Objective:To explore the effectiveness of modified objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) for evaluating the core competencies of new nurses on standardized training in neurosurgery.Methods:Thirty-seven new nurses on standardized training in neurosurgery were evaluated using a modified OSCE protocol that was focused on core competencies required for clinical nursing practice on the basis of a clinical case library, which consisted of diagnostic assessment upon entrance, process teaching evaluation during training, and outcome assessment upon exit, at five OSCE stations (nursing assessment, skill practice, clinical thinking, health education, and humanistic care). SPSS 26.0 was used to perform the t-test and rank sum test. Results:The nurses highly recognized the effectiveness of modified OSCE and were largely satisfied with teaching. There were significant differences at entrance and exit in terms of the mean OSCE score ( t=24.21, P<0.001), independent learning ability ( t=10.29, P<0.001), and the scores of core competencies—good personal traits ( Z=5.24, P<0.001), clinical nursing ability ( Z=5.07, P<0.001), support and interpersonal communication ability ( Z=5.12, P<0.001), critical clinical thinking ability ( Z=5.17, P<0.001), professional construction and self-development ( Z=5.05, P<0.001), and the total score ( Z=5.27, P<0.001). Conclusions:The modified OSCE can comprehensively evaluate the core competencies of new nurses in neurosurgery standardized training, with good feasibility and effectiveness, which provides a reference for teaching management of standardized training programs.

Aim To examine the neuroprotective im-pacts of total saponins from Trillium tschonoskii maxim(TST)on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CIRI)in rats and delve into the mechanisms of ferroptosis.Methods The CIRI model was prepared by dividing male SD rats into the model group,TST(0.1 g·kg-1)group,Donepezil hydrochloride(0.45 mg·kg-1)group,and sham group.The cognitive functions of rats in each group were assessed through the Morris water maze test,the changes in neurological function were evaluated using the Zea-Longa method,the infarct area was observed via TTC staining,and the pathologi-cal alterations in brain tissue were analysed using HE and Nissl staining.To further investigate the underly-ing mechanism,the mitochondrial structural changes were examined using transmission electron microscopy,and the levels of GSH-PX,MDA,and SOD were ana-lyzed.Additionally,the expressions of GPX4 and Nrf2 proteins were evaluated through immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.Furthermore,the protein lev-els of Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 and Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathways in rats were examined using Western blot-ting.Results The rats in the model group displayed diminished learning and memory capabilities in com-parison to those in the sham group,as well as a signifi-cantly increased cerebral infarction area and higher neurological function scores(P＜0.01),significantly increased cerebral infarct area,disordered and loosely arranged neurons,and reduced Nissl bodies.Addition-ally,mitochondria showed typical signs of ferroptosis.Changes related to ferroptosis included decreased activ-ities of SOD and GSH-PX(P＜0.01)and increased MDA levels(P＜0.01).The expression of GPX4 and Nrf2-positive cells was significantly reduced,along with decreased fluorescence intensity of GPX4.Further-more,the protein expression of Keap1,Nrf2,HO-1,GPX4,SLC7A11 in the hippocampus decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Following the administration of TST,these effects showed improvement.Conclusions TST has neuroprotective effects,enhancing learning and memory abilities while reducing oxidative stress levels.The mechanism may involve the inhibition of ferroptosis through the Keap-1/Nrf2/HO-1 and Nrf2/SLC7 A11/GPX4 pathways.

Aim To investigate the mechanism of Banxia Baizhu Tianma Decoction(BBTD)in interfer-ing methamphetamine(MA)addiction using network pharmacology.Methods The mechanism of BBTD intervention in MA addiction was analyzed using net-work pharmacology,and MA-dependent SH-SY5Y cell model was further constructed to observe the effects of BBTD on cell model and PI3K-Akt pathway.Results A total of 88 active ingredients and 583 potential tar-gets of BBTD were screened.KEGG analysis showed that BBTD might intervene in MA addiction through PI3K-Akt,cAMP and other pathways.The molecular docking results showed that key active ingredients ex-hibited strong binding ability with core targets of PI3K-Akt pathway.In vitro experiments showed that MA-de-pendent model cells had shorter synapses,tended to be elliptical in morphology,had blurred cell boundaries,showed typical cell damage morphology,and had high intracellular expression of cAMP(P＜0.01)and low expression of 5-HT(P＜0.05).BBTD intervention could counteract the above morphology,cAMP,and 5-HT changes,suggesting that it had therapeutic effects on MA-dependent model cells.Western blot showed that MA modeling elevated the p-PI3K/PI3K(P＜0.05)and p-Akt/Akt(P＜0.01);BBTD inter-vention decreased their relative expression.Conclu-sions Gastrodin and other active ingredients in BBTD have therapeutic effects on MA addiction,and the mechanism may be related to regulation of PI3K-Akt pathway relevant targets.

Objective:To investigate the molecular mechanism of proteolytic cleavage of unusually large von Willebrand Factor(ULVWF)on endothelial cells by ADAMTS13(a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 repeats-13)in the absence of fluid shear stress,so as to provide a theoretical basis for the pathogenesis of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura(TTP)and other thrombotic disorders.Methods:The ADAMTS13-mediated proteolysis of ULVWF on the surface of endothelial cells in the absence of fluid shear stress was observed through immunofluorescence microscopy.The variation in VWF antigen levels in the conditioned media were determined by ELISA assay.The levels of VWF and the proteolytic fragments released into the conditioned media were determined by ELISA assay and Western blot in the absence and presence of fluid shear stress or FⅧ.The effect of ADAMTS13-mediated ULVWF cleavage on the normal distribution of plasma VWF multimers was evaluated by multimer analysis.Histamine stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs)were incubated with ADAMTS13 and various N-and C-terminally truncated mutants.Then the ULVWF that maintained binding to the cells were observed through immunofluorescence microscopy and the soluble ULVWF released from endothelial cells was determined by ELISA,so as to demonstrate the domains of ADAMTS13 required for proteolysis of ULVWF on endothelial cells.Results:The ULVWF strings on the endothelial cell surface were rapidly proteolyzed by recombinant and plasma ADAMTS13 in the absence of fluid shear stress.This proteolytic processing of ULVWF depended on incubation time and AD AMTS 13 concentration,but not shear stress and FⅧ.The distribution of VWF releaseded by ADAMTS13-mediated proteolysis was quite similar to that secreted by endothelial cells under histamine stimulation,suggesting the ULVWF cleavage occured at the cell surface.The proteolysis of the ULVWF on endothelial cells required the Cys-rich(CysR)and spacer domains,but not the TSP1 2-8 and CUB domains of ADAMTS13.Conclusion:The ULVWF polymers on endothelial cells are sensitive to ADAMTS13-mediated cleavage even in the absence of fluid shear stress.The findings provide novel insight into the molecular mechanism of ADAMTS13-mediated ULVWF cleavage at the cellular level and may contribute to understanding of the pathogenesis of TTP and other thrombotic disorders.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from salt-processed Citri Reticulatae Semen and their antioxidant activities.METHODS The 85% ethanol extract from salt-processed Citri Reticulatae Semen was isolated and purified by silica gel,D101 macroporous resins,MCI,ODS,Sephadex LH-20 and semi-prepative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.Their antioxidant activities in vitro of the ethanol extract of Citri Reticulatae Semen,salt-processed Citri Reticulatae Semen and all the obtained compounds were evaluated by DPPH and ABTS+assay.RESULTS Sixteen compounds were isolated and identified as limonin(1),obacunone(2),nomilin(3),deacetyl nomilin(4),kaempferol(5),nobiletin(6),diosmetin(7),isosakuranetin(8),hesperetin(9),epicatechin(10),trans-p-menthane-1α,2β,8-triol(11),byakangelicin(12),vanillin(13),p-coumaric acid(14),4-[(1-ethoxy-2-hydroxy)ethyl]phenol(15),catechol(16).Compound 10 showed strong DPPH free radical scavenging activity,with an IC50 value of(0.015±0.001)μmol/mL,and strong ABTS+radical scavenging activity,with an IC50 value of(0.010±0.005)μmol/mL.CONCLUSION Compounds 8,11,15-16 are isolated from genus Citrus for the first time,5,12,14 are obtained from Citri Reticulatae Semen for the first time.Compound 10 shows obvious antioxidant activities.After salt roasting,the antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract of Citri Reticulatae Semen is enhanced.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)in twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks,and to provide a basis for early identification of BPD in twin preterm infants in clinical practice.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks who were admitted to 22 hospitals nationwide from January 2018 to December 2020.According to their conditions,they were divided into group A(both twins had BPD),group B(only one twin had BPD),and group C(neither twin had BPD).The risk factors for BPD in twin preterm infants were analyzed.Further analysis was conducted on group B to investigate the postnatal risk factors for BPD within twins.Results A total of 904 pairs of twins with a gestational age of<34 weeks were included in this study.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with group C,birth weight discordance of>25%between the twins was an independent risk factor for BPD in one of the twins(OR=3.370,95%CI:1.500-7.568,P<0.05),and high gestational age at birth was a protective factor against BPD(P<0.05).The conditional logistic regression analysis of group B showed that small-for-gestational-age(SGA)birth was an independent risk factor for BPD in individual twins(OR=5.017,95%CI:1.040-24.190,P<0.05).Conclusions The development of BPD in twin preterm infants is associated with gestational age,birth weight discordance between the twins,and SGA birth.

Objective To evaluate the effect of delayed cleaning on the cleaning and disinfection quality of gastro-scopes after pre-treatment with different solutions.Methods According to the factorial design table,combination of the pre-treatment cleaning solutions(factor A)(including multi-enzyme cleaning solution[A1],clean water[A2])and delayed cleaning durations(factor B)(including 0 minutes after pre-treatment[B1],30 minutes after pre-treat-ment[B2],1 hour after pre-treatment[B3],and 3 hours after pre-treatment[B4])yielded eight groups(A1B1,A1B2,A1B3,A1B4,A2B1,A2B2,A2B3,A2B4).According to the usage order of gastroscopes,96 gastroscopes used in the digestive endoscopy center of a tertiary first-class hospital from May to September,2023 were randomly assigned to each group by random number table method,with 12 gastroscopes in each group.Specimens were taken at four time points:after pre-treatment,before cleaning,after cleaning,and after disinfection.Due to instant clea-ning,no specimen before cleaning were taken from A1B1 and A2B1 groups,thus only 3 specimens were taken from these two groups each.Four specimens were taken from gastroscopes in the rest groups,resulting in 360 specimens in total.The internal condition of the biopsy cavity was observed through a cavity detector during each delayed cleaning period after pre-treatment,and specimens were taken at the subsequent reprocessing processes of the gas-troscopes.The microbial conditions of the gastroscopes after pre-treatment,before cleaning,after cleaning,and af-ter disinfection were compared.Results After pre-treatment with multi-enzyme cleaning solution and clean water,there was no statistically significant difference in microbiological detection result(P＞0.05).The biopsy cavity re-mained moist during the delayed cleaning period.There was no statistically significant difference in the microbial de-tection results of factors A and B before and after delayed cleaning as well as after disinfection(all P＞0.05).There was no interaction effect between factor A and B.The distribution of bacterial colonies and disinfection qualified rate of gastroscopes after pre-treatment with two cleaning solutions were also not statistically different(both P＞0.05).Conclusion Delayed cleaning for 30 minutes,1 hour,and 3 hours after pre-treatment does not affect the cleaning and disinfection quality of gastroscopes.When clinical demand is urgent,immediate cleaning should be carried out.However,a certain buffering time(no longer than 3 hours)before cleaning is acceptable,when cleaning and disin-fection workload is heavy and timely cleaning cannot be carried out.

OBJECTIVE: To study the in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects of the polysaccharide of Alocasia cucullata (PAC) and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: B16F10 and 4T1 cells were cultured with PAC of 40 µg/mL, and PAC was withdrawn after 40 days of administration. The cell viability was detected by cell counting kit-8. The expression of Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 proteins were detected by Western blot and the expressions of ERK1/2 mRNA were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A mouse melanoma model was established to study the effect of PAC during long-time administration. Mice were divided into 3 treatment groups: control group treated with saline water, positive control group (LNT group) treated with lentinan at 100 mg/(kg·d), and PAC group treated with PAC at 120 mg/(kg·d). The pathological changes of tumor tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The apoptosis of tumor tissues was detected by TUNEL staining. Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 protein expressions were detected by immunohistochemistry, and the expressions of ERK1/2, JNK1 and p38 mRNA were detected by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: In vitro, no strong inhibitory effects of PAC were found in various tumor cells after 48 or 72 h of administration. Interestingly however, after 40 days of cultivation under PAC, an inhibitory effect on B16F10 cells was found. Correspondingly, the long-time administration of PAC led to downregulation of Bcl-2 protein (P<0.05), up-regulation of Caspase-3 protein (P<0.05) and ERK1 mRNA (P<0.05) in B16F10 cells. The above results were verified by in vivo experiments. In addition, viability of B16F10 cells under long-time administration culture in vitro decreased after drug withdrawal, and similar results were also observed in 4T1 cells. CONCLUSIONS Long-time administration of PAC can significantly inhibit viability and promote apoptosis of tumor cells, and had obvious antitumor effect in tumor-bearing mice.
Mice ; Animals ; Alocasia/metabolism* ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Caspase 3/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism*

Objective To explore the impact of high intensity focused ultrasound(HIFU)treatment on ovarian reserve capacity in adenomyosis.Methods Clinical data of 106 adenomyosis patients who underwent HIFU treatment from May 2019 to December 2020 at some hospital were analyzed retrospectively.All the patients were treated with HIFU,and color Doppler ultrasonography was performed before and after 6 months of treatment,respectively.The resistance index,pulsatility index,vascularization index,blood flow index,vascularization blood flow index and sinus follicle number were obtained,and serum anti-Mullerian hormone(AMH),follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)and luteinizing hormone(luteinizing hormone)were measured.The correlation between serum AMH levels and FSH and LH levels was analyzed.SPSS 21.0 statistical software was used for data analysis.Results After 6 months of treatment serum FSH,LH,value of FSH/LH,resistance index and pulsatility index significantly decreased while vascularization index,blood flow index,vascularization blood flow index,number of sinus follicles,and serum AMH level obviously increased when compared with those before treatment,with the differences being statistically significant(P＜0.05).Serum AMH levels were negatively correlated with FSH and LH levels(r=-0.448,-0.527,P＜0.05)after 6 months of treatment.Conclusion HIFU treatment reduces sex hormone levels,elevates serum AMH levels and sinus follicle number,and may improve ovarian reserve capacity in patients with adenomyosis.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(1):67-70]

ObjectiveTo analyse the clinical characteristics of different traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes in patients with heart failure based on information from electronic medical record. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted to collect clinical data of all inpatients with heart failure in the Department of Cardiology， Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 1， 2019 to December 31， 2020. A database of clinical TCM data was established to explore the characteristics of clinical data of basic information， syndromes and syndrome element types， and biochemical indexes. The distribution of TCM syndromes and syndrome elements in heart failure patients were also analysed， and the basic information and biochemical indexes of the patients with top 7 different TCM syndrome types were compared. ResultsA total of 1676 inpatients with heart fai-lure were included. The top 7 TCM syndromes of heart failure were syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis （477 cases， 28.46%）， syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis （439 cases， 26.19%）， syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis with water retention （274 cases， 16.35%）， syndrome of yang deficiency with water retention （145 cases， 8.65%）， syndrome of qi and yin deficiency （104 cases， 6.21%）， syndrome of qi and yin deficiency with blood stasis （80 cases， 4.77%）， syndrome of heart yang deficiency （59 cases， 3.52%）. Among the 1676 patients， 6 syndrome elements accounted for more than 5%. Blood stasis accounted for the highest proportion of TCM syndrome element type （1292 cases， 77.09%）， followed by qi deficiency （919 cases， 54.83%）， phlegm （498 cases， 29.71%）， water retention （434 cases， 25.89%）， yang deficiency （215 cases， 12.82%） and yin deficiency （191 cases， 11.40%）. Among the 1676 patients， 1308 cases of acute heart failure mainly showed syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis （386 cases， 29.51%）， and 368 of chronic heart fai-lure mainly showed syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis （118 cases， 32.07%）. Patients with syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis had the shortest disease duration of 0.3 months， while those with syndrome of heart yang deficiency had the longest disease duration of 15 months. The proportion of syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis was the highest in patients with heart failure combined with coronary artery disease， the proportion of syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis with water retention was the highest in patients with heart failure combined with atrial fibrillation， and the proportion of patients with syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis with water retention and syndrome of yang deficiency with water retention in those applying diuretics during the hospital stay was the highest with more than 86%. The different 7 TCM syndromes showed statistically difference in patients with complications including coronary artery disease， old myocardial infarction， atrial fibrillation， pre and post-admission medication usage including intravenous vasodilators， cardiac stimulants， diuretics， and level of blood chloride， blood urea， blood creatinine， blood bicarbonate， blood albumin， and blood total bilirubin （P＜0.05）. ConclusionThe most common TCM syndromes in patients with heart failure are syndrome of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis and syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis. Different TCM syndromes have different characteristics in gender， disease complications， medication before and after admission， and blood indexes.