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

Objective:To explore the dosimetry difference between intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and volumetric intensity modulated arc therapy (VMAT) based on the inner edge tangent field (IETF) after left-sided breast conserving surgery.Methods:The localization CT and target organ at risk (OAR) data of 35 patients with left-sided breast cancer treated with IMRT after breast conserving surgery at Department of Radiotherapy in Yunnan Cancer Hospital from June 2022 to June 2023 were selected. The IETF-IMRT and the IETF-VMAT plans were designed for the same patient based on IETF, the dosimetry differences of target areas and OAR, as well as the planned execution time were compared between the two groups.Results:Dosimetry of target areas: for IETF-IMRT and IETF-VMAT, the D 98% of the planning target volume were (47.92±0.51) and (48.21±0.33) Gy, respectively, while the D 50% were (52.04±0.22) and (51.91±0.26) Gy, respectively, and the D 2% were (53.93±0.36) and (53.62±0.41) Gy, respectively, the conformity index were 0.84±0.03 and 0.87±0.02, respectively, while the homogeneity index were 0.12±0.01 and 0.10±0.01, respectively, with statistically significant differences ( t=-3.87, P<0.001; t=3.53, P=0.001; t=5.30, P<0.001; t=-13.60, P<0.001; t=6.24, P<0.001). Dosimetry of OAR: for IETF-IMRT and IETF-VMAT, the left lung V 5 were (31.91±6.28) % and (33.99±6.31) %, respectively, and the V 20 were (11.71±2.06) % and (9.73±2.12) %, respectively, with statistically significant differences ( t=-4.18, P<0.001; t=12.40, P<0.001). The right lung V 5 were (0.11±0.08) % and (7.13±3.12) %, respectively, and the D mean were (1.05±0.12) and (2.71±0.27) Gy, respectively, with statistically significant differences ( t=-33.62, P<0.001; t=-13.30, P<0.001). The spinal cord D 2% were (1.08±0.11) and (4.83±1.40) Gy, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( t=-15.99, P<0.001). The left lung D mean were (7.45±1.08) and (7.37±1.03) Gy, the heart D mean were (4.21±0.96) and (4.41±0.48) Gy, and the right-sided breast D mean were (3.74±1.52) and (3.48±1.11) Gy, respectively, with no statistically significant difference ( t=1.16, P=0.253; t=-1.76, P=0.088; t=1.41, P=0.169). Planned execution time: the execution time of IETF-IMRT and IETF-VMAT was (10.73±1.21) and (2.18±0.17) min, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( t=44.71, P<0.001) . Conclusion:Both IETF-IMRT and IETF-VMAT can meet clinical requirements, however the two techniques have their own characteristics. IETF-VMAT has better conformity and homogeneity of target region. The planned OAR dosimetry in both plans are significantly lower than the dose limit of postoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer, among which the left lung V 5, the right lung V 5, D mean and spinal cord D 2% of IETF-IMRT are slightly lower, the left lung V 20 of IETF-VMAT is slightly lower. IETF-VMAT significantly reduces the planned execution time compared with IETF-IMRT, thus can greatly reduce the dose deviation caused by patient position change, and significantly improve patients experience and comfort of radiotherapy. Taken together, IETF-VMAT has advantages over IETF-IMRT in radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery of left-sided breast cancer.

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.

China prospective multicenter birth cohort (Prospective Omics Health Atlas birth cohort, POHA birth cohort) study was officially launched in 2022. This study, in collaboration with 12 participating units, aims to establish a high-quality, multidimensional cohort comprising 20 000 naturally conceived families and assisted reproductive families. The study involves long-term follow-up of parents and offspring, with corresponding biological samples collected at key time points. Through multi-omics testing and analysis, the study aims to conduct multi-omics big data research across the entire maternal and infant life cycle. The goal is to identify new biomarkers for maternal and infant diseases and provide scientific evidence for risk prediction related to maternal diseases and neonatal health.

ObjectivePeriprosthetic joint infections （PJI） are currently the most calamitous complication after arthroplasty. Although achievements have been made in many markers for the diagnosis of PJI， the lack of a gold standard remains a great obstacle for early diagnosis. This study aimed to investigate the association between coagulation markers and the development of PJI in patients undergoing revision total joint arthroplasty （TJA）. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study with a total of 2 517 patients who underwent hip or knee arthroplasties from January 2011 to January 2022 （2 394 with primary TJA， 87 with aseptic revision and 36 with PJI）. We applied univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression to analyze differences of coagulation factors between primary TJA and aseptic revision or PJI group. Receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve and area under the curve （AUC） were used to measure the diagnostic value of coagulation factors in predicting PJI. ResultsCoagulation factors and their ratios including plasma fibrinogen （FBG）， prothrombin time （PT）， thrombin time （TT）， activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT）， platelet （PLT）， mean platelet volume （MPV）， platelet distribution width （PDW）， plateletcrit （PCT）， PLT / MPV， PLT / PDW and PLT / PCT were included in this study. High FGB level was strongly correlated with the risk of PJI compared to other coagulation factors. The optimal threshold value of FBG was 4.53 g/L with a sensitivity of 47.22%， a specificity of 93.07% （Primary TJA group vs. PJI group）. Similarly， the optimal threshold value of FBG was 4.44 g/L with a sensitivity of 47.22%， a specificity of 95.40% between the other two groups （Aseptic revision group vs. PJI group）. ROC curve analysis demonstrated moderate diagnostic performance of FBG （AUC value）， indicating a potential to be a diagnostic marker for PJI. ConclusionsFBG is significantly correlated with PJI and it can be used as a potential non-invasive marker for early detection. It may serve as a safe and cost-effective tool for assessing PJI in clinical work.

BACKGROUND: Currently, more and more infertility couples are opting for combined acupuncture to improve success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF). However, evidence from acupuncture for improving IVF pregnancy outcomes remains a matter of debate. OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively summarized the evidence of the efficacy of acupuncture among women undergoing IVF by means of systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Four English (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Register of Controlled Clinical Trials) and Four Chinese databases (Wanfang Databases, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, and SinoMed) were searched from database inception until July 2, 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the acupuncture's effects for women undergoing IVF were included. The subgroup analysis was conducted with respect to the age of participants, different acupuncture types, type of control, acupuncture timing, geographical origin of the study, whether or not repeated IVF failure, and acupuncture sessions. Sensitivity analyses were predefifined to explore the robustness of results. The primary outcomes were clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR), and the secondary outcomes were ongoing pregnancy rate and miscarriage rate. Random effects model with I² statistics were used to quantify heterogeneity. Publication bias was estimated by funnel plots and Egger's tests. RESULTS: A total of 58 eligible RCTs representing 10,968 women undergoing IVF for pregnant success were identifified. Pooled CPR and LBR showed a signifificant difference between acupuncture and control groups [69 comparisons, relative risk (RR) 1.19, 95% confifidence intervals (CI) 1.12 to 1.25, I²=0], extremely low evidence; 23 comparisons, RR 1.11, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.21, I²=14.6, low evidence, respectively). Only transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation showed a positive effect on both CPR (16 comparisons, RR 1.17, 95%CI 1.06 to 1.29; I²=0, moderate evidence) and LBR (9 comparisons, RR 1.20, 95%CI 1.04 to 1.37; I²=8.5, extremely low evidence). Heterogeneity across studies was found and no studies were graded as high-quality evidence. CONCLUSION Results showed that the convincing evidence levels on the associations between acupuncture and IVF pregnant outcomes were relatively low, and the varied methodological design and heterogeneity might inflfluence the fifindings. (Registration No. PROSPERO CRD42021232430).
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Live Birth ; Fertilization in Vitro/methods* ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Abortion, Spontaneous ; Acupuncture Therapy

Objective: To explore the diagnosis, surgical management and outcome of jugular foramen chondrosarcoma (CSA). Methods: Fifteen patients with jugular foramen CSA hospitalized in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of Chinese PLA General Hospital from December 2002 to February 2020 were retrospectively collected,of whom 2 were male and 13 were female, aging from 22 to 61 years old. The clinical symptoms and signs, imaging features, differential diagnosis, surgical approaches, function of facial nerve and cranial nerves IX to XII, and surgical outcomes were analyzed. Results: Patients with jugular foramen CSA mainly presented with facial paralysis, hearing loss, hoarseness, cough, tinnitus and local mass. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) could provide important information for diagnosis. CT showed irregular destruction on bone margin of the jugular foramen. MR demonstrated iso or hypointense on T1WI, hyperintense on T2WI and heterogeneous contrast-enhancement. Surgical approaches were chosen upon the sizes and scopes of the tumors. Inferior temporal fossa A approach was adopted in 12 cases, inferior temporal fossa B approach in 2 cases and mastoid combined parotid approach in 1 case. Five patients with facial nerve involved received great auricular nerve graft. The House Brackmann (H-B) grading scale was used to evaluate the facial nerve function. Preoperative facial nerve function ranked grade Ⅴ in 4 cases and grade Ⅵ in 1 case. Postoperative facial nerve function improved to grade Ⅲ in 2 cases and grade Ⅵ in 3 cases. Five patients presented with cranial nerves Ⅸ and Ⅹ palsies. Hoarseness and cough of 2 cases improved after operation, while the other 3 cases did not. All the patients were diagnosed CSA by histopathology and immunohistochemistry, with immunohistochemical staining showing vimentin and S-100 positive, but cytokeratin negative in tumor cells. All patients survived during 28 to 234 months' follow-up. Two patients suffered from tumor recurrence 7 years after surgery and received revision surgery. No complications such as cerebrospinal fluid leakage and intracranial infection occurred after operation. Conclusions: Jugular foramen CSA lacks characteristic symptoms or signs. Imaging is helpful to differential diagnosis. Surgery is the primary treatment of jugular foramen CSA. Patients with facial paralysis should receive surgery in time as to restore the facial nerve. Long-term follow-up is necessary after surgery in case of recurrence.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Facial Paralysis/etiology* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Jugular Foramina ; Retrospective Studies ; Cough ; Hoarseness ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Chondrosarcoma/surgery*

Objective:To analyze the effects of different dose calculation grid size of Monaco system on the physical and biological dosimetry of target area and organ at risk (OAR) in T 4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods:A total of 18 patients with stage T 4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma who received radiotherapy in the Department of Radiotherapy of Yunnan Cancer Hospital from October 2020 to April 2022 were selected to complete the delineation of target areas and OAR in the Monaco 5.11.03 system, and the volumetric intensity modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plan was developed on the 3 mm grid with the optimization mode of target area priority. The 3 mm grid group plan was replicated without changing any other parameters, and the physical plan was re-established on the 1, 2, 4 and 5 mm grids, and then the five plans were normalized to the prescription dose to cover 95% of the target volume. The planning time, D 2%, D 50%, D 98%, conformity index (CI), homogeneity index (HI), gradient index (GI), tumor control probability (TCP), D 2% and D mean of important OAR around the target area were calculated and statistically analyzed. Results:Planning primary tumor gross target volume (PGTVp) : The D 2% of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm groups were (76.94±0.66), (75.98±0.76), (75.56±0.67), (75.67±0.73) and (75.94±0.85) Gy, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( F=9.86, P<0.001). The CI of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm groups were 0.75±0.05, 0.78±0.04, 0.78±0.05, 0.79±0.04 and 0.78±0.04, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( F=2.61, P=0.041). There were statistically significant differences in D 50%, D 98%, HI, equivalent uniform dose (EUD) and tumor control probability (TCP) among the groups ( H=17.14, P=0.002; F=9.35, P<0.001; H=25.43, P<0.001; F=5.85, P<0.001; H=17.65, P=0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in GI among the groups ( P>0.05). Pairwise comparison showed that D 2% in 2, 3, 4, 5 mm groups compared with 1 mm group, D 50% in 5 mm group compared with 2, 3 mm groups, D 98% in 4 mm group compared with 1, 2 mm groups, D 98% in 5 mm group compared with 1, 2, 3 mm groups, CI in 5 mm group compared with 1 mm group, HI in 2, 3, 4, 5 mm groups compared with 1 mm group, EUD in 3 mm group was compared with 1 mm group, EUD in 5 mm group compared with 2, 3 mm groups, TCP in 3 mm group compared with 1 mm group, and TCP in 5 mm group compared with 3 mm group, there were statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Planning nodal gross target volume (PGTVn) : The D 2% of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm groups were (76.36±0.59), (75.36±0.62), (75.04±0.68), (75.25±0.72) and (75.39±0.77) Gy, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( F=10.32, P<0.001). The HI of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm groups were 1.08 (1.08, 1.08), 1.07 (1.06, 1.07), 1.06 (1.06, 1.07), 1.06 (1.06, 1.07), 1.06 (1.06, 1.07), 1.06 (1.06, 1.08), respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( H=22.00, P<0.001) ; There were statistically significant differences in D 50%, D 98% and EUD among the groups ( H=11.79, P=0.019; H=20.49, P<0.001; F=12.14, P=0.016). Pairwise comparison showed that there were statistically significant differences in D 2% between 2, 3, 4, 5 mm groups and 1 mm group, D 98% between 4 mm group and 1 mm group, D 98% between 5 mm group and 1, 2 mm groups, HI between 2, 3, 4 mm groups and 1 mm group, and EUD between 3 mm group and 1 mm group (all P<0.05). Planning primary tumor clinical target volume 1 (PCTVp1) : The D 2% of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm groups were (76.59±0.63), (75.64±0.65), (75.64±0.98), (75.41±0.70) and (75.71±0.84) Gy, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( F=9.53, P<0.001). The D 50% of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 mm groups were (72.09±0.34), (71.85±0.39), (71.82±0.45), (72.04±0.56), (72.43±0.66) Gy, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( F=4.20, P=0.019). There was no statistically significant difference in the other indexes among the groups (all P>0.05). Pairwise comparison showed that there were statistically significant differences in D 2% between 2, 3, 4, 5 mm groups and 1 mm group, and in D 50% between 2, 3 mm groups and 1 mm group (all P<0.05). Planning nodal clinical target volume 1 (PCTVn1) : There were no statistically significant differences in all indexes among the groups (all P>0.05). Planning clinical target volume 2 (PCTV2) : The D 2% of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm groups were (75.57±0.50), (74.87±0.67), (74.51±0.51), (74.61±0.63) and (75.00±0.74) Gy, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( F=8.27, P<0.001). Pairwise comparison showed that the D 2% of the 2, 3, 4 mm groups were significantly different from that of the 1 mm group (all P<0.05). The calculation time of physical plan in 1, 2, 4 and 5 mm groups was 987.00 (848.00, 1 091.00), 120.50 (99.75, 134.00), 26.00 (24.00, 34.25) and 21.50 (18.75, 34.75) s, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( H=61.62, P<0.001). Pairwise comparison showed that there were statistically significant differences in the calculation time between 4 mm group and 1, 2 mm groups, 5 mm group and 1, 2 mm groups (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the dosimetric parameters of OAR around the target area among the groups (all P>0.05) . Conclusion:The physical dose and biological dose of the important OAR around the target area and the target area change with the change of dose calculation grid size when formulating the physical plan of radiotherapy for T 4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Considering the quality of the physical plan and the calculation time, when the Monaco system formulates the VMAT plan for T 4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients, the plan can be optimized on the 3 mm computing grid and copied to the 1 mm computing grid for recalculation.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage loss and accounts for a major source of pain and disability worldwide. However, effective strategies for cartilage repair are lacking, and patients with advanced OA usually need joint replacement. Better comprehending OA pathogenesis may lead to transformative therapeutics. Recently studies have reported that exosomes act as a new means of cell-to-cell communication by delivering multiple bioactive molecules to create a particular microenvironment that tunes cartilage behavior. Specifically, exosome cargos, such as noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and proteins, play a crucial role in OA progression by regulating the proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammatory response of joint cells, rendering them promising candidates for OA monitoring and treatment. This review systematically summarizes the current insight regarding the biogenesis and function of exosomes and their potential as therapeutic tools targeting cell-to-cell communication in OA, suggesting new realms to improve OA management.
Apoptosis ; Cartilage/pathology* ; Cartilage, Articular/metabolism* ; Cell Communication ; Chondrocytes/metabolism* ; Exosomes/pathology* ; Humans ; Osteoarthritis/therapy*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the consistency and reproducibility of aortic root measurements by Anythink, a semi-automated preoperative CT analysis software, with those of 3mensio. METHODS: Sixty-seven patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from December, 2016 to February, 2022 were retrospectively enrolled in this study. A cardiology resident who completed his professional training used both the software Anythink and 3mensio (as the gold standard) to reconstruct the aortic root model and analyze the parameters of the aortic annulus and the surrounding structures. The correlation and consistency of the measurement results of two software were analyzed. Two independent residents also used Anythink software to repeat the measurements for the same patient for assessment of the reproducibility of Anythink measurements. The valve models were selected based on the measurements by Anythink and 3mensio, and similarities and differences of the two software in clinical valve selection were assessed. RESULTS: The measurements of the distances from the anulus plane to the left and right coronary ostium, average diameter of the anulus, anulus area, anulus perimeter, and the angle between the annulus and horizontal plane did not differ significantly between the two software (P > 0.05), and their measurements showed positive correlations (r= 0.884-0.981, P < 0.01). The intra-group and inter-group correlation coefficients of the anulus parameters measured by Anythink ranged from 0.894 to 0.992 and from 0.651 to 0.954, respectively. The Kappa-test values of valve models selected by Anythink and 3mensio based on the average diameter, area diameter and perimeter diameter were 0.886, 0.796 and 0.775, respectively. The intra-group Kappa values for the valve models selected based on Anythink measurements were 0.819, 0.841, and 0.795, and the inter-group Kappa values were 0.812, 0.812, and 0.768, respectively. Compared with the measurements by 3mensio, the recommended area diameter measured by Anythink was slightly greater in patients with postoperative paravalvular leakage, but slightly smaller in patients with postoperative new-onset conduction block. CONCLUSION Anythink has excellent measurement consistency and high reproducibility for aortic root measurements, and trained cardiologists can use Anythink to obtain accurate aortic root parameters before TAVR.
Humans ; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement ; Reproducibility of Results ; Retrospective Studies ; Aorta ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed