ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Astragali Radix-mediated changes in gut microbiota on treating type 2 diabetes （T2DM）. MethodsA 12-week randomized， placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled eighty patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and poor glycemic control in the Qi deficiency type. All patients received insulin therapy. The observation group （40 cases） was administered with Astragali Radix Granules， while the control group （40 cases） received a placebo. Both treamtents were taken orally twice daily. Changes in gut microbiota were assessed by 16s rDNA sequencing. Serum glucagon-like peptide-1 （GLP-1） levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Glucose metabolism indicators including fasting blood glucose （FPG）， 2-hour postprandial blood glucose （2 h PG），glycated albumin（GA）， and glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c） were evaluated. Pancreatic function was evaluated using fasting C-peptide （FCP）， 2-hour postprandial C-peptide （2 h CP）， and C-peptide area under the curve （AUC_cp）. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， clinical efficacy， and safety indicators were also observed. ResultsIn terms of glucose metabolism indicators， compared with the baseline， both groups exhibited significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C （P<0.01），while FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp were significantly higher （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after the treatment， the observation group showed significantly lower FPG， 2 h PG， GA and HbA1C（P<0.05， P<0.01），and significantly higher FCP， 2 h CP and AUC_cp （P<0.05， P<0.01）， indicating that Astragali Radix can improve glucose metabolism. In terms of the diversity of gut microbiota， no significant differences were detected in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes of the two groups compared with their respective baselines. However， compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group demonstrated significant increases in the Chao1， Shannon and Simpson indexes （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The β-diversity analysis showed significant separation in gut microbiota composition before and after treatment in both groups， indicating that Astragali Radix can significantly alter the structure and improve the diversity of gut microbiota. At the phylum level， compared with the baseline， both groups showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. The relative abundance of the potentially harmful phylum Proteobacteria was significantly lower in the observation Group after treatment （P<0.01）. Compared with the post-treatment control group， the observation group had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroidota（P<0.01）. No significant difference was found in Firmicutes/Bacteroidota （F/B） ratio between the two groups after treatment， and other phyla showed no significant differences. At the genus level， compared with the baseline， the observation group exhibited a significant increase in Bacteroides （P<0.01） and a significant decrease in Escherichia-Shigella （P<0.01）， whereas no significant difference was seen in the control group . Compared with the control group after treatment， the observation group after treatment had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroides （P<0.01）. No significant differences were seen in other genera. Linear discriminant analysis （LDA） identified potential characteristics taxa： in the observation group， Bacteroidota at the phylum level and Bacteroides and Dubosiella at the genus level， in the control group， Proteobacteria at the phylum level as well as Barnesiella and Staphylococcus at the genus level. Correlation analysis based on a heatmap revealed that GLP-1 levels were positively correlated with Firmicutes， F/B ratio and Fusobacterium， and negatively correlated with Bacteroidota， Proteobacteria， Bacteroides and Escherichia-Shigella. In terms of clinical efficacy， compared with the control group， the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher （P<0.05）. Compared with the baseline， the scores for shortness of breath， fatigue， weakness， spontaneous sweating and reluctance to speak significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the score for weakness was significantly lower in the observation group （P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix could improve clinical symptoms and alleviate weakness symptoms. In terms of safety， compared with the baseline， alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels significantly decreased in both groups （P<0.05，P<0.01），indicating that Astragali Radix did not induce any significant abnormalities in liver and kidney functions. ConclusionAstragali Radix demonstrates the potential to significantly improve the gut microbiota environment in patients of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes with Qi deficiency. The therapeutic effect may contribute to glycemic control， possibly mediated by an elevation in GLP-1 level. These findings may support its further clinical investigations and potential applications.

Rosacea is a chronic recurrent inflammatory skin disease, and correct assessment of clinical symptoms and severity may facilitate treatment options. This review summarizes a range of subjective, semi-subjective and objective methods currently used in the assessment of rosacea severity, in order to provide useful tools for clinical assessment of rosacea severity and give guidance on treatment modification according to the therapeutic effect.

Objective:To explore the effect of aspirin resistance(AR)on the recurrence of cerebral infarction and to analyze risk factors related to the development of AR in such patients.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data of 202 cerebral infarction patients admitted to Shangqiu First People's Hospital between January 2020 and January 2022.All patients were given continuous treatment in accordance with their conditions for more than one week.The AR status of the patients was examined by the turbidimetric platelet aggregation test.Based on AR status, 202 patients were divided into an AR group(63)and an aspirin-sensitive(AS)group(139).General data of the two groups were compared concerning sex, age, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, smoking, drinking, atrial fibrillation, AR, triglycerides, total cholesterol(TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein, homocysteine, compliance with antiplatelet drug therapy, and oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL), among others.Parameters showing statistical significance in the comparison were further examined in multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify independent risk factors for the occurrence of AR in patients with cerebral infarction.The 2-year recurrence rates between the two groups were compared.Results:There were statistically significance differences in cerebral infarction recurrence, TC and ox-LDL between patients in the AR group and in the AS group( P<0.05).Subsequent multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that cerebral infarction recurrence( OR=15.410, 95% CI: 5.504-43.146, P<0.001)and TC( OR=0.454, 95% CI: 0.313-0.660, P<0.001)were independent risk factors affecting AR in patients with cerebral infarction.The 2-year recurrence rate in the AR group(11.11% or 7/63)was significantly higher than in the AS group(3.60% or 5/139)( P<0.05). Conclusions:Cerebral infarction recurrence and TC are independent risk factors for AR in patients with cerebral infarction, and AR will further increase the risk of cerebral infarction recurrence.Therefore, monitoring the presence of AR in patients has practical value in preventing cerebral infarction recurrence.

Objective:To analyze the factors that influence the height development of children and adolescents aged 3 to 16 years in Chengguan District of Lhasa of Xizang Autonomous Region, China.Methods:During the period from August 2021 to June 2022, a convenient sampling method was used to select 100 children and adolescents aged 3-16 years residing in Chengguan District of Lhasa of Xizang Autonomous Region, China. The subjects' physical measurement indicators, Tanner stage, height development questionnaire, wrist bone age, sex hormones, and nutritional biochemical indicators were carefully collected. The factors that influence height development were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to visualize the effects of these influential factors.Results:The study involved a total of 100 children and adolescents, with 51 (51.0%) participants in the tall stature group and 49 (49.0%) participants in the low stature group. Significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of height difference relative to the national average, body weight, waist circumference, luteinizing hormone level, the percentage of individuals with an abnormal luteinizing hormone level, follicle stimulating hormone level, and bone age [ χ2 ( t) = 13.6, 2.65, 2.47, -2.58, 10.9, -2.95, 11.8, all P < 0.05]. A univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that body mass, waist circumference, the percentage of individuals with an abnormal luteinizing hormone level, follicle stimulating hormone level, and bone age are factors that possibly affect height development ( OR = 1.05, 1.05, 4.56, 1.18, 2.99, all P < 0.05). Furthermore, a multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed waist circumference, the percentage of individuals with an abnormal luteinizing hormone level, and bone age as independent factors influencing height development ( OR = 1.10, 7.01, 3.14, all P < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the values of the area under the curve were 0.65, 0.65, 0.67, and 0.75 respectively for waist circumference, the percentage of individuals with an abnormal luteinizing hormone level, bone age, and their combination (all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Waist circumference, the percentage of individuals with an abnormal luteinizing hormone level, and bone age appear to be critical factors influencing the height development of children and adolescents In Chengguan District of Lhasa of Xizang Autonomous Region, China.

Objective:To study the dosimetry effects of differently selected values of control point(CP)in Monaco radiotherapy planning system on dynamic intensity modulated radiation therapy(dIMRT)for esophageal cancer of middle and lower segment.Methods:Thirteen patients with esophageal cancer at middle and lower segment who received dIMRT in Shangluo Central Hospital from January to June 2023 were selected.In the Monaco radiotherapy planning system,nine groups of dIMRT plans were designed for each patient according to the 9 kinds of CP limit values(10,20,30,40,50,60,70,80 and 90).There were not changes in other optimized parameters except CP parameter.The differences of the dosimetry between target region and organs at risk(OAR)included lung,heart and spinal cord were analyzed.Results:With the increase of the CP limit value,the maximum dose of the target region which was radiation dose(D2%)of 2%volume of target region,the mean dose,which was radiation dose(D50%)of 50%volume of target region,and the homogeneity index(HI)appeared a trend of gradual stability after reduction,and the radiation dose(D98%)of 98%volume of target region which was the minimum dose of target region and the conformance index(CI)appeared a trend of gradual stability after increase.There was not significant in each dose indicator of OAR(P>0.05).The variation ranges of lung at 5,10,20,30 Gy dose(V5,V10,V20 and V30)were respectively 1.13%,0.75%,0.29%and 0.19%,and the maximum deviation of mean dose(Vmean)of lung was 18.7 cGy.The variation ranges of V10,V20,V30 and V40 in the heart were respectively 2.2%,1.23%,1.39%and 1.12%,and the maximum deviation of Vmean in the heart was 63.85 cGy,and the maximum deviation of Dmax in the spinal-cord was 70.78 cGy.There were statistically significant differences in the actual CP number(CPs),execution time(DT)of plan,and ratio value of machine unit(MU)of the complexity of plan to CPs(MU/CPs)among the plans of 9 groups(F=2.857,25.145,135.467,P<0.05),respectively.Conclusion:In the dIMRT plan of esophageal cancer of middle and lower segment,the maximum CP value is set at between 40-50,which can reduce the optimization time of the plan,the number of subfields and the treatment time of patients under the premise of meeting the dose of the target region and the OAR.

【Objective】 To evaluate the therapeutic value of radiotherapy for ovarian metastasis from small cell lung cancer. 【Methods】 Two patients with ovarian metastasis from small cell lung cancer were recruited, and the value of radiotherapy in the system treatment strategies was analyzed combined with literature reports. 【Results】 The two patients both benefited from local radiotherapy plus system treatment. One was still in complete remission, and compared to that reported in the literature, the local PFS improved to 21 months. 【Conclusion】 Although the prognosis of small cell lung cancer with ovarian metastasis is still poor, radiotherapy might be one of the systematic treatment strategies for improving the survival time of these patients.

Humans ; Skin ; Rosacea ; Patients

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory disease. In addition to subjective evaluation, some objective quantifiable indices are needed for the diagnosis and treatment of rosacea. Some skin imaging and noninvasive measurement tools have been applied to clinical practice, and can provide quantitative or semi-quantitative indices to assist the diagnosis and treatment of rosacea. This review summarizes relevant research progress to provide evidence for clinical standardized application.

Rosacea is a chronic recurrent inflammatory skin disease that mainly occurs on the face. A large number of studies have confirmed that rosacea is related to a variety of systemic diseases, including neuropsychiatric diseases such as anxiety, depression, migraine, Alzheimer′s disease and Parkinson′s disease. This review summarizes research progress in the correlation between rosacea and neuropsychiatric diseases, as well as the underlying mechanisms.

BackgroundFunctional near-infrared spectroscopy （fNIRS） is a new generation of imaging tool that can be used to assist the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. However， whether the patterns of prefrontal cortex activation observed by fNIRS are specific for different psychiatric disorders remains to be explored. ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of prefrontal cortex activation in patients with depression， anxiety disorder， bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in verbal fluency task （VFT） using fNIRS. MethodsFrom September to December 2021， 39 patients with schizophrenia， 205 patients with depressive disorder， 212 patients with anxiety disorder and 77 patients with bipolar disorder meeting the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5） were recruited in the outpatient and inpatient department of West China Hospital， Sichuan University. fNIRS was used to monitor the prefrontal cortex hemodynamic changes of patients under VFT， and the clinical symptoms of patients were assessed by Symptom Checklist 90 （SCL-90） and Hypomania Checklist-32 items（HCL-32）. Differences in mean oxyhemoglobin （HbO₂） concentration and the initial slope from 2 to 7 second during VFT were compared among patients with different diseases， and the correlation between mean HbO₂ concentration/initial slope and clinical symptoms was analyzed by partial correlation analysis. ResultsThe concentration of HbO₂ in channel 4 （Z=2.828， P=0.028） and channel 6 （Z=2.912， P=0.022） in patients with depression were significantly higher than those in patients with schizophrenia. Patients with anxiety had significantly higher changes in mean HbO₂ concentration in channel 4 （Z=3.154， P=0.010）， channel 5 （Z=3.021， P=0.015）， channel 6 （Z=2.980， P=0.017） and of all channels （Z=2.881， P=0.024） than those of schizophrenia patients. There was a statistically significant difference in the initial slope of channel 3 between patients with depressive disorder and those with bipolar disorder （Z=2.691， P=0.039）. Among patients with bipolar disorder， the anger-hostility scores of SCL-90 were negatively correlated with the mean HbO₂ concentration changes in channel 4 （r=-0.505， P=0.004）， channel 6 （r=-0.390， P=0.004）， channel 15 （r=-0.546， P=0.002）， channel 16 （r=-0.550， P=0.002） and the mean HbO₂ concentration changes of all channels （r=-0.491， P=0.006）. ConclusionPatients with schizophrenia had lower activation in frontopolar and orbitofrontal region than patients with depression and anxiety disorder， and the initial slope of the right frontopolar， inferior frontal and orbitofrontal region in patients with depression is higher than patients with bipolar disorder. In addition， patients with bipolar disorder had less activation in the frontopolar and orbitofrontal lobe， the insular cover of Broca's area and the upper outer frontal cortex， and were more irritable and hostile. ［Funded by 1·3·5 Project for Disciplines of Excellence-Clinical Research Incubation Project， West China Hospital， Sichuan University （number， ZYJC21083）］