This study aimed at optimizing the extraction process of Bi Xie Fen Qing (BXFQ) drink using ultrasound-microwave cooperation with central composite design-response surface method in comparison with the traditional decoction process.Taking microwave frequency,amount of water,extraction time as the main detection factors,diosgenin,glycyrrhizic acid and the extract yield were tested as the evaluation indexes;and taking an integrated score as response value for response surface and contour,predictive analysis was carried out and the optimum extraction conditions were achieved.It was found that the optimum extraction process of BXFQ drink was identified:the microwave frequency was 434 W,water addition was 18.4 times,extraction time was 9.3 mins and the ultrasonic frequency was fixed at 50 W.Under the optimum process,the diosgenin extraction yield rate was 23.17％ (mg· g-1),extraction yield rate of glycyrrhizic acid was 0.64％ (g·g-1),and the extraction yield rate of extractum was 34.12％ (g·g-1).All the indexes were superior to those of the traditional method.It is concluded that the composite design-response surface method is suitable for the extraction optimization of BXFQ drink with favorable predictability of the mathematical model.The optimized ultrasoundmicrowave cooperation was easy to operate with high extraction efficiency.It is suitable for industrialized production with the provision of a scientific reference for the modern formulation development of BXFQ drink.

Aim Toinvestigatingtheinductionof CYPs in hepatocytes or HepG2 cells by triptolide(TP) andthepossiblemechanism.Methods AfterTPtreat-ment,the expression of CYPs in rat primary hepato-cytes or human HepG2 cells was detected by real-time PCR and Western blot assays.Specific inhibitors or gene knockdown method were employed to analyze the possiblemechanism.Results Theexpressionof CYP1A2,2C7,2C11,2C12,2D2,2E1 and 3A1 in rat primary hepatocytes was induced by TP.The fold was 19,2,31,3,21,88 and 34 at 50 nmol·L-1, respectively while at 100 nmol·L-1 it was 20,5,30,23,61,83 and 38,respectively.In HepG2 cells,the expression of human CYP1A1,2B6,2C9,2C19, 2D6,2E1 and 3A4 was also induced by TP.The ac-tivities of nuclear receptor PXR and CAR were inhibi-ted.TP upregulated p53 expression,and the induction of several CYPs caused by TP was blocked when p53 wasinhibited.Conclusions TPinducesCYPsexpres-sion in rat hepatocytes and HepG2 cells.Nuclear re-ceptors may not be involved in TP induced CYPs, while the mechanism may partly attribute to p53.

At present,diagnosis and improvement of teaching quality in higher vocational colleges mainly depends on the internal quality assurance system shaped by "five vertical,five horizontal and one platform".Practical teaching is of great importance to medical education.As its teaching quality is mainly generated from the hospitals which are difficult to be integrated with the existing internal quality assurance system.This article tries to build a diagnosis and improvement system for training interns through a method focusing on "five elements and seven ways of giving feedback" on the basis of the in-depth analysis of factors generating the quality of intern training.This system aims to continuously ensure the quality of interns training via supplementing and perfecting the existing internal quality system of medical colleges.

Objective To prepare scutellarin liposomes and to investigate the pharmacokinetics in rats. Methods The liposomes of scutellarin coated with carbopol were prepared with the film dispersion method.Minicolumn centrifugation method was applied to measure the encapsulation efficiency (EE) before and after coating. SD rats were randomly divided into three groups, which were given intragastric administration of scutellarin suspension, scutellarin liposomes, and carbopol-coated scutellarin liposomes, respectively. And then the pharmacokinetic parameters were compared. Results Carbopol-coated scutellarin liposomes after intragastric administration in rats showed pharmacokinetic characteristics of two-compartment model. The main pharmacokinetic parameters of scutellarin suspension,scutellarin liposomes,and carbopol-coated scutellarin liposomes were as follows:AUC0-∞(50.03±13.45) μg?h?mL-1 ,(78.99±20.28) μg?h?mL-1 ,and (107.97±27.26) μg?h?mL-1 , respectively. Conclusion After coated liposomes, the oral bioavailability of scutellarin 1iposomes can be significantly improved,and the maximum drug concentration also increased.

[Objective]To investigate the therapeutic effect and molecular mechanism of Chinese medicine Saffron on Parkinson's disease(PD)based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.[Methods]The pharmacodynamic components of Saffron included in the analysis were determined through the pharmacological database and literature research of the Chinese medicine system.With the help of compound target database and disease target database,the corresponding targets of saffron components and PD targets were predicted,respectively.Enrichment analysis of compound-disease intersection targets was made by using R procedures and referencing correlated R-packages.Construction of protein-protein interaction(PPI)networks and analysis of node-related topological parameters.Simulate molecular docking to verify binding properties of representative compounds and key targets.The pharmacodynamic properties of Saffron acid on key targets were preliminarily evaluated by experiments.[Results]The 8 components of saffron with druggable potential corresponded to 279 targets,PD had 2 183 disease targets,and a total of 98 intersection targets of compounds and diseases were obtained.Enrichment analysis showed that the compound-disease intersection target was involved in biological processes such as reactive oxygen radical synthesis and metabolism,neuroinflammation and mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathway.The key targets identified by PPI network analysis were tumor necrosis factor(TNF)and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3).Molecular docking showed that saffron glycosides and saffron acids had stronger binding activity with TNF.Experiments had shown that saffron acid can reduce the transcription levels of lipopolysaccharide-induced cytoinflammatory factor TNF,interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and inducible nitric oxide oxide synthase(iNOS).[Conclusion]Saffron can be used as a candidate for PD treatment,and its neuroprotective effect may involve the interaction and synergy of many targets and signaling pathways,which deserves special attention to the activity of saffron acid against central nervous system inflammation.

Practice, an important part of medical teaching happened in hospitals, is difficult to be included in the diagnosis and improvement system of schools. Therefore, Jiangxi medical college has established the "five-point and seven-line" diagnosis and improvement system in practice teaching and promoted its implementation according to the idea of "emphasis on key points, point to string transformation, problem-oriented approach, continuous improvement, comprehensive promotion and stratified diagnosis and reform". Through two years' practice, some achievements have been made in the practice teaching management, the improvement of the basic knowledge of interns, the enhancement of teaching and learning consciousness and so on. The achievements have further promoted the cultivation of the concepts of diagnosis and reform of both schools and hospitals, and facilitated the efficiency of practice management and the quality of practice teaching.

Objective To explore the risk factors of acute kidney injury (AKI) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. Method The clinical data of 313 VLBW newborns aged under 3 days from January 2012 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the improved KDIGO standard of neonatal AKI, the difference between AKI (group AKI) and non AKI (group NAKI) newborns was compared, and the risk factors of AKI and mortality of AKI infants were analyzed. Results In the 313 VLBW infants, 126 had AKI and the incidence rate was 40.3％. There were 53 cases at stage 1 (42.1％), 43 cases at stage 2 (34.1％), and 30 cases at stage 3 (23.8％). Compared with NAKI group, patients in AKI group were lower in gestational age, birth weight, 5-minute Apgar score, critical score and mean arterial pressure. Furthermore, AKI group was higher in mother's age, incidence of premature rupture of membranes and respiratory failure. Also, white blood cells number and procalcitonin level were higher; albumin and sodium levels were lower; more cases had invasive mechanical ventilation after birth; time of mechanical ventilation was longer; mortality were higher in AKI group. There were statistically differences (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gestational age, respiratory failure and invasive mechanical ventilation at birth were independent risk factors for AKI in VLBW infants. More severe acidosis and associated pulmonary hemorrhage at admission were the independent risk factors for the death caused by AKI in children. Conclusions Short gestational age, respiratory failure, and invasive mechanical ventilation at birth significantly increased the risk of AKI in VLBW infants. The more severe metabolic acidosis and pulmonary hemorrhage increased the risk of death in AKI children .

ETS-1 is a transcription factor that is a member of the E26 transformation-specific (ETS) family. Galanin receptor 2 (GalR2), a subtype of receptors of the neuropeptide galanin, has been shown to have an antidepressant-like effect after activation in rodents. Our previous study has shown that overexpression of ETS-1 increases the expression of GalR2 in PC12 phaeochromocytoma cells. However, whether ETS-1 has an antidepressant-like effect is still unclear. In this study, we found that chronic mild stress (CMS) decreased the expression of both ETS-1 and GalR2 in the ventral hippocampus of rats. Meanwhile, we demonstrated that overexpression of ETS-1 increased the expression of GalR2 in primary hippocampal neurons. Importantly, we showed that overexpression of ETS-1 in the ventral hippocampus counteracted the depression-like behaviors of CMS rats. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of ETS-1 increased the level of downstream phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (p-ERK1/2) of GalR2 in the ventral hippocampus of CMS rats. Taken together, our findings suggest that ETS-1 has an antidepressant-like effect in rats, which might be mediated by increasing the level of GalR2 and its downstream p-ERK1/2 in the ventral hippocampus.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide for many years. This study aimed to investigate the global patterns and trends of lung cancer. METHODS: Lung cancer incidence and mortality were derived from the GLOBOCAN 2020 database. Continuous data from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Time Trends were used to analyze the temporal trends from 2000 to 2012 using Joinpoint regression, and average annual percent changes were calculated. The association between the Human Development Index and lung cancer incidence and mortality was assessed by linear regression. RESULTS: An estimated 2.2 million new lung cancer cases and 1.8 million lung cancer-related deaths occurred in 2020. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) ranged from 36.8 per 100,000 in Demark to 5.9 per 100,000 in Mexico. The age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) varied from 32.8 per 100,000 in Poland to 4.9 per 100,000 in Mexico. Both ASIR and ASMR were approximately twice higher in men than in women. The ASIR of lung cancer showed a downward trend in the United States of America (USA) between 2000 and 2012, and was more prominent in men. The age-specific incidence rates of lung cancer for ages of 50 to 59 years showed an upward trend in China for both men and women. CONCLUSIONS The burden of lung cancer is still unsatisfactory, especially in developing countries like China. Considering the effectiveness of tobacco control and screening in developed countries, such as the USA, there is a need to strengthen health education, accelerate the establishment of tobacco control policies and regulations, and improve early cancer screening awareness to reduce the future burden of lung cancer.
Male ; Humans ; Female ; United States ; Middle Aged ; Incidence ; Lung Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Linear Models ; China/epidemiology*

The ChatGPT, a lite and conversational variant of Generative Pretrained Transformer 4 (GPT-4) developed by OpenAI, is one of the milestone Large Language Models (LLMs) with billions of parameters. LLMs have stirred up much interest among researchers and practitioners in their impressive skills in natural language processing tasks, which profoundly impact various fields. This paper mainly discusses the future applications of LLMs in dentistry. We introduce two primary LLM deployment methods in dentistry, including automated dental diagnosis and cross-modal dental diagnosis, and examine their potential applications. Especially, equipped with a cross-modal encoder, a single LLM can manage multi-source data and conduct advanced natural language reasoning to perform complex clinical operations. We also present cases to demonstrate the potential of a fully automatic Multi-Modal LLM AI system for dentistry clinical application. While LLMs offer significant potential benefits, the challenges, such as data privacy, data quality, and model bias, need further study. Overall, LLMs have the potential to revolutionize dental diagnosis and treatment, which indicates a promising avenue for clinical application and research in dentistry.
Dentistry ; Artificial Intelligence