Chronic liver diseases are a group of diseases in which the liver is subjected to a variety of injuries over a long period of time， resulting in irreversible pathological changes that last longer than 6 months. Emodin （EMO） is a natural anthraquinone derivative derived from Rheum officinale， and its pharmacological effect has been extensively studied， exhibiting a variety of biological properties and involving multiple signaling molecules and pathways. Western medicine or surgical treatment is currently the main treatment regimen for chronic liver diseases， and the advance in treatment is limited by various reasons such as side effects and high costs. Due to its natural origin and efficacy， EMO has unique advantages in the treatment of chronic liver diseases and has now become a research hotspot. This article summarizes the therapeutic effect of EMO on chronic liver diseases and its mechanism， in order to provide a certain scientific basis for the traditional Chinese medicine treatment of chronic liver diseases and the development of drugs in clinical practice.

Objective:To construct a framework for evaluating the quality of health economic evaluation methodology based on the pragmatic clinical trial.Methods:An evaluation framework was constructed based on existing quality evaluation tools for health economic evaluation other quality evaluation tools.The weights of each item in the framework were determined by the Delphi method,and the weighted average was calculated using the expert authority coefficient.Results:A total of 23 experts were consulted,and the expert authority coefficients were 0.88 and 0.90,respectively.The results of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed no statistically signifi-cant differences among the expert opinions in two rounds(P＞0.05).Finally,a framework with 3 dimensions and 8 items was estab-lished.Conclusion:The evaluation framework has high scientificity and reliability.

Objective: To explore the prospective association between multidimensional sleep indicators and the risk of newlyonset dental caries, providing a reference for childrens oral healthrelated sleep intervention. Methods: In October 2021, 1 417 students in grades 1 to 4 (aged 6 to 11) from two elementary schools in Bengbu, Anhui Province, were selected by cluster sampling method. Surveys and followup visits were conducted at baseline (T1), November 2022 (T2), May 2023 (T3), and November 2023 (T4), respectively, including parental questionnaires, oral health and physical examination. Bedtime, sleep duration, sleep midpoint, social jet lag, weekend catchup sleep, and sleep habits were collected and calculated. A multifactorial Cox proportional risk regression model was used to analyze the association between multidimensional sleep indicators and newlyonset caries in schoolaged children after 2 years. Results: The prevalence of dental caries in children was 65.1% at baseline, and the prevalence was 59.0% at the end of the 2year followup. Cox proportional risk regression model showed that for every 1point increase in the childrens bedtime resistance, nocturnal awakenings, parasomnias, and daytime sleepiness scores, the risk of newlyonset caries increased by 12% (HR=1.12, 95%CI=1.08-1.15), 22% (HR=1.22, 95%CI=1.15-1.29), 12% (HR=1.12, 95%CI=1.08-1.17), and 15% (HR=1.15, 95%CI=1.12-1.19), respectively; the risk of newlyonset caries increased by 23% for each 1 h increase in the length of weekend catchup sleep (HR=1.23, 95%CI=1.14 -1.33); compared with children who went to bed before 21:00 on school days, those who went to bed later than 22:00 had a 57% higher risk of newlyonset caries (HR=1.57, 95%CI=1.22-2.03). Compared to children who slept adequately (≥9 h/d), those with insufficient sleep had a 67% higher risk of new caries (HR=1.67, 95%CI=1.43-1.95) (P<0.01). Conclusions These findings suggest a significant association between sleep patterns/sleep disorders and the development of childhood dental caries. Incorporating sleep behavior optimization and sleep quality improvement into comprehensive caries prevention and oral health management protocols may represent a promising intervention strategy to enhance childrens oral health outcomes.

Objective: To understand the moderating effect of cohabitation with parents on the association between peer dating behavior and sexual behaviors among secondary vocational school students, so as to provide a scientific basis for preventing sexual behaviors among secondary vocational school students. Methods: From March to April 2021, an electronic questionnaire survey was conducted among 3 180 students from 6 vocational schools in Shanghai (urban, suburban, exurban) and Shaanxi (Shangluo, Ankang, Baoji) using cluster sampling. Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship of cohabitation with parents, peer dating behavior and sexual behaviors among secondary vocational school students. Binary Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the role of cohabitation with parents on peer dating behavior and sexual behaviors among secondary vocational students. Results: There was a significant negative between cohabitation with parents and sexual ( r =-0.04); and there was a positive correlation between peer dating behavior and sexual behaviors ( r =0.24), as well as cohabitation with parents and peer dating behavior ( r =0.04)( P <0.05). Multivariable Logistic regression analysis showed an association between peer dating behavior and the occurrence of sexual behaviors ( OR=2.79-12.95, P <0.05). Cohabitation with parents played a moderating role in the association between peer dating behavior and sexual behaviors, and a signification interaction was found between cohabitation with parents and reporting that a small part or about half of their peers had dating behavior ( OR =0.48, P <0.05). Conclusions The more peers dating behavior are associated with a higher risk of sexual behaviors among secondary vocational school students, and cohabitation with parents can partly reduce this risk. School and family sexuality education for secondary vocational students should be strengthened to improve their interpersonal skills and decision-making, and ability to resist peer pressure, so as to reduce their risk of sexual behaviors.

Objective To analyze the caregiver presence needs and their influencing factors among hospitalized elderly non-surgical patients and provide a basis for formulating relevant policies.Methods A descriptive qualitative study method was adopted.Through purposive sampling,semi-structured interviews were conducted on elderly non-surgical patients and their families and medical staff in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from September to October 2023.MAXQDA 2020 and the 7-step phenomenological analysis method of Colaizzi were used to classify and code the interview contents and identify themes.Results The categories of caregiver presence needs of elderly non-surgical patients included basic living assistance needs,disease monitoring needs,psychological support needs,as well as the needs for family members to provide economic support and participate in treatment decision-making.The influencing factors included advanced age,frailty,the lack of self-care ability in patients with comorbidities,the susceptibility of patients to sudden situations during the disease exacerbation period,the increased risk of unexpected events in patients with psychological distress,and patients' concerns about social support and medical decision-making.Conclusion The caregiver presence needs of elderly non-surgical patients during hospitalization are high and influenced by multiple factors.
Humans ; Caregivers/psychology* ; Aged ; Hospitalization ; Social Support ; Male ; Qualitative Research ; Female

Objective:To discuss the role of changes of serum total bile acid(TBA)levels induced by long-term high-fat diet in the occurrence of supraventricular arrhythmia(SVA)in the apolipoprotein E knockout(ApoE-/-)mice,and to clarify its mechanism.Methods:Twenty ApoE-/-mice were randomly divided into normal diet group and high-fat diet(HFD)group(n=10);after 20 weeks of feeding,surface electrocardiogram was used to detect cardiac electrophysiology of the mice in various groups;echocardiography was used to detect cardiac systolic function and structure in the mice in various groups;enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect serum levels of blood lipids,total bile acid(TBA)and inflammatory factors in the mice in various groups;hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to detect cardiac inflammatory response in the mice in various groups;Masson staining was used to observe myocardial fibrosis degree in the mice in various groups.Results:Compared with normal diet group,4 cases of junctional premature beat(JPB)/junctional tachycardia(JT),1 case of premature atrial contraction(PAC)and 1 case of premature ventricular contraction(PVC)were found in HFD group,while only 1 case of JPB/JT and 1 case of PAC were found in normal diet group.Compared with normal diet group,the heart rate of the mice in HFD group was significantly decreased(P<0.05);the QRS and QT intervals were significantly prolonged(P<0.05);the ejection fraction(EF)and fractional shortening(FS)were significantly decreased(P<0.05);the end-diastolic volume(EDV)was increased(P<0.05),but there was no significant difference in end-systolic volume(ESV)between groups(P>0.05);the left ventricular internal diameter at end-diastole(LVIDd)and left ventricular internal diameter at end-systole(LVIDs)were significantly increased(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in plasma total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),high-density lipoprotein(HDL-c)and low-density lipoprotein(LDL-c)levels and body weight between normal diet group and HFD group(P>0.05).Compared with normal diet group,the TBA level of the mice in HFD group was significantly increased(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1),and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1(CXCL-1)levels between HFD group and normal diet group.Compared with normal diet group,the interleukin-1β(IL-1β)level in HFD group showed an increasing trend,but there was no significant difference between groups(P>0.05).The HE staining results showed that the inflammatory cell infiltration was similar between HFD group and normal diet group.The Masson staining results showed that compared with normal diet group,the fibrosis of the mice in HFD group showed an increasing trend,but there was no significant difference in myocardial fibrosis area between groups(P>0.05).Conclusion:Long-term high-fat diet may increase serum TBA level in ApoE-/-mice,which may induce SVA.

Objective: To explore the association between serum nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), NIMA-related kinase 7 (NEK7) and pulmonary fibrosis among patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis, so as to provide a basis for the assessment of the degree of pulmonary fibrosis. Methods: Coal workers with pneumoconiosis hospitalized in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from July 2022 to July 2023 were selected by simple random sampling. Data such as age, stage of pneumoconiosis, and dust-exposure duration were collected through the hospital's electronic medical record management system. Venous blood was collected to detect the levels of serum NLRP3 and NEK7. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) image data of the chest were obtained through the hospital's imaging reporting system. The left and right lungs were divided into 6 pulmonary regions according to the upper, middle, and lower parts. The pulmonary fibrosis score was quantified according to the proportion of the pulmonary area occupied by HRCT manifestations of pulmonary fibrosis, including reticular shadows, pleural and interlobular septal thickening, traction bronchiectasis, and honeycombing. The association between the levels of serum NLRP3, NEK7, and pulmonary fibrosis was analyzed using a multiple linear regression model. Results: A total of 81 patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis were included, all of whom were male, with a mean age of (71.46±11.69) years. There were 48, 28, and 5 cases in stage Ⅰ, stage Ⅱ, and stage Ⅲ of pneumoconiosis pathological staging, accounting for 59.26%, 34.57%, and 6.17%, respectively. There were 45 cases of tunneling and coal mining, accounting for 55.56%. There were 41 cases with dust exposure years of ≥30 years, accounting for 50.62%. The median serum NLRP3 and NEK7 in patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis were 2.01 (interquartile range, 2.33) ng/mL and 0.98 (interquartile range, 0.83) ng/mL. The median score of pulmonary fibrosis was 5.00 (interquartile range, 5.50) points. After adjusting for age, stage of pneumoconiosis, type of work and dust-exposure duration, multiple linear regression analysis showed that serum NLRP3 (β'=0.649) and NEK7 (β'=0.346) were positively correlated with the pulmonary fibrosis score. Conclusion The increase in the levels of serum NLRP3 and NEK7 in patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis is related to the increase in the degree of pulmonary fibrosis.

Randomized controlled trial(RCT) is considered to represent the gold standard for evaluating the efficacy of interventions and has been widely used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). However, there are unique challenges in implementing RCT in TCM. Patients seeking TCM treatment often have preferences for TCM due to the unsatisfactory therapeutic effect of western medicine, their personal intolerance, and their rejection of certain drugs, medical devices, or surgery. Patients are generally reluctant to be randomly assigned to a group, making it challenging to enroll patients in the control group of western medicine during the implementation of RCT in TCM. This has become a prominent problem restricting the implementation of RCT in TCM and needs to be solved urgently. Therefore, this paper introduced commonly used research designs used in solving the problem of enrolling patients in control group during the implementation of RCT in TCM, including Zelen design, partially randomized patient preference trial(PRPP), single-arm objective performance criteria(OPC), cohort studies, single-arm clinical trials using real world data(RWD) alone as the external control group, and the design method based on RWD-augmented control group samples in RCT. The paper outlined the definitions and principles of these methods, evaluated their advantages, disadvantages, and applicable scenarios, and explored their applications in the TCM field, so as to offer insights for solving the difficulty in enrolling patients in the control group during the implementation of RCT in TCM.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic/methods* ; Research Design ; Patient Selection ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Control Groups

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Zhiwei Fuwei Pills on mitochondrial apoptosis in the rat model of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer(PLGC) based on the microRNA-21(miRNA-21)/B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) signaling pathway. Eighty-five 5-week-old male SPF-grade SD rats were selected, of which 75 were fed with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG) for multifactorial modeling, and the PLGC model was established after 26 weeks. The rats were randomly grouped as follows: model, folic acid(0.002 g·kg~(-1)), low-dose(0.42 g·kg~(-1)) Zhiwei Fuwei Pills, medium-dose(0.84 g·kg~(-1)) Zhiwei Fuwei Pills, and high-dose(1.67 g·kg~(-1)) Zhiwei Fuwei Pills, with 15 rats in each group. Additionally, 10 rats were assigned to a blank group and administrated with an equivalent volume of normal saline by gavage. After four weeks of continuous drug administration, the gastric mucosal tissue was collected. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was performed to reveal the pathological changes in the gastric mucosa. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) was employed to detect apoptosis in gastric mucosal epithelial cells. RT-PCR was adopted to determine the mRNA levels of miRNA-21, phosphatase and tensin homolog(PTEN), Bcl-2, Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), and cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease 3(caspase-3). Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of PTEN, Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3. Immunohistochemistry(IHC) was used to detect the positive expression of PTEN, Bcl-2, and Bax in the gastric mucosal tissue. Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) was employed to observe the morphological and structural changes in mitochondria. The results showed that compared with model group, the drug administration groups showed alleviated pathological changes, with increased apoptotic cells, down-regulated mRNA levels of miRNA-21 and Bcl-2, up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of PTEN, Bax, and caspase-3, and down-regulated protein level of Bcl-2. In addition, the drug administration groups exhibited mitochondrial swelling and rupture and reduction of cristae, which indicated mitochondrial apoptosis. These findings suggest that Zhiwei Fuwei Pills can effectively improve mitochondrial apoptosis in PLGC cells by regulating the miRNA-21/Bcl-2 signaling pathway.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Male ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Stomach Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Mitochondria/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Precancerous Conditions/drug therapy* ; Humans ; PTEN Phosphohydrolase/genetics*

Objective:To evaluate the lung ultrasound characteristics of mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children and to investigate the value of lung ultrasound monitoring in clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:A retrospective analysis of 62 children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia admitted to Xi'an Chest Hospital from 7 November to 30 November 2023 was performed，and the characteristic parameters of bedside lung ultrasound and their related clinical data were collected. Pathological lung ultrasound features such as interrupted pleural line，well-spaced B-lines，coalescent B-lines，small subpleural patchy pulmonary consolidation，large pulmonary consolidation and pleural effusion in 12 scan areas of both lungs were observed. The maximum upper and lower diameters，right and left diameters，and anterior and posterior diameters of the large pulmonary consolidations were measured，and the changes in the above signs before and after treatment were measured and compared.Results:In sixty-two children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia，including 32 males and 30 females，with a mean age of（8.18 ± 2.05）years old and a mean hospital stay of（8.79 ± 2.93）days，lung ultrasound showed interrupted pleural line，well-spaced B-lines，coalescent B-lines，small subpleural patchy pulmonary consolidation，large pulmonary consolidation and pleural effusion，with the incidence of 93.5%（58 /62），33.9%（21/62），32.3%（20/62），59.7%（37/62），66.1%（41/62）and 17.7%（11/62），respectively，in which the large pulmonary consolidations presented rich blood supply were more common in the L6 and L4 areas，while the pleural effusions were more common in the L6 area.The signs of interrupted pleural line，coalescent B-lines，large pulmonary consolidation and pleural effusion were significantly improved after treatment compared with before treatment（all P<0.05）. The upper and lower diameters，left and right diameters，and anterior and posterior diameters of large pulmonary consolidations were significantly reduced after treatment compared with before treatment［（4.19 ± 2.42）cm vs.（2.84 ± 2.31）cm， t=2.613， P=0.011；（2.80 ± 1.82）cm vs.（1.96 ± 1.62）cm， t=2.226， P=0.029；（3.41 ± 2.11）cm vs.（2.12 ± 1.82）cm， t=2.972， P=0.004］.With the process of treatment，the dynamic observation of lung ultrasound showed that the well-spaced B-lines/coalescent B-lines gradually decreased until they completely disappeared or a small number of B-lines remained，and the area of the large pulmonary consolidation showed a dynamic downward trend（all P<0.001），and the area of large pulmonary consolidations gradually decreased until they completely disappeared or only small subpleural patchy pulmonary consolidations and well-spaced/coalescent B-lines remained，and at the same time，the pleural effusion gradually absorbed until it disappeared. Conclusions:Lung ultrasound can detect the distribution area of lung lesions，morphology and blood supply characteristics of children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia，as well as the dynamic changes after treatment，and lung ultrasound can dynamically monitor and evaluate the progression and regression of the disease in real time，providing a reliable imaging evidence for clinical practice.