This study aims to investigate the effect of total flavones of Fructus Chorspondiatis (TFFC) on the mRNA and protein expression of collagen type I and III of rat cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) induced by angiotensin II (Ang II), and explore its anti-myocardial fibrosis molecular mechanism. Neonatal rat CFs were prepared from Sprague-Dawley rats (1-3 d after birth). The expression of collagen type I and III mRNA and protein were measured by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The study showed that stimulation of neonatal rat CFs with 100 nmol.L-1 of Ang II for 72 h resulted in a significant increase of the expression of collagen type I and III mRNA and protein. The changes on the expression level were blocked by TFFC. The results demonstrated that TFFC can inhibit myocardial fibrosis induced by Ang II in rats, which is probably associated with the collagen type I and III mRNA and protein levels up-regulated by Ang II, and TFFC was shown to decrease the expression levels of collagen type I and III mRNA and protein.

Objective To explore the biological basis of TCM syndromes from a biomolecules network perspective with qi deficiency syndrome as the breakthrough point. Methods A data dictionary of neuro-endocrine-immune (NEI) related genes and qi deficiency syndrome characterization terminology thesaurus were established. Literature about qi deficiency syndrome characterization was retrieved by using Genclip, to excavate the characteristic NEI gene, thereby to explore different bioactive substances of syndromes. Results The analysis of the genetic data, showed qi deficiency related cluster with the relevance of endocrine, signal transduction, hematopoietic cell and immune deficiencies etc. It is confirmed that the intrinsic biological features of TCM syndrome can effectively identify in the NEI level. Conclusion Literature mining method as a new way to discover syndromes biological indicators has certain feasibility, and it is recommended to be further expanded into other studies on syndromes to validate the universality and reliability of this method.

Objective: To explore the underlying mechanism by which acupuncture regulates the peripheral leukocyte count and observe the relationship between the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and the spleen ultrastructure in leukopenia. Methods: Leukopenia models of rabbits were established by injecting cyclophosphamide (CY) into rabbits' ear vein,and then the rabbits were treated with acupuncture. The peripheral leukocyte count and classification were measured daily. At last, after the animals were anesthesized, the abdominal cavity was opened, and a piece of spleen tissue was cut. The diameter of splenic sinusoid basal lamina eyehole was measured under electric microscope. Results: The peripheral blood leukocyte count in the EA group increased significantly with shift to right of the granulocyte nuclei compared with model control group (P＜0.01). Moreover, the calibers of splenic sinusoid basal lamina eyehole in the EA group were larger than those in the model control group (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture can enhance the peripheral leukocyte count by promoting spleen activity in the early phase of leukopenia.

OBJECTIVEThe color difference meter and electronic nose fingerprint analyzer were introduced to discriminate processed betel nut's different huohou and quantize empirical index during the processing of Chinese medicine.

METHODBy collecting the color's and the smell's characteristic parameters of betel nut and its processed products to set up huohou's math discrimination modules and 90% reference value scale.

RESULTWe set up a huohou's math discrimination module and 90% reference value range base on L a*b*, which discrimination coincidence was 100% and 90% reference value range respectively was Shengpin: L* (50.07-55.03), a* (4.136-6.906), b* (6.65-8.82); Chaopin: L* (43.874-47.998), a* (3.816-6.732), b* (3.786-6.558); Jiaopin: L* (38.744-40.616), a* (1.11-3.01), b* (-1.434-0.538). At the same time, we set up a huohou's math discrimination module base on smell's characteristic parameters too.

CONCLUSIONThe betel nut and its processed products' color and smell measurement based on the color difference meter and electronic nose fingerprint analyzer may be feasible, and provides a reference to better study on traditional Chinese medicine theory.

Objective To explore the influencing factors for the smoking cessation attempts in male current smokers.Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in nine villages selected from three counties (Pingyin,Junan and Liangshan) of Shandong province in August,2010 through household questionnaire survey in villagers aged ≥ 15 years to collect the information about current smokers demographic characteristics and smoking-related behaviors.A hurdle count data model was used to assess factors associated with the times of past smoking cessation attempts.Results Among 1 798 male current smokers,29.53％ had at least one smoking cessation attempt.Smokers who were married (3=0.705,P=0.002),had high educational level (β=0.214,P=0.026) and had higher level of awareness of smoking risks (β=0.237,P=0.009) were more likely to have smoking cessation attempt.Young age at smoking initiation (3 =-0.167,P=0.035) and higher level of awareness of smoking risks (β =0.146,P=0.020) were associated with increased smoking cessation attempts.Conclusions Less male current smokers had smoking cessation attemps in rural area in Shandong.The factors influencing smoking cessation attempt varied.It is necessary to conduct targeted intervention according to the smokers' smoking cessation experience.

Objective:To investigate age-related morphological changes of the pancreas in healthy people using magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).Methods:From January 2017 to October 2019, people who took physical examinations at our hospital were enrolled and were divided into 7 groups according to age: 20-29 years old, 30-39 years old, 40-49 years old, 50-59 years old, 60-69 years old, 70-79 years old and ≥80 years.Also, the former four groups were classified as young and middle-aged(<60 years old)and the latter three as the elderly(≥60 years old). Morphological characteristics of the pancreas in each group were examined via MRI.Differences in parameters such as anteroposterior diameters of the head, body and tail and the pancreatic volume between the groups and the relationship between these parameters and age were analyzed.Results:A total of 191 cases who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled, including 96(50.3%)males and 95(49.7%)females, with 28 aged 20-29 years, 28 aged 30-39 years, 27 aged 40-49 years, 26 aged 50-59 years, 30 aged 60-69 years, 28 aged 70-79 years and 26 aged ≥80 years.There were 109 cases in the young and middle-aged category and 82 cases in the elderly category.MRI findings included pancreatic atrophy, which was most obvious in the tail; uneven and serrated edges of the pancreas and pancreatic lobulation; uneven signal intensity in the T 1-and T 2-weighted sequences; the "crispening effect" of pancreatic steatosis in the opposed-phase T 1-weighted sequences, and a trend of widening of the main pancreatic duct.The anteroposterior diameters of the pancreatic head, body and tail and the pancreatic volume reached the peak at(28.21±4.55)mm, (24.00±4.45)mm, (24.91±5.08)mm and(100.91±27.44)cm 3 between 30-39 years of age, and then gradually decreased to(18.87±3.82)mm, (15.63±3.96)mm, (13.70±3.70)mm and(43.88±10.47)cm 3 in those aged ≥80 years, with a decrease of 33.10%, 34.88%, 45.00% and 56.51%, respectively.The anteroposterior diameters of the pancreatic head, body, tail and the pancreatic volume in the elderly were(21.59±4.35)mm, (18.10±4.29)mm, (17.00±4.56)mm and(59.85±22.73)cm 3, which were smaller than those in the young and middle-aged category[(26.18±4.57)mm, (22.10±4.64)mm, (22.42±4.71)mm and(90.09±25.06)cm 3], and the differences were statistically significant( t=7.12, 6.19, 8.10 and 8.71, respectively, all P<0.001). The anteroposterior diameters of the head, body and tail and the pancreatic volume were negatively correlated with age( r=-0.52, -0.45, -0.56 and -0.57, respectively, P<0.001). Conclusions:The anteroposterior diameters of the head, body and tail and the pancreatic volume reach the peak between 30-39 years of age, and then gradually start to decline with the increase of age.After age 60, the decline become more evident, showing morphological signs of degeneration and dilatation of the main pancreatic duct.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of fine needle aspiration biopsy combined with BRAFV600E gene mutation detection in elderly patients with thyroid nodules.Methods A total of 168 elderly patients with thyroid nodules suspicious for malignancy on ultrasound from January 2017 to December 2017 at our hospital were enrolled in this study.Using color Doppler ultrasound,185 thyroid nodules were found.Fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC)and BRAFV600E gene mutation detection were performed before surgery and the findings were compared with postoperative pathological results.The diagnostic value of single and combined detection of FNAC and BRAFV600E gene mutation was evaluated.Results Among 185 thyroid nodules,there were 146 malignant lesions including 137 papillary carcinomas and 9 follicular carcinomas,and 39 benign lesions including 31 cases of nodular goiter,5 cases of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and 3 cases of adenoma.The sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of FNAC were 79.5％,59.0％,75.1％,75.2％,and 45.6％,respectively.The sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of BRAFV600E gene mutation detection were 78.1％,51.3 ％,72.4 ％,84.4 ％ and 51.2 ％,respectively.The sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the combined detection were 93.4％,77.5％,86.2％,90.8％ and 53.4％,respectively.The sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the combined detection were higher than those of either method used alone (all P＜0.05).Conclusions For some thyroid nodules that cannot be unequivocally diagnosed as benign or malignant by FNAC,the combined detection of FNAC and BRAFV600E gene mutation can significantly improve the sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of malignancy detection,differentiate between benign and malignant nodules,and help formulate operation plans and subsequent treatment.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a dedicated neonatal-infant brain 0.35 T MRI system.Methods:A dual-center controlled clinical trial was conducted with single-arm objective performance criteria. From June to July 2020, sixty-six infants aged 0-12 (6.3±3.4) months were recruited from Children′s Hospital of Soochow University and the First People′s Hospital of Lianyungang prospectively. All infants underwent brain MRI with a dedicated neonatal-infant 0.35 T brain MRI system, using the dedicated two-channel transceiver head coil. MRI protocol included spin echo T 1WI, fast spin echo T 2WI, fluid attenuated inversion recovery, diffusion weighted imaging and 3D gradient echo sequence. MRI sequences were set with three orientations (axial, sagittal and coronal). Each case received at least two scanning planes and two scanning sequences. Five-point Likert scoring system was used to evaluate the image quality of acquired images, and the target value was set as at least 3 points per image. The temperature, heart rate and breathe of the infants were recorded before and after MRI; the acoustic noise of the MRI system was measured during the scanning process; and the adverse reactions were recorded if presented. Results:Five infants successfully completed their examination during non-sedated sleep in a single attempt, and 61 infants after sedation with chloral hydrate. Based on MRI-based five-point Likert scoring system, 41 cases achieved a score of 5, 21 cases with a score of 4 and 4 cases with a score of 3. Cases with score of 3 was due to movement of the infants during the scan, which resulted in motion related artifacts. The vital signs of all infants showed stable before and after imaging, with heart rate of (126.8±12.9) beats per minute, breathe of (38.2±6.8) times per minute. It was found that 47 cases showed no sign of temperature raise after brain MRI, 15 cases had less than 0.3 ℃ raise and 4 cases had 0.3 ℃ to 0.5 ℃ raise. The noise recorded during the scanning process was (57.5±1.8) dB(A). One case had mild diarrhea on the day of MR scan, and the symptoms disappeared on the second day without treatment; no adverse reactions were found for the rest subjects.Conclusion:Dedicated neonatal-infant 0.35 T brain MRI system allows data acquisition with high safety and excellent image quality, which has potentials in the clinical applications.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics and reliability of a novel sub-classification of Wilkins type III lateral-flexion supracondylar fracture of the humerus in children.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was used to analyze the clinical data of 92 children with supracondylar fracture of the humerus admitted to Provincial Children′s Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2013 to August 2021, including 38 males and 54 females, aged 2-13 years [(8.5±2.4)years]. Lateral-flexion Wilkins type III supracondylar humeral fractures were classified into two subtypes according to the fracture features: type IIIA ( n=14), complete fracture with the distal fragment displaced anteriorly and laterally, with no obvious anterior or posterior inclination (<10°) or rotation; type IIIB ( n=78), complete fracture with the distal fragment displaced anteriorly and laterally, with significant anterior or posterior inclination (>10°) or rotation. The incidence and risk ratio of ulnar nerve injury and open reduction were compared between the two subtypes of the fracture. The weighted Kappa method was used to test the inter- and intra-observer agreement of the two new subtypes. Results:Of all, 15 children had ulnar nerve injury, among which 1(6.7%) was type IIIA and 14(93.3%) were type IIIB; while other 77 children had no ulnar nerve injury. The risk of ulnar nerve injury in children with type IIIB was 3-fold higher than that in children with type IIIA ( OR=2.84, 95% CI 0.34- 25.56, P>0.05). The open reduction was performed in 11(73.3%) out of the 15 children with ulnar nerve injury, but in 18(23.4%) out of the 77 children with no ulnar nerve injury. The risk of open reduction in children with ulnar nerve injury was 9-fold higher than that in children without ulnar nerve injury ( OR=9.01, 95% CI 2.28- 33.17, P<0.01). Open reduction was performed in 29 children, among which 2(6.9%) were type IIIA and 27(93.1%) were type IIIB. The risk of open reduction in children with type IIIB was 3-fold higher than that in children with type IIIA ( OR=3.17, 95% CI 0.66-15.24, P>0.05). The intra-observer Kappa value was 0.49±0.09(95% CI 0.31-0.66), indicating a moderate agreement. The inter-observer Kappa value was 0.80±0.06(95% CI 0.68-0.91), indicating a strong or very strong agreement. Conclusions:Wilkins type IIIB lateral-flexion supracondylar fracture of the humerus in children is more likely to be accompanied by ulnar nerve injury and to be opt to open reduction in comparion with type IIIA. The new subtyping has reliable inter-observer and intra-observer consistency, and is able to facilitate the prediction of surgical plans.

Objective:To construct an anticipatory grief intervention scheme for family caregivers of advanced cancer patients based on narrative theory, and to provide reference for anticipatory grief nursing intervention.Methods:From October 2022 to May 2023, through literature research, semi-structured interview and brainstorming method, the first draft of nursing intervention plan was constructed, the Delphi method was used to conduct 2 rounds of correspondence consultation with 15 experts, and the indicators at all levels were modified according to the opinions of experts, and the final draft of intervention plan was formed.Results:The experts were all female, aged (49.67 ± 5.83) years old. The authority coefficient of the two rounds of experts was 0.87. The Kendall coordination coefficients of the first, second, and third level indicators after the first round of expert inquiry were 0.195, 0.113, and 0.093, respectively. The Kendall coordination coefficients of the first, second, and third level indicators after the second round of expert inquiry were 0.200, 0.119, and 0.101, respectively. The differences were statistically significant ( χ2 values were 8.76-107.21, all P<0.05).Finally, a nursing intervention plan based on narrative theory was formed, which included 4 primary indicators, 19 secondary indicators and 72 tertiary indicators. Conclusions:The anticipatory grief intervention scheme for family caregivers of advanced cancer patients is scientific, practical and feasible, and can be used for psychological nursing of family caregivers.