maintain normal levels of serum uric acid, calcium and albumin and to limit D-dimer and fasting blood glucose.

Objective:To explore any changes with age in the center of plantar pressure among normal people after walking.Methods:Fifty healthy subjects were divided into a young group and an elderly group, each of 25. Gait descriptors were collected for each subject using a model AL-600 gait and balance training and evaluation apparatus. The gait descriptors were the center of pressure displacement (COPD), and the COPD in the medial-lateral (COPD-X) and anterior-posterior (COPD-Y) directions before and after 10 and 15 minutes of walking.Results:The average COPD, COPD-X and COPD-Y of the elderly group increased after both 10 and 15 minutes of walking, but among the young group increases were observed only after 15 minutes. The average COPD, COPD-X and COPD-Y of the elderly group were always significantly larger than the young group′s averages.Conclusions:Gait stability among the elderly decreases after as little as 10 minutes of walking, but among the young decreases are observed only after 15 minutes.

With the dramatically increasing detection rate of ground-glass nodules (GGN), exact understanding and treatment strategy of them has become the hottest issue currently. More and more studies have begun to explore the underlying mechanisms of their indolent characteristics and favorable prognosis from the perspectives of molecular evolution and immune microenvironment. GGN has different dominating gene mutations at different evolutional stages. The pure GGN has a lower tumor mutation burden and genomic instability, while a gradually evolutionary feature of genomic mutation along with the pathological progression can be observed. GGN has less infiltration of immune cells, and they are under the pressure of immune surveillance with weakened immune escape. With the increase of solid components, an inhibitory immune microenvironment is gradually established and immune escape is gradually enhanced, leading to rapid tumor growth. Further exploration of the molecular characteristics of GGN will help to more precisely distinguish these highly heterogeneous lesions, which could be helpful to make personalized treatment plans.

With the dramatically increasing detection rate of ground-glass nodules (GGN), exact understanding and treatment strategy of them has become the hottest issue currently. More and more studies have begun to explore the underlying mechanisms of their indolent characteristics and favorable prognosis from the perspectives of molecular evolution and immune microenvironment. GGN has different dominating gene mutations at different evolutional stages. The pure GGN has a lower tumor mutation burden and genomic instability, while a gradually evolutionary feature of genomic mutation along with the pathological progression can be observed. GGN has less infiltration of immune cells, and they are under the pressure of immune surveillance with weakened immune escape. With the increase of solid components, an inhibitory immune microenvironment is gradually established and immune escape is gradually enhanced, leading to rapid tumor growth. Further exploration of the molecular characteristics of GGN will help to more precisely distinguish these highly heterogeneous lesions, which could be helpful to make personalized treatment plans.

Objective:To observe factors influencing the risk of urinary tract infection (UTI) after cerebral hemorrhage (ICH).Methods:A total of 77 ICH patients undergoing rehabilitation between August 2015 and August 2017 were studied. Among them, 24 were diagnosed with a UTI according to clinical manifestations and urine routine tests and urine culture. They formed the UTI group. The other 53 were the non-UTI group. Complete clinical evaluations were available for all 77, and those data were used to identify risk factors for UTI using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:The univariate analysis showed that age, side of paralysis, consciousness dysfunction, Brunnstrom staging of the lower extremity, tracheotomy, indwelling catheter, lung infection, white blood cell count, neutrophil percentage, serum natrium, uric acid, D-dimer level and fibrinogen were all significant predictors of UTI. The multivariate analysis identified age, right side hemiplegia and D-dimer level as useful predictors.Conclusions:Advanced age and a high D-dimer level are independent risk factors for UTI after ICH, while hemiplegia on the right side is a protective factor.