Jiuwei Xifeng Granules have become a Chinese patent medicine in the market. Because the formula contains Os Draconis, a top-level protected fossil of ancient organisms, the formula was to be improved by replacing Os Draconis with Ostreae Concha. To evaluate whether the improved formula has the same effectiveness and safety as the original formula, a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, equivalence clinical trial was conducted. This study enrolled 288 tic disorder(TD) of children and assigned them into two groups in 1∶1. The treatment group and control group took the modified formula and original formula, respectively. The treatment lasted for 6 weeks, and follow-up visits were conducted at weeks 2, 4, and 6. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference in Yale global tic severity scale(YGTSS)-total tic severity(TTS) score from baseline after 6 weeks of treatment. The results showed that after 6 weeks of treatment, the declines in YGTSS-TSS score showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The difference in YGTSS-TSS score(treatment group-control group) and the 95%CI of the full analysis set(FAS) were-0.17[-1.42, 1.08] and those of per-protocol set(PPS) were 0.29[-0.97, 1.56], which were within the equivalence boundary [-3, 3]. The equivalence test was therefore concluded. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary efficacy endpoints of effective rate for TD, total score and factor scores of YGTSS, clinical global impressions-severity(CGI-S) score, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) response rate, or symptom disappearance rate, and thus a complete evidence chain with the primary outcome was formed. A total of 6 adverse reactions were reported, including 4(2.82%) cases in the treatment group and 2(1.41%) cases in the control group, which showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No serious suspected unexpected adverse reactions were reported, and no laboratory test results indicated serious clinically significant abnormalities. The results support the replacement of Os Draconis by Ostreae Concha in the original formula, and the efficacy and safety of the modified formula are consistent with those of the original formula.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Tic Disorders/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

Forensic medicine has been designated as a first-level discipline,presenting new opportunities and challenges for the development of forensic medicine.Since the 1980s,the establishment of foren-sic medicine discipline and the cultivation of high-level forensic talents have become hot topics in the development of forensic medicine in China.Since the 13th Five-Year Plan,the forensic team of Shanxi Medical University has been aiming at the forefront,proposing the development goals of"Five First-class"and the discipline development path"Six Major Achievements".It has selected benchmark disci-plines,identified gaps in disciplinary development,unified thoughts,formulated completion timelines,concentrated superior resources,assigned tasks to individuals,and created an"Organized Fill-in-the-Blank Format"forensic medicine discipline construction model with the characteristics of the new era.The construction model of forensic medicine has achieved good results in the goals,discipline frame-work,scientific research,talent cultivation,discipline team and platform construction,forming a rela-tively complete discipline construction and management system,and accumulating valuable experience for the construction of first-level discipline and high-level talent cultivation of forensic medicine.

Objective To investigate the anatomical and microscopic structures of interstitial fluid flow channels in the skin tissue of hand dorsum in human cadavers.Methods Totally 7 fresh cadavers within 12 hours post-mortem were included.MRI was used to observe the distribution of interstitial fluid flow from the first phalanx of the fingers to the wrist,precisely locating the flow channels.Based on imaging results,histological analyses were conducted to determine the histological characteristics of the flow channels.Furthermore,multi-immunofluorescence and microcomputed tomography(Micro-CT)techniques were employed to analyze the channels,and image post-processing was used to elucidate their anatomical structures at the microscopic level.Results After injecting a contrast agent into the first phalanx of ten finger specimens and applying repeated pressure,MRI image revealed centripetal long-range interstitial fluid flow along channels distinct from blood vessels and lymphatic vessels.Histological analysis and Micro-CT further confirmed that the flow primarily occurred within the fibrous connective tissue and adventitia of the skin.Conclusion The orderly fibrous connective tissue and adventitia in the skin form the interstitial fluid flow channels in the human hand dorsum skin,named as"stromal membrane channels"in the skin.

Amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) is one of the most effective formulation approaches to enhance the water solubility and oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. However, maintenance of physical stability of amorphous drug is one of the main challenges in the development of ASD. Crystallization is a process of nucleation and crystal growth. The nucleation is the key factor that influences the physical stability of the ASD. However, a theoretical framework to describe the way to inhibit the nucleation of amorphous drug is not yet available. We reviewed the methods and theories of nucleation for amorphous drug. Meanwhile, we also summarized the research progress on the mechanism of additives influence on nucleation and environmental factors on nucleation. This review aims to enhance the better understanding mechanism of nucleation of amorphous drug and controlling over the crystal nucleation during the ASD formulation development.

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills on rats with steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head(SONFH).Methods Sixty rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,Xianling Gubao Capsules group and Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills low-,medium-and high-dose groups,10 rats in each group.Except for the blank group,the SONFH model was established by lipopolysaccharide combined with Glucocorticoid induction method in all other groups of rats.At the end of the intervention,for the femoral head,blood vessel radiography was performed to observe the microvascular changes in the bone marrow,and hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and calculation of the empty bone trap rate,Micro-CT scanning analysis,and compression experiments were carried out,and the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)was used to detect the gene expressions of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K),protein kinase B(Akt)1,vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1(CD31)in whole blood.Results Compared with the blank group,the blood supply in the femoral head medullary cavity of the model group was poor,the empty bone lacuna rate was increased(P＜0.05),the bone mineral density and bone volume fraction were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the maximum load and elastic modulus of the femoral head were decreased(P＜0.05),and the mRNA expression levels of Akt1,PI3K,VEGF and CD31 in whole blood were decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the blood supply in the femoral head medullary cavity was relatively good,the empty bone lacuna rate was decreased(P＜0.05),the bone mineral density,bone volume fraction,trabecular number and trabecular thickness were significantly increased(P＜0.05),the trabecular separation was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the maximum load and elastic modulus of the femoral head were increased(P＜0.05),and the mRNA expression levels of Akt1,PI3K,VEGF and CD31 in the whole blood were increased(P＜0.05)in the high-dose group of Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills and Xianling Gubao Capsules group.There was no significant difference in the above indexes between the high-dose group of Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills and the Xianling Gubao Capsules group(P＞0.05).Conclusion Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills improves SONFH in rats,and its mechanism is related to the promotion of VEGF/PI3K/Akt pathway gene expression,thereby promoting angiogenesis.

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety between hypofractionated radiotherapy(HyRt)and conventional radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery.Methods This study was a single-center,prospective,randomized controlled study.Eighty-three patients with pTis-T2N0M0 breast cancer admitted to Tangshan People's Hospital from May 2017 to May 2019 were included.The patients received breast-conserving surgery+sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB).After surgery,they were treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy(IMRT).According to random table method,patients were divided into HyRt group(n=41)and conventional radiotherapy group(n=42).The dose of organs at risk,treatment efficacy,treatment failure modes,and radiotherapy related adverse reactions were analyzed in the two groups.The radiotherapy-related adverse reactions were evaluated according to NCI CTC AE Version 3.0,including radiation dermatitis,radiation pneumonia,breast/skin fibrosis,pulmonary fibrosis,etc.Results Eighty-three patients with breast cancer were included,with a median age of 44(26-67)years.There was no statistically significant difference in clinical parameters such as age(P=0.443),TNM stage(P=0.335),molecular typing(P=0.333),degree of differentiation(P=0.617),and pathological type(P=0.127)between the two groups of patients.Compared with conventional radiotherapy group,the V5(25.6％vs.33.8％,P=0.015),V20(13.3％vs.17.2％,P=0.042),and the mean radiation dose(MLD;7.4 Gy vs.10.4 Gy,P=0.020)of the affected lung of HyRt group significantly decreased.Only 3 patients in this study experienced distant metastasis,and no regional lymph node metastasis or local recurrence was observed.There was no significant difference in PFS rate at 2 years between HyRt group and conventional radiotherapy group(94.4％vs.85.2％,P=0.818).Compared with conventional radiotherapy group,the incidence of≥grade Ⅱ irradiation dermatitis in HyRt group was significantly reduced(2.4％vs.21.4％,P=0.015).There was no difference in the incidence of grade Ⅰ breast/skin fibrosis(19.5％vs.14.3％,P=0.570)between the two groups,and no grade Ⅲ radiotherapy-related side effects were observed in the two groups.Conclusions Compared with conventional radiotherapy with simultaneously integrated boosting-intensity modulated radiotherapy,the patients who received HyRt after breast-conserving surgery for early-stage breast cancer have good tolerance and low incidence of adverse reactions.HyRt can be used as the first option of radiation therapy.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective To investigate the incidence rate,clinical characteristics,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen,China.Methods Led by Shenzhen Children's Hospital,the Shenzhen Neonatal Data Collaboration Network organized 21 institutions to collect 36 cases of neonatal stroke from January 2020 to December 2022.The incidence,clinical characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen were analyzed.Results The incidence rate of neonatal stroke in 21 hospitals from 2020 to 2022 was 1/15 137,1/6 060,and 1/7 704,respectively.Ischemic stroke accounted for 75％(27/36);boys accounted for 64％(23/36).Among the 36 neonates,31(86％)had disease onset within 3 days after birth,and 19(53％)had convulsion as the initial presentation.Cerebral MRI showed that 22 neonates(61％)had left cerebral infarction and 13(36％)had basal ganglia infarction.Magnetic resonance angiography was performed for 12 neonates,among whom 9(75％)had involvement of the middle cerebral artery.Electroencephalography was performed for 29 neonates,with sharp waves in 21 neonates(72％)and seizures in 10 neonates(34％).Symptomatic/supportive treatment varied across different hospitals.Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment was performed for 12 neonates(33％,12/36),with a mean score of(32±4)points.The prognosis of 27 neonates was followed up to around 12 months of age,with 44％(12/27)of the neonates having a good prognosis.Conclusions Ischemic stroke is the main type of neonatal stroke,often with convulsions as the initial presentation,involvement of the middle cerebral artery,sharp waves on electroencephalography,and a relatively low neurodevelopment score.Symptomatic/supportive treatment is the main treatment method,and some neonates tend to have a poor prognosis.

This study aimed to determine the drug resistance phenotype and genetic characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes ST5 LK100 isolated from a neonate,which provided a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of L.monocyto-genes infection and to enhance the understanding of the genomic characteristics of this strain.A suspected L.monocytogenes strain was isolated from the gastric juice sample of an infected neonate,and identified with a VITEK2 Compact automatic mi-crobial identification instrument and 16S RNA sequencing.Five drug sensitivity tests were conducted on the identified strain with the E-test method.Additionally,the whole genome of the strain was sequenced using a third-generation sequencing plat-form.The antibiotic resistance elements of the strain were identified by BlastN with the CARD antibiotic resistance gene data-base.The multilocus sequence typing(MLST),serotyping,and virulence genes of the strain was determined by Pasteur da-tabase,the virulence gene distribution was analyzed using the virulence analysis website.The prophages of the strain were predicted and annotate by PHASTER online website.The strain(LK100)isolated from the neonate was identified as L.monocytogenes.This strain was sensitive to penicillin,ampicil-lin,meropenem,erythromycin,and trimethoprim-sulfame-thoxazole antibiotics.The MLST type and serotype was ST5 and 1/2b-3b,respectively.The total length of the chromoso-mal genome of LK100 was 3 032 582 bp with a GC content of 37.91％,and it contained a complete circular plasmid with a se-quence length of 52 822 bp.The strain LK100 carried complete InlA protein,LIPI-1 pathogenicity island,SSI-1 stress survival island,and an LGI2 genomic island.The intrinsic antibiotic resistance genes were mainly located on the chromosome.Five prophage sequences were predicted in the LK100 genome.This study identified a strain of ST5 L.monocytogenes LK100 from an infected neonate and characterized its genome and antibiotic sensitivity,laying the foundation for further research on ST5 L.monocytogenes.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between serum cystatin C(CysC),β2-microglobulin(β2-MG)and the efficacy of demethylation therapy in patients with acute myeloid leukemia(AML).Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted on 98 AML patients admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from February 2019 to January 2022.All patients were treated with decitabine(DAC)+HAG regimen,28 days as a course and treated for 3-4 courses.At the end of each course of treatment,the treatment effect of the patients was evaluated,and the patients who achieved complete remission(CR)transferred to consolidation therapy,while the patients who did not reach CR at the end of the course of treatment were considered as treatment failure.The examination items before treatment include routine blood parameters,serum CysC,and β2-MG,and general clinical data of the patients were collected.According to the statistical results,logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between serum CysC,β2-MG and the efficacy of demethylation therapy in AML patients.The ROC curves were drawn,and the predictive efficacy of serum CysC,β2-MG on demethylation therapy in AML patients was evaluated by the area under the curve(AUC).Results:Of the 98 AML patients enrolled in the study,5 cases were excluded during the treatment period,and 93 cases finally completed the chemotherapy courses.Among them,23 patients achieved CR after the initial induction chemotherapy(course 1-2),and 11 patients achieved CR after the re-induction chemotherapy(course 3-4).The success rate of demethylation therapy was 36.56％(34/93).Compared with the patients in treatment success group,patients in treatment failure group had a higher proportion of intermediate-and adverse-risk,lower levels of platelet(PLT)and hemoglobin(Hb),and higher expression levels of serum CysC and β2-MG,all of which were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that high expression of serum CysC,β2-MG and adverse-risk were independent risk factors for failure of demethylation treatment in AML patients(OR＞1,P＜0.05).The ROC curves showed that the AUC values of serum CysC,β2-MG alone and combined in predicting the efficacy of demethylation therapy in AML patients were 0.788,0.785 and 0.834,respectively.Conclusion:The failure of demethylation therapy in AML patients is related to the high expression of serum CysC and β2-MG,and detection of serum CysC and β2-MG before treatment can predict the risk of demethylation therapy failure in AML patients.