Developing and identifying effective medications and targets for treating hepatic fibrosis is an urgent priority. Our previous research demonstrated the efficacy of artesunate (ART) in alleviating liver fibrosis by eliminating activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear despite these findings. Notably, endocytic adaptor protein (NUMB) has significant implications for treating hepatic diseases, but current research primarily focuses on liver regeneration and hepatocellular carcinoma. The precise function of NUMB in liver fibrosis, particularly its ability to regulate HSCs, requires further investigation. This study aims to elucidate the role of NUMB in the anti-hepatic fibrosis action of ART in HSCs. We observed that the expression level of NUMB significantly decreased in activated HSCs compared to quiescent HSCs, exhibiting a negative correlation with the progression of liver fibrosis. Additionally, ART induced senescence in activated HSCs through the NUMB/P53 tumor suppressor (P53) axis. We identified NUMB as a crucial regulator of senescence in activated HSCs and as a mediator of ART in determining cell fate. This research examines the specific target of ART in eliminating activated HSCs, providing both theoretical and experimental evidence for the treatment of liver fibrosis.
Hepatic Stellate Cells/cytology* ; Liver Cirrhosis/genetics* ; Artesunate/pharmacology* ; Cellular Senescence/drug effects* ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Animals ; Humans ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics* ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics* ; Male ; Mice

To introduce a strategy for a case of severe pneumonia complicated with lung abscess caused by Fusobacterium necrotum.The pathogen was not identified,but the patient was still coughing up feverish bloody sputum after being treated with meropenem,linezolid and ornidazole.The results of detection of pathogen metagenomes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by posterior bronchoscopy suggested that the pathogen was Fusobacterium necrophorum,according to the characteristics of bacteria,the dynamic changes of clinical symptoms,liver and kidney function,body temperature and blood picture infection index,combined with the results of bacterial culture/drug sensitivity test,bronchoalveolar lavage fluid NGS and the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic characteristics of antimicrobial agents,to propose an anti-infective regimen that is strategically adjusted to imipenem cilastatin(1.0 g,ivd,q8h)plus ornidazole(0.5 g,ivd,q12h)for the implementation of pharmaceutical care after adoption by physicians.After 21 days,the patient's severe infection and lung abscess was controlled and patient was discharged.In this case,clinical pharmacists study the bacterial characteristics of Fusobacterium necrotum,review a large number of domestic and foreign literature to track the frontier knowledge of antimicrobial agents,and use their own expertise to provide effective pharmaceutical support for the clinical team,to assist clinical team in the diagnosis and treatment of rare infections,to achieve professional value.

Respiratory viral infections are an important public health problem worldwide, with complex mechanisms of infection, and the key to infection lies in the specific binding between respiratory viruses and receptors. This article provides an overview of the progress in the study of receptors for respiratory viruses, such as coronavirus and influenza virus (IV), with a focus on the binding sites of receptors such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and sialic acid (SA) to respiratory viruses and the role of receptor diversity in respiratory viral infections. An in-depth study of the binding sites between viruses and receptors will help to understand the molecular mechanism of respiratory viral infections and provide a theoretical basis for disease prevention and control and the development of new therapeutic targets.

Objective:To analyze genioglossus (GG) activation responses to the negative pressure of upper airway cavity during awake and different sleep stages in patients with different obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) graduation.Methods:This prospective cohort study started from August 2019 to January 2021, recruited 42 male OSA patients aged from 21 to 59 (38.77±8.42) years. After completing whole night polysomnography (PSG) and upper airway CT, each subject underwent drug-induced sleep with simultaneous monitoring of genioglossal electromyography (GGEMG) and pressure of epiglottis (P epi). Subjects were divided into three groups of mild OSA(7 males), moderate OSA(12 males), and severe OSA(23 males). The differences in upper airway CT measurements, parameters of GGEMG and P epi during awake and induced sleep were compared. Statistical analysis was conducted by SPSS 21.0. Results:There was no significant difference in the GGEMG parameters between the mild and moderate groups. In wakefulness, the peak phasic GGEMG of the severe group was higher than the mild group ( t=1.249, P=0.025), with no statistically difference in the corresponding P epi. In the sleep onset, the GGEMG parameters and P epi in severe group were higher than the other two groups. Linear regression analysis of the maximum GGEMG and maximum P epi at the end of obstructive apnea (OA) in all moderate plus severe patients ( n=35) was shown nonlinear correlation ( r=0.28, P=0.694). The airway length of the glossopharyngeal cavity was linearly correlated with the maximum P epi of OA ( r=0.468, R2=0.219, P=0.005). Conclusions:The individual difference of GG activation in OSA patients is related to the severity of the disease (frequency of respiratory events) and negative pressure stimulation. In moderate and severe OSA patients, GG activity is not in harmony with the corresponding negative pressure stimulation, which may be one of the mechanisms leading to the aggravation of OSA.

Respiratory viral infections are an important public health problem worldwide, with complex mechanisms of infection, and the key to infection lies in the specific binding between respiratory viruses and receptors. This article provides an overview of the progress in the study of receptors for respiratory viruses, such as coronavirus and influenza virus (IV), with a focus on the binding sites of receptors such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and sialic acid (SA) to respiratory viruses and the role of receptor diversity in respiratory viral infections. An in-depth study of the binding sites between viruses and receptors will help to understand the molecular mechanism of respiratory viral infections and provide a theoretical basis for disease prevention and control and the development of new therapeutic targets.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of functional limitation and associated factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods:Consecutive patients with RA were recruited from August 2015 to June 2019 at Department of Rheumatology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital. Demographic and clinical characteristics including age, gender, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), visual analogue scale (VAS) of pain, clinical disease activity index (CDAI), modified total Sharp score were collected. Physical function was assessed by the Stanford health assessment questionnaire disability index (HAQ-DI).Ordered logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors of HAQ-DI.Results:A total of 643 RA patients were finally recruited including 114 males and 529 females with mean age (49.7±12.9) years. There were 399 (62.1%) patients having different degrees of functional limitation, who were classified as mild (293, 45.6%), moderate (73, 11.4%) and severe (33, 5.1%). The prevalence of functional limitation was positively correlated with age and disease activity. The most restricted activity was walking [43.5% (280/643)], followed by gripping [36.1% (232/643)], reaching [35.5% (228/643)], daily activities [33.4% (215/643)], hygiene [33.0% (212/643)], dressing and grooming [29.7% (191/643)] and arising [29.1% (187/643)], and the last eating [18.4% (118/643)]. Multivariate ordered logistic regression analysis showed that age ( OR=1.019, 95% CI 1.004-1.035),pain VAS ( OR=1.820, 95% CI 1.616-2.050), ESR ( OR=1.009, 95% CI 1.001-1.017), CDAI ( OR=1.080, 95% CI 1.059-1.102) and modified total Sharp score ( OR=1.010, 95% CI 1.004-1.015) were associated factors of functional limitation. Conclusion:The majority RA patients have functional limitation. Age, pain and active disease are independent associated factors. Therefore, target treatment and control of pain should be emphasized in RA patients.

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of radiomics based on arterial-venous mixed images derived from dual-energy CT (DECT) data in diagnosis of cervical lymph nodes (LNs) metastasis of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).Methods:From June 2017 to December 2018, eighty-four patients with preoperatively DECT scanning and pathologically confirmed PTC (129 non-metastatic LNs and 97 metastatic LNs) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were included in this study. The clinical and imaging data of all patients were retrospectively analyzed. The training cohort consisted of 62 PTC cases with 156 LNs (91 non-metastatic LNs and 65 metastatic LNs). An independent validation cohort consisted of 22 PTC patients with 70 LNs (38 non-metastatic LNs and 32 metastatic LNs). Semi-automatic LNs segmentation was conducted on arterial-venous mixed images derived from DECT using Syngo.via Frontier Radiomics software. Totally 1 226 radiomics features were extracted from arterial-venous mixed images for each LN. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was applied for radiomics features selection and signature building. The logistic regression modeling was used to construct diagnostic models based on the CT image features of LNs (model 1), the radiomics signature (model 2) and the combination of the CT image features and radiomics signature (model 3). An intuitive nomogram was plotted for model 3. The ROC curve analyses and area under the curve (AUC) were performed to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the three models, with the performances compared using the Delong test.Results:Model 1 was developed with LNs shape, degree of enhancement, pattern of enhancement, calcification and extra nodal extension. Three arterial phase radiomics features were selected and used to establish radiomics signature using LASSO regression (model 2). Model 3 was developed with LNs size, shape, degree of enhancement and radiomics signature. In both the training and validation cohort, model 3 showed the best diagnostic performance (AUC=0.965, 0.933), followed by model 2 (AUC=0.947, 0.910), and both these two models significantly outperformed model 1 (AUC=0.850, 0.846) (training cohort, Z=4.066 and 3.758, P both<0.001; validation cohort, Z=2.871 and 1.998, P=0.017 and 0.042) respectively. Conclusion:The radiomics model based on arterial-venous mixed images derived from DECT data can realize effective diagnosis of LNs metastasis in patients with PTC; and the combination model of radiomics signature with CT image features can further improve the diagnostic accuracy.

Objective? To explore the effects of bladder management on urinary tract infection and recovery of bladder function among stroke patients with neurogenic bladder. Methods? From January 2017 to June 2018, we selected 90 stroke inpatients with neurogenic bladder in the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. According to admission time, a total of 43 patients admitted between January and September 2017 were set in control group, and 47 patients admitted between October 2017 to June 2018 were set in observation group. Control group carried out routine nursing model. On the basis of routine nursing, observation group implemented bladder management. Finally, we compared the urinary tract infection and recovery of bladder function of patients between two groups. Results? The incidence of urinary tract infection of patients in observation group was 31.91% lower than that in control group; the rate of effective establishment of balanced bladder in observation group was 61.70% higher than that in control group; the differences were all statistical (P＜ 0.05). Conclusions? The application of bladder management nursing in stroke patients with neurogenic bladder can effectively reduce the incidence of urinary tract infection and promote the recovery of bladder function, which is worth to be widely used in clinical application.

Objective To determine the impact of family cohesion and adaptability on depression of young patients with stroke.Methods A total of 188 young patients with stroke were recruited from rehabilitation departments of three class Ⅲ grade A hospitals in Wenzhou by convenience sampling method from January to December 2016. The status quo of family cohesion and adaptability and depression of these patients was investigated, and the relationship between them was analyzed by correlation and regression analysis.Results The total score of depression in young patients with stroke was (25.71±6.11)points. The correlative analysis showed that there were negative correlations between score of actual family cohesion, score of actual family adaptability and score of depression(P<0.05). The regression analysis showed that actual family cohesion and actual family adaptability could independently explain 41.6% of the variance for depression of young patients with stroke after controlling demographic variables.Conclusions Family cohesion and adaptability could predict depression of young patients with stroke. Improve the actual family cohesion and actual family adaptability can help to reduce the level of depression in young stroke patients

Objective To better understand the clinical characteristics and predisposing factors in non-pregnant patients with Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) sepsis.Methods Clinical data were collected at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2002 and December 2014.A case with non-pregnant Listeria sepsis is defined as a non-pregnant person with clinically compatible illness and from whom Listeria was isolated from his/her blood culture.We define an underlying condition if a patient has been diagnosed of and/or has been treated for a concurrent baseline disease within 1 month prior to the onset of Listeria sepsis.Results A total of 35 patients were enrolled.The age of all patients was (49.1 ± 17.0) years.The male to female ratio was 2∶ 3.Most patients were combined with at least 1 underlying condition (33,94.3％),including 42.9％ patients with an autoimmune disease,34.3％ with malignancies.The majority (91.4％) represented an acute onset (＜ 1 week) with median time of 3 days.Clinical manifestations included fever (34/35,97.1％),central nervous system (CNS) symptoms (17/35,48.6％),gastrointestinal tract symptoms (13/35,37.1％).Fourteen patients had undergone lumber puncture and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) tests,which revealed abnormalities comparable of Listeria meningitis.Listeria was isolated from CSF in 11 of 14 patients (78.6％).There were 34 patients receiving empiric antibiotics including 54.3％ cephalosporins which are resistant to Listeria.Twenty five (71.4％) patients were switched to the target antimicrobials according to positive blood culture.Of the 35 patients with Listeria sepsis,21 (60.0％) recovered or were cured,however the rest (40.0％) had dismal outcome.Six patients died in hospital,8 critical patients were discharged and died after transferring to local hospitals.Conclusions Listeria sepsis is commonly associated with non-pregnant patients with compromised immune function.Clinical presentations include acute fever,CNS symptoms and gastrointestinal symptoms etc.Empiric antibiotics covering Listeria should be considered when sepsis is suspected among susceptible hosts.