BACKGROUND:Wogonin is a flavonoid extracted from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis.Previous studies have shown that baicalein has protective effects against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury,and can also reduce blood sugar and complications in diabetic mice,but its role and mechanism in diabetic cerebral infarction remain unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of wogonin on nerve injury in rats with diabetic cerebral infarction and its mechanism. METHODS:Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups:control group,model group,low-dose wogonin group,medium-dose wogonin group,high-dose wogonin group,and high-dose wogonin+Ras homolog gene family member A(RhoA)activator group.Except for the control group,the other rats were established with diabetes and cerebral ischemia models using intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin and middle cerebral artery occlusion.Low,medium-and high-dose wogonin groups were intragastrically given 10,20,40 mg/kg wogonin,respectively;high-dose wogonin+RhoA activator group was intragastrically given 40 mg/kg wogonin and intraperitoneally injected 10 mg/kg lysophosphatidic acid;control group and model group were given the same amount of normal saline once a day for 7 consecutive days.Rats in each group were evaluated for neurological deficits and their blood glucose levels were measured after the last dose.TTC staining was applied to detect the volume of cerebral infarction.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was applied to observe pathological changes in brain tissue.ELISA kit was applied to detect tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-6,malondialdehyde,and superoxide dismutase levels in brain tissue.Western blot was applied to detect the protein expression of RhoA and Rho-associated protein kinase(ROCK)2 in brain tissue. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the control group,the neuronal structure of rats in the model group was severely damaged,with cell necrosis and degeneration,the neurological deficit score,blood glucose level,and infarct volume were significantly elevated(P<0.05),the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-6,and malondialdehyde,and the protein expression of RhoA and ROCK2 in brain tissue were significantly increased(P<0.05),and the superoxide dismutase level was decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the low-,medium-,and high-dose wogonin groups showed improved neuronal damage,reduced cell degeneration and necrosis,a significant reduction in neurological deficit score,blood glucose level,infarct volume,and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-6,and malondialdehyde,and the protein expression of RhoA and ROCK2 in brain tissue,and an increase in the superoxide dismutase level(P<0.05).Compared with the high-dose wogonin group,the high-dose wogonin+RhoA activator group significantly weakened the improvement in the above indexes of rats with diabetic cerebral infarction(P<0.05).To conclude,wogonin can improve the blood glucose level in rats with diabetic cerebral infarction,reduce cerebral infarction and nerve injury,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.

Debates persist regarding the efficacy and safety of azvudine, particularly its real-world outcomes. This study involved patients aged ≥60 years who were admitted to 25 hospitals in mainland China with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization, the proportion of patients discharged with recovery, time to nucleic acid-negative conversion (T _NANC), time to symptom improvement (T _SI), and time of hospital stay (T _HS). Safety was also assessed. Among the 5884 participants identified, 1999 received azvudine, and 1999 matched controls were included after exclusion and propensity score matching. Azvudine recipients exhibited lower all-cause mortality compared with controls in the overall population (13.3% vs. 17.1%, RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) and in the severe subgroup (25.7% vs. 33.7%; RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88; P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients discharged with recovery, and a shorter T _NANC were associated with azvudine recipients, especially in the severe subgroup. The incidence of adverse events in azvudine recipients was comparable to that in the control group (2.3% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.170). In conclusion, azvudine showed efficacy and safety in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave in China.

Objective To analyze the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of the syphilis epidemic in Gansu Province from 2005 to 2021, and to provide a reference for the prevention and control of the syphilis epidemic in Gansu Province. Methods ArcGIS 10.7 was used to map the annual incidence of syphilis in Gansu Province from 2005 to 2021, spatial autocorrelation analysis and local autocorrelation analysis were performed, and SaTScan 10.0.2 software was used for spatiotemporal scanning analysis. Results The global autocorrelation results showed that the annual incidence of syphilis in 2005-2021 was >0, Z＞1.96, and the P< 0.0001, showing a spatial clustering distribution, and the local autocorrelation results showed that there was one spatially similar high-high aggregation area and two spatially similar low-low aggregation areas in Gansu Province, and the hot spot analysis showed that there were 9 negative hotspot areas and 2 positive hotspot areas in the syphilis epidemic in Gansu Province. Spatiotemporal scanning analysis detected two high concentration areas, mainly concentrated in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Conclusion Syphilis in Gansu Province has regional differences in space, and high-high accumulation areas in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture persist, and targeted prevention and control strategies should be specified according to temporal and spatial characteristics.

Objective:This study aims to explore the prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in patients and the screening value of serological indicators for HEV infection patients.Methods:Retrospective analysis was conducted on 97 440 cases of anti-HEV IgM and IgG simultaneously tested in two Beijing hospitals from January 1, 2018 to August 31, 2023. Among them, there were 61 005 males and 36 435 females, with an average age of 51.65±13.05 years old. According to the positivity of anti HEV specific antibodies, they were divided into anti-HEV IgM positive group (3 588 cases), anti-HEV IgG positive group (18 083 cases), and anti-HEV antibody negative group (78 892 cases). Results of HEV RNA, liver function, AFP, PIVKA-Ⅱ and PT were collected, and their basic clinical information were recorded. The prevalence of HEV infection in patients, as well as the relationship between the positivity of anti-HEV specific antibodies and the patient′s age group, HEV RNA, and clinical characteristics were analyzed.Results:Among 97 440 patients who tested anti-HEV IgM and IgG simultaneously, the positivity rate of anti-HEV IgM was 3.68% (3 588/97 440), and was 18.56% for anti-HEV IgG (18 083/97 440). The overall positivity rates of anti-HEV IgM in two Beijing hospitals from 2018 to 2023 were 2.51%, 2.53%, 3.02%, 4.59%, 5.72%, and 4.26% ( χ2=1 401.73, P<0.001), while the positivity rates of anti-HEV IgG were 12.56%, 12.32%, 12.85%, 22.65%, 27.42%, and 26.66% ( χ2=1 058.29, P<0.001). These rates showed a gradual increase until 2023 when a decline was observed. The positivity rates of anti-HEV IgM (2.28%, 3.60%, 4.47%) ( χ2=89.62, P<0.001) and IgG (4.71%, 17.86%, 25.94%) ( χ2=2 017.32, P<0.001) increased with age in patients who aged 1-30, >30-60, and over 60 years old. The age and ALB values of patients in the anti-HEV IgM positive group were lower than the IgG-positive group, while the proportion of males, TBIL, ALT, AFP and PT values were higher than the IgG-positive group, and the differences were statistically significance ( P<0.05). Furthermore, patients in both the anti-HEV IgM and IgG positive groups had higher age, male proportion, TBIL, ALT, AFP, PIVKA-Ⅱ, and PT values than the anti-HEV negative group. Additionally, both groups had lower ALB values than the anti-HEV negative group, all of which were statistically significant ( P<0.05). 2 162 HEV infected patients were grouped based on HEV RNA positivity. The proportion of anti-HEV IgM single positive, IgG single positive, IgM+IgG double positive, and antibody negative patients in the HEV RNA positive group were 5.42% (18/332), 3.62% (12/332), 90.36% (300/332), and 0.60% (2/332), respectively. Among them, the proportion of anti-HEV IgM+IgG double positive patients in the HEV RNA positive group was higher than that in the HEV RNA negative group ( χ2=302.87, P<0.001), while the proportion of anti-HEV IgG single positive ( χ2=174.36, P<0.001) and anti-HEV antibody negative patients ( χ2=59.28, P<0.001) were lower than that in the HEV RNA negative group, both of which were statistically significant ( P<0.001). In addition, the positive rates of HEV RNA in anti-HEV IgM positive, IgG positive, and antibody negative patients were 29.23% (318/1 088), 17.59% (312/1 774), and 0.65% (2/306), respectively. Conclusion:The HEV infection rate among patients declined in 2023. HEV infection is age-related, with older individuals being more susceptible. Abnormal liver function and jaundice were commonly observed during HEV infection. It is crucial to note that the absence of anti-HEV specific antibodies cannot rule out HEV infection; therefore, additional testing for HEV RNA and/or HEV Ag is necessary for accurate diagnosis.

Diabetic foot(DF),a primary chronic complication of diabetes mellitus,contributes to a major disability and mortality in diabetic patients.DF is diagnosed mainly depending not only on clinical manifestations,signs,and related inspection,but also on recently emerging diagnostic means:biological markers.Inflammatory biomarkers are preferably used for its superiority in DF early diagnosis.In recently years,thanks to advancements of biological technologies,biomarkers such as procalcitonin(PCT),C-reactive protein(CRP),interleukins(ILs),and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α)have been comprehensively used in DF diagnosis.Moreover,biomarkers of genomics,proteomics,metabolomics,and metagenomics have been employed as well.In this review,we aim to com-prehensively review the role of serum biomarkers in DF diagnosis and risk stratification,elaborating on the current research status in applying serum biomarkers for DF prevention,diagnosis,and prognosis assessment.

Objective To explore the role of G protein pathway suppressor 2(GPS2)in regulating proliferation,migration and invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line MHCC-97H.Methods The expression of GPS2 in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)cells were detected using quantitative PCR or Western blot;GPS2 was either over-expressed or knocked down in HCC cells using over-expression vectors or short hairpin RNAs(shRNAs)for GPS2,respectively.Clone formation assay,scratch assay and Transwell assay were used to detect the effects of GPS2 on proliferation,migration and invasion of HCC cells.Results In HCC cells,over-expression of GPS2 was found to inhibit the proliferation,migration and invasion of HCC cells MHCC-97H,while knockdown of GPS2 up-regulated proliferation,migration and invasion of MHCC-97H(P＜0.05).The over-expression of GPS2 in MHCC-97H cells was found to inhibit the expression of cell proliferation,migration and invasion-related factors such as EGFR,MMP1,MMP3 and MMP9,while knockdown of GPS2 upregulated the expression of these factors(P＜0.05).Conclusions GPS2 is a novel HCC regulatory factor that inhibits proliferation,migration and invasion of HCC cells.

Chinese herbal piece is an important component of the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） system， and identifying their quality and grading can promote the development and utilization of Chinese herbal pieces. Utilizing deep learning for intelligent identification of Chinese herbal pieces can save time， effort， and cost， while also reasonably avoiding the constraints of human subjectivity， providing a guarantee for efficient identification of Chinese herbal pieces. In this study， a dataset containing 108 kinds of Chinese herbal pieces （14 058 images） was constructed，the basic YOLOv4 algorithm was employed to identify the 108 kinds of Chinese herbal pieces of our database The mean average precision （mAP） of the developed basic YOLOv4 model reached 85.3%. In addition， the receptive field block was introduced into the neck network of YOLOv4 algorithm， and the improved YOLOv4 algorithm was used to identify Chinese herbal pieces. The mAPof the improved YOLOv4 model achieved 88.7%， the average precision of 80 kinds of decoction pieces exceeded 80%， the average precision of 48 kinds of decoction pieces exceeded 90%. These results indicate that adding the receptive field module can help to some extent in the identification of Chinese herbal medicine pieces with different sizes and small volumes. Finally， the average precision of each kind of Chinese herbal medicine piece by the improved YOLOv4 model was further analyzed. Through in-depth analysis of the original images of Chinese herbal medicine pieces with low prediction average precision， it was clarified that the quantity and quality of original images of Chinese herbal medicine pieces are key to performing intelligent object detection. The improved YOLOv4 model constructed in this study can be used for the rapid identification of Chinese herbal pieces， and also provide reference guidance for the manual authentication of Chinese herbal medicine decoction pieces.

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of general practice mode combined with duloxetine on psychological status,sleep quality and serum inflammatory cytokines in patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome(FMS).Methods A total of 105 FMS patients in Chengde Central Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021 were divided into the combined group(53 cases)and the control group(52 cases)by the random number table method.The two groups were treated with general practice mode combined with duloxetine or duloxetine alone.The single course of treatment lasted for 4 weeks.Their efficacy and safety were evaluated after 2 courses of intervention.Visual analogue scale(VAS),Hamilton Anxiety assessment scale(HAMA),Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD)and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)were performed before and after treatment.The pain,psychological status and sleep quality of the patients were evaluated.Blood samples were taken to measure the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1(IL-1)and IL-6 before and after treatment.Results The total effective rate in the study group was 96.23%,which was higher than that in the control group(82.69%,P<0.05).Compared with those before treatment,VAS,HAMA,HAMD and PSQI scores,serum TNF-α,IL-1 and IL-6 levels in the two groups were all decreased after treatment,and those in the study group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between two groups(7.55%vs.19.23%,P>0.05).Conclusion General practice mode combined with duloxetine was safe and effective in the treatment of FMS,which could significantly relieve anxiety and depression of patients,improve their sleep quality,and reduce the level of serum inflammatory cytokines.

Objective:To study the radiation dose rate and effective dose in ambient environment due to 125I seed implantation in the treatment of the patients suffering abdominal and pelvic tumors, so as to provide reference for occupational protection of different groups. Methods:Within 24 hours after operation, the radiation dose rate to 42 patients with abdominal and pelvic tumor with 125I seed implantation was monitored by using pocket dosimeter. The relationships between the total activity in the implanted particles and the measured dose rate, as well as between the implanted depth and the dose rate under the standard activity, were obtained by curve fitting. According to the formula, the relationship between the dose rate and the warning time was calculated. Results:The dose rates at 30 cm, 50 cm and 100 cm of vertical particle implantation site were (6.92±2.87), (4.10±1.62) and (1.30±0.48) μSv/h, respectively ( χ2=73.71, P<0.05). The dose rates on the left and right sides were (0.378±0.156) and (0.384±0.153) μSv/h at 30 cm, (0.170±0.089) and (0.17±0.086) μSv/h at 50 cm, (0.039 ±0.014) and (0.043±0.017) μSv/h at 100 cm, respectively ( χ2=76.19, 76.33, P<0.05). There was a linear relationship between the dose rate at the vertical particle implantation site and the total activity in the implanted particles, and between the dose rate and the implantation depth under the standard activity. The relationship between the warning time and the dose rate to adults in the same bed, co-workers, minors in the same bed and pregnant women were as follows: t ( d)=-106.616+ 83.779ln D( t), t ( d)=26.556+ 85.933ln D ( t), t( d)=3.088+ 85.017ln D( t). Conclusions:After 125I seed implantation, the radiation dose in the ambient environment is low, ensuring the radiation safety; and the measured dose rate decreases with the decrease in the total activity in the implanted particle and the increase in the implantation depth; at the same time, the warning time for different groups is calculated according to the measured dose rate or the total activity in the implanted particle and the depth of the implanted particle, so as to carry out individualized protection.

Objective:To investigate the effect of metformin on the microRNA (miRNA) expression and screen potential target with network pharmacology analysis in patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods:Fifteen patients with new diagnosed type 2 diabetes admitted to our hospital were selected, who received metformin during hospitalization and after discharge. The expression of serum matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, and myocardial fibrosis related miRNAs were compared before and 6 month after metformin treatment. In addition, gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were applied to analyze differential expression miRNAs showing statistical significance. Meanwhile, the network figure was established to reflect the target gene messenger RNA (mRNA) corresponding to differentially expressed miRNA.Results:Compared with pre-medication, the serum level of MMP-9 was significantly decreased after treatment ( P<0.05). Besides, the expression of homo sapiens microRNA (hsa-miR)29a-3p, hsa-miR133a-5p, hsa-miR21-5p, hsa-miR30c-5p, and hsa-miR1-3p in patients with type 2 diabetes were dramatically down-regulated by metformin ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). Results of GO analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed miRNAs were mainly concentrated in endoplasmic reticulum lumen, synapse, basement membrane and other cell components. The molecular functions such as Rho GTPase binding and participation in extracellular matrix structural constituent were exerted through biological processes such as collagen catabolic process, regulation of short-term neuronal synaptic plasticity, and axon extension, which were mainly enriched in advanced glycation end products-receptor for advanced glycation end products (AGE-RAGE) signaling pathway in diabetic complications, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway, and Wnt signaling pathway, etc. The outcome of miRNA-mRNA network analysis demonstrated that there were 230 target genes mRNAs corresponding to differentially expressed miRNA. Conclusion:Metformin could play its role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes by down regulating the expression of miRNA, participating in the transduction of related cellular signaling pathways, regulating chromatin, nucleic acid binding, and enzyme activities.