The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) released the "2024 ESC guidelines for the management of elevated blood pressure and hypertension" on August 30, 2024. This guideline updates the 2018 "Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension." One notable update is the introduction of the concept of "elevated blood pressure" (120-139/70-89 mm Hg). Additionally, a new systolic blood pressure target range of 120-129 mm Hg has been proposed for most patients receiving antihypertensive treatment. The guideline also includes numerous additions or revisions in areas such as non-pharmacological interventions and device-based treatments for hypertension. This article interprets the guideline's recommendations on definition and classification of elevated blood pressure and hypertension, and cardiovascular disease risk assessment, diagnosing hypertension and investigating underlying causes, preventing and treating elevated blood pressure and hypertension. We provide a comparison interpretation with the 2018 "Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension" and the "2017 ACC/AHA guideline on the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults."

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is the pillar for the development of motherland medicine, and animal medicine has a long history of application in China, characterized by wide resources, strong activity, definite efficacy, and great benefits. It has significant potential and important status in the consumption market of raw materials of TCM. In the context of global climate change, farming system alterations, and low renewability, the depletion of wild medicinal animal resources has accelerated. Accordingly, the conservation and sustainable utilization of wild resources of animal medicinal materials has become a problem that garners increasing attention and urgently needs to be solved. This paper summarizes the current situation of domestic and foreign medicinal animal breeding and research progress in industrial application in recent years and points out the issues related to standardized breeding, germplasm selection and breeding, and quality evaluation standards for medicinal animals. Furthermore, this paper discusses standardized breeding, quality standards, resource protection and utilization, and the search for alternative resources for rare and endangered medicinal animals. It proposes that researchers should systematically carry out in-depth basic research on animal medicine, improve the breeding scale and level of medicinal animals, employ modern technology to enhance the quality standards of medicinal materials, and strengthen the research and development of alternative resources. This approach aims to effectively address the relationship between protection and utilization and make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of medicinal animal resources and the animal-based Chinese medicinal material industry.
Animals ; Breeding ; China ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Conservation of Natural Resources

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of intelligent ophthalmology in China, including technological advancements, academic exchange platforms, policy support, future challenges, and potential solutions. Technologically, remarkable progress have been made in various areas of intelligent ophthalmology in China, including diabetic retinopathy, fundus image analysis, and crucial aspects such as quality assessment of medical artificial intelligence products, clinical research methods, technological evaluation, and industrial standards. Researchers are constantly improving the safety and standardization of intelligent ophthalmology technology by formulating clinical application guidelines and standards. Academic exchange platforms have been established to provide extensive collaboration opportunities for professionals across diverse fields, and various academic journals serve as publication platforms for intelligent ophthalmology research. Regarding public policy, the Chinese government has not only established a supportive policy environment for the advancement of intelligent ophthalmology through various documents and regulations, but provided a legal basis and management framework. However, there are still challenges to overcome, such as technological innovation, data privacy and security, outdated regulations, and talent shortages. To tackle these issues, there is a requirement for increased technological research and development, the establishment of regulatory frameworks, talent cultivation, and greater awareness and acceptance of new technologies among patients. By comprehensively addressing these challenges, intelligent ophthalmology in China is expected to continue leading the industry's global development, bringing more innovation and convenience to the field of ophthalmic healthcare.

Background::Evaluating the impact of digestive system diseases is vital for devising effective prevention strategies. However, comprehensive reports on the burden of digestive system diseases in China are lacking. Our study aimed to provide an overview of the burden and trends of digestive system diseases from 1990 to 2019 in China and its provinces.Methods::This cross-sectional study utilized the Global Disease Burden Study 2019 to estimate the incidence, mortality rate, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life disability, years of life lost, and changes in the burden of digestive diseases across Chinese provinces from 1990 to 2019. The analysis of disease burden primarily examines the characteristics of sub-disease distribution, time trends, age distribution, and sex distribution. Additionally, we compared provincial age-standardized DALYs for digestive diseases with the expected rates based on the socio-demographic index (SDI).Results::In 2019, there were 499.2 million cases of digestive system diseases in China, resulting in 1,557,310 deaths. Stomach cancer, colon and rectal cancer, and esophageal cancer are the top three diseases associated with mortality and DALY related to digestive system diseases. Meanwhile, cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and gallbladder and biliary diseases are the top three kinds of diseases with the highest prevalence among digestive system diseases. The risk of gastric cancer sharply increases among men after the age of 40 years, leading to a significant disparity in burden between men and women. As the SDI increased, the DALYs associated with digestive system diseases in China and its provinces showed a downward trend.Conclusion::Our study highlights the inverse correlation between DALYs associated with digestive system diseases and the SDI.

In the study of age estimation in living individuals,a lot of data needs to be analyzed by mathematical statistics,and reasonable medical statistical methods play an important role in data design and analysis.The selection of accurate and appropriate statistical methods is one of the key factors af-fecting the quality of research results.This paper reviews the principles and applicable principles of the commonly used medical statistical methods such as descriptive statistics,difference analysis,consistency test and multivariate statistical analysis,as well as machine learning methods such as shallow learning and deep learning in the age estimation research of living individuals,and summarizes the relevance and application prospects between medical statistical methods and machine learning methods.This paper aims to provide technical guidance for the age estimation research of living individuals to obtain more scientific and accurate results.

Objective To design an embedded cervical spine health intelligent system for health monitoring and disease prevention of cervical spine.Methods The system was composed of a portable monitoring terminal,a cloud server and a WeChat App.The portable monitoring terminal consisted of a data acquisition module,a data processing module and an IoT communication module,in which the data acquisition module used JY 901-S as the main data sensor,the data processing had STM32F4 as the main control chip and China-made RT-Thread as the embedded operating system and realized classified head motion identification with an activity recognition model,and the IoT communication module selected an ESPRESSIF ESP32-C3 series Wi-Fi Bluetooth dual-mode module.The cloud server had a Web server architecture of Linux+Nginx+uWSGI,which stored user data with MySQL database and assessed cervical health status with an evaluation model.The WeChat App was developed with WXML+WXSS+WXS.Results The system developed basically realized the functions for health status monitoring and motion guidance of cervical spine,with an average accuracy for classified head motion identification higher than 90％and a measurement accuracy for neck joint mobility being±1°.Condusion The system developed effectively help users establish and maintain regular cervical spine health exercise behaviors,and provides hospitals and other institutions with reliable rehabilitation exercise treatment programs and rehabilitation care data support.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(8):26-31]

AIM:This study utilized CRISPR/Cas9 technology to create Retnlb floxp knock-in mice,followed by the application of the Cre-LoxP recombination system to generate intestinal epithelial-specific Retnlb gene knockout mice(Retnlb-CKO).This model was developed to investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of Retnlb in inflammatory bowel disease.METHODS:Female and male C57BL/6N mice,aged 8 weeks with the Retnlbflox/+genotype,were housed togeth-er for breeding.Offsprings were screened to identify those with the Retnlbflox/flox genotype.These mice were then crossed with Vil1-Cre transgenic mice,which express Cre recombinase specifically in intestinal epithelial cells,resulting in Retnlb-flox/+,Cre+mice.Subsequent crosses between Retnlbflox/+,Cre+mice and Retnlbflox/flox mice produced Retnlbflox/flox,Cre+mice(Retnlb-CKO).Six 8-week-old Retnlbflox/flox,Cre+mice and their littermate Retnlbflox/flox mice were selected for experiments.RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry were used to assess Retnlb mRNA and protein levels in colonic epithelium.Phenotypic observa-tions included body length,weight,diet,and reproductive capability.Tissue-to-body weight ratios were calculated to ana-lyze growth and development.Intestinal barrier integrity and colonic expression of inflammatory factors were evaluated.RESULTS:The conditional gene knockout mouse model with specific deletion of Retnlb in intestinal epithelial cells was successfully established and validated through genetic identification,mRNA and protein analysis.Compared to Retnlbflox/flox mice,Retnlb-CKO mice exhibited no significant differences in body length,weight,diet,or reproductive capability.There were no differences in the ratios of heart,liver,spleen,lung,kidney,and colon weight to body weight,nor were there morphological differences in various tissues.However,the mRNA expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1,Occlu-din,and Claudin3 in colon tissues of Retnlb-CKO mice was significantly reduced(P<0.01).PAS staining and immunohis-tochemistry revealed a significant decrease in the number of goblet cells and lysozyme-positive cells in the colon tissues of Retnlb-CKO mice(P<0.01).HE staining showed no obvious pathological change in colon tissues of Retnlb-CKO mice.RT-qPCR further demonstrated a significant downregulation of pro-inflammatory factors NLRP3,interleukin-6(IL-6),IL-1β,and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in colon tissues(P<0.01),along with significant downregulation of inflamma-tion signaling pathway proteins TLR4,MyD88,and NF-κB(P<0.01).CONCLUSION:A conditional colon epithelial cell Retnlb gene knockout mouse model was successfully constructed and validated.The absence of Retnlb in colon cells led to impaired intestinal barrier function,decreased mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory factors in colon tissue,and downregulation of mRNA expression of inflammatory pathway proteins TLR4,MyD88,and NF-κB.

Objective To analyze the effect of Meleis transition theory in the intervention of family caregivers of advanced lung cancer patients.Methods From January 2022 to June 2023,94 patients with advanced lung cancer and their family caregivers treated in 4 hospitals of a tertiary A hospital in Zhejiang Province were selected by convenience sampling method,and they were divided into a control group(n=47)and an experimental group(n=47)according to random number table method.The family caregivers of the experimental group received a four-week intervention based on the Meleis transition theory on the basis of routine nursing education,including role recognition,disease knowledge,life care,psychological support,and social resource connection.Family caregivers in the control group received routine nursing education,caregiving education and guidance.The differences in the readiness,caring ability,psychological burden and patients'quality of life were compared between the 2 groups.Results There was no lost follow-up cases in the control group and experimental group.After intervention,the preparation,ability,and quality of life of family caregivers in the experimental group were better than those in the control group,and the psychological burden of caregivers was significantly lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The intervention of caregiving ability of family caregivers based on Meleis transition theory can effectively improve the caregiving ability of caregivers,reduce the psychological burden of caregivers,improve the quality of care,and improve the quality of life of patients.

Objective:To evaluate the detection rate and distribution characteristics of lesions in patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer by 68Ga-prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-11 PET/CT. Methods:From January 2020 to March 2024, 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT examination results of 172 patients (age (69.4±6.5) years) with BCR after radical prostatectomy in Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were retrospectively analyzed. The relationship between prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels and 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT detection rate was explored. The location and quantity of lesions detected by 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT were analyzed in BCR patients with clear location after local treatment, and data were analyzed by Fisher exact test. Results:The detection rate of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in patients with BCR was 70.35%(121/172). The positive detection rate increased with the increase of PSA level, with detection rates of 0.2 μg/L≤PSA<0.5 μg/L, 0.5 μg/L≤PSA<1.0 μg/L, 1.0 μg/L≤PSA<1.5 μg/L and PSA≥1.5 μg/L groups of 49.12%(28/57), 67.24%(39/58), 15/16 and 95.12%(39/41), respectively. After local treatment, 64 cases were diagnosed with 95 recurrent and metastatic lesions. Among them, 22(34.38%) had simple prostate bed recurrence, 23(35.94%) had simple lymph node metastasis, 7(10.94%) had simple bone metastasis, and 12(18.75%) had multi regional metastasis. The proportion of bone metastasis (18.75%, 12/64) was significantly lower than that of prostate bed recurrence and lymph node metastasis (both 50.00%(32/64); both P=0.002). Conclusions:68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT has a high detection rate in patients with BCR after radical prostatectomy, especially in patients with high PSA levels. The lesions are mainly distributed in the prostate bed and lymph nodes, while bone metastases are relatively rare, which provide a theoretical basis for the selection of more accurate treatment plans for BCR patients in the future.

Background/Aims: Despite the high efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), approximately 1–3% of hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients fail to achieve a sustained virological response. We conducted a nationwide study to investigate risk factors associated with DAA treatment failure. Machine-learning algorithms have been applied to discriminate subjects who may fail to respond to DAA therapy. Methods: We analyzed the Taiwan HCV Registry Program database to explore predictors of DAA failure in HCV patients. Fifty-five host and virological features were assessed using multivariate logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and artificial neural network. The primary outcome was undetectable HCV RNA at 12 weeks after the end of treatment. Results: The training (n=23,955) and validation (n=10,346) datasets had similar baseline demographics, with an overall DAA failure rate of 1.6% (n=538). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, poor DAA adherence, and higher hemoglobin A1c were significantly associated with virological failure. XGBoost outperformed the other algorithms and logistic regression models, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 1.000 in the training dataset and 0.803 in the validation dataset. The top five predictors of treatment failure were HCV RNA, body mass index, α-fetoprotein, platelets, and FIB-4 index. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the XGBoost model (cutoff value=0.5) were 99.5%, 69.7%, 99.9%, 97.4%, and 99.5%, respectively, for the entire dataset. Conclusions Machine learning algorithms effectively provide risk stratification for DAA failure and additional information on the factors associated with DAA failure.