Objective: To find a viable alternative to reduce the number of doses required for the patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and to improve efficacy and patient compliance. Methods: In this study, we used ginger oil, a phytochemical with potential therapeutic properties, to prepare ginger oil patches. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify the main active component of ginger oil, 6-gingerol. Transdermal absorption experiments were conducted to optimize the various pressure-sensitive adhesives and permeation enhancers, including their type and concentration. Subsequently, the ginger oil patches were optimized and subjected to content determination and property evaluations. A PTSD mouse model was established using the foot-shock method. The therapeutic effect of ginger oil patches on PTSD was assessed through pathological sections, behavioral tests, and the evaluation of biomarkers such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and melatonin (MT). Results: The results demonstrated that ginger oil patches exerted therapeutic effects against PTSD by inhibiting inflammatory responses and modulating MT and BDNF levels. Pharmacokinetic experiments revealed that ginger oil patches maintained a stable blood drug concentration for at least one day, addressing the rapid metabolism drawback of 6-gingerol and enhancing its therapeutic efficacy. Conclusions Ginger oil can be prepared as a transdermal drug patch that meets these requirements, and the bioavailability of the prepared patch is better than that of oral administration. It can improve PTSD with good patient compliance and ease of administration. Therefore, it is a promising therapeutic formulation for the treatment of PTSD.

ObjectiveTo study the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes of children with alopecia areata， and provide evidence for TCM differentiation and treatment in clinic. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 800 children with alopecia areata admitted to the Hair Medicine Center of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital from January 1， 2012 to December 31， 2021. The clinical data of the children were collected using a four-examination information questionnaire， including clinical characteristics （age of consultation， age of onset， course of disease， family history， severity grading）， alopecia areata-related factors （triggers）， and four-examination information （including sleep， diet， emotions， bladder and bowel function， etc.）. Descriptive frequency analyses， rank sum tests， factor analyses and cluster analyses were performed， and the distribution of the major TCM syndromes was summarised with the clinical data. ResultsThere were 800 children with alopecia areata， including 449 males and 351 females； 8 cases （1.00%） were in infancy， 36 cases （4.50%） were in early childhood， 180 cases （22.50%） were in preschool， 380 cases （47.50%） were in school age， and 196 cases （24.50%） were in puberty at the time of consultation； the average age of consultation was 8.31±3.86 years， the average age of onset of disease was 5.40±3.82 years， and the average duration of disease was 2.94±2.77 years； 527 children （65.87%） with severe alopecia areata； 85 children （13.56%） had a family history of alopecia areata； 772 children （96.50%） had unknown triggers for their first alopecia areata， and 28 children （3.50%） reported the presence of obvious triggers， including fright （9 cases）， high fever （5 cases）， allergic reactions （4 cases）， micronutrient （zinc， iron， etc.） deficiencies （4 cases）， inappropriate diet （2 cases）， environmental factors （1 case， new house renovation）， atopic dermatitis （1 case）， atopic asthma （1 case）， and pneumonia （1 case）. A total of 40 four-examination information items were collected， among which the frequency of kicking quilts was the highest with 380 cases （47.50%）， followed by picky eating （369 cases， 46.13%）， sleeplessness （334 cases， 41.75%）， irritability （334 cases， 41.75%）， partiality towards certain foods （306 cases， 38.25%）， impulsiveness （297 cases， 37.13%）， dry stools （233 cases， 29.13%）， yellow urine （215 cases， 26.88%）， nail biting （213 cases， 26.63%）， bad breath （211 cases， 26.38%）. According to factor analysis and cluster analysis， five types of TCM syndromes were obtained， in order as qi and blood deficiency syndrome （110 cases， 13.75%）， spleen deficiency syndrome （114 cases， 14.25%）， kidney essence deficiency syndrome （140 cases， 17.50%）， dietary stagnation syndrome （150 cases， 18.75%）， and liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome （286 cases， 35.75%）. Patients in each age group and SALT grading are mainly liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome. ConclusionThe TCM symptoms of children with alopecia areata are mainly based on qi and blood deficiency syndrome， spleen deficiency syndrome， kidney essence deficiency syndrome， dietary stagnation syndrome， and liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome， of which liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome is the most common type at different ages and stages of the disease.

Objective:To study the clinical characteristics and management strategies of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in high-altitude areas.Methods:An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 79 stable COPD patients who visited the outpatient of Respiratory Medicine at Tibet Autonomous Region People′s Hospital and Peking University Third Hospital from August 3 rd 2020 to November 30 th 2020. Patients were divided into Lhasa group ( n=44) and Beijing group ( n=35). The differences of clinical characteristics including demographic characteristics, risk factors, respiratory symptoms, comorbidities, medications and spirometry were analyzed. Further comparative analysis was conducted on the clinical characteristics of smokers ( n=15) and non-smokers ( n=29) in Lhasa group. Results:The proportion of female patients and biofuel exposure in Lhasa group was significantly higher than Beijing group (56.8% vs 0, 86.4% vs 0, both P<0.001). The proportion of smokers in Lhasa group was significantly lower than Beijing group (34.1% vs 100%, P<0.001). The mean score of COPD assessment test (CAT) in Lhasa group was significantly higher than Beijing group (21.27 vs 9.17, P<0.001). The proportion of acute exacerbations ≥2 in the past year in Lhasa group was significantly higher than Beijing group (31.8% vs 11.4%, P=0.032). The median percentage of forced vital capacity in the first second of predicted value (FEV 1%pred) of patients in Lhasa group was significantly higher than Beijing group (63% vs 38%, P<0.001). The proportion of patients treated by inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β 2-agonist (ICS/LABA) and inhaled long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) in Lhasa group was significantly lower than Beijing group (4.5% vs 60.0%, 0 vs 65.7%, both P<0.001). There were no significant differences in CAT score, number of acute exacerbations in the past year and lung function between smokers and non-smokers in Lhasa group. Conclusions:Compared with those patients in Beijing, the majority of patients with COPD living in Lhasa are female, with a low proportion of smokers and a high proportion of biofuel exposure. Although their lung function is better, their respiratory symptoms are more severe with more acute exacerbations in the past year, and most patients do not receive standardized medication.

Objective:To summarize and analyze the diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics of asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism (aPHPT).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 103 patients with aPHPT admitted to the Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2012 to September 2023. The clinical characteristics, treatment modes, and prognoses of the patients were analyzed. GraphPad Prism 8.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results:Among the 103 cases, there were 37 males and 66 females, aged from 25 to 78 years, with an average age of (53.81±11.34) years. Ninety-eight cases (95.15%) visited due to abnormal findings during physical examination and 5 cases (4.85%) due to hypertension, diabetes or other diseases. All patients underwent minimally invasive parathyroidectomy with small incision, with 96 cases (93.20%) pathologically diagnosed as adenomas and 7 cases as hyperplasia (6.80%). Postoperative mean serum calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were respectively significantly lower than preoperative levels, while postoperative serum phosphorus level was significantly higher than preoperative level ( P<0.05). The mean lesion volume was (3.32±6.72)cm 3 (range 0.05-49.50 cm 3). Patients with different lesion volumes had significant differences in preoperative serum calcium, PTH and ALP levels. Lesion volume was positively correlated to preoperative serum calcium(ρ=0.36, P<0.01), PTH(ρ=0.50, P<0.01) and ALP(ρ=0.39, P<0.01). Among 103 patients, 94 cases were followed up (91.26%), 9 cases were lost (8.74%), and the mean follow-up period was (60.15±29.23) months. The followed-up patients were alive and had no recurrence of lesions or complications, and their blood calcium levels were normal. Conclusion:aPHPT can be preliminarily diagnosed through blood biochemistry and imaging examination, and minimally invasive surgery can offer good prognosis without serious complications.

Objective:To explore the mechanism of Jianpi Qingchang Decoction in the treatment of UC by integrating network pharmacology, bioinformatics, molecular docking and experimental verification.Methods:The effective components and targets of Jianpi Qingchang Decoction were obtained from TCMSP database, and UC data sets GSE16879, GSE48958 and GSE75214 were obtained from GEO database, and differentially expressed genes were screened; intersection targets were obtained through Venn diagram, and GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was performed. An intersection target PPI network was constructed using STRING database and topology analysis was performed; hub genes were screened through lasso regression and the expression consistency of core targets in the dataset was verified through logistic regression. A UC mouse model was established and hub genes were validated.Results:A total of 213 drug targets of Jianpi Qingchang Decoction were obtained, and 499 common intersection targets of GSE16879, GSE48958 and GSE75214 were obtained by differential gene expression analysis. Thirty intersection targets of Jianpi Qingchang Decoction and UC were obtained, mainly acting on IL-17 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, etc. PPI network topology analysis obtained 7 common intersection targets, including PTGS2, IL-1B, IL-6, MMP9, CXCL8, CCL2 and MMP2. IL-6 and MMP2 were selected as hub genes by lasso regression. Logistics regression analysis showed that IL-6 and MMP2 were risk factors for the disease. Compared with the model group, the expressions of IL-6 and MMP2 mRNA and protein in the colon tissue of the TCM group decreased ( P<0.05), and the morphology of colon tissue was improved compared with the model group. Conclusion:IL-6 and MMP2 are risk factors for UC, the therapeutic effect of Jianpi Qingchang Decoction is to mediate Il-17 signal pathway, TNF signal pathway and AGE-RAGE signal pathway in diabetic complications through the targets of IL-6, and MMP2, thereby treating UC.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hypomethylating agents (HMA) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) .Methods:A total of 409 MDS patients from 45 hospitals in Zhejiang province who received at least four consecutive cycles of HMA monotherapy as initial therapy were enrolled to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HMA. Mann-Whitney U or Chi-square tests were used to compare the differences in the clinical data. Logistic regression and Cox regression were used to analyze the factors affecting efficacy and survival. Kaplan-Meier was used for survival analysis. Results:Patients received HMA treatment for a median of 6 cycles (range, 4-25 cycles) . The complete remission (CR) rate was 33.98% and the overall response rate (ORR) was 77.02%. Multivariate analysis revealed that complex karyotype ( P=0.02, OR=0.39, 95% CI 0.18-0.84) was an independent favorable factor for CR rate. TP53 mutation ( P=0.02, OR=0.22, 95% CI 0.06-0.77) was a predictive factor for a higher ORR. The median OS for the HMA-treated patients was 25.67 (95% CI 21.14-30.19) months. HMA response ( P=0.036, HR=0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.95) was an independent favorable prognostic factor, whereas complex karyotype ( P=0.024, HR=2.14, 95% CI 1.10-4.15) , leukemia transformation ( P<0.001, HR=2.839, 95% CI 1.64-4.92) , and TP53 mutation ( P=0.012, HR=2.19, 95% CI 1.19-4.07) were independent adverse prognostic factors. There was no significant difference in efficacy and survival between the reduced and standard doses of HMA. The CR rate and ORR of MDS patients treated with decitabine and azacitidine were not significantly different. The median OS of patients treated with decitabine was longer compared with that of patients treated with azacitidine (29.53 months vs 20.17 months, P=0.007) . The incidence of bone marrow suppression and pneumonia in the decitabine group was higher compared with that in the azacitidine group. Conclusion:Continuous and regular use of appropriate doses of hypomethylating agents may benefit MDS patients to the greatest extent if it is tolerated.

Objective To elucidate the influence of two procedures aortic root remodeling using a straight tubular artificial vessel while preserving the aortic valve and the Florida sleeve procedure on the biomechanics of the aortic root.Methods Five finite element models of the aortic root were reconstructed using computed tomography angiography images,including two cases of aortic root remodeling(A1 and A2),two cases of the Florida sleeve procedure(B1 and B2),and one control group without aortic root pathology(C).Numerical simulations were performed to obtain the blood flow and pressure distribution result to assess the differences in the hemodynamics of the aortic root.Results There were no significant differences in the peak systolic velocity between the two procedures and the control.However,the flow velocity after aortic root remodeling was smoother,similar to the model of the control group,with a more stable average aortic pressure and wall shear stress.In the Florida sleeve procedure,high-speed blood flow affected the vessel wall,leading to various degrees of wall shear stress and pressure concentrations along the aortic wall.Conclusions After aortic root replacement with valve preservation,blood flow patterns in the reconstructed aortic root depended on postoperative changes in sinus geometry.Both surgical procedures showed favorable blood flow patterns;however,the flow pattern after aortic root remodeling was more stable than that after the Florida sleeve procedure.

Objective To investigate vascular remodeling and low-density lipoprotein(LDL)deposition,the growth and development trends of lateral branch plaques in bifurcated vessels,and the potential locations of subsequent plaque growth due to the presence of plaques.Methods An idealized model of bifurcated vessels was established and the distribution of wall shear stress before and after the growth of edge-branch plaques was obtained using computational fluid dynamics.Seven sections were intercepted in the areas of low shear stress:planes 1-3 were the low shear stress areas on the lateral branch before plaque formation,planes 4-5 were the proximal and distal edges of the plaque,and planes 6-7 were the lower shear stress areas of the plaque.Vascular remodeling and LDL deposition in the cross section were simulated.The growth and development trends of plaques are also discussed.Results Among planes 1-3,plane 2 produced obvious negative remodeling and the highest concentration of LDL deposition(102.266 mmol/L),thereby indicating that this was the initial location of the atherosclerotic plaque.Compared to plane 4,plane 5 produced more pronounced vascular remodeling,lumen narrowing,and the highest deposition concentration(110.17 mmol/L)after plaque formation,which indicated that the patch had a tendency for eccentric growth downstream.Compared to plane 6,plane 7(blood flow separation reattachment site)produced more negative remodeling and the highest deposition concentration(93.851 mmol/L),thereby indicating the possibility of new plaque formation near the reattachment point of blood flow separation.Conclusions Obvious vascular remodeling at low shear stress in the lateral branches leads to lumen stenosis and high LDL deposition,thus,forming atherosclerotic plaques.The lateral wall of the bifurcated blood vessels is the initial location of atherosclerotic plaque growth.After growth,the plaque tends to develop downstream,and subsequent plaques may form at the flow separation and reattachment points.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of the common pathogens isolated from urine from 2015 to 2021 in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program.Methods The bacterial strains were isolated from urine and identified routinely in 51 hospitals across China in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by Kirby-Bauer method,automatic microbiological analysis system and E-test according to the unified protocol.Results A total of 261 893 nonduplicate strains were isolated from urine specimen from 2015 to 2021,of which gram-positive bacteria accounted for 23.8％(62 219/261 893),and gram-negative bacteria 76.2％(199 674/261 893).The most common species were E.coli(46.7％),E.faecium(10.4％),K.pneumoniae(9.8％),E.faecalis(8.7％),P.mirabilis(3.5％),P.aeruginosa(3.4％),SS.agalactiae(2.6％),and E.cloacae(2.1％).The strains were more frequently isolated from inpatients versus outpatients and emergency patients,from females versus males,and from adults versus children.The prevalence of ESBLs-producing strains in E.coli,K.pneumoniae and P.mirabilis was 53.2％,52.8％and 37.0％,respectively.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant strains in E.coli,K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii was 1.7％,18.5％,16.4％,and 40.3％,respectively.Lower than 10％of the E.faecalis isolates were resistant to ampicillin,nitrofurantoin,linezolid,vancomycin,teicoplanin and fosfomycin.More than 90％of the E.faecium isolates were ressitant to ampicillin,levofloxacin and erythromycin.The percentage of strains resistant to vancomycin,linezolid or teicoplanin was＜2％.The E.coli,K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii strains isolated from ICU inpatients showed significantly higher resistance rates than the corresponding strains isolated from outpatients and non-ICU inpatients.Conclusions E.coli,Enterococcus and K.pneumoniae are the most common pathogens in urinary tract infection.The bacterial species and antimicrobial resistance of urinary isolates vary with different populations.More attention should be paid to antimicrobial resistance surveillance and reduce the irrational use of antimicrobial agents.

Objective To understand the distribution and changing resistance profiles of clinical isolates of Enterococcus in hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted for the clinical isolates of Enterococcus according to the unified protocol of CHINET program by automated systems,Kirby-Bauer method,or E-test strip.The results were interpreted according to the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints in 2021.WHONET 5.6 software was used for statistical analysis.Results A total of 124 565 strains of Enterococcus were isolated during the 7-year period,mainly including Enterococcus faecalis(50.7％)and Enterococcus faecalis(41.5％).The strains were mainly isolated from urinary tract specimens(46.9％±2.6％),and primarily from the patients in the department of internal medicine,surgery and ICU.E.faecium and E.faecalis strains showed low level resistance rate to vancomycin,teicoplanin and linezolid(≤3.6％).The prevalence of vancomycin-resistant E.faecalis and E.faecium was 0.1％and 1.3％,respectively.The prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis increased from 0.7％in 2015 to 3.4％in 2021,while the prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecium was 0.3％.Conclusions The clinical isolates of Enterococcus were still highly susceptible to vancomycin,teicoplanin,and linezolid,evidenced by a low resistance rate.However,the prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis was increasing during the 7-year period.It is necessary to strengthen antimicrobial resistance surveillance to effectively identify the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and curb the spread of resistant pathogens.