ObjectiveTo explore psychological experiences and care needs of elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following dysphagia. MethodsFrom April to June, 2024, 13 elderly patients with COPD and dysphagia received treatment in Yixing No. 2 People's Hospital (Yixing Occupational Disease Institute) and Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital were interviewed. Nvivo 11.0 and content analysis were employed to analyze and summarize themes. ResultsTwo main themes were identified. The psychological experiences included fear of eating due to swallowing and choking, swallowing anxiety in social situations, concerns about malnutrition, and emotional loss related to family. The care needs included improvement in swallowing function, adjustment of food texture, assistance with disease adaptation and effective access to health education information. ConclusionHealthcare professionals should thoroughly understand the psychological and needs of elderly patients with COPD-related dysphagia, and comprehensive nursing strategies should be developed and implemented to improve swallowing function and overall quality of life.

ObjectiveTo establish fingerprint profiles and a quantitative determination method for Lycii Cortex， providing a scientific basis for the formulation of quality standards for Lycii Cortex and its roasted products. MethodsHigh performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was developed for the quantitative method for determining kukoamine B in Lycii Cortex and its roasted products on an Alphasil XD-C₁₈ CH column（4.6 mm×250 mm， 5 μm）. HPLC fingerprint profiles were established for 10 batches of Lycii Cortex and its roasted products， and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） was used to identify the common peaks based on reference standards， literature and MS information. Quality evaluation indicators included yield of decoction pieces， appearance properties， content of kukoamine B， and fingerprint profiles. The temperature and time of the roasting process were investigated to select the optimal preparation process， which was then verified. Additionally， chemical pattern recognition was combined to assess the differences in the chemical composition of Lycii Cortex before and after roasting， as well as among samples from different origins. ResultsQuantitative analysis indicated that the contents of kukoamine B in Lycii Cortex and its roasted products were 0.35%-5.51% and 0.24%-4.15%， respectively. The transfer rate of kukoamine B was 58.6%-78.9% after roasting. The fingerprint profile analysis demonstrated that the method established in this study effectively separated kukoamine B from other components in the samples and distinctly differentiated it from its impurity peak， cis-N-caffeoylputrescine. The HPLC fingerprint profiles of Lycii Cortex and its roasted products showed high similarity（all above 0.95）， with 7 common peaks identified and five common components， including kukoamine B， cis-N-caffeoylputrescine， N-coumaroyl tyramine， feruloyltyramine， and glucosyringic acid， confirmed. Process optimization confirmed that baking at 110 ℃ for 20 min was a stable and feasible method for roasting Lycii Cortex. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis showed that there was little difference in the chemical composition between raw and roasted Lycii Cortex， but the quality of Lycii Cortex from different origins differed greatly. ConclusionThis study successfully established the fingerprint profiles and a quantitative method for the effective component kukoamine B in Lycii Cortex and roasted Lycii Cortex. The qualitative and quantitative analyses clarified that the impact of the roasting process on the chemical composition of Lycii Cortex was less significant than the variations due to its geographical origin. The findings of this study offer a reference for the development of quality evaluation methods and the establishment of quality standards for Lycii Cortex and its processed products.

The neonatal mammalian heart has a remarkable regenerative capacity, while the adult heart has difficulty to regenerate. A metabolic reprogramming from glycolysis to fatty acid oxidation occurs along with the loss of cardiomyocyte proliferative capacity shortly after birth. In this study, we sought to determine if and how metabolic reprogramming regulates cardiomyocyte proliferation. Reversing metabolic reprogramming by carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) inhibition, using cardiac-specific Cpt1a and Cpt1b knockout mice promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation and improved cardiac function post-myocardial infarction. The inhibition of CPT1 is of pharmacological significance because those protective effects were replicated by etomoxir, a CPT1 inhibitor. CPT1 inhibition, by decreasing poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 expression, reduced ADP-ribosylation of dual-specificity phosphatase 1 in cardiomyocytes, leading to decreased p38 MAPK phosphorylation, and stimulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation. Our present study indicates that reversing metabolic reprogramming is an effective strategy to stimulate adult cardiomyocyte proliferation. CPT1 is a potential therapeutic target for promoting heart regeneration and myocardial infarction treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of Danzhi Jiangtang Capsule (DZJTC) for repairing renal vascular endothelial injury in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS: Fifty male SD rat models of DN, established by left nephrectomy, high-sugar and high-fat diet and streptozotocin injection, were randomized into DN model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose DZJTC treatment groups, and DAPT (a γ-secretase inhibitor) treatment group, with 10 rats with normal feeding as the control group. DZJTC was administered by daily gavage at 0.315, 0.63, or 1.26 g/kg, and DAPT (20 mg/kg, dissolved in 50% CMC-Na solution) was given by gavage every other day for 4 weeks; normal saline was given in the control and model groups. After treatment, the levels of creatinine (CRE), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and microalbuminuria (mALB) were detected with ELISA, and renal pathologies were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Renal expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured by immunohistochemistry, and the protein expressions of CD31 and Notch signaling pathway components were detected using Western blotting. RESULTS: The rat models of DN showed significantly increased CRE, BUN, and mALB levels, obvious renal pathologies under electron microscopy, increased renal VEGF, ET-1 and CD31 expressions, and upregulated Notch1, NICD, and MAML1 protein levels. Treatment with DZJTC at the 3 doses and DAPT significantly reduced CRE, BUN, and mALB levels, improved renal pathology, decreased VEGF, ET-1 and CD31 expressions, and lowered Notch1, NICD and MAML1 levels, and the effects were the most pronounced with high-dose DZJTC. CONCLUSIONS DZJTC ameliorates hyperproliferation and dysfunction of renal vascular endothelium in DN rats possibly by regulating renal VEGF and ET-1 levels via inhibiting NICD- and MAML1-mediated Notch signaling pathway.
Animals ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Diabetic Nephropathies/drug therapy* ; Receptor, Notch1/metabolism* ; Kidney/blood supply* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; Down-Regulation ; Endothelium, Vascular/metabolism* ; Nuclear Proteins/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the expression of serum microRNA-204-5p(miR-204-5p)in patients with sudden deafness(SD)and its relationship with cochlear function and hearing prognosis.Methods A to-tal of 113 SD patients admitted to this hospital from October 2020 to October 2023 were selected as the case group.According to the hearing prognosis of SD patients,they were divided into a poor prognosis group(n=43)and a good prognosis group(n=70).Another 95 healthy people who underwent the physical examination were selected as the control group.Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect serum levels of miR-204-5p and endothelin-1(ET-1),and the relationship between them and cochlear function was analyzed.Automatic hemorheology instrument was used to detect the hemo-dynamic parameters.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of hearing prognosis in SD patients.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive val-ue of serum miR-204-5p in hearing prognosis of SD patients.Results The serum levels of miR-204-5p and ET-1 and hemodynamic parameters including plasma viscosity(PV),low-shear viscosity(LSV)and whole blood high-shear viscosity(HSV)in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).The incidence of cochlear dysfunction in the miR-204-5p high expression group was higher than that in the miR-204-5p low expression group(P<0.05).The levels of serum miR-204-5p,ET-1,PTA,HSV,LSV and PV in the poor prognosis group were significantly higher than those in the good prognosis group(P<0.05).HSV,LSV,PV,miR-204-5p and ET-1 were related factors affecting the hearing prognosis of SD patients(P<0.05).The area under the curve of serum miR-204-5p,ET-1 combined with hemodynamic pa-rameters to predict the hearing prognosis of SD patients was 0.976.It was better than that of each individual diagnosis(Zfive combination-HSV=3.464,Zfive combination-LSV=3.014,Zfive combination-PV=3.741,Zfive combination-miR-204-5p=3.476,Zfive combination-ET-1=2.829,P=0.001,0.003,<0.001,0.001,0.005).The sensitivity and specificity of combined prediction were 95.35%and 88.57%,respectively.Conclusion Serum miR-204-5p level is significantly in-creased in SD patients,which is closely related to cochlear function and hearing prognosis.Serum miR-204-5p and ET-1 levels combined with hemodynamic indicators have higher predictive efficiency for hearing prognosis in SD patients.

Objective To prepare a dissolvable microneedle(MN)patch loaded with sodium houttuyfonate(SH)combined with erythromycin(ERY)(SH+ERY-MN patch),to characterize its properties,and to investigate its synergistic anti-acne effects and the mechanisms involved.Methods The SH+ERY-MN patch was prepared by two-step centrifugation.The morphology and skin puncture performance of the microneedles were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy,puncture tests,and other methods.The combined antibacterial effect was assessed using the checkerboard assay.The in vitro anti-inflammatory effect of the SH+ERY-MN patch was evaluated by quantitative PCR(qPCR)and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The therapeutic effect of the SH+ERY-MN patch on acnes in mice was investigated using an animal model.Results The microneedle patch prepared in the study had well-aligned microneedles,excellent needle shape,and good mechanical properties,which could effectively penetrate the skin to reach the superficial dermis.The minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)of ERY against acne was 1.28 mg/mL.When ERY was combined with SH,the results showed that the fractional inhibitory concentration(FIC)was 0.375,indicating that the medication combination had a synergistic antibacterial effect.In particular,the MIC value of ERY in combination was 1/4 of that of ERY used alone.The results of in vitro qPCR showed that SH+ERY-MN could downregulate the production of interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-18,tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),inhibitor of κB(I-κB),Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4),NLR family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3),and cysteine-aspartic proteases(Caspase-1)induced by Propionibacterium acnes(PA)in cell culture supernatant(P＜0.05).According to the in vivo findings,SH+ERY-MN had a significant anti-acne effect and effectively alleviated cytokine-mediated inflammatory responses.The results of qPCR and ELISA showed that SH+ERY-MN could effectively reduce the levels of IL-1β,IL-18,NLRP3,and Caspase-1 in the serum of the mouse acne inflammation model(P＜0.01),and had good antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.Conclusion SH+ERY-MN patch was successfully prepared and demonstrated obvious anti-acne effects.The SH+ERY-MN patch enhances the transdermal delivery of SH combined with ERY.It provides an innovative method for acne treatment and creates new possibilities for achieving effective drug delivery and improving therapeutic efficacy.

Objective:To analyze the clinical features and genetic sequencing results of a patient with Kallmann syndrome(KS) carrying digenic mutations who initially presented with osteoporosis, and to enhance awareness of this disease phenotype.Methods:Clinical data were collected, and peripheral blood DNA was extracted for whole-exome sequencing. Relevant literature was reviewed to summarize phenotypes associated with digenic/oligogenic variants involving CHD7.Results:The patient exhibited back pain, delayed development of secondary sexual characteristics, and hyposmia. Laboratory tests revealed reduced sex hormones and gonadotropin levels, while pituitary imaging was unremarkable. Bone mineral density imaging confirmed osteoporosis, and thoracolumbar X-rays showed multiple vertebral compression fractures. Genetic analysis identified a heterozygous splice-site mutation in CHD7(c.2698-1G>T) and a heterozygous missense mutation in WDR11(c.439G>A: p.D147N). According to ACMG criteria, the CHD7 mutation was classified as pathogenic, while the WDR11 variant was defined as a variant of uncertain significance(VUS). Literature review indicated that 40% of KS patients with digenic/oligogenic variants involving CHD7 presented with hearing or ocular abnormalities.Conclusion:This study reports a novel CHD7 mutation and a previously undescribed digenic combination of CHD7 and WDR11 variants in a KS patient. CHD7 variants may be implicated in auditory or ocular involvement in KS cases with digenic/oligogenic inheritances. KS patients may also manifest skeletal abnormalities in addition to hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Tailored management of sex hormones and osteoporosis therapies across life stages is essential for optimizing bone health in KS.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and independent risk factors of severe disease in patients with anti-nuclear matrix protein (NXP) 2 antibody-positive juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including 219 anti-NXP2 antibody-positive JDM patients admitted to 23 children′s hospitals across China from July 2011 to July 2023. Patients were classified into severe and non-severe groups based on classification criteria for severe dermatomyositis. Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and laboratory parameters were compared between the 2 groups using independent sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or χ2 test. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for severe disease. The receiver operating characteristic curve was employed to calculate optimal cut-off values. Results:Among the 219 patients, 108 were male and 111 were female, with an age at onset of 6.3 (3.5, 9.4) years. The severe group comprised 69 patients, and the non-severe group 150 patients. The severe group had significantly higher rates of fever, heliotrope rash, subcutaneous edema, periorbital edema, anti-Ro52 antibody positivity, as well as elevated levels of ferritin-to-albumin ratio (FAR), creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis identified anti-Ro52 antibody positivity ( OR=13.26, 95% CI 1.37-128.29) and elevated FAR ( OR=1.90, 95% CI 1.09-2.31) as independent risk factors for severe anti-NXP2 antibody-positive JDM (both P<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that a FAR cutoff value of 6.82 predicted severe disease with an area under the curve of 0.87 (95% CI 0.81-0.94, P<0.001), sensitivity of 0.85, and specificity of 0.70. All patients received glucocorticoid therapy, and the severe group received higher proportions of steroid pulse therapy, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, intravenous immunoglobulin, biologics, and adjuvant treatments compared to the non-severe group (all P<0.05). In terms of outcomes, 2 patients (2.9%) in the severe group died (due to neurological involvement and intestinal perforation, respectively), while the remaining patients achieved complete clinical response or remission. All patients in the non-severe group achieved remission. Conclusions:The primary clinical features of anti-NXP2 antibody-positive JDM included fever, heliotrope rash, subcutaneous edema, periorbital edema, anti-Ro52 antibody positivity, and elevated levels of CK, AST, LDH, and FAR. Furthermore, anti-Ro52 antibody positivity and a FAR>6.82 were identified as independent risk factors.

OBJECTIVE To explore the implementation and standardized management of infection control core ele-ments in grass-roots medical institutions within county-level medical communities.METHODS From Mar.2024 to Apr.2024,the current status of implementation of infection control core elements in the grass-roots medical institu-tions within county-level medical communities was investigated by means of questionnaire survey and qualita-tive interview,and the implementation strategies were further explored.RESULTS The infection management or-ganizational system and functions of the two county-level medical institutions within the county medical communi-ties were completed,there is no independent hospital infection management department in the primary medical in-stitutions.The infection management personnel in the 16 grass-roots medical institutions were part-time person-nel,the personnel with the educational background below junior college accounted for 84.21％,the personnel with the professional background of nursing accounted for 100.00％,the personnel with less than 5 years of working experience accounted for 78.95％,none of them had an on-the-job training certificate.The monitoring programs of the county-level medical institutions within the county medical communities were completed,there was no infec-tion management monitoring information platform in the grass-roots medical institutions.The infection cases,hand hygiene,environmental health and occupational exposures were monitored by people.The grass-roots medi-cal institutions had the highest requirements for various professional trainings and increase of training contents of prevention and control of public health infectious diseases(100.00％).The county-level medical institutions had inadequate capabilities of professional examination of medical equipment replacement and construction of medi-cal architecture.CONCLUSION It is necessary for the country and local levels of governments to attach great importance to the implementation of the infection control core elements in the grass-roots medical institutions within the county-lev-el medical communities,establish the county-level regional information platform,formulate the corresponding surveil-lance indexes and homogenized management systems,complete the cultivation of talents,and offer financial support.