Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common spinal deformity in adolescents, with potential causes etiologies associated with mesenchymal stem cells, genetic factors, histological features, and biomechanical aspects. Biomechanically, the pelvis, serving as the central and majort load-bearing structure, exhibits morphological and alignment abnormalities highly correlated with the development of AIS. Recent studies have extensively explored three-dimensional pelvic parameters and kinematics, demonstrating that abnormal pelvic characteristics may contribute to AIS onset and progression and are increasingly incorporated into clinical interventions. This review summarizes sagittal and coronal features of the spine-pelvis, as well as the influence of three-dimensional kinematic features on the pathogenesis of AIS, providing insights for advancing the study of spine-pelvis features related to AIS.
Humans ; Scoliosis/pathology* ; Adolescent ; Spine/pathology* ; Pelvis/pathology* ; Biomechanical Phenomena

Background Industrial emissions are a well-established major source of urban fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and associated heavy metals. To improve local air quality, Shanghai No. 1 Iron and Steel Plant in Baoshan District was entirely relocated, with all production lines successively shut down in 2018. Objective To evaluate the trends in PM_2.5 and three heavy metal concentrations - chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), and thallium (Tl) —in the local atmosphere pre- and post- relocation of the steel plant. Methods Taking the steel plant relocation in 2019 as the intervention cutoff point, this study was divided into two phases: pre-intervention (January 2017 to December 2018) and post-intervention (January 2019 to December 2021). Monthly mean pollutant concentrations were used to construct an interrupted time series (ITS) model, followed by segmented linear regression to assess the pre- and post-intervention trends in ambient PM_2.5 and three heavy metals surrounding thesteel plant. Results The ITS regression analysis revealed that the change in PM_2.5 concentration (b₂) after the intervention was −7.16 μg·m⁻³, while the changes in Cr, Hg, and Tl concentrations (b₂) were −0.46, −0.03, and −0.06 ng·m⁻³, respectively. Prior to the intervention, PM_2.5 mass concentrations exhibited a temporal decline with a slope of b₁ = –0.69 (P<0.05); seasonal adjustment further strengthened the overall significance of the model. Before the intervention, the concentration of Cr increased over time, with a slope of b₁=0.12 (P<0.05). After the intervention, the concentration of Cr showed a gradual downward trend over time, with a slope (b₁ + b₃) of −0.04, and significant seasonal variations were observed. The concentration of Hg decreased over time before the intervention, with a slope of b₁=−0.0029 (P<0.05). After the intervention, the slope was −0.0003, showing a further slow decline in Hg concentration over time. However, no significant seasonal trend was observed for Hg. The mass concentration of Tl decreased after the intervention, and the difference before and after the intervention was statistically significant (P<0.05). PM_2.5, Cr, and Tl better fit to the seasonal model, whereas Hg showed a better fit to the non-seasonal model. Conclusion The steel plant relocation intervention has markedly improved local air quality.

Objective:To develop a continuous non-invasive blood pressure measurement device(NC-BPM)and verify the accuracy of that in monitoring blood pressure.Methods:A NC-BPM type of non-invasively continuous blood pressure measurement device(NC-BPM for short)was developed.The entire system consisted of four modules included one sensor which shape was finger cot,one unit of signal acquisition and pressure control,one calibration system for height and one host.The Omron J760 electronic sphygmomanometer(J760)and the CNAP Monitor500 continuous non-invasive blood pressure monitoring system(CNAP Monitor500)were used as the reference sphygmomanometer of verifying accuracy of the monitored blood pressure.The blood pressures of 25 subjects at three stages included static stage,blood pressure change stage and stage post calibration were respectively measured according to the standard test procedure of wearable sleeveless blood pressure measurement device of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(IEEE).Results:Both NC-BPM and CNAP Monitor500 collected 13753 data points,and there were high correlation in systolic blood pressure(SBP),diastolic blood pressure(DBP)and mean blood pressure(MAP)between the two devices(r=0.96,0.97,0.98,P<0.05).A total of 379 data points were collected by Omron J760,and there were high correlation in SBP and DBP between NC-BPM and Omron J760(r=0.98,0.95,P<0.05).According to the standards of British Hypertension Society(BHS)and the American Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation(AAMI)to conduct grade evaluation,and the proportions of the SBP differences between NC-BPM and CNAP Monitor500 within the ranges of 0～5 mmHg,0～10 mmHg and 0～15 mmHg were respectively 85.01%,97.60%and 99.47%,and the proportions of the DBP differences between them within the three ranges were respectively 84.34%,99.85%and 100%,and the proportions of the MAP differences were respectively 92.66%,99.72%and 99.96%,all of which belonged to BHS grade A.The pressure difference values of measured SBP,DBP and MAP between the two devices were respectively(0.67±5.07)mmHg,(2.43±2.87)mmHg and(1.43±2.89)mmHg,which were within the(5±8)mmHg of AAMI standard range.The proportions of the SBP differences between NC-BPM and Omron J76 within the ranges of 0～5 mmHg,0～10 mmHg and 0～15 mmHg were respectively 79.95%,97.36%and 100%,and the proportions of the DBP differences between them within the three ranges were respectively 89.71%,99.74%and 100%,all of which belonged to BHS grade A.The difference values of systolic and diastolic blood pressures of brachial artery between the two devices were respectively(1.57±4.18)mmHg and(0.57±5.20)mmHg,which were within the(5±8)mmHg of AAMI standard range.Conclusion:The NC-BPM device has passed the first stage of clinical trials in accordance with IEEE standards,which can proceed to the next stage of clinical verification trials.

Human brain banks use a standardized protocol to collect,process and store post-mortem human brains and related tissues,along with relevant clinical information,and to provide the tissue samples and data as a resource to foster neuroscience research according to a standardized operating protocols(SOP).Human brain bank serves as the foundation for neuroscience research and the diagnosis of neurological disorders,highlighting the crucial rule of ensuring the consistency of standardized quality for brain tissue samples.The first version of SOP in 2017 was published by the China Human Brain Bank Consortium.As members increases from different regions in China,a revised SOP was drafted by experts from the China Human Brain Bank Consortium to meet the growing demands for neuroscience research.The revised SOP places a strong emphasis on ethical standards,incorporates neuropathological evaluation of brain regions,and provides clarity on spinal cord sampling and pathological assessment.Notable enhancements in this updated version of the SOP include reinforced ethical guidelines,inclusion of matching controls in recruitment,and expansion of brain regions to be sampled for neuropathological evaluation.

Objective To design and test a device which is capable of accurately measuring and dynamically adjusting the axial pressure at the fracture end in real-time.Methods Upon completion of the design,the pressure measurement and adjustment device was implemented in a canine tibial fracture external fixation model.A pressure sensor was mounted at the fracture end,and the displayed values of the pressure sensor were used as the standard for comparison.The relationship between the displayed values of the measurement and adjustment device and the pressure sensor under identical conditions was examined.Results The device was utilized in external fixation models of tibial fractures in five beagles.A linear correlation was observed between the displayed values of the device and the pressure sensor at the fracture end.The measurement values from the device could be transformed into fracture end pressure through the application of coefficients,thereby facilitating accurate measurement and dynamic adjustment of the fracture end pressure.Conclusion The pressure measurement and adjustment device at the fracture end is easy to operate,enabling precise measurement and dynamic regulation of the pressure at the fracture end.It is well-suited for animal experiments aimed at investigating the impact of axial compression on fracture healing,demonstrating promising potential for experimental applications.

Pain is one of the most prevalent health problems. Current medications for pain are mainly anticonvulsants， tricyclic antidepressants， and opioidergic drugs. However， their therapeutic effectiveness is limited during application， and some even have severe side effects. In recent years， research on natural ingredients from Chinese herbal medicine has been extensively conducted for their analgesic activities. A series of natural ingredients represented by alkaloids， coumarins， flavonoids， and terpenoids have shown great analgesic activity， and further studies on their analgesic mechanism have found that most natural products have multi-target analgesic mechanisms. It can exert analgesic effects by blocking ion channels， regulating related receptors， or inducing anti-inflammatory or antioxidant effects. In addition， many traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） formulas have shown great analgesic ability after clinical application and have multiple complex analgesic mechanisms. The drug cloud （dCloud） theory can better describe the mechanisms， and it can represent the complete therapeutic spectrum of multi-target analgesics from two dimensions， namely the "direct efficacy" that directly inhibits pain signals and the "background efficacy" that targets the root causes of pain. The authors summarized the research progress of natural ingredients with analgesic effects found in Chinese herbal medicine so far， as well as the analgesic efficacy and potential mechanisms of TCM formulas with great analgesic effects in clinical applications， so as to provide a new basis for searching for new analgesic drugs from TCM.

ObjectiveIn this study， based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry（UHPLC-MS/MS） and high-throughput transcriptome sequencing technology（RNA-seq）， we investigated the mechanism of Yishen Huashi granules in regulating serum metabolites and renal messenger ribonucleic acid（mRNA） expression to improve diabetic kidney disease（DKD）. MethodSD rats were randomly divided into normal group ， model group and Yishen Huashi granules group， with 8 rats in each group. The rat model of DKD was established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Yishen Huashi granules group was given 5.54 g·kg^-1·d^-1 of Yishen Huashi granules by gavage， and the normal group and the model group were given the same amount of normal saline for 6 weeks. During the experiment， the body weight and blood glucose of rats were monitored， and the rats were anesthetized 24 hours after the last administration， blood was collected from the inferior vena cava， serum was separated， and renal function， blood lipid， and inflammatory indicators were detected. Kidney tissue of rats was fixed in neutral paraformaldehyde， and stained with hematoxylin-eosin（HE）， Masson and periodic acid-Schiff（PAS） to observe the renal pathological changes. UHPLC-MS/MS and RNA-seq were used to identify the changes of serum metabolism and the differences of renal mRNA expression， and real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to detect the differential mRNA and protein expression in renal tissue to explore the common expression mechanism. ResultCompared with the normal group， rats in the model group showed a decrease in body weight， a significant increase in blood glucose， urinary microalbumin to urinary creatinine ratio（UACR）， blood urea nitrogen（BUN）， cystatin-C（Cys-C）， β₂-microglobulin（β₂-MG）， interleukin-6（IL-6）， triglyceride（TG） and total cholesterol（TC）， and a significant decrease in total superoxide dismutase（T-SOD）（P<0.01）. After the intervention of Yishen Huashi granules， all the indexes were improved to different degrees in rats（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed renal mesangial stromal hyperplasia， fibrous tissue hyperplasia and tubular vacuolar degeneration. Compared with the model group， the renal pathology of rats in Yishen Huashi granules group was improved to a certain extent. A total of 14 target metabolites and 96 target mRNAs were identified， the target metabolites were mainly enriched in 20 metabolic pathways， including sphingolipid metabolism， glycerophospholipid metabolism， and the biosynthesis of phenylalanine， tyrosine and tryptophan. The target mRNAs were enriched to obtain a total of 21 differential mRNAs involved in the TOP20 pathways closely related to glycolipid metabolism. A total of 6 pathways， glycerophospholipid metabolism， arachidonic acid metabolism， purine metabolism， primary bile acid biosynthesis， ascorbic acid and uronic acid metabolism， and galactose metabolism， were enriched by serum differential metabolites and renal differential mRNAs， among them， there were 7 differential metabolites such as phosphatidylethanolamine（PE） and 7 differential mRNAs such as recombinant adenylate cyclase 3（ADCY3）. Seven differential metabolites had high predictive accuracy as verified by receiver operating characteristic（ROC） curve， and the results of Real-time PCR and Western blot were highly consistent with the sequencing results. ConclusionYishen Huashi granules can reduce UACR， BUN and other biochemical indexes， correct the disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism， and improve renal function of DKD rats. And its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the level of PE and other blood metabolites， and expression of Phospho1 and other mRNAs in the kidney， of which six pathways， including glycerophospholipid metabolism， may play an important role.

Renal fibrosis， the final pathological outcome of end-stage chronic kidney diseases， is associated with inflammation， oxidative stress， epithelial-mesenchymal transdifferentiation （EMT）， and extracellular matrix deposition. It belongs to the categories of edema， ischuria， anuria and vomiting， and consumptive disease in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with the key pathogenesis of Qi deficiency and blood stasis and the primary treatment principle of replenishing Qi and activating blood. Astragali Radix-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma mainly contains astragalosides， polysaccharides， calycosin， salvianolic acid， and tanshinone， with the effect of tonifying Qi and activating blood. Studies have shown that this herb pair and its active components can delay the progress of renal fibrosis by regulating multiple signaling pathways. With consideration to the pathogenesis of Qi deficiency and blood stasis， this article reviews the research progress in the mitigation of renal fibrosis by Astragali Radix-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma from the aspects of protecting glomerular filtration barrier， inhibiting EMT and mesangial cell proliferation， improving renal hemodynamics， and protecting renal function. Furthermore， the mechanisms were summarized. Specifically， Astragali Radix-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and its effective components can improve mitochondrial function and fatty acid metabolism， alleviate endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy disorders， and inhibit immune inflammation and oxidative stress by regulating nuclear factor E₂-related factor 2 （Nrf2）/PTEN-induced kinase 1 （Pink1）， Nrf2/antioxidant response element （ARE）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）/nuclear transcription factor-κB （NF-κB）， miR-21/Smad7/transforming growth factor beta （TGF-β）， Wnt/β-catenin， long non-coding RNA-taurine up-regulated gene 1 （lncRNA-TUG1）/tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 5 （TRAF5）， Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 （Rac1）/cell division cycle protein 42 （CDC42）， Ras homolog （Rho）/Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase （ROCK）， phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）， Janus kinase （JAK）/signal transducer and activator of transcription （STAT）， peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α （PPARα）/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator l alpha （PGC-1α）， and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK）. This review aims to provide references for the relevant research， give play to the role of Astragali Radix-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， and provide guidance for the clinical treatment of renal fibrosis.

Biopharmaceuticals are formulated using a variety of excipients to maintain their storage stability.However,some excipients are prone to degradation during repeated use and/or improper storage,and the impurities generated by their degradation are easily overlooked by end users and are usually not strictly monitored,affecting the stability of biopharmaceuticals.In this study,we evaluated the degra-dation profile of polyol excipient glycerol during repeated use and improper storage and identified an unprecedented cyclic ketal impurity using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry(GC-MS).The other polyol excipient,mannitol,was much more stable than glycerol.The effects of degraded glycerol and mannitol on the stability of the model biopharmaceutical pentapeptide,thymopentin,were also evaluated.The thymopentin content was only 66.4％in the thymopentin formulations with degraded glycerol,compared to 95.8％in other formulations after the stress test.Most glycerol impurities(i.e.,aldehydes and ketones)reacted with thymopentin,affecting the stability of thymopentin formulations.In conclusion,this work suggests that more attention should be paid to the quality changes of excipients during repeated use and storage.Additional testing of excipient stability under real or accelerated conditions by manufacturers would help avoid unexpected and painful results.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome