Diabetic kidney disease （DKD） is one of the main causes of chronic kidney disease. Both traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and western medicine have their own advantages in the prevention and treatment of DKD， but there are also many difficulties. By analysis of the difficulties faced by TCM and western medicine in the differentiation and treatment of DKD， based on the theory of "miniature masses in the renal collaterals"， combined with long-term clinical practice， "internal heat leading to mass" is proposed as the core pathogenesis of DKD. Therefore， a trinity model of "disease-syndrome-symptom" for differentiation and treatment of DKD based on the core pathogenesis has been proposed. This model highlights the status of the core pathogenesis of "internal heat leading to mass" in DKD， and conducts a three-dimensional identification from the perspectives of disease， syndrome and symptom， so as to inspire clinical practice.

ObjectiveTo carry out a health technology assessment （HTA） of acupuncture for secondary dysmenorrhea （SD） caused by adenomyosis and endometriosis， in order to provide a reference for relevant medical decision-making. MethodsFrom the perspective of the health system， the assessment covers seven areas， including the technical characteristics， safety， effectiveness， economics， ethical fairness， organizational adaptability， and impact on patients and society. The results are reported accordingly. ResultsThe operational specifications of acupuncture are standardized， and the conditions for its use are clearly defined. Acupuncture has a lower overall incidence of adverse events. The main adverse events are localized pain， subcutaneous bleeding， and dizziness， with most symptoms being mild， all of which have corresponding standard treatments. No reports on occupational or environmental safety were found， and the safety operation specifications are available for reference. Compared with conventional Western medicine， acupuncture demonstrates higher effectiveness. Acupuncture may improve the quality of life scores of patients， though no significant difference was observed. The cost of acupuncture is higher than that of conventional Western medicine， but its overall economic value is greater. The informed consent information is relatively comprehensive. Most patients are aware of the potential benefits and risks of acupuncture and voluntarily opt for it. The treatment process fully respects patient privacy and human rights. The clinical application of acupuncture follows the current acupuncture medical service model， with no special requirements for the level of medical institutions. Patient accessibility and affordability are suitable. Patient satisfaction is high. Most patients indicated they would choose acupuncture again for SD. The main barriers to choosing acupuncture are psychological factors （such as fear of acupuncture）， cost， and transportation issues. Nearly 70% of patients receiving acupuncture treatment benefit from medical insurance reimbursement， with reimbursement rates generally above 50%， indicating strong social security support. ConclusionThe implementation of HTA for acupuncture in the treatment of SD， using the standards for traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， is feasible. The implementation steps are clear， the data sources for each evaluation domain are adequate， the analysis methods are practical， and the evaluation results are comprehensive. Experts recommend that the findings be used as a reference for relevant medical decision-making.

Objective: To analyze the prevalence and determinants of comorbid overweight/obesity and elevated blood pressure among primary and secondary school students in Yangzhou City, and to explore the association between sleep patterns, eating behavior and the comorbidity of overweight/obesity and elevated blood pressure, so as to provide reference for developing prevention strategies targeting common comorbidities in students. Methods: By using stratified cluster random sampling, a total of 8 735 primary and secondary school students were selected from 36 schools in six counties of Yangzhou from October to November 2023. Students underwent physical examinations and a questionnaire survey was conducted using the questionnaire on students health status and influencing factors. The Chi square test was used to compare the detection rate of comorbid overweight/obesity and elevated blood pressure in different groups of primary and secondary school students. The Logistic regression model was used to explore the association between sleep and dietary behaviors and their combined effects and coexistence. Results: The detection rate of comorbid overweight/obesity and elevated blood pressure among primary and secondary school students in Yangzhou was 9.85%, which was higher among boys (12.14%) than girls (7.59%)( χ 2=50.86, P <0.01). After controlling for gender, residence, educational stage, parental education, smoking, drinking, and moderate to vigorous exercise, multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that irregular breakfast consumption and inadequate daily sleep were associated with a higher risk of comorbidities compared with regular breakfast consumption and adequate daily sleep among overall and primary school students (overall: OR =1.52, 95% CI =1.18- 1.96 , primary school students: OR =2.79, 95% CI =1.61-4.82)(both P <0.05). From the perspective of primary school students of different genders, the risk of comorbidities in girls who consumed breakfast irregularly and had inadequate daily sleep was 3.59 times higher than that in girls who consumed breakfast irregularly and had inadequate daily sleep (95% CI =1.65-7.82, P <0.01). Conclusion The sleep patterns and breakfast behaviors of primary and secondary school students are found to be associated with comorbid overweight/obesity and elevated blood pressure, especially in primary school girls.

BACKGROUND: Valvular heart disease (VHD) has become increasingly common with the aging in China. This study aimed to evaluate regional differences in the clinical features, management strategies, and outcomes of patients with VHD across different regions in China. METHODS: Data were collected from the China-VHD Study. From April 2018 to June 2018, 12,347 patients who presented with moderate or severe native VHD with a median of 2 years of follow-up from 46 centers at certified tertiary hospitals across 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in Chinese mainland were included in this study. According to the locations of the research centers, patients were divided into five regional groups: eastern, southern, western, northern, and central China. The clinical features of VHD patients were compared among the five geographical regions. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for heart failure. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the cumulative incidence rate. RESULTS: Among the enrolled patients (mean age, 61.96 years; 6877 [55.70%] male), multiple VHD was the most frequent type (4042, 32.74%), which was mainly found in eastern China, followed by isolated mitral regurgitation (3044, 24.65%), which was mainly found in northern China. The etiology of VHD varied significantly across different regions of China. The overall rate of valve interventions was 32.67% (4008/12,268), with the highest rate in southern China at 48.46% (205/423). In terms of procedure, the proportion of transcatheter valve intervention was relatively low compared to that of surgical treatment. Patients with VHD in western China had the highest incidence of all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for heart failure. Valve intervention significantly improved the outcome of patients with VHD in all five regions (all P  <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that patients with VHD in China are characterized by significant geographic disparities in clinical features, treatment, and clinical outcomes. Targeted efforts are needed to improve the management and prognosis of patients with VHD in China according to differences in geographical characteristics. REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03484806.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Heart Valve Diseases/therapy* ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To analyze the implementation effects of a medical laboratory talent training program based on local colleges and universities' applied talent-oriented cultivation principal as well as students' interests and industry needs.Methods:Based on the design principals of clarifying the professional orientation, meeting the national standard, reconstructing the curriculum system, introducing the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, and multi-dimensional collaborative education, as well as the reverse design path of the outcome-based education concept, we have built a medical laboratory applied talent training system focusing on humanity education, solid foundation, broad employment, and good competency and in accordance with the "three complete education" strategy, along with measures including creating an applied teaching atmosphere, developing an applied curriculum teaching model, providing vocational guidance and improving vocational identity, and promoting education via evaluation. The system was applied to the training and practice of students of grades 2021 and 2022 majoring in medical laboratory technology. SPSS20.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results:With the concept of application-oriented talent training and the "four-in-one" practical teaching model, students' skills were improved, and the training path was broadened. Compared with those trained with the original program (grades 2019-2020), the graduates trained with the new program (grades 2021-2022) showed a significantly decreased employment rate in medical laboratory jobs in medical institutions from 71.25% to 42.86% ( χ2=12.36, P<0.001), a significantly increased employment rate in in-vitro diagnostics industry from 3.75% to 17.14% ( χ2=7.44, P<0.05), and a significantly increased rate of applying for postgraduate education from 17.05% to 32.86% ( χ2=4.74, P<0.05). Conclusions:The medical laboratory talent training program based on the talent training principal of local colleges and universities combined with students' interests and industry needs can help improve the quality of talent training and broaden the employment path of graduates.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Tongluo Juanbi granules on chondrocyte apoptosis and Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway of rabbits with knee osteoarthritis （KOA） and study the mechanism of Tongluo Juanbi granules in the prevention and treatment of KOA. MethodThirty New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to the following five groups （n=6）： sham group， model group， low-dose and high-dose groups of Tongluo Juanbi granules （4.1 and 8.2 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and celecoxib group （10.9 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）. The KOA model was established by destabilization of the medial meniscus （DMM） for six weeks. Six weeks after the modeling， the drug was given once a day for eight weeks. The pathological changes of cartilago articularis were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Safranin O-Fast Green staining. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling （TUNEL） staining was performed to detect chondrocyte apoptosis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the contents of interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in synovial fluid. The mRNA and protein expression levels of genes related to the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultCompared with the sham group， the cartilago articularis of the model group significantly degenerated. Mankin's score was increased （P<0.01）， and the contents of IL-1β and TNF-α in synovial fluid were increased （P<0.01）. The number of apoptosis of chondrocytes was increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expressions of TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB p65 in cartilage tissue were up-regulated （P<0.01）， while the mRNA and protein expressions of Bcl-2 were down-regulated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， chondrocyte degeneration in both low-dose and high-dose groups of Tongluo Juanbi granules was improved， and Mankin's score was decreased （P<0.01）. The contents of IL-1β and TNF-α were decreased （P<0.01）， and the number of apoptosis of chondrocytes was decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expressions of TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB p65 in cartilage tissue were down-regulated （P<0.01）， while the mRNA and protein expressions of Bcl-2 were up-regulated （P<0.01）. In addition， in the above observation indicators， the high-dose group of Tongluo Juanbi granules was significantly superior to the low-dose group of Tongluo Juanbi granules. ConclusionTongluo Juanbi granules could inhibit chondrocyte apoptosis in rabbits with KOA and improve cartilage degeneration， which may be related to inhibiting inflammatory responses mediated by TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective: To explore the association between processed food consumption and anxiety symptoms among college students in Yunnan Province, so as to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of anxiety symptoms in this population. Methods: A cluster random sample of 2 515 first year students from two universities in Yunnan Province was selected to carry out a longitudinal investigation which included a baseline survey (November 2021, T1) and three follow up visits (June 2022, T2; November 2022, T3; June 2023, T4). The food frequency questionnaire was administered to assess processed food consumption, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21, Chinese version) was used to evaluate anxiety symptoms. A generalized estimation equation model was used to analyze the relationship between processed food consumption and anxiety symptoms. Results: The detection rates of T1-T4 anxiety symptoms among college students in Yunnan Province were 29.70%, 36.70%, 37.69% and 38.73 %, respectively, and the corresponding anxiety symptom scores were 4(0,8), 4(0,10), 4(0,12), 2(0,14). After controlling for demographic variables and confounding factors in the generalized estimation equation model, a statistically significant association was found between consumption of carbonated beverages ( β=0.06, 95%CI =0.03-0.08), and other processed snacks ( β= 0.04 , 95%CI =0.01-0.07) ( P <0.05). The stratified analysis by gender showed that the consumption of carbonated beverages ( β=0.08, 95%CI =0.05-0.12) and fast food ( β=0.03, 95%CI =0.00-0.06) was significantly associated with anxiety symptoms in female college students ( P <0.05). There was no significant association between processed food consumption and anxiety symptoms in male college students ( P >0.05). Conclusions Processed food consumption by college students in Yunnan Province may increase the risk of anxiety symptoms, particularly among female students. There is a need to strengthen guidance in respect to processed food consumption, so as to prevent and treat anxiety symptoms.

ObjectiveThis study aims to understand the recognition of practitioners in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） hospitals on hospital-based health technology assessment （HB-HTA）， assessment needs， challenges， and suggestions， so as to provide references for the future work. MethodThe convenient sampling method was adopted to survey the relevant practitioners in TCM hospitals. The questionnaire included 39 questions in 4 dimensions and was distributed through the online platform Weijuanxing. ResultA total of 244 questionnaires were recovered， and the obtained data were analyzed in SPSS. The results showed that 137 practitioners were very familiar with HB-HTA and there was no significant difference in the recognition of practitioners in different occupations （F=0.251； P=0.778）. The practitioners in Hong Kong， Macao， and Taiwan had lower recognition than those in other regions. In terms of the assessment needs， 127 practitioners believed that it was very necessary to carry out HB-HTA in TCM hospitals in the future. Chinese patent medicines/Chinese herbal medicine decoction pieces （5.91） and TCM appropriate technology （5.57） had higher assessment priority scores. The assessment needs were high for the effectiveness （235 practitioners） and safety （224 practitioners） of health technology. The lack of specialized organization and standardized evaluation process system and the shortage of talents were considered to be the major challenges for the future development in this field. ConclusionThe stakeholders carrying out the health technology assessment in TCM hospitals had certain awareness of HB-HTA. Most practitioners believed that it was necessary to carry out HB-HTA in TCM hospitals in the future， while the work might face challenges such as the lack of organizations and system and the shortage of talents， which requires policy support.

Literature related to children's adenoid hypertrophy was retrieved to form an expert questionnaire.According to the group standard writing rules of the China Association of Chinese Medicine,the peer consultation,quality evaluation and suitability eval-uation were completed through three rounds of Delphi expert questionnaire surveys and expert discussion meetings,and the Clinical Practice Guidelines for TCM in Children with Adenoidal Hypertrophy was finally formed.The guidelines have been formulated to clarify the scope of application of the guidelines,normative reference documents,terms and definitions,diagnosis,syndrome differentiation,treatment,prevention and care,and to provide an important reference for the clinical practice and diagnosis and treatment norms of tra-ditional Chinese medicine for children with adenoid hypertrophy.

Objective: To investigate the effects of acupotomy on skeletal muscle fibrosis and collagen deposition in a rabbit knee osteoarthritis (KOA) model. Methods: Rabbits (n = 18) were randomly divided into control, KOA, and KOA + acupotomy (Apo) groups (n = 6). The rabbits in the KOA and Apo groups were modeled using the modified Videman's method for 6 weeks. After modeling, the Apo group was subjected to acupotomy once a week for 3 weeks on the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, biceps femoris, and anserine bursa tendons around the knee. The behavior of all animals was recorded, rectus femoris tissue was obtained, and histomorphological changes were observed using Masson staining and transmission electron microscopy. The expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), Smad 3, Smad 7, fibrillar collagen types I (Col-I) and III (Col-III) was detected using Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Histological analysis revealed that acupotomy improved the microstructure and reduced the collagen volume fraction of rectus femoris, compared with the KOA group (P = .034). Acupotomy inhibited abnormal collagen deposition by modulating the expression of fibrosis-related proteins and mRNA, thus preventing skeletal muscle fibrosis. Western blot and RT-PCR analysis revealed that in the Apo group, Col-I, and Col-III protein levels were significantly lower than those in the KOA group (both P < .01), same as Col-I and Col-III mRNA levels (P = .0031; P = .0046). Compared with the KOA group, the protein levels of TGF-β1 and Smad 3 were significantly reduced (both P < .01), as were the mRNA levels of TGF-β1 and Smad 3 (P = .0007; P = .0011). Conversely, the levels of protein and mRNA of Smad 7 were significantly higher than that in the KOA group (P < .01; P = .0271). Conclusion Acupotomy could alleviate skeletal muscle fibrosis and delay KOA progress by inhibiting collagen deposition through the TGF-β/Smad pathway in the skeletal muscle of KOA rabbits.