ObjectiveTo establish a high-performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） for the quantitative analysis of multiple components in Gegen Qinlian tablets， and to comprehensively evaluate the quality of samples from different manufacturers by integrating chemical pattern recognition and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution（TOPSIS）， in order to provide a reference basis for quality evaluation and control of Gegen Qinlian tablets. MethodsHPLC was employed to determine the contents of 10 components in 28 batches of Gegen Qinlian tablets collected from 6 manufacturers， and taking the detection results as variables， SIMCA 14.1 and SPSS 26.0 were employed for cluster analysis（CA）， principal component analysis（PCA）， and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） to identify key components affecting the quality. Then， TOPSIS analysis was employed to rank the quality of Gegen Qinlian tablets from the 6 manufacturers and establish a comprehensive quality evaluation method. ResultsA quantitative method for Gegen Qinlian tablets was established. After methodological validation， the method was found to be stable and reliable， and could be used for the quantitative analysis of this preparation. The contents of 3′-hydroxy puerarin， puerarin， 3′-methoxy puerarin， daidzein， coptisine hydrochloride， epiberberine， jatrorrhizine hydrochloride， berberine hydrochloride， palmatine hydrochloride and baicalin in 28 batches of samples were 3.58-7.35， 24.88-42.32， 4.20-9.36， 4.33-7.60， 2.52-6.44， 0.93-4.10， 0.58-3.05， 10.68-22.92， 0.82-4.82， 11.73-60.16 mg·g^-1， respectively. Among them， puerarin， berberine hydrochloride and baicalin all met the limit requirements for this preparation specified in the 2025 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. CA and PCA clustered the 28 batches of samples into 5 categories， PCA extracted 2 principal components with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 90.588%， and OPLS-DA screened out 4 differential markers with variable importance in the projection（VIP） values>1.0， namely baicalin， 3′-hydroxy puerarin， coptisine hydrochloride and palmatine hydrochloride， which might be the main components affecting the quality of Gegen Qinlian tablets. TOPSIS analysis showed that the comprehensive score of each evaluation index（C_i） values of different manufacturers were different. Among them， the C_i of manufacturer B was ranked higher， indicating potentially superior quality， while the C_i of manufacturer A was ranked lower， suggesting potentially inferior quality. ConclusionThis study establishes a quantitative method for Gegen Qinlian tablets， and the content uniformity of the same manufacturer is good， while there are differences in the contents of active components among different manufacturers. Through the chemical pattern recognition analysis， it is found that the content differences of Gegen Qinlian tablets may be related to baicalin， 3′-hydroxy puerarin， coptisine hydrochloride and palmatine hydrochloride.

Objective To systematically evaluate the measurement properties and methodological quality of the palliative quality assessment tools based on the cancer patient experiences,and to provide an evidence-based basis for the selection of a high-quality assessment tool for healthcare professionals.Methods Systematic search of PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,CINAHL,CNKI,Wanfang database,VIP database,and China Biomedical Literature database for studies related to the evaluation of the measurement properties of the self-report palliative care quality assessment tools for cancer patients.The search period from the date of creation to December 10,2023.There are 2 researchers who independently conducted literature screening and data extraction according to the COSMIN selection criteria,and used the COSMIN Risk of Bias Inventory and Quality Criteria Scale to measure the academic characteristics and form the final recommendations.Results A total of 19 studies involving 8 assessment tools for cancer patients were included.The final 6 assessment tools were recommended at level B.2 assessment tools are recommended at level A.Conclusion The SF-QCQ-PC and the Self-Report Palliative Care Quality Assessment Tool for Terminal Cancer Patients can be provisionally recommended.However,further validation of its measurement properties is still needed.

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy of Gouteng prescription in treating the patients with primary hypertension with anxiety disorder due to yang hyperactivity and heat toxin and the impact of the formula on the balance of inflammatory cytokines. MethodA total of 98 patients diagnosed with primary hypertension and anxiety disorder were randomized into control and observation groups. On the basis of conventional western medicine treatment for hypertension， the control group （47 patients） was treated with Shugan Jieyu capsules for 8 weeks， while the treatment group （51 patients） with Gouteng prescription for 8 weeks. The two groups were compared in terms of the blood pressure level， 24-hour blood pressure variability， Hamilton anxiety scale （HAMA） score， Pittsburgh sleep quality index （PSQI） score， quality of life （SF-36 scale） score， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score and efficacy， incidence of adverse reactions， and the levels of interleukin （IL）-1β， IL-6， IL-10， and IL-4 in the serum of peripheral blood. ResultThe final trial was completed with 95 patients， including 46 in the control group and 49 in the observation group. The treatment in both groups lowered the blood pressure and blood pressure variability （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The observation group outperformed the control group in recovering the systolic blood pressure （SBP）， 24-hour mean systolic blood pressure （24 h SBP）， 24-hour systolic blood pressure variability （24 h SBPV）， and 24-hour diastolic blood pressure variability （24 h DBPV） （P<0.05）. After treatment， the HAMA and PSQI scores in both groups decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the observation group had lower HAMA and PSQI scores than the control group （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， the SF-36 scores in both groups increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. After treatment， the observation group had higher scores of physiological function （PF）， bodily pain （BP）， social function （SF）， role-emotional （RE）， and mental health （MH） indicators than the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the TCM syndrome scores in both groups decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the observation group had lower score than the control group （P<0.05）. The total response rate regarding TCM syndrome in the observation group was 85.71% （42/49）， which was higher than that （63.04%， 29/46） in the control group （χ²=6.621， P<0.05）. The treatment in both groups lowered the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines （IL-1β， IL-6） and elevated the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines （IL-10， IL-4） （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the changes were more obvious in the observation group than in the control group （P<0.05）. There were no adverse events during the research process. ConclusionGouteng prescription can recover the blood pressure level， reduce blood pressure variability， suppress anxiety state， improve sleep and quality of life， decrease TCM syndrome score， increase total response rate， lower serum IL-1β and IL-6 levels， and elevate serum IL-10 and IL-4 levels in the patients with primary hypertension complicated with anxiety disorder due to yang hyperactivity and heat toxin. It may exert the effects by regulating the balance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Objective:To investigate the effect of distilled water on the viability of human lens epithelial cells (LECs) cultured in vitro. Methods:A total of 156 anterior capsule specimens were collected from 156 patients (156 eyes) who were diagnosed with age-related cataract during phacoemulsification combined with intraocular lens implantation from May to December 2020 in Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School.The 156 specimens were divided into 312 small pieces.Of the 312 pieces, 157 pieces were divided into normal control group (23 pieces), positive control group (10 pieces), balanced salt solution (BSS) immersion group (61 pieces) and distilled water immersion group (63 pieces) using computer-generated random numbers.Normal control group received no treatment.Positive control group was directly fixed with a mass fraction of 4% histiocytes fixative solution.For the 61 pieces in BSS immersion group, 20 pieces were soaked for 1 minute, 21 pieces for 2 minutes, and 20 pieces for 3 minutes.For the 63 pieces in distilled water immersion group, 20 pieces were soaked for 1 minute, 23 pieces for 2 minutes, and 20 pieces for 3 minutes.Another 125 pieces were selected to simulate the cataract aspiration-irrigation according to the treatment in BSS immersion group and distilled water immersion group respectively, plus rinse in a bottle containing BSS at a height of 70 cm for 1 minute.Cell viability was detected by trypan blue-eosin staining.LECs density, dead cell count, cell death rate and percentage of shedding (%) were calculated.Of the remaining 30 pieces, every 15 pieces were divided into normal control group, BSS immersion group, and distilled water immersion for 1, 2 and 3 minutes groups, with 3 pieces in each group.BSS immersion group was immersed for 3 minutes, and the other four groups were treated as mentioned above, and the LECs structure of the four groups was observed by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School (No.2019-248-01). Written informed consent was obtained from each subject.Results:The boundaries of LECs in BSS treatment groups were clear, and there was no significant difference in morphology compared with normal control group.With time increasing, LECs in distilled water treatment groups gradually swelled, and the boundaries of dead cells were not clear.There were significant differences in LECs density, dead LECs count and LECs mortality ( F=13.459, 98.918, 130.600; all at P<0.001). The LECs density was lower in 2-minute and 3-minute distilled water treatment groups than in normal control group, showing statistically significant differences (both at P<0.05). The dead LECs count and LECs mortality were higher in 1-minute, 2-minute and 3-minute distilled water treatment groups than in normal control group and BSS treatment groups for the same time, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). Only a few shed LECs were seen in normal control group, 1-minute, 2-minute and 3-minute BSS treatment groups, and BSS immersion combined rinse group.After different time of soaking, there were more shed LECs in distilled water immersion combined rinse group, and the range of LECs shedding increased with the extension of distilled water immersion.There was a significant difference in the shedding percentage of LECs among different groups ( F=123.670, P<0.001). The shedding percentages of LECs at different time points were higher in distilled water immersion groups and distilled water immersion combined rinse groups than in normal control group, and the difference was statistically significant (all at P<0.05). The shedding percentage of LECs increased significantly in distilled water immersion groups with the extension of immersion.Light microscopy showed that the cells were destroyed in 1-minute, 2-minute and 3-minute distilled water treatment groups, and some LECs shed in the 2-minute and 3-minute treatment groups.Transmission electron microscopy showed cell lysis and destruction, suborganelles swelling, disruption of intercellular junctions in 1-minute, 2-minute and 3-minute distilled water treatment groups, loose attachment between cells and capsule in the 2-minute and 3-minute treatment groups, and cell detachment from capsule in the 3-minute treatment group. Conclusions:Distilled water immersion leads to LECs death in a time-dependent manner, and distilled water immersion combined with rinse can remove LECs on the lens capsule.

Objective:To investigate the value of ultrasound findings in the diagnosis of lower extremity arterial disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and correlate it with clinical factors.Methods:A total of 535 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who received treatment in Taiyuan Second People's Hospital from January 2016 to June 2019 underwent color Doppler ultrasound examination (T2DM group). Vascular inner diameter, intima-media thickness, atherosclerotic plaque formation, lumen stenosis or occlusion, and hemodynamic characteristics were determined in patients with type2 diabetes mellitus compared with those in 107 patients with non-type 2 diabetes mellitus (non-T2DM group). These parameters were correlated with the course of the disease, blood glucose level, concomitant hypertension or not, and clinical Wagner grade.Results:The incidences of intima-media thickening, atherosclerotic plaque, stenosis, and occlusion of lower extremity arteries were 69.9%, 89.0%, 77.0% and 11.6% respectively, in the T2DM group, which were significantly higher than 41.1%, 78.5%, 72.0%, and 1.9% respectively in the non-T2DM group ( χ2 = 32.52, P < 0.001; χ2 = 8.76, P = 0.003; χ2 = 27.77, P < 0.001). With the prolongation of the course of T2DM, the incidence of arterial lesions in the lower extremities increased ( P < 0.001). The incidences of intima-media thickening, atherosclerotic plaque, stenosis, and occlusion of lower extremity arteries were significantly greater in the poor blood glucose control group and non-hypertension group compared with the good blood glucose control group and hypertension group (all P < 0.05). The degree of lower extremity arterial stenosis in T2DM patients was related to Wagner's grade. As the degree of stenosis increased, Wagner's grade increased correspondingly and significantly ( P < 0.001). Conclusion:Color Doppler ultrasound examination has an important value in evaluating lower extremity arterial lesions in patients with T2DM. The degree of arterial lesions in the lower extremities of T2DM patients is correlated with the course of the disease, blood glucose levels, concomitant hypertension, and clinical Wagner grade. Color Doppler ultrasound examination has an important clinical significance in evaluating the degree of vascular lesions and guiding early interventions in the clinic.

Objective:To explore the optimal match degree between thoracolumbar kyphosis (TLK) and lower lumbar lordosis (LLL) in adult spinal deformity (ASD) after correction surgery.Methods:Data of 119 ASD patients (male: 28, female: 91), belonging to the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University (19 cases), the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (11 cases), and the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital (89 cases) were reviewed and documented from March 2019 to March 2020. All patients (age, 64.48±8.88 years; range, 45-79 years) underwent the surgical procedure of thoracolumbar fusion with instrumentations were followed up over 24 months (51.68±15.60 months; range, 24-87 months) after surgery. Postoperative proximal interface failure, Oswestry disability index (ODI) score and Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) score were recorded for all patients. The immediate match of TLK to LLL postoperatively was calculated as follows: TLM=TLK/LLL. The data of those individuals with excellent improvements in the ODI (>50%) at the final follow-up were recorded and analyzed. Then the mean value and the 95% CI of TLM in those individuals were calculated. All participants were subdivided into three groups according to the 95% CI value of TLM. After the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyzing, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was the best cutoff value of TLM. The association of proximal junctional failure (PJF) developing with the abnormal TLM postoperatively was analyzed with logistic regression, and the odds ratio (OR) was calculated. Results:62 patients had significant improvements in ODI (>50%) at the final follow-up, and the mean TLM in those individuals was 0.41 [95% CI (0.2, 0.5)]. All patients were divided into three groups: TLM<0.2 (35 cases), 0.2≤TLM≤0.5 (48 cases) and TLM>0.5 (36 cases). The preoperative TLK (13.87°±16.61°) and T 1 pelvic angle (19.69°±10.55°) in the those patients with TLM<0.2 were the smallest, and those were the largest in those with TLM>0.5 (30.59°±16.68°, 28.30°±14.46°). The individuals with TLM<0.2 still had the smallest TLK (2.89°±1.78°), however, those with TLM>0.5 had the largest TLK (17.13°±12.13°) and the smallest LLL (-26.16°±11.02°) accordingly. Additionally, the ODI and SRS-22 for those with 0.2≤TLM≤0.5 at the final follow-up were the best ( P<0.05). ROC curve analysis results showed that the best cutoff value of TLM was 0.4 (sensitivity=78.9%, specificity=76.2%; AUC=0.802, 95% CI (0.708, 0.896) , P<0.001). During the follow-up after orthopedic surgery, there were 19 patients with postoperative proximal junction failure, including 16 patients in the mismatched group (6 patients in the TLM<0.2 group, 10 patients in the TLM>0.5 group) and 3 patients in the matched group (0.2≤TLM≤0.5 group), with the incidence of 23% (16/71) and 6% (3/48), respectively. The difference was statistically significant (χ 2=5.66, P=0.017). Thoracolumbar mismatch was significantly associated with proximal borderline failure after orthosis [ OR=4.35, 95% CI (1.196, 15.924)]. Conclusion:The abnormal correction in thoracolumbar kyphosis and lower lumbar lordosis may result in mismatch between thoracolumbar segments, which would undermine the quality of life, and increase the incidence of proximal junctional failure developing in those ASD patients underwent long-fusion surgeries. The match between TLK and LLL should be 0.2 to 0.5.

Scoliosis is one of the common diseases in adolescents. It can rapidly progress during the peak growth period. Scoliosis school screening (SSS) is the main way for early detection and treatment of this disease. The SSS project began in the 1960s and was gradually promoted from the United States to the world. However, some problems were gradually exposed during the implementation of the project, such as the high false positive rate of screening methods, potential radiation damage, the uncertainty of the potency ratio of screening and the lack of evidence-based medical evidence of the effectiveness of high-level conservative treatment, which led to many European and American countries stopping the implementation of SSS. However, with the progress of research related to diagnosis and treatment of scoliosis, based on the latest evidence-based medical evidence assessment, the United States Preventive Medicine Task Force again adjusted the recommendation level of SSS to "no recommendation, no objection" in 2018. In recent years, SSS has gradually received extensive attention from the Chinese government and society. Five national ministries and commissions also issued a document in 2021 to include scoliosis in the monitoring of common diseases among students. However, the implementation of the project should also refer to the effectiveness criteria of disease screening recommended by the World Health Organization. In the future, with the improvement of the accuracy of scoliosis screening methods, the development of multi-mode screening such as artificial intelligence, the emergence of non-radiation detection technology and the improvement of the effectiveness of conservative treatment of mild and moderate scoliosis, the long-term and large-scale implementation of SSS project and the early prevention and control of scoliosis will be possible to truly achieve.

Objective:To investigate the inhibitory effect of indocyanine green (ICG) on biological behavior and transdifferentiation of human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) and its mechanism.Methods:HLECs were divided into blank control group, 5% glucose solution (GS) group and 0.5% ICG group, 1.5% ICG group and 2.5% ICG group, which were treated with balanced salt solution, 5% GS and 0.5%, 1.5% and 2.5% ICG solutions for 3 minutes, respectively, and then were incubated in fresh medium for 24 hours.The apoptosis level of HLECs was detected by flow cytometry.The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins, Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), caspase-3 and caspase-9 were detected by Western blot.Cell proliferation was detected via the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay.The migration ability of HLECs was detected by cell scratch assay.Cell migration and invasion were determined by Transwell assays.The expression levels transdifferentiation-related proteins, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), nerve calcium adhesion protein (N-cadherin), fibronectin (FN) and vimentin were assessed by Western blot.Results:The apoptosis rates of blank control group, 5% GS group, 0.5% ICG group, 1.5% ICG group and 2.5% ICG group were (4.35±0.60)%, (4.63±0.19)%, (8.17±0.69)%, (13.90±0.33)% and (23.08±1.12)%, with a statistically significant difference in the overall comparison ( F=412.74, P<0.05). The apoptosis rate was significantly higher in 0.5% ICG group, 1.5% ICG group and 2.5% ICG group than in blank control group and 5% GS group (all at P<0.05). The relative expressions of caspase-3, caspase-9 and Bax proteins were significantly higher in 0.5% ICG group, 1.5% ICG group and 2.5% ICG group than in blank control group and 5% GS group, and the relative expression of Bcl-2 protein was lower in 1.5% ICG group and 2.5% ICG group than in blank control group and 5% GS group, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). The rate of EdU-positive cells was significantly lower in 0.5% ICG group, 1.5% ICG group and 2.5% ICG groups than in blank control group and 5% GS group (all at P<0.05). The survival rate of cells was significantly lower in 0.5% ICG group, 1.5% ICG group and 2.5% ICG group than in blank control group and 5% GS group (all at P<0.05). The migration rates of scratch cells were significantly lower in 0.5% ICG group, 1.5% ICG group and 2.5% ICG group than in blank control group and 5% GS group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The number of migrating cells and the number of invading cells were significantly lower in 0.5% ICG group, 1.5% ICG group and 2.5% ICG group than in blank control group and 5% GS group (all at P<0.05). The relative expressions of α-SMA, N-cadherin and FN were significantly lower in 0.5% ICG group, 1.5% ICG group and 2.5% ICG group than in blank control group and 5% GS group, and the relative expression of vimentin was lower in 1.5% ICG group and 2.5% ICG group than in blank control group and 5% GS group, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). Conclusions:ICG can promote HLECs apoptosis and inhibit HLECs proliferation, migration, invasion and transdifferentiation in a concentration-dependent manner.

Cell epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation is one of the causes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The emergence of targeted drugs for EGFR gene mutation provides a new direction for NSCLC treatment. The common EGFR-targeted drugs like the first-generation gefitinib and erlotinib, the second-generation afatinib and the third-generation osimertinib have shown their good efficacies in a number of large international clinical trials. EGFR gene mutation in Chinese NSCLC patients is different from that in European and American NSCLC patients. This paper briefly reviews the characteristics of EGFR gene mutation and the current status and progress of EGFR-targeted drugs in Chinese NSCLC patients to investigate the mutation characteristics of EGFR in Chinese NSCLC patients and the response as well as prognosis of Chinese patients to EGFR-TKI therapy.

P1B-ATPases are a group of proteins that can transport heavy metal ions across membranes by hydrolyzing ATP and they are a subclass of the P-type ATPase family. It was found that P1B-ATPases are mainly responsible for the active transport of heavy metal ions in plants and play an important role in the regulation of heavy metal homeostasis in plants. In this paper, we dissusses the mechanism of P1B-ATPases from the structure and classification of P1B-ATPases, and review the current research progress in the function of P1B-ATPases, in order to provide reference for future research and application of P1B-ATPases in improving crop quality and ecological environment management.
Adenosine Triphosphatases/metabolism* ; Biological Transport ; Metals, Heavy ; Plants/enzymology*