ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effect of Ershen Zhenwu Decoction on chronic heart failure （CHF） due to heart-kidney Yang deficiency and blood stasis and its regulatory effects on miR-423-5p/Smad7/transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）/Smads axis and myocardial fibrosis indicators. MethodsOne hundred and fourteen patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction （HFrEF） and heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction （HFmrEF） were randomly allocated into a control group and an observation group. The control group was treated with dapagliflozin tablets， sacubitril-valsartan sodium tablets， metoprolol succinate， and spironolactone， and the observation group was treated with Ershen Zhenwu Decoction on the basis of the therapy in the control group. The course of treatment was 8 weeks in both groups. The 6-min walking distance， New York Heart Association （NYHA） heart function grade， Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire （MLHFQ） score， N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP）， angiotensin Ⅱ （Ang Ⅱ）， left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVIDd）， left ventricular end-systolic diameter （LVIDs）， interventricular septum thickness at diastole （IVSd）， left ventricular end-diastolic posterior wall thickness （LVPWd）， left ventricular shortening fraction （FS）， miR-423-5p， Smad7， Smad2， Smad3， Smad4， TGF-β₁， Ang Ⅱ， type Ⅰ collagen （Col Ⅰ）， type Ⅲ collagen （Col Ⅲ）， mRNA levels of fibronectin （Fn） and α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） in the myocardial tissue were observed before and after treatment in both groups to evaluate the efficacy of cardiac function and drug safety. ResultsAfter treatment， both groups showed declined levels of NT-proBNP， Ang Ⅱ， miR-423-5p， Smad2， Smad3， Smad4， TGF-β₁， Col Ⅰ， Col Ⅲ， and mRNA levels of Fn and α-SMA （P0.05）， and the levels of the indicators above were lower in the observation group than in the control group （P0.05）. After treatment， the Smad7 level increased obviously in both groups （P0.05） and was higher in the observation group than in the control group （P0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed decreased MLHFQ scores and increased 6-min walking distance （P0.05）， and the observation group had lower MLHFQ score and longer 6-min walking distance than the control group （P0.05）. After treatment， the control group showed increased LVEF and FS （P0.05） and the observation group showcased decreased LVIDd and LVIDs and increased LVEF and FS （P0.05）. Moreover， the observation group had lower LVIDd and LVIDs （P0.05） and higher LVEF and FS （P0.05） than the control group. The total response rate of cardiac function in the observation group was 90.38% （47/52）， which was higher than that （70.59%， 36/51） in the control group （P0.05）. No adverse reactions associated with Ershen Zhenwu Decoction were observed during the study period. ConclusionErshen Zhenwu Decoction can improve the cardiac function， exercise tolerance， and quality of life， regulate neuroendocrine factors， and slow down/reverse myocardial remodeling in the patients with HFrEF and HFmrEF （syndrome of heart-kidney Yang deficiency and blood stasis by regulating the miR-423-5p/Smad7/TGF-β₁/Smads axis， inhibiting α-SMA and Fn expression， and alleviating myocardial fibrosis. It is worthy of further study.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effect of Ershen Zhenwu Decoction on chronic heart failure （CHF） due to heart-kidney Yang deficiency and blood stasis and its regulatory effects on miR-423-5p/Smad7/transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）/Smads axis and myocardial fibrosis indicators. MethodsOne hundred and fourteen patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction （HFrEF） and heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction （HFmrEF） were randomly allocated into a control group and an observation group. The control group was treated with dapagliflozin tablets， sacubitril-valsartan sodium tablets， metoprolol succinate， and spironolactone， and the observation group was treated with Ershen Zhenwu Decoction on the basis of the therapy in the control group. The course of treatment was 8 weeks in both groups. The 6-min walking distance， New York Heart Association （NYHA） heart function grade， Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire （MLHFQ） score， N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP）， angiotensin Ⅱ （Ang Ⅱ）， left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVIDd）， left ventricular end-systolic diameter （LVIDs）， interventricular septum thickness at diastole （IVSd）， left ventricular end-diastolic posterior wall thickness （LVPWd）， left ventricular shortening fraction （FS）， miR-423-5p， Smad7， Smad2， Smad3， Smad4， TGF-β₁， Ang Ⅱ， type Ⅰ collagen （Col Ⅰ）， type Ⅲ collagen （Col Ⅲ）， mRNA levels of fibronectin （Fn） and α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） in the myocardial tissue were observed before and after treatment in both groups to evaluate the efficacy of cardiac function and drug safety. ResultsAfter treatment， both groups showed declined levels of NT-proBNP， Ang Ⅱ， miR-423-5p， Smad2， Smad3， Smad4， TGF-β₁， Col Ⅰ， Col Ⅲ， and mRNA levels of Fn and α-SMA （P0.05）， and the levels of the indicators above were lower in the observation group than in the control group （P0.05）. After treatment， the Smad7 level increased obviously in both groups （P0.05） and was higher in the observation group than in the control group （P0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed decreased MLHFQ scores and increased 6-min walking distance （P0.05）， and the observation group had lower MLHFQ score and longer 6-min walking distance than the control group （P0.05）. After treatment， the control group showed increased LVEF and FS （P0.05） and the observation group showcased decreased LVIDd and LVIDs and increased LVEF and FS （P0.05）. Moreover， the observation group had lower LVIDd and LVIDs （P0.05） and higher LVEF and FS （P0.05） than the control group. The total response rate of cardiac function in the observation group was 90.38% （47/52）， which was higher than that （70.59%， 36/51） in the control group （P0.05）. No adverse reactions associated with Ershen Zhenwu Decoction were observed during the study period. ConclusionErshen Zhenwu Decoction can improve the cardiac function， exercise tolerance， and quality of life， regulate neuroendocrine factors， and slow down/reverse myocardial remodeling in the patients with HFrEF and HFmrEF （syndrome of heart-kidney Yang deficiency and blood stasis by regulating the miR-423-5p/Smad7/TGF-β₁/Smads axis， inhibiting α-SMA and Fn expression， and alleviating myocardial fibrosis. It is worthy of further study.

BackgroundPatients with depressive disorder often exhibit impaired decision-making functions. However， the relationship between decision-making abilities and depressive and anxiety symptoms in these patients remains unclear. ObjectiveTo explore the characteristics of decision-making behavior in patients with depressive disorder， and to analyze its relationship with clinical symptoms. MethodsA total of 48 patients diagnosed with depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fourth edition （DSM-IV） were recruited from the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from October 2020 to May 2023. Concurrently， 52 healthy individuals matched for age and gender were recruited from Luzhou as the control group. Beck Depression Inventory （BDI） and Beck Anxiety Inventory （BAI） were used for assessment， and decision-making behavior was evaluated using Probabilistic Reversal Learning （PRL） task. Indicators assessed included the number of trials to criterion， perseverative errors， win-stay rate and lose-shift rate. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between BDI and BAI scores and PRL task indicators. ResultsThe depression group showed a significantly higher lose-shift rate compared with the control group （t=3.684， P<0.01）. There were no statistically significant differences between two groups in trials to criterion， perseverative errors and win-stay rate （t=0.329， 0.132， 0.609， P>0.05）. In depression group， BDI and BAI scores were positively correlated with the win-stay rate（r=0.450， 0.398， P<0.01）. ConclusionPatients with depressive disorder are more likely to change their decision-making strategies following negative outcomes. Furthermore， the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms is associated with a greater propensity to maintain existing decisions after receiving positive feedback. ［Funded by 2019 Joint Project of Luzhou Science and Technology Bureau-Southwest Medical University （number， 2019LZXNYDJ39］

OBJECTIVE To comprehensively evaluate the quality of adverse drug reaction （ADR） reports in clinical departments or ward （hereinafter referred to as “department”） based on game theory combinatorial weighting-technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution （TOPSIS）-rank-sum ratio （RSR） method， providing a reference for the further standardization of ADR reporting. METHODS Based on relevant documents and scoring criteria， the ADR report quality evaluation standards previously developed by our team were modified. Using game theory principles， the fusion of subjective and objective weights for each indicator was determined. A game theory combinatorial weighting-TOPSIS-RSR model was developed to evaluate and categorize the quality of raw ADR reports submitted by departments to the pharmacy department at Bozhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University. RESULTS A total of 222 ADR reports from 23 departments were included. The game theory combinatorial weighting method identifies weak points in management， such as ADR symptoms and signs， the description of underlying diseases， timing of ADR， by optimizing the weightings of the indicators. The TOPSIS-RSR method calculates that the mean relative closeness of the departments was 0.401 7， indicating that the overall report quality ranged from moderate to substandard. 20095） Three departments， including neurosurgery， demonstrated medium reporting quality [estinate closeness （Ĉ）i ≥0.506]， while two departments， such as the respiratory department，were rated as unqualified （Ĉi＜0.278）. The remaining departments were all deemed qualified （0.278≤ Ĉi＜0.506）. CONCLUSIONS The developed game theory combinatorial weighting-TOPSIS-RSR method provides an effective approach for the quality evaluation of ADR reports， which not only balances subjective and objective weights but also facilitates comparisons among different departments. There is still room for improvement in the ADR report quality at the hospital.

Objective: Self-determination theory (SDT) deems that people have three causality orientations: autonomy orientation, control orientation, and impersonal orientation. Previous studies suggested that lower autonomy orientation or higher control and impersonal orientations may be associated with more addictive behaviors. Our study aimed to investigate if these associations exist in Internet gaming disorder (IGD), and if sensation seeking, anxiety, and depression could influence the associations between causality orientations and IGD symptoms. Methods: A total of 1,400 college students completed the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale, General Causality Orientation Scale, Brief Sensation Seeking Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire. Correlation, multiple linear regressions, structural equation model (SEM) analyses, and moderation analyses were conducted to explore the associations. Results: The control and impersonal orientations were positively associated with IGD symptoms, while the autonomy orientation was negatively associated with them. Moreover, SEM analyses showed that the autonomy-IGD relationship was totally mediated by anxiety and depression, the impersonal-IGD relationship was partially mediated by anxiety, and the control-IGD relationship was partially mediated by depression. Finally, the effects of causality orientations on IGD were moderated by sensation seeking. Conclusion Overall, autonomy orientation is linked to fewer gaming problems, whereas control and impersonal orientations are associated with more gaming problems. Moreover, the relationships between causality orientations and IGD symptoms are mediated by anxiety and depression and moderated by sensation seeking. Our findings inform theory on the motivations of gaming behaviors and may shed light on the prevention and intervention of IGD from the perspective of SDT.

Objective: Self-determination theory (SDT) deems that people have three causality orientations: autonomy orientation, control orientation, and impersonal orientation. Previous studies suggested that lower autonomy orientation or higher control and impersonal orientations may be associated with more addictive behaviors. Our study aimed to investigate if these associations exist in Internet gaming disorder (IGD), and if sensation seeking, anxiety, and depression could influence the associations between causality orientations and IGD symptoms. Methods: A total of 1,400 college students completed the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale, General Causality Orientation Scale, Brief Sensation Seeking Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire. Correlation, multiple linear regressions, structural equation model (SEM) analyses, and moderation analyses were conducted to explore the associations. Results: The control and impersonal orientations were positively associated with IGD symptoms, while the autonomy orientation was negatively associated with them. Moreover, SEM analyses showed that the autonomy-IGD relationship was totally mediated by anxiety and depression, the impersonal-IGD relationship was partially mediated by anxiety, and the control-IGD relationship was partially mediated by depression. Finally, the effects of causality orientations on IGD were moderated by sensation seeking. Conclusion Overall, autonomy orientation is linked to fewer gaming problems, whereas control and impersonal orientations are associated with more gaming problems. Moreover, the relationships between causality orientations and IGD symptoms are mediated by anxiety and depression and moderated by sensation seeking. Our findings inform theory on the motivations of gaming behaviors and may shed light on the prevention and intervention of IGD from the perspective of SDT.

Objective To explore the mechanism of butylphthalide(NBP)in regulating microglia acti-vation and inflammatory cytokine expression in the hippocampus of the mouse model of delayed encephalopathy af-ter carbon monoxide poisoning(DEACMP).Methods Wild-type C57 adult mice with normal cognitive function were selected,and DEACMP was modeled by static inhalation of carbon monoxide.The mice were randomized in-to three groups:DEACMP,control,and NBP.The NBP group was administrated with NBP suspension at 6 mg/kg by gavage for 21 days,and the DEACMP and control groups were administrated with the same amount of vegeta-ble oil by gavage.The hippocampal injury was observed by HE staining.The protein level of ionized calcium-bind-ing adapter molecule 1(IBA1)was determined by Western blotting,and the levels of downstream inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA.Results Compared with the control group,the DEACMP and NBP groups showed prolonged escape latency(P=0.001,P=0.029),reduced nerve cells(P=0.001,P=0.035),up-regulated expression of IBA1(P=0.001,P=0.042),increased mean fluorescence intensity of IBA1(P=0.001,P=0.021),and elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)(P=0.002,P=0.024),inter-leukin(IL)-6(P=0.001,P=0.015),and IL-1β(P=0.001,P=0.023).Compared with the DEACMP group,the NBP group showed shortened escape latency(P=0.025),increased nerve cells(P=0.039),down-regulated expression of IBA1(P=0.035),decreased average fluorescence intensity of IBA1(P=0.031),and lowered levels of TNF-α(P=0.028),IL-6(P=0.037),and IL-1 β(P=0.034).Conclusion NBP can inhibit the activation of microglia and reduce the expression of inflammatory factors,thereby alleviating cog-nitive dysfunction and brain tissue damage caused by DEACMP.

Objective To study the distribution and significance of CD1a and CD83 positive dendritic cells(DCs)in lung tissue of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)mice.Methods Twenty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the air control group and the smoked COPD group(n=10 for each group).COPD mouse model was established using cigarette smoking method.Mice were executed within 24 h after the last cigarette smoking,and right lower lung was collected.Body mass changes and lung histopathological changes of mice were observed in two groups.Mean linear intercept(MLI)was measured,and expression levels of CD1a+and CD83+DCs in lung tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results The body mass of mice at 7,14,21 and 28 d after modeling was lower in the smoked COPD group than that in the air control group(P＜0.05).HE staining showed that the normal alveolar structure of lung tissue of mice in the smoked group was disrupted,with multiple alveoli fused with each other to form a larger alveolar lumen,a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrated in alveolar intervals,and walls of the alveoli were thickened.COPD modeling was successful.Compared with the air control group,MLI values(μm)increased in the smoked COPD group(28.30±3.47 vs.50.40±3.60),and the number of CD1a+DCs(per field of view)in lung tissue increased(9.58±2.18 vs.17.08±3.67),while the number of CD83+DCs(per field of view)decreased(19.78±4.95 vs.8.02±3.30)(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The number of CD1a+DCs in lung tissue is increased and the number of CD83+DCs in lung tissue is decreased in the smoked COPD group of mice,and cigarette smoking may have impaired DC maturation.

Objective:To investigate the interaction between fibroblasts (Fb) and keratinocytes (KC) in the wound edge skin tissue of a diabetic foot patient and the mechanism.Methods:This was an experimental research. The wound edge skin tissue from a diabetic foot patient (male and 33 years old) admitted to the Department of Wound Repair of Liyuan Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in August 2021 and from an acute foot injury patient (male and 50 years old) admitted to the Department of Hand Surgery of the hospital in September 2021 was collected. The single-cell transcriptome sequencing was performed to analyze the interaction between chemokine ligands of Fb subgroup and chemokine receptors of KC subgroup. The supernatant was collected after human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) was cultured routinely and with high concentration of glucose for 7 days as normal conditioned medium (CM) and high glucose CM, respectively. HaCaT cells were collected and divided into normal CM group cultured with normal CM and high glucose CM group cultured with high glucose CM, the scratch test was performed to calculate the cell migration rates at 24 and 48 h after scratch ( n=3). The content of cytokines in the two kinds of CM was detected by liquid suspension chip ( n=5). HFF was collected and divided into normal group cultured routinely and high glucose group cultured with high concentration of glucose for 7 days, and the mRNA expressions of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1), CXCL2, CXCL8, and CXCL12 were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction ( n=6). HaCaT cells in normal CM group and high glucose CM group were collected to detect the protein expressions of C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) in cells cultured for 48 h by Western blotting ( n=3). HaCaT cells were collected and divided into normal CM group, high glucose CM group, normal CM+CXCL12 group, and high glucose CM+CXCL12 group. The first two groups of cells were treated as before, and the latter two groups of cells were cultured with normal CM and high glucose CM containing recombinant human CXCL12, respectively. Scratch test was performed, and cell migration rates were calculated at 24 and 48 h after scratch ( n=3); the protein expression of CXCR4 in cells cultured for 48 h was detected by Western blotting ( n=3). Results:Compared with those in the wound edge skin tissue of acute foot injury, the interactions between chemokine ligands (CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, CXCL8, and CXCL12) of Fb subgroup and chemokine receptors (CXCR2 and CXCR4) of KC subgroup were significantly weakened in the wound edge skin tissue of diabetic foot. At 24 and 48 h after scratch, the migration rates of HaCaT cells in high glucose CM group were significantly lower than those in normal CM group (with t values of 23.50 and 15.65, respectively, P<0.05). Compared with that in normal CM, the content of CXCL1 in high glucose CM was significantly increased ( P<0.05), and the content of CXCL12 was significantly decreased ( P<0.05). After 7 days of culture, compared with those in normal group, the mRNA expressions of CXCL1, CXCL2, and CXCL8 in HFF in high glucose group were significantly increased (with t values of 4.25, 4.98, and 10.04, respectively, P<0.05), while the mRNA expression of CXCL12 was significantly decreased ( t=4.10, P<0.05). After 48 h of culture, the CXCR4 protein expression in HaCaT cells in high glucose CM group was significantly lower than that in normal CM group ( t= 5.13, P<0.05). At 24 and 48 h after scratch, the migration rates of HaCaT cells in high glucose CM group were significantly lower than those in normal CM group and high glucose CM+CXCL12 group (with P values all <0.05); at 24 h after scratch, the migration rate of HaCaT cells in normal CM+CXCL12 group was significantly lower than that in normal CM group ( P<0.05); at 48 h after scratch, the migration rate of HaCaT cells in normal CM+CXCL12 group was significantly higher than that in high glucose CM+CXCL12 group ( P<0.05). At 48 h of culture, the CXCR4 protein expression of HaCaT cells in high glucose CM+CXCL12 group was 0.446±0.050, which was significantly higher than 0.247±0.010 in high glucose CM group ( P<0.05) and similar to 0.522±0.082 in normal CM+CXCL12 group ( P>0.05); the CXCR4 protein expression in HaCaT cells in normal CM group was 0.509±0.055, which was significantly higher than that in high glucose CM group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The interactions between chemokine ligands of Fb subgroup and chemokine receptors of KC subgroup were significantly weakened in the wound edge skin tissue of diabetic foot. High glucose can inhibit CXCL12 secretion of HFF, and the stimulation of its cell culture supernatant can decrease HaCaT cell migration ability and CXCR4 expression. Exogenous CXCL12 protein can increase the CXCR4 protein expression in HaCaT cells and enhance the cell migration ability.

Background::Liver cancer remains the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, causing a heavy burden globally. An updated assessment of the global epidemiology of the liver cancer burden that addresses geographical disparities is necessary to better understand and promote healthcare delivery.Methods::Data were extracted from the GLOBOCAN 2022 database, including the number, crude, and age-standardized rates of incidence and mortality at the global, country, continent, and human development index (HDI) regional levels. Age-standardized rates (incidence and mortality) per 100,000 person-years were adjusted based on the Segi-Doll World standard population. The mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIR) for each region and country were calculated. The HDI and gross national income (GNI) for 2022 were obtained, and a Pearson correlation analysis was conducted with the incidence, mortality, and MIR.Results::In 2022, approximately 866,136 new liver cancer cases and 758,725 related deaths were recorded worldwide, with a global MIR of 0.86. Males had a disproportionately higher burden than females across all levels, and the highest burden was observed in the elderly population. Geographically, the regions with the highest incidence rates included Micronesia, Eastern Asia, and Northern Africa, and the regions with the highest mortality rates included Northern Africa, Southeastern Asia, Eastern Asia, and Micronesia. Notably, Mongolia had a strikingly high burden compared to other countries. The highest MIR was observed in North America and the lowest in Africa. Negative associations of HDI and GNI with liver cancer mortality and MIR were identified, irrespective of sex.Conclusions::The current liver cancer burden underscores the presence of remarkable geographic heterogeneity, which is particularly evident across countries with varying HDI levels, highlighting the urgent need to prioritize health accessibility and availability to achieve health inequities.