ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of topical treatment of allergic contact dermatitis （ACD） mice with Portulacae Herba based on the nuclear factor E₂-related factor 2 （Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway. MethodsA total of 70 6-week-old specific pathogen free （SPF） female Kunming mice were adaptively fed for 1 week and randomly divided into blank group， model group， compound dexamethasone acetate cream group （2.075×10^-2 g·g^-1）， blank matrix cream group， low-dose Portulacae Herba cream group （0.1 g·g^-1）， high-dose Portulacae Herba cream group （0.2 g·g^-1）， and Portulacae Herba + inhibitor group （0.2 g·g^-1 + 30 mg·kg^-1 ML385）， with 10 mice in each group. One day before the experiment， the mice were shaved on the neck and back. Except for the blank group， the mice in the other groups were treated with 2，4-dinitrochlorobenzene （DNCB） to establish an ACD model. After respective administration， the skin lesion of the mice was scored， and the histopathological changes of the skin were stained with hematoxylin-eosin （HE）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， reactive oxygen species （ROS）， superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity， and malondialdehyde （MDA） in serum of mice. The expression of Nrf2/HO-1/NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins in mouse skin tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry （IHC）， Western blot， and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the mice in the model group had an increased skin lesion score （P<0.01）， severe pathological damage to skin tissue， increased content of IL-1β， IL-6， ROS， and MDA in their serum （P<0.01）， and decreased content of SOD （P<0.01）. In addition， the mRNA and protein expression levels of Nrf2， HO-1， and nuclear factor-κB inhibitor α （IκBα） in skin tissue were up-regulated （P<0.01）， while the protein expression levels of phosphorylated （p）-IκBα and p-NF-κB p65 and the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65 were down-regulated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group and the blank matrix cream group， the mice treated with Portulacae Herba had a decreased skin lesion score （P<0.01）， reduced pathological damage to skin tissue， decreased content of IL-1β， IL-6， ROS， and MDA in their serum （P<0.01）， and increased content of SOD （P<0.01）. Additionally， the mRNA and protein expression levels of Nrf2， HO-1， and IκBα in skin tissue were down-regulated （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and the protein expression levels of p-IκBα and p-NF-κB p65 and the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65 were up-regulated （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Compared with the Portulacae Herba + inhibitor group， the high-dose Portulacae Herba cream group had a decreased skin lesion score （P<0.01）， alleviated pathological damage to skin tissue， decreased content of IL-1β， IL-6， ROS， and MDA in the serum of mice （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and increased content of SOD （P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of Nrf2， HO-1， and IκBα and the mRNA expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in skin tissue were up-regulated （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and the protein expression levels of p-IκBα and p-NF-κB p65 and the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65 were down-regulated （P<0.05）. ConclusionPortulacae Herba can improve DNCB-induced ACD skin damage in mice by regulating the Nrf2/HO-1/NF-κB signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To study the effects and mechanism of Portulaca oleracea cream on skin pruritus and barrier function in allergic contact dermatitis （ACD） mice. METHODS Low-concentration and high-concentration P. oleracea creams were prepared， with the P. oleracea extract solution （1 g/mL， calculated by crude drug） concentrations of 10% and 20%. Sixty BALB/c mice were randomly allocated into blank group， model group， Mometasone furoate cream group （positive control）， blank matrix cream group， P. oleracea low-concentration and high-concentration cream groups. Except for blank group， ACD model was induced in each group using 2，4-dinitrochlorobenzene solution. The blank group and model groups received normal saline， while the remaining groups were treated with their respective creams， once a day， at a dose of approximately 0.5 g per application， continuously for 14 days. At 24 h post-final administration， skin lesions of mice were observed and scored； pathological changes of skin tissue were observed； serum levels of immunoglobulin E（IgE） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） were quantified. mRNA expression of MAS-related G protein-coupled receptors （including MrgprA3， MrgprC11， and MrgprD） in dorsal root ganglion （DRG） was assessed； while protein expressions of skin barrier function-related proteins Claudin-1 and Occludin in skin tissues were determined. RESULTS Compared with blank group， mice in the model group exhibited severe skin damage， characterized by loss of epidermal architecture， hyperkeratosis of the skin tissue， and the infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells. The skin injury scores， as well as the serum levels of IgE and TNF-α， and the mRNA expression levels of MrgprA3， MrgprC11， and MrgprD in DRG， were all significantly elevated compared to the blank group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； in contrast， the protein expression levels of Claudin-1 and Occludin in the skin tissue were markedly reduced （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， mice in P. oleracea low-concentration and high- concentration cream groups demonstrated significant alleviation of skin damage， as evidenced by reduced epidermal hyperplasia， mitigated spongiosis in the dermis， and decreased infiltration of inflammatory cells； these quantitative indicators were almost significantly reversed （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. No significant differences were observed in the aforementioned skin injuries， pathological alterations， or quantitative indicators between the blank matrix cream group and the model group. CONCLUSIONS P. oleracea may ameliorate skin lesions and restore skin barrier function of ACD mice， the mechanism of which may be associated with downregulating mRNA expressions of MrgprA3， MrgprC11 and MrgprD in DRG， and up-regulating the protein expressions of Claudin-1 and Occludin in skin tissue.

Objective To explore the value of high-frequency ultrasound in the detection of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma and displaying lesion characteristics. Methods A total of 38 paitients with hepatocellular carcinoma satellite lesions within 40 mm of subcutaneous tissue were underwent low-frequency (1-5 MHz) and high-frequency (6-9 MHz) ultrasound. Detection rates and ultrasonic features were compared. Results High-frequency grayscale ultrasound had a higher detection rate (71.1% vs. 36.8%, P＜0.001). Subgroup analysis showed higher detection rates with chemotherapy history (88.9% vs. 33.3%, P＝0.002), fatty liver (71.9% vs 31.3%, P＜0.001) or superficial lesion (within 20 mm, 76.5% vs 41.2%, P＝0.031). High-frequency ultrasound also showed clearer margins (P＝0.004) and more arterial-phase rim enhancement (P＝0.007). Conclusions 6-9 MHz ultrasound detects metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma, especially superficial lesions, more effectively than 1-5 MHz ultrasound and better visualizes characteristics.

Mental state is an important part of the normal life activities of the human body, and it is also the most external expression and the most easily obtained information of the physical condition. The normal activities of the mind depend on the normal operation of the viscera, qi, and blood, and are a unified whole that prospers together and suffers together. The theory of the five-spirit-viscera in the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic revealed that the normal mental activities of the human body were dominated by the five internal organs, that is, the five internal organs were the body and the five spirits were the function. And it highlighted the viewpoint that the five internal organs store the spirits and are actually one. The heart governs the spirit and belongs to the four internal organs. On this basis, Synopsis of Golden Chamber used the internal organs to diagnose and treat mental diseases, integrating the theory of the five spirits into it, forming a unique method of diagnosis and treatment with the heart as the leading factor and regulating the qi and blood of the four internal organs. It identified the pathogenesis of diseases such as pathogenic crying, lily disease, and hysteria from five levels: heart deficiency and weak qi, heart-lung disharmony, heart-liver disharmony, the heart of the loss of the spleen nourishment, and disharmony between heart and kidney. The treatment was mainly to replenish the deficiency of the viscera and eliminate the pathogens, reflecting the characteristics of regulating the mind and calming the four internal organs. This unique view on diagnosis and treatment has profoundly influenced the diagnosis and treatment theories of mental illnesses by later doctors, and is of great significance to the current clinical treatment of such illnesses.

ObjectiveTo analyse the efficacy and mechanism of Guizhi Fulingwan in regulating sex hormone disorders in rats with benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH）. MethodsThirty male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group， a model group， a finasteride group （0.45 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and low-dose and high-dose groups of Guizhi Fulingwan （0.135， 0.337 5 g∙kg^-1∙d^-1）， with six in each group. The BPH model was prepared by subcutaneous injection of 3.5 mg∙kg^-1∙d^-1 testosterone propionate after debridement surgery in all groups except the sham group. The rats in the sham group and the model group were administered with an equal volume of saline by gavage， and the rest of the groups were administered with the corresponding medicinal solution by gavage for 35 days. Histopathology in rats was evaluated by prostate wet weight， volume， index， and hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The serum sex hormone levels of testosterone （T）， dihydrotestosterone （DHT）， and estradiol （E₂） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein expression of the androgen receptor （AR） was detected by immunohistochemistry. The serum metabolism profiles of rats in the sham group， the model group， and the high-dose group of Guizhi Fulingwan were compared by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem Fourier transform mass spectrometry （UHPLCQ Exactive） to screen for metabolic markers and to obtain relevant metabolic pathways. ResultsCompared with those in the sham group， the wet weight， volume， index， serum sex hormone level， and AR protein expression of the prostate in the model group were all elevated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the histomorphology showed pathological changes. Compared with those in the model group， the wet weight， volume， index， serum sex hormone level， and AR protein expression of the prostate in the intervention groups showed a decreasing trend （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and histopathology was improved. Serum metabolomics analysis obtained a total of 40 metabolic markers related to the intervention effect of Guizhi Fulingwan， such as dehydrosafynol， hyoscyamine， and lumichrome， which were involved in the pathways of autophagy， riboflavin metabolism， and retrograde endocannabinoid signaling. ConclusionGuizhi Fulingwan can effectively regulate sex hormone disorders in BPH rats， and its mechanism may be related to autophagy， riboflavin metabolism， and retrograde endocannabinoid signaling.

Objective To explore the current status and potential subtypes of frailty among family caregivers of patients with dementia,and to analyze the related influencing factors of different subtypes.Methods Dementia patients and their family caregivers in 8 community health service centers in Shanghai from June to October 2023 were recruited by convenience sampling.General information questionnaire,Tilburg Frailty Indicator(TFI),Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI),Self-Rating Depression Scale(SDS),Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview(ZBI),and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC)were conducted for investigation.Latent profile analysis was used to explore the potential subtypes of frailty among family caregivers of patients with dementia.The influencing factors associated with the potential subtypes were identified by univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis.Results A total of 470 family caregivers of patients with dementia were surveyed,and 46.17％of them suffered from frailty.Frailty among family caregivers of patients with dementia can be classified into 3 potential subtypes:comprehensive-low frailty subtype(70.64％),psychosocial-medium frailty subtype(19.57％),and physical-high frailty subtype(9.79％).Family caregivers of patients with dementia who had poor sleep quality and suffered from 2 or more chronic diseases were more likely to be classified into the physical-high frailty subtype(P＜0.05).Family caregivers of patients with dementia who had higher levels of depression,lower mastery levels of caregiving knowledge and skills and spousal caregivers were more likely to be classified into the psychosocial-medium frailty subtype(P＜0.05).Family caregivers of patients with dementia who had higher levels of resilience were more likely to be classified into the comprehensive-low frailty subtype(P＜0.05).Conclusion The incidence of frailty among family caregivers of patients with dementia is at a high level with significant heterogeneity.It is suggested that medical staff should pay attention to the frailty of family caregivers,with a focus on family caregivers in the psychosocial-medium frailty subtype or physical-high frailty subtype,and take timely and targeted interventions according to the characteristics and influencing factors of different subtypes,so as to prevent or delay the occurrence and development of frailty.

Objective:To estimate the influence of metabolic parameters in 18F-FDG PET/CT and clinically relevant indicators on the prognosis of patients with cervical cancer. Methods:A total of 174 patients with cervical cancer (age (53.6±11.1) years) who underwent baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT examination in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from May 2011 to December 2020 were retrospectively collected. Metabolic parameters (metabolic tumor volume of primary lesion (MTV p), total lesion glycolysis of primary lesion (TLG p), MTV sum of total lesions (MTV total) in the whole body, TLG sum of total lesions (TLG total)) and clinical parameters (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, tumor maximum diameter ( Dmax), et al) were collected. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier method were performed to evaluate the prognostic and predictive values of those parameters. Results:The follow-up time was 6-120 months, during which 52 patients (29.9%, 52/174) developed progression. The 5-year overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local control (LC) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates were 83.3%(145/174), 70.1%(122/174), 75.3%(131/174) and 82.8%(144/174), respectively. Cox regression showed that FIGO stage and MTV total were independent factors for predicting PFS, OS and LC (hazard ratio ( HR): 1.005-11.605, all P<0.05). FIGO stage and TLG total were independent factors for predicting DMFS ( HR: 1.002-12.258, all P<0.05). Conclusion:MTV total and FIGO stage are effective predictors of patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective:To report the results of national surveillance on the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical Gram-positive bacteria isolates from bloodstream infections in China in 2022.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-positive bacteria from blood cultures in member hospitals of National Bloodstream Infection Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System（BRICS）were collected during January 2022 to December 2022. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software were used to analyze the data.Results:A total of 3 163 strains of Gram-positive pathogens were collected from 51 member units，and the top five bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus（ n=1 147，36.3%），coagulase-negative Staphylococci（ n=928，29.3%）， Enterococcus faecalis（ n=369，11.7%）， Enterococcus faecium（ n=296，9.4%）and alpha-hemolyticus Streptococci（ n=192，6.1%）. The detection rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus（MRSA）and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci（MRCNS）were 26.4%（303/1 147）and 66.7%（619/928），respectively. No glycopeptide and daptomycin-resistant Staphylococci were detected. The sensitivity rates of Staphylococcus aureus to cefpirome，rifampin，compound sulfamethoxazole，linezolid，minocycline and tigecycline were all >95.0%. Enterococcus faecium was more prevalent than Enterococcus faecalis. The resistance rates of Enterococcus faecium to vancomycin and teicoplanin were both 0.5%（2/369），and no vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium was detected. The detection rate of MRSA in southern China was significantly lower than that in other regions（ χ2=14.578， P=0.002），while the detection rate of MRCNS in northern China was significantly higher than that in other regions（ χ2=15.195， P=0.002）. The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS in provincial hospitals were higher than those in municipal hospitals（ χ2=13.519 and 12.136， P<0.001）. The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS in economically more advanced regions（per capita GDP≥92 059 Yuan in 2022）were higher than those in economically less advanced regions（per capita GDP<92 059 Yuan）（ χ2=9.969 and 7.606， P=0.002和0.006）. Conclusions:Among the Gram-positive pathogens causing bloodstream infections in China， Staphylococci is the most common while the MRSA incidence decreases continuously with time；the detection rate of Enterococcus faecium exceeds that of Enterococcus faecalis. The overall prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci is still at a low level. The composition ratio of Gram-positive pathogens and resistant profiles varies slightly across regions of China，with the prevalence of MRSA and MRCNS being more pronounced in provincial hospitals and areas with a per capita GDP≥92 059 yuan.

MELAS syndrome is a genetic disease caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA)or nuclear DNA.Eighty percent of the cases are caused by m.3243A>G mutation.Heteroplasmy,defined as the presence of both normal and mutant mtDNA in cells,is related with the severity of MELAS syndrome.This article reviews the research in mtDNA heterogeneity related to MELAS syndrome,aiming to provide an insight into new therapies for the syndrome.

Objective:This study aims to compare the antiviral treatment similarities and differences in the population covered by the 2024 version of the World Health Organization's (WHO) hepatitis B prevention and treatment guidelines and the current Chinese hepatitis B prevention and treatment guidelines, so as to explore their impact on the indications for antiviral therapy in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).Methods:The information of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection who did not receive antiviral treatment was collected through the registration database of the China Clinical Research Platform for Hepatitis B Elimination. Descriptive statistics were conducted on the demographic, blood, biochemical, and virological levels of patients according to the treatment recommendations of the two versions of the guidelines. The Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test were used to compare the differences and proportional distribution of the treatment populations covered by the two guidelines. The χ2 test was used to analyze the coverage rate of different antiviral treatment indications.Results:A total of 21,134 CHB patients without antiviral treatment were enrolled. 69.4% of patients met the 2024 versions of the WHO guidelines' recommendations. 85.0% of patients met the current Chinese hepatitis B prevention and treatment guidelines. The WHO guidelines for antiviral therapy indications were met in younger patients with higher levels of ALT, AST, and APRI scores, as well as greater proportion of patients with higher viral loads (P<0.001). The WHO guidelines recommended a cut-off value of APRI>0.5, which raised the proportion of patients on antiviral therapy from 6.6% to 30.9%. 45.7% of patients met the antiviral indications for HBV DNA >2000 IU/ml with abnormal transaminase (ALT>30 U/L for males and ALT>19 U/L for females). The reduced APRI diagnostic cut-off value and ALT treatment threshold had further increased the treatment coverage rate by 91.6% in patients with chronic HBV infection in line with the 2024 versions of WHO guidelines.Conclusion:The reduction of the APRI diagnostic cut-off value and the ALT treatment threshold, based on the current hepatitis B guidelines of China, will further improve the treatment coverage of CHB patients.