OBJECTIVE To retrospectively analyze the prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia(VAP)in Gansu Province in 2023 so as to provide scientific bases for formulating and optimizing prevention and control strategies for VAP in the health care institutions of the province.METHODS The data regarding to VAP of 2023 were collected from the regional surveillance platform of Gansu Province Nosocomial Infection Management Quali-ty Control Center.The influencing factors for the VAP were assessed by means of Poisson regression model.RESULTS In 2023,the median incidence of VAP was 3.51 ‰ among the 93 hospitals in Gansu Province.There was significant difference in the incidence of VAP among the different regions,levels and types of hospitals(P＜0.05).The length of hospital stay and ventilator treatment duration of the tertiary hospitals were 3458(1904,6770)days and 1 274(740,2040)days,respectively,higher than those of the secondary hospitals;the incidence of VAP was 4.89(2.82,7.40)‰ in the tertiary hospitals,higher than that in the secondary hospitals(all P＜0.05).The incidence of VAP of the general hospitals was 3.94(2.66,6.92)‰,higher than 2.06(1.03,3.27)‰ of the specialized hospitals(P＜0.001).With the respect to the regional factor,Qingyang City,Baiyin City,Dingxi City and Linxia City were at lower risk of VAP than Lanzhou City after the related factors were controlled through Poisson regression analysis(P＜0.05),while Zhangye City and Jiayuguan City were at higher risk of VAP(P＜0.05).The analysis of seasonal factors showed that the incidence of VAP presented seasonal fluctuation,the inci-dence of VAP was higher in the second and fourth quarters;however,there was no significant difference in the risk of VAP among the quarters.CONCLUSIONS The incidence of VAP is decreased in Gansu Province in 2023 as compared with that in previous years,however,there is certain difference among the different regions.The inci-dence rates of VAP are relatively high in the tertiary hospitals and the general hospitals.It is necessary to strengthen the surveillance in related areas and take active prevention and control measures,so as to reduce the in-cidence of VAP.

OBJECTIVE To retrospectively analyze the prevalence of ventilator-associated pneumonia(VAP)in Gansu Province in 2023 so as to provide scientific bases for formulating and optimizing prevention and control strategies for VAP in the health care institutions of the province.METHODS The data regarding to VAP of 2023 were collected from the regional surveillance platform of Gansu Province Nosocomial Infection Management Quali-ty Control Center.The influencing factors for the VAP were assessed by means of Poisson regression model.RESULTS In 2023,the median incidence of VAP was 3.51 ‰ among the 93 hospitals in Gansu Province.There was significant difference in the incidence of VAP among the different regions,levels and types of hospitals(P＜0.05).The length of hospital stay and ventilator treatment duration of the tertiary hospitals were 3458(1904,6770)days and 1 274(740,2040)days,respectively,higher than those of the secondary hospitals;the incidence of VAP was 4.89(2.82,7.40)‰ in the tertiary hospitals,higher than that in the secondary hospitals(all P＜0.05).The incidence of VAP of the general hospitals was 3.94(2.66,6.92)‰,higher than 2.06(1.03,3.27)‰ of the specialized hospitals(P＜0.001).With the respect to the regional factor,Qingyang City,Baiyin City,Dingxi City and Linxia City were at lower risk of VAP than Lanzhou City after the related factors were controlled through Poisson regression analysis(P＜0.05),while Zhangye City and Jiayuguan City were at higher risk of VAP(P＜0.05).The analysis of seasonal factors showed that the incidence of VAP presented seasonal fluctuation,the inci-dence of VAP was higher in the second and fourth quarters;however,there was no significant difference in the risk of VAP among the quarters.CONCLUSIONS The incidence of VAP is decreased in Gansu Province in 2023 as compared with that in previous years,however,there is certain difference among the different regions.The inci-dence rates of VAP are relatively high in the tertiary hospitals and the general hospitals.It is necessary to strengthen the surveillance in related areas and take active prevention and control measures,so as to reduce the in-cidence of VAP.

BACKGROUND:Exercise training can improve osteoporosis,but its effects and mechanisms on senile osteoporosis are not fully understood. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of treadmill exercise on osteoporosis and wnt/β-catenin signal pathway in aged rats. METHODS:Sixteen 24-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into osteoporosis group(n=8)and treadmill group(n=8)and eight 6-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were used as young control group.The model of senile osteoporosis was replicated by natural aging and the rats in the treadmill group were treated with treadmill exercise once a day,5 days a week,for 8 weeks.Levels of bone metabolic markers such as type I collagen cross-linked C-terminal peptide,tartrate resistant acid phosphatase,osteocalcin and bone specific alkaline phosphatase were detected by ELISA;bone mineral density of the left femur and L5 was measured by dual energy X-ray;bone scanning and bone microstructure quantitative analysis were performed by bone micro-CT;and the mRNA and protein expression levels of wnt3a,β-catenin,LRP5,DKK1 and GSK3β were detected by RT-PCR and western blot,respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the young control group,the osteoporosis group showed a reduction in serum bone specific alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin levels(P<0.05),bone mineral density of the femur and L5,the number of tibia and L4 bone trabeculae,bone volume,bone volume fraction(P<0.05),and mRNA and protein expression of wnt3a,β-catenin,and LRP5 in bone marrow tissue(P<0.05)as well as an increase in serum levels of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase and type I collagen cross-linked C-terminal peptide(P<0.05),the intertrabecular space between the tibia and L4,structural model index(P<0.05),and mRNA and protein expression of DKK1 and GSK3 β in bone marrow tissue(P<0.05).In addition to the reduced number of trabeculae in the tibia and L4 vertebrae,the trabeculae were structurally disturbed and sparsely aligned and fractured.Compared with the osteoporosis group,the treadmill group showed an increase in serum bone specific alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin levels(P<0.05),bone mineral density of the femur and L5(P<0.05),the number of tibial trabeculae,bone volume,bone volume fraction(P<0.05),mRNA and protein expression of wnt3a,β-catenin,and LRP5 in bone marrow tissue(P<0.05)but a reduction in the serum levels of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase and type I collagen cross-linked C-terminal peptide,L4 trabecular space,tibial trabecular space,structural model index,and mRNA and protein expression of DKK1 and GSK3 β in bone marrow tissue(P<0.05).In addition to the increased number of tibial and L4 trabeculae,the trabeculae were arranged in a regular and dense pattern and were connected to a network.To conclude,treadmill exercise may improve osteoporosis in aged rats by activating the wnt/β-catenin signal pathway.

BACKGROUND:Inflammation is one of the important factors that induce cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.Studies have shown that electroacupuncture can effectively reduce inflammation after ischemic stroke and improve the symptoms of neurological deficits,but the mechanism is not clear. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of electroacupuncture on Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS:Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group and electroacupuncture group,with 16 rats in each group.The rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was prepared by middle cerebral artery occlusion.At 24 hours after modeling,the rats in the electroacupuncture group were treated with electroacupuncture,once a day,20 minutes each time,for a total of 5 days.The sham operation group and the model group did not do any intervention.After 5 days of intervention,Longa method was used to evaluate the degree of neurological injury in rats.Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining and hematoxylin-eosin staining were used to measure the volume of cerebral infarction and the pathological changes of brain tissue in rats.Serum interleukin-6,interleukin-18 and tumor necrosis factor-α were detected by ELISA.Expressions of Toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor-κB in the cerebral cortex at mRNA and protein levels were detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR and western blot,respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the sham operation group,the neurological function scores,serum interleukin-6,interleukin-18,and tumor necrosis factor-α levels,Toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor-κB mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly higher in the model group(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,electroacupuncture significantly reduced the neurological function scores,serum interleukin-6,interleukin-18,and tumor necrosis factor-α levels,Toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor-κB mRNA and protein expression levels(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Compared with the sham operation group,the volume of cerebral infarction in the model group increased significantly(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the volume of cerebral infarction in the electroacupuncture group decreased(P＜0.05).In the model group,the arrangement of neurons was disordered,some nerve cells disappeared,nuclei presented with pyknosis and incomplete structure.After electroacupuncture intervention,the degree of neuronal degeneration and neuronal loss in the cerebral cortex of rats were reduced compared with those in the model group.To conclude,electroacupuncture can significantly improve the neurobehavior of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury,reduce brain tissue injury,and effectively reduce the level of serum inflammatory factors.The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND:Pulsed electromagnetic fields,as an important physical therapy,are exactly effective in the treatment of osteoarthritis,but the mechanism has not been fully clarified. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of pulsed electromagnetic field on the degeneration of knee joint cartilage in aged rats. METHODS:Eight 6-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were selected as the young group and were subjected to normal diet with no treatment.Sixteen 22-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into old group(n=8)and pulsed electromagnetic field group(n=8).The rats in the pulsed electromagnetic field group were subjected to a pulsed electromagnetic field intervention,once a day,5 days per week for continuous 8 weeks.The rats in the old group were given no treatment.All rats were anesthetized and executed after 8 weeks for the detection of relevant indexes. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the young group,serum type Ⅱ collagen C-terminal peptide level was increased in the old group(P<0.05);compared with the old group,serum type Ⅱ collagen C-terminal peptide level was decreased in the pulsed electromagnetic field group(P<0.05).Micro-CT showed that the bone volume fraction,bone mineral density,and number of bone trabeculae decreased(P<0.05)and the trabecular separation increased(P<0.05)in the tibia of rats in the aged group compared with the young group;and the bone volume fraction,bone density,and number of trabeculae increased(P<0.05)and the trabecular separation decreased(P<0.05)in the tibia of rats in the pulsed electromagnetic field group compared with the aged group.The tibial plateau Safranin O-fast green staining showed that the articular cartilage structure of rats in the aged group was disorganized,and the number of chondrocytes was obviously reduced,and the tidal line could not be distinguished.The above results were improved in the pulsed electromagnetic field group.RT-qPCR and western blot assay showed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 1,matrix metalloproteinase 13,P53 and P21 in the articular cartilage and subchondral bone of rats were elevated in the aged group compared with the young group(P<0.05)and decreased in the pulsed electromagnetic field group compared with the old group(P<0.05).To conclude,pulsed electromagnetic fields may improve osteoarthritis in aged rats by inhibiting chondrocyte senescence,alleviating articular cartilage degradation and inhibiting subchondral bone osteoporosis through suppressing the expression of P53/P21.

Objective To investigate the difference in the microstructure of gray matter nucleus in different movement subtypes of Parkinson’s disease (PD) by diffusion kurtosis imaging ( DKI) technique, and to analyze the correlation with clinical manifestations. Methods Ninety-seven patients with PD and 83 healthy controls performed conventional MRI sequence and DKI sequence scan. The PD patients were classi-fied into gait disorder subtype (PIGD,n=57) and tremor dominant subtype (TD,n=40)subtypes according to motor symptoms. Fractional anisotropy (FA),mean diffusivity (MD),axial diffusivity (Da),radial diffu-sivity(Dr),mean kurtosis (MK),axial kurtosis (Ka) and radial kurtosis (Dr) maps and data were genera-ted by software after processing. DKI was performed for all subjects and data was collected from different brain regions in both hemispheres,including red nucleus(RN),substantia nigra pars reticulate( SNr),sub-stantia nigra pars compacta(SNc),putamen(PUT),globus pallidus(GP),head of caudate nucleus (CN)and thalamus(THA). Results TD showed a higher MMSE score(P=0. 019),but lower modified Hoehn-Yahr score than that in PIGD (P<0. 001),there was no significant difference of age of onset,sex,limbs of onset or disease duration between two PD subgroups. Compared with healthy controls, both TD and PIGD showed down-regulated MD,Da and Dr and up-regulated Ka values(P<0. 001); MK(0. 83±0. 26,0. 80±0. 18) was increased in SNr both in TD and PIGD,while SNc,PUT and GP (0. 84± 0. 20,0. 75± 0. 07,0. 81± 0. 14) were decreased only in TD (P=0. 017,P=0. 010,P=0. 020,P<0. 001,P=0. 002). The Kr values of PUT and CN(0. 71±0. 17,0. 72±0. 14) were reduced in PIGD,while CN(0. 70±0. 14) were reduced in TD re-spectively (P=0. 002,P=0. 031,P=0. 007). The MK was lower in TD than that in PIGD (t=-2. 214,P=0. 029),and no significant difference was found in other grey matter nuclei between TD and PIGD ( P>0. 05). Moreover,there was no significant correlation between DKI value and disease duration,MMSE score or Hoehn-Yahr scale (P>0. 05) in TD and PIGD. Conclusion There is heterogeneity of clinical symptoms between these two subgroups of PD. DKI can quantify the microstructural changes of grey matter nucleus in different type PD patient.

Objective: To investigate the difference in the microstructure of gray matter nucleus in different movement subtypes of Parkinson’s disease (PD) by diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) technique, and to analyze the correlation with clinical manifestations. Methods: Ninety-seven patients with PD and 83 healthy controls performed conventional MRI sequence and DKI sequence scan. The PD patients were classified into gait disorder subtype (PIGD, n=57) and tremor dominant subtype (TD, n=40)subtypes according to motor symptoms. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (Da), radial diffusivity(Dr), mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (Ka) and radial kurtosis (Dr) maps and data were generated by software after processing. DKI was performed for all subjects and data was collected from different brain regions in both hemispheres, including red nucleus(RN), substantia nigra pars reticulate(SNr), substantia nigra pars compacta(SNc), putamen(PUT), globus pallidus(GP), head of caudate nucleus (CN)and thalamus(THA). Results: TD showed a higher MMSE score(P=0.019), but lower modified Hoehn-Yahr score than that in PIGD (P<0.001), there was no significant difference of age of onset, sex, limbs of onset or disease duration between two PD subgroups. Compared with healthy controls, both TD and PIGD showed down-regulated MD, Da and Dr and up-regulated Ka values(P<0.001); MK(0.83±0.26, 0.80±0.18) was increased in SNr both in TD and PIGD, while SNc, PUT and GP (0.84±0.20, 0.75±0.07, 0.81±0.14)were decreased only in TD (P=0.017, P=0.010, P=0.020, P<0.001, P=0.002). The Kr values of PUT and CN(0.71±0.17, 0.72±0.14) were reduced in PIGD, while CN(0.70±0.14) were reduced in TD respectively (P=0.002, P=0.031, P=0.007). The MK was lower in TD than that in PIGD (t=-2.214, P=0.029), and no significant difference was found in other grey matter nuclei between TD and PIGD(P>0.05). Moreover, there was no significant correlation between DKI value and disease duration, MMSE score or Hoehn-Yahr scale (P>0.05) in TD and PIGD. Conclusion There is heterogeneity of clinical symptoms between these two subgroups of PD. DKI can quantify the microstructural changes of grey matter nucleus in different type PD patient.

Objective To explore the effect of self-management efficacy on compliance of taking capecitabine in discharged patients with colorectal cancer. Methods A total of 82 patients with colorectal cancer who were treated in the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University from January 2014 to December 2016 were selected by convenient sampling method. The general data, drug compliance and self-management efficacy of patients were investigated and the relationship between drug compliance and self-management efficacy was analyzed. Results Compliance score of taking capecitabine for 82 patients with colorectal cancer was (6.42±1.65) points; among them 5 cases were excellent (6.10%), good in 54 cases (65.85%) and poor in 23 cases (28.05%). Compliance of taking capecitabine in discharged patients with colorectal cancer was positively correlated with the scores of all dimensions and total score of self-management efficacy. Self-management efficacy was an independent factor affecting the compliance of patients with capecitabine, which could explain 13.4% of the overall variation of compliance. Conclusions Compliance of taking capecitabine in discharged patients with colorectal cancer is unsatisfied. Education on self-management efficacy from medical staff could improve the patients' medication adherence and their quality of life.

Objective To analyze quantitatively the iron deposition in deep brain gray nucleus and frontal white matter in healthy population and to explore its correlation with age using ESWAN with 3.0 Tesla scanner.Methods 157 healthy subjects (age 20 to 85)had been manned with routine sequences and ESWAN sequences.The subjects were divided into 6 groups according to their ages:Group A (age 20-29),Group B (age 30-39),Group C (age 40-49),Group D (age 50-59),Group E (age 60-69)and Group F (age ≥70).T2 ?value was measured in both sides of the frontal white matter,red nucleus,substantia nigra pars reticulate,substantia nigra pars compacta,putamen,globus pallidus,head of caudate nucleus and thalamus,and the correlations between the T2 ? value and age were also analyzed.Results The T2 ? value of globus pallidus and substantia nigra pars reticulata were the lowest.The highest T2 ?value was observed in the frontal white matter.The difference of T2 ? value among some age groups had statistical significance in red nucleus putamen,globus pallidus,head of caudate nucleus and thalamus (P <0.05).Obvious negative correlations between age and T2 ? value was shown in red nucleus (r=-0.258),substantia nigra pars reticulate (r=-0.229),substantia nigra pars compacta (r=-0.231), putamen(r=-0.584),globus pallidus (r=-0.320),and head of caudate nucleus (r=-0.437,P <0.001),while positive correlation was displayed in thalamus (r=0.31 9),frontal white matter (r=0.161,P <0.05 ).Conclusion ESWAN can clearly display the morphology of cerebral nuclei,evaluate the brain iron content accurately and present the age-related iron concentration changes.

Monomer component extracted from the herb is the main effective component of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Topical administrations of monomer component of TCM has attracted more and more attention due to the convenience of administration and the concentration enrichment in lesion. The main task for the studies of topical drug delivery system is to design the methods which can promote the penetration of the drugs. Currently, the main methods used to improve the penetration of monomer component of TCM includes the synthesis of different dosage forms and the application of physical and chemical techniques to facilitate the penetration of the drugs. This review summarizes the progress in different indications and mechanisms of diverse monomer components of TCM, different dosage forms, and physicochemical techniques used to facilitate drug penetration.