OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

The importance of evaluating the oxygen supply system of the medical aircraft was introduced.With considerations on the characteristics of the oxygen supply system of the medical aircraft during its development and application,an oxygen supply system effectiveness evaluation method was proposed based on the analytic hierarchy process and the experience of experts in the field of medical aircraft,which involved in seven evaluation indexes of total oxygen supply,pipeline airtight-ness,single-nozzle flow adjustment characteristics,single-nozzle outlet pressure adjustment characteristics,disassembly and assembly,mechanical operation and fixation ability.The effectiveness evaluation method proposed was of significance for accurately grasping the changes in the performance of the oxygen supply system.References were provided for the ground maintenance of the oxygen supply system of the medical aircraft.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(1):89-92]

Aim To observe the effeet of changes in miR-124 expression on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of HCC eells and its mecha¬nism.Methods The expression levels of miR-124 and ZEB2 were deteeted in HepG2 eells.CCK8, flow cytometry, Edu and Fran swell were used to deteet the effeets of miR-124 and ZEB2 on eell proliferation, ap¬optosis, migration and invasion.Dual lueiferase and target genes were used to prediet the targeting relation¬ship between miR-124 and ZEB2.The effeet of miR- 124 and ZEB2 on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion-related protein expression was deteeted by Western blot.Results The expression of miR-124 in HepG2 eells was lower than that in normal liver eells L-02, while ZEB2 and miR-124 showed the opposite trend.The results of bioinformaties prediction and dual lueiferase showed that the expression of ZEB2 was neg¬ atively correlated with the expression of miR-124.Overexpression of miR-124 and silencing ZEB2 signifi¬cantly inhibited cell proliferation activity, migration and invasion ability compared with the control group; silencing miR-124 and overexpression of ZEB2 signifi¬cantly promoted cell proliferation activity, migration and invasion ability.Western blot results showed that overexpression of miR-124 and silencing ZEB2 signifi¬cantly promoted Bax expression and inhibited Bcl-2, PCNA, MMP2 and MMP9 expression levels.Silencing miR-124 and overexpression ZEB2 were the opposite.Conclusion miR-124 could negatively regulate the effects of ZEB2 on the proliferation, migration and in¬vasion of HCC cells.

Objective To evaluate the effect of serum chromium on oral cancer after adjusting the covarite between groups based on propensity score matching (PSM). Methods We performed a case-control study in 395 cases of newly diagnosed primary oral cancer from the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University and 1 240 controls from the same community from January 2010 to February 2018. Using the PSM to select 309 controls randomly which were matched with the cases by 1 ∶1 matching. Conditional Logistic regression model was used to explore the association between chromium and oral cancer. Results The level of serum chromium was 178.91 (121.83-284.19) μg/L in the case group, which was lower than 324.27 (264.82-397.69) μg/L in control group, the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.001). Dose-response analysis showed that the risk of oral cancer gradually decreased with the increase of serum chromium, which presented a negative correlation. There was a negative correlation between serum chromium level and the risk for oral cancer by conditional Logistic regression,the aOR of serum chromium in the Q2, Q3 and Q4 compared with the Q1 were 0.14 (0.08-0.26), 0.15 (0.08-0.28) and 0.10 (0.05-0.20),with significant trend (Ptrend＜0.001). Stratified analysis showed the negative correlation between serum chromium and oral cancer by smoking, drinking tea, not drinking alcohol status and fish, fruits and green vegetables intake frequencies. Conclusions The high level of serum chromium is a protective factor for the incidence of oral cancer, and the higher of serum chromium, the lower risk of developing oral cancer.

OBJECTIVETo reduce health-related threats of heat waves, interventions have been implemented in many parts of the world. However, there is a lack of higher-level evidence concerning the intervention efficacy. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of an intervention to reduce the number of heat-related illnesses.

METHODSA quasi-experimental design was employed by two cross-sectional surveys in the year 2014 and 2015, including 2,240 participants and 2,356 participants, respectively. Each survey was designed to include one control group and one intervention group, which conducted in Licheng, China. A representative sample was selected using a multistage sampling method. Data, collected from questionnaires about heat waves in 2014 and 2015, were analyzed using a difference-in-difference analysis and cost effectiveness analysis. Outcomes included changes in the prevalence of heat-related illnesses and cost-effectiveness variables.

RESULTSRelative to the control participants, the prevalence of heat-related illness in the intervention participants decreased to a greater extent in rural areas than in urban areas (OR=0.495 vs. OR=1.281). Moreover, the cost-effectiveness ratio in the intervention group was less than that in the control group (US$15.06 vs. US$15.69 per participant). Furthermore, to avoid one additional patient, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio showed that an additional US$14.47 would be needed for the intervention compared to when no intervention was applied.

CONCLUSIONThe intervention program may be considered a worthwhile investment for rural areas that are more likely to experience heat waves. Meanwhile, corresponding improving measures should be presented towards urban areas. Future research should examine whether the intervention strategies could be spread out in other domestic or international regions where heat waves are usually experienced.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Community Networks ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Heat Stress Disorders ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Hot Temperature ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Young Adult

Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Cyclonic Storms ; Dysentery ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; prevention & control ; Female ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Sex Workers

BACKGROUNDPatients with single station mediastinal lymph node (N2) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a better prognosis than those with multilevel N2. The molecular factors which are involved in disease progression remain largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate gene expression differences between single station and multilevel N2 NSCLC and to identify the crucial molecular factors which are associated with progress and prognosis of stage N2 NSCLC.

METHODSGene expression analysis was performed using Agilent 4×44K Whole Human Genome Oligo Microarray on 10 freshfrozen lymph node tissue samples from single station N2 and paired multilevel N2 NSCLC patients. Real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR was used to validate the differential expression of 14 genes selected by cDNA microarray of which four were confirmed. Immunohistochemical staining for these validated genes was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffinembedded tissue samples from 130 cases of stage N2 NSCLC arranged in a high-density tissue microarray.

RESULTSWe identified a 14 gene expression signature by comparative analysis of gene expression. Expression of these genes strongly differed between single station and multilevel N2 NSCLC. Four genes (ADAM28, MUC4, CLDN1, and IGF2) correlated with the results of microarray and real-time RT-PCR analysis for the gene-expression data in samples from 56 NSCLC patients. Immunohistochemical staining for these genes in samples from 130 cases of stage N2 NSCLC demonstrated the expression of IGF2 and CLDN1 was negatively correlated with overall survival of stage N2 NSCLC.

CONCLUSIONSOur results suggest that the expression of CLDN1 and IGF2 indicate a poor prognosis in stage N2 NSCLC. Further, CLDN1 and IGF2 may provide potential targeting opportunities in future therapies.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; metabolism ; mortality ; pathology ; Claudin-1 ; analysis ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; analysis ; genetics ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; mortality ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis

Ebola virus (EBOV) causes outbreaks of a highly lethal hemorrhagic fever in humans and there are no effective therapeutic or prophylactic treatments available. The glycoprotein (GP) of EBOV is a transmembrane envelope protein known to play multiple functions including virus attachment and entry, cell rounding and cytotoxicity, down-regulation of host surface proteins, and enhancement of virus assembly and budding. GP is the primary target of protective immunity and the key target for developing neutralizing antibodies. In this paper, the research progress on genetic structure, pathogenesis and immunogenicity of EBOV GP in the last 5 years is reviewed.
Animals ; Antibodies, Viral ; immunology ; Ebolavirus ; genetics ; immunology ; physiology ; Glycoproteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola ; immunology ; virology ; Humans ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Virus Assembly

OBJECTIVETo understand the clinical features of death from hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) and to explore the early warning index of HFMD death.

METHODSA total of 41 HFMD death cases were collected as case group in Shandong province between 2009 and 2011, and another 123 serious HFMD cases were selected as control group according to the similar gender, place of origin and hospital level, with the ratio at 1:3. We investigated the general situation, clinical treatment, past medical history, clinical symptoms and signs of the ill children, and applied the conditional logistic regression to explore early warning index of HFMD death.

RESULTSThe rate of patients who had symptoms in nervous system, digestive system, circulatory system and respiratory system were separately 90.2% (37/41), 58.5% (24/41), 53.7% (22/41) and 90.2% (37/41) in case group; and the proportions were 44.7% (55/123), 13.8% (17/123), 10.6% (13/123) and 12.2% (15/123) respectively in control group. The difference between the two groups showed statistical significance (χ(2) = 25.881, 32.791, 34.011, 86.505, P < 0.05). In case group, 37 patients had neurogenic pulmonary edema, 26 patients got encephalitis, 15 patients had respiratory and circulatory failure, 7 patients got pulmonary hemorrhage, 4 patients had multiple organ failure, 4 patients got myocarditis and 1 patient had cerebral hernia. According to multi-factor logistic regression analysis, the early warning indicators of HFMD death included neck resistance (case group: 34.1% (14/41), control group: 4.1% (5/123); OR = 7.145, 95%CI: 1.748 - 29.204), vomiting (case group: 58.5% (24/41), control group: 13.8% (17/123); OR = 5.632, 95%CI: 1.793 - 17.685) and increase of heart rate (case group: 53.7% (22/41), control group: 10.6% (14/123), OR = 6.370, 95%CI: 1.517 - 26.743).

CONCLUSIONIn the process of clinical treatment and care, we should interfere the serious HFMD patients with neck resistance, vomiting and increase of heart rate, and thereby reduce the death from HFMD.

China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate