Endometriosis （EMT） is a common disease with frequent occurrence and difficult to be cured in modern clinical practice of obstetrics and gynaecology. It is characterized by progressively worsening dysmenorrhoea， pelvic mass， and infertility. The incidence of EMT is growing and increasingly younger patients are diagnosed with this disease， which poses a serious threat to the reproductive and psychological health of women of childbearing age and adolescent females. However， the pathogenesis of EMT is still not completely clear， and the disease has a long course. Therefore， developing new therapies is an urgent clinical problem to be solved. Great progress has been achieved in the treatment of EMT with traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， while the underlying mechanism remains in exploration. Programmed cell death （PCD） is a cell death mode mediated by a variety of bio-molecules with specific signaling cascades. The known PCD processes include apoptosis， pyroptosis， autophagy， ferroptosis， and cuproptosis， which all play a pivotal role in the development of EMT. Researchers have made achievements in the treatment of EMT with TCM， which regulates PCD via multiple pathways， routes， targets， and mechanisms. However， the progress in the regulation of PCD in the treatment of EMT with TCM remains to be reviewed. This paper reviews the research progress in the treatment of EMT with TCM from five PCD processes （apoptosis， pyroptosis， autophagy， ferroptosis， and cuproptosis）， with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for the clinical prevention and treatment of EMT.

BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies have indicated that Angong Niuhuang Pills (ANP) reduce cerebral infarct and edema volumes. This study aimed to investigate whether ANP safely reduces cerebral infarct and edema volumes in patients with moderate to severe acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial included patients with acute ischemic stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ranging from 10 to 20 in 17 centers in China between April 2021 and July 2022. Patients were allocated within 36 h after onset via block randomization to receive ANP or placebo (3 g/day for 5 days). The primary outcomes were changes in cerebral infarct and edema volumes after 14 days of treatment. The primary safety outcome was severe adverse events (SAEs) for 90 days. RESULTS: There were 57 and 60 patients finally included in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively for modified intention-to-treat analysis. The median age was 66.0 years, and the median NIHSS score at baseline was 12.0. The changes in cerebral infarct volume at day 14 were 0.3 mL and 0.4 mL in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively (median difference: -7.1 mL; interquartile range [IQR]: -18.3 to 2.3 mL, P = 0.30). The changes in cerebral edema volume of the ANP and placebo groups on day 14 were 11.4 mL and 4.0 mL, respectively ( median difference: 3.0 mL, IQR: -1.3 to 9.9 mL, P = 0.15). The rates of SAE within 90 days were similar in the ANP (3/57, 5%) and placebo (7/60, 12%) groups ( P = 0.36). Changes in serum mercury and arsenic concentrations were comparable. In patients with large artery atherosclerosis, ANP reduced the cerebral infarct volume at 14 days (median difference: -12.3 mL; IQR: -27.7 to -0.3 mL, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: ANP showed a similar safety profile to placebo and non-significant tendency to reduce cerebral infarct volume in patients with moderate-to-severe stroke. Further studies are warranted to assess the efficacy of ANP in reducing cerebral infarcts and improving clinical prognosis. TRAIL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov , No. NCT04475328.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Pilot Projects ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

Schizophrenia (SZ) stands as a severe psychiatric disorder. This study applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data in conjunction with graph neural networks to distinguish SZ patients from normal controls (NCs) and showcases the superior performance of a graph neural network integrating combined fractional anisotropy and fiber number brain network features, achieving an accuracy of 73.79% in distinguishing SZ patients from NCs. Beyond mere discrimination, our study delved deeper into the advantages of utilizing white matter brain network features for identifying SZ patients through interpretable model analysis and gene expression analysis. These analyses uncovered intricate interrelationships between brain imaging markers and genetic biomarkers, providing novel insights into the neuropathological basis of SZ. In summary, our findings underscore the potential of graph neural networks applied to multimodal DTI data for enhancing SZ detection through an integrated analysis of neuroimaging and genetic features.
Humans ; Schizophrenia/pathology* ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Brain/metabolism* ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; White Matter/pathology* ; Gene Expression ; Nerve Net/diagnostic imaging* ; Graph Neural Networks

Objective To analyze the serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D[25(OH)D]levels and vitamin D nutri-tional status of 0-14 years old children in Hangzhou,and to provide scientific basis for the prevention of vita-min D deficiency.Methods A total of 26 225 healthy children aged 0 to 14 who were tested in Hangzhou Dian Medical Diagnosis Center from January 1,2021 to December 31,2023 were selected as the study objects.The 25(OH)D levels were detected by direct chemiluminescence method,and the 25(OH)D levels and vitamin D nutritional status of children with different genders,ages and seasons were analyzed and compared.Results The level of 25(OH)D in girls was slightly higher than that in boys,and the difference was statisti-cally significant(P＜0.05).With the increase of age,the level of 25(OH)D continued to decline,and the pro-portion of vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D insufficiency gradually increased.The level of 25(OH)D was the highest in children＜3 years old and the lowest in children 10-14 years old.There was statistical significance in the proportion of vitamin D nutritional status between boys and girls aged 10 to 14(P＜0.05).In the four seasons,children's 25(OH)D level is the highest in spring and the lowest in summer.The difference of 25(OH)D level and vitamin D nutritional status in different seasons was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The proportion of vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D insufficiency in winter was higher than that in other seasons,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion The nutritional status of vitamin D in 0-14 year old children in Hangzhou is good,but the importance of vitamin D supplementation for children should not be ignored,and active publicity and education should be carried out to prevent vitamin D deficiency.

Objective:To establish a risk prediction model based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression for procalcitonin (PCT), milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor 8 (MFG-E8) and CXC chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9) in elderly patients with liver cancer after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) .Methods:A total of 150 elderly patients with liver cancer who underwent TACE treatment in Shishi City Hospital, Fujian Province and 910th Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force from August 2020 to August 2023 were selected as the study subjects. Patients with infection after TACE were included in the infected group and those without infection were included in the non-infected group according to whether the patients had infection during the postoperative hospitalization. The baseline data of patients were collected and compared. LASSO regression was used to screen the factors that may affect the infection after TACE in elderly patients with liver cancer and binary logistic regression analysis was performed. According to the results of regression analysis, a nomogram model was constructed based on the regression analysis results and the nomogram was internally validated using Bootstrap and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves.Results:There were 18 cases of infection in 150 elderly patients with liver cancer after TACE, with an incidence of 12.00%. There were statistically significant differences in focal rupture and bleeding ( χ2=5.92, P=0.015), ascites ( χ2=6.70, P=0.010), skin or mucosal damage ( χ2=6.67, P=0.010) between the infected group ( n=18) and the non-infected group ( n=132). The levels of serum PCT [ (1.17±0.32 ) μg/L vs. (0.91±0.14) μg/L], MFG-E8 [ (194.29±45.85) pg/ml vs. (158.76±28.63) pg/ml] and CXCL9 [ (948.49±52.38) pg/ml vs. (886.05±50.07) pg/ml] were higher than those in the non-infected group, with statistically significant differences ( t=4.13, P<0.001; t=4.55, P<0.001; t=4.94, P<0.001). Four factors related to infection after TACE intervention in patients with liver cancer were finally selected by LASSO regression model, skin or mucosal damage, PCT, MFG-E8, CXCL9 levels. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that skin or mucosal damage ( OR=13.48, 95% CI: 1.29-140.47, P=0.030), high levels of serum PCT ( OR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.05-1.22, P=0.001), MFG-E8 ( OR=1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07, P=0.003), CXCL9 ( OR=1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.08, P=0.001) were risk factors for infection after TACE in elderly patients with liver cancer. Based on skin or mucosa damage, PCT, MFG-E8 and CXCL9, a nomogram prediction model for postoperative infection in elderly patients with liver cancer after TACE intervention was established. Calibration curve showed that the C-index of postoperative infection predicted by the nomogram model in elderly patients with liver cancer after TACE intervention was 0.939, indicating the model had good discrimination. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) predicted by the nomogram model for infection after TACE intervention in elderly patients with liver cancer was 0.960 (95% CI: 0.926-0.995, P<0.001), which had certain predictive value. The specificity, sensitivity and Youden index were 0.864, 0.944 and 0.808, respectively. Conclusions:Skin or mucosal damage, high levels of serum PCT, CXCL9 and MFG-E8 are closely related to postoperative infection in elderly patients with liver cancer after TACE, and the prediction model constructed based on this has better predictive performance for postoperative infection.

Objective To explore the efficacy of Yishen Yangyin Gujing Prescription[derived from Zuogui Wan(Bolus for Replenishing Kidney-Yin)]for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)with qi and yin deficiency syndrome,and to observe its effects on inflammatory responses,pancreatic β-cell function and renal function.Methods A total of 162 T2DM patients with diabetic nephropathy of qi and yin deficiency syndrome who admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine from May 2020 to July 2023 were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group according to the random number table method,with 81 cases in each group.The control group was given conventional western medicine treatment for lowering blood pressure and renal protection,while the observation group was treated with Yishen Yangyin Gujing Prescription on the basis of treatment for the control group.The course of treatment for the two groups covered 12 weeks.Before and after the treatment,the changes in the outcomes of the two groups were observed,and the outcomes included the total scores of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome,insulin sensitivity index,insulin secretion index,24-h urine total protein quantification(24hUTP),and serum levels of glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c),fasting insulin(FINS),fasting blood glucose(FBG),serum creatinine(SCr),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1),NLRP3 inflammasome,interleukin 6(IL-6),superoxide dismutase(SOD)and sphingosine-1-phosphate(S1P).After treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups of patients was compared.Results(1)After 12-week treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 93.83%(76/81),and that of the control group was 83.95%(68/81).The intergroup comparison showed that the efficacy of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group(χ2=9.163,P<0.05).(2)After treatment,the insulin sensitivity index and insulin secretion index in the two groups of patients were increased(P<0.05)and the total scores of TCM syndromes were decreased(P<0.05)when compared with those before treatment,and the increase of insulin sensitivity index and insulin secretion index as well as the decrease of the total scores of TCM syndrome in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.05).(3)After treatment,the serum levels of HbA1c,FINS,FBG,SCr,BUN and 24hUTP in the two groups of patients were decreased when compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease of the above indicators in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.05).(4)After treatment,the serum TGF-β1,IL-6,and NLRP3 inflammasome levels in the two groups of patients were decreased(P<0.05)and the serum S1P and SOD levels were increased(P<0.05)when compared with those before treatment,and the decrease of serum TGF-β1,IL-6,and NLRP3 inflammasome levels as well as the increase of serum S1P and SOD levels in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion For T2DM patients with diabetic nephropathy of qi and yin deficiency syndrome,the combined use of western medicine and Yishen Yangyin Gujing Prescription treatment is helpful to alleviate inflammatory response,improve the function of pancreatic β-cells,regulate the blood glucose level,improve renal function,and enhance the clinical efficacy.

Objective To explore the relationships of vitamin D and oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL)with infertility in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)based on restricted cubic spline models.Methods A total of 150 PCOS patients were selected as the study subjects and followed up for at least 1 year.They were divided into infertile group and non-infertile group according to whether they were infertile.A Logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of infertility in PCOS patients.Furthermore,the relationships of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3[1,25-(OH)2D3]and ox-LDL with infertility in PCOS patients,as well as their interactive effects on infertility in PCOS patients were analyzed.A restricted cubic spline model was used to analyze the non-linear relationships between 1,25-(OH)2D3,ox-LDL,and infertility in PCOS patients.Results Among 150 PCOS patients,78 were not pregnant,resulting in an infertility rate of 52.00％(78/150).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the severity of PCOS,body mass index,age,1,25-(OH)2D3,and ox-LDL were all independent influencing factors for infertility in PCOS patients(P＜0.05).After adjusting for confounding factors,1,25-(OH)2D3 and ox-LDL were still associated with the risk of in-fertility in PCOS patients(P＜0.05).Restricted cubic spline model analysis revealed non-linear rela-tionships between 1,25-(OH)2D3,ox-LDL,and the risk of infertility in PCOS patients(P＜0.05).When the serum 1,25-(OH)2D3 level was＜35.70 nmol/L,it was negatively correlated with the risk of infertility in PCOS patients(P＜0.05).When the serum ox-LDL level was ≥381.00 μg/L,it was positively correlated with the risk of infertility in PCOS patients(P＜0.05).Interactive effect analysis showed that 1,25-(OH)2D3 and ox-LDL had antagonistic effects on infertility in PCOS pa-tients(P＜0.05).Conclusion Decreased serum 1,25-(OH)2D3 levels and increased ox-LDL levels in PCOS patients can significantly increase the risk of infertility.Moreover,there is a non-lin-ear dose-response relationship and an antagonistic interactive effect between them,suggesting that regulating vitamin D and oxidative stress levels may be an important strategy for improving the fertili-ty outcomes of PCOS patients.

OBJECTIVE To explore the impact and mechanism of curcumin on endometriosis （EMS） model rats based on Notch1 signaling pathway. METHODS Female SD rats with synchronized estrous cycles were implanted with autologous endometrium on the abdominal wall to construct EMS model. EMS rats were randomly divided into model group， low-， medium- and high-dose groups of curcumin （60， 120， 240 mg/kg）， and Notch 1 inhibitor DAPT group （7 mg/kg）. The sham surgery group was also established， with 10 rats in each group. Rats in each group received intragastric administration or injection via caudal veins with the corresponding drugs for 4 weeks. Endometriotic lesions were observed and measured using ultrasound and visual inspection， and their volumes were calculated. Histopathological morphology of the lesion tissues was observed. The levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the abdominal cavity fluid， as well as the mRNA and protein expression levels of Notch1， matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） in the endometriotic lesions were measured. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the volume of endometriotic lesions in the low- ， medium- and high-dose groups of curcumin and the DAPT group was significantly decreased （P＜0.05）； atrophy or disappearance of columnar epithelium， cyst disappearance； the levels of IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF- α （except for the low-dose curcumin group） in the abdominal cavity fluid， as well as the mRNA （except for MMP-9 and VEGF in the low-dose curcumin group） and protein （except for MMP-9 in the low-dose curcumin group） expression levels of Notch1， MMP-9， and VEGF in the endometriotic lesions were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. The curcumin high-dose group and DAPT group showed superior results in most indicators compared to the curcumin low- and medium-dose groups. CONCLUSIONS Curcumin has an improving effect on EMS， and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting Notch1 signaling pathway， reducting local inflammatory responses， and inhibiting ectopic endometrial invasion and angiogenesis.

OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of Huangjing Jiangya Decoction on blood pressure and sleep in patients with hy-pertension of qi-deficiency type accompanied by insomnia.METHODS 73 patients with hypertension of qi-deficiency type accompa-nied by insomnia who met the inclusion criteria were selected and randomly divided into an observation group of 36 cases and a control group of 37 cases.The control group was treated with amlodipine besylate tablets,and the observation group was given Huangjing Jian-gya Decoction oral treatment on the basis of the control group.Both groups were treated continuously for 8 weeks.The changes in TCM syndrome scores,office blood pressure monitoring(OBPM),home blood pressure monitoring(HBPM),24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring(ABPM),Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)scores and clinical efficacy of the two groups of patients before and after treatment were observed.RESULTS After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores in the observation group were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),which were better than the control group(P<0.01);OBPM and HBMP in both groups were signifi-cantly reduced(P<0.05,P<0.01),the observation group was better than the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01);the ABPM of the observation group was significantly reduced(P<0.01),which was better than the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01);the sleep quali-ty,sleep latency,sleep duration,daytime dysfunction score and PSQI total score of the observation group were significantly decreased(P<0.01),which were better than those in the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01);the clinical efficacy of hypertension and insomnia in the observation group was both better than the control group(P<0.01).CONCLUSION Huangjing Jiangya Decoction combined with amlodipine can improve the symptoms of patients with hypertension of qi-deficiency type accompanied by insomnia,lower blood pressure,improve sleep quality,shorten sleep latency,alleviate daytime dysfunction,and has good clinical efficacy.

Objective: To evaluate the preventive effect of implementing the free influenza vaccination policy on school absence among primary and secondary school students, so as to provide a reference for formulating and adjusting vaccination strategies. Methods: Among primary and secondary school students aged 6 to 18 in Longgang District, Shenzhen, they were divided into a vaccinated group (265 996 students) and an unvaccinated group (122 513 students) according to their influenza vaccination history during November 2023. Propensity score matching was used to conduct a 1∶1 match between the two groups to balance covariates. The number of absences per month was set as the dependent variable to construct a difference in differences model, and Poisson regression was employed to analyze the overall and multi time point effects. Results: Vaccination against influenza was associated with low rate of absenteeism among primary and secondary school students, with an overall preventive effect of 26.52% (95% CI = 23.47% -29.45%). The preventive effects in November (the month of vaccination) and December 2023, January and March 2024 were 42.12%, 40.12%, 30.33% and 20.91%, respectively. The preventive effect of the influenza vaccine on absenteeism among primary school students (26.39%) was not significantly different from that among secondary school students ( 27.97% ) ( P >0.05). The regression coefficient for class vaccination rates ranged from 0.998 to 0.999 ( P <0.01), indicating that for every 10% increase in influenza vaccination rates, absenteeism could be reduced by 1.5% to 2.2%. Conclusion Implementing free influenza vaccination for primary and secondary school students might help to reduce the risk of absenteeism, yielding significant socioeconomic benefits.