BACKGROUND: The available evidence regarding the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients receiving dialysis with coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCI and clinical outcomes as compared with medical therapy alone in patients undergoing dialysis with CAD in China. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study was conducted in 30 tertiary medical centers across 12 provinces in China from January 2015 to June 2021 to include patients on dialysis with CAD. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. Secondary outcomes included all-cause death, the individual components of MACE, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria types 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between PCI and outcomes. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to account for potential between-group differences. RESULTS: Of the 1146 patients on dialysis with significant CAD, 821 (71.6%) underwent PCI. After a median follow-up of 23.0 months, PCI was associated with a 43.0% significantly lower risk for MACE (33.9% [ n  = 278] vs . 43.7% [ n  = 142]; adjusted hazards ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.71), along with a slightly increased risk for bleeding outcomes that did not reach statistical significance (11.1% vs . 8.3%; adjusted hazards ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval, 0.82-2.11). Furthermore, PCI was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities. Subgroup analysis did not modify the association of PCI with patient outcomes. These primary findings were consistent across IPTW, PSM, and competing risk analyses. CONCLUSION This study indicated that PCI in patients on dialysis with CAD was significantly associated with lower MACE and mortality when comparing with those with medical therapy alone, albeit with a slightly increased risk for bleeding events that did not reach statistical significance.
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; China ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome

Jiuwei Xifeng Granules have become a Chinese patent medicine in the market. Because the formula contains Os Draconis, a top-level protected fossil of ancient organisms, the formula was to be improved by replacing Os Draconis with Ostreae Concha. To evaluate whether the improved formula has the same effectiveness and safety as the original formula, a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, equivalence clinical trial was conducted. This study enrolled 288 tic disorder(TD) of children and assigned them into two groups in 1∶1. The treatment group and control group took the modified formula and original formula, respectively. The treatment lasted for 6 weeks, and follow-up visits were conducted at weeks 2, 4, and 6. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference in Yale global tic severity scale(YGTSS)-total tic severity(TTS) score from baseline after 6 weeks of treatment. The results showed that after 6 weeks of treatment, the declines in YGTSS-TSS score showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The difference in YGTSS-TSS score(treatment group-control group) and the 95%CI of the full analysis set(FAS) were-0.17[-1.42, 1.08] and those of per-protocol set(PPS) were 0.29[-0.97, 1.56], which were within the equivalence boundary [-3, 3]. The equivalence test was therefore concluded. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary efficacy endpoints of effective rate for TD, total score and factor scores of YGTSS, clinical global impressions-severity(CGI-S) score, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) response rate, or symptom disappearance rate, and thus a complete evidence chain with the primary outcome was formed. A total of 6 adverse reactions were reported, including 4(2.82%) cases in the treatment group and 2(1.41%) cases in the control group, which showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No serious suspected unexpected adverse reactions were reported, and no laboratory test results indicated serious clinically significant abnormalities. The results support the replacement of Os Draconis by Ostreae Concha in the original formula, and the efficacy and safety of the modified formula are consistent with those of the original formula.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Tic Disorders/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between serum chloride levels and prognosis in patients with hepatic coma in the intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: We analyzed 545 patients with hepatic coma in the ICU from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. Associations between serum chloride levels and 28-day and 1-year mortality rates were assessed using restricted cubic splines (RCSs), Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves, and Cox regression. Subgroup analyses, external validation, and mechanistic studies were also performed. RESULTS: A total of 545 patients were included in the study. RCS analysis revealed a U-shaped association between serum chloride levels and mortality in patients with hepatic coma. The KM curves indicated lower survival rates among patients with low chloride levels (< 103 mmol/L). Low chloride levels were independently linked to increased 28-day and 1-year all-cause mortality rates. In the multivariate models, the hazard ratio ( HR) for 28-day mortality in the low-chloride group was 1.424 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.041-1.949), while the adjusted hazard ratio for 1-year mortality was 1.313 (95% CI: 1.026-1.679). Subgroup analyses and external validation supported these findings. Cytological experiments suggested that low chloride levels may activate the phosphorylation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, promote the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and reduce neuronal cell viability. CONCLUSION Low serum chloride levels are independently associated with increased mortality in patients with hepatic coma.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Intensive Care Units ; Prognosis ; Chlorides/blood* ; Aged ; Coma/blood* ; Adult

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of domestically produced magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) for gastroesophageal reflux disease.Method:This study is a prospective cohort study. Patients with typical heartburn and reflux symptoms (at least partial response to proton pump inhibitors), abnormal esophageal acid exposure and normal esophageal peristalsis were included, prospectively in the Department of Gastroesophageal Surgery, Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center from June 2019 to September 2022. Patients with hiatal hernia >2 cm and severe esophagitis were excluded. The MSA was wrapped around the distal esophagus after esophageal hiatus repair by laparoscopy. A postoperative questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the relief of symptom, complications, the discontinuation rate of proton pump inhibitor, and surgical satisfaction. Gastroscopy, high-resolution esophageal pressure measurement, and pH value impedance monitoring were also reviewed. The pre- and postoperative rates were compared using the McNeinar χ2 test. Result:Currently, 23 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease were enrolled and underwent MSA surgery. There were 20 males and 3 females, aged ( M (IQR)) 48 (14) years (range: 25 to 64 years). All cases were successfully implanted with MSA. Subjective indicators were followed for 17 (18) months (range: 14 to 53 months), while objective indicators were followed for 17 (1) months (range: 12 to 23 months). The postoperative gastrointestinal and extraesophageal symptom scores showed a significant decrease compared to preoperative levels as follows: the degree of subjective relief of overall digestive symptoms was 90 (20)% (range:0~100%), the degree of subjective relief of overall respiratory symptoms was 100(10)% (range: 10%~100%), the overall satisfaction rate was 83% (19/23), the proton pump inhibitor discontinuation rate was 70% (16/23). The proportion of esophagitis has decreased from 44% (10/23) to 9% (2/23) ( κ=0.169, P=0.039), The Hill grade of gastroesophageal valve morphology improved from 1 case of grade Ⅰ, 5 cases of grade Ⅱ, 10 cases of grade Ⅲ, and 7 cases of grade Ⅲ preoperative to 22, 1, 0, and 0 cases postoperative. The proportion of lower esophageal sphincter pressure below normal has decreased from 70% (16/23) to 35% (8/23) ( κ=0.170, P=0.012). There were 21 patients who restored normal esophageal acid exposure. Eleven patients had mild long-term dysphagia, but it didn′t affect their daily life. No postoperative device migration, erosion, or secondary surgical removal occurred. Conclusions:Laparoscopic implantation of the MSA device was safe and well tolerated. It can effectively control the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, reduce medication, restore normal cardia morphology and function, and esophageal acid exposure. The main postoperative complication was dysphagia, but it was relatively mild.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of domestically produced magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) for gastroesophageal reflux disease.Method:This study is a prospective cohort study. Patients with typical heartburn and reflux symptoms (at least partial response to proton pump inhibitors), abnormal esophageal acid exposure and normal esophageal peristalsis were included, prospectively in the Department of Gastroesophageal Surgery, Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center from June 2019 to September 2022. Patients with hiatal hernia >2 cm and severe esophagitis were excluded. The MSA was wrapped around the distal esophagus after esophageal hiatus repair by laparoscopy. A postoperative questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the relief of symptom, complications, the discontinuation rate of proton pump inhibitor, and surgical satisfaction. Gastroscopy, high-resolution esophageal pressure measurement, and pH value impedance monitoring were also reviewed. The pre- and postoperative rates were compared using the McNeinar χ2 test. Result:Currently, 23 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease were enrolled and underwent MSA surgery. There were 20 males and 3 females, aged ( M (IQR)) 48 (14) years (range: 25 to 64 years). All cases were successfully implanted with MSA. Subjective indicators were followed for 17 (18) months (range: 14 to 53 months), while objective indicators were followed for 17 (1) months (range: 12 to 23 months). The postoperative gastrointestinal and extraesophageal symptom scores showed a significant decrease compared to preoperative levels as follows: the degree of subjective relief of overall digestive symptoms was 90 (20)% (range:0~100%), the degree of subjective relief of overall respiratory symptoms was 100(10)% (range: 10%~100%), the overall satisfaction rate was 83% (19/23), the proton pump inhibitor discontinuation rate was 70% (16/23). The proportion of esophagitis has decreased from 44% (10/23) to 9% (2/23) ( κ=0.169, P=0.039), The Hill grade of gastroesophageal valve morphology improved from 1 case of grade Ⅰ, 5 cases of grade Ⅱ, 10 cases of grade Ⅲ, and 7 cases of grade Ⅲ preoperative to 22, 1, 0, and 0 cases postoperative. The proportion of lower esophageal sphincter pressure below normal has decreased from 70% (16/23) to 35% (8/23) ( κ=0.170, P=0.012). There were 21 patients who restored normal esophageal acid exposure. Eleven patients had mild long-term dysphagia, but it didn′t affect their daily life. No postoperative device migration, erosion, or secondary surgical removal occurred. Conclusions:Laparoscopic implantation of the MSA device was safe and well tolerated. It can effectively control the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, reduce medication, restore normal cardia morphology and function, and esophageal acid exposure. The main postoperative complication was dysphagia, but it was relatively mild.

ObjectiveTo explore the research status and hot spots of virtual reality in the field of stroke rehabilitation. MethodsThe literature related to the application of virtual reality technology in stroke rehabilitation was retrieved in CNKI and Web of Science core collection from establishiment to August, 2024. The knowledge map of authors, institutions and keywords was drawn by Citespace 6.2.R7. ResultsA total of 485 papers were retreived, including 201 in Chinese and 284 in English. The number of articles published in both Chinese and English was on the rise. Qu Yun was the Chinese author with the most articles, and Rocco Salvatore Calabro was the English author. The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University and IRCCS Bonino Pulejo published the most papers respectively. The results of keyword co-occurrence and clustering were consistent in the Chinese and English keywords, mainly included hemiplegia, balance function, upper limb function and cognitive function. The keywords with high bursting intensity in Chinese included motor function, cognitive function and upper limb function, while those with high bursting intensity in English included upper limb, cognitive impairment and environment. The hot spots in this field focused on the virtual reality technology for stroke patients' motor function rehabilitation, cognitive function rehabilitation, limb function rehabilitation and virtual reality technology combined with conventional treatment. ConclusionVirtual reality technology, as a simulation information technology, has been widely applied in the fields of motor function rehabilitation, cognitive function rehabilitation and limb function rehabilitation for stroke patients. The combination of virtual reality technology with conventional rehabilitation therapy could enhance the functional level and activities of daily living. More researches may focus on conjunctions of virtual reality technology with new technologies such as digital therapeutics and brain-computer interfaces, to improve the gait and upper limb functions of stroke patients.

Objective:To investigate the current status and problems of the development of dental technology specialty in higher vocational colleges in China, and to provide a reference for the establishment of national standards for vocational education on dental technology and the development of high-quality higher vocational education.Methods:We selected 54 higher vocational colleges in eastern, central, and western China offering dental technology programs by stratified random sampling to survey the specialty development situation using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the independent samples t test, one-way analysis of variance, or chi-square test with the use of SPSS 18.0. Results:Among the surveyed colleges, the average annual enrollment scale in recent three years was 6 415 students, with the largest enrollment in western regions, accounting for 47.39%. In terms of teaching faculty, there were differences in educational attainment, professional title structure, vocational qualification, and professional background between different regions ( P<0.05). Regarding training conditions, only 26.42% and 3.77% of colleges were equipped with virtual simulation training rooms and dental materials training rooms, respectively; and 18.52% and 22.22% of colleges were equipped with chairside repair systems and virtual simulation software, respectively. Conclusions:Regional imbalances exist in the development of dental technology specialty in higher vocational colleges in China. The overall level of teaching staff, practical training conditions, and curriculum construction need to be improved.

italic>Salvia apiana Jepson, commonly known as white sage, is a perennial sub-shrub of the Salvia genus in the Lamiaceae family with a long medicinal history. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of S. apiana was sequenced using PacBio HiFi third-generation sequencing technology. The physical map of the genome was constructed, and the sequence structure features, codon preference, and repetitive sequences were analyzed. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the chloroplast genome and phylogenetic evolution with closely related species within the same genus was conducted. The chloroplast genome of S. apiana was found to have a length of 151 701 bp (GenBank accession number: OR389048), with a typical quadripartite structure and a GC content of 38.06%. A total of 132 genes were annotated, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Among them, 17 genes contained introns, and 18 genes were present in duplicate copies. Codon preference analysis revealed a preference for codons ending with A or U. Analysis of repetitive structures in the S. apiana chloroplast genome identified 170 simple sequence repeat (SSR) sites and 65 scattered repeat sequences, with the majority of SSR sites composed of A and T. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genomes of 21 species within the same genus showed that S. apiana is most closely related to Salvia hispanica Ettling. ex Willk. & Lange, Salvia leucantha Cav., and Salvia tiliifolia Vahl. Comparative analysis of the chloroplast genomes revealed slight contraction and expansion of the inverted repeat (IR) boundaries in S. apiana, as well as multiple highly variable regions in the chloroplast genome sequence. This study establishes a method for de novo assembling the chloroplast genome of S. apiana using third-generation sequencing data and provides a comprehensive analysis of its chloroplast genome, which can serve as a theoretical basis for studies on chloroplast genetic engineering, genetic diversity analysis, molecular breeding, and species identification.