ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects and safety of the optimized new Shengmai Powder （优化新生脉散方） on exercise tolerance in patients with chronic heart failure （CHF） of qi deficiency， blood stasis， and fluid retention syndrome. MethodsA randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled trial was conducted. A total of 78 CHF patients with qi deficiency， blood stasis， and fluid retention syndrome were recruited and randomly assigned to a treatment group （39 cases） and a control group （39 cases）. On the basis of conventional western medical therapy， patients in the treatment group additionally received the optimized new Shengmai Powder granules， while the control group was given an oral placebo of optimized new Shengmai Powder granules. Patients in both groups took 30.6 g each time， twice a day， mixed with water for administration， with a total treatment course of 4 weeks. The primary outcomes were 6-minute walk distance （6MWD） and peak oxygen uptake （Peak VO₂） measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Secondary outcomes included New York Heart Association （NYHA） functional classification， B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） levels， cardiac function indexes including left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， left ventri-cular end-systolic diameter （LVESD） and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVEDD）， Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire （MLHFQ） scores， and scores of four diagnostic information of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. All indicators were assessed once before and after treatment respectively. Safety indicators were evaluated， and adverse events during the trial were recorded. ResultsAll patients in both groups were included in the full ana-lysis set （FAS） and safety set （SS）. Compared with baseline， the 6MWD and Peak VO₂ of cardiopulmonary exercise test in the treatment group significantly increased after treatment， while the MLHFQ scores， serum BNP levels and scores of TCM four diagnostic information significantly decreased， and the NYHA cardiac function grade significantly improved （P＜0.01）. After treatment， the 6MWD and Peak VO₂ of cardiopulmonary exercise test， as well as their changes from baseline in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group； the MLHFQ scores， serum BNP levels and scores of TCM four diagnostic information in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group； and the improvement of NYHA cardiac function grade in the treatment group was superior to that in the control group （P＜0.01）. There was no statistically significant differences in all indicators after treatment in the control group （P＞0.05）. The incidence of adverse events was 5.1% （2/39） in the treatment group and 2.6% （1/39） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference between groups （P＞0.05）. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine treatment， the addition of the optimized new Shengmai Powder can further improve exercise tolerance， cardiac function and quality of life in patients with CHF of qi deficiency， blood stasis and fluid retention syndrome， and show good safety.

Objective: To investigate whether fibroblast growth factor 18(FGF18) can induce human gingival fibroblasts(HGFs) isolatedin vitroto differentiate into osteoblast-like cells, and to explore the mechanism of osteogenesis. Methods : HGFs were isolated, cultured and identified by tissue block method. The third generation of HGFs were divided into experimental group and control group. FGF18 and L-DMEM was added to the experimental group while L-DMEM was added to the control group.The effects of different concentrations of FGF18(0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 mg/L) on proliferation of HGFs were detected by Methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay. Alkaline phosphatase(ALP) and alizarin red staining were used to detect the osteogenesis and mineralization ability of the cells after induction. RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry staining, and Western blot were used to detect the expression of genes and proteins related to osteogenesis and BMP2 in the BMP signaling pathway. Results: Compared with the control group, the experimental group could promote the proliferation of HGFs at 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11days(P<0.05),ALP activity and mineral salt deposition increased after induction at 14 and 21 days(P<0.05), and the expressions of ALP, OPN, OCN mRNA and BMP2 mRNA in BMP signaling pathway significantly increased(P<0.01). The expressions of OPN, OCN and BMP2 protein at 21 days were significantly higher than those at 14 days(P<0.01). Conclusion FGF18 can promote the proliferation of HGFs, and induce the differentiation of HGFs into functional osteoblasts. The osteogenic mechanism is related to the upregulation of BMP2.

Objective To determine the acute effects of blood flow restriction(BFR)running warm-up on Achilles tendon morphology and function in basketball players in order to provide a theoretical basis for optimizing warm-up protocols for military personnel and athletes susceptible to Achilles tendon injuries.Methods Twenty-seven male basketball players were subjected and asked to participate in 3 different running warm-up protocols:low-speed running(LSR),high-speed running(HSR),and BFR combined with LSR(BFR-LSR).The acute changes in Achilles tendon morphology,mechanical properties,and functional performance across the 3 testing sessions were analyzed and compared.Results Immediately after training,both HSR warm-up and BFR-LSR warm-up significantly improved Achilles tendon thickness,blood flow,stiffness,and gastrocnemius maximal voluntary isometric contraction(MVIC)when compared with LSR warm-up(P<0.05).No statistical differences were observed in above indicators between the BFR-LSR and HSR warm-ups(P>0.05).24 hours after training,compared with LSR warm-up,HSR warm-up still significantly improved Achilles tendon thickness,blood flow,stiffness,and gastrocnemius MVIC(P<0.05).Although BFR-LSR warm-up did not show statistically significant differences in these parameters compared to LSR warm-up,it still demonstrated positive trends.Immediately and 24 h after training,no obvious difference were found in jump performance among the 3 warm-up protocols(P>0.05),but,both BFR-LSR and HSR warm-ups exhibited superior performance than LSR warm-up.Conclusion Immediately after training,BFR-LSR warm-up demonstrates comparable effects to the HSR warm-up on improving Achilles tendon morphology and performance,as well as enhancing jump performance.However,its sustained and long-term effects require further investigation.

Objective:To explore the impact of previous cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), and rubella virus (RV) infection on pregnancy outcomes in infertile women undergoing the first in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) treatment. Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of women who underwent IVF/ICSI-ET for the first time at the Reproductive Medicine Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from December 2017 to December 2022. The patients were divided into CMV-IgG (+) group ( n=154), RV-IgG (+) group ( n=86), HSV-IgG (+) group ( n=93) and IgG all-negative group ( n=172). The pregnancy outcomes of the patients in the virus-only infection group and the IgG all-negative group were compared. Patients who were previously co-infected with CMV and HSV were classified as the CMV+HSV-IgG (+) group ( n=344), and the pregnancy outcomes of patients with previous CMV and HSV co-infection and those with infection alone were further compared. Results:The two pronuclei (2PN) fertilization rate [63.90% (1 195/1 870)], the clinical pregnancy rate [51.30% (79/154)], and the live birth rate [45.45% (70/154)] of the CMV-IgG (+) group were significantly lower than those of the IgG completely negative group [68.68% (1 469/2 139), P=0.001; 68.60% (118/172), P=0.001; 61.05% (105/172), P=0.005]. The 2PN fertilization rate [61.62% (729/1 183)], the clinical pregnancy rate [50.54% (47/93)], and the live birth rate [43.01% (40/93)] of the HSV-IgG (+) group were significantly lower than those of the IgG completely negative group [68.68% (1 469/2 139), P=0.001; 68.60% (118/172), P=0.004; 61.05% (105/172), P=0.005]. There were no statistical differences in the 2PN fertilization rate, the clinical pregnancy rate, and the live birth rate between the RV-IgG (+) group and the IgG completely negative group (all P>0.05). Compared with the IgG completely negative group, there were no significant differences in the risk of complications such as gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in the CMV-IgG (+) group, RV-IgG (+) group, and HSV-IgG (+) group (all P>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that CMV-IgG (+) ( OR=0.453, 95% CI: 0.280-0.734, P=0.001; OR=0.515, 95% CI: 0.321-0.825, P=0.006), HSV-IgG (+) ( OR=0.425, 95% CI: 0.245-0.738, P=0.002; OR=0.447, 95% CI: 0.259-0.771, P=0.004) and CMV+HSV-IgG (+) ( OR=0.491, 95% CI: 0.329-0.733, P=0.001; OR=0.528, 95% CI: 0.357-0.780, P=0.001) were all independent influencing factors of patients' clinical pregnancy and live birth. There were no statistical differences in the clinical outcomes between the previous CMV and HSV co-infection group and the single infection group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Previous CMV or HSV infection alone reduced the fertilization rate, the clinical pregnancy rate and the live birth rate of patients undergoing IVF/ICSI-ET treatment, but had no significant impact on pregnancy complications and neonatal outcomes. Pregnancy outcomes of patients with previous CMV and HSV co-infection were similar to those with infection alone.

Objective:To assess the disease burden of lung cancer associated with occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in China from 1990 to 2021 using the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data.Methods:In July 2024, data on occupational PAHs exposure-associated lung cancer from 1990 to 2021 were extracted from the GBD database, including mortality rates, age-standardized mortality rates, number of deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates, age-standardized DALYs rates, and number of DALYs for different genders and ages. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze trends in lung cancer mortality rates, age-standardized mortality rates, DALYs rates, and age-standardized DALYs rates over different years, genders, and ages. Joinpoint regression models were used to calculate the annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC), and to identify change points and trends in different periods within the data.Results:From 1990 to 2021, the mortality rate of lung cancer associated with occupational PAHs exposure increased from 0.085 per 100000 to 0.259 per 100000, and the age-standardized mortality rate increased from 0.107 per 100000 to 0.162 per 100000. The DALYs rate increased from 2.746 per 100000 to 7.389 per 100000, and the age-standardized DALYs rate increased from 3.330 per 100000 to 4.679 per 100000. The number of lung cancer deaths and DALYs both peaked in the 65-69 age group. Joinpoint regression analysis showed significant upward trends in mortality, age-standardized mortality, DALYs rate, and age-standardized DALYs rate from 1990 to 2021, with AAPCs of 3.655%, 1.382%, 3.256%, and 1.108%, respectively (all P<0.001). From 2016 to 2021, both the mortality rate and age-standardized mortality rate increased, with APCs of 4.163% and 1.735%, respectively. From 2015 to 2021, the DALYs rate increased (APC: 3.137%), and from 2016 to 2021, the age-standardized DALYs rate also rose (APC: 1.578%). For females, both mortality and DALYs rates increased from 2015 to 2021 (APCs: 6.269% and 5.426%, respectively). Among males, the mortality rate increased from 2018 to 2021 (APC: 3.477%) . Conclusion:From 1990 to 2021, the disease burden of lung cancer related to occupational PAHs exposure in China has significantly increased, particularly among the elderly population. Public health policies should enhance screening and prevention efforts targeting the high-risk populations.

Objective:To explore the impact of previous cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), and rubella virus (RV) infection on pregnancy outcomes in infertile women undergoing the first in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) treatment. Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of women who underwent IVF/ICSI-ET for the first time at the Reproductive Medicine Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from December 2017 to December 2022. The patients were divided into CMV-IgG (+) group ( n=154), RV-IgG (+) group ( n=86), HSV-IgG (+) group ( n=93) and IgG all-negative group ( n=172). The pregnancy outcomes of the patients in the virus-only infection group and the IgG all-negative group were compared. Patients who were previously co-infected with CMV and HSV were classified as the CMV+HSV-IgG (+) group ( n=344), and the pregnancy outcomes of patients with previous CMV and HSV co-infection and those with infection alone were further compared. Results:The two pronuclei (2PN) fertilization rate [63.90% (1 195/1 870)], the clinical pregnancy rate [51.30% (79/154)], and the live birth rate [45.45% (70/154)] of the CMV-IgG (+) group were significantly lower than those of the IgG completely negative group [68.68% (1 469/2 139), P=0.001; 68.60% (118/172), P=0.001; 61.05% (105/172), P=0.005]. The 2PN fertilization rate [61.62% (729/1 183)], the clinical pregnancy rate [50.54% (47/93)], and the live birth rate [43.01% (40/93)] of the HSV-IgG (+) group were significantly lower than those of the IgG completely negative group [68.68% (1 469/2 139), P=0.001; 68.60% (118/172), P=0.004; 61.05% (105/172), P=0.005]. There were no statistical differences in the 2PN fertilization rate, the clinical pregnancy rate, and the live birth rate between the RV-IgG (+) group and the IgG completely negative group (all P>0.05). Compared with the IgG completely negative group, there were no significant differences in the risk of complications such as gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in the CMV-IgG (+) group, RV-IgG (+) group, and HSV-IgG (+) group (all P>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that CMV-IgG (+) ( OR=0.453, 95% CI: 0.280-0.734, P=0.001; OR=0.515, 95% CI: 0.321-0.825, P=0.006), HSV-IgG (+) ( OR=0.425, 95% CI: 0.245-0.738, P=0.002; OR=0.447, 95% CI: 0.259-0.771, P=0.004) and CMV+HSV-IgG (+) ( OR=0.491, 95% CI: 0.329-0.733, P=0.001; OR=0.528, 95% CI: 0.357-0.780, P=0.001) were all independent influencing factors of patients' clinical pregnancy and live birth. There were no statistical differences in the clinical outcomes between the previous CMV and HSV co-infection group and the single infection group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Previous CMV or HSV infection alone reduced the fertilization rate, the clinical pregnancy rate and the live birth rate of patients undergoing IVF/ICSI-ET treatment, but had no significant impact on pregnancy complications and neonatal outcomes. Pregnancy outcomes of patients with previous CMV and HSV co-infection were similar to those with infection alone.

Objective:To understand the potential characteristics of decision-making preparation in outpatient hypertensive patients based on latent profile analysis, to identify the influencing factors of different categories of decision-making preparation levels, and to explore the performance of different decision-making preparation types in facilitation of patients involvement in treatment decision-making.Methods:Through a cross-sectional study, 350 hypertensive patients attending outpatient clinics in five different types of healthcare institutions (general hospitals, specialised hospitals and community hospitals) in Tianjin during January to May 2024 who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected by the convenience sampling method as study subjects. General Information Questionnaires, Preparation for Decision Making Scale, and Facilitation of Patient Involvement Scale were used for investigation.Results:Totally 350 valid questionnaires [178 males and 172 females aged 25-89(57.24 ± 13.39)years old] were collected. The decision-making preparation score of outpatient hypertensive patients was (64.19 ± 18.69). The latent profile analysis results showed that the decision-making preparation of outpatient hypertensive patients could be divided into three potential categories: decision-making information scarcity type accounted for 20.0%(70/350), decision-making balance negotiation type accounted for 39.7%(139/350), and decision-making preparation adequacy type accounted for 40.3%(141/350). The results of multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that age, medical insurance type, occupation, and children′s condition were the influencing factors for the potential categories of decision-making preparation in outpatient hypertensive patients (all P<0.05). Age [less than 35 years old: OR(95% CI)=0.127(0.020-0.796)], occupation [on the job: OR(95% CI)=2.010 (1.034-3.906)], were the influencing factors of decision-making balance negotiation group (all P<0.05). Medical insurance type [basic medical insurance for urban employees: OR(95% CI)=0.372(0.193-0.720)], occupation [on the job: OR(95% CI)=2.500(1.270-4.920)], children′s condition[junior and senior high school: OR(95% CI)=0.391(0.190-0.802)] were the influencing factors of decision-making preparation adequacy group (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The level of promoting patient participation among outpatients with hypertension is relatively high, and there are differences in the perceived degree of promoting patient participation among patients with different types of decision preparation.It is recommended that medical staff provide decision-making related information based on the characteristics of different decision-making preparation categories of patients, encourage patients to actively participate in decision-making, and construct targeted decision support plans.

Objective To explore the mechanism of Huanglian Ganjiang Decoction in regulating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway through the NF-κB/CXCL1/CXCR2 pathway in ulcerative colitis(UC).Methods Sixty C57BL/6J mice were divided into normal group,model group,Huanglian Ganzhang Decoction groups(low,medium and high doses)and mesalazine group.Except for the normal group,UC models were established in the other groups.The general conditions of the mice of all groups were recorded.HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the colon and rectum;electron microscopy was used to observe the mitochondrial condition;ELISA was used to determine the contents of IL-6,IL-10,D-lactic acid and DAO;Real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65,CXCL1,CXCR2,Bcl-2 and Bax;Western blot was used to determine the protein expression levels of NF-κB p65,CXCL1,CXCR2,p-JAK2,p-STAT3,Bcl-2 and Bax.Results Compared with the normal group,the model group of mice showed a decline in condition,shortened length of the colon and rectum,and mitochondrial structural damage,furthermore,the levels of IL-6,DAO and D-lactic acid were increased,IL-10 level was decreased,the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65,CXCL1,CXCR2 and Bax were enhanced,Bcl-2 mRNA expression was weakened,the protein expression of NF-κB p65,CXCL1,CXCR2,p-JAK2,p-STAT3 and Bax were enhanced,Bcl-2 protein expression was weakened.Compared with the model group,the indexes mentioned above were reversed in the drug groups,especially in the high-dose group.Conclusion Huanglian Ganjiang Decoction may exert its therapeutic effect on UC in mice by regulating the NF-κB/CXCL1/CXCR2 pathway and mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Objective:To assess the disease burden of lung cancer associated with occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in China from 1990 to 2021 using the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data.Methods:In July 2024, data on occupational PAHs exposure-associated lung cancer from 1990 to 2021 were extracted from the GBD database, including mortality rates, age-standardized mortality rates, number of deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates, age-standardized DALYs rates, and number of DALYs for different genders and ages. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze trends in lung cancer mortality rates, age-standardized mortality rates, DALYs rates, and age-standardized DALYs rates over different years, genders, and ages. Joinpoint regression models were used to calculate the annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC), and to identify change points and trends in different periods within the data.Results:From 1990 to 2021, the mortality rate of lung cancer associated with occupational PAHs exposure increased from 0.085 per 100000 to 0.259 per 100000, and the age-standardized mortality rate increased from 0.107 per 100000 to 0.162 per 100000. The DALYs rate increased from 2.746 per 100000 to 7.389 per 100000, and the age-standardized DALYs rate increased from 3.330 per 100000 to 4.679 per 100000. The number of lung cancer deaths and DALYs both peaked in the 65-69 age group. Joinpoint regression analysis showed significant upward trends in mortality, age-standardized mortality, DALYs rate, and age-standardized DALYs rate from 1990 to 2021, with AAPCs of 3.655%, 1.382%, 3.256%, and 1.108%, respectively (all P<0.001). From 2016 to 2021, both the mortality rate and age-standardized mortality rate increased, with APCs of 4.163% and 1.735%, respectively. From 2015 to 2021, the DALYs rate increased (APC: 3.137%), and from 2016 to 2021, the age-standardized DALYs rate also rose (APC: 1.578%). For females, both mortality and DALYs rates increased from 2015 to 2021 (APCs: 6.269% and 5.426%, respectively). Among males, the mortality rate increased from 2018 to 2021 (APC: 3.477%) . Conclusion:From 1990 to 2021, the disease burden of lung cancer related to occupational PAHs exposure in China has significantly increased, particularly among the elderly population. Public health policies should enhance screening and prevention efforts targeting the high-risk populations.

Objective:To systematically and comprehensively retrieve studies on urethra care for patients with urinary catheter at home and abroad, so as to provide a reference for removing low-value care measures in the future.Methods:Arksey and O'?Malley scoping review method was used to systematically search the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biology Medicine disc, WanFang Data, VIP, PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science. The search period was from database establishment to January 1, 2024. Literature was screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and catheter care site, disinfection/cleaner type, frequency, institutional norms, and determinants were independently extracted by two researchers, where determinants were framed based on the theoretical domains framework.Results:A total of 21 papers were included. Urethra low-value care measures were reflected in the selection of nursing solutions that differed significantly from guideline recommendations and were inconsistently standardized across hospitals. Thirteen strategies were proposed to remove urethra low-value care measures. Factors that influenced the removal of low-value care behaviors included knowledge, reinforcement, environment and resources, social influences, personal roles and identities, outcome beliefs and memories, and attention and decision-making processes.Conclusions:Future researchers should further refine the evidence on urethra care and develop contextualized care for complex, multilevel healthcare settings to achieve continuous improvement and high quality care at low cost.