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What Is Known? In elderly inpatients, potential inappropriate medication (PIM) is a prominent prescription challenge. However, there is limited information available regarding PIM in patients with central nervous system (CNS) diseases in China. Objective. To evaluate and improve the rational use of drugs for the treatment of CNS diseases in elderly inpatients. Method. A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among elderly inpatients (≥65 years) admitted to the Ninth People's Hospital of Zhengzhou in China from March 2020 to March 2021. PIM was identified based on the 2019 Beers criteria at admission and discharge. The patients recruited in March 2020 were considered a baseline group, which was used as a comparison to evaluate PIM of CNS disease-related drugs in June 2020, September 2020, December 2020, and March 2021. Results. A total of 1500 patients were included in the evaluation. There was a statistically significant difference in the number of average hospitalization days, drug varieties used, and PIM detection (p < 0.05), as determined by X2 test. A total of 332 cases of PIM were identified, and 226 cases were detected for the interaction with CNS disease dementia. Multifactor logistic regression analysis showed that male, length of stay ≥15 days, and >10 medication types were risk factors for the occurrence of PIM (p < 0.05). After clinical supervision and training based on the High-Risk Drug Replacement Program for the Elderly, the rate of irrational medication under medical advice decreased from 34.67% in March 2020 to 14.0% (p < 0.001) in March 2021. What Is New and Conclusion. There was certain rationality based on the High-Risk Drug Replacement Program for the Elderly, and the rates of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, 5-hydroxylamine/norepinephrine re-intake inhibitor, rotenone, quetiapine, and proton pump inhibitor use were improved. These results provide a reference for the continuous improvement of the PIM catalog for elderly patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron carbide (B4C) has excellent high-temperature oxidation resistance, high hardness, low density, high melting point and excellent abrasive resistance, which is widely used in fields such as refractories, wear-resistant materials and lightweight protective materials. The research progress and the application of B4C materials in China and at abroad in recent years were summarized. The influences of sintering processes (pressureless sintering, hot pressing sintering, hot isostatic pressing sintering, spark plasma sintering and microwave sintering) and sintering additives (simple substances, oxides and carbides) on the B4C densification were analyzed. The development of B4C materials was prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compound Kushen injection (CKI), a medicine in widespread clinical use in China, has proven therapeutic effects on cancer. However, few molecular mechanism analyses have been carried out. To address this problem, bioinformatics approaches combining weighted gene co-expression network analysis with network pharmacology methods were undertaken to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of CKI in the treatment of esophageal cancer (ESCA). First, the key gene modules related to the clinical traits of ESCA were analysed by WCGNA. Based on the results, the hub genes related to CKI treatment for ESCA were explored through network pharmacology. Molecular docking simulation was performed to recognize the binding activity of hub genes with CKI compounds. The results showed that the potential hub targets, including EGFR, ErbB2, CCND1 and IGF1R, are therapeutic targets of CKI for the treatment of ESCA. Moreover, these targets were significantly enriched in many pathways related to cancer and signalling pathways, such as the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway and ErbB signalling pathway. In conclusion, this research partially highlighted the molecular mechanism of CKI in the treatment of ESCA, offering great potential in the identification of the effective compounds in CKI and biomarkers for ESCA treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural–urban differences in the prevalence of chronic diseases in the adult population of northeast China are examined. The Jilin Provincial Chronic Disease Survey used personal interviews and physical measures to research the presence of a range of chronic diseases among a large sample of rural and urban provincial residents aged 18 to 79 years (N = 21 435). Logistic regression analyses were used. After adjusting for age and gender, rural residents had higher prevalence of hypertension, chronic ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic low back pain, arthritis, chronic gastroenteritis/peptic ulcer, chronic cholecystitis/gallstones, and chronic lower respiratory disease. Low education, low income, and smoking increased the risk of chronic diseases in rural areas. Reducing rural–urban differences in chronic disease presents a formidable public health challenge for China. The solution requires focusing attention on issues endemic to rural areas such as poverty, lack of chronic disease knowledge, and the inequality in access to primary care. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In Chinese Pharmacopeia, Picrasma quassioides (PQ) stems and leaves are recorded as Kumu with antimicrobial, anti-cancer, anti-parasitic effects, etc. However, thick stems are predominantly utilized as medicine in many Asian countries, with leaves rarely used. By now, the phytochemistry and bioactivity of PQ leaves are not well investigated. An Orbitrap Elite mass spectrometer was employed to comprehensively investigate PQ stems and leaves sourced from 7 different locations. Additionally, their bioactivities were evaluated against 5 fungi, 6 Gram-positive bacteria and 9 Gram-negative bacteria, a tumor cell line (A549), a non-tumor cell line (WI-26 VA4) and N 2 wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans. Bioassay results demonstrated the efficacy of both leaves and stems against tumor cells, several bacteria and fungi, while only leaves exhibited anthelmintic activity against C. elegans. A total of 181 compounds were identified from PQ stems and leaves, including 43 β-carbolines, 20 bis β-carbolines, 8 canthinone alkaloids, 56 quassinoids, 12 triterpenoids, 13 terpenoid derivatives, 11 flavonoids, 7 coumarins, and 11 phenolic derivatives, from which 10 compounds were identified as indicator components for quality evaluation. Most alkaloids and triterpenoids were concentrated in PQ stems, while leaves exhibited higher levels of quassinoids and other carbohydrate (CHO) components. PQ leaves exhibit distinct chemical profiles and bioactivity with the stems, suggesting their suitability for medicinal purposes. So far, the antibacterial, antifungal, and anthelmintic activities of PQ leaves were first reported here, and considering PQ sustainability, the abundant leaves are recommended for increased utilization, particularly for their rich content of PQ quassinoids. [Display omitted] • Both Picrasma quassioides leaves and stems showed activities against tumor cells, several bacteria and fungi. • Only leaves exhibited anthelmintic activity against Caenorhabditis elegans. • A total of 181 compounds were identified with the fragmentation patterns from PQ stems and leaves. • Alkaloids and quassinoids emerged as the main components in PQ stems and leaves, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]