ObjectiveTo compare the contents and relative molecular weight distributions of proteins and polypeptides in Naoxuekang dropping pills， Huoxue Tongmai capsules and Maixuekang capsules of Hirudo single medicinal preparations， to evaluate the in vitro anticoagulant， antiplatelet and fibrinolytic activities of the three preparations， and to investigate the effects of temperature， pH and digestive enzymes on the anticoagulant activities of the three preparations. MethodsThe contents of soluble proteins and polypeptides in the three preparations were determined by bicinchoninic acid assay（BCA） and Bradford method， and the relative molecular weight distributions of the three preparations were determined by electrophoresis combined with gel chromatography. The antithrombin activity of the three preparations was evaluated by fibrinogen-thrombin time（Fibg-TT） method， and their anticoagulant activities were further assessed by the elongations of activated partial thromboplastin time（APTT）， prothrombin time（PT） and thrombin time（TT）. The antiplatelet aggregation activities of the three preparations were measured by turbidimetry and the fibrinolytic activities were measured by fibrin plate method. Relative TT was used as index to investigate the effects of temperature， pH and digestive enzyme buffer on anticoagulant activities of the three preparations. ResultsAt the lowest single dosage， the contents of proteins and polypeptides were in the order of Maixuekang capsules>Huoxue Tongmai capsules>Naoxuekang dropping pills. Both Huoxue Tongmai capsules and Maixuekang capsules had 11 electrophoretic bands between 4.0 kDa and 90 kDa， the bands of Maixuekang capsules were more clear in the range of >25 kDa， and there was 1 obvious band at 14 kDa for the two capsules. Huoxue Tongmai capsules had one specific band at 9.0 kDa and Maixuekang capsules had one specific band at 48.0 kDa. Naoxuekang dropping pills only had 2 electrophoretic bands at 6.5 kDa and 8.5 kDa， primarily containing peptides below 2 kDa， most of which were oligopeptides. The anticoagulant activity concentrations of the three preparations exhibited a certain dose-dependent effect. At the lowest single dosage， The anticoagulant activity concentrations were ranked as Naoxuekang dropping pills>Huoxue Tongmai capsules>Maixuekang capsules. The prolongation effect of the three preparations on coagulation time was dose-dependent. At the same concentration， the prolongation effect of Naoxuekang dropping pills and Huoxue Tongmai capsules was APTT prolongation rate>TT prolongation rate>PT prolongation rate， whereas for Maixuekang capsules， the sequence was TT prolongation rate>APTT prolongation rate>PT lengthening rate. At the single minimum dosage， the order of APTT prolongation rate was Maixuekang capsules>Huoxue Tongmai capsules≈Naoxuekang dropping pills， the order of PT prolongation rate was Naoxuekang dropping pills≈Maixuekang capsules>Huoxue Tongmai capsules， and the order of TT prolongation rate was Maixuekang capsules>Huoxue Tongmai capsules>Naoxuekang dropping pills. The three preparations showed dose-dependent effects on platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate（ADP） and arachidonic acid（AA）， and the effect induced by ADP was stronger than that induced by AA. The anti-platelet aggregation effect of Naoxuekang dropping pills was significantly stronger than that of Maixuekang capsules（P<0.01）， whereas Huoxue Tongmai capsules had the effect of promoting platelet aggregation. None of the three preparations had the ability to dissolve fibrin. The anticoagulant activity of Naoxuekang dropping pills was least affected by heating， while the activities of the two capsules decreased significantly within 5 min above 80 ℃， and continued to decrease within 2 h. Compared with pure water， the anticoagulant activities of the three preparations could be increased by 1-3 times under strong acidity（pH 1-3）. In the pepsin buffer， the anticoagulant activity of Naoxuekang dropping pills could be increased by 1-3 times， while the anticoagulant activities of Huoxue Tongmai capsules and Maxuekang capsules were significantly decreased， the lowest levels were about 60% and 20%， respectively. In trypsin buffer， the anticoagulant activities of Naoxuekang dropping pills， Huoxue Tongmai capsules and Maixuekang capsules decreased significantly， and the lowest levels decreased to about 41%， 41% and 35%， respectively. ConclusionThe contents of proteins and polypeptides and relative molecular weights of the preparations derived from lyophilized fresh Hirudo powder， dried Hirudo powder and reflux extract of Hirudo decrease sequentially， and the anticoagulant activity decrease gradually， but the anticoagulant pathway is different. And the anti-platelet aggregation activity of the reflux extract is significantly enhanced. The heat resistance and gastrointestinal stability of the three preparations increase successively， and the first two are suitable for enteric-soluble preparations， while the latter is suitable for routine oral administration. The above results can provide data reference for the rationality of different preparation methods， active substances， pharmacodynamics and mechanism of Hirudo preparations.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of leaflet augmentation technique to repair the recurrent mitral valve (MV) regurgitation after mitral repair in children. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of children who underwent redo MV repair for recurrent regurgitation after initial MV repair, using a leaflet augmentation technique combined with a standardized repair strategy at Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from 2018 to 2022. The pathological features of the MV, key intraoperative procedures, and short- to mid-term follow-up outcomes were analyzed. Results A total of 24 patients (12 male, 12 female) were included, with a median age of 37.6 (range, 16.5–120.0) months. The mean interval from the initial surgery was (24.9±17.0) months. All children had severe mitral regurgitation preoperatively. The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (150.1±49.5) min, and the aortic cross-clamp time was (94.0±24.2) min. There were no early postoperative deaths. During a mean follow-up of (20.3±9.1) months, 3 (12.5%) patients developed moderate or severe mitral regurgitation (2 severe, 1 moderate). One (4.2%) patient died during follow-up, and one (4.2%) patient underwent a second MV reoperation. The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was significantly reduced postoperatively compared to preoperatively [ (43.5±8.6) mm vs. (35.8±7.8)mm, P<0.001]. Conclusion The leaflet augmentation technique combined with a standardized repair strategy can achieve satisfactory short- to mid-term outcomes for the redo mitral repair after previous MV repair. It can be considered a safe and feasible technical option for cases with complex valvular lesions and severe pathological changes.

BACKGROUND: The available evidence regarding the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients receiving dialysis with coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCI and clinical outcomes as compared with medical therapy alone in patients undergoing dialysis with CAD in China. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study was conducted in 30 tertiary medical centers across 12 provinces in China from January 2015 to June 2021 to include patients on dialysis with CAD. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. Secondary outcomes included all-cause death, the individual components of MACE, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria types 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between PCI and outcomes. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to account for potential between-group differences. RESULTS: Of the 1146 patients on dialysis with significant CAD, 821 (71.6%) underwent PCI. After a median follow-up of 23.0 months, PCI was associated with a 43.0% significantly lower risk for MACE (33.9% [ n  = 278] vs . 43.7% [ n  = 142]; adjusted hazards ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.71), along with a slightly increased risk for bleeding outcomes that did not reach statistical significance (11.1% vs . 8.3%; adjusted hazards ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval, 0.82-2.11). Furthermore, PCI was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities. Subgroup analysis did not modify the association of PCI with patient outcomes. These primary findings were consistent across IPTW, PSM, and competing risk analyses. CONCLUSION This study indicated that PCI in patients on dialysis with CAD was significantly associated with lower MACE and mortality when comparing with those with medical therapy alone, albeit with a slightly increased risk for bleeding events that did not reach statistical significance.
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; China ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome

A high-performance liquid chromatography method using pre-column derivatization with 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate was developed to determine the content of 15 amino acids in the medicinal snakes Bungarus Parvus, Agkistrodon, and Zaocys. The results showed that the total amino acid(TAA) content ranged from 277.13 to 515.05 mg·g~(-1), with the top four amino acids in all three species being glutamic acid(Glu), glycine(Gly), aspartic acid(Asp), and lysine(Lys). The essential amino acid(EAA) content ranged from 74.56 to 203.94 mg·g~(-1), with Agkistrodon exhibiting the highest content. The non-essential amino acid(NEAA), semi-essential amino acid(semi-EAA), and medicinal amino acid(MAA) content ranged from 189.06 to 318.23, 12.89 to 33.53, and 179.83 to 342.33 mg·g~(-1), respectively, with Zaocys having the highest content in these categories. Amino acid nutritional value was evaluated using the amino acid ratio(RAA), amino acid ratio coefficient(RCAA), and amino acid ratio coefficient score(SRCAA), and the results indicated that all three medicinal snakes possessed good nutritional value. The amino acid composition was similar across the species, though significant differences in content were observed. Based on these differences, an orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) model was established, which could clearly distinguish between the three medicinal snake species. The key differences in amino acid content included Gly, tyrosine(Tyr), Glu, and serine(Ser), which may be related to the observed clinical application differences among the species. Further research into the mechanisms of these differential amino acids is expected to provide more insights into the clinical application disparities of these three medicinal snake species.
Amino Acids/chemistry* ; Animals ; Nutritive Value ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Snakes/classification* ; Bungarus

Objective:To evaluate the levels and source of cadmium exposure by dietary pathway among middle-aged and elderly people ≥40 in cadmium-contaminated areas of China.Methods:A total of 7 193 people aged 40-89 years from four typical cadmium-contaminated areas in China were selected as the study subjects. Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), Total Diet Study (TDS) and a 3-day-24-hour dietary recall survey were conducted. Dietary cadmium intake and food sources through dietary pathways were assessed based on cadmium content in foods, consumption amounts and intake frequencies.Results:The mean age of the participants was 63.39±12.21 years, with 50.05% being males. The average monthly dietary cadmium intake was 7.39 μg/(kg·BW). Staple foods and vegetables were the primary sources of dietary cadmium intake, accounting for 57.51% and 32.48%, respectively. The monthly dietary cadmium intake in all surveyed regions did not exceed the Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake (PTMI) recommended by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).Conclusion:The monthly dietary cadmium intake among middle-aged and elderly people in cadmium-contaminated areas of China is relatively low, with the risk remaining at an acceptable level. Staple foods and vegetables are the most significant contributors to dietary cadmium intake.

Objective:To investigate the effect of Snyder's hope theory intervention on mental resilience and quality of life in elderly patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation(NVAF).Methods:This randomized controlled study enrolled 128 elderly NVAF patients admitted in Second Affiliated Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force Military Medical University between October 2018 and June 2022.They were divided into control group(n=64,routine nursing)and intervention group(n=64,additional Snyder's hope theory intervention).After 3-month intervention,mental resilience,quality of life and satisfaction were compared between two groups.Results:After 3-month intervention,compared with patients in control group,those in intervention group had significant higher total scores of Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC)[(45.41±6.07)points vs.(35.40±4.96)points],the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey(SF-36)[(90.69±6.16)points vs.(75.71±4.31)points]and total satisfaction(95.31％vs.81.25％)(P＜0.05 or＜0.01).Conclusion:Snyder's hope theory intervention could significantly improve their mental resilience and quality of life,as well as satisfaction,in elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Objective:To explore the correlation between the expression of fucosylated proteins in colonic epithelium (abbreviated as colonic fucosylation level) and the clinical efficacy of ustekinumab (UST) in patients with Crohn′s disease (CD).Methods:From January 2022 to November 2023, CD patients who were hospitalized at Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and received the treatment of UST ≥24 weeks (CD group) and patients with colon polyps (colon polyps control group) were retrospectively enrolled. Baseline data of the patients were collected. Harvey-Bradshaw index for Crohn′s disease (HBI) and simple endoscopic score for Crohn′s disease (SES-CD) were applied to assess clinical and endoscopic disease activities, respectively. The colonic fucosylation level was detected by immunofluorescence staining in the CD group at weeks 0 and 24 after UST treatment and at diagnosis in the colon polyps control group (baseline). The levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin (FC) were also assessed. A linear regression model was performed to analyze the correlation between the baseline colonic fucosylation levels and the clinical characteristics in CD patients. At week 24, the clinical efficacy of UST treatment was evaluated, clinical remission was defined as HBI ≤4, biological remission was defined as CRP<5 mg/L and(or) FC≤250 μg/g, and mucosal healing was defined as SES-CD≤2.Based on the efficacy of UST treatment, the CD group was further divided into clinical remission subgroup and clinical non-remission subgroup, biological remission subgroup and biological non-remission subgroup, and mucosal healing subgroup and mucosal non-healing subgroup. The differences in colonic fucosylation level between the subgroups were compared. Multivariate binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the impacts of the baseline clinical characteristics on clinical efficacy at week 24 of UST treatment in the CD group. Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon matched-pair test were used for statistical analysis. Results:A total of 60 patients in the CD group and 72 patients in the colon polyps control group were enrolled. The baseline colonic fucosylation level of CD group was lower than that of the colon polyps control group (25.81 (15.55, 29.70) vs. 29.57 (27.32, 32.96)), and the difference was statistically significant ( Z=-5.02, P<0.001). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the baseline colonic fucosylation level of the CD group was negatively correlated with the baseline FC level ( β=-13.80, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): -20.59 to -7.00, P<0.001). The colonic fucosylation level at week 24 of the CD group was higher than that at week 0 (28.53 (24.54, 32.32) vs. 25.81 (15.55, 29.70)), and the difference was statistically significant ( Z=4.75, P<0.001). The colonic fucosylation levels at week 24 of the clinical remission subgroup, the biological remission subgroup, and the mucosal healing subgroup were higher than those of the clinical non-remission subgroup, the biological non-remission subgroup, and the mucosal non-healing subgroup, respectively (29.1 (27.9, 33.0) vs. 19.6 (16.3, 31.9), 29.5 (27.3, 33.0) vs. 19.6 (17.5, 27.5), 29.6 (28.4, 33.0) vs. 23.4 (17.5, 28.4)), and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=3.35, 3.78, 4.63; all P<0.001). The results of multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that the baseline colonic fucosylation level was the independent influencing factor of the rate of clinical remission, biological remission and mucosal healing at week 24 after UST treatment in the CD group ( OR=1.30 (95% CI: 1.05 to 1.61), 1.24 (95% CI: 1.01 to 1.52), 1.57 (95% CI: 1.16 to 2.12); P=0.018, 0.037 and 0.003). Conclusion:The baseline level of colonic fucosylation in CD patients is correlated with the clinical efficacy at week 24 of UST treatment, suggesting its potential utility in predicting the efficacy of UST treatment in CD patients.

Objective To develop a deep learning model based on fundus retinal images to improve the detection rate of mild cognitive impairment(MCI)in patients with coronary heart disease,achieve early intervention and improve prognosis.Methods The study was a single-center cross-sectional study that retrospectively included patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease(CHD)by coronary angiography(≥50％ stenosis of at least one coronary vessel)from Beijing Anzhen Hospital between November 2021 and December 2022.The whole data set was randomly divided into the training set and the testing set according to the ratio of 8∶2 for model development.After that,the patient data of the same center from January 2023 to April 2023 were included in the time verification method to verify the model.The diagnostic criteria for MCI were MMSE＜27 or MoCA＜26.Four kinds of convolutional neural network(CNN)architectures were used to train fundus images,and a comprehensive vision model of MCI detection was established through model integration.The area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity and specificity of the receiver operating curve(ROC)were used to evaluate the performance of the AI model.Results We collected 5 880 eligible fundus images from 3 368 CHD patients.Based on the results of the MMSE scale,the algorithm was labeled,including 2 898 males and 527 MCI patients.The AUC of the deep learning model in the test group is 0.733(95％CI 0.688-0.778),and the sensitivity of the algorithm in the test group is 0.577(95％CI 0.528-0.625)by using the operating point with the maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity.With a specificity of 0.758(95％CI 0.714-0.802),corresponding to a validated AUC of 0.710(95％CI 0.601-0.818).Based on the results of the MoCA scale,the algorithm labels 2 437 males and 1 626 MCI patients.The AUC of the deep learning model in the test group was 0.702(95％CI 0.671-0.733).The operating point with the maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity was selected,and the sensitivity of the algorithm was 0.749(95％CI 0.719-0.778)and the specificity was 0.561(95％CI 0.527-0.595),corresponding to the AUC value of the verification group was 0.674(95％CI 0.622-0.726).Conclusions The deep learning algorithm model based on fundus images has good diagnostic performance,and may be used as a new non-invasive,convenient and rapid screening method for MCI in CHD population.

BACKGROUND:Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a common spinal deformity that seriously affects the physical and mental health of patients.Modal analysis will focus on analyzing the natural vibration characteristics of the thoracic spine and its stability and response under the influence of external vibration.This analysis is expected to not only enhance the understanding of the thoracic curvature of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis,but also provide new perspectives and methods for developing new treatment strategies,designing personalized braces,and evaluating surgical outcomes.OBJECTIVE:To create a three-dimensional finite element model to evaluate the response modes of the entire thoracic spine and intervertebral discs in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients at different vibration frequencies,and determine the potential frequency range of injury risk.METHODS:This study was jointly conducted at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University and the School of Mechanical Engineering at the Boda Campus of Xinjiang University from June 2023 to June 2024.The research subject was a patient with severe spinal and thoracic curvature.CT images were obtained using Siemens dual source spiral CT scanning,and a fine T1-T12 three-dimensional finite element model was established using software such as Mimics,Geomagic Studio,Solidworks,and Hypermesh.Abaqus software was used to perform modal analysis on the model and obtain the maximum amplitude and corresponding vibration modes of the first 12 modes of the entire thoracic spine and intervertebral disc.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The modal analysis results showed that the entire thoracic vertebrae and intervertebral discs mainly bent and twisted around the X and Y axes in the lower order modes,while increasing rotation around the Z axis in the higher order modes.(2)The T1-T3 and T6-T8 segments showed the most significant deformation and higher load burden,indicating that these regions played a crucial role in the development of scoliosis.(3)When the natural frequency was concentrated between 98.832 to 121.97 cycles/s for a long time,the vibration displacement of the entire thoracic vertebrae and intervertebral discs was large,which might lead to spinal injury.(4)Through finite element modal analysis,this study provides a scientific basis for understanding the response of the entire thoracic spine and intervertebral discs in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients under various vibration frequencies,thereby offering crucial insights into clinical treatment,prevention,and particularly,vibration-related protective strategies.Furthermore,by identifying the potential frequency range of injury risk,this study provides an important basis for developing vibration protection measures and optimizing spinal care strategies for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients.

Objective:To explore the value of non-invasive habitat imaging (HI) multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) in predicting the risk of prostate cancer (PCa).Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 220 patients with PCa confirmed by radical prostatectomy (RP) who underwent multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) scanning at Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University from January 2018 to May 2024 were retrospectively collected. Patients were divided into a training set (154 cases) and a test set (66 cases) by simple random sampling in a 7∶3 ratio. Based on mpMRI imaging, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), perfusion fraction (f), and mean kurtosis (MK) of each voxel were integrated. The K-means clustering algorithm was used to divide the PCa target lesions into habitat subregions, generate habitat maps, and calculate the proportion of each habitat subregion in the entire lesion. According to the 2019 International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) guidelines, patients were categorized into a low-risk group (ISUP≤2, 65 cases) and a high-risk group (ISUP≥3, 155 cases). The RP specimens were matched with the habitat map to identify corresponding habitat subregions, and the ISUP grade of each subregion was individually evaluated to calculate the detection rate of high-risk PCa patients. The logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the independent risk factors associated with PCa risk, and the HI-clinical imaging model and clinical imaging model were constructed. The efficacy of the models was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve.Results:Based on the optimal cluster number, the habitat was divided into three subregions. Habitat 1 had lower ADC and f values and higher MK values, while habitat 2 had the opposite characteristics, and habitat 3 was intermediate. The proportion of habitat 1 in the high-risk group was 28.8%, in the low-risk group was 8.9%. In the training set, the comparison of habitat subregions with pathological results showed that the detection rate of high-risk lesions was 66.9% (103/154) in habitat 1, 25.3% (39/154) in habitat 2, and 47.4% (73/154) in habitat 3. The logistic regression analysis indicated that the proportion of habitat 1 ( OR=3.03, 95% CI 1.77-5.18, P<0.001), prostate-specific antigen ( OR=1.66, 95% CI 1.04-2.66, P=0.034), and the prostate imaging reporting and data system score ( OR=1.65, 95% CI 1.00-2.70, P=0.048) as independent risk factors for high-risk PCa. In the training set, the area under the curve (AUC) for predicting PCa risk was 0.854 (95% CI 0.789-0.920) for the HI-clinical imaging model and 0.779 (95% CI 0.701-0.856) for the clinical imaging model. In the test set, the AUC values were 0.809 (95% CI 0.693-0.895) and 0.738 (95% CI 0.619-0.856), respectively. Conclusion:HI based on mpMRI can effectively predict the risk of PCa.