ObjectiveTo investigate whether visceral fat area （VFA） is an independent risk factor for significant liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） based on clinical data， and to establish an effective diagnostic model. MethodsA total of 222 NAFLD patients who attended Department of Hepatology， Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine， from January 2021 to April 2025 were enrolled， and according to liver stiffness measurement （≥8 kPa or not）， they were divided into significant fibrosis group and non-significant fibrosis group. Propensity score matching （PSM） was performed at a ratio of 1∶1 to balance the baseline data between the two groups. The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. A Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation of VFA and other indicators with significant liver fibrosis； univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify whether VFA was an independent risk factor for significant liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients， and the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was plotted to assess the predictive performance of related indicators. ResultsA total of 45 patients with significant liver fibrosis and 177 patients without significant liver fibrosis were enrolled， and after PSM， 90 patients （45 pairs） were finally included in analysis. Compared with the non-significant fibrosis group， the significant fibrosis group had significantly higher levels of body mass index （BMI）， fasting blood glucose （FBG）， glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c）， uric acid （UA）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase （GGT）， controlled attenuation parameter （CAP）， and VFA， as well as a significantly higher proportion of patients with visceral fat obesity or three or more metabolic risk factors （all P<0.05）. VFA， BMI， AST， and HbA1c were strongly correlated with significant liver fibrosis （all r>0.5， all P <0.05）， and ALT， GGT， UA， FBG， and CAP were significantly positively correlated with significant liver fibrosis （r=0.3　—　0.5， all P<0.05）. VFA （odds ratio ［OR］=1.040， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.018　—　1.062， P<0.05）， FBG （OR=2.372， 95%CI： 1.199　—　4.691， P<0.05）， and AST （OR=1.032， 95%CI： 1.003　—　1.058， P<0.05） were independent risk factors for significant liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients. The new diagnostic model based on VFA， FBG， and AST （with an area under the ROC curve ［AUC］ of 0.907） had a significantly better performance than aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index （AUC=0.834）， fibrosis-4 （AUC=0.660）， triglyceride-glucose index （AUC=0.656）， and NAFLD fibrosis score （AUC=0.768） in predicting significant liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients （all P<0.05）. ConclusionVFA is an independent risk factor for significant liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients， and the noninvasive diagnostic model based on VFA， FBG， and AST can effectively predict the onset of significant liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients.

Autoimmune hepatitis （AIH） is a chronic inflammatory liver disease mediated by T lymphocytes， and it can progress to liver cirrhosis or even liver failure without timely intervention. As a natural flavonoid compound， naringenin （NAR） shows a potential value in the prevention and treatment of AIH through multiple mechanisms such as remodeling immune homeostasis， targeted inhibition of inflammatory pathways， antioxidation， regulating hepatocyte metabolism and apoptosis， improving mitochondrial function， and regulating intestinal flora. However， the clinical translation and application of NAR is limited by issues such as low bioavailability and insufficient efficiency of liver-targeted delivery. This article systematically reviews the mechanism of action of NAR in the prevention and treatment of AIH， explores the potential signaling pathways involved in this process， and analyzes existing challenges in its translation and application and future research directions， so as to provide a reference for further research on NAR and its application in the prevention and treatment of AIH.

Based on the holistic concept of the integration of body and mind， this paper systematically elucidates the movement characteristics， mechanisms of action， and rehabilitative effects of the integrated regulation of body and mind in traditional exercise therapy from the three core dimensions of regulating the body， regulating qi， and regulating the mind. Its movement are characterized by mind-guided movements integrating reflection and qi， relaxed and resilient movements of both body and mind， balanced movements integrating deficiency and excess while maintaining balanced body-mind alignment， and slow movements combining motion with stillness. The underlying mechanisms involve externally mobilizing the limbs while internally regulating the zang-fu （脏腑） organs， dredging the meridians， connecting the interior and exterior， promoting the integrated regulation of body， qi， and mind， and coordinating the interaction between body and mind to regulate overall physiological function， thereby improving cognitive， motor， cardiopulmonary， and other functional outcomes during rehabilitation.

By exploring theories related to yin-yang， body and spirit， and the relationship between nature and human beings， this study proposed the holistic functional perspective in Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） rehabi-litation. This perspective emphasizes the influence of various internal and external factors on the body's function and health status， with the integration of form and spirit as its core concept. It integrates the principles of correspondence between nature and human beings， as well as the unity of individuals and society， positioning holistic function as the key focus in TCM rehabilitation practice. It guides the prevention， assessment， and rehabilitation treatment of functional disorders， ultimately achieving the goal of comprehensive recovery of health. Additionally， the study reviewed the current application status of the holistic functional perspective in clinical TCM rehabilitation， clarified its integration throughout the entire TCM rehabilitation process， with the goal of providing a theoretical and practical foundation for further research and application in TCM rehabilitation.

Objective To investigate the correlation between serum homeodomain interacting protein ki-nase 2(HIPK2),annexin A5(ANXA5)and coronary stenosis and prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods A total of 277 AMI patients who received interventional treatment in this hospi-tal from January 2021 to July 2023 were selected as the AMI group,and another 140 cases with normal or very mild stenosis in coronary angiography during the same period were selected as the control group.According to the degree of coronary artery stenosis(Gensini score),the AMI patients were divided into mild coronary arter-y stenosis group(86 cases),moderate coronary artery disease group(111 cases)and severe coronary artery disease group(80 cases).According to the prognosis,they were divided into poor prognosis group(80 cases)and good prognosis group(197 cases).Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the serum HIPK2 and ANXA5 levels.Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between serum HIPK2 and ANXA5 levels and Gensini score in patients with AMI.Multivariate unconditional Logistic regres-sion was used to determine the relationship between serum HIPK2 and ANXA5 levels and prognosis of AMI patients.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive efficiency of serum HIPK2 and ANXA5 levels on prognosis of AMI patients.Results Compared with the control group,the ser-um HIPK2 level in the AMI group increased and the ANXA5 level decreased,and the differences were statisti-cally significant(P＜0.05).The serum HIPK2 levels in the mild coronary artery stenosis group,moderate coronary artery stenosis group and severe coronary artery stenosis group increased successively,while the ANXA5 levels decreased successively,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Gensini score was positively correlated with serum HIPK2 level and negatively correlated with serum ANXA5 level in AMI patients(P＜0.05).The Gensini score of AMI patients was positively correlated with the serum HIPK2 level(r=0.785,P＜0.05),and negatively correlated with the serum ANXA5 level(r=-0.798,P＜0.05).Compared with the good prognosis group,the serum HIPK2 level in the poor prognosis group increased(P＜0.05),and the ANXA5 level decreased(P＜0.05).After adjusting for confounding factors,high HIPK2 was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in AMI patients(P＜0.05),and high ANXA5 was an independ-ent protective factor(P＜0.05).The area under the curve of the combined prediction of serum HIPK2 and ANXA5 levels for the prognosis of AMI patients was 0.875,which was greater than 0.778 and 0.784 predic-ted by serum HIPK2 and ANXA5 levels alone(P＜0.05).Conclusion The serum HIPK2 level is increased and the ANXA5 level is decreased in patients with AMI,which is related to the aggravation of coronary steno-sis and the poor prognosis.The combination of serum HIPK2 and ANXA5 levels is more effective in predic-ting the prognosis of patients with AMI.

Objective:To systematically elucidate the molecular mechanism of hesperetin in the treatment of heart failure by network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics, and to clarify its key targets and pathway regulatory networks.Methods:Potential targets of hesperetin were retrieved from the PubChem, Pharmmapper, SwissTargetPrediction, and Similarity ensemble approach databases. Heart failure-related targets were obtained from the OMIM, GeneCards, and TTD databases. Intersection targets were identified using Venny 2.1. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of potential targets was constructed using the STRING database and Cytoscape 3.9.0 software. Gene ontology (GO) functional and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of key targets were performed using the Metascape database. Molecular docking was carried out using Autodock vina1.1.2. GROMACS (2024.03) was employed to conduct a 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation on the optimal affinity complex. The thermodynamic stability of the candidate complex during simulation was evaluated by analyzing the root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), radius of gyration (Rg), and binding free energy. Data were analyzed by an independent sample t test or one-way analysis of variance. Results:A total of 356 related targets of hesperetin and 2 923 related targets of heart failure were screened, with 152 intersection targets identified as potential targets for hesperetin intervention in heart failure. PPI network topological analysis revealed key targets for hesperetin intervention in heart failure, including insulin-like growth factor 1, estrogen receptor 1 (ER1), cysteine aspartic acid specific protease-3, sarcoma proto-oncogene, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), MMP2, Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), albumin, heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1, epidermal growth factor receptor, and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2). GO functional enrichment analysis indicated that biological processes were mainly enriched in response to hormone stimulation, positive regulation of cell migration, gland development, response to nutritional levels, regulation of system processes, and response to trauma. Molecular functions were primarily enriched in phosphotransferase activity, nuclear receptor activity, endopeptidase activity, kinase binding, heme binding, hormone binding and protease binding. Cellular components were mainly enriched in membrane-related structures such as vesicle cavity, membrane raft, vacuole cavity, receptor complex and extracellular matrix containing collagen. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that these key targets were significantly enriched in lipid and atherosclerosis, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 signaling pathway. Molecular docking results indicated that the binding energy of hesperetin to MMP9 (?46.442 kJ/mol) was significantly lower than that to other key targets. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the hesperetin-MMP9 complex maintained structural stability, with an average RMSD of 1.60 ?. The average RMSF values of MMP9 residues (0.83 ?) and ligand atoms (0.68 ?) indicated stable protein conformation and ligand-binding states. The Rg values of MMP9 [(15.04±0.60) ?] and hesperetin [(4.19±0.35) ?] showed minimal fluctuations, further supporting structural compactness. The total binding free energy of the hesperetin-MMP9 complex during the 100 ns simulation was (?142.3±6.3) kJ/mol, with minimal energy fluctuations, confirming that the complex remained structurally stable without significant energy transition throughout the simulation.Conclusions:Hesperetin may bind effectively to targets such as MMP9, JAK2, Bcl-2, and ER1, and form a stable complex with MMP9. It is suggested to influence biological processes related to lipids and signaling pathways such as atherosclerosis, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1, thereby playing a role in heart failure intervention.

BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies have indicated that Angong Niuhuang Pills (ANP) reduce cerebral infarct and edema volumes. This study aimed to investigate whether ANP safely reduces cerebral infarct and edema volumes in patients with moderate to severe acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial included patients with acute ischemic stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ranging from 10 to 20 in 17 centers in China between April 2021 and July 2022. Patients were allocated within 36 h after onset via block randomization to receive ANP or placebo (3 g/day for 5 days). The primary outcomes were changes in cerebral infarct and edema volumes after 14 days of treatment. The primary safety outcome was severe adverse events (SAEs) for 90 days. RESULTS: There were 57 and 60 patients finally included in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively for modified intention-to-treat analysis. The median age was 66.0 years, and the median NIHSS score at baseline was 12.0. The changes in cerebral infarct volume at day 14 were 0.3 mL and 0.4 mL in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively (median difference: -7.1 mL; interquartile range [IQR]: -18.3 to 2.3 mL, P = 0.30). The changes in cerebral edema volume of the ANP and placebo groups on day 14 were 11.4 mL and 4.0 mL, respectively ( median difference: 3.0 mL, IQR: -1.3 to 9.9 mL, P = 0.15). The rates of SAE within 90 days were similar in the ANP (3/57, 5%) and placebo (7/60, 12%) groups ( P = 0.36). Changes in serum mercury and arsenic concentrations were comparable. In patients with large artery atherosclerosis, ANP reduced the cerebral infarct volume at 14 days (median difference: -12.3 mL; IQR: -27.7 to -0.3 mL, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: ANP showed a similar safety profile to placebo and non-significant tendency to reduce cerebral infarct volume in patients with moderate-to-severe stroke. Further studies are warranted to assess the efficacy of ANP in reducing cerebral infarcts and improving clinical prognosis. TRAIL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov , No. NCT04475328.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Pilot Projects ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors are both hypoglycemia agents that specifically impact on postprandial hyperglycemia. We compared the effects of acarbose and sitagliptin add on to metformin on time in range (TIR) and glycemic variability (GV) in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus through continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). METHODS: This study was a randomized, open-label, active-con-trolled, parallel-group trial conducted at 15 centers in China from January 2020 to August 2022. We recruited patients with type 2 diabetes aged 18-65 years with body mass index (BMI) within 19-40 kg/m 2 and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) between 6.5% and 9.0%. Eligible patients were randomized to receive either metformin combined with acarbose 100 mg three times daily or metformin combined with sitagliptin 100 mg once daily for 28 days. After the first 14-day treatment period, patients wore CGM and entered another 14-day treatment period. The primary outcome was the level of TIR after treatment between groups. We also performed time series decomposition, dimensionality reduction, and clustering using the CGM data. RESULTS: A total of 701 participants received either acarbose or sitagliptin treatment in combination with metformin. There was no statistically significant difference in TIR between the two groups. Time below range (TBR) and coefficient of variation (CV) levels in acarbose users were significantly lower than those in sitagliptin users. Median (25th percentile, 75th percentile) of TBR below target level <3.9 mmol/L (TBR 3.9 ): Acarbose: 0.45% (0, 2.13%) vs . Sitagliptin: 0.78% (0, 3.12%), P = 0.042; Median (25th percentile, 75th percentile) of TBR below target level <3.0 mmol/L (TBR 3.0 ): Acarbose: 0 (0, 0.22%) vs . Sitagliptin: 0 (0, 0.63%), P = 0.033; CV: Acarbose: 22.44 ± 5.08% vs . Sitagliptin: 23.96 ± 5.19%, P <0.001. By using time series analysis and clustering, we distinguished three groups of patients with representative metabolism characteristics, especially in GV (group with small wave, moderate wave and big wave). No significant difference was found in the complexity of glucose time series index (CGI) between acarbose users and sitagliptin users. By using time series analysis and clustering, we distinguished three groups of patients with representative metabolism characteristics, especially in GV. CONCLUSIONS: Acarbose had slight advantages over sitagliptin in improving GV and reducing the risk of hypoglycemia. Time series analysis of CGM data may predict GV and the risk of hypoglycemia. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2000039424.
Humans ; Metformin/therapeutic use* ; Sitagliptin Phosphate/therapeutic use* ; Acarbose/therapeutic use* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Blood Glucose/drug effects* ; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Aged ; Glycated Hemoglobin/metabolism* ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; China ; East Asian People

The goal of the research was to evaluate the application of self-developed virtual simulation software of fiber post all-ce-ramic crown restoration in the teaching of dental undergraduates.Fifty-five undergraduates majoring in stomatology were enrolled,including 26 sophomores and 29 senior students.Theoretical lecture and virtual simulation software of fiber post all-ceramic crown restoration were used for teaching.After class,questionnaires were completed by the students.The results of the questionnaire showed that more than half of the students were very interested in the virtual simulation software of this course(56.36％),and try-ing other forms of virtual simulation courses(52.73％).The simulation stimulated their interest in in-depth learning of prosthodon-tics(52.73％)and their expectation for the future working environment(54.55％).They were very satisfied with the virtual simula-tion effect(52.73％).Compared with two different grades,there are significant differences in the statistical data of three survey questions,including whether they are interested in in-depth study of prosthodontics,whether they have expectations for the future working environment,and whether they can clearly understand basic anatomical structure of teeth and basic concepts such as post,core and root canal.There was no significant difference in other questionnaire between grades.The virtual simulation software of fi-ber post all-ceramic crown restoration has a good effect on the teaching of dental undergraduates,which worth carrying out and pro-moting in the future teaching work.

Background Air pollution exposure has a significant impact on maternal and child health. However, the research on the association between ambient ozone (O₃) exposure during pregnancy and the risk of premature birth in newborns is limited, and the conclusions are inconsistent. Objective To investigate the association of ambient O₃ exposure during pregnancy with the risk of preterm birth in Guangdong Province. Methods Data of pregnant women in Guangzhou from 2013 to 2019 and Foshan from 2018 to 2023 were collected, and O₃ concentrations during different trimesters were assessed according to maternal residential addresses. Bilinear interpolation was used to evaluate the concentrations of air pollution. A cohort study design was adopted in our study. Restricted cubic spline curves were used to evaluate the exposure-response relationship between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk and explore potential exposure threshold of O₃. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association of O₃ exposure with preterm birth. Results A total of 702 924 pregnant women were included in this study, of whom 43 051 (6.12%) were preterm. The average O₃ exposure concentrations of pregnant women during the first, second, third, and whole trimesters were 95.51, 97.51, 100.60, and 97.87 μg·m⁻³, respectively. We observed J-shaped associations between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk during the second, third, and whole trimesters of pregnancy using restricted cubic spline curves. This study found that there were threshold concentrations between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk during different gestational periods, and the threshold concentrations in the first, second, third, and whole trimesters were 112.32, 99.83, 111.74, and 112.46 μg·m⁻³, respectively. During the second, third, and whole trimesters of pregnancy, after adjusting for maternal age, baby sex, pre-pregnancy body mass index, mode of delivery, baby birth weight, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension, the odds ratios (OR) of preterm birth were 1.02 (95%CI: 1.01, 1.04), 1.02 (95%CI: 1.00, 1.03), and 1.17 (95%CI: 1.13, 1.21) for each 10 μg·m⁻³ increase in O₃ concentration above the O₃ threshold. No significant association was found between O₃ exposure and the risk of preterm birth during the first trimester. Conclusion There is a nonlinear association between the risk of preterm birth and O₃ exposure during pregnancy, and higher concentrations of O₃ exposure during pregnancy are associated with the risk of preterm birth. Above the O₃ threshold concentration during pregnancy, especially during the second, third, and whole trimesters, the risk of preterm birth elevates with the increase of O₃ exposure concentrations.