Pancreatic β-cell failure due to a reduction in function and mass has been defined as a primary contributor to the progression of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Reserving insulin-producing β-cells and hence restoring insulin production are gaining attention in translational diabetes research, and β-cell replenishment has been the main focus for diabetes treatment. Significant findings in β-cell proliferation, transdifferentiation, pluripotent stem cell differentiation, and associated small molecules have served as promising strategies to regenerate β-cells. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the mechanisms implicated in β-cell dynamic processes under physiological and diabetic conditions, in which genetic factors, age-related alterations, metabolic stresses, and compromised identity are critical factors contributing to β-cell failure in T2D. The article also focuses on recent advances in therapeutic strategies for diabetes treatment by promoting β-cell proliferation, inducing non-β-cell transdifferentiation, and reprograming stem cell differentiation. Although a significant challenge remains for each of these strategies, the recognition of the mechanisms responsible for β-cell development and mature endocrine cell plasticity and remarkable advances in the generation of exogenous β-cells from stem cells and single-cell studies pave the way for developing potential approaches to cure diabetes.

The codon sequence of the S1 protein of the SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant was optimized ac-cording to the preference of CHO cells and cloned into pSN expression vector to construct the re-combinant plasmid pSN-Beta-sl.Recombinant protein was expressed in CHO cells,identified using SDS-PAGE and Western blot,and purified through affinity chromatography.BALB/c mice were immunized with purified recombinant protein Beta-S1 combined with aluminum hydroxide adju-vant.Specific IgG antibody and its subtypes in serum and the cross-neutralization antibody activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants were evaluated.The results showed that the recombinant plasmid pSN-Beta-S1 was successfully constructed,and the recombinant protein Beta-S1 was produced u-sing the CHO cell expression system.The purified recombinant protein had a single band of about 120 kDa with the purity exceeding 85％and can bind to RBD pAb and strep-tag mAb.The recom-binant S1 protein showed good immunogenicity in BALB/c mice.The titers of specific IgG antibodies against RBD protein and S1 protein reached 1∶66 260 and 1∶133 120 on average 21 d after the third immunization,the antibody subtypes were mainly inclined to IgG1.Serum neutrali-zing antibody titer was 1∶629 for wild type,1∶1 720 for Beta,1∶374 for Delta,1∶77 for Omi-cron BA1 and 1∶101 for Omicron BA2.In this study,S1 recombinant protein of SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant was successfully expressed in CHO cell expression system and produced good immunoge-nicity and cross-neutralizing activity in BALB/c mice.These results provide a reference for the fur-ther development of broad-spectrum SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Objective:To analyze the clinical and imaging features of patients with COVID-19-related osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS).Methods:COVID-19-related ODS cases diagnosed in the Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2020 to September 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. And their past medical history, possible triggers, clinical manifestations, imaging manifestations, treatment and prognosis were summarized.Results:A total of 5 patients with COVID-19-related ODS were included. Electrolyte disturbances acted as an inducement of ODS in all patients (5/5),4 of whom with hyponatremia. Four of 5 patients first presented with disturbance of consciousness, followed by predominant dystonia. Imaging of all patients (5/5) showed isolated extrapontine myelinolysis (EPM). With the prolongation of the course of disease, such signal intensity could return to normal, and lesions showed atrophic changes in some patients. The patients′ clinical symptoms were partly relieved within a few days to a few months after treatment.Conclusions:COVID-19-related ODS is mostly associated with hyponatremia, and EPM is more common. COVID-19 should be considered as a risk factor for ODS.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of fractional microneedle radiofrequency (RF), subsequently followed by narrowband intense pulsed light (IPL), in the treatment of facial photoaging.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 50 female patients who underwent facial photodamage treatment at the Fifth People＇s Hospital of Suzhou from January to December 2021, with an average age of (40±8) years. Each patient received fractional microneedle RF therapy, subsequently followed by two sessions of narrowband IPL therapy at 500-600 nm, with a 4-week interval between treatments. Before and 4 weeks after the final treatment, skin parameters including wrinkles, redness, and sunspots were quantitatively assessed using the Visia skin image analyzer. Patients self-reported their satisfaction levels, and any adverse reactions were recorded.Results:All patients completed the prescribed treatment regimen. Post-treatment evaluations revealed marked improvements in facial skin, characterized by reduced wrinkles, enhanced skin smoothness, tighter contours, and lighter pigmentation spots. Specifically, the pre-treatment scores for wrinkles, sunspots, and redness were (25.6±10.2), (312.6±75.9), and (162.0±68.6) scores, respectively, which significantly decreased to (18.3±7.4), (261.2±82.7), and (129.7±60.1) scores four weeks post-treatment (all P<0.001). The patients＇ satisfaction levels were (6.6±1.2) scores. During treatment, all patients experienced mild erythema and edema, which resolved within 3-4 days. No serious adverse reactions, such as blistering, hyperpigmentation, or scarring, were observed. Conclusions:Fractional microneedle RF therapy, followed by narrowband IPL therapy, emerges as an effective and safe treatment option for facial photodamage, with minimal adverse reactions.

Objective:To explore the current situation of synergistic allocation of factors of production in China's medical research institutes,sort out the focuses and deficiencies of the existing policies,so as to provide references for the optimization of production factor and the new quality productivity formation in medical institutions.Methods:Based on the two-factor productivity theory,the index evaluation system is constructed,and the composite system synergy model is used to analyze the degree of order of production factors and the degree of synergy of the composite system,and explore the change of synergy degree of each sequential covariate;and the macro model of the health system is used in conjunction with the content analysis method to carry out the frequency counting of the policies to promote the enhancement of the capacity of each production factor of the main body of innovation of the medical scientific research institutes.Results:The synergistic degree of the production factors and the composite system of medical research institutions showed a non-synergistic development trend,with the worst synergistic level in 2021;number of personnel,number of institutions,building floor space,production factors and sequential coefficients were weakly synergized and in a state of non-synergistic development.Among the 43 policy texts,the internal submodular policy tools were used more,the external submodular policy tools were used less,and the use of internal and external policy tools is unbalanced.Conclusion:The number of personnel,institutions and building area of medical research institutions are constraints on the synergistic development of innovative entities.It is recommended to increase the training of innovative talents in medical research institutions,improve the construction of new institutions,coordinate the layout of large scientific devices and functional housing,introduce targeted systematic planning,improve the market of factors of production,and consolidate the technological foundation for future development.

Objective To understand the cognition status of medical scientific research ethics review norms among physicians in tertiary hospitals and the factors influencing their awareness.Methods A survey was conducted using a questionnaire.A total of 2 067 questionnaires were distributed to physicians in tertiary hospitals in Henan Province,with an effective response rate of 81.95％.Results(1)Physicians'awareness rate of Regulations on Ethical Review of Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects reached 69.01％,while that of Opinions on Strengthening Ethical Governance in Science and Technology was only 34.30％.A total of 310 respondents were aware of all six medical research ethics-related regulations.(2)1 153 respondents were familiar with all four basic principles of medical ethics.(3)78.98％of physicians had received training in medical research ethics knowledge.Learning through medical school and special lectures made it easier for physicians to understand medical research ethics knowledge(P＜0.05).(4)The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that educational level,membership in an ethics committee,and receipt of ethics training significantly influenced physicians'understanding of medical research ethics knowledge(P＜0.05).Conclusion Physicians have low awareness of newly issued medical research ethics review norms,targeted training is needed to enhance physicians'research ethics literacy.

Objective To analyse the characteristics of spatial distribution of bed resources and bed utilization efficiency of various types of medical and health institutions in Guangxi Province in 2018-2022,and to provide a reference basis for the allocation and management of bed resources of various types of medical and health institutions.Methods Spatial autocorrelation was used to analyse the status of bed allocation in various types of medical and health institutions,and the bed efficiency index and bed utilisation model were used to evaluate the efficiency of bed utilisation.Results Bed resources per 1 000 population vary considerably across types of healthcare organisations and regions.There is no spatial correlation in the overall distribution of bed resources per 1 000 population,but there are different types of aggregation,and there will be little change in the type of aggregation and the place of aggregation from 2018 to 2022.In terms of utilisation efficiency,the bed efficiency index of maternity and child healthcare hospitals is the highest,the bed efficiency index of specialist disease prevention and treatment hospitals(institutes and stations)is the lowest,general hospitals and maternity and child healthcare hospitals are operating at high efficiency,and all other healthcare institutions are operating at low efficiency;the utilisation of bed resources in various types of healthcare institutions exists in the form of efficiency-type,turn-around-type,bed-pressure-type,and unused-type hospitals at the same time.Conclusion There is an imbalance in the allocation of bed resources in various types of medical and health institutions,with large differences in the operational and utilisation efficiencies of beds;the allocation of bed resources should be continuously optimised.

Objective:To explore the current situation of synergistic allocation of factors of production in China's medical research institutes,sort out the focuses and deficiencies of the existing policies,so as to provide references for the optimization of production factor and the new quality productivity formation in medical institutions.Methods:Based on the two-factor productivity theory,the index evaluation system is constructed,and the composite system synergy model is used to analyze the degree of order of production factors and the degree of synergy of the composite system,and explore the change of synergy degree of each sequential covariate;and the macro model of the health system is used in conjunction with the content analysis method to carry out the frequency counting of the policies to promote the enhancement of the capacity of each production factor of the main body of innovation of the medical scientific research institutes.Results:The synergistic degree of the production factors and the composite system of medical research institutions showed a non-synergistic development trend,with the worst synergistic level in 2021;number of personnel,number of institutions,building floor space,production factors and sequential coefficients were weakly synergized and in a state of non-synergistic development.Among the 43 policy texts,the internal submodular policy tools were used more,the external submodular policy tools were used less,and the use of internal and external policy tools is unbalanced.Conclusion:The number of personnel,institutions and building area of medical research institutions are constraints on the synergistic development of innovative entities.It is recommended to increase the training of innovative talents in medical research institutions,improve the construction of new institutions,coordinate the layout of large scientific devices and functional housing,introduce targeted systematic planning,improve the market of factors of production,and consolidate the technological foundation for future development.

Objective To understand the cognition status of medical scientific research ethics review norms among physicians in tertiary hospitals and the factors influencing their awareness.Methods A survey was conducted using a questionnaire.A total of 2 067 questionnaires were distributed to physicians in tertiary hospitals in Henan Province,with an effective response rate of 81.95％.Results(1)Physicians'awareness rate of Regulations on Ethical Review of Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects reached 69.01％,while that of Opinions on Strengthening Ethical Governance in Science and Technology was only 34.30％.A total of 310 respondents were aware of all six medical research ethics-related regulations.(2)1 153 respondents were familiar with all four basic principles of medical ethics.(3)78.98％of physicians had received training in medical research ethics knowledge.Learning through medical school and special lectures made it easier for physicians to understand medical research ethics knowledge(P＜0.05).(4)The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that educational level,membership in an ethics committee,and receipt of ethics training significantly influenced physicians'understanding of medical research ethics knowledge(P＜0.05).Conclusion Physicians have low awareness of newly issued medical research ethics review norms,targeted training is needed to enhance physicians'research ethics literacy.

Objective To analyse the characteristics of spatial distribution of bed resources and bed utilization efficiency of various types of medical and health institutions in Guangxi Province in 2018-2022,and to provide a reference basis for the allocation and management of bed resources of various types of medical and health institutions.Methods Spatial autocorrelation was used to analyse the status of bed allocation in various types of medical and health institutions,and the bed efficiency index and bed utilisation model were used to evaluate the efficiency of bed utilisation.Results Bed resources per 1 000 population vary considerably across types of healthcare organisations and regions.There is no spatial correlation in the overall distribution of bed resources per 1 000 population,but there are different types of aggregation,and there will be little change in the type of aggregation and the place of aggregation from 2018 to 2022.In terms of utilisation efficiency,the bed efficiency index of maternity and child healthcare hospitals is the highest,the bed efficiency index of specialist disease prevention and treatment hospitals(institutes and stations)is the lowest,general hospitals and maternity and child healthcare hospitals are operating at high efficiency,and all other healthcare institutions are operating at low efficiency;the utilisation of bed resources in various types of healthcare institutions exists in the form of efficiency-type,turn-around-type,bed-pressure-type,and unused-type hospitals at the same time.Conclusion There is an imbalance in the allocation of bed resources in various types of medical and health institutions,with large differences in the operational and utilisation efficiencies of beds;the allocation of bed resources should be continuously optimised.