AIM:To observe the changes of Th17 related cytokines in tears of conjunctivochalasis(CCH)patients with liver-kidney yin deficiency treated with traditional Chinese medicine Qi Jing Mingmu decoction combined with artificial tears.METHODS:A total of 56 CCH patients(56 eyes)with liver-kidney yin deficiency of grade Ⅱ to Ⅲ were collected and randomly divided into treatment group(treated with Qi Jing Mingmu decoction combined with artificial tears)of 26 cases(26 eyes)and control group(treated with pure artificial tears)of 30 cases(30 eyes). The treatment course was 1 mo, and international ocular surface disease index(OSDI), tear film break-up time(BUT), tear meniscus height(TMH)and conjunctival congestion index of the patients were observed before and after treatment. The patients' tears were collected before and after treatment, and Th17 related cytokines in tears were detected using flow cytometry immunofluorescence luminescence method.RESULTS:After treatment, the OSDI, BUT and conjunctival congestion index of CCH patients in the treatment group and control group were significantly improved(all P<0.01). After treatment, the TMH of CCH patients in the treatment group was significantly reduced(P<0.01), while there was no statistically significant difference in TMH of the control group before and after treatment(P=0.41). After treatment, the levels of Th17 related cytokines IL-17A, IL-22, IFN-γ, IL-17F, and IL-1β in tears of CCH patients in the treatment group were significantly reduced after treatment(all P<0.01), and the changes in the treatment group were more significant(all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the control group before and after treatment(all P>0.05). After treatment, the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the tears of both groups of CCH patients decreased compared to those before treatment(both P<0.05), but the changes in the treatment group were more significant(both P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Qi Jing Mingmu decoction combined with artificial tears can effectively improve the ocular surface microenvironment, enhance tear film stability, and inhibit ocular surface inflammation in CCH patients with liver-kidney yin deficiency. This may be related to its reduction in the secretion of Th17 related cytokines in tears.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and the long-term prognosis of elderly patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 205 elderly colorectal cancer patients aged 70 years and above who underwent radical resection with TNM staging of stage Ⅱ to Ⅲ at Beijing Hospital between January 2014 and December 2018.The study utilized abdominal CT scans taken within 30 days before surgery to measure the skeletal muscle area(SMA)of the 3rd lumbar vertebrae cross-section.Sarcopenia was defined as a skeletal muscle index(SMI) of ≤52.4 cm 2/m 2 in men and ≤38.5 cm 2/m 2 in women(SMI=SMA/height 2).A comparison was made between the clinical and pathological conditions of patients with and without sarcopenia in the two groups, with an analysis of the impact of sarcopenia on the long-term prognosis of elderly postoperative colorectal cancer patients. Results:Among the 205 patients assessed, 63.4%(130/205)were diagnosed with sarcopenia.The group with sarcopenia had a higher percentage of individuals aged 80 years and older( χ2=6.420, P=0.011)compared to those without sarcopenia.Additionally, this group had a lower proportion of overweight or obese patients( χ2=9.366, P=0.009), fewer patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy, and a lower 5-year disease-free survival rate post-surgery( χ2=6.257, 7.347, P=0.012, 0.007).Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that disease-free survival rate was better in elderly patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer who did not have sarcopenia compared to those with sarcopenia(Log-rank χ2=6.919, P=0.009).Moreover, in elderly patients without sarcopenia, those who received adjuvant chemotherapy had a more favorable disease-free survival outcome than those who did not receive such treatment(Log-rank χ2=4.745, P=0.029).Multifactorial Cox regression analysis showed that TNM stage Ⅲ( HR=1.634, 95% CI: 1.110-2.404, P=0.013)and the presence of sarcopenia( HR=1.509, 95% CI: 1.017-2.238, P=0.041)were significant factors influencing the poor long-term prognosis of elderly patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer. Conclusions:Sarcopenia is associated with aging and body mass index, and has been found to be a significant factor in the long-term prognosis of elderly colorectal cancer patients.Those with sarcopenia tend to have a poorer prognosis, while those without may experience benefits from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Objective To analyze the micronucleus rate of radiation workers and to provide accurate occupational health monitoring basis in radiation workers exposed to low-level ionizing radiation for a long time. Methods The radiation group consisted of 353 radiation workers who had been exposed to ionizing radiation during work, while the control group consisted of 41 radiation workers who had not yet been exposed to ionizing radiation before work. The cytokinesis-block micronucleus method was used to determine the micronucleus rate. Results The average micronucleus rate in the radiation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (t = −2.95, P < 0.05). In the radiation group, the micronucleus rate gradually increased with age, and the difference was statistically significant (F = 8.36, P < 0.05). The micronucleus rates of workers with > 10 and > 30 years of service were significantly higher than those of workers with < 10 years of service (χ² = −44.79, −60.47, P < 0.05). The micronucleus rate in females was significantly higher than that in males (t = 3.93, P < 0.05). The micronucleus rates in the diagnostic radiology group and the industrial detection group were significantly higher than that in the control group (t = 3.51, 3.65, P < 0.05). Conclusion The micronucleus rate has increased among the radiation workers exposed to low-level ionizing radiation for a long time. It is necessary to further strengthen occupational health monitoring and radiation protection education for radiation workers, especially the medical workers that constitute the largest population of radiation exposure workers.

Objective:To evaluate the influence of different teaching modes in the creativity of nursing students in China.Methods:A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database and VIP Database were carried out. Randomized control trials (RCTs) examining the influence of different teaching modes in the creativity of nursing students were included from inception to March 5, 2023. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and combined with the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE), then network Meta-analysis with random effects was performed by using WinBugs 1.4.3 and Stata 17.0 software.Results:A total of 63 studies involving 22 teaching modes were included. The network Meta-analysis showed that Case-based Learning Mode, Evidence-based Nursing Teaching Mode, 3D Printing Model Teaching Mode, Hands-on Inquiry Based Learning, Quality Control Circle Teaching Mode, Six Thinking Hats Teaching Mode, Theory, Drill, Practice, Combine (TDPC, T:theory; D:drill; P:practice; C:combine) Teaching Mode were more effective than Lecture-based Learning Mode ( SMD values were 4.61-22.51, all P<0.05). Sensitivity analysis showed the effectiveness of TDPC Teaching Mode was the greatest in nursing theoretical teaching[surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA)=98.08%], the Quality Control Circle Teching Mode was the second most effective (SUCRA=83.13%). The effectiveness of Six Thinking Hats Teaching Mode was the greatest in nursing practical teaching (SUCRA=95.73%), followed by the 3D Printing Model Teching Mode (SUCRA=86.97%). Conclusions:TDPC Teaching Mode, Six Thinking Hats Teaching Mode, 3D Printing Model, Quality Control Circle Teaching Mode were superior to other teaching modes in improving creativity of nursing students.

The Death Cafe has promoted globally, breaking the silence and taboo surrounding death, allowing the public to freely discuss topics related to death and end-of-life, raising public awareness of death, and promoting public thinking and understanding of death. This paper reviews the overview of Death Cafe and its application in palliative care, in order to provide reference for the research and practice of palliative care in China.

Objective:To explore the safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic local pancreatectomy in the treatment of cystic neoplasms of pancreatic head.Methods:Retrospective analysis was conducted of data on patients with pancreatic head cystic neoplasms who received laparoscopic surgery at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from February 2017 to October 2022. A total of 83 patients were enrolled, including 30 males and 53 females, aged (43.7±16.7) years old. All patients were divided into an observation group ( n=55) and a control group ( n=28) based on different surgical procedures. The observation group underwent laparoscopic local pancreatectomy (laparoscopic duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection or laparoscopic enucleation), while the control group underwent laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD). The age, gender, body mass index, postoperative hospital stay, proportion of discharged patients with drainage tubes, surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative blood transfusion rate, and fistula were compared between two groups. Results:All patients successfully completed the surgery, and there were no cases of conversion to laparotomy or perioperative deaths. There was no statistically significant difference in age, male proportion, body mass index, postoperative hospital stay, and discharge rate with drainage tube between the two groups of patients (all P>0.05). The observation group had a surgical time of (194.4±114.0) min, intraoperative bleeding of 50 (50, 200) ml, and intraoperative blood transfusion rate of 5.5%(3/55), all of which were better than that of the control group, (380.0±71.6) min, 200 (100, 400) ml, and 32.1%(9/28), with statistical significance (all P<0.05). Among them, the B/C fistula rates in the laparoscopic local pancreatectomy group and LPD group were 12.7%(7/55) and 10.7%(3/28) ( P=0.790), respectively. Conclusion:Compared with traditional LPD, laparoscopic local pancreatectomy can shorten surgical time, reduce intraoperative bleeding, and lower intraoperative blood transfusion rate. And there is no significant disadvantage in the B or C grade fistula.

Objective Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is the common causes of viral infection of the central nervous system（CNS）,Its clinical manifestations are varied,Summary and analysis of its clinical manifestations and outcomes are helpful for early recognition, guidance of treatment and prognosis. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the 11 patients with CNS-VZV infection who were diagnosed and treated in Department of Neurology，Peking Union Medical College Hospital，from 2014 to 2021 to analyze their clinical features and prognosis，and modified Rankin Scale（mRS）was used for evaluation. Results Among the 11 patients，there were 7 male patients（63.63%）and 4 female patients（36.36%）. As for clinical phenotypes，there were 4 patients with meningitis（36.36%），3 patients with limbic encephalitis（27.27%），3 patients with cerebral vasculitis（27.27%），and 1 patient with myelitis（9.09%）. Three patients（27.27%）had acute rash of herpes zoster. The patients had a median cerebrospinal fluid（CSF）pressure of 165（85，330）mmH2O，a median CSF white blood cell count of 46（9，471）×106/L，a median CSF protein quantification of 0.85（0.32，3.12）g/L，and a CSF glucose level of 3.0（2.5，4.0）mmol/L. There was a significant change in mRS score after treatment [3（1，5）vs 0（0，6），P<0.05]. Conclusion The main clinical phenotypes of CSF-VZV infection include meningitis，limbic encephalitis，cerebral vasculitis，and myelitis，among which meningitis tends to have a good prognosis，and the patients with immunosuppressive conditions tend to have a poor prognosis after VZV cerebral vasculitis. CSF mNGS is an important experiment for the confirmed diagnosis of VZV.
Meningitis

The aim of this study was to compare the immune responses of C57BL/6 mice immunized with two pathogens, foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) and Senecavirus A (SVA), and to provide clues for revealing the regulatory mechanisms of acquired immunity. Inactivated and purified FMDV and SVA antigens were used to immunize C57BL/6 mice respectively, and the mice immunized with PBS were taken as the control. The percentages of Th1 and Th2 cells in the spleen lymphocytes of mice in each group were analyzed by flow cytometry at 14 and 28 days after immunization. RNA-Seq was performed for the spleen. Mouse macrophages were stimulated with the antigens in vitro to examine the expression of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) screened out. The results showed that 14 days after immunization, there was no significant difference in the magnitude of the Th1/Th2 immune response elicited by the FMDV and SVA antigens. After 28 days, the magnitudes of the Th1 and Th2 immune responses elicited by the SVA antigen were higher than those elicited by the FMDV antigen. RNA-Seq revealed two common DEGs, Rsad2 and Tspan8, between the two immunization groups, which indicated that the two genes may be involved in the activation of the Th1/Th2 immune responses by FMDV and SVA antigens. FMDV and SVA antigens stimulated macrophages to secrete interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-33 in vitro, and the expression of Tspan8 and Rsad2 was consistent with the RNA-Seq results. The expression of Rsad2 was regulated by type I interferons (IFNα, IFNβ). In this study, we obtained the DEGs involved in the immune responses to the two antigens in mouse spleen, which provides a molecular basis for investigating the immune response mechanisms induced by FMDV and SVA.
Animals ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus/genetics* ; Mice ; Spleen/cytology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Antigens, Viral/genetics* ; Transcriptome ; Th1 Cells/immunology* ; Immunization ; Viral Vaccines/immunology* ; Th2 Cells/immunology* ; Foot-and-Mouth Disease/immunology* ; Interleukin-33/genetics* ; Female ; Macrophages/immunology* ; Picornaviridae

Alcoholic liver disease(ALD)is the most frequent liver disease worldwide,resulting in severe harm to personal health and posing a serious burden to public health.Based on the reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities of scutellarin(SCU),this study investigated its protective role in male BALB/c mice with acute alcoholic liver injury after oral administration(10,25,and 50 mg/kg).The results indicated that SCU could lessen serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)levels and improve the histopathological changes in acute alcoholic liver;it reduced alcohol-induced malondialdehyde(MDA)content and increased glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),catalase(CAT),and superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity.Furthermore,SCU decreased tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),and IL-1β messenger RNA(mRNA)expression levels,weakened inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)activity,and inhibited nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain(NOD)-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome activation.Mechanistically,SCU suppressed cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily E member 1(CYP2E1)upregulation triggered by alcohol,increased the expression of oxidative stress-related nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)pathways,and suppressed the inflammation-related degradation of inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)-α(IκBα)as well as activation of NF-κB by mediating the protein kinase B(AKT)and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)pathways.These findings demonstrate that SCU protects against acute alcoholic liver injury via inhibiting oxidative stress by regulating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and suppressing inflammation by regulating the AKT,p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathways.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a critical role in the regulation of atherosclerosis. Here, we investigated the role of the lncRNA growth arrest-specific 5 (lncR-GAS5) in atherogenesis. We found that the enforced expression of lncR-GAS5 contributed to the development of atherosclerosis, which presented as increased plaque size and reduced collagen content. Moreover, impaired autophagy was observed, as shown by a decreased LC3II/LC3I protein ratio and an elevated P62 level in lncR-GAS5-overexpressing human aortic endothelial cells. By contrast, lncR-GAS5 knockdown promoted autophagy. Moreover, serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 10 (SRSF10) knockdown increased the LC3II/LC3I ratio and decreased the P62 level, thus enhancing the formation of autophagic vacuoles, autolysosomes, and autophagosomes. Mechanistically, lncR-GAS5 regulated the downstream splicing factor SRSF10 to impair autophagy in the endothelium, which was reversed by the knockdown of SRSF10. Further results revealed that overexpression of the lncR-GAS5-targeted gene miR-193-5p promoted autophagy and autophagic vacuole accumulation by repressing its direct target gene, SRSF10. Notably, miR-193-5p overexpression decreased plaque size and increased collagen content. Altogether, these findings demonstrate that lncR-GAS5 partially contributes to atherogenesis and plaque instability by impairing endothelial autophagy. In conclusion, lncR-GAS5 overexpression arrested endothelial autophagy through the miR-193-5p/SRSF10 signaling pathway. Thus, miR-193-5p/SRSF10 may serve as a novel treatment target for atherosclerosis.
Humans ; Atherosclerosis/genetics* ; Autophagy/genetics* ; Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism* ; Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Endothelium/metabolism* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Repressor Proteins/metabolism* ; RNA Splicing Factors ; Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors/genetics* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism*