Ecological cultivation is an important way for the sustainable production of traditional Chinese medicine in the context of the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. Facility cultivation and simulative habitat cultivation modes have been developed and applied to develop the endangered Dendrobium huoshanense on the basis of protection. However, the differences in the greenhouse gas emissions and global warming potential of these cultivation modes remain unexplored, which limits the accurate assessment of carbon-friendly ecological cultivation modes of D. huoshanense. Greenhouse gas emission flux monitoring based on the static chamber method provides an effective way to solve this problem. Therefore, this study conducted a field experiment in the facility cultivation and simulative habitat cultivation modes at a D. huoshanense cultivation base in Dabie Mountains, Anhui Province. From April 2023 to March 2024, samples of greenhouse gases were collected every month, and the concentrations of CO_2, CH_4, and N_2O of the samples were then detected by gas chromatography. The greenhouse gas emission fluxes, cumulative emissions, and global warming potential were further calculated, and the following results were obtained.(1)The two cultivation modes of D. huoshanense showed significant differences in greenhouse gas emission fluxes, especially the CO_2 emission flux, with a pattern of facility cultivation>simulative habitat cultivation [(35.60±11.70)mg·m~(-2)·h~(-1) vs(2.10±4.59)mg·m~(-2)·h~(-1)].(2) The annual cumulative CO_2 emission flux in the case of facility cultivation was significantly higher than that of simulative habitat cultivation[(3 077.00±842.00)kg·hm~(-2) vs(221.00±332.00)kg·hm~(-2)], while no significant difference was found in annual cumulative CH_4 and N_2O emission fluxes.(3) The facility cultivation mode had a significantly higher global warming potential than the simulative habitat cultivation mode [(3 053.00±847.00)kg·hm~(-2) vs(196.00±362.00)kg·hm~(-2)]. Overall, the simulative habitat cultivation of D. huoshanense has obvious carbon-friendly characteristics compared with facility cultivation, which is in line with the concept of ecological cultivation of medicinal plants. This study is of great reference significance for the implementation and promotion of the ecological cultivation mode of D. huoshanense under carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.
Dendrobium/chemistry* ; Greenhouse Gases/metabolism* ; Carbon/analysis* ; Ecosystem ; Carbon Dioxide/metabolism* ; China ; Global Warming

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effect of personalized puncture planning before surgery using Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures in the elderly. METHODS: A total of 69 elderly patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty from January 2020 20 to December 2021 with more than 1 year of follow-up were analyzed retrospectively. Thirty-four patients were individualized for preoperative planning with PACS software (observation group), including 8 males and 26 females, with a mean age of (73.30±7.96) years old;and 35 patients were treated with conventional treatment (control group), including 7 males and 28 females, with a mean age of (77.30±7.84) years old. The operation time, the amount of cement injection, cement leakage rate, bone watertight diffusion and refracture within 1 year between two groups were observed and compared. The Cobb's angle, low back pain visual analogue scale(VAS) and the modified Oswsetry disability indexes(ODI) before surgery and 1 day, 1 year after surgery were compared between two groups. RESULTS: Both groups successfully completed the operation without serious surgical complications, 2 refractures occurred in the control group. The operation time in the observation group was(41.9±11.9) min, which was less than that in the control group (52.7±13.6) min (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the cement injection volume between two groups (P>0.05). Two cases of cement leakage in the observation group was less than 8 in the control group (P<0.05). The bone cement distribution index of two groups had significant difference(P<0.05). There were no significant differences between two groups in Cobb's angle of the injured vertebras and ODI before and 1 day after surgery(P>0.05), however, the comparative differences were statistically significant at 1 year after surgery(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the VAS between two groups at each time period(P>0.05). CONCLUSION Using the PACS software to plan personalized puncture scheme can reduce the operation time, reduce the cement leakage rate, improve the diffusion of bone cement and longer maintain the postoperative form of vertebral body and the functional state of patients' lumbar back.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Vertebroplasty/methods* ; Fractures, Compression/diagnostic imaging* ; Spinal Fractures/diagnostic imaging* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/diagnostic imaging* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Retrospective Studies ; Radiology Information Systems

Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), one of the most severe types of male infertility, etiology often remains unclear in most cases. Therefore, this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants (0.5%) in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2 ( MCMDC2 ) genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients (c.1360G>T, c.1956G>T, and c.685C>T) and hypospermatogenesis in one patient (c.94G>T), as further confirmed through immunofluorescence (IF) staining. The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis. The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses. The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA, which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Meiosis/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Adult ; Exome Sequencing ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics* ; Alleles ; Infertility, Male/genetics*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the genomic characteristics and prognostic factors of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) with RAS mutations. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of JMML children with RAS mutations treated at the Hematology Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from January 2008 to November 2022. RESULTS: A total of 34 children were included, with 17 cases (50%) having isolated NRAS mutations, 9 cases (27%) having isolated KRAS mutations, and 8 cases (24%) having compound mutations. Compared to children with isolated NRAS mutations, those with NRAS compound mutations showed statistically significant differences in age at onset, platelet count, and fetal hemoglobin proportion (P<0.05). Cox proportional hazards regression model analysis revealed that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and hepatomegaly (≥2 cm below the costal margin) were factors affecting the survival rate of JMML children with RAS mutations (P<0.05); hepatomegaly was a factor affecting survival in the non-HSCT group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Children with NRAS compound mutations have a later onset age compared to those with isolated NRAS mutations. At initial diagnosis, children with NRAS compound mutations have poorer peripheral platelet and fetal hemoglobin levels than those with isolated NRAS mutations. Liver size at initial diagnosis is related to the prognosis of JMML children with RAS mutations. HSCT can improve the prognosis of JMML children with RAS mutations.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Juvenile/therapy* ; Mutation ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Retrospective Studies ; Child ; Infant ; GTP Phosphohydrolases/genetics* ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Adolescent ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/genetics* ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) serves as a treasure trove of ancient knowledge, holding a crucial position in the medical field. However, the exploration of TCM's extensive information has been hindered by challenges related to data standardization, completeness, and accuracy, primarily due to the decentralized distribution of TCM resources. To address these issues, we developed a platform for TCM knowledge discovery (TCMKD, https://cbcb.cdutcm.edu.cn/TCMKD/). Seven types of data, including syndromes, formulas, Chinese patent drugs (CPDs), Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs), ingredients, targets, and diseases, were manually proofread and consolidated within TCMKD. To strengthen the integration of TCM with modern medicine, TCMKD employs analytical methods such as TCM data mining, enrichment analysis, and network localization and separation. These tools help elucidate the molecular-level commonalities between TCM and contemporary scientific insights. In addition to its analytical capabilities, a quick question and answer (Q&A) system is also embedded within TCMKD to query the database efficiently, thereby improving the interactivity of the platform. The platform also provides a TCM text annotation tool, offering a simple and efficient method for TCM text mining. Overall, TCMKD not only has the potential to become a pivotal repository for TCM, delving into the pharmacological foundations of TCM treatments, but its flexible embedded tools and algorithms can also be applied to the study of other traditional medical systems, extending beyond just TCM.

Objective:Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) cell lines were established using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a patient suffering from neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) who carried Adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter A3 ( ABCA3) compound heterozygous mutations. Methods:Cell experimental research.Peripheral venous blood was collected and PBMCs were isolated and cultured in vitro. PBMCs were transfected with non-integrated Sendai vector carrying reprogramming factors.The chromosome karyotypes of the established iPSCs were analyzed.Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry were used to detect pluripotency markers of stem cells and verify their differentiation potential.Sanger sequencing was performed to analyze gene mutations.In addition, short tandem repeat (STR) analysis was performed, polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and agarose gel electrophoresis were used to detect virus residual. Results:Karyotype analysis of established iPSCs cell lines showed normal diploid 46, XY karyotype.Immunofluorescence showed positive staining of stem cell pluripotency markers OCT4, SSEA4, Nanog and Sox2.Flow cytometry was used to detected stem cell pluripotency markers and showed expression of TRA-1-60, SSEA-4 and OCT4.After differentiation into all three germ layers, immunofluorescence was performed to detect ectoderm (Pax-6), mesoderm (Brachyury) and endoderm alpha-fetoprotein markers, and the results showed positive staining, which confirmed that the iPSCs had the potential to differentiate.Sanger sequencing showed c. 3997_3998del and c. 3137C>T compound heterozygous mutations.STR analysis showed they originate from PBMCs, and no Sendai virus residual was detected by PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis.Conclusions:In this study, PBMCs from patient carrying ABCA3 compound heterozygous mutations was used to establish iPSCs cell lines.The research lays a foundation for the study of pathogenesis, therapeutic drug screening and cell therapy of NRDS caused by ABCA3 gene mutations.

Objective:To explore the discharge readiness and influencing factors of patients with multimorbidity, and to formulate corresponding strategies to guide clinical work.Methods:In a cross-sectional study, 183 patients were surveyed by convenience sample method for Department of General Practice, the Third Hospital of Peking University February in to December 2022. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the factors affecting discharge readiness.Results:All 183 coexisting patients, 95 males, 88 females, mean age (67.34 ± 10.36) years old. Mean discharge readiness was (109.83 ± 18.40). 54.9% of the factors for patients with multiple chronic diseases came from the perception of self-care disorder, hospitalization, stay, and preparation for discharge ( R2=0.549, P<0.05). Conclusions:The discharge readiness of patients with multiple chronic diseases in general medicine is at a high level, and clinical nursing staff should give early intervention to the patients who perceive self-care barriers, need to stay with them, have multiple hospitalization, and are not ready for discharge, so as to ensure that the patients are in a good state of discharge readiness.

BACKGROUND:Many clinical research observations have indicated a close association between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis as well as bone mineral density(BMD).However,it remains unclear whether there is a causal genetic relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and the development of osteoporosis and alterations of BMD. OBJECTIVE:To assess the potential causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis as well as BMD using a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach,provide meaningful insights from a genetic perspective into the underlying mechanisms and offer a reference for early prevention of osteoporosis and improvement in the progression of the disease. METHODS:We conducted a study using data from publicly available genome-wide association studies databases to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with rheumatoid arthritis as instrumental variables(P＜5×10-8).The main outcomes of the study included osteoporosis and BMD at five different sites,including total body BMD,lumbar spine BMD,femoral neck BMD,heel BMD,and forearm BMD.The inverse variance-weighted method was used as the primary analysis method to evaluate causal effects.Weighted median,simple median,weighted mode and MR-Egger regression were used as supplementary analyses.Causal relationships between rheumatoid arthritis and the risk of osteoporosis and BMD were assessed using odds ratios(OR)and 95%confidence intervals(CI).Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q test and horizontal pleiotropy was evaluated using MR-Egger intercept tests. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The inverse variance-weighted analysis demonstrated a positive association between genetically predicted rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis(OR=1.123,95%CI:1.077-1.171;P=4.02×10-8).Heterogeneity test(P=0.388)indicated no significant heterogeneity among the single nucleotide polymorphisms.MR-Egger intercept(P=0.571)tests did not detect horizontal pleiotropy,and sensitivity analysis showed no evidence of bias in the study results.There was no causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and BMD at the five different sites.The total body BMD(OR=1.000,95%CI:0.988-1.012;P=0.925),lumbar spine BMD(OR=0.999,95%CI:0.982-1.016;P=0.937),femoral neck BMD(OR=1.001,95%CI:0.986-1.016;P=0.866),heel BMD(OR=0.996,95%CI:0.989-1.004;P=0.419),and forearm BMD(OR=1.063,95%CI:0.970-1.031;P=0.996)indicated no significant association.MR-Egger intercept analysis did not detect potential horizontal pleiotropy(total body BMD:P=0.253;lumbar spine BMD:P=0.638;femoral neck BMD:P=0.553;heel BMD:P=0.444;forearm BMD:P=0.079).Rheumatoid arthritis may contribute to the development of osteoporosis through the interaction between chronic inflammation and bone formation,resorption,and absorption.Additionally,the use of glucocorticoids and the presence of autoantibodies(such as anti-citrullinated protein antibody)in patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed associations with osteoporosis.Future research should focus on monitoring systemic inflammatory markers,standardized use of glucocorticoids,and regular screening for osteoporosis risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective To study the role of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 9(UBC9)in the pyroptosis of homocysteine-induced macrophages mediated by small ubiquitin-like modifier(SUMO)modification.Methods First,the effects of homocysteine at different concentrations(0 μmol/L,50 μ.mol/L,100 μmol/L,150 μmol/L and 200 μmol/L)on the viability and pyrodeath of mouse macrophages(RAW264.7)were detected by CCK-8 and Western blot.Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of UBC9,SUMO-1,and the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β in different groups of cells.qRT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of UBC9 before and after RNA interference and the expression of UBC9,pyrogen-related protein,and SUMO-1 after RNA interference.Results After stimulation with 100 μmol/L homocysteine,the effect of macrophage activity was minimal,and NLRP3 and Caspase-1 were the proteins with the most obvious increase in expression(P＜0.05).Compared with the Control group,the Hcy group's expression of IL-1β and SUMO-1 was increased(P＜0.01).Compared with the Control group,the Hcy group's UBC9 protein and mRNA levels were increased(P＜0.05).The expression of NLRP3,Caspase-1,IL-1β,UBC9,and SUMO-1 was decreased in the si-UBC9+Hcy group compared with the si-NC+Hcy group(P＜0.01).Conclusions Homocysteine induces pyroptosis in macrophages,and its mechanism of action is related to the up-regulation of UBC9 to induce SUMO modification.