ObjectiveTo observe the analgesic efficacy and safety of Qihuang acupuncture theory combined with opioid analgesics in patients with moderate to severe cancer pain due to lung cancer. MethodsPatients with moderate to severe cancer pain from lung cancer were randomly divided into Qihuang acupuncture group and control group， with 33 cases in each group. The control group was treated with long-acting opioid analgesics at maintenance doses and supplementary analgesic medications as needed. In case of breakthrough pain， short-acting opioids were used for rescue. The Qihuang acupuncture group received Qihuang acupuncture treatment in addition to the treatment used in the control group， administered once every other day， with 3 sessions constituting one treatment course. The treatment duration for both groups was 5 days. The primary outcome was the change in pain intensity， measured using the numerical rating scale （NRS） before and after treatment， and the NRS change rate was calculated. Secondary endpoints included the daily NRS change rate， the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group （ECOG） Performance Status （PS） score， the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire （EORTC QLQ-C30） score， and the 24-hour equivalent hydrocodone sustained-release tablet dose. Laboratory tests， including routine blood， urine， stool， liver function， and kidney function， were performed before and after treatment. Adverse events were recorded throughout the trial. ResultsAll patients completed the trial， and both groups showed a decrease in average NRS scores and PS scores after treatment， with the Qihuang acupuncture group showing lower average NRS scores and PS scores than the control group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. After treatment， the NRS change rate in the Qihuang acupuncture group was （0.42±0.17）， significantly higher than that in the control group （0.14±0.27， P＜0.01）. The daily NRS change rate during treatment was also higher in the Qihuang acupuncture group compared to the control group （P＜0.01）. The Qihuang acupuncture group showed an increase in overall health status and functional scores in the EORTC QLQ-C30， and a decrease in symptom scores for fatigue， nausea and vomiting， pain， dyspnea， insomnia， appetite loss， constipation， and financial difficulties. In contrast， overall health status and constipation scores in the control group increased， while scores of fatigue， nausea and vomiting， pain， and appetite loss decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. After treatment， the 24-hour equivalent hydrocodone sustained-release tablet dose did not show significant difference in the Qihuang acupuncture group （P＞0.05）， while the control group showed a significant increase in the 24-hour dose （P＜0.01）. No significant abnormalities were observed in laboratory tests before and after treatment in either group. During the study， the incidence of nausea and vomiting as well as constipation in the Qihuang acupuncture group was both 3.03% （1/33）， while the incidence in the control group was 27.27% （9/33） and 36.36% （12/33）， respectively， with the Qihuang acupuncture group showing significantly lower incidence （P＜0.01）. No serious adverse reactions were observed in either group. ConclusionQihuang acupuncture therapy combined with opioid analgesics is more effective than using opioids alone in relieving pain in patients with moderate to severe cancer pain due to lung cancer. It can improve the patients' physical condition and quality of life， reduce the dose of opioid analgesics， and has good safety.

Medical artificial intelligence （AI） is a new type of application formed by the combination of machine learning， computer vision， natural language processing， and other technologies with clinical medical treatment. With the continuous iteration and development of relevant technologies， medical AI has shown great potential in improving the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment， and service quality， but it also increases the possibility of triggering ethical issues. Ethical issues resulting from the clinical application of medical AI were analyzed， including the lack of algorithmic interpretability and transparency of medical AI， leading to information asymmetry and cognitive discrepancies； the concerning status of security and privacy protection of medical data； and the complex and unclear division of responsibilities due to the collaborative participation of multiple subjects in the clinical application of medical AI， resulting in increased difficulty in the identification of medical accidents and clarification of responsibilities. The paper proposed the principles of not harming patients’ interests， physician’s subjectivity， fairness and inclusiveness， and rapid response. It also explored the strategies and implementation paths for responding to the ethical issues of medical AI from multiple perspectives， including standardizing the environment and processes， clarifying responsibility attribution， continuously assessing the impact of data protection， guaranteeing data security， ensuring model transparency and interpretability， carrying out multi-subject collaboration， as well as the principles of being driven by ethical values and adhering to the “human health-centeredness.” It aimed to provide guidance for the healthy development of medical AI， ensuring technological progress while effectively managing and mitigating accompanying ethical risks， thereby promoting the benign development of medical AI technology and better serving the healthcare industry and patients.

Early correction of childhood malocclusion is timely managing morphological, structural, and functional abnormalities at different dentomaxillofacial developmental stages. The selection of appropriate imaging examination and comprehensive radiological diagnosis and analysis play an important role in early correction of childhood malocclusion. This expert consensus is a collaborative effort by multidisciplinary experts in dentistry across the nation based on the current clinical evidence, aiming to provide general guidance on appropriate imaging examination selection, comprehensive and accurate imaging assessment for early orthodontic treatment patients.
Humans ; Malocclusion/diagnostic imaging* ; Child ; Consensus

Radiochemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (OM) is a common oral complication in patients with tumors following head and neck radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Erosion and ulcers are the main features of OM that seriously affect the quality of life of patients and even the progress of tumor treatment. To date, differences in clinical prevention and treatment plans for OM have been noted among doctors of various specialties, which has increased the uncertainty of treatment effects. On the basis of current research evidence, this expert consensus outlines risk factors, clinical manifestations, clinical grading, ancillary examinations, diagnostic basis, prevention and treatment strategies and efficacy indicators for OM. In addition to strategies such as basic oral care, anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents, anti-infective agents, pro-healing agents, and photobiotherapy recommended in previous guidelines, we also emphasize the role of traditional Chinese medicine in OM prevention and treatment. This expert consensus aims to provide references and guidance for dental physicians and oncologists in formulating strategies for OM prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, standardizing clinical practice, reducing OM occurrence, promoting healing, and improving the quality of life of patients.
Humans ; Chemoradiotherapy/adverse effects* ; Consensus ; Risk Factors ; Stomatitis/etiology*

Objective:To explore the categories and influencing factors of depression in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, so as to provide a reference for formulating precise interventions for depression in MCI patients.Methods:A cross-sectional investigation was conducted. Patients with MCI admitted to the Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from December 2022 to December 2023 were selected as the investigation objects by convenience sampling method. The general data questionnaire, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17, Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale and Lubben Social Network Scale-6 were used to conduct a survey. Latent profile analysis and multiple Logistic regression analysis were used to explore the categories and influencing factors of depression.Results:A total of 537 patients with MCI were included, including 335 females and 202 males, aged (65.72 ± 9.53) years old. MCI patients scored (22.67 ± 4.68) points on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale, (13.27 ± 5.73) points on the Lubben Social Network Scale-6, and 9.00 (5.00, 13.00) points on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17. The depression in MCI patients could be divided into three categories: low risk depression (67.8%, 364/537), low depression-sleep disorder (20.1%, 108/537), and high depression-anxiety (12.1%, 65/537). The multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that gender, education, living style, social isolation and cognitive function were the influencing factors for different categories of depression ( OR values were 0.443-2.921, all P<0.05). Conclusions:There are individual differences in depression in patients with MCI, and precise intervention should be implemented according to the characteristics of different categories of depression.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, as a widespread and high-profile type of epigenetic modification, can dynamically and reversibly regulate the whole process of RNA metabolism. This modification governs RNA stability, splicing, and translation via m6A regulators, which are categorized as Writers, Erasers, and Readers. m6A modification also plays a critical role in the development of tumors. Disruptions in the homeostasis of m6A modification levels lead to dysregulation of m6A regulators. Consequently, these dysregulated regulators modulate the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells and interfere with the normal functions of suppressor genes and oncogenes. This article aims to comprehensively elucidate the specific regulatory impacts of m6A modification on tumor-related gene expression. It focuses on the regulatory mechanisms of m6A modification on mRNA stability. Additionally, it explores the influence of m6A on the molecular translation of key signaling pathways. Moreover, it investigates the indirect regulatory effects mediated by non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), etc. The intention is to offer a novel analysis of the pathogenesis of cancer at a new level, and also provide a theoretical basis for finding new effective treatment methods.

Objective:To establish a model for the combined detection of serum copeptin and inflammatory markers in acute stroke (AS), and to explore the value of copeptin and inflammatory marker detection in the clinical diagnosis and prognosis assessment of AS.Methods:A total of 75 patients were diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) [46 males, age (64.1±11.7) years] and 45 patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) [28 males, age (61.0±13.9) years] who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine through the emergency department from January 1 to July 31, 2024, were included as the observation group. Meanwhile, 60 healthy individuals [39 males, age (64.4±8.2) years] were selected as the control group (HC). The differences in serum copeptin levels and inflammatory markers among different groups were compared. ROC curves were drawn to analyze the value of copeptin and inflammatory markers in the clinical diagnosis and prognosis assessment of AIS. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw survival curves to analyze the in-hospital survival rates of patients in different groups. Cox regression analysis was conducted to identify the risk factors affecting the prognosis of AIS patients.Results:The level of copeptin was significantly elevated in AS, with the results showing ICH>AIS>HC ( H=100.11, P<0.001). Copeptin demonstrated the highest efficacy in the early diagnosis of AIS and ICH (AUC=0.893, sensitivity 89.3%, specificity 75.0%; AUC=0.986, sensitivity 95.6%, specificity 93.3%) and the assessment of prognosis (AUC=0.997, sensitivity 100%, specificity 96.8%; AUC=0.907, sensitivity 86.7%, specificity 86.7%), outperforming other single indicators. The combined detection of copeptin with the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the systemic immune-inflammation index (SIIRI) was the best combination for the early diagnosis of AIS and ICH (AUC=0.937, sensitivity 77.3%, specificity 98.3%; AUC=0.989, sensitivity 95.6%, specificity 95.0%) and for the assessment of prognosis (AUC=0.996, sensitivity 100%, specificity 96.8%; AUC=0.944, sensitivity 86.7%, specificity 90.0%). Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that AIS patients in the low-value group of copeptin and NLR had a higher survival rate during hospitalization than those in the high-value group ( HR 54.46, 7.608, P<0.01, respectively), and ICH patients in the low-value group of copeptin, SIIRI, SIRI, and SII had a higher survival rate during hospitalization than those in the high-value group ( HR 12.67, 7.923, 3.567, 5.925, P<0.05); Cox regression showed that copeptin, NLR, NIHSS, and mRS were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with AIS ( HR 1.421, 1.368, 1.158, and 1.188, respectively, P<0.05), copeptin and SIIRI were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of ICH ( HR 1.308, 1.113, P<0.05), and GCS was a protective factor affecting ICH prognosis ( HR=0.741, P<0.05). Conclusion:Copeptin and inflammatory indicators can reflect the severity of different subtypes of stroke. The single or combined detection shows good value in the clinical application of AS. The combination of copeptin-NLR and copeptin-SIIRI is respectively the best comprehensive biomarker combination for the early diagnosis and prognosis assessment of AIS and ICH.

Objective To explore the related functional mechanism of Xihuang pill containing serum inter-vention in breast cancer cells based on microRNA(miR)21-5p targeting FAM13A gene.Methods Bioinfor-matics websites was used to predict potential miRNAs of FAM13A gene,double luciferase reporter experi-ments were conducted to verify the binding site relationship between FAM13A and predicted miRNAs.The Xihuang pill containing serum was prepared,and human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured.The proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells was interfered by the Xihuang pill containing serum with different dilution ratios by CCK-8 test,and the best dilution ratio concentration of Xihuang pill containing serum to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells was selected.Real time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)was ap-plied to detect the relative expression levels of FAM13A mRNA,as well as the relative expression levels of miR21-5p,in MDA-MB-231 cells after intervention with Xihuang pill containing serum.Cell proliferation(Edu)assay and cell apoptosis detection(TUNEL)assay were used to detect the effects of Xihuang pill con-taining serum intervention on cell proliferation and apoptosis function in MDA-MB-231 cells.The siRNA lentiviral transfection on MDA-MB-231 cells was performed to knock down the FAM13A gene,and Edu assay and TUNEL assay were used to detect changes in proliferation and apoptosis ability of MDA-MB-231 cells af-ter lentiviral transfection.The expression level of miR21-5p in MDA-MB-231 cells after FAM13A gene knock-out was detected by RT-qPCR technology.Results Target Scan online website predicted the potential miR-21-5p binding sequence in the 3'UTR of FAM13A mRNA,and dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed the in-teraction between miR-21-5p and FAM13A.After intervention of MDA-MB-231 cells with Xihuang pill drug containing serum,RT-qPCR results showed that compared with the control group(NC group),the Xihuang pill drug containing serum group(XHW group)downregulated the expression levels of FAM13A mRNA(P＜0.05),and upregulated the expression level of miR21-5p(P＜0.05).Compared with the NC group,the XWH group showed reduced cell proliferation ability and promoted cell apoptosis.(P＜0.05).After silencing the FAM13A gene in MDA-MB-231 cells,compared with the control group(shCtrl group),the shFAM13A group showed a significant decrease in cell proliferation ability and promoted cell apoptosis.The RT-qPCR re-sults showed that compared with the shCtrl group,the expression level of miR21-5p was significantly upregu-lated in the shFAM13A group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Xihuang pill could participate in the anti-tumor treat-ment of breast cancer by regulating miR21-5p to affect the expression level of FAM13A gene.

Homo- or heterodimeric compounds that affect dimeric protein function through interaction between monomeric moieties and protein subunits can serve as valuable sources of potent and selective drug candidates. Here, we screened an in-house dimeric natural product collection, and panepocyclinol A (PecA) emerged as a selective and potent STAT3 inhibitor with profound anti-tumor efficacy. Through cross-linking C712/C718 residues in separate STAT3 monomers with two distinct Michael receptors, PecA inhibits STAT3 DNA binding affinity and transcription activity. Molecular dynamics simulation reveals the key conformation changes of STAT3 dimers upon the di-covalent binding with PecA that abolishes its DNA interactions. Furthermore, PecA exhibits high efficacy against anaplastic large T cell lymphoma in vitro and in vivo, especially those with constitutively activated STAT3 or STAT3^Y640F. In summary, our study describes a distinct and effective di-covalent modification for the dimeric compound PecA to disrupt STAT3 function.

Objective:To analyze the echocardiographic features of different subtypes of Takayasu arteritis（TA）complicated with heart failure（HF），and to explore the clinical application value of echocardiography in the assessment of TA-HF.Methods:Comprehensive clinical and echocardiographic data were collected from 328 consecutive patients with TA who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University between January 2010 and December 2023. HF was diagnosed and classified according to the criteria outlined in the China guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure 2024. A total of 38 TA-HF patients was selected and enrolled. Based on left ventricular ejection fraction（LVEF），they were grouped into preserved LVEF（HFpEF）group（LVEF≥50%， n=22）and the reduced LVEF（HFmr/rEF）group（LVEF<50%， n=16）. Clinical and echocardiographic data were compared between the HFpEF group and the HFmr/rEF group. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors for the occurrence of heart failure. Results:① The incidence of HF was 11.6% in patients with TA（38/328）. In the patients with TA-HF，Numano Type Ⅴ accounted for 52.6%（20/38）. According to HF classification standard，TA-HF most commonly manifested as HFpEF at 57.9%（22/38），HFmrEF and HFrEF each accounted for 21.05%（8/38）respectively. ②Echocardiographic analysis revealed the following findings in TA-HF patients：34（89.5%）patients exhibited left heart dilation，4（10.5%）patients demonstrated right heart dilation，23（60.5%）patients presented with left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy，18（47.4%）patients had moderate/severe aortic valve regurgitation，9（23.7%）patients showed diffuse left ventricular myocardial wall motion abnormalities，8（21.1%）patients displayed segmental left ventricular myocardial wall motion abnormalities，and 11（28.9%）patients were diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. ③Intergroup comparisons demonstrated significantly lower levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate，reduced proportions of patients in clinical active phase，and lower incidence of moderate/severe aortic regurgitation in HFmr/rEF group versus HFpEF group（all P<0.05）. Conversely，HFmr/rEF group exhibited significantly higher rates of myocardial motion abnormalities，left atrial anteroposterior diameter，left ventricular end-systolic anteroposterior diameter，and left ventricular end-systolic volume compared to HFpEF group（all P<0.05）. ④Multivariate regression analysis identified left ventricular wall motion abnormality，pulmonary hypertension，moderate/severe aortic regurgitation and left ventricular myocardial hypertrophy as independent risk factors for TA-HF development. Conclusions:TA-HF exhibits diverse echocardiographic manifestations，with distinct echocardiographic features observed among different subtypes. Echocardiography plays a crucial role in the diagnosis，classification，and risk stratification of TA-HF.