-
Health Care Science Dec 2023The China Basic Medical Insurance Program was created in 1999 with three objectives: equal accessibility, affordability, and quality. Today, it has become the biggest... (Review)
Review
The China Basic Medical Insurance Program was created in 1999 with three objectives: equal accessibility, affordability, and quality. Today, it has become the biggest medical insurance program in the world, covering 95% of China's population. Since 2015, China's healthcare ecosystem has been reshaped by increasing innovation, which has in turn been driven by regulatory reform, enhancement of research and development capability, and capital market development. There has also been improved regulatory efficiency to reduce lags in launching drugs. In 2022, nearly 20% of novel active substances launched globally were from China. China has also risen to become the second biggest contributor to innovation in terms of pipelines. Using a "fast-follow" strategy, many locally developed innovative drugs can compete with products from multinational companies in their quality and pricing. However, China's pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry will continue to face challenges in pricing and reimbursement, as well as a shortened product lifecycle with rapid price erosion. The government has already accelerated the timeline for updating the drug reimbursement list and is willing to create a high-quality medical insurance program. However, some obstacles are hard to overcome, including reimbursement for advanced therapies, limited funding and an increasing burden of disease due to an aging population. This article reviews the trajectory of medical innovation in China, including the challenges. Looking forward, balancing affordability and innovation will be critical for China to continue the trajectory of growth. The article also offers some suggestions for future policy reform, including optimizing reimbursement efficiency with a focus on high-quality solutions, enhancing the value assessment framework, payer repositioning from "value buyer" to "strategic buyer", and developing alternative market access pathways for innovative drugs.
PubMed: 38938625
DOI: 10.1002/hcs2.76 -
Journal of Experimental Botany Jun 2024Due to technological advances in mass spectrometry, significant progress has been achieved recently in plant hormone research. Nowadays, plant hormonomics is well...
Due to technological advances in mass spectrometry, significant progress has been achieved recently in plant hormone research. Nowadays, plant hormonomics is well established as a fully integrated scientific field focused on the analysis of phytohormones, mainly on their isolation, identification and spatiotemporal quantification in plants. This review represents a comprehensive meta-study of the advances in the phytohormone analysis by mass spectrometry over the past decade. To address current trends and future perspectives, Web of Science data were systematically collected and key features such as mass spectrometry-based analyses were evaluated using multivariate data analysis methods. Our findings showed that plant hormonomics is currently divided into targeted and untargeted approaches. Both aim to miniaturize the sample, allowing high-resolution quantification to be covered in plant organs as well as subcellular compartments. Therefore, we can study plant hormone biosynthesis, metabolism and signalling at a spatio-temporal resolution. Moreover, this trend has recently been accelerated by technological advances such as fluorescence-activated cell sorting or mass spectrometry imaging.
PubMed: 38938164
DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae267 -
Genes and Environment : the Official... Jun 2024Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a group of RNA transcripts that contribute to tumor development by post-transcriptionally regulating cancer-related genes. Nasopharyngeal...
BACKGROUND
Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a group of RNA transcripts that contribute to tumor development by post-transcriptionally regulating cancer-related genes. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an epithelial tumor that occurs in the nasopharynx and is common in North Africa and Southeast Asia. The study investigated the functions of lncRNA TMPO-AS1 in NPC cell proliferation and apoptosis as well as its related competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism.
METHODS
Candidate microRNA and genes that may regulated by TMPO-AS1 were predicted with the bioinformatic tool starBase. TMPO-AS1 expression in NPC tissue, cells, nuclear part, and cytoplasmic part was measured by RT-qPCR. MTT assay, EdU assay, and flow cytometry analysis were carried out to evaluate NPC cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis, respectively. RNA immunoprecipitation assay and luciferase reporter assay were conducted to detect the binding between TMPO-AS1 and let-7c-5p or that between let-7c-5p and BCAT1.
RESULTS
TMPO-AS1 and BCAT1 showed high expression in NPC tissue and cells, while let-7c-5p was downregulated in NPC. The silencing of TMPO-AS1 suppressed NPC cell proliferation while promoting cell apoptosis. Moreover, TMPO-AS1 interacted with let-7c-5p and negatively regulated let-7c-5p expression. BCAT1 was a target of let-7c-5p and was inversely regulated by let-7c-5p in NPC cells. The repressive impact of TMPO-AS1 knockdown on NPC cell growth was countervailed by overexpressed BCAT1.
CONCLUSION
TMPO-AS1 accelerates NPC cell proliferation and represses cell apoptosis by interacting with let-7c-5p to regulate BCAT1 expression.
PubMed: 38937856
DOI: 10.1186/s41021-024-00308-6 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jun 2024As a terrestrial ecosystem, alpine grasslands feature diverse vegetation types and play key roles in regulating water resources and carbon storage, thus shaping global... (Review)
Review
As a terrestrial ecosystem, alpine grasslands feature diverse vegetation types and play key roles in regulating water resources and carbon storage, thus shaping global climate. The dynamics of soil nutrients in this ecosystem, responding to regional climate change, directly impact primary productivity. This review comprehensively explored the effects of climate change on soil nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and their balance in the alpine meadows, highlighting the significant roles these nutrients played in plant growth and species diversity. We also shed light on machine learning utilization in soil nutrient evaluation. As global warming continues, alongside shifting precipitation patterns, soil characteristics of grasslands, such as moisture and pH values vary significantly, further altering the availability and composition of soil nutrients. The rising air temperature in alpine regions substantially enhances the activity of soil organisms, accelerating nutrient mineralization and the decomposition of organic materials. Combined with varied nutrient input, such as increased N deposition, plant growth and species composition are changing. With the robust capacity to use and integrate diverse data sources, including satellite imagery, sensor-collected spectral data, camera-captured videos, and common knowledge-based text and audio, machine learning offers rapid and accurate assessments of the changes in soil nutrients and associated determinants, such as soil moisture. When combined with powerful large language models like ChatGPT, these tools provide invaluable insights and strategies for effective grassland management, aiming to foster a sustainable ecosystem that balances high productivity and advanced services with reduced environmental impacts.
PubMed: 38936732
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174295 -
Poultry Science May 2024Exosome-mediated horizontal and vertical transmission of subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) in poultry flocks can lead to growth inhibition and severe...
Exosome-mediated horizontal and vertical transmission of subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) in poultry flocks can lead to growth inhibition and severe immunosuppression. However, there are few reports on the early infection of chicken embryonic stem cells (cESCs) with ALV-J. In this study, we confirmed that early infection with ALV-J can accelerate the differentiation of cESCs and promote the secretion of exosomes. To investigate the modulation strategy of ALV-J in cESCs, circRNA sequencing was performed for further analysis. A total of 305 differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs) were obtained, including 71 upregulated DECs. Circ-CCDC7 was found to be the most upregulated DEC and was assessed by qRT-PCR, with the result consistent with the result of circRNA-seq. Based on qRT-PCR, gga-miR-6568-3p was found to be the target of the top 3 DECs, including circ-CCDC7, and the stem cell marker gene Pax7 was identified as the target gene of gga-miR-6568-3p. This study demonstrated that exosomal circ-CCDC7/gga-miR-6568-3p/Pax7 accelerates the differentiation of cESCs after early infection with ALV-J.
PubMed: 38936216
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103898 -
ACS Nano Jun 2024Vacuum deposition of perovskites is a promising method for scale-up fabrication and uniform film growth. However, improvements in the photovoltaic performance of...
Vacuum deposition of perovskites is a promising method for scale-up fabrication and uniform film growth. However, improvements in the photovoltaic performance of perovskites are limited by the fabrication of perovskite films, which are not optimized for high device efficiency in the vacuum evaporation process. Herein, we fabricate CsPbIBr perovskite with high crystallinity and larger grain size by controlling the deposition sequence between PbI and CsBr. The nucleation barrier for perovskite formation is significantly lowered by first evaporating CsBr and then PbI (CsBr-PbI), followed by the sequential evaporation of multiple layers. The results show that the reduced Gibbs free energy of CsBr-PbI, compared with that of PbI-CsBr, accelerates perovskite formation, resulting in larger grain size and reduced defect density. Furthermore, surface-modified homojunction perovskites are fabricated to efficiently extract charge carriers and enhance the efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PeSCs) by modulating the final PbI thickness before thermal annealing. Using these strategies, the best PeSC exhibits a power conversion efficiency of 13.41% for a small area (0.135 cm), the highest value among sequential thermal deposition inorganic PeSCs, and 11.10% for a large area PeSC (1 cm). This study presents an effective way to understand the crystal growth of thermally deposited perovskites and improve their performance in optoelectronic devices.
PubMed: 38935840
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c03079 -
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in... Jun 2024Despite the remarkable progress made on intercluster conversion in atomically precise metal nanoclusters (MNCs) and their self-organization to develop microscopic...
Despite the remarkable progress made on intercluster conversion in atomically precise metal nanoclusters (MNCs) and their self-organization to develop microscopic molecular architecture with well-defined size and shape, achieving light-induced reversible structural transformation and the development of micro-ring self-assembly in MNCs have, so far, remained elusive. The present investigation touches on these two long-standing quests by showcasing a new route, light-induced Particle-Assisted Reversible Interconversion (PARI) for the reversible transformation from Face Centered Cubic (FCC) Ag14NCs to Ag7NCs. Our studies reveal that the lack of plasmonic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the system results in the formation of Ag7NCs with centrosymmetric metallic kernels having hexagonal crystal packing. The molecular self-organization of Ag7NCs through various non-covalent interactions such as C-H•••O, C-H•••H-C, and C-H•••ᴨ leads to the formation of micro-ring morphology, a unique molecular architecture in MNCs. The in-situ generated AgNPs due to the acceleration of the reaction kinetics by Cu2+ ions facilitate the growth of Ag14NCs with FCC metallic kernel. These two structural units of AgNCs show light-induced reversible structural transformation which is also associated with the reversible tuning of their spectroscopic and morphological signatures. This PARI-guided interconversion strategy put forward a most appropriate example of a structure-property relationship in MNCs.
PubMed: 38935517
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202409141 -
Diabetic Medicine : a Journal of the... Jun 2024The objective was to investigate the specific role and the regulatory mechanism of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during wound healing in diabetic foot ulcer...
AIM
The objective was to investigate the specific role and the regulatory mechanism of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during wound healing in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU).
METHODS
Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were used to establish a DFU animal model. VEGF and Axitinib (a specific inhibitor of VEGFR) were used for treatment in vivo. The wounds at different time points were imaged and histological analysis of the wounds were performed by haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Masson's trichrome staining. Immunohistochemical staining was conducted to examine CD31 and eNOS expression in the wounds. Immunofluorescence assay and quantitative real-time PCR were performed to examine macrophage markers. In addition, THP-1 was differentiated to macrophages, and then treated with interleukin (IL)-4 to induce M2 macrophages, followed by VEGF treatment. The conditional medium (CM) from VEGF-mediated macrophages were collected to culture human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). Cell viability and migration were measured by Cell Counting Kit (CCK)-8, wound-healing and Transwell assays, respectively.
RESULTS
VEGF treatment remarkably accelerated wound healing of DFU rats. VEGF promoted collagen deposition and elevated CD31 and eNOS expression, confirming the pro-angiogenesis of VEGF around diabetic wound in rats. Meanwhile, VEGF restricted pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased F4/80 and CD206 expression, highlighting the activated macrophages and enhanced M2 macrophages following VEGF treatment in diabetic wounds of DFU rats. However, Axitinib exerted an opposite function to VEGF in DFU rats. Moreover, VEGF directly promoted macrophage polarization toward M2 phenotype in vitro, and the CM from VEGF-mediated M2 macrophages markedly promoted HDFs proliferation, migration and collagen deposition.
CONCLUSION
VEGF might accelerate the wound healing of DFU through promoting M2 macrophage polarization and fibroblast migration.
PubMed: 38934613
DOI: 10.1111/dme.15388 -
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Jun 2024Icing has been seen as an economic and safety hazard due to its threats to aviation, power generation, offshore platforms, etc., where passive icephobic surfaces with a...
Icing has been seen as an economic and safety hazard due to its threats to aviation, power generation, offshore platforms, etc., where passive icephobic surfaces with a surface texturing design have the potential to address this problem. However, the intrinsic icephobic principles associated with the surface textures, energy, elasticity, and hybrid effects are still unclear. To explore the anisotropic wettability, ice nucleation, and ice detaching behaviors, a series of textured poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based coatings with various texture orientations were proposed through a simple stamping method with surface functionalization. The anisotropic hydrophobic/icephobic phenomena and mechanisms were discovered from wettability evaluation, experimentally studied by icing/deicing experiments, and finally verified by microscopic numerical simulations. One-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA analysis) was used to analyze the effect of surface textures on hydrophobic/icephobic properties, which assisted in understanding anisotropic phenomena. Typical anisotropic ice nucleation and growth on the textured coatings were clarified using in situ environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) characterization. The ice/coating interfacial stress responses were studied by numerical stimulation at the microscopic level, further verifying the localized, amplified, and propagated stress at the ice/coating interface. The theoretical anisotropic responses, barrier effect, and accelerating effect were verified to interpret the anisotropic wettability and icephobicity, depending on the specific surface conditions. This study revealed the basics of the anisotropic icephobic mechanisms of textured icephobic surfaces, further facilitating the R&D of passive icephobic surfaces.
PubMed: 38934333
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c08004 -
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in... Jun 2024The vast number of element combinations and the explosive growth of composition space pose significant challenges to the development of high-entropy alloys (HEAs). Here,...
The vast number of element combinations and the explosive growth of composition space pose significant challenges to the development of high-entropy alloys (HEAs). Here, we propose a procedural research method aimed at accelerating the discovery of efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) based on Pt-based quinary HEAs. The method begins with an element library provided by a large language model (LLM), combined with microscale precursor printing and pulse high-temperature synthesis techniques to prepare multi-element combination HEA array in one step. Through high-throughput measurement using scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM), precise identification of highly active HEA element combinations and exploration of composition space for a specific combination are achieved. Advantageous element combinations are further validated in practical electrocatalytic evaluations. The contributions of individual element sites and the synergistic effects among elements of such HEAs in enhancing reaction activity are elucidated via density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This method integrates high-throughput experiments, practical catalyst validation, and DFT calculations, providing a new pathway for accelerating the discovery of efficient multi-element materials in the field of energy catalysis.
PubMed: 38934207
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202407116