OBJECTIVE: To investigate possible associations between physical function assessment scales, such as Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS), with all-cause mortality in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients. METHODS: A total of 108 ADHF patients were analyzed from October 2020 to October 2022, and followed up to May 2023. The association between baseline clinical characteristics and all-cause mortality was analyzed by univariate Cox regression analysis, while for SPPB and BBS, univariate Cox regression analysis was followed by receiver operating characteristic curves, in which the area under the curve represented their predictive accuracy for all-cause mortality. Incremental predictive values for both physical function assessments were measured by calculating net reclassification index and integrated discrimination improvement scores. Optimal cut-off value for BBS was then identified using restricted cubic spline plots, and survival differences below and above that cut-off were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the log-rank test. The clinical utility of BBS was measured using decision curve analysis. RESULTS: For baseline characteristics, age, female, blood urea nitrogen, as well as statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, or angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors, were predictive for all-cause mortality for ADHF patients. With respect to SPPB and BBS, higher scores were associated with lower all-cause mortality rates for both assessments; similar area under the curves were measured for both (0.774 for SPPB and 0.776 for BBS). Furthermore, BBS ≤ 36.5 was associated with significantly higher mortality, which was still applicable even adjusting for confounding factors; BBS was also found to have great clinical utility under decision curve analysis. CONCLUSIONS BBS or SPPB could be used as tools to assess physical function in ageing ADHF patients, as well as prognosticate on all-cause mortality. Moreover, prioritizing the improvement of balance capabilities of ADHF patients in cardiac rehabilitation regimens could aid in lowering mortality risk.

Objective: To investigate the clinical presentation and genetic characteristics of malignant infantile osteopetrosis. Methods: This was a retrospective case study. Thirty-seven children with malignant infantile osteopetrosis admitted into Beijing Children's Hospital from January 2013 to September 2022 were enrolled in this study. According to the gene mutations, the patients were divided into the CLCN7 group and the TCIRG1 group. Clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, and prognosis were compared between two groups. Wilcoxon test or Fisher exact test were used in inter-group comparison. The survival rate was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method and the Log-Rank test was used to compare the difference in survival between groups. Results: Among the 37 cases, there were 22 males and 15 females. The age of diagnosis was 0.5 (0.2, 1.0) year. There were 13 patients (35%) and 24 patients (65%) with mutations in CLCN7 and TCIRGI gene respectively. Patients in the CLCN7 group had an older age of diagnosis than those in the TCIRGI group (1.2 (0.4, 3.6) vs. 0.4 (0.2, 0.6) years, Z=-2.60, P=0.008). The levels of serum phosphorus (1.7 (1.3, 1.8) vs. 1.1 (0.8, 1.6) mmol/L, Z=-2.59, P=0.010), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) (457 (143, 610) vs. 56 (37, 82) U/L, Z=-3.38, P=0.001) and the level of neutrophils (14.0 (9.9, 18.1) vs. 9.2 (6.7, 11.1) ×10⁹/L, Z=-2.07, P=0.039) at diagnosis were higher in the CLCN7 group than that in the TCIRG1 group. However, the level of D-dimer in the CLCN7 group was lower than that in the TCIRGI group (2.7 (1.0, 3.1) vs. 6.3 (2.5, 9.7) μg/L, Z=2.83, P=0.005). After hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, there was no significant difference in 5-year overall survival rate between the two groups (92.3%±7.4% vs. 83.3%±7.6%, χ²=0.56, P=0.456). Conclusions: TCIRGI gene mutations are more common in children with osteopetrosis. Children with TCIRGI gene mutations have younger age, lower levels of phosphorus, CK-MB, and neutrophils and higher level of D-dimer at the onset. After hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, patients with CLCN7 or TCIRGI gene mutations have similar prognosis.
Child ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Osteopetrosis/therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Prognosis ; Genes, Recessive ; Phosphorus ; Chloride Channels/genetics* ; Vacuolar Proton-Translocating ATPases/genetics*

AIM:To investigate the effects of cordycepin on the motor and cognition in Parkinson disease mice induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP).METHODS:C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with MPTP at a dose of 30 mg/kg daily for consecutive 8 d to establish the model of Parkinson disease.HE staining was used to observe the cell number in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) from the mice.Western blot was used to detect the protein level of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in substantia nigra (SN).The effects of cordycepin on the motor, emotional change and cognitive behavior of the Parkinson disease mice were examined by open-field test (OFT) , spontaneous alternating behavior (SAB) and water maze test (WMT) , respectively.RESULTS:Cordycepin significantly reduced the apoptosis of cells in SNpc and reversed the decrease in the expression of TH in SN induced by MPTP (P<0.05).Furthermore, cordycepin was able to improve the average speed in OFT (P<0.05) , and increased the total number of arm entry and the accuracy in SAB (P<0.05) , but had no obvious effect on the latency in WMT.CONCLU-SION:Cordycepin is capable of attenuating the impairments of motor and explorative ability in the early stage of Parkinson disease mice, but does not alter the cognitive dysfunction.

OBJECTIVES: To establish a high performance liquid chromatographic （HPLC） method for simultaneous determination of three effective constituents, including tetrahydrocannabinol （THC）, cannabidiol （CBD） and cannabinol （CBN） in Cannabis plants. METHODS: A C₁₈ column was used in this study, and acetonitrile-phosphate buffer （0.015 mol/L KH₂PO₄） was used as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. At a detection wavelength of 220 mm, UV absorption spectra were collected at the wavelength range of 190-400 nm, and the spectra and retention time were counted as qualitative evidence. RESULTS: THC, CBD and CBN could be well separated by this method. Three components had good linear relationship in the range of 0.4-40 μg/mL （R²≥0.999 3）. The recoveries were over 87%. The limits of detection were 1.8 ng, 2.0 ng and 1.3 ng, respectively. The relative standard deviation （RSD） were less than 5% for both inter-day and intra-day precisions. CONCLUSIONS Reversed-phase HPLC method is simple, rapid and accurate, and it is suitable for the qualitative and quantitative detection of THC, CBD and CBN in Cannabis plants.
Cannabidiol/analysis* ; Cannabinol/analysis* ; Cannabis/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Dronabinol/analysis*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the application of MSCT and post-processing images to fractures of nasal bone in forensic identification. METHODS: 134 cases were examined by thin slice scanning with MSCT and all of the data were sent to workstation for MPR and SSD. The result of MSCT was compared with that of X-ray. RESULTS: There are 55 (41.04%) cases of linear fracture, 46 (34.33%) cases of comminuted fracture, 27 (20.15%) cases of depressed fracture and 6 (4.48%) cases of no fracture in this sample. With X-ray or CR, 48 (35.82%) cases were misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. 133 (99.25%) cases were confirmed by MSCT. Significance difference was found between X-ray and MSCT (chi2= 45.0816, P<0.001). CONCLUSION MSCT and post-processing images might be the chief evidence for nasal fractures in forensic identification.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Female ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Fractures, Comminuted/diagnostic imaging* ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasal Bone/injuries* ; Skull Fractures/diagnostic imaging* ; Tomography, Spiral Computed/methods* ; Young Adult