ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of Shenling Guben Granules on quality of life and immune function in patients with HIV classified as immunological non-responders （INRs）. MethodsA prospective， multicenter， randomized， double-blind， controlled trial was conducted from August 21， 2018， to January 6， 2021， across eight hospitals in China. A total of 300 INR patients， diagnosed with spleen-kidney yang deficiency or lung-spleen Qi deficiency syndromes， were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the observation group or the control group， with 150 patients in each group. The control group received antiretroviral therapy （ART） combined with placebo， while the observation group received ART combined with Shenling Guben Granules. After 72 consecutive weeks of treatment， the World Health Organization Quality of Life for HIV brief version （WHOQOL-HIV BREF） was used to assess quality of life before and after treatment in both groups. Immune indicators （CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell counts）， complete blood count， liver and renal function， and adverse events during treatment were also evaluated to assess safety. ResultsA total of 279 patients were included in the final analysis （140 in the observation group and 139 in the control group）. After treatment， CD4⁺ T cell counts in the observation group increased significantly compared to baseline （P< 0.05）， whereas the control group showed an upward trend without statistical significance. Compared with the control group after treatment， the observation group showed a significantly greater increase in CD4⁺ levels （P<0.05）. There were no significant differences in the total score or domain scores of quality of life （physical， psychological， independence， social relationships， environment， and spirituality）， or in CD8⁺ T cell counts， before and after treatment in either group. The incidence of adverse events during treatment was 10% （14/140） in the observation group and 10.07% （14/139） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference between the two groups. ConclusionAlthough Shenling Guben Granules did not significantly improve quality of life in INR patients， they significantly increased CD4⁺ cell counts and demonstrated good safety， providing scientific evidence to support their use as a treatment option for INR patients.

Rubi Fructus has a long history of medicinal and edible use in China. It contains chemical components such as terpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, fatty acids, and alkaloids, and possesses various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, anti-tumor, anti-osteoporosis, and liver-protective effects. Rubi Fructus is widely applied in medical, health, and food fields. The quality of Rubi Fructus can directly affect the safety and effectiveness of clinical medication. Therefore, this article reviews the research progress on the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Rubi Fructus. Based on the concept of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) quality markers(Q-markers), the article explores the screening and determination of Q-markers for Rubi Fructus from various aspects, including plant kinship, traditional efficacy, medicinal properties, measurability of chemical composition, different processing methods, producing areas, harvesting periods, and planting conditions. The components ellagic acid, kaempferol, quercetin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, rutin, astragalin, tiliroside, and hyperoside are preliminarily proposed as Q-markers for Rubi Fructus, providing a reference for the quality control of Rubi Fructus.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Rubus/chemistry* ; Fruit/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Animals

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) solid waste is characterized by widespread availability, renewability, and substantial production volume. In the context of the "dual carbon" goals, the pyrolysis of TCM solid waste for producing fuel gas for recycling in pharmaceutical production has emerged as a crucial strategy for optimizing the energy structure in the TCM industry and developing renewable energy. This paper comprehensively reviews both internal and external factors that influence the pyrolysis of TCM solid waste. Internal factors encompass moisture content, particle size, ash content, and the morphology of the raw materials, while external factors include pyrolysis conditions, equivalence ratios, types of gasifiers, and gasifying agents. Furthermore, this paper details the challenges associated with the pyrolysis of TCM solid waste, such as the dispersion of feedstocks, the diversity of resources, the complexity of the pyrolysis process, and the variations in gasifier performance. Finally, this paper proposes measures to address these challenges. This paper aims to provide insights into the development of a circular economy for TCM resources and the advancement of low-carbon energy utilization in the TCM industry.
Pyrolysis ; Carbon/chemistry* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Solid Waste/analysis* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Gases/chemistry*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of prostate health index (PHI) and its derivatives for early screening in patients with PI-RADS score 3 and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels of 4－20 μg/L. METHODS: Clinical data of 203 patients with a score of 3 on the PI-RADS v2.1 scoring system who underwent ultrasound-guided transperineal prostate aspiration biopsy from April 2021 to April 2024 from Provincial Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University and Weifang People's Hospital were collected. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were divided into prostate cancer (PCa) group (62 cases) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) group (141 cases). Serum total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA), serum free prostate-specific antigen (fPSA), and PSA isoform 2 (p2PSA) were routinely detected after admission. And prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD), prostate health index (PHI) and prostate health index density (PHID) were calculated with the basic personal information being collected. The efficacy of each parameter in early screening of patients with PI-RADS score of 3 and PSA level of 4－20 μg/L was assessed using ROC curve approach. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in tPSA, fPSA and fPSA/tPSA between the two groups (P>0.05). There was a statistical difference in p2PSA, PSAD, PHI, PHID and age between the two groups (P<0.05). PHI (AUC=0.783 7, 95% CI: 0.711 3－0.856 1) and PHID (AUC=0.782 3, 95% CI: 0.708 3－0.856 4) showed a good predictive ability in the early screening of prostate cancer. In the clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) group, the ROC curve areas of PHI and PHID were 0.823 0 and 0.788 5, respectively, which showed better predictive efficacy of prediction of csPCa. The ROC curves of the combined diagnostic indexes were plotted on the basis of the independent ROC curves, and the area under the curve of PHI combined with age, p2PSA and PHID (AUC=0.843 6) was the largest and had the best predictive ability among all the combined diagnostic indexes. CONCLUSION In patients with PI-RADS score 3 and PSA level between 4 and 20 μg/L, PHI and its derivatives (PHI and PHID) provide a new way for early screening of prostate cancer compared with the traditional index tPSA, which has a high value of application in reducing the over-penetration.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia/diagnosis* ; Prostate/pathology* ; Early Detection of Cancer ; ROC Curve ; Middle Aged ; Aged

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether adding Fuzheng Jiedu Xiaoji (FZJDXJ) therapy improves survival in advanced hepatitis B virus-related HCC (HBV-HCC) patients. METHODS: This prospective, randomized controlled study was performed at a major academic medical center in Beijing, China from October 2020 to October 2022. Eligible patients with advanced HBV-HCC were randomly divided equally (1:1) to receive either the combination of FZJDXJ and conventional Western medical therapy (63 cases, FZJDXJ group) or solely Western medicine (66 cases, control group). The study endpoints consisted of overall survival (OS) as the primary outcome, with progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR), and adverse events (AEs) as secondary measures. RESULTS: The median OS was significantly prolonged in the FZJDXJ group at 8.9 months (95% CI: 6.0-11.9) vs. 4.4 months (95% CI: 3.2-7.3) in the control group (P<0.05). The hazard ratio for mortality in the FZJDXJ group was 0.59 (95% CI: 0.40-0.89), suggesting a 41% lower risk of death compared to the control group. The results revealed that patients receiving FZJDXJ therapy achieved a PFS of 5.1 months (95% CI: 4.1 to 7.2 months), compared to only 2.9 months (95% CI: 2.0 to 4.6 months) in the control group (P<0.05). Additionally, DCR was significantly elevated in the FZJDXJ group (20.6%) compared to the control group (10.6%, P<0.05). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that FZJDXJ significantly improved OS in patients with alpha-fetoprotein levels <400 ng/mL, age <60 years, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C, and compensated liver function (Child-Pugh A and B, P<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that FZJDXJ therapy acted as an independent factor protecting against mortality within 1 year. Gastrointestinal symptoms are rare side effects, and no fatalities associated with the treatment were reported. CONCLUSION This randomized controlled trial demonstrated that FZJDXJ combined Western conventional therapy significantly improves OS and PFS in patients with advanced HBV-HCC. (registration No. ChiCTR2000033941).
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Liver Neoplasms/virology* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/virology* ; Treatment Outcome ; Hepatitis B virus ; Adult ; Aged ; Hepatitis B/drug therapy*

Although cancer immunotherapy has made great strides in the clinic, it is still hindered by the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment (TIME). The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway which can modulate TIME effectively has emerged as a promising therapeutic recently. However, the delivery of most STING agonists, specifically cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs), is performed intratumorally due to their insufficient pharmacological properties, such as weak permeability across cell membranes and vulnerability to nuclease degradation. To expand the clinical applicability of CDNs, a novel pH-sensitive polycationic polymer-modified lipid nanoparticle (LNP-B) system was developed for intravenous delivery of CDNs. LNP-B significantly extended the circulation of CDNs and enhanced the accumulation of CDNs within the tumor, spleen, and tumor-draining lymph nodes compared with free CDNs thereby triggering the STING pathway of dendritic cells and repolarizing pro-tumor macrophages. These events subsequently gave rise to potent anti-tumor immune reactions and substantial inhibition of tumors in CT26 colon cancer-bearing mouse models. In addition, due to the acid-sensitive property of the polycationic polymer, the delivery system of LNP-B was more biocompatible and safer compared with lipid nanoparticles formulated with an indissociable cationic DOTAP (LNP-D). These findings suggest that LNP-B has great potential in the intravenous delivery of CDNs for tumor immunotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between fish consumption and stroke is inconsistent, and it is uncertain whether this association varies across predicted stroke risks. METHODS: A cohort study comprising 95,800 participants from the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China project was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on fish consumption. Participants were stratified into low- and moderate-to-high-risk categories based on their 10-year stroke risk prediction scores. Hazard ratios ( HRs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models and additive interaction by relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (SI). RESULTS: During 703,869 person-years of follow-up, 2,773 incident stroke events were identified. Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, particularly among moderate-to-high-risk individuals ( HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.47-0.60) than among low-risk individuals ( HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85). A significant additive interaction between fish consumption and predicted stroke risk was observed (RERI = 4.08, 95% CI: 2.80-5.36; SI = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.42-1.89; AP = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.28-0.43). CONCLUSION Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, and this beneficial association was more pronounced in individuals with moderate-to-high stroke risk.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Stroke/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Incidence ; Aged ; Animals ; Fishes ; Risk Factors ; Diet ; Seafood ; Adult ; Cohort Studies

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of intestinal ultrasound (IUS) for organic lesions in the intestines of patients with chronic abdominal pain or diarrhea. Methods The IUS signs in 263 patients with chronic abdominal pain or diarrhea were retrospectively analyzed.With the endoscopic examination results as the gold standard,comparison was performed for the IUS signs between the groups with positive and negative endoscopic results,as well as between the inflammatory bowel disease group and the non-specific intestinal inflammation group of positive cases.Furthermore,the detection rates of IUS in different intestinal segments were analyzed to evaluate the accuracy of IUS in the diagnosis and localization of intestinal lesions. Results Among the 263 patients,194 (73.8%) and 69 (26.2%) patients were in the groups with positive and negative endoscopic results,respectively.The diagnosis sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of IUS were 82.0%,71.0%,and 79.1%,respectively.The proportions of positive IUS signs in the group with positive endoscopic results were higher than that in the group with negative endoscopic results (all P<0.001).The proportions of positive IUS signs in the inflammatory bowel disease group were higher than those in the non-specific bowel inflammation group (all P<0.001).When the lesion was located in the ileum,ileocecal region,and colon,IUS demonstrated good consistency with endoscopic results in locating the lesion (kappa=0.642,0.686,and 0.601,respectively),with sensitivity and specificity of 82.7% (95%CI=75.4%-88.6%) and 81.5% (95%CI=73.5%-87.9%),73.7% (95%CI=62.3%-83.1%) and 93.0% (95%CI=88.4%-96.2%),and 68.9% (95%CI=58.3%-78.2%) and 89.6% (95%CI=84.1%-93.7%),respectively. Conclusions IUS can be used for screening the patients with chronic abdominal pain or diarrhea to detect organic lesions in the intestines. Moreover,it can effectively locate the affected intestinal segment,which is helpful for the monitoring and follow-up of intestinal diseases.
Humans ; Diarrhea/diagnostic imaging* ; Female ; Male ; Abdominal Pain/diagnostic imaging* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Ultrasonography ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Young Adult ; Intestines/diagnostic imaging* ; Adolescent ; Chronic Disease ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Aged, 80 and over

This paper explains the mechanism of the mutual switching between physiological sleep and wakefulness from the aspects of the sleep circadian system and the sleep homeostasis system. In the circadian rhythm system, with the suprachiasmatic nucleus as the core, the anatomical connections between the suprachiasmatic nucleusand various systems that affect sleep are summarized, starting from the suprachiasmatic nucleus, passing through the four pathways of the melatonin system, namely, subventricular area of the hypothalamus, the ventrolateral nucleus of the preoptic area, orexin neurons, and melatonin, then the related mechanisms of their regulation of sleep and wakefulness are expounded. In the sleep homeostasis system, with adenosine and prostaglandin D2 as targets, the role of hypnogen in sleep arousal mechanisms in regulation is also expounded.