BACKGROUND:Chitosan biological materials can induce bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate toward neurons. As a derivative of chitosan, carboxymethyl chitosan has a series of excelent properties. However, whether carboxymethyl chitosan can induce the neuronal differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells remains unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel on the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into neurons and the possible mechanism.METHODS:Passage 3 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from rats were selected and cultured in carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel extracts in different concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 500 g/L). Control cells were cultured in culture medium with no addition of carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel extracts. MTT assay was performed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel extracts on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell proliferation. Western blot assay was used to explore the effect of 150 g/L carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel extracts on the expression of neuron-specific enolase, Nestin, Vimentin, NF-M, microtubule associated protein 2, glial fibrillary acidic protein, β3-tubulin, Notch1 and Jag1 protein.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:MTT assay showed that carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel promoted the cell proliferation, and the proliferation rate reached the peak at the concentration of 150 g/L. Western blot assay showed that the cells induced by 150 g/L carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel extract had significant increases in neuron-specific enolase, Nestin, Vimentin, NF-M, microtubule associated protein 2, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and β3-tubulin protein expression, and obvious decreases in Notch1 and Jag1 protein expression in comparison with the control group. These results indicate that the carboxymethyl chitosan thermosensitive hydrogel induces rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to differentiate toward neurons, and suppresses the activity of Notch signal pathway in the process of differentiation.

Objective To explore the effect of acupuncture on stroke patients in hemiplagic spasm period.Methods63 stroke patients in hemiplagic spasm period were randomly divided into the electro-acupuncture group(n=31) and control group(n=32).All patients of two groups received routine rehabilitation training,but those of the electro-acupuncture group were added with electro-acupuncture at "Zusanli"(ST36).The composite spasticity scale(CSS) score,H/Mmax and muscular compliance of two groups before and after treatment were observed and compared.ResultsThe CSS scores and H/Mmax and grading gastrocnemius muscular compliance of the electro-acupuncture group were superior to that of the control group(P<0.05～0.01).ConclusionAcupuncture can decrease muscular tension and increase motor function of stroke patients in hemiplagic spasm period.

Objective:To investigate the effect of ultrasound-guided midline catheter placement on the incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) in severe emergency patients.Methods:Five hundred and twenty-nine patients were chosen as the research objects from March 2018 to December 2019 at Emergency Intensive Care Unit, which was divided into the experimental group ( n=278) and the control group ( n=251). In the experimental group, ultrasound-guided midline catheter was used as central venous catheter (CVC) removal method of sequential, and in the control group, peripheral venous indwelling needle was used as sequential method after removal of CVC. CVC, midline catheter and the indwelling time of indwelling needle were counted. The utilization rate of CVC was compared between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was plotted to describe the CVC indwelling time of the two groups and log-rank test was performed. Cox regression analysis was performed to analyze the influencing factors of CVC indwelling time and compare the incidence of CRBSI and other catheter-related complications. Results:The CVC indwelling time of the experimental group was significantly shorter than that of the control group (8 d vs. 13 d, P=0.000). The CVC utilization rate of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (49.83% vs. 80.45%, P=0.000). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that difficult intravenous access, length of ICU stay, the site of catheter placement, and midline catheter implantation without ultrasound-guidance were independent risk factors for prolonged CVC indwelling time ( P=0.000). The CRBSI rate of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (0.571‰ vs. 3.802‰, P=0.038). There was no significant difference in the incidence of other catheter-related complications between the two groups ( P=0.403). Conclusions:Ultrasound-guided midline catheter implantation can shorten the indwelling time of CVC, reduce the utilization rate of CVC, and reduce the incidence of CRBSI, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Twenty-two items of national criteria of acupuncture-moxibustion operation standardization have been issued by the People’s Republic of China. To understand the situation of use of these criteria, the authors analyzed and studied the situation of application of acupuncture-moxibustion criteria in related papers, textbooks and monographs to provide a basis for further establishing and revising the criteria. The results show that people are building awareness of use of acupuncture-moxibustion criteria, and the criteria have gradually been used in more and more papers, textbooks and works.

In 2022, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) issued Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Spontaneous Cerebral Hemorrhage (2022). This evidence-based guidelines provide treatment recommendations of cerebral hemorrhage. In particular, the guidelines emphasize the concepts of cerebral small-vessel disease, treatment of anticoagulant-related cerebral hemorrhage, and early rehabilitation at home. The authors interprets this guideline based on relevant research progress.

To understand the use in recent 10 years of(GB/T 12346-2006),a standard of The People's Republic of China,so as to provide the evidence for its further establishment and revision,we investigated and analyzed the application ofthrough relevant literature and the textbook. It is found that making use of the standard is being realized in various types of articles and it is described in almost all the textbooks. Implementing the standard intensively promotes the standardization of acupuncture-moxibustion education and clinical manipulation as well as the academic exchange domestically and overseas. In turn,its scientificalness and authority are further strengthened.

Purpose: Platelet-related indices, including mean platelet volume (MPV) and plateletocrit (PCT), have been reported as new prognostic factors of overall survival (OS) in many cancers, but not yet in biliary tract cancer (BTC). We intended to assess these indices in predicting OS in BTC patients with the aim to build a new prognostic model for patients with BTC after surgical resection. Materials and Methods: Survival analysis and time receiver operating characteristic analysis were applied to screen the platelet indices. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were used to identify independent prognostic factors and develop a new prognostic model. Harrell’s C-statistics, calibration curves, and decisive curve analysis were used to assess the model. Results: MPV and platelet distribution width (PDW)/PCT showed the best prognostic accuracy among the platelet indices. In multivariable analysis, factors predictive of poor OS were presence of nodal involvement, Non-radical surgery, poor tumor differentiation, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 > 100 U/mL, MPV > 8.1 fl, and PDW/PCT > 190. The new model was found to be superior to the TNM staging system and our new staging system showed higher discriminative power. Conclusion MPV and PDW/PCT have high prognostic value in BTC patients, and the novel staging system based on these two indices showed good discrimination and accuracy compared with the American Joint Committee on Cancer 7th TNM staging system.