Progress in the epidemiology of COVID-19 infections in children and adolescents / 中国学校卫生

Abstract@#The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a series of complex challenges. COVID-19 in children and adolescents is generally less severe than in adults and the elderly; however, some children and adolescents may experience severe complications and adverse health effects even after mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 infections. The article focuses on gathering the epidemic characteristics, health impact, risk factors, prevention and control measures, and vaccination status of children and adolescents with COVID-19 infection to provide recommendations for protecting children and adolescents in the post COVID-19 era.

Tumor-targeted metabolic inhibitor prodrug labelled with cyanine dyes enhances immunoprevention of lung cancer

Recent progress in targeted metabolic therapy of cancer has been limited by the considerable toxicity associated with such drugs. To address this challenge, we developed a smart theranostic prodrug system that combines a fluorophore and an anticancer drug, specifically 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON), using a thioketal linkage (TK). This system enables imaging, chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and on-demand drug release upon radiation exposure. The optimized prodrug, DON-TK-BM3, incorporating cyanine dyes as the fluorophore, displayed potent reactive oxygen species release and efficient tumor cell killing. Unlike the parent drug DON, DON-TK-BM3 exhibited no toxicity toward normal cells. Moreover, DON-TK-BM3 demonstrated high tumor accumulation and reduced side effects, including gastrointestinal toxicity, in mice. This study provides a practical strategy for designing prodrugs of metabolic inhibitors with significant toxicity stemming from their lack of tissue selectivity.

Research progress on burden and etiological mechanism of mental health as the core comorbidity in children and adolescents / 中国学校卫生

Abstract@#The prevalence of mental health problems in children and adolescents has been gradually increasing, which has become an important public health problem related to the future of the country and the nation. However, mental disorder rarely exists independently, and comorbidity often occurs, which brings great harm and burden to individuals, families and society. This study introduces the prevalence, burden, characteristics and manifestations of different types of comorbidity with mental disorders as the core. Then it explaines the main causes and mechanisms of comorbidity, and proposes future research directions.

Co-occurrence trend of overweight,obesity and elevated blood pressure and its association with lifestyle factors among students in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the epidemiological trend of overweight and obesity, elevated blood pressure and their comorbidities in children and adolescents from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region during 2016-2021, and to analyze its association with lifestyle, so as to provide reference for formulating prevention and control strategies of regional common comorbidities in schools.@*Methods@#A total of 8 908, 8 222, 9 448, 127 068, 100 778, and 138 540 students aged 10-18 years in Inner Mongolia were selected by stratified random cluster sampling in September each year from 2016 to 2021. Physical examination and questionnaire survey were conducted on the included students. The prevalence trends of overweight，obesity, elevated blood pressure and their co-occurrence were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to compare the prevalence of elevated blood pressure in different body mass index (BMI) groups. After excluding individuals without lifestyle information in 2021, Logistic regression analysis was used on 136 374 subjects to analyze the association between overweight，obesity, elevated blood pressure and their co-occurrence and lifestyle factors.@*Results@#During 2016 to 2021, the prevalence of comorbidity of overweight, obesity with elevated blood pressure among students in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were 5.04%，5.14%，4.99%，7.51%，7.60% and 9.45%， respectively . The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 26.94%, 28.07%, 29.62%, 34.19%, 36.71% and 37.53%, respectively. The prevalence of elevated blood pressure were 16.05%, 11.54%, 13.12%, 14.85%, 14.12% and 18.40%, respectively. Except for 2016, the risk of elevated blood pressure in overweight and obese people was higher than that in normal BMI group in other years, and there was a positive correlation between overweight and obesity and elevated blood pressure after gender and urban and rural areas ( P < 0.05 ). In 2021, the detection rate of comorbidity of overweight and obesity with elevated blood pressure among children and adolescents in urban areas was higher than that in suburban counties, and the reporting rate of healthy lifestyle was lower than that in suburban counties ( P <0.05).Skipping breakfast ( OR =1.11，95% CI =1.07-1.16) and non daily moderate and high intensity physical activity( OR =1.27，95% CI =1.20-1.34) were positively correlated with the co-occurrence of overweight，obesity and elevated blood pressure among children and adolescents in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Non daily moderate and high intensity physical activity ≥60 min was positively correlated with elevated blood pressure ( OR =1.11，95% CI =1.07-1.16), and insufficient sleep was positively correlated with overweight，obesity ( OR =1.04, 95% CI =1.01-1.06)（ P ＜0.05）.@*Conclusion@#The prevalence of overweight，obesity, elevated blood pressure and their co-occurrence among children and adolescents in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is relatively high. Overweight/obesity is an important risk factor for elevated blood pressure, and unhealthy lifestyles are risk factors for co-occurrence of overweight，obesity and elevated blood pressure. Region specific lifestyle interventions are indispensable for the prevention and control of regional common comorbidities. Urban areas may be a key focus for lifestyle interventions.

Co-occurrence trend and association study of Internet addiction and depressive symptoms among students in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the prevalence of Internet addiction and depression of students, and to analyze the co-occurrence and trend, so as to provide a theoretical basis for prevention and controlling measures of Internet addiction and depression.@*Methods@#A total of 6 317,7 152,81 808,71 180 and 89 932 students aged 10 to 24 years from 12 leagues (103 banners) in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were selected by stratified random cluster sampling in September each year from 2017 to 2021. The Internet Addiction Scale and the Central for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale(CES-D) was used to measure Internet addiction and depression. And the annual inspection rate, group difference and annual change trend in students were calculated. Multivariate linear regression and restricted cubic spline analysis were used to estimate the linear and non linear associations between Internet addiction and depression in students.@*Results@#The Internet addiction proportion in students gradually decreased from 4.1% in 2017 to 2.1% in 2020, but increased to 3.9% in 2021. And the depressive symptoms proportion increased from 20.9% in 2017 to 28.0% in 2020 and 27.0% in 2021. The detection rate of Internet addiction and depression comorbidities remained at 1.8% to 2.5 %. The Internet addiction proportion in boys was higher than that in girls( χ 2=42.82， P <0.05). The depressive symptoms prevalence in girls was higher than that in boys( χ 2= 553.90， P <0.05). Taking reversal in prevalence of Internet addiction in urban and rural areas was observed in 2019. The detection rates of depressive symptoms and comorbidity were higher in urban areas than these in suburban counties on the whole, and the difference showed a trend of decreasing or even equalizing year by year. Internet addiction was positively correlated with depressive symptoms score ( B=1.67, 95%CI =1.64-1.71), the proportion of depressive symptoms ( OR=1.39, 95%CI =1.38-1.41) and the proportion of major depressive symptoms ( OR=1.35, 95%CI =1.33-1.36) among students in 2021 ( P <0.05). An N-shaped curve was found in the significant nonlinear associations between internet addiction and depression across sex, region and school stage.@*Conclusion@#Internet addiction and depression in students show significant linear and non-linear associations, which are consistent in different sexes, regions and school stages. Therefore, relevant measures should be made and implemented in each region, especially in suburb areas, so as to prevent the increasingly development of adolescents and children s Internet addiction and depression.

HBsAg non-reactive but HBV DNA reactive blood donors in Wuhu area: infection status and tracing results / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To detect and analyze the infection status of HBsAg non-reactive /HBV DNA reactive blood donors by individual donor-NAT (ID-NAT) and chemiluminescence technology, and to explore the feasibility and potential risks of reentry. 【Methods】 The blood screening results of blood donors in Wuhu from January 2018 to October 2021 were queried by blood station information management software. The blood donation information of all HBsAg non-reactive /HBV DNA reactive blood donors was collected and then recalled by telephone. After informed consent, samples were taken for HBV DNA nucleic acid single test, enzyme-linked immunoassay for HBsAg, chemiluminescence assay for HBV seromarkers(including HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe and anti-HBc), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) test. All the results were statistically analyzed. 【Results】 From January 2018 to October 2021, there were 142 051 donations, and the positive rate of sole HBV DNA was 0.06% (91/142 051), and 33 people (37 person-times) were successfully followed up. The yield rates of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc were 6.06% (2/33), 39.39% (13/33) and 96.97% (32/33), respectively; None HBeAg was yielded. After two times of ID-NAT, 8 patients remained non-reactive to both systems, with a negative conversion rate of 24.24% (8/33). Meanwhile, 25 patients were at least once reactive to ID-NAT, and 23 of them were occult HBV infection with serologically reactivity. There were 2(6.25%) patients with HBsAg positive conversion and HBV DNA persistent reactivity, which were window period infection. One person was confirmed as false reactivity (no HBV infection) as he remained unreactive to both repeated ID-NAT and serological tests. 【Conclusion】 Chemiluminescence assay is more sensitive than ELISA in detecting HBV serum markers, which is beneficial to early detection of HBV samples in window period. The yielding rate of anti-HBc among HBsAg non-reactive/HBV DNA reactive blood donors detected by blood screening in this region is very high, and most of them are occulting infection, so the ID-NAT should be no less than 2 times in the reentry strategy.

Research progress in immunology of DNA-dependent activator of IFN-regulatory factors (DAI) as a pattern recognition receptor / 细胞与分子免疫学杂志

DNA sensor, a kind of pattern recognition receptor (PRR), is widely expressed in innate immune cells. It activates the inflammatory signaling pathways and triggers an innate immune response by recognizing the pathogens or DNA in abnormal host cells. DNA-dependent activator of IFN-regulatory factors (DAI) is the first cytoplasmic DNA receptor discovered, which plays an important role in regulating the innate immune responses characterized by induction of interferon and programmed cell death. The article summarizes the molecular characteristics of DAI, its downstream signaling pathways, and its role and mechanism in anti-infective immunity, tumor immunity and inflammatory diseases. It also makes a preliminary exploration of the correlation between DAI and transplantation immunology, and provides a new target for the therapy of various immune diseases.

Human Gingival Stem Cells Prevent Diabetes in NOD Mice by Reducing Follicular B Cells / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

BackgroundType 1 diabetes is caused by a chronic immune response that destroys islet beta cells， resulting in elevated blood glucose. Mesenchymal stem cells can prevent and treat the development of diabetes and its complications. However， little is known about the effects and potential mechanisms of Gingival mesenchymal stem cells （GMSCs） in preventing diabetes. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanism of GMSCs in preventing type 1 diabetes in mice and to find targets for clinical treatment of diabetes. MethodsWe injected human GMSCs into NOD mice to observe the trend of blood glucose， observed the survival of pancreatic β-cells by immunohistochemistry， and detected the change of immune cells in the spleen of mice by flow analysis. Finally， the immune cells in NOD mice were transfused into NOD-SCID mice to observe the onset of diabetes in NOD-SCID mice. ResultsGMSCs significantly reduced the incidence of diabetes in NOD mice， with 64% of control mice developing diabetes at 27 weeks of age compared with 35% in the GMSC group， P=0.013. The percentage of Follicular B cells（FO B cell） in the spleen of GMSCs-treated mice decreased from （52.2±4.1）% to （43.2±5.3）%， P=0.008， while other types of immune cells did not change significantly. The immunohistochemical results showed that GMSCs could effectively improve the survival of pancreatic β-cells， which could continuously produce insulin to control blood glucose. Finally， we found the spleen cells transfusion could prevent the development of diabetes in NOD-SCID mice. ConclusionGMSCs can reduce diabetes in mice by reducing FO B cells in the spleen.

Pre- and postcapillary pulmonary hypertension in dogs: Circulating biomarkers.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in dogs is a syndrome that could be primary or secondary due to pulmonary disease, pulmonary thromboembolism, heartworm disease, and heart failure. Due to the inability of right heart catheterization in veterinary patients, there is a lack of differential criteria between PH forms. In some acute cases, it is impossible to provide a full EchoCG or catheterization study. In this situation, circulating markers may be useful to discover the possible mechanism of PH form and provide specific therapy. Aim: Following all previous data in human and veterinary studies, we assumed that plasm concentration of serotonin, endothelin-1 (ET-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D) would show a predominance in affected part of pulmonary circulation. Methods: We studied 59 small-breed dogs of different sexes and ages. Groups were formed according to a primary pathology: healthy dogs (n = 8); dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and postcapillary PH (PostPH, n = 23); dogs with MMVD and precapillary PH (PrePH, n = 28). Animals in the study were diagnosed with the primary disease by standard echocardiographic methods and algorithms. Blood samples were collected at the moment of presentation and frozen in a -80°C fridge. For biochemistry analysis, we used species-specific ELISA kits, provided by Cloud-Clone Corp. (USA). The tests were provided by the means of Almazov National Medical Research Center, IEM laboratory. Results: Dogs with EchoCG-proved PostPH had a higher concentration of VEGF-D in comparison to control and PrePH (р <0.001, for both). There was no difference between the control and PrePH groups (р >0.05). ET-1 was higher in PrePH in comparison to PostPH and control dogs (р <0.001, for both). In addition, there was no difference between the control and PostPH groups (р >0.05). Serotonin concertation did not have a difference between controls and PostPH. However, it was higher in PrePH than in control (р <0.033) and PostPH group (р <0.006). Receiver operating curve analysis showed that plasma concentrations of ET-1 (0.99) and VEGF-D (0.92) had high effectiveness in the differentiation of PostPH and PrePH. Conclusion: This study showed a correlation between circulating biomarkers (serotonin, ET-1, and VEGF-D). We found a connection between ET-1 and right-sided heart failure as well as VEGF-D and left heart failure in the PH context.

Deep inspiratory breath-hold radiotherapy for left-sided breast cancer: Initial experience with Active Breathing Coordinator™ in a regional hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Deep inspiratory breath-hold (DIBH) has become standard in radiotherapy for left-sided breast cancer to reduce the heart dose. This study evaluated breath-hold stability and reproducibility using Elekta's Active Breathing Coordinator™ (ABC) and its effectiveness and feasibility in left-sided breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. METHODS: Eligible patients were planned with free breathing (FB) and DIBH protocols. DIBH treatment was considered if the mean heart dose (MHD) was ≥2 Gy on the FB plan. Those who proceeded with DIBH treatment were enrolled for the pilot study. Electronic portal images of DIBH treatment beams were taken using the movie-exposure mode for breath-hold stability and reproducibility analysis. DIBH effectiveness in heart dose reduction and impact on simulation and treatment durations were compared with FB protocol. RESULTS: Out of 56 eligible patients, 15 proceeded with DIBH treatment. The mean difference of patient setup within a single breath-hold was 0.4 mm; between different breath-holds of the same beam 1.1 mm and between different days 2.6 mm. DIBH reduced the MHD by 47% and the mean left anterior descending artery (LAD) dose by 35%. DIBH took longer time than FB in simulation and treatment. At least 14% of the eligible patients did not tolerate DIBH during simulation. CONCLUSIONS: ABC leads to stable and reproducible breath-holds and results in significant heart dose reductions. It may not be tolerated by all patients and has resource implications.

The role of motion tracking in assessing technical skill acquisition using a neonatal 3D-printed thoracoscopic esophageal atresia/tracheo-esophageal fistula simulator.

INTRODUCTION: Acquiring the technical skills required for thoracoscopic repair of esophageal atresia with tracheo-esophageal fistula (EA/TEF) is challenging. A high-fidelity 3D-printed pediatric thoracoscopic EA/TEF simulator has been developed to address this issue. This study explored motion-tracking as an assessment tool to distinguish between surgeons of different expertise using the simulator. METHODS: Participants performed a single intracorporeal suture between the esophageal ends in EA with TEF. Total relative path lengths of the right and left surgical instruments were recorded during the task. Each video-recorded attempt was assessed by a blinded pediatric surgeon using a modified Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) score. Data recorded as median (range) and statistical significance as p<0.05. RESULTS: The task was performed by 17 participants. The median OSATS scores identified a significant difference between experts and novices. A difference between left- and right-hands was only found in the mid-skill level group. Right-hand path length was greatest in novices and lowest in experts. Left-hand path length was greatest in novices and the mid-skill level group compared to experts. CONCLUSION: Experts had the lowest total path length for either hand, suggesting they had the greatest efficiency of movement. The similar high path lengths in both hands for novices indicate their relatively low level of skill with either hand. The difference between right- and left-hand path lengths in the mid-skill level group likely reflects the improved right-handed technical skills in contrast to the still developing left hand. Further focus on the left hand during simulation training may improve left-handed economy of movement.

HIV prevalence and Western blot analysis of voluntary blood donors in Wuhu area / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To investigate the confirmatory status of HIV-1 antibody detection and Western blot (WB) test among voluntary blood donors in Wuhu, and to explore the strategies and methods to further ensure blood quality and safety. 【Methods】 Blood samples were preliminarily screened by ELISA and NAT, and the reactive samples were sent to Wuhu CDC for further WB test of HIV-1 antibody. The confirmation results of HIV-1 antibodies of voluntary blood donors in Wuhu in the past 10 years were retrospectively collected. The characteristics of WB bands of positive samples were analyzed, and the demographic characteristics of HIV-infected voluntary blood donors were sorted out. 【Results】 A total of 354 864 blood samples from voluntary blood donors in Wuhu during January 2011 to May 2021 were investigated, among which 42 were confirmed HIV positive (HIV-1 antibody positive in 41, and solo HIV-RNA reactive in 1), with a total HIV positive rate of 11.8/100 000(42/354 864). Statistical differences were found in gender [males 97.6% (41/42) vs females 2.4% (1/42)], marital status [unmarried 17.3/100 000 vs married 8.0/100 000] and occupation [staff/workers 37.5/100 000 vs students11.4/100 000 vs others 7.7/100 000]. Among the positive samples, the yield rate of WB bands gp160 was 100% (41/41), both gp41 and p24 were 97.6% (40/41),, and p55 was the lowest 46.3% (19/41). P51 and P66 presented the highest yield consistency (Kappa=1.000, P5 000 cps/mL by viral load (VL) testing, indicating HIV window period infection. 【Conclusion】 HIV infection statistically affected male donors more than females in Wuhu area, and most were early infection that revealed by WB band analysis. NAT plays an important role in the detection and confirmation of HIV infection during the window period, and is essential for blood safety.

Inhibitory effect of necrostatin-1 on necroptosis of retinal ganglion cells in rats with acute ocular hypertension / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To investigate the inhibitory effect of specific inhibitor of necroptosis necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) on necroptosis of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in rats with acute ocular hypertension.Methods:Twenty-four adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group, model control group, Nec-1 treatment group and negative control group by random number table method, with 6 rats in each group.High intraocular pressure (IOP)-induced ischemia and reperfusion model was established through anterior chamber irrigation of 0.9% sodium chloride solution in left eyes of the rats, raising the IOP to 110 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) for 60 minutes.Nec-1 (4 mmol/L, 2 μl) or dimethyl sulfoxide (2 μl) was intravitreally injected immediately in Nec-1 treatment group and negative control group following modeling, respectively, according to grouping.No intervention was administered to the normal control group.Paraffin sections of rat retinas of the left eyes in different groups were prepared seven days after modeling.The retinal structure was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the expression levels of thymocyte antigen-1 (Thy-1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were detected via immunohistochemical staining.All animal experiments were approved by an Ethics Committee of Tianjin Union Medical Center (No.2017 Quick audit C01).Results:Seven days after modeling, compared with normal control group, the retinal nerve fiber layer was thinner in model control group and negative control group, and the RGCs were arranged loosely, and cells in the inner nuclear layer were reduced and arranged disorderly, and cells in the outer nuclear layer were normal or enlarged.Compared with model control group and negative control group, the nerve fiber layer was thickened and the number of RGCs was significantly increased in Nec-1 treatment group.The number of Thy-1-positive RGCs was decreased in model control group, negative control group and Nec-1 treatment group than normal control group, and there were more Thy-1-positive RGCs in Nec-1 treatment group than model control group and negative control group.The integrated absorbance ( A) value of GFAP protein in normal control group, model control group, negative control group and Nec-1 treatment group was 47.209±15.311, 116.220±18.194, 116.382±19.020, 92.818±10.236, respectively, showing statistically significant differences among them ( F=24.675, P<0.001). The integrated A value of GFAP protein was significantly increased in model control group, negative control group and Nec-1 treatment group than normal control group, and the integrated A value of GFAP protein in Nec-1 treatment group was lower than that in model control group and negative control group, with statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). Conclusions:Nec-1 can promote RGCs survival by inhibiting the necroptosis of RGCs in rats with acute intraocular hypertension.

Wnt7a / β-catenin / autoimmune regulator signaling pathway involved in the occurrence of type 1 diabetes / 解剖学报

[Abstract] Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of Wnt signaling pathway, autoimmune regulator (AIRE) and type 1 diabetes (T1D) tissue specific antigen (TSAs) insulin 2(Ins2) and glutamic acid decarboxybase(GAD67) in thymus and the occurrence of T1D in NOD/ Ltj mice with spontaneous type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods Sixty female NOD/ Ltj mice were divided into three groups: 3 weeks group, 16 weeks non-onset group and 16 weeks onset group. Two consecutive non-fasting blood glucose levels ≥ 11. 1 mmol/ L were considered as the occurrence of T1D. Pancreatic HE staining was used to observe the occurrence of islet inflammation. Anti-Ins and CD45 immunohistochemical staining showed islet cells or infiltrating inflammatory cells. The protein levels and mRNA expressions of Wnt7a, -catenin, AIRE, Ins and GAD67 in thymus were detected by Western blotting and Real-time PCR. The proportion of T cells in thymus was analyzed by flow cytometry. Results 1. With the occurrence of T1D, the islet structure was destroyed, a large number of lymphocytes infiltrated, and the remaining islet cells were reduced. A large number of CD45

The ameliorative effects of Hypericum perforatum extract on high altitude cerebral edema in hypoxic rats / 中国药理学通报

Aim To study the ameliorative effects of Hypericum perforatum extract(HPE)on high altitude cerebral edema(HACE)in hypoxia rats.Methods A large low-pressure oxygen chamber was used to simulate the hypoxia environment at an altitude of 7 500 m.The pathological changes of HPE on the brain tissues of HACE rats were observed,and the water content,oxidative stress and inflammatory factors related indicators of brain tissues were detected.Results Through administered HPE by gavage,the histopathological damage of HACE rats was improved,the concentration of nuclear pyknosis was reduced,the degree of vacuolization was reduced,and the inflammatory response was alleviated.At the same time,HPE decreased the water content and the contents of MDA,H2O2,IL-1β,IL-6,VEGF and TNF-α in brain tissues of HACE rats,while increased the content of GSH and the activities of T-SOD and CAT.Conclusions HPE can ameliorate HACE in hypoxic rats to some extent,the mechanism of which may be related to ameliorating oxidative stress injury and reducing inflammation response.Hypericum perforatum is expected to be developed as a drug preparation for the treatment of HACE.

Spatial Distribution Pattern of Medicinal Plant Resources in Gansu Province and Driving Factors / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo clarify the spatial distribution characteristics of medicinal plant resources in Gansu province， analyze the causes， changing trends， and driving factors of the spatial differentiation， and thus lay a scientific basis for the rational development and sustainable development of medicinal plant resources in this province. MethodBased on the data of The Fourth National Survey of Chinese Medicine Resources， the richness and spatial distribution difference of medicinal plant resources in 87 counties （districts） of Gansu province were analyzed via the global spatial autocorrelation analysis， trend surface analysis， local spatial autocorrelation analysis， and hotspot analysis. Moreover， the correlation of vegetation type， soil texture， annual average temperature， annual average precipitation， and altitude with the spatial distribution pattern of the medicinal plant resources was discussed. ResultCounties （districts） with high or low richness of medicinal plant resources in Gansu province were respectively clustered together. To be specific， counties （districts） with high richness of the medicinal resources were mainly in southeastern Gansu， while those with low richness in northwestern Gansu. The leading driving factors affecting the cold and hot spots included vegetation type， soil texture， and average annual rainfall. ConclusionThe species richness of medicinal plant resources in Gansu province rises from west to east and from north to south. The natural driving factors are the key to the diversity and spatial distribution pattern of medicinal plant resources， which show significant influence on them.

Clinical Observation and Research on Prevention and Treatment of Epilepsy Complicated with Cognitive Impairment by Quyu Dingxian Zhengtong Mixture for Dispelling Stasis and Resolving Phlegm / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Chinese medicinal mixture for dispelling stasis and resolving phlegm combined with western medicine in the treatment of epilepsy combined with cognitive impairment by randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled， parallel-group trial. MethodA total of 123 inpatients and outpatients with epilepsy complicated with cognitive impairment admitted to the department of neurology at Longhua Hospital from October 2020 to October 2021 were randomly assigned into a control group （62 cases， carbamazepine + placebo） and a treatment group （61 cases， carbamazepine + Quyu Dingxian Zhengtong mixture） by random number table method. In the treatment group， 4 cases were exfoliated and eliminated. In the control group， 3 cases fell off. Finally， 57 cases in the treatment group and 59 cases in the control group were included. The total course of treatment for both groups was 12 weeks. The clinical efficacy， efficacy for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes， and incidence of adverse reactions were compared between two groups. The changes of seizure frequency， abnormal rate of electroencephalogram （EEG）， cognitive function score， serum homocysteine （HCY）， folic acid， and vitamin B12 （B12） were measured and compared before and after treatment. ResultAfter 12 weeks of treatment， the treatment group had higher clinical efficacy ［92.98% （53/57） vs 79.66% （47/59）， χ2=4.327， P<0.05］ and efficacy for TCM syndromes ［96.49% （55/57） vs 84.75% （50/59）， χ2=4.660， P<0.05］ than the control group. The treatment group was superior to the control group in reducing the seizure frequency （Z=-3.938， P<0.01） and improving the Montreal cognitive assessment （MoCA） score （t=4.333， P<0.01） and mini-mental state examination （MMSE） score （t=9.531， P<0.01）. The variations in serum HCY， folic acid， and B12 in the treatment group were less than those in the control group （t=-7.233， t=-7.972， t=-6.871， P<0.01）. After treatment， the abnormal rate of EEG in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group （χ2=4.437， P<0.05）. The incidence of adverse reactions in the treatment group （1.75%， 1/57） was lower than that （13.56%， 8/59） in the control group （corrected χ2=4.116， P<0.05）. ConclusionChinese medicinal mixture for dispelling stasis and resolving phlegm in combination with western medicine had better efficacy and safety than western medicine alone in the treatment of epilepsy complicated with cognitive impairment. Specifically， the combination outperformed western medicine alone in terms of clinical efficacy， efficacy for TCM syndromes， reduction in seizure frequency， abnormal rate of EEG， adverse reactions， improvement of cognitive function， and variations in serum folic acid， B12， and HCY values. Chinese medicinal mixture for dispelling stasis and resolving phlegm may improve the clinical efficacy and safety by changing the metabolism of folic acid， B12， and HCY in serum of the patients with epilepsy complicated with cognitive impairment.

Comparison of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes in infertile men with spermatogenic impairment of differing severity / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

The extent of spermatogenic impairment on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes and the risk of major birth defects have been little assessed. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between various spermatogenic conditions, sperm origin on ICSI outcomes, and major birth defects. A total of 934 infertile men attending the Center for Reproductive Medicine of Ren Ji Hospital (Shanghai, China) were classified into six groups: nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA; n = 84), extremely severe oligozoospermia (esOZ; n = 163), severe oligozoospermia (sOZ, n = 174), mild oligozoospermia (mOZ; n = 148), obstructive azoospermia (OAZ; n = 155), and normozoospermia (NZ; n = 210). Rates of fertilization, embryo cleavage, high-quality embryos, implantation, biochemical and clinical pregnancies, abortion, delivery, newborns, as well as major birth malformations, and other newborn outcomes were analyzed and compared among groups. The NOA group showed a statistically lower fertilization rate (68.2% vs esOZ 77.3%, sOZ 78.0%, mOZ 73.8%, OAZ 76.6%, and NZ 79.3%, all P < 0.05), but a significantly higher implantation rate (37.8%) than the groups esOZ (30.1%), sOZ (30.4%), mOZ (32.6%), and OAZ (31.0%) (all P < 0.05), which was similar to that of Group NZ (38.4%). However, there were no statistically significant differences in rates of embryo cleavage, high-quality embryos, biochemical and clinical pregnancies, abortions, deliveries, major birth malformations, and other newborn outcomes in the six groups. The results showed that NOA only negatively affects some embryological outcomes such as fertilization rate. There was no evidence of differences in other embryological and clinical outcomes with respect to sperm source or spermatogenic status. Spermatogenic failure and sperm origins do not impinge on the clinical outcomes in ICSI treatment.

Association between exposure to artificial light at night and the occurrence of menarche in Han girls / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To analyze the association between the occurrence of menarche and the exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN) in female Han nationality girls aged 9-18 in China, so as to provide a reference for the research on the disturbance mechanism of ALAN on puberty, as well as provide a scientific evidence for controlling ALAN and making public sanitary policy.@*Methods@#A total of 74 483 Han girls aged 9-18 with complete records of menarche, height, and weight were included in the 2014 Chinese National Surveys on Students Constitution and Health. Pearson correlation was used to explore the correlation between the incidence of menarche and the exposure to artificial light at night in 11-year-old Han girls, and the third quantiles of the area covered by outdoor night lights (0.16, 0.60) and the third quantiles of the average night light intensity [0.97, 5.91 nw/(sr ·cm) 2] were used respectively to divide the study subjects into 3 groups, and the multifactor Logistic regression model was used to analyze the effect of artificial light at night exposure on menarche.@*Results@#In 2014, the median age of menarche of Chinese Han girls was 12.18 years old, and the incidence of menarche in the 11-year-old group was 26.31%. After controlling for body mass index, local population and the logarithmic values of per capita GDP, the incidence of menarche of 11-year-old Han girls was positively correlated with the local outdoor average night light coverage area ratio and the night average light intensity logarithmic adjustment value( r =0.29, 0.30, P <0.05).The higher the local outdoor night light coverage area ratio ( OR =1.28, 1.52) and the average night light intensity ( OR =1.47, 1.58), the higher the incidence of menarche in 11-year-old Han girls( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#There is a positive correlation between artificial light at night exposure and the menarche rate of 11-year-old Han girls. Research on artificial light at night exposure may provide scientific evidence on puberty onset and its effects on population health.

Is Technical Expertise Necessary to Assess Technical Expertise? Let's Ask the Kids.

Background: Simulation has an increasing role in surgical training; however, using validated tools such as the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) is time-consuming, which may be a potential barrier to simulation-based training. This study tests the hypothesis that assessors with technical expertise are necessary to objectively score a technical task. Methods: Three tasks, ring transfer, needle pass, and atresia cut, were performed using a synthetic thoracoscopic simulator for esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula. Three pediatric surgeons, 6 novice adults, and 3 children aged 9-13 years scored each attempt using the overall global OSATS rating from 1 to 5 (1 "repeated or awkward movements" to 5 "fluid movement. No awkwardness"). Results: For the ring transfer, all assessors scored novice participants significantly less than expert and intermediate scores (surgeon P = .0004, nonsurgeon adults P = .0009 and children P = .0003). For the needle pass, all assessors gave significantly different scores between novices and experts (surgeon P = .0007, nonsurgeon adult P = .0008, and children P = .0040). For the atresia cut, surgeon assessors gave significantly higher scores for experts and intermediate and novice (P = .0004). Nonsurgeon assessors gave experts and intermediates significantly higher scores than novices (P = .0001). Surgeon assessors achieved good reliability for ring transfer (0.8252) and needle pass (0.7769) compared with nonsurgeon assessors who showed poor reliability for the ring transfer (0.3959) and moderate for the needle pass (0.6551). Conclusions: Expertise in performing these procedures is not a prerequisite for an assessor to evaluate the technical skill, hence assessors of skill acquisition can be nonexpert, a nonsurgeon, or even a child. The variability in all groups suggests that reliability overall is increased with multiple assessors. Although nonsurgeon assessors may be appropriate for formative assessments, they lack the reliability to provide assessment of competence for high stakes complex tasks. Summative assessment will likely require at least 1 surgeon/expert assessor to provide reliability.