Objective To assess the clinical short-term outcomes of implanting D-shant atrial shunt device(aSD)in a single center for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF).Methods From January 2022 to January 2023,a retrospective analysis was conducted on 12 patients with HFrEF who underwent percutaneous implantation of a D-shant aSD.We assessed cardiac chamber size and ventricular function using echocardiography,right heart catheterization measurements and patient clinical indicators were collected,follow up data of 12 months postoperative and pre-implantation D-shant were compared.The primary endpoint of the study was the cumulative occurrence of adverse cardiac,neurologic,or renal events during the follow-up period.Secondary endpoints were improvements in functional status included cardiac function,quality of life,and exercise capacity.Results All 12 patients underwent successful percutaneous inter-atrial shunting procedures using the D-shant.Postoperative immediately fluoroscopy and echocardiography confirmed accurate localization and patency of the atrial shunt devices in all cases.Postoperative hemodynamic assessment revealed a significant decrease in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure[(29.8±3.4)mmHg vs.(17.8±0.8)mmHg,P＜0.001].During 12 months follow-up,the cumulative adverse event rate was 8.3％(one patient received a heart transplant),a significant reduction in left atrial diameter from(65.8±6.5)mm to(48.0±4.5)mm(P＜0.001)was observed.Furthermore,there was notable improvement in clinical cardiac function indices quality of life,and exercise capacity of the patients.Conclusions This single-center retrospective study found that the use of a D-shant aSD to perform percutaneous interatrial shunting in patients with HFrEF is safe and effective.Short-term follow-up demonstrated sustained patency of the shunt and that the intervention was associated with improved functional status.

The present study optimized the ethanol extraction process of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus drug pair by network pharmacology and Box-Behnken method. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to screen out and verify the potential active components of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus, and the process evaluation indexes were determined in light of the components of the content determination under Ziziphi Spinosae Semen and Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition). The analytic hierarchy process(AHP) was used to determine the weight coefficient of each component, and the comprehensive score was calculated as the process evaluation index. The ethanol extraction process of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus was optimized by the Box-Behnken method. The core components of the Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus drug pair were screened out as spinosin, jujuboside A, jujuboside B, schisandrin, schisandrol, schisandrin A, and schisandrin B. The optimal extraction conditions obtained by using the Box-Behnken method were listed below: extraction time of 90 min, ethanol volume fraction of 85%, and two times of extraction. Through network pharmacology and molecular docking, the process evaluation indexes were determined, and the optimized process was stable, which could provide an experimental basis for the production of preparations containing Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus.
Ethanol ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Network Pharmacology ; Seeds/chemistry* ; Ziziphus/chemistry* ; Plant Extracts/chemistry* ; Schisandra/chemistry* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Technology, Pharmaceutical

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of children with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and to summarize the mid-term efficacy of China Net Childhood Lymphoma-mature B-cell lymphoma 2017 (CNCL-B-NHL-2017) regimen. Methods: Clinical features of 436 BL patients who were ≤18 years old and treated with the CNCL-B-NHL-2017 regimen from May 2017 to April 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical characteristics of patients at disease onset were analyzed and the therapeutic effects of patients with different clinical stages and risk groups were compared. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression was used to identify the prognostic factors. Results: Among 436 patients, there were 368 (84.4%) males and 68 (15.6%) females, the age of disease onset was 6.0 (4.0, 9.0) years old. According to the St. Jude staging system, there were 4 patients (0.9%) with stage Ⅰ, 30 patients (6.9%) with stage Ⅱ, 217 patients (49.8%) with stage Ⅲ, and 185 patients (42.4%) with stage Ⅳ. All patients were stratified into following risk groups: group A (n=1, 0.2%), group B1 (n=46, 10.6%), group B2 (n=19, 4.4%), group C1 (n=285, 65.4%), group C2 (n=85, 19.5%). Sixty-three patients (14.4%) were treated with chemotherapy only and 373 patients (85.6%) were treated with chemotherapy combined with rituximab. Twenty-one patients (4.8%) suffered from progressive disease, 3 patients (0.7%) relapsed, and 13 patients (3.0%) died of treatment-related complications. The follow-up time of all patients was 24.0 (13.0, 35.0) months, the 2-year event free survival (EFS) rate of all patients was (90.9±1.4) %. The 2-year EFS rates of group A, B1, B2, C1 and C2 were 100.0%, 100.0%, (94.7±5.1) %, (90.7±1.7) % and (85.9±4.0) %, respectively. The 2-year EFS rates was higher in group A, B1, and B2 than those in group C1 (χ²=4.16, P=0.041) and group C2 (χ²=7.21, P=0.007). The 2-year EFS rates of the patients treated with chemotherapy alone and those treated with chemotherapy combined with rituximab were (79.3±5.1)% and (92.9±1.4)% (χ²=14.23, P<0.001) respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that stage Ⅳ (including leukemia stage), serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)>4-fold normal value, and with residual tumor in the mid-term evaluation were risk factors for poor prognosis (HR=1.38,1.23,8.52,95%CI 1.05-1.82,1.05-1.43,3.96-18.30). Conclusions: The CNCL-B-NHL-2017 regimen show significant effect in the treatment of pediatric BL. The combination of rituximab improve the efficacy further.
Adolescent ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Burkitt Lymphoma/drug therapy* ; Child ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Lactate Dehydrogenases ; Lymphoma, B-Cell/drug therapy* ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Rituximab/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To investigate the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and substance use behaviors among lesbians to provide a scientific basis for high-risk population identification and formulation of targeted intervention measures. Methods: Lesbians who participated in routine AIDS voluntary counseling, testing services, activities, and peer recommendations were recruited from July to December 2018, with the help of LesPark in Beijing. Convenient sampling method was used. Demographic characteristics, ACE, and substance use behaviors of subjects were investigated using an online platform powered by www.wjx.cn. Subsequently, the associations between ACE and adulthood substance use behaviors were evaluated using the logistic regression model. The SPSS 22.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 294 lesbians were recruited in the study, 81.3% (239/294) of them were lesbians, and 18.7% (55/294) were bisexuals. Besides, 55.8% (164/294) of subjects reported they had had ACE, with proportions of lesbians experiencing abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction as 33.3% (98/294), 24.5% (72/294), and 32.7% (96/294), respectively. 55.1% (162/294) of the lesbians reported they had smoked in the past 30 days, 11.2% (33/294) reported having drug-use behavior in the past three months, and 22.8% (67/294) claimed drinking alcohol weekly. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lesbians with ACE were at high risks to smoke (OR=1.87, 95%CI: 1.13-3.08), drink (OR=2.13, 95%CI: 1.18-3.84), and use drugs (OR=3.33, 95%CI: 1.29-8.61) in adulthood. Moreover, lesbians with childhood family dysfunction were at higher risk of smoking cigarettes (OR=2.60, 95%CI: 1.46-4.62) and drinking alcohol (OR=2.65, 95%CI: 1.44-4.87). At the same time, those with abuse experience were at higher risk of drug use (OR=3.17, 95%CI: 1.26-7.96). Conclusions: Substance use behaviors, including cigarette smoking, drinking alcohol, and drugs use, were common among lesbians. Positive associations were found between ACE and adulthood substance use behaviors.
Adult ; Adverse Childhood Experiences ; Child ; Child Abuse/psychology* ; Female ; Humans ; Risk Factors ; Sexual and Gender Minorities ; Substance-Related Disorders/psychology*

To unravel the genetic mechanisms of disease and physiological traits, it requires comprehensive sequencing analysis of large sample size in Chinese populations. Here, we report the primary results of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Precision Medicine Initiative (CASPMI) project launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, including the de novo assembly of a northern Han reference genome (NH1.0) and whole genome analyses of 597 healthy people coming from most areas in China. Given the two existing reference genomes for Han Chinese (YH and HX1) were both from the south, we constructed NH1.0, a new reference genome from a northern individual, by combining the sequencing strategies of PacBio, 10× Genomics, and Bionano mapping. Using this integrated approach, we obtained an N50 scaffold size of 46.63 Mb for the NH1.0 genome and performed a comparative genome analysis of NH1.0 with YH and HX1. In order to generate a genomic variation map of Chinese populations, we performed the whole-genome sequencing of 597 participants and identified 24.85 million (M) single nucleotide variants (SNVs), 3.85 M small indels, and 106,382 structural variations. In the association analysis with collected phenotypes, we found that the T allele of rs1549293 in KAT8 significantly correlated with the waist circumference in northern Han males. Moreover, significant genetic diversity in MTHFR, TCN2, FADS1, and FADS2, which associate with circulating folate, vitamin B12, or lipid metabolism, was observed between northerners and southerners. Especially, for the homocysteine-increasing allele of rs1801133 (MTHFR 677T), we hypothesize that there exists a "comfort" zone for a high frequency of 677T between latitudes of 35-45 degree North. Taken together, our results provide a high-quality northern Han reference genome and novel population-specific data sets of genetic variants for use in the personalized and precision medicine.

The aim of this study was to explore the neuroprotective effect and mechanism of XingNaoJing injections (XNJ) on cerebral ischemia injury and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) method was applicated to establish the model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. BBB permeability after I/R injury was assessed with the leaking amount of Evans Blue and the expression of occludin and ZO-1. The expression of NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing (NLRP3) was checked to explore the inhibition of inflammation by XNJ. The results showed that XNJ could significantly increase the survival percent, decrease the infarct area and ameliorate neurological deficits and brain damage after I/R injury. Leaking amount of Evans Blue was reduced by XNJ, and the expression of tight junction protein, occludin and ZO-1 was also up-regulated by XNJ, which showed a role of protection on BBB disruption. The expression of NLRP3 was inhibited after exposure of XNJ, which was associated with inhibition of the inflammatory response. In summary, XNJ could suppress NLRP3 inflammasomes and improve BBB disruption and brain damage in rats after cerebral I/R injury, which provided a beneficial insight to further explore XNJ.

Objective To develop a cellular shear stress loading system with an adjustable stress mode and relevant parameters, and subsequently verify the effectiveness and feasibility of this system. Methods The hardware of the system was developed by using a peristaltic pump and self-designed multi-channel flow chamber, and the mode control program of shear stress based on LabVIEW was designed to control the device via RS485 interfacing and Modbus protocol. Additionally, the relationship between the shear stress and system parameters was calibrated, and finite element analysis was also conducted. Finally, the feasibility of the system was confirmed via the in vitro cell experiment. Results The mode and magnitude of shear stress of the system could be controlled via either the peristaltic pump or computer, and the cellular long-term effect was also able to be detected. The calibration results of the system indicated that the level of shear stress exhibited significantly linear positive correlation with the revolution of the peristaltic pump (P<0.001). Finite element analysis demonstrated that the level of shear stress on the slide was uniformly distributed and the result of simulation was accordant with calibration. Cytoskeleton staining suggested that cellular morphology of MLO-Y4 cells was changed, and microfilament increased and arrayed along fluid flow direction. Conclusion The system is stable and reliable enough to provide different loading modes and magnitude of cellular shear stress to offer a convictive platform of the research for different cellular stress signal transduction mecha-nisms.

Volatile oil components and the contents and types of amino acid in spica of Prunella vulgaris were analysed by GC-MS and amino acid analyzer. Esters, fatty acids, aromatic hydrocarbon, ketone and several alcohol compounds were identified by mass spectrum comparison. In these ingredients, beta-ionone smelled aroma of cedar, raspberry, nerolidol showed weak sweet soft orange blossom flavor, neroli tasted sweet and fresh, nerolidol tasted sweet with light aroma of wood, hexadecanal showed a weak aroma of flowers and wax, alpha-sinensal had rich and fresh sweet orange flavor. To some extent, these types of aromatic substances can affect the taste of herbal tea or decoction made of Spica Prunellae. Among amino acids detected, natural amino acids accounted for a larger proportion, and those natural amino acids showed bitterness, slight bitterness, sourness (freshness), sweetness, slight sweetness, sourness (slight freshness). The results indicated that bitter and slightly bitter amino acids have the greatest impacts on the sense of Spica Prunellae.
Amino Acids ; analysis ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Oils, Volatile ; analysis ; Prunella ; chemistry ; Taste

To develop a reverse genetics system of Peste des petits ruminants virus(PPRV), five pairs of oligonucleotide primers were designed on the basis of the full-length genomic sequence of PPRV Nigeria 75/ 1 strain. Using RT-PCR technique, five over-lapping cDNA fragments, designated as JF1, JF2, JF3, JF4 and JF5, respectively, were amplified, followed by cloning into pcDNA3.1(+)vector. An AscI restriction enzyme site and a T7 promoter sequence were introduced immediately upstream of 5'-end, while a PacI restriction enzyme site was engineered downstream of 3'-end. Using pok12 as a plasmid vector, the full-length cDNA clone pok12-PPRV of Nigeria 75/1 was assembled by connecting the five cDNA fragments via the unique restriction endonuclease site of PPRV genome. The resultant nucleotide sequence of the PPRV Nigeria 75/1 strain in the study was compared with other members of genus morbillivirus, and phylogenetic analysis was used to examine the evolutionary relationships. The results showed that PPRV Nigeria 75/ 1 was antigenically closely related to Rinderpest virus and Measles virus. Successful construction of full-length cDNA clone of PPRV Nigeria 75/1 strain lays the basis rescuing PPRV effectively and enables further research of PPRV at molecular level.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Genome, Viral ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Peste-des-Petits-Ruminants ; virology ; Peste-des-petits-ruminants virus ; classification ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Objective To explore the safety and efficacy of cochlear implantation among elderly patients with severe to profound hearing loss. Methods Eight pre-elderly and elderly patients with an medium age of 58 years who suffered from bilateral severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss received cochlear implantation between November 2008 and November 2009. The patients' tolerance to implant surgery and the occurrence of complications were observed. Three months after switch-on, aided threshold and speech performance were measured. Results The surgery was uneventful in all cases with normal intraoperative neural response telemetry elicited. Three months after switch-on, average aided threshold across speech frequencies was 35 -50 dB HL measured in sound field with warble tone. The results of speech audiometry showed large variation between individuals. Some patients achieved good performance in monosyllable recognition test, disyllables threshold test and sentences recognition test under both bubble noise and quiet conditons. Conclusions Pre-elderly and elderly patients can endure a state of general anesthesia for cochlear surgery without complications. Cochlear implant can provide reconstruction of speech recognition capabilities for elderly patients suffering from severe to profound hearing loss. Cochlear implantation can improve the quality of life of elderly patients with hearing loss.