Microbial detection and control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) decoction pieces are crucial for the quality control of TCM preparations. It is also a key area of research in the measurement technology and equipment development for TCM manufacturing. Guided by TCM manufacturing measurement methodologies, this study presented a design of a novel portable microbial detection device, using Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma decoction pieces as a demonstration. Immunomagnetic separation technology was employed for specific isolation and labeling of target microorganisms. Enzymatic signal amplification was utilized to convert weak biological signals into colorimetric signals, constructing an optical biosensor. A self-developed smartphone APP was further applied to analyze the colorimetric signals and quantify target concentrations. A portable and automated detection system based on Arduino microcontroller was developed to automatically perform target microbial separation/extraction, as well as mimetic enzyme labeling and catalytic reactions. The developed equipment specifically focuses on the rapid and quantitative microbial analysis of TCM active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates in TCM manufacturing, and final TCM products. Experimental results demonstrate that the equipment could detect Salmonella in samples within 2 h, with a detection limit as low as 5.1 × 10~3 CFU·mL~(-1). The equipment enables the rapid detection of microorganisms in TCM decoction pieces, providing a potential technical solution for on-site rapid screening of microbial contamination indicators in TCM. It has broad application prospects in measurement technology for TCM manufacturing and offers strong technical support for the modernization, industrialization, and intelligent development of TCM.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Atractylodes/microbiology* ; Rhizome/microbiology* ; Biosensing Techniques/methods* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Colorimetry/instrumentation* ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the molecular genetic spectrum of children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and explore its correlation with clinical characteristics and prognosis. METHODS: The clinical and molecular genetic data of 116 children with newly diagnosed AML in Wuhan Children's Hospital from September 2015 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the correlation of gene mutations with clinical features, and Kaplan-Meier curve was used to analyze the influences of gene mutations on the prognosis. RESULTS: NRAS (22%), KRAS (14.9%), and KIT (14.7%) mutations were the most common genetic abnormalities in 116 children with AML. Children with KIT, CEBPA and GATA2 mutations showed a higher median onset-age than those without mutations (all P < 0.05). Children with FLT3-ITD mutation exhibited a higher white blood cell count at initial diagnosis compared to those without mutations (P < 0.05). Children with ASXL2 mutation had lower platelet count and hemoglobin at initial diagnosis than those without mutations (both P < 0.05). KIT mutations were often co-occurred with t(8;21)(q22;q22). There was no significant relationship between gene mutation and minimal residual disease (MRD) remission rate after the first and second induction therapy (P >0.05). KIT and NRAS mutations were not associated with prognosis significantly (P >0.05). The overall survival (OS) rates of children with CEBPA and FLT3-ITD mutations were superior to those without mutations, but the differences were not statistically significant (P >0.05). The 3-year OS rate of 61 children treated by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was 89.8%, which was significantly higher than 55.2% of those only treated by chemotherapy (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Gene mutations are common in children with AML, and next-generation sequencing can significantly improve the detection rate of gene mutations, which can guide the risk stratification therapy. In addition, FLT3-ITD and KIT mutations may no longer be poor prognostic factors.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics* ; Mutation ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3/genetics* ; Child ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit/genetics* ; Male ; Female ; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Child, Preschool ; Adolescent ; GATA2 Transcription Factor/genetics* ; GTP Phosphohydrolases/genetics* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features and risk factors associated with cutaneous chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of children who underwent allo-HSCT in the Wuhan Children's Hospital from August 1, 2016, to December 31, 2023, and were regularly followed up for 1 year or more. The differences in clinical features between children with and without cutaneous cGVHD were compared, and the risk factors affecting the occurrence of cutaneous cGVHD were analyzed. RESULTS: During the study period, 296 children received allo-HSCT. Until December 31, 2024, follow-up showed that 20 children (6.8%) developed cutaneous cGVHD, which manifested as cutaneous lichenification, hyperpigmentation, keratosis pilaris, sclerotic changes, and hair or nail involvement. According to their skin lesion area and degree of grading, 5 cases were mild, 10 cases were moderate, and 5 cases were severe. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that female donors and previous acute GVHD were risk factors for the development of cutaneous cGVHD after allo-HSCT. All 20 children were treated with glucocorticoid ± calcineurin inhibitors (tacrolimus/cyclosporine) as first-line therapeutic agents. Only 1 child improved after first-line treatment. The remaining 19 children treated with a second-line regimen of combination interventions based on individualized status, including 10 children who could not tolerate hormonotherapy or first-line treatment, and showed no significant improvement after 3 months, as well as 9 children with multi-organ cGVHD. After comprehensive second-line treatment, 17 children showed improvement in cutaneous symptoms. There were 3 deaths, including 1 due to primary disease recurrence and 2 due to pulmonary infections. CONCLUSION The skin is the first manifestation and most common organ involved in cGVHD in children. Cutaneous cGVHD severely affects the daily activities of transplanted children and requires prolonged immunosuppressive therapy, but has a favorable prognosis. First-line treatments for adults are not applicable to children who usually require a combination treatment with multiple drugs.
Humans ; Graft vs Host Disease/etiology* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Female ; Child ; Skin Diseases/etiology* ; Chronic Disease ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Male ; Child, Preschool ; Adolescent

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.05.019.].

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) survivors often experience constipation, which contributes to a reduced sense of well-being and a lower quality of life. Acupressure offers a non-pharmacological and non-invasive alternative therapy for treating constipation. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of home-based acupressure on constipation and subjective well-being among SCI survivors. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This randomized controlled trial randomly assigned 80 adults from Hong Kong with SCI to two study groups. Using a video demonstration filmed by a registered traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, the intervention group performed home-based acupressure (self-administered or caregiver-assisted) twice daily, 15 min/session, for 10 consecutive days. The control group performed manual light touching of the abdomen with the same frequency and duration as the intervention group. Both groups received defecation education through a structured booklet. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: The primary outcome was constipation severity. Secondary outcomes included bowel habits, psychological well-being, and quality of life. Focus group interviews were conducted after the intervention to collect subjective feedback from participants. RESULTS: Significant group-by-time interaction effects on constipation severity (P = 0.005) and quality of life (P = 0.001) revealed that home-based acupressure produced better results than the control. These treatment effects persisted at the one-month follow-up and continued to have a large effect size (Cohen's d > 0.8). Compared to the control group, the acupressure group also had improvements in anxiety (Cohen's d = 0.69) and depression (Cohen's d = 0.72) at the end of the intervention period. Three qualitative categories were identified from the focus group interviews: improvements in bowel function and management; reduced psychological distress following relief from constipation; and acceptability of home-based acupressure. CONCLUSION: Acupressure effectively relieves constipation, enhances psychological well-being, and improves quality of life in people with SCI. These data provide novel evidence supporting the use of home-based acupressure as an acceptable and effective therapy for treating constipation after SCI. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05558657). Please cite this article as: Li MQ, Li Y, Lam W, Yeung WF, Ho YS, Li JY, Sun TC, Yuen S, Hu YL, Yorke J. Home-based acupressure for managing constipation and subjective well-being in spinal cord injury survivors: A randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):660-669.
Humans ; Acupressure/methods* ; Constipation/psychology* ; Male ; Female ; Spinal Cord Injuries/complications* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Quality of Life ; Aged

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of mitoxantrone liposome in the treatment of children with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia(AML).Methods:The children with high-risk AML who received the mitoxantrone liposome regimen at Wuhan Children's Hospital from January 2022 to February 2023 were collected as the observation group,and the children with high-risk AML who received idarubicin regimen were enrolled as controls,and their clinical data were analyzed.Time to bone marrow recovery,the complete remission rate of bone marrow cytology,the clearance rate of minimal residual disease,and treatment-related adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Results:The patients treated with mitoxantrone liposome showed shorter time to recovery of leukocytes(17 vs 21 day),granulocytes(18 vs 24 day),platelets(17 vs 24 day),and hemoglobin(20 vs 26 day)compared with those treated with idarubicin,there were statistical differences(P＜0.05).The effective rate and MRD turning negative rate in the observation group were 90.9％and 72.7％,respectively,while those in the control group were 94.1％and 76.4％,with no statistical difference(P＞0.05).The overall response rate of the two groups of patients was similar.Conclusion:The efficacy of mitoxantrone liposome is not inferior to that of idarubicin in children with high-risk AML,but mitoxantrone liposome allows a significantly shorter duration of bone marrow suppression and the safety is better.

Objective:To explore the role of NK cells in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell micro-transplantation(MST)in the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia(AML).Methods:Data from 93 AML patients treated with MST at our center from 2013-2018 were retrospectively analyzed.The induction regimen was anthracycline and cytarabine combined with peripheral blood stem cells transplantation mobilization by granulocyte colony stimulating factor(GPBSC),followed by 2-4 courses of intensive treatment with medium to high doses of cytarabine combined with GPBSC after achieving complete remission(CR).The therapeutic effects of one and two courses of MST induction therapy on 42 patients who did not reach CR before transplantation were evaluated.Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to analyze the impact of donor NK cell dose and KIR genotype,including KIR ligand mismatch,2DS1,haplotype,and HLA-Cw ligands on survival prognosis of patients.Results:Forty-two patients received MST induction therapy,and the CR rate was 57.1％after 1 course and 73.7％after 2 courses.Multivariate analysis showed that,medium and high doses of NK cells was significantly associated with improved disease-free survival(DFS)of patients(HR=0.27,P=0.005;HR=0.21,P=0.001),and high doses of NK cells was significantly associated with improved overall survival(OS)of patients(HR=0.15,P=0.000).Donor 2DS1 positive significantly increases OS of patients(HR=0.25,P=0.011).For high-risk patients under 60 years old,patients of the donor-recipient KIR ligand mismatch group had longer DFS compared to the nonmismatch group(P=0.036);donor 2DS1 positive significantly prolonged OS of patients(P=0.009).Conclusion:NK cell dose,KIR ligand mismatch and 2DS1 influence the therapeutic effect of MST,improve the survival of AML patients.

Objective:To summarize the clinical features of reversible posterior encephalopathy syndrome(PRES)after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT)in children.Methods:The clinical data of six children who developed PRES after undergoing allo-HSCT in the Department of Hematology of Wuhan Children's Hospital from June 2016 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed,and their clinical characteristics,imaging examination,laboratory examination,and treatment regression were summarized.Results:Among 281 children underwent allo-HSCT,6 cases(2.14％)developed PRES,with a median age of 5.1(1.5-9.7)years old.4 cases underwent related haploidentical donor transplantation,and 2 cases underwent sibling allografting and unrelated donor allografting donor transplantation,respectively.All six children had an acute onset of illness,with clinical manifestations of nausea and vomiting,seizures,psychiatric disorders,visual disturbances.The five cases elevated blood pressure.All children with PRES were treated with oral immunosuppressive drugs during seizures,and 3 cases were combined with different degrees of graft-versus-host disease.Most of the children showed effective improvement in clinical symptoms and imaging after adjusting/discontinuing suspected medications(cyclosporine,etc.)and symptomatic supportive treatments(oral antihypertensive,diazepam for antispasmodic,mannitol to lower cranial blood pressure),and one of them relapsed more than 8 months after the first seizure.Conclusion:PRES is rare after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children,and its onset may be related to hypertension,cytotoxic drugs,graft-versus-host disease,etc.Most of them can be recovered after active treatment,but not completely reversible,and the prognosis of those who combined with TMA is poor.

Objective:To analyze the effect of acidic or alkaline diluents of the direct dilution method on the results of multiple elements measurement in whole blood by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and to explore the possibility whether the two diluents can be substituted for each other in elemental measurement results.Methods:A total of 162 human whole blood samples collected from the National Human Biomonitoring Programme in August 2018 were used for dilution with different diluents followed by centrifugation, then the supernatants of the samples were measured by ICP-MS. The methodological characteristics of the two pre-treatment methods including acidic diluent (0.1% nitric acid+0.01% tralatone solution) and alkaline diluent (0.05% n-butanol+0.01% tralatone+1% ammonium hydroxide solution) were evaluated separately. Spearman correlation coefficient analysis was used for the correlation of 19 elements results in whole blood measured by 2 diluents, then, Passing-Bablok linear regression and Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate the consistency of the 19 elements results in 162 whole blood samples between the two diluents.Results:The methodological data of 19 elements using the two diluents were good, with the limits of quantification (LOQ) of the 19 elements were 0.1-15.8 μg/L for acidic diluents and 0.3-19.2 μg/L for alkaline diluents, and the linear correlation coefficients of the standard curves of the 19 elements using the acidic and alkaline diluents were all≥0.995. Except for strontium, cadmium, tin, and thallium, the recovery percents of the 19 elements were all in the range of 80%-120%, and for all elements the total coefficients of variation of within-and between-run in the acidic and alkaline diluents were 0.5%-12.4%. The correlation coefficients of the two diluents for the measured values of chromium, manganese, cobalt, zinc, copper, arsenic, selenium, strontium, molybdenum, silver, cadmium, antimony, barium, mercury, and lead were relatively strong ( R2>0.8), while the correlation coefficients of vanadium, nickel, tin, and thallium were relatively weak ( R2<0.8). For the vanadium, cadmium, tin, barium, and mercury, 95% confidence intervals of slopes were<1. The 95% confidence intervals of intercepts of chromium, nickel, arsenic, silver, barium, and mercury contain point 0. The Bland-Altman plot showed that vanadium, chromium, arsenic, strontium, silver, cadmium, tin, and mercury have good consistency in using acidic and alkaline diluents. Conclusion:The results of the mean values measured with the 2 diluents differed among different elements and could not be completely substituted.