Objective To analyze the influenza-like illness (ILI) data in Ordos City from 2017 to 2023 and conduct nucleic acid detection of the virus to understand the local influenza epidemic situation, and to provide a reliable basis for influenza prevention and control in the city. Methods Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to identify virus subtypes in ILI throat swab samples. Comparisons of positive rates were conducted using the chi-square test, with a significance level of α=0.05. Results From 2017 to 2023, a total of 3,283,434 outpatient and emergency visits were recorded at the Ordos City Central Hospital, including 74,159 ILI cases, with an ILI proportion of 2.26%. The majority of ILI cases (74.43%) occurred in children aged 0~14 years old. The overall positive rate of influenza virus nucleic acid detection was 10.87%, with the highest proportion being subtype A (seasonal H3) at 43.03%. The highest detection rate was observed in the 5~14 years age group, with statistically significant differences in positive rates across age groups (χ²=155.638, P<0.001). Influenza peaks occurred mainly from November to March of the following year. From January to April, three types of influenza were prevalent alternately or mixed, while from October to December, subtype A (seasonal H3) predominated. Positive rates varied significantly across months (χ²=250.923, P<0.001). The temporal trends of ILI proportions and PCR-positive rates were consistent. Conclusion Influenza in Ordos City exhibits distinct seasonal and age distribution characteristics, with alternating or mixed circulation of three virus types. Continued efforts are needed to strengthen influenza surveillance, especially the prevention and control of influenza in infants and adolescents.

ObjectiveTo establish a rapid analytical method for identifying the differential components in Poria cocos medicinal materials based on ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbital trap high-resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS）， combined with mass defect filtering（MDF） and molecular network integration techniques. MethodsUPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS was used for MS data acquisition and identification of P. cocos medicinal materials， with the help of MDF for the study of cleavage behavior and structural identification of triterpenoids. According to the similarity of MS/MS fragmentation patterns of each component， global natural product social molecular network（GNPS） was established， and Cytoscape 3.6.1 was used to screen molecular clusters with similar structures and the the structure of main compound classes were identified and confirmed. Multivariate statistical analyses such as principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to screen the differential components of the five P. cocos medicinal materials with the variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1 and P<0.05 as the criteria. ResultsA total of 66 compounds were identified by database comparison， 8 compounds were newly identified by MDF， 28 compounds were newly identified by GNPS， and a total of 102 chemical compounds were identified， including 43 triterpenoids， 16 saccharides， 26 amino acids and peptides， 3 nucleosides， and 14 other compounds. Triterpenoids were predominant in Poriae Cutis and wild Fushen， amino acids and peptides were the most abundant in Poria and cultivated Fushen， carbohydrates were the most abundant in Poriae Cutis. Type Ⅰ and Ⅱ triterpenoids had higher amounts in Poria and cultivated Fushen， type Ⅲ triterpenoids were more abundant in Poriae Cutis， all four types of triterpenoids were higher in Fushenmu， and type Ⅰ， Ⅱ， and Ⅳ triterpenoids were higher in wild Fushen. A total of 12 common differential chemical constituents were screened， including serine， guanosine， gallic acid， 2-octenal， maltotriose， trametenolic acid， dehydroeburicoic acid， dehydrotrametenolic acid， poricoic acid A， poricoic acid B， poricoic acid E and G， but the relative contents of them varied significantly among different medicinal materials. ConclusionAmong the five P. cocos medicinal materials， the types of constituents are generally similar， but their relative contents differed significantly among these medicinal materials， especially in the distribution of triterpenoids. The integration of UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS， MDF and GNPS can provide a reference for the rapid qualitative analysis of other Chinese medicines.

ObjectiveTo establish a rapid analytical method for identifying the differential components in Poria cocos medicinal materials based on ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbital trap high-resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS）， combined with mass defect filtering（MDF） and molecular network integration techniques. MethodsUPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS was used for MS data acquisition and identification of P. cocos medicinal materials， with the help of MDF for the study of cleavage behavior and structural identification of triterpenoids. According to the similarity of MS/MS fragmentation patterns of each component， global natural product social molecular network（GNPS） was established， and Cytoscape 3.6.1 was used to screen molecular clusters with similar structures and the the structure of main compound classes were identified and confirmed. Multivariate statistical analyses such as principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to screen the differential components of the five P. cocos medicinal materials with the variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1 and P<0.05 as the criteria. ResultsA total of 66 compounds were identified by database comparison， 8 compounds were newly identified by MDF， 28 compounds were newly identified by GNPS， and a total of 102 chemical compounds were identified， including 43 triterpenoids， 16 saccharides， 26 amino acids and peptides， 3 nucleosides， and 14 other compounds. Triterpenoids were predominant in Poriae Cutis and wild Fushen， amino acids and peptides were the most abundant in Poria and cultivated Fushen， carbohydrates were the most abundant in Poriae Cutis. Type Ⅰ and Ⅱ triterpenoids had higher amounts in Poria and cultivated Fushen， type Ⅲ triterpenoids were more abundant in Poriae Cutis， all four types of triterpenoids were higher in Fushenmu， and type Ⅰ， Ⅱ， and Ⅳ triterpenoids were higher in wild Fushen. A total of 12 common differential chemical constituents were screened， including serine， guanosine， gallic acid， 2-octenal， maltotriose， trametenolic acid， dehydroeburicoic acid， dehydrotrametenolic acid， poricoic acid A， poricoic acid B， poricoic acid E and G， but the relative contents of them varied significantly among different medicinal materials. ConclusionAmong the five P. cocos medicinal materials， the types of constituents are generally similar， but their relative contents differed significantly among these medicinal materials， especially in the distribution of triterpenoids. The integration of UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS， MDF and GNPS can provide a reference for the rapid qualitative analysis of other Chinese medicines.

Background: We evaluated severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific humoral and cellular responses for up to 6 months after the 3rd dose of ancestral coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in people living with HIV (PLWH) and healthy controls (HCs) who were not infected with COVID-19. Methods: Anti-spike receptor-binding domain IgG (anti-RBD IgG) concentrations using chemiluminescence immunoassay and neutralizing antibodies using focus reduction neutralization test (FRNT) were assessed at 1 week after each dose of vaccination, and 3 and 6 months after the 3rd dose in 62 PLWH and 25 HCs. T-cell responses using intracellular cytokine stain were evaluated at 1 week before, and 1 week and 6 months after the 3rd dose. Results: At 1 week after the 3rd dose, adequate anti-RBD IgG (> 300 binding antibody unit /mL) was elicited in all PLWH except for one patient with 36 CD4 T-cell count/mm3 . The geometric mean titers of 50% FRNT against wild type (WT) and omicron BA.5 strains of SARS-CoV-2 in PLWH with CD4 T-cell count ≥ 500 cells/mm3(high CD4 recovery, HCDR) were comparable to HC, but they were significantly decreased in PLWH with CD4 T-cell count < 500/mm3 (low CD4 recovery, LCDR). After adjusting for age, gender, viral suppression, and number of preexisting comorbidities, CD4 T-cell counts < 500/mm3 significantly predicted a poor magnitude of neutralizing antibodies against WT, omicron BA.5, and XBB 1.5 strains among PLWH. Multivariable linear regression adjusting for age and gender revealed that LCDR was associated with reduced neutralizing activity (P = 0.017) and interferon-γ-producing T-cell responses (P = 0.049 for CD T-cell; P = 0.014 for CD8 T-cell) against WT, and strongly associated with more decreased cross-neutralization against omicron BA.5 strains (P < 0.001). Conclusion HCDR demonstrated robust humoral and cell-mediated immune responses after a booster dose of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, whereas LCDR showed diminished immune responses against WT virus and more impaired cross-neutralization against omicron BA.5 strain.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the factors contributing to post-traumatic growth (PTG) among nurses who experienced patient death during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to evaluate the necessity of grief support is required. Methods: An online survey was conducted to assess the experiences of nurses at Ulsan University Hospital who lost patients during the past year of the pandemic. In total, 211 nurses were recruited. We obtained information on the participants’ demographic and clinical characteristics. For symptoms rating, we used the following scales: the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemic-9 (SAVE-9), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Pandemic Grief Scale (PGS), and Utrecht Grief Rumination Scale (UGRS), and Grief Support in Healthcare Scale (GSHCS). Pearson’s correlation coefficients, linear regression, and mediation analysis were employed. Results: PTGI scores were significantly correlated with the SAVE-9 (r=0.31, p<0.01), PHQ-9 (r=0.31, p<0.01), PGS (r=0.28, p<0.01), UGRS (r=0.45, p<0.01), and GSHCS scores (r=0.46, p<0.01). The linear regression analysis revealed the factors significantly associated with PTGI scores: SAVE-9 (β=0.16, p=0.014), UGRS (β=0.29, p<0.001), and GSHCS (β=0.34, p<0.001). The mediation analysis revealed that nurses’ stress and anxiety about COVID-19 and grief rumination had a direct impact on PTG, with grief support serving as a significant mediator. Conclusion PTG was promoted by increases in the medical staff’s anxiety and stress related to COVID-19, grief rumination, and grief support. For the medical staff’s experience of bereavement to result in meaningful personal and professional growth, family members, colleagues, and other associates should provide thoughtful support.

Acute Gelsemium poisoning is a systemic disease primarily affecting the central nervous system and respiratory symptoms caused by the ingestion of a substantial amount of Gelsemium within a short period. It manifests as sudden onset and rapid progression, primarily caused by accidental ingestion due to misidentification, and posing significant health risks. The compilation of the Technical Plan for Emergency Health Response to Acute Gelsemium Poisoning describes in detail the specialized practice and technical requirements in the process of handling acute Gelsemium poisoning, including accident investigation and management, laboratory testing and identification, in-hospital treatment, and health monitoring. The guidelines clarify key procedures and requirements such as personal protection, investigation elements, etiology determination, medical rescue, and health education. The key to acute Gelsemium poisoning investigation lies in promptly identifying the toxin through exposure history, clinical manifestations, and sample testing. Because there is no specific antidote for Gelsemium poisoning, immediate removal from exposure, rapid elimination of the toxin, and respiratory monitoring are critical on-site rescue measures. Visual identification of food or herbal materials, followed by laboratory testing to determine Gelsemium alkaloids in samples is a rapid effective screening method. These guidelines offer a scientific, objective, and practical framework to support effective emergency responses to acute Gelsemium poisoning incidences.

Peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals targeting integrin α5β1 show promise for precise tumor diagnosis and treatment. However, current peptide-based radioligands that target α5β1 demonstrate inadequate in vivo performance owing to limited tumor retention. The use of PEGylation to enhance the tumor retention of radiopharmaceuticals by prolonging blood circulation time poses a risk of increased blood toxicity. Therefore, a PEGylation strategy that boosts tumor retention while minimizing blood circulation time is urgently needed. Here, we developed a PEGylation-enabled peptide multidisplay platform (PEGibody) for PR_b, an α5β1 targeting peptide. PEGibody generation involved PEGylation and self-assembly. [⁶⁴Cu]QM-2303 PEGibodies displayed spherical nanoparticles ranging from 100 to 200 nm in diameter. Compared with non-PEGylated radioligands, [⁶⁴Cu]QM-2303 demonstrated enhanced tumor retention time due to increased binding affinity and stability. Importantly, the biodistribution analysis confirmed rapid clearance of [⁶⁴Cu]QM-2303 from the bloodstream. Administration of a single dose of [¹⁷⁷Lu]QM-2303 led to robust antitumor efficacy. Furthermore, [⁶⁴Cu]/[¹⁷⁷Lu]QM-2303 exhibited low hematological and organ toxicity in both healthy and tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, this study presents a PEGibody-based radiotheranostic approach that enhances tumor retention time and provides long-lasting antitumor effects without prolonging blood circulation lifetime. The PEGibody-based radiopharmaceutical [⁶⁴Cu]/[¹⁷⁷Lu]QM-2303 shows great potential for positron emission tomography imaging-guided targeted radionuclide therapy for α5β1-overexpressing tumors.

Ovarian tumor (OT) is the most lethal form of gynecologic malignancy, with minimal improvements in patient outcomes over the past several decades. Metastasis is the leading cause of ovarian cancer-related deaths, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Psychological stress is known to activate the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), a factor associated with poor prognosis in OT patients. However, the precise mechanisms linking NR3C1 signaling and metastasis have yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that chronic restraint stress accelerates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in OT through an NR3C1-dependent mechanism involving nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1). Mechanistically, NR3C1 directly regulates the transcription of NUPR1, which in turn increases the expression of snail family transcriptional repressor 2 (SNAI2), a key driver of EMT. Clinically, elevated NR3C1 positively correlates with NUPR1 expression in OT patients, and both are positively associated with poorer prognosis. Overall, our study identified the NR3C1/NUPR1 axis as a critical regulatory pathway in psychological stress-induced OT metastasis, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for intervention in OT metastasis.

Cardiac fibrosis is characterized by an elevated amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) within the heart. However, the persistence of cardiac fibrosis ultimately diminishes contractility and precipitates cardiac dysfunction. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of cardiac fibrosis. Here, we elucidate the functional role of a specific circular RNA CELF1 in cardiac fibrosis and delineate a novel feedback loop mechanism. Functionally, circ-CELF1 was involved in enhancing fibrosis-related markers' expression and promoting the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), thereby exacerbating cardiac fibrosis. Mechanistically, circ-CELF1 reduced the ubiquitination-degradation rate of BRPF3, leading to an elevation of BRPF3 protein levels. Additionally, BRPF3 acted as a modular scaffold for the recruitment of histone acetyltransferase KAT7 to facilitate the induction of H3K14 acetylation within the promoters of the Celf1 gene. Thus, the transcription of Celf1 was dramatically activated, thereby inhibiting the subsequent response of their downstream target gene Smad7 expression to promote cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, Celf1 further promoted Celf1 pre-mRNA transcription and back-splicing, thereby establishing a feedback loop for circ-CELF1 production. Consequently, a novel feedback loop involving CELF1/circ-CELF1/BRPF3/KAT7 was established, suggesting that circ-CELF1 may serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for cardiac fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of research is exploring the role of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory dietary supplements in the treatment of osteoarthritis, highlighting an increasing emphasis on non-pharmacological interventions. Although more patients are turning to supplements to manage osteoarthritis, their actual effectiveness remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the available evidence concerning the efficacy of various dietary supplements in osteoarthritis treatment. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science for studies on the use of various dietary supplements in the treatment of osteoarthritis from the creation of each database until Jan 20, 2025. INCLUSION CRITERIA: (1) Research object: osteoarthritis. (2) Intervention measures: patients in the treatment group received dietary supplements, while the control group received placebos. (3) Research type: randomized controlled trials (RCTs). DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Two researchers independently examined the literature and retrieved data based on predefined criteria. The information gathered included the first author, year of publication, sample size, participant demographics, length of the follow-up period, intervention and control measures, and inclusion indications. RCTs comparing dietary supplements to placebo with the pain and function subscales of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) among patients with osteoarthritis were included. The optimal dietary supplement was identified based on the total ranking by summing the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) of these two scores. Furthermore, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to confirm the quality of the evidence. RESULTS: Overall, 23 studies covering 21 dietary supplements and involving 2455 participants met the inclusion criteria. In the WOMAC pain score, the SUCRA of passion fruit peel extract was 91% (mean difference [MD]: -9.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [-16.0, -2.3]), followed by methylsulfonylmethane (89%), undenatured type II collagen (87%), collagen (84%), and Lanconone (82%). The SUCRA (99%) of passion fruit peel extract (MD: -41.0; 95% CI: [-66.0, -16.0]) ranked first in terms of the WOMAC function score, followed by Lanconone (95%), collagen (86%), ParActin (84%), and Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (83%). The top three total rankings are passion fruit peel extract (95.0%), Lanconone (88.5%), and collagen (85.0%). However, the GRADE revealed low evidence quality. CONCLUSION Passion fruit peel extract was the best supplement for improving WOMAC pain and function scores in patients with osteoarthritis, followed by Lanconone and collagen. However, further large-scale, well designed RCTs are required to substantiate these promising findings. Please cite this article as: Chen CS, Wen L, Yang F, Deng YC, Ji JH, Chen RJ, Chen Z, Chen G, Gu JY. Effects of dietary supplements on patients with osteoarthritis: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(4): 357-369.
Humans ; Dietary Supplements ; Osteoarthritis/drug therapy* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic