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The global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought great challenges to the traditional medical model. During the outbreak of COVID-19 in Shanghai, China, from March to May, 2022, there was a significant increase in the number of pediatric cases due to high transmissibility, immune escape, and vaccine breakthrough capacity of Omicron variants. The designated hospitals for children with COVID-19 served as a connecting link between children's specialized hospitals and mobile cabin hospitals. From April 7 to June 2, 2022, a total of 871 children with COVID-19 were admitted to Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (South Branch), a designated hospital for children with COVID-19. Among these patients, 568 (65.2%) were children under 3 years old, 870 (99.9%) were mild or moderate, and 1 was severe. This article reports the experience in the management of pediatric cases in this designated hospital, which included the following aspects: establishing an optimal case-admission process; strengthening multidisciplinary standardized diagnosis and treatment; optimizing the management, warning, and rescue system for severe COVID-19; implementing family-centered nursing care; formulating an individualized traditional Chinese medicine treatment regimen; optimizing the discharge process and strengthening bed turnover; implementing strict whole-process control to reduce the risk of nosocomial infection; constructing a structured medical record system and using information platforms to adapt to the work mode of large-volume cases; conducting scientific research and sharing the experience in diagnosis and treatment.

Protective Effect of a Water-Soluble Carotenoid-Rich Extract of Cordyceps militaris against Light-Evoked Functional Vision Deterioration in Mice.

Light-evoked retinal photodamage is considered an important factor contributing to functional vision deterioration and can even lead to light maculopathy or dry age-related macular degeneration. Loss of visual acuity (VA) and visual contrast sensitivity function (VCSF) are the major symptoms of retinal degenerative diseases. Cordyceps militaris is a carotenoid-rich Chinese medicinal fungus with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory functions. C. militaris extract is a natural substance, and its bioactive constituents have been shown to confer health benefits, but their application in retinal tissue and functional vision protection in vivo remain incompletely understood. In the present study, we evaluated the influence of water-soluble, carotenoid-rich C. militaris extracts on the visual performance of light-damaged mouse retinas in vivo, using adult female CD-1® (ICR) albino mice. We showed that oral administration of this C. militaris extract (10 mg/kg, twice daily) protected the neural retina tissue against light-evoked photoreceptor cell death, reduced Müller cell hypertrophic gliosis, and elevated GSH levels and promoted the recovery of VA- and VCSF-thresholds, especially for high spatial frequency-characterized vision. These results suggest that, probably because of its water-soluble carotenoids, C. militaris extract has the potential to prevent or treat light-induced visual dysfunction.

[Post-stroke constipation treated with acupoint embedding therapy: a multi-center randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To verify the clinical effect of acupoint embedding therapy on post-stroke constipation. METHODS: The multi-central randomized controlled trial was adopted. 210 patients of post-stroke constipation were divided into an acupoint embedding group (105 cases, 4 cases dropped off) and a sham-embedding group (105 cases, 6 cases dropped off). In the acupoint embedding group, the acupoint embedding therapy was used at Tianshu (ST 25), Daheng (SP 15), Xiawan (CV 10), Zhongwan (CV 12), Qihai (CV 6), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Daju (ST 27). In the sham-embedding group, the sham-embedding therapy was given, in which, the acupoint selection, needle devices and manipulation were the same as the acupoint embedding group. But, no absorbable surgical suture was used in the needle tube. The treatment was given once every two weeks and 4 treatments were required in either group. It was to compare the weekly average complete spontaneous bowel movements (CSBMs) during treatment (from the 3rd to the 8th week) between the two groups, the weekly average spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs), Bristol stool form score (BSFS), the score of the patient assessment of constipation quality of life questionnaire (PAC-QOL) and the score of defecation difficulty before and after treatment. RESULTS: The percentage of the cases with weekly average CSBMs ≥ 3 times in the patients of the acupoint embedding group was higher markedly than the sham-embedding group [91.1% (92/101) vs 43.4% (43/99), P<0.01]. Compared with the values before treatment, the weekly average SBMs and BSFS scores after treatment were all increased obviously in the two groups (P<0.01), and PAC-QOL score and the score of defecation difficulty were reduced remarkably (P<0.01). After treatment, the increase range of SBMs and BSFS scores, as well as the decrease range of PAC-QOL score and the defecation difficulty score in the acupoint embedding group were all higher than the sham-embedding group respectively (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The acupoint embedding therapy remarkably increases the spontaneous bowel movements, improves in feces form and defecation difficulty and strengthens the quality of life in the patients of post-stroke constipation.

[Kinetic analysis of additive effect on desulfurization activity].

The additive effects of A12O3, Fe2O3 and MnCO3 on CaO sulfation kinetics were investigated by thermogravimetic analysis method and modified grain model. The activation energy (Ea) and the pre-exponential factor (k0) of surface reaction, the activation energy (Ep) and the pre-exponential factor (D0) of product layer diffusion reaction were calculated according to the model. Additions of MnCO3 can enhance the initial reaction rate, product layer diffusion and the final CaO conversion of sorbents, the effect mechanism of which is similar to that of Fe2O3. The method based isokinetic temperature Ts and activation energy can not estimate the contribution of additive to the sulfation reactivity, the rate constant of the surface reaction (k), and the effective diffusivity of reactant in the product layer (Ds) under certain experimental conditions can reflect the effect of additives on the activation. Unstoichiometric metal oxide may catalyze the surface reaction and promote the diffusivity of reactant in the product layer by the crystal defect and distinct diffusion of cation and anion. According to the mechanism and effect of additive on the sulfation, the effective temperature and the stoichiometric relation of reaction, it is possible to improve the utilization of sorbent by compounding more additives to the calcium-based sorbent.

Efficacy and safety of modified Mai-Men-Dong-Tang for treatment of allergic asthma.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a Chinese herbal formula modified Mai-Men-Dong-Tang (mMMDT) for treatment of persistent, mild-to-moderate asthma. A total of 100 asthmatic patients were enrolled and assigned to three treatment groups in this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Over a period of 4 months, patients in groups A and B received 80 and 40 mg/kg/day of mMMDT, while those in group C received a placebo. Efficacy variables included changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), symptom score, serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE), and dust mite-specific IgE. Safety assessments included complete blood count, and liver and kidney function. Relative to baseline, significantly greater increases in FEV1 were demonstrated for both A and B groups in comparison with the placebo-treated analog (both p <0.05). Further, similar improvements in symptom score were observed for both mMMDT treatment groups. The serum total IgE for group A showed a decreasing tendency after treatment but no statistical difference was noted. Furthermore, no drug-related adverse effects were reported. Blood test, and liver and kidney function were within normal range during the study, with no marked changes demonstrated over time. In conclusion, the Chinese herbal formula mMMDT provided improvements in lung function and relieved asthma symptoms in our sample of patients. Given its efficacy and safety, we consider mMMDT a credible treatment regimen for persistent, mild-to-moderate asthma.