ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Simiaowan on intestinal barrier function and adenosine triphosphate （ATP） binding cassette transporter G2 （ABCG2） expression in hyperuricemic （HUA） rats， and elucidate its therapeutic mechanisms. MethodsForty male Sprague Dawley （SD） rats were randomized into a normal group， a model group， low-dose （282.6 mg·kg^-1） and high-dose （565.2 mg·kg^-1） Simiaowan groups， and a Benzbromarone （4.7 mg·kg^-1） group. The HUA model was established via intraperitoneal injection of potassium oxonate （ip） combined with oral gavage of hypoxanthine （ig） for 14 days. Following modeling， treatments were administered for 14 days. Samples were collected and weighed 4 h after final dosing. Blood uric acid and hepatic function were analyzed. Histopathological changes were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and Chiu's scoring was conducted. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） quantified tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， lipopolysaccharide （LPS）， diamine oxidase （DAO）， and D-lactic acid （D-LA） levels. Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， Western blot， and immunohistochemistry assessed the expression of Claudin-1， Occludin， occludens-1 （ZO-1）， and ABCG2 mRNAs and proteins. 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing characterized ileal microbiota. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited epithelial shedding in the ileal villus， structural disruption， infiltration of extensive inflammatory cells， and significantly elevated Chiu's scores （P<0.01）. The DAO， TNF-α， IL-6， IL-1β， LPS， and D-LA levels in the ileum were markedly increased （P<0.01）， while mRNA and protein expressions of Claudin 1， Occludin， ZO-1， and ABCG2， as well as positive staining area and proportion， were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Simiaowan groups at all doses showed improved epithelial damage in the ileal villus， significantly lowered Chiu's scores （P<0.01）， significantly reduced DAO， TNF-α， IL-6， IL-1β， LPS， and D-LA levels in the ileum （P<0.01）， and upregulated mRNA and protein expressions of Claudin 1， Occludin， ZO-1， and ABCG2， as well as positive staining area and proportion （P<0.01）. The 16S rDNA results showed that in the model group， the α-diversity index of the ileal microbiota was increased， and species diversity and richness were enhanced， with microbiota dysfunction observed. The community structure of the gut microbiota was significantly different from that of the normal microbiota. The abundance of probiotics was decreased， and the abundance of pathogenic bacteria was increased， with butyrate-producing bacteria showing a low abundance. In contrast， Simiaowan at all doses reduced species diversity and richness， regulated microbiota dysfunction， and promoted the shift of the structure of the gut microbiota community towards a normal one. This increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria， decreased the abundance of harmful bacteria， and restored the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria. ConclusionSimiaowan enhances ileal uric acid excretion and further alleviates HUA by modulating the gut microbiota composition to improve the intestinal barrier and upregulate the expression of the urate transporter ABCG2 in HUA rats.

Maternal health during pregnancy has a direct impact on the risk and severity of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in the offspring, especially in the case of drug exposure. However, little progress has been made to assess the risk of drug exposure during pregnancy due to ethical constraints and drug use factors. We collected and manually curated sub-pathways and pathways (sub-/pathways) and drug information to propose an analytical framework for predicting drug candidates. This framework linked sub-/pathway activity and drug response scores derived from gene transcription data and was applied to human fetal brain development and six NDDs. Further, specific and pleiotropic sub-/pathways/drugs were identified using entropy, and sex bias was analyzed in conjunction with logistic regression and random forest models. We identified 19 disorder-associated and 256 regionally pleiotropic and specific candidate drugs that targeted risk sub-/pathways in NDDs, showing temporal or spatial changes across fetal development. Moreover, 5443 differential drug-sub-/pathways exhibited sex-biased differences after filling in the gender labels. A user-friendly NDDP visualization website ( https://ndd-lab.shinyapps.io/NDDP ) was developed to allow researchers and clinicians to access and retrieve data easily. Our framework overcame data gaps and identified numerous pleiotropic and specific candidates across six disorders and fetal developmental trajectories. This could significantly contribute to drug discovery during pregnancy and can be applied to a wide range of traits.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Neurodevelopmental Disorders/metabolism* ; Male ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Fetal Development/drug effects* ; Drug Discovery/methods* ; Brain/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the impact of variations in volute cross-sectional area on the flow characteristics and hemolytic performance of centrifugal blood pumps by designing six volute structures.Methods Computational fluid dynamics and the Lagrangian method were used to analyze flow characteristics and predict hemolysis in blood pumps with different volute designs.Results The annular volute pump showed the poorest hydraulic performance,while the hydraulic performance of the S-shaped volute was the best,which was improved by 35.29％compared to that of the annular volute.Some volutes experienced stagnation zones at the helical inlet(0°-90°)and significant backflow at the outlet(270°-360°).The downward concave-shaped volute had the highest hemolysis index(HI),i.e.,9.59×10-4.Meanwhile,the HI of the annular volute was the lowest,which was 71.85％less than the concave-shaped volute.Conclusions Reducing the gradient of the area variation at the helical inlet and outlet can prevent flow stagnation and backflow.A higher HI arises due to the prolonged exposure of red blood cells to high shear stress.This study provides a theoretical basis for designing and optimizing volute structures of centrifugal blood pumps.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of a combination of programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) inhibitor and multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor anlotinib in second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. Using the random number table method, 118 NSCLC patients who were admitted to Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital from June 2021 to June 2023 were randomly divided into the control group and the observation group, with 59 patients in each group. The observation group was treated with PD-1 inhibitor combined with anlotinib, while the control group was treated with PD-1 inhibitor. There were 36 males and 23 females in the observation group, with an age of (56±5) years; there were 34 males and 25 females in the control group, with an age of (56±5) years. There was no statistically significant difference in general clinicopathological data between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The short-term clinical efficacy [objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR)], tumor-related factor levels [vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP), and tumor necrosis factor β1 (TNF-β1)], inflammatory status [plasma fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR)], lung function [forced vital capacity (FVC) and peak expiratory flow (PEF)] before and after treatment, the European Organization for Research and Treatment on Cancer (EORTC) core questionnaire for quality of life assessment (QLQ-C30) score, and occurrence of adverse reactions were compared between two groups of patients. Results:The ORR and DCR of the observation group were 33.90% (20/59) and 69.49% (41/59), respectively; the ORR and DCR of the control group were 10.17% (6/59) and 44.07% (26/59), respectively; the comparison of ORR and DCR between the two groups showed statistically significant differences ( χ2 values were 9.67 and 7.77, both P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the levels of tumor-related factors between the observation group and the control group before treatment (all P > 0.05); after 4 cycles of treatment, the levels of VEGF and MMP-2 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, while the levels of TIMP and TNF-β1 were higher than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.001). The FAR of the observation group and the control group before treatment were (0.15±0.06) g/L and (0.16±0.06) g/L, respectively, with no statistically significant difference ( t = 0.90, P = 0.367); after 4 cycles of treatment, the FAR were (0.07±0.01) g/L and (0.11±0.04) g/L, respectively, with statistically significant difference ( t = 7.45, P < 0.001). Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in FVC and PEF between the observation group and the control group (both P > 0.05); after 4 cycles of treatment, the FVC and PEF in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (both P < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in the EORTC QLQ-C30 scores of functional dimension, symptom dimension and global health status/quality of life dimension between the observation group and the control group before treatment (all P > 0.05); after 4 cycles of treatment, the scores of functional dimension and global health status/quality of life dimension in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, while the symptom dimension score was lower than that in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.001). The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was 6.78% (4/59), while in the control group it was 10.17% (6/59), and the difference was not statistically significant ( P = 0.741). Conclusions:The combination of PD-1 inhibitor and anlotinib in second-line treatment of NSCLC has good clinical efficacy, it can reduce the inflammatory response, improve the lung function and quality of life, and has good safety.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics in an elderly patient with sellar multiple myeloma.Methods Clinical features,laboratory data and radiologic profile of an elderly patient with sellar multiple myeloma were collected.Results The patient was an 85-year-old male.The main clinical manifestations were fatigue,poor appetite and polyuria.Laboratory examinations showed a significant decrease in blood sodium,several anterior pitu-itary hormones and an increase in total protein,mass of pituitary lesion and concentration of prolactin.During etio-logical screening,it was found that the blood immunoglobulin G(IgG)level was significantly increased,the blood M protein was positive and the bone marrow smear showed myeloma cells accompanied by multiple osteolytic lesions in the bones of the whole body.Considering the diagnosis of multiple myeloma,the pituitary lesion was likely to be the extra-medullary involvement.Conclusions The intrasellar plasmacytoma is not common.The disease onset is insidious with clinical features and imaging findings lacking specificity.Therefore,diagnosis relies on biopsy which poses risks for elderly patients and increases diagnostic challenges leading to misdiagnosis.

Objective To evaluate the application of flipped classroom(FC)approach in endocrine system integrated course for students from 4+4 clinical medicine pilot class at Peking Union Medical College(PUMC).Methods The study included the students of 4+4 clinical medicine pilot class grades 2019-2023 in PUMC.The students of grades 2019-2021(n=77)served as the control receiving traditional teaching method,while the students of grades 2022 and 2023(n=76)were selected as the experimental group,which were taught by FC approach.The selected teaching content is thyroid theme.The scoring rates of thyroid related questions in the final exam were as-sessed and a questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate teaching satisfaction and effectiveness.Results The scoring rates of experimental group were significantly higher as compared to that of control group(P＜0.05).Over 90％of the students in the experimental group strongly satisfied or satisfied with the teaching content arrangement,design form,classroom atmosphere,teacher-student interaction of FC and expressed willingness to continue with this methodology.In addition,over 90％of the students strongly agreed or agreed that FC stimulated learning inter-est,improved self-learning ability,strengthened the connection between theory and clinical practice,inspired clini-cal reasoning,enhanced the abilities to analyze and solve problems,and cultivated communication and teamwork skills.Conclusions The application of FC approach in endocrine system integrated course achieved excellent teaching outcomes with high satisfaction of the students.

Objective:To investigate the nutritional risk status of children in PICU and analyze its influencing factors.Methods:From July 2021 to February 2023,all children aged 1 to 18 years admitted to PICU of Beijing Children's Hospital were investigated by using the pediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Scoring tool(PYMS)and the clinical data questionnaire.Results:A total of 492 children in PICU were enrolled.The first nutritional risk screening results showed that there were 32 cases of no/low nutritional risk(6.5%),76 cases of medium risk(15.4%),and 384 cases of high risk(78.1%).The incidence of medium/high nutritional risk was as high as 93.5%.The PYMS score of nutritional risk in PICU was(2.61±1.42).The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that weight,fever time before admission,white blood cells,body mass index,primary diagnosis,father's education,and diet before illness were the main influencing factors of nutritional risk of children in PICU(P<0.05).Conclusion:Children in PICU are in a state of high nutritional risk.It is suggested that children in PICU should carry out nutritional screening in a standardized manner,identify children with high nutritional risk and its influencing factors early.To actively conduct nutritional assessment and nutritional intervention could improve the clinical outcome of children in PICU.

Objective To investigate the incidence of placental abruption in the third trimester of pregnancy in Hebei Province,identify its associated risk factors,and develop a corresponding nomogram prediction model.Methods Data from pregnant women at 22 monitored hospitals in Hebei Province,collected between 2013 and 2023,were analyzed to assess the incidence,trends,and associated risk factors of placental abruption.A prediction model was developed and visualized using R programming to generate the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.The model's predictive performance was evaluated using the area under the curve(AUC)and calibration curve parameters.Results A total of 480 690 pregnant women were included in this study over the specified period.The incidence of placental abruption was 0.29%(1 395 out of 480 690),with an average annual percentage change of 2.73%,indicating a stable trend(P=0.34).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that pregnancy-related anemia,preeclampsia,placenta previa,vaginal bleeding before 28 weeks'gestation,and between 28 and 31+6 weeks'gestation were significant risk factors for placental abruption(all P<0.05).In contrast,regular prenatal examinations(7～11 visits)and multiple pregnancies were identified as protective factors against placental abruption(both P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)for the nomogram model constructed based on independent risk factors for placental abruption was 0.79,and the calibration curve demonstrated that the predicted values closely aligned with the observed values.Conclusions Prenatal examinations should be prioritized,especially for women with preeclampsia,placenta previa,or a history of vaginal bleeding before 28 weeks of gesta-tion.Management of pregnancies between 28 and 31+6 weeks is also crucial to reduce the incidence of placental abruption and mitigate adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.The nomogram model constructed based on these factors exhibits excellent predictive performance,providing a solid theoretical foundation for the prevention and clinical management of placental abruption.

Objective To investigate the incidence of placental abruption in the third trimester of pregnancy in Hebei Province,identify its associated risk factors,and develop a corresponding nomogram prediction model.Methods Data from pregnant women at 22 monitored hospitals in Hebei Province,collected between 2013 and 2023,were analyzed to assess the incidence,trends,and associated risk factors of placental abruption.A prediction model was developed and visualized using R programming to generate the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.The model's predictive performance was evaluated using the area under the curve(AUC)and calibration curve parameters.Results A total of 480 690 pregnant women were included in this study over the specified period.The incidence of placental abruption was 0.29%(1 395 out of 480 690),with an average annual percentage change of 2.73%,indicating a stable trend(P=0.34).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that pregnancy-related anemia,preeclampsia,placenta previa,vaginal bleeding before 28 weeks'gestation,and between 28 and 31+6 weeks'gestation were significant risk factors for placental abruption(all P<0.05).In contrast,regular prenatal examinations(7～11 visits)and multiple pregnancies were identified as protective factors against placental abruption(both P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)for the nomogram model constructed based on independent risk factors for placental abruption was 0.79,and the calibration curve demonstrated that the predicted values closely aligned with the observed values.Conclusions Prenatal examinations should be prioritized,especially for women with preeclampsia,placenta previa,or a history of vaginal bleeding before 28 weeks of gesta-tion.Management of pregnancies between 28 and 31+6 weeks is also crucial to reduce the incidence of placental abruption and mitigate adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.The nomogram model constructed based on these factors exhibits excellent predictive performance,providing a solid theoretical foundation for the prevention and clinical management of placental abruption.

Objective To investigate the impact of variations in volute cross-sectional area on the flow characteristics and hemolytic performance of centrifugal blood pumps by designing six volute structures.Methods Computational fluid dynamics and the Lagrangian method were used to analyze flow characteristics and predict hemolysis in blood pumps with different volute designs.Results The annular volute pump showed the poorest hydraulic performance,while the hydraulic performance of the S-shaped volute was the best,which was improved by 35.29％compared to that of the annular volute.Some volutes experienced stagnation zones at the helical inlet(0°-90°)and significant backflow at the outlet(270°-360°).The downward concave-shaped volute had the highest hemolysis index(HI),i.e.,9.59×10-4.Meanwhile,the HI of the annular volute was the lowest,which was 71.85％less than the concave-shaped volute.Conclusions Reducing the gradient of the area variation at the helical inlet and outlet can prevent flow stagnation and backflow.A higher HI arises due to the prolonged exposure of red blood cells to high shear stress.This study provides a theoretical basis for designing and optimizing volute structures of centrifugal blood pumps.