Polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS）， a common reproductive endocrine disorder in women， is one of the leading causes of ovulatory infertility in women of reproductive age. Due to its heterogeneous etiology， complex symptoms， and challenging treatment， PCOS has become a focal point of research in gynecological and reproductive medicine globally. The pathogenesis of PCOS is complex and may involve regulatory mechanisms such as inflammatory responses， oxidative stress， and cellular autophagy. Crown-like structures （CLSs） refer to pro-inflammatory microenvironments formed by macrophages engulfing adipocytes. The inflammatory disorders induced by CLSs are one of the key factors contributing to the development of PCOS and its complications. Current studies have indicated that the obese status in PCOS accelerates the formation of CLSs， and the density of CLSs can predict the progression of metabolic disorders and influence the outcomes of various metabolic diseases. Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） offers the unique advantages of a holistic view， four diagnostic methods， and syndrome differentiation and treatment to ameliorate the symptoms and signs of PCOS through multiple levels， pathways， and targets. Although studies on the mechanisms of metabolic diseases and CLS formation have been reported in China and abroad， there is still a lack of literature on the correlation between CLSs and PCOS， as well as reviews on TCM interventions targeting CLSs for treating this disease. Therefore， this paper summarized the correlation between obese PCOS and CLSs and reviewed recent studies on TCM interventions based on CLS formation （adipose tissue-macrophage inflammatory crosstalk） in the treatment of obese PCOS， aiming to provide new research perspectives for the prevention and treatment of PCOS using TCM.

Polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS）， a common reproductive endocrine disorder in women， is one of the leading causes of ovulatory infertility in women of reproductive age. Due to its heterogeneous etiology， complex symptoms， and challenging treatment， PCOS has become a focal point of research in gynecological and reproductive medicine globally. The pathogenesis of PCOS is complex and may involve regulatory mechanisms such as inflammatory responses， oxidative stress， and cellular autophagy. Crown-like structures （CLSs） refer to pro-inflammatory microenvironments formed by macrophages engulfing adipocytes. The inflammatory disorders induced by CLSs are one of the key factors contributing to the development of PCOS and its complications. Current studies have indicated that the obese status in PCOS accelerates the formation of CLSs， and the density of CLSs can predict the progression of metabolic disorders and influence the outcomes of various metabolic diseases. Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） offers the unique advantages of a holistic view， four diagnostic methods， and syndrome differentiation and treatment to ameliorate the symptoms and signs of PCOS through multiple levels， pathways， and targets. Although studies on the mechanisms of metabolic diseases and CLS formation have been reported in China and abroad， there is still a lack of literature on the correlation between CLSs and PCOS， as well as reviews on TCM interventions targeting CLSs for treating this disease. Therefore， this paper summarized the correlation between obese PCOS and CLSs and reviewed recent studies on TCM interventions based on CLS formation （adipose tissue-macrophage inflammatory crosstalk） in the treatment of obese PCOS， aiming to provide new research perspectives for the prevention and treatment of PCOS using TCM.

This study aimed to characterize and identify the non-volatile components in aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the stems and leaves of Rhododendron tomentosum by using sensitive and efficient ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined with a self-built information database. By comparing with reference compounds, analyzing fragment ion information, searching relevant literature, and using a self-built information database, 118 compounds were identified from the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of R. tomentosum, including 35 flavonoid glycosides, 15 phenolic glycosides, 12 flavonoids, 7 phenolic acids, 7 phenylethanol glycosides, 6 tannins, 6 phospholipids, 5 coumarins, 5 monoterpene glycosides, 6 triterpenes, 3 fatty acids, and 11 other types of compounds. Among them, 102 compounds were reported in R. tomentosum for the first time, and 36 compounds were identified by comparing them with reference compounds. The chemical components in the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of R. tomentosum leaves and stems showed slight differences, with 84 common chemical components accounting for 71.2% of the total 118 compounds. This study systematically characterized and identified the non-volatile chemical components in the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of R. tomentosum for the first time. The findings provide a reference for active ingredient research, quality control, and product development of R. tomentosum.
Rhododendron/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry*

The chemical components of Carthami Flos were investigated by using macroporous resin, silica gel column chromatography, reversed-phase octadecylsilane(ODS) column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). The planar structures of the compounds were established based on their physicochemical properties and ultraviolet-visible(UV-Vis), infrared(IR), high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(HR-ESI-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) spectroscopic technology. The absolute configurations were determined by comparing the calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism(ECD). Six flavonoid C-glycosides were isolated from the 30% ethanol elution fraction of macroporous resin obtained from the 95% ethanol extract of Carthami Flos, and identified as saffloquinoside F(1), 5-hydroxysaffloneoside(2), iso-5-hydroxysaffloneoside(3), isosafflomin C(4), safflomin C(5), and vicenin 2(6). Among these, the compounds 1 to 3 were new chalcone C-glycosides. The compounds 1, 2, 4, and 5 could significantly increase the viability of H9c2 cardiomyocytes damaged by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R) at a concentration of 50 μmol·L~(-1), showing their good cardioprotective activity.
Glycosides/pharmacology* ; Flowers/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Carthamus tinctorius/chemistry* ; Chalcones/pharmacology* ; Animals

Stroke is a critical health issue in China, and carotid artery stenosis and plaque play key roles in its prevalence. Despite the acknowledged significance of this condition, detailed information regarding the prevalence of carotid artery stenosis and plaque across the Chinese population has been scarce. This study analyzed data from the China Stroke High-risk Population Screening and Intervention Program for 2020-2021, focusing on 194 878 Chinese adults aged 40 years and above. It assessed the prevalence of carotid artery stenosis and plaque and identified their associated risk factors. Results revealed a standardized prevalence of 0.40% for carotid artery stenosis and 36.27% for carotid plaque. Notably, the highest rates of stenosis were observed in north and south China at 0.61%, while southwestern China exhibited the highest plaque prevalence at 43.17%. Key risk factors included older age, male gender, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, smoking, and atrial fibrillation. This study highlights significant geographical and demographic disparities in the prevalence of these conditions, underlining the urgent need for targeted interventions and policy reforms. These measures are essential for reducing the incidence of stroke and improving patient outcomes, addressing this significant health challenge in China.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Prevalence ; Middle Aged ; Carotid Stenosis/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Aged ; Adult ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/epidemiology* ; Stroke/epidemiology* ; Aged, 80 and over

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of serum long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 16(lncRNA SNHG16)and mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4(SMAD4)in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)and pulmonary infection(PI).Methods A total of 237 elderly COPD patients admitted to the hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were enrolled in the study.Among them,117 patients with concomitant PI were classified as the concur-rent group,and 120 patients without concomitant PI were classified as the COPD group.Real-time fluores-cence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)was applied to detect the expression level of serum lncRNA SNHG16 in two groups.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was applied to detect the lev-el of SMAD4 in patients'serum.Simplified clinical pulmonary infection scale(sCPIS)was used to evaluate the degree of PI of patients in the concurrent group.Multivariate Logistic regression was applied to analyze the in-fluencing factors of PI in elderly COPD patients.Correlation between serum lncRNA SNHG16,SMAD4 levels and sCPIS in elderly COPD patients with PI was analyzed by using Spearman correlation analysis.Receiver op-erating characteristic(ROC)curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic value of serum lncRNA SNHG16 and SMAD4 levels in elderly COPD patients with PI.Results The serum relative expression level of lncRNA SNHG16 in the concurrent group was higher than that in the COPD group,but the serum SMAD4 level was lower than that in the COPD group(P<0.05).In addition,the proportions of patients with age≥70 years,smoking history,complicated with diabetes and COPD course≥5 years and the levels of tumor necrosis fac-tor-α(TNF-α),interferon-γ(INF-γ)in the concurrent group were higher than those in the COPD group,and FEV1/FVC and the level of interleukin-10(IL-10)in concurrent group were lower than those in COPD group(P<0.05).Multivariate Logistic analysis showed that age≥70 years old,complicated with diabetes,COPD course≥5 years,high levels of TNF-α,INF-γ and lncRNA SNHG16 were risk factors for elderly patients with COPD complicated with PI(P<0.05),but high FEV1/FVC and high levels of SMAD4 and IL-10 were protective factors(P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum relative expression level of ln-cRNA SNHG16 was positively correlated with sCPIS in COPD patients with PI(r=0.505,P<0.001),while SMAD4 level was negatively correlated with sCPIS(r=-0.550,P<0.001).The area under the curve(AUC)of the combined diagnosis of serum lncRNA SNHG16 and SMAD4 for PI in elderly COPD patients was higher than those of individual diagnosis(Z=2.416,P=0.016;Z=2.375,P=0.018).Conclusion The serum relative expression level of lncRNA SNHG16 increases and SMAD4 level decreases in elderly COPD pa-tients with PI,both are influencing factors for elderly COPD patients complicated with PI,and both are related to the degree of PI in patients,and both have diagnostic value for elderly COPD patients complicated with PI,and the diagnostic efficacy of combined detection is better.

Objective:To explore the skin conditions, skin diseases, and physiological functions of the facial skin in plateau children.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. A total of 327 children aged 6-12 years which included 164 males (9.97±2.56 years) and 163 females (10.23±2.05 years) were recruited in this study from six different altitude groups from June 2022 to February 2024 at the Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University: Yongren group, Kunming group, Meigu group, Dashanbao group, Lashihai group, and Rikaze group at altitudes of 1 500, 1 800, 2 000, 3 100, 3 500, and 3 800 m. and 76, 63, 21, 34, 64, and 69 children were recruited from each group, respectively. The facial skin characteristics and the transepidermal water loss, stratum corneum hydration, the L * value, and the a * value, which were tested by non-invasive instruments, were collected. Subsequently, meteorological data for the six locations were obtained from CNKI and China Meteorological Data Service Centre, including monthly temperature, monthly humidity, and annual sunshine duration. Finally, all data were analyzed using SPSS 29.0. Results:The top five facial skin diseases in 327 children were telangiectasia (249, 82.57%), freckles (173, 52.91%), nevus (125, 38.23%), pityriasis alba (98, 29.97%), and scars (93, 28.44%). In addition, a total of 15 cases of melasma with a lower score of mMASI were identified in this study. In all the subjects, 7.65% had severe desquamation, 19.57% had moderate desquamation, and 40.98% had mild desquamation. The whole transepidermal water loss value of highland children＇s face was (6.55±3.95) g·m -2·h -1, the stratum corneum hydration value was (24.19±19.45) au, the L * value was (51.76±4.31) au, the a * value was (15.60±2.29) au. The Dashanbao group was higher than the other 5 groups ( F=18.76, P<0.05), and the stratum corneum hydration of the Lashihai and Rikaze groups was higher than any other groups ( F=157.292, P<0.05), the L * value of the Meigu group was the lowest in any other 5 groups ( F=14.06, P<0.05), the a * value of the Kunming group was lower than other all groups ( F=11.88, P<0.05). Conclusions:The proportion of facial skin diseases varies slightly across altitudes, with significant differences in skin barrier function among the six groups of children with impaired skin barrier function in the highlands.

Objective To investigate the anticoagulation status of patients with atrial fibrillation(AF)-related acute ischemic stroke(AIS)after revascularization therapy in the real world.Methods A retrospective study was performed on patients diagnosed as AIS and AF from Jan.2019 to Jan.2022 at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University.Patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis(IVT),endovascular thrombectomy(EVT),or both were enrolled.Clinical information,timing of anticoagulation initiation,treatment regimens,and outcomes were documented and statistically analyzed.Additionally,a questionnaire was administered to the primary physicians to understand reasons for delaying or not initiating anticoagulation.Results A total of 189 patients with AF-related AIS met the screening criteria,including 86(45.5%)cases in the IVT group,63(33.3%)cases in the EVT group,and 40(21.2%)cases in the IVT+EVT group.The mean age of 189 patients was(72.90±9.23)years old.There were 93(49.2%)female patients.Anticoagulation was initiated within 14 d after revascularization therapy in 36.0%(68/189)of patients,with the highest rate in the IVT group(58.8%,40/68),followed by the EVT group(22.1%,15/68)and IVT+EVT group(19.1%,13/68).A significant difference was found in the proportion of patients receiving anticoagulation within 14 d among the 3 groups(P=0.020).Univariate analysis was performed on the clinical data of patients who initiated anticoagulation within 14 d after revascularization therapy(68 cases)and those who delayed or did not initiate anticoagulation(121 cases).The results showed that there were significant differences in the stroke history,National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score before revascularization therapy,Alberta Stroke Program early computed tomography score,modified Rankin scale(mRs)score before revascularization therapy,imaging characteristics(lesions near cortex,large infarction,severe stenosis or occlusion of major intracranial arteries),revascularization therapy method,NIHSS score 3 d after revascularization therapy,and intracranial hemorrhagic transformation after revascularization therapy between the 2 groups(all P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that higher NIHSS scores 3 d after revascularization therapy(odds ratio[OR]=1.113,95%confidence interval[CI]1.053-1.176,P＜0.001)and the presence of intracranial hemorrhage after revascularization therapy(OR=6.098,95%CI 2.004-18.193,P=0.001)were significant factors that contraindicated the initiation of anticoagulation.Large infarcts(40.8%),infarct location(35.8%),and hemorrhagic transformation after stroke(40.8%)were the common reasons cited by physicians for not initiating anticoagulation.In the 90-d prognosis of patients with AF-related AIS,6 patients had bleeding events,and 116 patients had a good prognosis(mRS score of 0-2).The 90-d good prognosis rate in the initiated anticoagulation group within 14 d after revascularization therapy(89.7%,61/68)was significantly higher than that in the delayed or non-anticoagulation group(45.5%,55/121;P＜0.001).Conclusion For patients with AF-related AIS who receive IVT,EVT or IVT+EVT,it is safe to initiate anticoagulation early after revascularization therapy,but the timing of anticoagulation in most patients is later than the currently recommended anticoagulation timing.

Objective:A gas chromatography analysis system for fatty acid compositions of hydrogenated palm glycerides was established to provide a reference for quality standards of hydrogenated palm glycerides.Methods:In this test,a DB-WAX(30 m ×0.53 mm,1.0 μm)strong polarity gas chromatographic column was employed with an injection volume of 1 μL and a split ratio of 120∶1.The initial column temperature was 70℃,sustained for 2 min,ramped up to 230 ℃ at a rate of 5 ℃ per minute,and maintained for 10 min,with the inlet temperature of 250 ℃ and the detector temperature of 250 ℃.Results:In this experiment,the gas chromatograph-ic method was established successfully to determine fatty acid compositions of hydrogenated palm glycerides.The validated results indicated that the method exhibited well-suited system applicability,specificity and precision,and the RSD(％)fulfilled the requirements.The limit of detection(LOD)and limit of quantification(LOQ)values of nine fatty acid methyl esters were defined,and fatty acid compositions of seven batches of samples were checked successfully.Conclusion:The GC methodology developed in this study is suitable for the analysis and determina-tion of fatty acid compositions in hydrogenated palm glycerides,which can serve as a reference for the quality control of this pharmaceutical excipient and the establishment of quality standards.