Objective:To investigate the influence of 17β-estradiol(17β-E2)in the proliferation and differentiation capabilities of primary cultured hippocampal neural stem cells(NSCs),and to clarify its potential mechanism.Methods:The NSCs were isolated from the hippocampal tissue of SD rats within 24 h of birth,and divided into control group and 17β-E2 group.Immunofluorescence method was used to detect the expressions of Nestin and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine(EdU)in NSCs in two groups,and the proliferation rates of NSCs were calculated.Western blotting method was used to detect the expression level of Nestin protein.Flow cytometry was used to analyze the percentages of NSCs at different cell cycles.Immunofluorescence method was used to identify the expressions of markers for neurons β Ⅲ-tubulin and astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)in the NSCs after differentiation,and the relative ratio of neurons to astrocytes was calculated.Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of β Ⅲ-tubulin and GFAP proteins as well as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K),protein kinase B(Akt),phosphorylated Akt(p-Akt),glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta(GSK-3β),phosphorylated GSK-3β(p-GSK-3β),and beta-catenin(β-catenin)proteins related to PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway.Results:Immunofluorescence assay revealed positive Nestin expression in NSCs in two groups;compared with control group,the proliferation rate of NSCs in 17β-E2 group was increased(P＜0.01).Compared with control group,the expression level of Nestin protein in the NSCs in 17β-E2 group was increased(P＜0.05),and the percentage of NSCs in S phase was increased(P＜0.01).Compared with control group,the relative ratio of neurons to astrocytes in 17β-E2 group was significantly increased(P＜0.05).After differentiation,compared with control group,the expression level of β Ⅲ-tubulin protein in the NSCs in 17β-E2 group was increased(P＜0.05),and the expression level of GFAP protein was decreased(P＜0.01),while the expression levels of Akt,p-Akt,β-catenin,and p-GSK-3β proteins were increased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and the expression level of GSK-3β protein was decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:17β-E2 can promote the proliferation of NSCs and facilitate their differentiation towards neurons,and its mechanism may be related to the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway.

This study developed a core outcome set(COS) for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) interventions in diabetic peripheral neuropathy(DPN), standardizing evaluation metrics for TCM efficacy and providing a new framework for DPN treatment and management. A systematic search was conducted across databases, including CNKI, Wanfang, and PubMed, targeting clinical trial literature published between January 1, 2013, and January 1, 2023. The search focused on extracting outcome indicators and measurement tools used in TCM treatments for DPN. Retrospective data collection was performed from January 2018 to June 2023, involving 200 DPN patients hospitalized at the Department of Endocrinology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with inpatients, outpatients, their families, and nursing staff to further refine and enhance the list of outcome indicators. After two rounds of Delphi questionnaire survey and consensus meeting, a consensus was reached. The study initially retrieved 3 421 publications, of which 170 met the inclusion criteria after review. These publications, combined with retrospective analysis and semi-structured interviews, supplemented the list of indicators. After two rounds of Delphi surveys, experts agreed on 24 indicators and 6 measurement tools. The final COS determined by expert consensus meeting included 5 domains and 13 outcome indicators: neurological function signs, quality of life, TCM syndrome score, nerve conduction velocity, current perception threshold test, fasting blood glucose, 2 h postprandial blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, complete blood count, urinalysis, liver function test, kidney function test, and electrocardiogram.
Humans ; Diabetic Neuropathies/drug therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Male ; Female

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL). METHODS: The clinical data of 17 patients with PPL admitted to Gansu Provincial Hospital from January 2013 to June 2023 were collected, and their clinical characteristics and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed and summarized. RESULTS: The median age of the 17 patients was 56 (29-73) years old. There were 8 males and 9 females. According to Ann Arbor staging system, there were 9 patients with stage I-II and 8 patients with stage III-IV. There were 14 patients with IPI score of 0-2 and 3 patients with IPI score of 3-4. All 17 patients had symptoms at the initial diagnosis, most of the first symptoms were cough, and 6 patients had B symptoms.Among the 17 patients, there were 8 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 5 cases of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, 1 case of gray zone lymphoma (GZL), and 3 cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). 15 patients received chemotherapy, of which 3 cases received autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(ASCT) and 3 cases received radiotherapy; 2 patients did not receive treatment. The median number of chemotherapy courses was 6(2-8). The short-term efficacy was evaluated, 12 patients achieved complete remission (CR) and 3 patients achieved partial remission (PR). The age, pathological subtype, sex, Ann Arbor stage, β₂-microglobulin(β₂-MG) level, lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) level were not correlated with CR rate (P >0.05), while IPI score was correlated with recent CR rate (P < 0.05 ). The median follow-up time was 31(2-102) months. One of the 12 CR patients died of COVID-19, and the rest survived. Among the 3 patients who did not reach CR, 1 died after disease progression, while the other 2 survived. One of the 2 untreated patients died one year after diagnosis. Both the median progression-free survival (PFS) time and overall survival (OS) time of the 17 patients were both 31 (2-102) months. CONCLUSION The incidence of PPL is low, and the disease has no specific clinical manifestations, which is easily missed and misdiagnosed. The pathological subtypes are mainly MALT lymphoma and DLBCL, and the treatment is mainly combined chemotherapy. The IPI score is related to the treatment efficacy.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Prognosis ; Aged ; Lung Neoplasms/therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Neoplasm Staging ; Lymphoma/therapy* ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute infectious respiratory disease that has been prevalent since December 2019. Chinese medicine (CM) has demonstrated its unique advantages in the fight against COVID-19 in the areas of disease prevention, improvement of clinical symptoms, and control of disease progression. This review summarized the relevant material components of CM in the treatment of COVID-19 by searching the relevant literature and reports on CM in the treatment of COVID-19 and combining with the physiological and pathological characteristics of the novel coronavirus. On the basis of sorting out experimental methods in vivo and in vitro, the mechanism of herb action was further clarified in terms of inhibiting virus invasion and replication and improving related complications. The aim of the article is to explore the strengths and characteristics of CM in the treatment of COVID-19, and to provide a basis for the research and scientific, standardized treatment of COVID-19 with CM.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; SARS-CoV-2/drug effects* ; COVID-19/therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Antiviral Agents/pharmacology* ; Animals

Objective:To investigate the incidence of postoperative complications in Chinese patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, and to evaluate the risk factors for postoperative complications.Methods:This was a national, multicenter, prospective, registry-based, cohort study of data obtained from the database of the Prevalence of Abdominal Complications After Gastro- enterological Surgery (PACAGE) study sponsored by the China Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgical Union. The PACAGE database prospectively collected general demographic characteristics, protocols for perioperative treatment, and variables associated with postoperative complications in patients treated for gastric or colorectal cancer in 20 medical centers from December 2018 to December 2020. The patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of postoperative complications. Postoperative complications were categorized and graded in accordance with the expert consensus on postoperative complications in gastrointestinal oncology surgery and Clavien-Dindo grading criteria. The incidence of postoperative complications of different grades are presented as bar charts. Independent risk factors for occurrence of postoperative complications were identified by multifactorial unconditional logistic regression.Results:The study cohort comprised 3926 patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, 657 (16.7%) of whom had a total of 876 postoperative complications. Serious complications (Grade III and above) occurred in 4.0% of patients (156/3926). The rate of Grade V complications was 0.2% (7/3926). The cohort included 2271 patients with gastric cancer with a postoperative complication rate of 18.1% (412/2271) and serious complication rate of 4.7% (106/2271); and 1655 with colorectal cancer, with a postoperative complication rate of 14.8% (245/1655) and serious complication rate of 3.0% (50/1655). The incidences of anastomotic leakage in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer were 3.3% (74/2271) and 3.4% (56/1655), respectively. Abdominal infection was the most frequently occurring complication, accounting for 28.7% (164/572) and 39.5% (120/304) of postoperative complications in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer, respectively. The most frequently occurring grade of postoperative complication was Grade II, accounting for 65.4% (374/572) and 56.6% (172/304) of complications in patients with gastric and colorectal cancers, respectively. Multifactorial analysis identified (1) the following independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients in the gastric cancer group: preoperative comorbidities (OR=2.54, 95%CI: 1.51-4.28, P<0.001), neoadjuvant therapy (OR=1.42, 95%CI:1.06-1.89, P=0.020), high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores (ASA score 2 points:OR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.23-2.07, P<0.001, ASA score ≥3 points:OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.25-0.73, P=0.002), operative time >180 minutes (OR=1.81, 95% CI: 1.42-2.31, P<0.001), intraoperative bleeding >50 mL (OR=1.29,95%CI: 1.01-1.63, P=0.038), and distal gastrectomy compared with total gastrectomy (OR=0.65,95%CI: 0.51-0.83, P<0.001); and (2) the following independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients in the colorectal cancer group: female (OR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.44-0.80, P<0.001), preoperative comorbidities (OR=2.73, 95%CI: 1.25-5.99, P=0.030), neoadjuvant therapy (OR=1.83, 95%CI:1.23-2.72, P=0.008), laparoscopic surgery (OR=0.47, 95%CI: 0.30-0.72, P=0.022), and abdominoperineal resection compared with low anterior resection (OR=2.74, 95%CI: 1.71-4.41, P<0.001). Conclusion:Postoperative complications associated with various types of infection were the most frequent complications in patients with gastric or colorectal cancer. Although the risk factors for postoperative complications differed between patients with gastric cancer and those with colorectal cancer, the presence of preoperative comorbidities, administration of neoadjuvant therapy, and extent of surgical resection, were the commonest factors associated with postoperative complications in patients of both categories.

Objective:To investigate the effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors on reducing residual lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancer.Methods:The cohort of this retrospective study comprised patients from Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University who had undergone systemic treatment prior to gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy and had achieved Grade 1 primary tumor regression (TRG1) from January 2014 to December 2023. After exclusion of patients who had undergone preoperative radiotherapy, data of 58 patients (Nanfang Hospital: 46; First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University: 12) were analyzed. These patients were allocated to preoperative chemotherapy (Chemotherapy group, N=36 cases) and preoperative immunotherapy plus chemotherapy groups (Immunotherapy group, N=22 cases). There were no significant differences between these groups in sex, age, body mass index, diabetes, tumor location, pathological type, Lauren classification, tumor differentiation, pretreatment depth of invasion by primary tumor, pretreatment lymph node stage, pretreatment clinical stage, mismatch repair protein status, number of preoperative treatment cycles, or duration of preoperative treatment (all P>0.05). The primary outcome measure was postoperative lymph node downstaging. Secondary outcomes included postoperative depth of invasion by tumor, number of lymph nodes examined, and factors affecting residual lymph node metastasis status. Results:Lymph node downstaging was achieved significantly more often in the Immunotherapy group than the Chemotherapy group (pN0: 90.9% [20/22] vs. 61.1% [22/36]; pN1: 4.5% [1/22] vs. 36.1% [13/36]; pN2: 4.5% [1/22) vs. 0; pN3: 0 vs. 2.8% [1/36], Z=-2.315, P=0.021). There were no significant difference between the two groups in number of lymph nodes examined (40.5±16.3 vs. 40.8±17.5, t=0.076, P=0.940) or postoperative depth of invasion by primary tumor (pT1a: 50.0% [11/22] vs. 30.6% [11/36]; pT1b: 13.6% [3/22] vs. 19.4% [7/36]; pT2: 13.6% [3/22] vs. 13.9% [5/36]; pT3: 13.6% [3/22] vs. 25.0% [9/36]; pT4a: 9.1% [2/22] vs. 11.1% [4/36], Z=-1.331, P=0.183). Univariate analysis revealed that both preoperative treatment regimens were associated with residual lymph node metastasis status in patients whose primary tumor regression was TRG1 (χ 2=6.070, P=0.014). Multivariate analysis incorporated the following factors: pretreatment depth of invasion by primary tumor, pretreatment lymph node stage, pretreatment clinical stage, number of preoperative treatment cycles, and preoperative treatment duration. We found that a combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy administered preoperatively was an independent protective factor for reducing residual lymph node metastases in study patients whose primary tumor regression was TRG1 (OR=0.147, 95%CI: 0.026–0.828, P=0.030). Conclusion:Compared with preoperative chemotherapy alone, a combination of preoperative immunotherapy and chemotherapy achieved greater reduction of residual lymph node metastases in the study patients who achieved TRG1 tumor regression in their primary lesions.

Purpose::Cerebral edema (CE) is the main secondary injury following traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by road traffic accidents (RTAs). It is challenging to be predicted timely. In this study, we aimed to develop a prediction model for CE by identifying its risk factors and comparing the timing of edema occurrence in TBI patients with varying levels of injuries.Methods::This case-control study included 218 patients with TBI caused by RTAs. The cohort was divided into CE and non-CE groups, according to CT results within 7 days. Demographic data, imaging data, and clinical data were collected and analyzed. Quantitative variables that follow normal distribution were presented as mean ± standard deviation, those that do not follow normal distribution were presented as median (Q 1, Q 3). Categorical variables were expressed as percentages. The Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to identify risk factors for CE. Logistic curve fitting was performed to predict the time to secondary CE in TBI patients with different levels of injuries. The efficacy of the model was evaluated using the receiver operator characteristic curve. Results::According to the study, almost half (47.3%) of the patients were found to have CE. The risk factors associated with CE were bilateral frontal lobe contusion, unilateral frontal lobe contusion, cerebral contusion, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and abbreviated injury scale (AIS). The odds ratio values for these factors were 7.27 (95% confidence interval ( CI): 2.08 -25.42, p = 0.002), 2.85 (95% CI: 1.11 -7.31, p = 0.030), 2.62 (95% CI: 1.12 -6.13, p = 0.027), 2.44 (95% CI: 1.25 -4.76, p = 0.009), and 1.5 (95% CI: 1.10 -2.04, p = 0.009), respectively. We also observed that patients with mild/moderate TBI (AIS ≤ 3) had a 50% probability of developing CE 19.7 h after injury (χ 2= 13.82, adjusted R2 = 0.51), while patients with severe TBI (AIS > 3) developed CE after 12.5 h (χ 2= 18.48, adjusted R2 = 0.54). Finally, we conducted a receiver operator characteristic curve analysis of CE time, which showed an area under the curve of 0.744 and 0.672 for severe and mild/moderate TBI, respectively. Conclusion::Our study found that the onset of CE in individuals with TBI resulting from RTAs was correlated with the severity of the injury. Specifically, those with more severe injuries experienced an earlier onset of CE. These findings suggest that there is a critical time window for clinical intervention in cases of CE secondary to TBI.

The treatment strategy for blast injuries is closely linked to the clinical outcome of blast injury casualties. However, the application of military surgery experience to blast injuries caused by production safety accidents is relatively uncommon. In this study, the authors present 2 cases of blast injuries caused by one gas explosion, both cases involved individuals of the same age and gender and experienced similar degree of injury. The authors highlight the importance of using a military surgery treatment strategy, specifically emphasizing the need to understand the concept of damage control and disposal. It is recommended that relevant training in this area should be strengthened to improve the clinical treatment of such injuries. This study provides a valuable reference for healthcare professionals dealing with blast injuries.

Objective To carry out rigid-body inverse dynamics modelling and analysis of a self-designed 6RSS parallel bio-inspired masticatory robot.Methods Firstly,the functions of kinematic variables including translational/rotational velocities and accelerations were derived for rigid-body inverse dynamics modelling.Secondly,the rigid-body inverse dynamics model was established with the Newton-Euler's law.Finally,the chewing motion trajectories of the oral health volunteers were tracked and numerical calculations were carried out in the case where the robot was subjected to a chewing reaction force.Results Numerical calculations showed that the driving torque and the constraint force of the robot peaked when the chewing reaction force was at its maximum.Conclusion The external force has a large impact on the inverse dynamics of the robot,and theoretical references are provided for the motion control and optimal design of the robot.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(3):16-22]

Objective:To assess the quality of low-keV monoenergetic images using deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) algorithm combined with dual energy CT (DECT) in gastric cancer and to compare them with images from the conventional adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR-V) algorithm.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, DECT images of 31 gastric cancer patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were prospectively collected from September 2022 to March 2023. The 55 keV monoenergy images were reconstructed using the DLIR algorithm at low-, medium-, and high-intensity levels (DLIR-L, DLIR-M, and DLIR-H) based on arterial phase and venous phase images, respectively. The 70 keV 40% mixing coefficient (ASiR-V40%) images were reconstructed using the ASiR-V algorithm. In the objective evaluation of images, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for both lesions and muscle were calculated across four sets of reconstructed images. In the subjective evaluation of images, scores were assigned to the overall image quality, lesion visibility, and diagnostic confidence for each set of reconstructed images. Comparisons of SNR and CNR between the 4 groups were made by One-way repeated-measures ANOVA or Friedman′s test. Comparisons of scores were made by Friedman′s test. The P value of pairwise comparison was adjusted using Bonferroni correction methods. Results:In the objective evaluations, CNR lesion, SNR lesion and SNR muscle were highest on the 55 keV DLIR-H images in the arterial and venous phases, and showed a gradually increasing trend on the 70 keV ASiR-V40%, 55 keV DLIR-L, DLIR-M, DLIR-H images ( P<0.05). In subjective evaluations, compared to the 70 keV ASiR-V40% images, overall image quality scores were numerically higher for the 55 keV DLIR-H ( P>0.05), similar or slightly worse for the 55 keV DLIR-M, and significantly lower for the 55 keV DLIR-L ( P<0.05). The lesion visibility and diagnostic confidence on the 55 keV DLIR reconstruction images were higher in both arterial and venous phases than 70 keV ASiR-V40% images ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared to the conventional 70 keV ASiR-V40% images, the 55 keV DLIR-H images had higher lesion contrast and diagnostic confidence with lower image noise. The 55 keV DLIR-M images had comparable overall image quality to 70 keV ASiR-V40% images, but the former had higher lesion contrast and diagnostic confidence. The 55 keV DLIR-L was unable to improve image quality to the level of 70 keV ASiR-V40%.