Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of valve surgeries for infective endocarditis and the affecting factors, and compare the early- and long-term postoperative outcomes of different surgery approaches. Methods The patients with infective endocarditis who underwent valve replacement/valvuloplasty in our hospital from 2010 to 2022 were retrospectively collected. The clinical data of the patients were analyzed. Results A total of 343 patients were enrolled, including 197 patients with mechanical valve replacement, 62 patients with bioprosthetic valve replacement, and 84 patients with valvuloplasty. There were 238 males and 105 females with an average age of (44.2±14.8) years. Single-valve endocarditis was present in 200 (58.3%) patients, and multivalve involvement was present in 143 (41.7%) patients. Sixty (17.5%) patients had suffered thrombosis before surgery, including cerebral embolisms in 32 patients. The mean follow-up time was (60.6±43.8) months. Early mortality within one month after the surgery occurred in 17 (5.0%) patients, while later mortality occurred in 19 (5.5%) patients. Eight (2.3%) patients underwent postoperative dialysis, 13 (3.8%) patients suffered postoperative stroke, 6 patients underwent reoperation, and 3 patients suffered recurrence of infective endocarditis. Smoking (P=0.002), preoperative embolisms (P=0.001), duration of surgery (P=0.001), and postoperative dialysis (P=0.001) were risk factors for early mortality, and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥60% (P=0.022) was protective factor for early mortality. New York Heart Association classification Ⅲ-Ⅳ (P=0.010) and ≥3 valve procedures (P=0.028) were risk factors for late mortality. The rate of composite endpoint events was significantly lower in the valvuloplasty group than that in the valve replacement group. Conclusion For patients with infective endocarditis, smoking and preoperative embolisms are associated with high postoperative mortality, multiple-valve surgery is associated with a poorer prognosis, and valvuloplasty has advantages over valve replacement and should be attempted in the surgical management of patients with infective endocarditis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Rehmanniae Radix iridoid glycosides （RIG） on the kidney tissue of streptozotocin （STZ）-induced diabetic mice and explore the underlying mechanism. MethodsTwelve of 72 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly selected as the normal group， and the remaining 60 mice were fed with a high-fat diet for six weeks combined with injection of 60 mg·kg^-1 STZ for 4 days to model type 2 diabetes mellitus. The successfully modeled mice were randomized into model， metformin （250 mg·kg^-1）， catalpol （100 mg·kg^-1）， low-dose RIG （RIG-L， 200 mg·kg^-1） and high-dose RIG （RIG-H， 400 mg·kg^-1） groups （n=11）. Mice in each group were administrated with corresponding drugs， while those in the normal group and model group were administrated with the same dose of distilled water by gavage once a day. After 8 weeks of intervention， an oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT） was performed， and the area under the curve （AUC） was calculated. After mice were sacrificed， both kidneys were collected. The body weight， kidney weight， and fasting blood glucose （FBG） were measured. Biochemical assays were performed to measure the serum levels of triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， serum creatinine （SCr）， and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to determine the serum level of fasting insulin （FINS）， and the insulin sensitivity index （ISI） and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance （HOMA-IR） were calculated. The pathological changes in kidneys of mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson staining. The immunohistochemical method （IHC） was employed to assess the expression of interleukin-1 （IL-1）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）， transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）， and collagen-3 （ColⅢ） in the kidney tissue. The protein levels of TGF-β₁， cell signal transduction molecule 3 （Smad3）， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and ColⅢ in kidneys of mice were determined by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showcased decreased body weight and ISI （P<0.01）， increased kidney weight， FBG， AUC， FINS， HOMA-IR， TC， TG， SCr， and BUN （P<0.01）， glomerular hypertrophy， capsular space narrowing， and collagen deposition in the kidney， up-regulated protein levels of IL-1， IL-6， TNF-α， TGF-β₁， ColⅢ， and Smad3 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein level of MMP-9 （P<0.01） in the kidney tissue. Compared with the model group， the treatment groups had no significant difference in the body weight and decreased kidney weight （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The FBG level declined in the RIG-H group after treatment for 4-8 weeks and in the metformin， catalpol， and RIG-L groups after treatment for 6-8 weeks （P<0.01）. The AUC in the RIG-L， RIG-H， and metformin groups decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The levels of TC， SCr， and BUN in the serum of mice in each treatment group became lowered （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The level of TG declined in the RIG-L， RIG-H， and metformin groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The serum level of FINS declined in the catalpol， RIG-L， and metformin groups （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the treatment groups showed decreased HOMA-IR （P<0.01）， increased ISI （P<0.01）， alleviated pathological changes in the kidney tissue， and down-regulated expression of IL-1 and TGF-β₁. In addition， the protein levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and ColⅢ in the RIG-H and metformin groups and IL-6 and TNF-α in the RIG-L group were down-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the protein levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and ColⅢ in the catalpol group and ColⅢ in the RIG-L group showed a decreasing trend without statistical difference. The protein levels of TGF-β₁， Smad3， and ColⅢ in the RIG-H and metformin groups were down-regulated （P<0.01）. Compared with that in the model group， the protein level of MMP-9 was up-regulated in each treatment group （P<0.01）. ConclusionRIG can improve the renal structure and function of diabetic mice by regulating the TGF-β₁/Smads signaling pathway.

Objective To analyze the characteristics of adverse drug reactions （ADR） reported in Sixth People’s Hospital South Campus, Shanghai Jiaotong University from 2021 to 2023, to provide reference for promoting rational clinical drug use. Methods ADR data reported in our hospital were collected retrospectively, including patients’ basic information, drugs causing adverse reactions, types of adverse reactions and outcomes. Descriptive analysis methods were used to summarize and analyze the data. Results A total of 979 cases of ADR were reported in our hospital from 2021 to 2023. The highest proportion of patients with ADR occurred in the age range of 31 to 50, and more male patients （63.5%）. The top five drugs involved with adverse reactions were antibiotics （48.8%）, Chinese medicine injections（19.2%）, vitamins（7.5%）, Chinese traditional medicine（7.2%）, equine tetanus immunoglobulin（6.3%）. Among antibiotics, cefuroxime, ceftazidime and cefotiam were the majority. The organs/systems involved in all ADR were mainly skin and accessories damage （55.4%）. The clinical manifestations were rash, itching, and maculopapular rash. Conclusion From 2021 to 2023, the most common drugs causing adverse drug reactions in our hospital were mainly antibacterial drugs, and the rational clinical use of antibacterial drugs still needs to be concerned.

ObjectiveBased on a new method for animal model evaluation， this study aims to analyze the characteristics of diseases and syndromes of existing animal models of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder （ADHD） from both traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and western medical perspectives and propose suggestions for improvement. MethodsA systematic search of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI） and PubMed was conducted for literature on ADHD animal models. According to TCM and western medical diagnostic criteria， core and accompanying symptoms of the models were assigned with scores to comprehensively evaluate the clinical consistency. ResultsThe selection of experimental animals for ADHD models primarily involved rodents， with modeling methods including genetic， chemical induction， and environmental induction. The average consistency of clinical diseases and syndromes with TCM and western medicine was 45.19% and 49.42%， respectively. The spontaneously hypertensive （SHR） rats and nicotine/smoking models had the highest consistency with TCM， while the social isolation models had the highest consistency with western medicine. Most models were guided by western medicine theories， which can meet the surface validity and structural validity requirements of western medicine but lacked precise differentiation of TCM syndromes. ConclusionExisting ADHD animal models primarily focus on a single genotype or environmental factor， lacking comprehensive consideration of multigenic interactions and environmental factors. Moreover， the selection of model evaluation indicators is relatively singular， primarily focusing on "disease" indicators， while TCM "syndrome" indicators have not been fully considered. It is recommended to introduce a "formula-to-syndrome" approach in the preparation of TCM models for ADHD and establish and improve an evaluation system of animal models combining diseases and syndromes， so as to provide a solid foundation for future experimental research.

ObjectiveBased on a new method for animal model evaluation， this study aims to analyze the characteristics of diseases and syndromes of existing animal models of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder （ADHD） from both traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and western medical perspectives and propose suggestions for improvement. MethodsA systematic search of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI） and PubMed was conducted for literature on ADHD animal models. According to TCM and western medical diagnostic criteria， core and accompanying symptoms of the models were assigned with scores to comprehensively evaluate the clinical consistency. ResultsThe selection of experimental animals for ADHD models primarily involved rodents， with modeling methods including genetic， chemical induction， and environmental induction. The average consistency of clinical diseases and syndromes with TCM and western medicine was 45.19% and 49.42%， respectively. The spontaneously hypertensive （SHR） rats and nicotine/smoking models had the highest consistency with TCM， while the social isolation models had the highest consistency with western medicine. Most models were guided by western medicine theories， which can meet the surface validity and structural validity requirements of western medicine but lacked precise differentiation of TCM syndromes. ConclusionExisting ADHD animal models primarily focus on a single genotype or environmental factor， lacking comprehensive consideration of multigenic interactions and environmental factors. Moreover， the selection of model evaluation indicators is relatively singular， primarily focusing on "disease" indicators， while TCM "syndrome" indicators have not been fully considered. It is recommended to introduce a "formula-to-syndrome" approach in the preparation of TCM models for ADHD and establish and improve an evaluation system of animal models combining diseases and syndromes， so as to provide a solid foundation for future experimental research.

Objectives To investigate the relationship between self-reported occupational noise exposure and levels of plasma inflammatory cytokines in asthmatic patients. Methods A total of 910 adult asthmatic patients were selected as the study subjects, and their occupational noise exposure history and other related information were collected. The peripheral blood samples were collected from the patients, and the expression levels of plasma soluble CD14 (sCD14), complement factor D (CFD), Eotaxin-11 (CCL11), and IL-9 were determined. The relationship between self-reported occupational noise exposure and the expression levels of the four inflammatory cytokines in patients’ plasma were analyzed using multiple linear regression models. The interactions between confounding factors and self-reported occupational noise exposure were further analyzed by interaction analysis. Results The plasma CCL11, sCD14 and CFD expressions in asthmatic patients with self-reported occupational noise exposure were significantly higher than those in patients without the exposure (P<0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, compared with patients reporting no occupational noise exposure, the plasma CFD expression was increased by 0.17 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.31) natural logarithm units in patients with self-reported occupational noise exposure. During remission, the levels of plasma CCL11 and sCD14 in asthmatic patients with self-reported occupational noise exposure were increased by 0.27 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.49) and 0.22 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.41) natural logarithm units, respectively, when compared with patients without the exposure. Interaction analysis showed that self-reported occupational noise exposure had significant multiplicative interaction with smoking or pet ownership on plasma CCL11 or CFD expressions in asthmatic patients (all P<0.05). Conclusion Self-reported occupational noise exposure is significantly associated with increased expression levels of plasma CFD, CCL11, and sCD14 in adult asthmatic patients.

This study investigated the effect of different carrier materials on the in vitro properties of progesterone solid dispersions. The solid dispersions of the insoluble drug progesterone were prepared by hot melt extrusion technique using rheological properties as the index of investigation, and the in vitro properties of the solid dispersions were characterized. Scanning electron microscope revealed solid dispersions with rough surfaces and agglomerated microstructures into irregular lumpy particles. Differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffraction showed the change of progesterone crystalline form in solid dispersions from crystalline to amorphous state. In vitro dissolution studies showed that solid dispersions prepared with different carrier materials can effectively improve the dissolution rate of drugs. The results of the study showed that the type of carrier material had a significant effect on the in vitro properties of solid dispersions, providing a reference for the study of solid dispersions in the controlled release of insoluble drugs.

Objective:To study the current status of longitudinal extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) in extremely preterm infants (EPIs) and to develop a prediction model based on clinical data from multiple NICUs.Methods:From January 2017 to December 2018, EPIs admitted to 32 NICUs in North China were retrospectively studied. Their general conditions, nutritional support, complications during hospitalization and weight changes were reviewed. Weight loss between birth and discharge > 1SD was defined as longitudinal EUGR. The EPIs were assigned into longitudinal EUGR group and non-EUGR group and their nutritional support and weight changes were compared. The EPIs were randomly assigned into the training dataset and the validation dataset with a ratio of 7∶3. Univariate Cox regression analysis and multiple regression analysis were used in the training dataset to select the independent predictive factors. The best-fitting Nomogram model predicting longitudinal EUGR was established based on Akaike Information Criterion. The model was evaluated for discrimination efficacy, calibration and clinical decision curve analysis.Results:A total of 436 EPIs were included in this study, with a mean gestational age of (26.9±0.9) weeks and a birth weight of (989±171) g. The incidence of longitudinal EUGR was 82.3%(359/436). Seven variables (birth weight Z-score, weight loss, weight growth velocity, the proportion of breast milk ≥75% within 3 d before discharge, invasive mechanical ventilation ≥7 d, maternal antenatal corticosteroids use and bronchopulmonary dysplasia) were selected to establish the prediction model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the training dataset and the validation dataset were 0.870 (95% CI 0.820-0.920) and 0.879 (95% CI 0.815-0.942), suggesting good discrimination efficacy. The calibration curve indicated a good fit of the model ( P>0.05). The decision curve analysis showed positive net benefits at all thresholds. Conclusions:Currently, EPIs have a high incidence of longitudinal EUGR. The prediction model is helpful for early identification and intervention for EPIs with higher risks of longitudinal EUGR. It is necessary to expand the sample size and conduct prospective studies to optimize and validate the prediction model in the future.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effects and mechanisms of α-hederin,an active ingredient in Fruc-tus Akebiae,on hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)cells.Methods HCC cells were divided into four groups and treated with α-hederin(0,10,20,and 30 μmol·L-1)for 24 h and 48 h,respectively.MTT assays were used to detect the cell proliferation rate,flow cytometry(FCM)was used to detect the apoptotic rate,transcriptomics was used to screen signaling pathways in α-hederin-treated HCC cells,RNA interference was exploited to verify the underlying signaling pathway,and real-time quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR)and Western blotting(WB)were used to detect expression changes of the mRNA and protein of TP53(p53),PMAIP1(Noxa),and apoptosis-associated proteins,Caspase9 and Caspase3.Results α-Hederin induced apoptosis by activa-ting apoptosis-associated proteins,PARP,Caspase9 and Caspase3.Transcriptomics,qRT-PCR,and WB results also showed that α-hederin increased the mRNA and protein expression of p53 and Noxa.Furthermore,α-hederin inhibited the protein degradation of p53 and Noxa,reversing the apoptosis decrease in p53/Noxa siRNA-knocked-down HCC cells.In vivo results showed that α-hederin inhibited the growth of HCC tumors.Conclusion α-hederin may induce the apoptosis of HCC cells by activating and stabilizing the p53/Noxa signaling pathway.

Patients with severe tumors do not refer to the patients with end-stage tumors,but rather to the patients with a performance status(PS)score between 2 and 4 in certain stages due to various reasons,such as acute or chronic comorbidities,tumor itself,or treatment-related adverse events.To these patients,there is a high probability of achieving survival benefit and/or improvement in PS scores after synergistic management of available life-support technologies and anti-tumor therapies based on dynamic and precise testing.Elderly patients with tumors frequently present with one or more chronic illnesses and have poor toler-ance and compliance to treatment.Moreover,their treatment regimens often lack high-quality clinical evidence,making them more susceptible to developing severe tumors.The management of severe tumors in the elderly is based on three basic diagnosis and treatment technologies:dynamic and precise detection,powerful life support technologies,and skillful application of current anti-tumor treatments.In specific clinical practice,the following 7 flexible and individualized treatment strategies should be adopted for different tumor types:1.concurrent management of cancer and comorbidities,2.upgrading and downgrading of anti-tumor drugs based on PS score,3.dynamic accurate detection,4.skillful combinations for increasing efficacy and reducing toxicity,5.complete overview,paying equal attention to systemic therapy and local therapy,6.safety first in medication for the elderly,7.multi-discipli-nary participation,individualized and comprehensive treatment.This article introduced the concept of severe tumors in the elderly and the associated management strategies,to increase awareness and provide feasible guidance for clinical practice.