To Evaluate the Value of Vertebral Body Cortical Thickness in Predicting Osteoporosis by Opportunistic CT.

Background: In vertebrae, the amount of cortical bone has been estimated at 30-60%, but 45-75% of axial load on a vertebral body is borne by cortical bone (1).

Rationale And Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of vertebral body cortical thickness in predicting osteoporosis (OP) by analyzing the relationship between vertebral body cortical thickness and bone mineral density (BMD) in different age and gender groups. The optimal diagnostic cut-off value of vertebral body cortical thickness in predicting OP was analyzed.

A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Study of the Breast Biopsy and Circumferential Excision System for Breast Lesions.

Background: This study aimed to verify the effectiveness, safety, and reliability of the breast biopsy and circumferential excision system.

Methods: It was designed as a multicenter, randomized, open-label, positive control, noninferiority trial. A total of 168 subjects who met the breast lesion screening requirements of the clinical trial protocol were randomly divided into a breast biopsy and circumferential excision dual cutting system test group or Mammotome control group.

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Enhances Cadmium Phytoextraction by by Remodeling the Rhizospheric Environment.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) significantly affects plant responses to heavy metals in hydroponics or culture media, but its corresponding effects in plant-soil systems remain unknown. In this study, different GABA dosages (0-8 g kg) were added to the rhizosphere of grown in Cd-contaminated soils. Cd accumulation in the shoots of was enhanced by 38.

Efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine children's Zibei Xuanfei syrup in treating acute trachea-bronchitis with wind-heat invading lung syndrome: A randomized, double-blind, multicentre, controlled trial.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Children's Zibei Xuanfei syrup is an herbal preparation from a lifetime professor, famous old Chinese doctor, and postgraduate supervisor of medical doctor of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This herbal preparation promotes lung health, relieves cough, reduces phlegm, and benefits pharynx.

Aim Of The Study: To verify the clinical efficacy and safety of Zibei Xuanfei syrup for children in treatment of acute trachea bronchitis with wind-heat invading lung syndrome.

Rhizospheric microbiomics integrated with plant transcriptomics provides insight into the Cd response mechanisms of the newly identified Cd accumulator .

Phytoremediation that depends on excellent plant resources and effective enhancing measures is important for remediating heavy metal-contaminated soils. This study investigated the cadmium (Cd) tolerance and accumulation characteristics of Cav. to evaluate its Cd phytoremediation potential.

Polyaspartic acid enhances the Cd phytoextraction efficiency of Bidens pilosa by remolding the rhizospheric environment and reprogramming plant metabolism.

The green soil chelator polyaspartic acid (PASP) can enhance heavy metal phytoextraction efficiency, but the potential mechanisms are not clearly understood from the whole soil-plant system. In this study, we explored the effects and potential mechanisms of PASP addition in soils on plant growth and cadmium (Cd) uptake in the Cd hyperaccumulator Bidens pilosa by analysing variations in chemical elements, rhizospheric microbial community, and plant metabolomics. The results showed that PASP significantly promoted the biomass yield and Cd concentration in B.

Circular RNAs and Their Role in Exosomes.

As a novel class of endogenous non-coding RNAs discovered in recent years, circular RNAs (circRNAs) are highly conserved and stable covalently closed ring structures with no 5'-end cap or 3'-end poly(A) tail. CircRNAs are formed by reverse splicing, mainly by means of a noose structure or intron complementary pairing. Exosomes are tiny discoid vesicles with a diameter of 40-100 nm that are secreted by cells under physiological and pathological conditions.

Efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine Qirui Weishu capsule in treating chronic non-atrophic gastritis: A multicentre, double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: QiruiWeishu capsule is an herbal preparation from a herbal formula prescribed by an experienced doctor at Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. It has been used clinically for more than 30 years. Abdominal pain, distension, and nausea are common symptoms of chronic non-atrophic gastritis with erosion dampness and heat stasis syndrome, and this herbal medicine has been used to treat them.

Ultrasound-Induced Destruction of Nitric Oxide-Loaded Microbubbles in the Treatment of Thrombus and Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Early recanalization of large vessels in thromboembolism, such as myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke, is associated with improved clinical outcomes. Nitric oxide (NO), a biological gas signaling molecule, has been proven to protect against ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be explored.

Pharmacokinetics, Bioequivalence, and Safety Studies of Amlodipine Besylate in Healthy Subjects.

This study aimed to evaluate the bioequivalence of 2 amlodipine besylate tablet formulations, a generic formulation and an original formulation, and to investigate their pharmacokinetic and safety profiles. This study was designed as a randomized, open-label, single-dose, crossover, dual-period study and was divided into fasting and postprandial human bioequivalence trials. In the first trial after overnight fasting, 28 subjects were given 5-mg amlodipine besylate tablets via oral administration, and blood specimens were obtained up to 144 hours after dosing; another 28 subjects had a high-fat meal 1 hour before drug administration and proceeded the same as the fasting trial.

Bioinformatics Analysis: The Regulatory Network of hsa_circ_0007843 and hsa_circ_0007331 in Colon Cancer.

Objective: To analyze the molecular regulation network of circular RNA (circRNA) in colon cancer (CC) by bioinformatics method.

Methods: hsa_circ_0007843 and hsa_circ_0007331 proved to be associated with CC in previous studies were chosen as the research object. ConSite database was used to predict the transcription factors associated with circRNA, and the CC-associated transcription factors were screened out after intersection.

The appearance and increase in the quantity and proportion of the clinical research coordinator's service fee in drug clinical trial research fund and its impact on trial quality.

Objective: The changes of absolute value and relative value of clinical research coordinator service fee and its influence on the quality of drug clinical trial were analyzed.

Methods: This study compared the amount and structural changes of drug clinical trial costs in before 3 years and after 3 years of self-examination and inspection initiated by the China Food and Drug Administration, identified the increase number and composition of each individual cost of a clinical trial research funds which including clinical research coordinator service fee, investigator labor fee, subjects examination fee, subjects traffic subsidy, documents management fee, drug management fee, etc. RESULT: The most significant appearance of increase in volume and proportion was the clinical research coordinator service fee.

The impact of COVID-19 on the clinical trial.

The objective of this study was to explore the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic on ongoing and upcoming drug clinical trials. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinical trial staff and clinical trial subjects were surveyed by questionnaire in this study. The results of interviews and questionnaire showed that coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has led to many changes in the implementation of drug clinical trials, including: a variety of meetings being held online webinars using various platforms, telemedicine and follow-up by video, A large number of deviations from protocol and losses of follow-up, delivery of clinical trial drugs by express, additional workload caused by screening for coronavirus, and anxiety of subjects.

Pharmacokinetics, Bioequivalence, and Safety Studies of Pantoprazole Sodium Enteric-Coated Tablets in Healthy Subjects.

This study aimed to evaluate the bioequivalence of 2 pantoprazole sodium enteric-coated tablet formulations, a generic formulation and a branded formulation, and to investigate their pharmacokinetic and safety profiles. The study was designed as a single-center, randomized, open-label, single-dose, dual-period, and 2-sequence crossover trial, and was divided into fasting and postprandial human bioequivalence trials. In the first trial, 36 subjects were fasted overnight before they were given generic or branded tablets (during 2 separate administration periods).

In Vitro Dissolution and In Vivo Bioequivalence Evaluation of Two Metformin Extended-Release Tablets.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the bioequivalence between generic and branded metformin extended-release (ER) tablets in Chinese subjects. We tested bioequivalence in vitro and in vivo using a comparative dissolution study and a comparative pharmacokinetic trial. Safety assessments were conducted throughout the entire trial period.

Pharmacokinetics, Bioequivalence, and Safety Studies of Prucalopride in Healthy Chinese Subjects.

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the bioequivalence of 2 tablet formulations of prucalopride, generic and branded, and to investigate relevant pharmacokinetic and safety profiles. This study was designed as a randomized, open-label, fasting, single-dose, crossover, and dual-period trial. After overnight fasting, 12 subjects were given prucalopride tablets via oral administration, and blood specimens were obtained up to 96 hours after dosing.

Correlations and stratification analysis between premature ejaculation and psychological disorders.

We studied the associations and correlations between premature ejaculation (PE) and psychological disorders, such as anxiety and depression, in new perspectives with an aim of improving PE patients' treatment outcomes. Between December 2017 and December 2018, we selected 1,010 men aged over 18 years old. Self-estimated IELT, the premature ejaculation diagnostic tool, the International Index of Erectile Function-5, the General Anxiety Disorder-7 and the Patients Health Questionnaire-9 were used to measure latency time, premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, anxiety and depression respectively.

China's fight to halt tree cover loss.

China is investing immense resources for planting trees, totalling more than US$ 100 billion in the past decade alone. Every year, China reports more afforestation than the rest of the world combined. Here, we show that China's forest cover gains are highly definition-dependent.

Getting Road Expansion on the Right Track: A Framework for Smart Infrastructure Planning in the Mekong.

The current unprecedented expansion of infrastructure promises to enhance human wellbeing but risks causing substantial harm to natural ecosystems and the benefits they provide for people. A framework for systematically and proactively identifying the likely benefits and costs of such developments is badly needed. Here, we develop and test at the subregional scale a recently proposed global scheme for comparing the potential gains from new roads for food production with their likely impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Hypoxia-induced regulation of placental REDD1 and mTOR was impaired in a rat model of estrogen-induced cholestasis.

Purpose: Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), regulated in development and DNA damage response-1 (REDD1), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) play distinct roles in response to hypoxia. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the HIF-1α-REDD1-mTOR-mediated hypoxic stress response also operates normally in estrogen-induced cholestasis.

Methods: Pregnant rats were administered with ethinylestradiol (EE) to induce cholestasis and then were subjected to feto-placental ischemia reperfusion (IR); as controls, one group received neither EE nor IR, and another two groups received only EE or IR.

Pushing the Limits: The Pattern and Dynamics of Rubber Monoculture Expansion in Xishuangbanna, SW China.

The rapidly growing car industry in China has led to an equally rapid expansion of monoculture rubber in many regions of South East Asia. Xishuangbanna, the second largest rubber planting area in China, located in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, supplies about 37% of the domestic natural rubber production. There, high income possibilities from rubber drive a dramatic expansion of monoculture plantations which poses a threat to natural forests.