BACKGROUND:The specific molecular mechanisms underlying common degenerative bone diseases,such as osteoarthritis,osteoporosis,and intervertebral disc degeneration,are currently unclear and may involve endoplasmic reticulum stress.At present,research on the systematic role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the pathogenesis of these common skeletal diseases and related therapeutic progress is relatively limited. OBJECTIVE:To review the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in common degenerative bone diseases,explore the molecular mechanisms of these diseases in depth,and provide new ideas and perspectives for prevention and treatment of these diseases. METHODS:Relevant literature from 2000 to 2024 was searched in CNKI,WanFang,VIP,PubMed and Web of Science databases using the search terms of"endoplasmic reticulum stress,bone disease,unfolded protein response,osteoarthritis,osteoporosis,intervertebral disc degeneration,autophagy,apoptosis,ferroptosis,pyroptosis"in Chinese and English.After removal of duplicates and older literature,a total of 115 articles met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Endoplasmic reticulum stress has a dual effect in regulating cell physiology.Mild endoplasmic reticulum stress promotes osteogenic differentiation and extracellular matrix synthesis;however,persistent excessive endoplasmic reticulum stress leads to cell death.Endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced cell autophagy and apoptosis are closely related to osteoarthritis,osteoporosis,and intervertebral disc degeneration.Aging,drug side effects,metabolic disorders,calcium imbalance,poor lifestyle habits and other reasons may lead to long-term activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress,which causes bone remodeling disorders,cartilage damage,nucleus pulposus cell death and other pathological manifestations,ultimately leading to the occurrence of osteoarthritis,osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration.Intervention in the relevant mechanisms triggering endoplasmic reticulum stress is expected to play a role in the prevention and treatment of common degenerative bone diseases,such as osteoarthritis,osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration.

During the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Cancer Association, articles published in Cancer Research and Treatment from 2004 to 2023 were assessed based on the subject and design of each study. Based on this analysis, trends in domestic cancer research were inferred and directions were suggested for the future development of Cancer Research and Treatment.

During the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Cancer Association, articles published in Cancer Research and Treatment from 2004 to 2023 were assessed based on the subject and design of each study. Based on this analysis, trends in domestic cancer research were inferred and directions were suggested for the future development of Cancer Research and Treatment.

During the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Cancer Association, articles published in Cancer Research and Treatment from 2004 to 2023 were assessed based on the subject and design of each study. Based on this analysis, trends in domestic cancer research were inferred and directions were suggested for the future development of Cancer Research and Treatment.

Objective: To design HBV DNA proficiency testing and system comparison samples with different concentration gradients, analyze their detection results in PCR detection systems, evaluate the nucleic acid detection capabilities of laboratories and differences between detection systems, and put forward suggestions for continuous quality improvement to participating laboratories. Methods: Three groups of randomly numbered proficiency testing samples (with HBV DNA reference concentrations of <2, 7.5, and 30 IU/mL respectively) were taken as the detection objects. Using nucleic acid test data from 11 provincial blood station laboratories as the source, the samples were grouped by detection system and laboratory successively, and statistical analysis was conducted. Results: Statistical analysis of the detection data of the three groups of samples based on detection systems and laboratories showed that from low to high concentration, the coincidence rate between the detection results of different detection systems and laboratories and the expected results showed an increasing trend: 38.89%, 85.90%, and 100.00%; the same system exhibited certain differences in performance among different laboratories. Conclusion: Through this proficiency testing and system comparison, it is found that there are certain differences in the detection capabilities of different laboratories and different nucleic acid test systems. Blood station laboratories should standardize processes, strengthen quality management and data analysis on the basis of being familiar with the detection performance of their detection systems, and at the same time strengthen the control of laboratory interference factors to continuously improve the nucleic acid detection capabilities of blood station laboratories.

Total-body PET/CT, with its long axial field of view and high sensitivity detector, has shown potential for reducing the dose of radiopharmaceuticals. However, pediatric patients are significantly more sensitive to radiation and have a higher long-term cancer risk than adults, posing fundamental challenges for dose management in PET/CT examinations for these patients. In this article, the technical characteristics of total-body PET/CT and its radiation exposure status in children were systematically analyzed. The radiation exposure could be controlled by the following optimization strategies: adjusting the CT exposure parameters, optimizing the scanning mode, adding reconstruction algorithm, and reducing the injected dose of radioactive tracer. By addressing both external and internal radiation during the PET/CT scanning process, the overall radiation dose received by pediatric patients can be reduced within a certain range. In addition, this article also discusses the technical differences between “total-body” and “whole-body” concepts, and emphasizes that the future optimization of radiation dose in pediatric PET/CT should be realized by integration of personalized scanning protocols. Through reasonable management of scanning protocols and processes, low-dose and high-quality PET/CT imaging can be achieved in clinical environments, thus maximizing protection of pediatric patient health while minimizing the risks associated with ionizing radiation exposure.

AIM:To evaluate corrective effect and stability of corneal morphology in patients with moderate to high myopia after 2a treatment of femtosecond laser assisted laser in situ keratomileusis(FS-LASIK)Xtra.METHODS:Retrospective case-control study. A total of 30 cases(58 eyes)Patients with moderate to high myopia combined with astigmatism who planned to undergo refractive surgery in our hospital from August 2019 to August 2020 were included, and different types of surgery were performed respectively based on the relevant index of keratoconus screening in the preoperative corneal topography. They were divided into FS-LASIK group and Xtra group, with 15 cases(29 eyes)in each group. Uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA), best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), spherical equivalent(SE)and the corneal curvature of the anterior and posterior surfaces of different diameters(3, 5 and 7 mm)measured by Sirius three-dimensional corneal topography were observed preoperatively and 3 mo, 1 and 2 a postoperatively.RESULTS: The UCVA of the two groups of patients at different time points after surgery was significantly increased compared with preoperatively(both P<0.01), and there was no difference in UCVA and SE between the two groups(P>0.05). After 2 a postoperatively, residual astigmatism was -0.25-0 D in 25 eyes(86%)of the FS-LASIK Xtra group and 24 eyes(83%)of the FS-LASIK group. The actual corrected SE and expected corrected SE of both groups were positively correlated(both P<0.05). There were differences in corneal curvature on the surface of different diameter areas(3, 5, and 7 mm)between the two groups at 3 mo, 1, and 2 a postoperatively compared with preoperatively. After 1 and 2 a postoperatively, the corneal posterior surface curvature of the FS-LASIK Xtra group with corneal diameter of 3 and 5 mm was higher than that of the FS-LASIK group(P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS:FS-LASIK Xtra has good safety, efficacy and predictability in correcting patients with moderate to high myopia.

As the search for effective treatments for COVID-19 continues, the high mortality rate among critically ill patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) presents a profound challenge. This study explores the potential benefits of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a supplementary treatment for severe COVID-19. A total of 110 critically ill COVID-19 patients at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Vulcan Hill Hospital between Feb., 2020, and April, 2020 (Wuhan, China) participated in this observational study. All patients received standard supportive care protocols, with a subset of 81 also receiving TCM as an adjunct treatment. Clinical characteristics during the treatment period and the clinical outcome of each patient were closely monitored and analysed. Our findings indicated that the TCM group exhibited a significantly lower mortality rate compared with the non-TCM group (16 of 81 vs 24 of 29; 0.3 vs 2.3 person/month). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, TCM treatment was associated with improved survival odds (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis also revealed that TCM treatment could partially mitigate inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and contribute to the recovery of multiple organic functions, thereby potentially increasing the survival rate of critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Humans ; COVID-19 ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Critical Illness ; Treatment Outcome

ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between serum albumin levels and coronary artery calcification （CAC） in patients with early-stage chronic kidney disease （CKD）， as well as the value of serum albumin levels in predicting the incidence and severity of CAC. MethodsThe study included 391 early-stage CKD patients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography （CTA） at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2019 and December 2022. Demographic and biochemistry data， as well as the coronary CTA results， were collected. Based on the coronary artery calcification score （CACS）， all patients were divided into non-CAC group （CACS=0， n=184） and CAC group （CACS>0， n=207）. All patients were further divided into 3 groups based on the serum albumin levels： group A （serum albumin levels<35 g/L， n=30）， group B （35 g/L≤ serum albumin levels< 40 g/L， n=198） and group C （serum albumin levels≥ 40 g/L， n=163）. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association between serum albumin levels and CAC in early-stage CKD patients. Differences in CAC among groups were analyzed by using post-hoc multiple comparisons and ordinal logistic regression model analysis. ResultsPatients with CAC had significantly lower serum albumin levels than those without CAC （P<0.05）. There was a negative correlation between serum albumin levels and CACS in early-stage CKD patients （P<0.01）， as serum albumin decreased in levels， CAC increased in severity. ConclusionsOur study shows that early-stage CKD patients with lower serum albumin levels have a higher incidence of CAC. Low serum albumin level is an independent risk factor for CAC progression.

Three 2,3-diketoquinoxaline alkaloids were isolated from Heterosmilax yunnanensis Gagnep. Their structures were determined through 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, UV, and IR as 1-[5′-(3″-hydroxy-3″-methyl) glutaryl] ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (1), 1-[2′-(3″-hydroxy-3″-methyl) glutaryl]ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (2), and 1-ribityl-2,3-diketo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6,7-dimethylquinoxaline (3). Compounds 1 and 2 are novel compounds, and 3 was isolated from H. yunnanensis for the first time. The hepatoprotective activity of these three compounds was evaluated, with compound 3 showing promising hepatoprotective activity.