Childhood simple obesity has become a significant public health issue in China. Modern medicine primarily relies on lifestyle interventions and often suffers from poor long-term compliance， while pharmacological options are limited and associated with potential adverse effects. Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） has a long history in the prevention and management of this condition， demonstrating eight distinct advantages， including systematic theoretical foundation， diversified therapeutic approaches， definite therapeutic efficacy， high safety profile， good patient compliance， comprehensive intervention strategies， emphasis on prevention， and stepwise treatment protocols. Additionally， TCM is characterized by six distinctive features： the use of natural medicinal substances， non-invasive external therapies， integration of medicinal dietetics， simple exercise regimens， precise syndrome differentiation， and diverse dosage forms. By combining internal and external treatments， TCM facilitates individualized regimen adjustment and holistic regulation， demonstrating remarkable effects in improving obesity-related metabolic indicators， regulating constitutional imbalance， and promoting healthy behaviors. However， challenges remain， such as inconsistent operational standards， insufficient high-quality clinical evidence， and a gap between basic research and clinical application. Future efforts should focus on accelerating the standardization of TCM diagnosis and treatment， conducting multicenter randomized controlled trials， and fostering interdisciplinary integration， so as to enhance the scientific validity and international recognition of TCM in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanisms by which ligustilide （LIG） exerts neuroprotective effects on ischemic stroke （IS） by inhibiting the release of neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs）， promoting blood-brain barrier repair， and alleviating post-ischemic neuroinflammation， thereby providing a new direction for IS treatment. MethodsA middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） model was established in rats. The rats were divided into the sham operation （Sham） group， model （Model） group， low- and high-dose LIG groups （20， 40 mg·kg^-1）， and the NET inhibitor CI-amidine group （CI-amidine， 10 mg·kg^-1）. Drug treatments were administered for 3 days. Neurological injury after ischemia was evaluated by 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining， neurological deficit scoring， and brain index measurement. Flow cytometry and Western blot were used to analyze changes in neutrophil expression. Immunofluorescence was used to observe the fluorescence intensity of the NET marker citrullinated histone H3 （H3Cit）. Western blot was performed to detect the expression of blood-brain barrier tight junction-related proteins and inflammatory factors， including interleukin-18 （IL-18） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β）. ResultsCompared with the Sham group， the Model group exhibited significant brain tissue injury （P<0.05）， significantly increased neutrophil numbers and NET expression （P<0.05）， significantly impaired blood-brain barrier permeability （P<0.05）， and significantly increased expression of inflammatory factors （P<0.05）. Compared with the Model group， both low- and high-dose LIG significantly alleviated brain tissue injury in rats （P<0.01）， inhibited neutrophil numbers and NET expression （P<0.01）， reduced blood-brain barrier damage （P<0.01）， and suppressed the expression of inflammatory factors IL-18 and IL-1β （P<0.01）， thereby ultimately exerting a neuroprotective effect. ConclusionThe neuroprotective effect of LIG in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury may be related to inhibition of neutrophils and the NETs induced by them.

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanisms by which ligustilide （LIG） exerts neuroprotective effects on ischemic stroke （IS） by inhibiting the release of neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs）， promoting blood-brain barrier repair， and alleviating post-ischemic neuroinflammation， thereby providing a new direction for IS treatment. MethodsA middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） model was established in rats. The rats were divided into the sham operation （Sham） group， model （Model） group， low- and high-dose LIG groups （20， 40 mg·kg^-1）， and the NET inhibitor CI-amidine group （CI-amidine， 10 mg·kg^-1）. Drug treatments were administered for 3 days. Neurological injury after ischemia was evaluated by 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining， neurological deficit scoring， and brain index measurement. Flow cytometry and Western blot were used to analyze changes in neutrophil expression. Immunofluorescence was used to observe the fluorescence intensity of the NET marker citrullinated histone H3 （H3Cit）. Western blot was performed to detect the expression of blood-brain barrier tight junction-related proteins and inflammatory factors， including interleukin-18 （IL-18） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β）. ResultsCompared with the Sham group， the Model group exhibited significant brain tissue injury （P<0.05）， significantly increased neutrophil numbers and NET expression （P<0.05）， significantly impaired blood-brain barrier permeability （P<0.05）， and significantly increased expression of inflammatory factors （P<0.05）. Compared with the Model group， both low- and high-dose LIG significantly alleviated brain tissue injury in rats （P<0.01）， inhibited neutrophil numbers and NET expression （P<0.01）， reduced blood-brain barrier damage （P<0.01）， and suppressed the expression of inflammatory factors IL-18 and IL-1β （P<0.01）， thereby ultimately exerting a neuroprotective effect. ConclusionThe neuroprotective effect of LIG in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury may be related to inhibition of neutrophils and the NETs induced by them.

ObjectiveThe malaria parasites remodel the host erythrocyte structure by exporting parasite proteins that interact with the membrane skeleton proteins of red blood cells (RBCs), facilitating their intracellular survival and pathogenicity. Skeleton-binding protein 1 (SBP1) is a conserved exported protein across Plasmodium species. In Plasmodium falciparum, SBP1 has been reported to interact with erythrocyte membrane skeleton proteins 4.1R and spectrin, while its contribution to erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence in Plasmodium berghei (Pb) remains unclear. This study aims to determine whether PbSBP1 associates with the host cytoskeletal protein 4.1R and to investigate its role in the remodeling of host RBCs and the pathogenicity of Plasmodium berghei. MethodsIn Plasmodium berghei, the relationship between PbSBP1 and the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R was examined using co-immunoprecipitation. A Pbsbp1 gene knockout mutant of Plasmodium berghei (Pbsbp1∆) was generated based on the principle of double crossover homologous recombination. The deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was assessed using microfluidic methods. Microchannels with an array of cylindrical pillars were used to detect modifications in infected RBC deformability. The infected RBCs were squashed between the rows and recovered between the columns and the transit velocity (μm/s) of infected RBCs travelling through the microchannel was recorded. The component of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton junctional complex, tropomodulin (TMOD), was fluorescently labeled, and the cytoskeletal network of infected erythrocytes was imaged using super-resolution stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) to analyze ultrastructural changes in the cytoskeleton of wild-type (WT) and Pbsbp1∆-infected erythrocytes. Actin-based junctional complexes were displayed as individual clusters by the labeled TMOD in the STORM images, and the cluster densities and distances between adjacent clusters of infected RBCs were calculated. Additionally, rodent malaria models (BALB/c mice) and experimental cerebral malaria models (C57BL/6 mice) were employed to monitor the growth of Pbsbp1∆ and WT parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage and their capacity to induce cerebral malaria in mice. ResultsPbSBP1 may participate in the remodeling of infected erythrocytes through direct or indirect interaction with the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R. Microfluidic assays revealed that the deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was significantly enhanced compared to those infected with WT parasites. STORM imaging further demonstrated that the ultrastructure of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton in Pbsbp1∆-infected cells was altered relative to that in WT-infected erythrocytes. The distances between nearest neighbors of clusters had a tendency to increase while the cluster densities were decreased in Pbsbp1∆-infected RBCs compared to WT-infected RBCs. Subsequent phenotypic analysis indicated that the growth rate of Pbsbp1∆ parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage was significantly slower than that of WT parasites, and their ability to induce cerebral malaria in mice was also attenuated. These findings suggest that PbSBP1 is involved in the remodeling of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton, likely through its direct or indirect interaction with protein 4.1R, thereby regulating the deformability of infected erythrocytes and influencing the pathogenicity of the blood-stage parasites. ConclusionThis study establishes a role for PbSBP1 in host erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence, providing new research strategies for the prevention and treatment of malaria.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and changing trend of typhus in Shaanxi Province from 2005 to 2023 to provide a scientific basis for its prevention and control. Methods Excel 2007, SPSS 25.0, Joinpoint 4.9.1.0, and Geoda 1.6 were used for data collection and statistical analysis. Super Map was used for data visualization to describe the changing characteristics of the disease. Results A total of 394 typhus cases were reported in Shaanxi Province from 2005 to 2023. The average annual incidence of typhus was 0.054/100 000, showing a dynamic fluctuation trend(AAPC=-3.3, t=-0.3, P>0.05). The cases were mainly concentrated in Baoji, Hanzhong and Xi′an, accounting for 78.68%. The incidence peak was from May to October, accounting for 64.21% of annual incidence. The epidemic season was from May to October and December. The incidence of the disease was concentrated in the 40-69 age group, accounting for 58.88%, and the sex was 1.07:1. The main occupation was farmers, accounting for 72.08%. The median time from onset to diagnosis was 7 days. Global spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that there were significant spatial autocorrelations in 11 years from 2005 to 2023(P<0.05). Local spatial autocorrelation analysis detected a total of 43“high-high”clustering areas, mainly concentrated in Baoji City. Conclusions The overall incidence of typhus in Shaanxi Province showed a dynamic fluctuation trend, with notable seasonal and regional aggregation. The incidence of typhus was higher in middle-aged and elderly people in rural areas. Surveillance should be strengthened in typhus endemic areas in summer and autumn, and health education should be conducted for key population to form good health habits and reduce the incidence of typhus.

Objective To investigate the expression of microRNA-221-3p(miR-221-3p)in breast cancer cells under hypoxia conditions,and the effects of knocking down its expression on the stemness maintenance and angiogenesis in breast cancer cells.Methods Human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 were cultured under normoxic and hypoxic conditions,and the expression of miR-221-3p in cells was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR).MCF-7 cells were divided into normoxic group(MCF-7 cells were cultured under normoxic conditions),hypoxic group(MCF-7 cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions),hypoxia+miR-221-3p NC group(MCF-7 cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions and transfected with miR-221-3p NC),hypoxia+miR-221-3p inhibitor group(MCF-7 cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions and transfected with miR-221-3p inhibitor).The proliferation activity of cells in each group was detected by CCK-8 method;the number of cell tumor spheres in each group was detected by tumor sphere formation assay;the proportion of cells labeled with the stemness marker aldehyde dehydrogenase 1(ALDH1)in each group was detected by flow cytometry;the expression of cluster of differentiation 133(CD133),cluster of differentiation 44(CD44)and sex determination region Y-box protein 2(SOX2)of cells in each group was detected by Western blot;the number of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)tubes formed by cell supernatant culture in each group was detected by in vitro tube formation experiment;the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)of cells in each group was detected by Western blot.Results Compared with normoxic group,the expression levels of miR-221-3p,and CD133,CD44,SOX2,HIF-1α,VEGF protein of cells in hypoxic group were significantly up-regulated(P<0.05),and the cell proliferation activity,the number of tumor spheres,the proportion of ALDH1+cells and the number of HUVEC tubes were significantly increased(P<0.05).Compared with hypoxia+miR-221-3p NC group,the expression levels of miR-221-3p,and CD133,CD44,SOX2,HIF-1α,VEGF protein of cells in hypoxia+miR-221-3p inhibitor group were significantly down-regulated(P<0.05),and the cell proliferation activity,the number of tumor spheres,the proportion of ALDH1+cells,and the number of HUVEC were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion Under hypoxic conditions,the expression of miR-221-3p in breast cancer cells is up-regulated,and knocking down the expression of miR-221-3p can reduce the stemness and angiogenesis ability of breast cancer cells.

Objective:To detect the serum levels of 25(OH)D,miR-125b-5p,hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA)in patients with multiple myeloma(MM),and explore the role of miR-125b-5p/HIF-1α pathway in the involvement of vitamin D deficiency in the pathogenesis of MM.Methods:Fifty three newly diagnosed/relapsed MM patients admitted to the department of hematology of our hospital from October 2021 to December 2023 were included.Meanwhile,25 healthy individuals matched in gender and age from our hospital's Health Management Center were selected as controls.The serum level of 25(OH)D was monitored by mass spectrometry,the serum level of miR-125b-5p was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR,and serum levels of HIF-1α and VEGFA were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The levels of 25(OH)D,miR-125b-5p,HIF-1α,and VEGFA were compared between the two groups.According to the level of 25(OH)D,the MM patients were divided into vitamin D deficiency group(＜20 ng/ml)and vitamin D non-deficiency group(≥ 20 ng/ml),and the levels of miR-125b-5p,HIF-1α,and VEGFA were compared between the two groups.The correlations between 25(OH)D,miR-125b-5p,HIF-1α and VEGFA were analyzed.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to determine the diagnostic value of25(OH)D combined with miR-125b-5p for newly diagnosed MM.Results:The level of 25(OH)D in MM patients was significantly lower than that in control group(P＜0.01).There was no significant difference in 25(OH)D level between newly diagnosed and relapsed MM patients(P＞0.05).Compared with the control group,the level of miR-125b-5p was significantly reduced in MM patients(P＜0.01),while the levels of HIF-1α and VEGFA were significantly increased(both P＜0.001).In MM patients,the miR-125b-5p level in the vitamin D deficiency group was significantly decreased than that in the non-deficiency group(P＜0.01),while the levels of HIF-1 α and VEGFA were significantly increased(both P＜0.05).In MM patients,25(OH)D was positively correlated with miR-125b-5p,while negatively correlated with HIF-1α and VEGFA(both P＜0.05).Moreover,miR-125b-5p was negatively correlated with HIF-1α and VEGFA(both P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)for diagnosing MM with 25(OH)D,miR-125b-5p,and their combination were 0.699,0.751,and 0.791,respectively.Conclusion:The incidence of vitamin D deficiency is high in MM patients.Vitamin D deficiency may promote angiogenesis and participate in the occurrence and development of MM by downregulating miR-125b-5p and upregulating HIF-1α and VEGFA expression.

OBJECTIVE To explore the epidemiological characteristics of common allergens among children with al-lergic rhinitis(AR)in a children's specialized hospital of Beijing.METHODS A total of 2120 children who met the diagnostic criteria of AR and were treated in otolaryngology department of Beijing Jingdu Children's Hospital from 2021 to 2023 were recruited as the research subjects.The specific immunoglobulin E(sIgE)of allergens was de-tected by western blot quantitative assay.The positive rates of the allergens were statistically analyzed according to the age,sex and years.The epidemiological characteristics and changing trends were observed.RESULTS The pos-itive rate of allergens was 47.78％among the 2120 children,in whom multiple allergies polysensitization were pre-dominant;the positive rate of allergens and polysensitization rate were the highest among the population aged be-tween 1 and 7 years old.The inhalational allergens were dominant,and the positive rate of the Candida group was highest.The positive rates of inhalant allergens and ingested allergens reached the peak at the age of 1-7 and then declined with age;milk and egg white were the two types of predominant ingested allergens in childhood.Among the 2120 children,there were significant differences in the positive rates of allergens between the male and the fe-male,and the positive rates of the male were higher than those of the female(P＜0.001).The positive rates of al-lergens generally showed upward trends during the 3 years,the positive rates of the inhalant allergens such as mugwort,cat hair and dog dandruff ascended by a large margin,and the positive rates of the ingested allergens such as milk,egg white and egg yolk showed remarkable rising trends.CONCLUSIONS The causes of AR are complicated.There are a variety of factors affecting the allergen test.The epidemiological characteristics of the al-lergens among the AR children are observed from multiple perspectives,which may provide references for preven-tion and treatment of the children with AR.

OBJECTIVE To stimulate the debridement and dressing process under the approximately real clinical scene by fluorescence labeling and understand the contamination status of the operators' bodies and their surround-ings so as to improve the strategies.METHODS A total of 41 trainees were recruited from Enterostomal Therapist Nursing Education Program of Peking University School of Medicine and International School of Wound Thera-pists of Peking University First Hospital in 2023.The examination was designed by stimulating the debridement and dressing operations with fluorescence labeling,the orange was used to simulate the wound of the patients,and the pad towel was placed under the orange to represent the contaminated surroundings of the wound.A round le-sion area with diameter of 2 cm was uniformly marked on the surface of the orange peel by the operators,the trai-nees were asked to remove the lesion tissues and take dressings.The fluorescent powders were smeared evenly on the orange and pad towel before the examination,and no fluorescence labeling for the surroundings was guaranteed.The trainees were required to wear hats,masks,isolation gowns and gloves during the operations,and take off the gloves and trace the scope of fluorescent contamination with ultraviolet radiator after the examina-tion.RESULTS The contamination rate was 92.68％for the trainees' bodies,100.00％for their surroundings.The hands and forearms were the most severe contaminated body sites,and the contamination rates were 85.37％(35/41)and 34.15％(14/41),respectively.The downside of the pad towel was the most frequently contaminated area of the surroundings,with the proportion of 90.24％(37/41);the right side of the pad towel was the area with the contamination disseminated farthest,with the median distance of dissemination 13.50 cm.In addition,the dressing change carts of 75.61％(31/41)of the trainees were contaminated.CONCLUSIONS The operations of de-bridement and dressing change may lead to varying degrees of contamination of their bodies and surroundings.It is necessary to strengthen the hand hygiene and protective isolation during the process of dressing change and pay attention to the disinfection of the dressing change carts so as to minimize the risk of hospital-associated infec-tions.

Objective:To study the anti-inflammatory mechanism of acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine in regulating the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)/NOD like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) signaling pathway in a T-2 toxin induced rat model of Kashin-Beck disease.Methods:A total of 40 clean-grade Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (half male and half female), weighing 180 - 220 g, were divided using a random number table method into model group, tetramethylpyrazine group, acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine group, and control group, with 10 rats in each group. Rats in the model group, the tetramethylpyrazine group, and the acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine group were intraperitoneally injected with 1.5 mg/kg of 0.1% T-2 toxin five times per week for 4 consecutive weeks. Rats in both the tetramethylpyrazine group and the acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine group were intraperitoneally injected with 100 mg·kg -1·d -1 tetramethylpyrazine solution. Meanwhile, rats in the model group and the control group were administered an equivalent volume of physiological saline for consecutive 4 weeks. Acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine group was used to needle the bilateral "Qu Chi" and "Wei Zhong" of rats with a diameter of 3 - 5 mm, leaving the needle for 20 minutes, once a day, for 4 weeks. After the last injection, the rats were euthanized to collect blood samples and knee joint cartilage. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to observe the pathological changes in the knee joint cartilage of rats. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure serum levels of osteocalcin (OC), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), β-carboxy-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type Ⅰ collagen (β-CTX), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Western blot analysis was used to determine protein expression levels of NF-κB p65 and NLRP3. Results:In the control group, intact cartilage surface, middle, and deep structures were observed in the knee joint cartilage of rats. In the model group, pathological changes similar to adult Kashin-Beck disease were observed in the knee joint cartilage. The integrity of the knee joint cartilage of rats in the tetramethylpyrazine group and the acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine group was significantly improved compared to the model group. Compared with the control group, the levels of OC and ALP in the serum of the model group rats were significantly reduced, while the level of β-CTX was significantly increased ( P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the levels of OC and ALP in the serum of rats in the tetramethylpyrazine group and the acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine group were significantly increased, while the levels of β-CTX were significantly decreased ( P < 0.05). The levels of OC and ALP in the serum of rats in the acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine group were higher than those in the tetramethylpyrazine group, while the level of β-CTX was lower than that in the tetramethylpyrazine group ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in the serum of the model group rats were significantly increased ( P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in the serum of rats in the tetramethylpyrazine group and the acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine group were significantly reduced ( P < 0.05). The levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in the serum of rats in the acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine group were lower than those in the tetramethylpyrazine group ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression levels of NF-κB p65 and NLRP3 proteins in the model group rats were significantly increased ( P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression levels of NF-κB p65 and NLRP3 proteins were significantly reduced in the tetramethylpyrazine group and the acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine group ( P < 0.05). The expression levels of NF-κB p65 and NLRP3 proteins in the acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine group were significantly lower than those in the tetramethylpyrazine group ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:Acupoint acupuncture combined with tetramethylpyrazine has a good anti-inflammatory effect on T-2 toxin induced Kashin-Beck disease rats, and its mechanism may be related to the downregulation of NF-κB p65 and NLRP3 protein expression.