ObjectiveTo explore the clinical effectivess of Nuangong Tiaojing Decoction （暖宫调经汤） combined with ginger moxibustion at Baliao acupoints （Eight Bone-Holes） for treating premature ovarian failure （POF） of yang-deficiency uterus-coldeness syndrome， based on conventional western medical treatment. MethodsA total of 130 patients diagnosed with POF of yang-deficiency uterus-coldeness syndrome were divided into a treatment group and a control group， with 65 cases in each group， based on patient preference. The control group received conventional western medicine treatment， while the treatment group was additionally given Nuangong Tiaojing Decoction orally one dose per day and underwent ginger moxibustion at Baliao points once daily. Both groups were treated for three months. Before and after treatment， ovarian function indicators， including ovarian volume， follicle count， ovarian peak systolic velocity （PSV）， and endometrial thickness were assessed， and serum sex hormone levels including progesterone （P）， estradiol （E₂）， follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， prolactin （PRL）， and testosterone （T）， as well as anti-Müllerian hormone （AMH） levels were also measured. Additionally， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores were evaluated， covering symptoms such as reduced libido， lumbosacral pain， fear of cold with cold extremities， fatigue， dull complexion， lower abdominal distension and pain， pale tongue， and deep and rough pulse. After treatment， clinical effectiveness and safety were determined. ResultsCompared with the pre-treatment levels within group， both groups showed significant increases in ovarian volume， follicle count， PSV， endometrial thickness， and levels of P， E₂， and AMH after treatment， while the levels of FSH， LH， PRL， and T， as well as scores of lumbosacral pain， reduced libido， dull complexion， deep and rough pulse， and total TCM syndrome scores significantly reduced after treatment. Furthermore， the treatment group exhibited higher ovarian volume， follicle count， PSV， endometrial thickness， and levels of P， E₂， and AMH compared to the control group， while FSH， LH， PRL， T levels， and all symptom scores， as well as total TCM syndrome scores， were significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The clinical effectiveness in treatment group was 96.92% （63/65）， significantly higher than 81.54% （53/65） in control group （P＜0.05）. The incidence of adverse reactions in the treatment group was 26.15% （17/65）， while in the control group it was 32.31% （21/65）， with no statistically significant difference （P＞0.05）. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine treament， Nuangong Tiaojing Decoction combined with ginger moxibustion at Baliao acupoints for patients with POF of yang-deficiency uterus-coldeness syndrome can significantly improve ovarian function and clinical symptoms， regulate hormone levels， and thereby enhance clinical effectiveness.

Background and aims:Studies indicate that the gut microbiota and its metabolites are involved in the progression of cardiovascular diseases,and enterohepatic circulation plays an important role in this progression.This study aims to identify potential probiotics for the treatment of unstable angina(UA)and elucidate their mechanisms of action.Methods:Initially,the gut microbiota from patients with UA and control was analyzed.To directly assess the effects of Bifidobacterium supplementation,10 patients with UA were enrolled and administered Bifidobacterium(630 mg per intake twice a day for 1 month).The fecal metagenome,serum trimethyl-amine N-oxide(TMAO)levels,and other laboratory parameters were evaluated before and after Bifido-bacterium supplementation.Results:After supplementing with Bifidobacterium for 1 month,there were statistically significant dif-ferences(P＜0.05)in TMAO,aspartate aminotransferase,total cholesterol,and low-density lipoprotein compared to before.Additionally,the abundance of Bifidobacterium longum increased significantly,although the overall abundance of Bifidobacterium did not reach statistical significance.The gut micro-biota,metabolites,and gut-liver axis are involved in the progression of UA,and potential mechanisms should be further studied.Conclusions:Metagenomic analysis demonstrated a reduced abundance of Bifidobacterium in patients with UA.Supplementation with Bifidobacterium restored gut dysbiosis and decreased circulating TMAO levels in patients with UA.This study provides evidence that Bifidobacterium may exert cardiovascular-protective effects through the gut-liver-heart axis.

Non-coding RNAs(ncRNAs),encompassing microRNAs(miRNAs),long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs),and circular RNAs(circRNAs),have emerged as critical regulators of gene expression and cellular function.In alcohol-associated liver disease(ALD),chronic alcohol consumption disrupts the expression and function of ncRNAs in the liver and circulation,contributing to the disease's pathogenesis and progression.Dysregulated ncRNAs influence key pathways involved in hepatocyte injury,lipid metabolism,inflam-mation,and hepatic stellate cell(HSC)activation,thereby exacerbating steatosis,inflammation,and fibrosis.Furthermore,extracellular vesicles play a pivotal role in mediating ncRNA-driven intercellular communication,amplifying liver damage and fibrosis.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the multifaceted roles of ncRNAs in ALD,with a focus on their mechanistic contributions to disease development and progression.Additionally,we discuss the potential of ncRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets,emphasizing their translational relevance in addressing the burden of ALD.

Aromatherapy refers to the method of using the aromatic components of plants in appropriate forms to act on the entire body or a specific area to prevent and treat diseases. Essential oils used in aromatherapy are hydrophobic liquids containing volatile aromatic molecules， such as limonene， linalool， linalool acetate， geraniol， and citronellol. These chemicals have been extensively studied and shown to have a variety of functions， including reducing anxiety， relieving depression， promoting sleep， and providing pain relief. Terpenoids are a class of organic molecules with relatively low lipid solubility. After being inhaled， they can pass through the nasal mucosa for transfer or penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream upon local application. Some of these substances also have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier， thereby exerting effects on the central nervous system. Currently， the academic community generally agrees that products such as essential oils and aromatherapy from aromatic plants have certain health benefits. However， the process of extracting a single component from it and successfully developing it into a drug still faces many challenges. Its safety and efficacy still need to be further verified through more rigorous and systematic experiments. This article systematically elaborated on the efficacy of aromatic substances， including plant extracts and natural small molecule compounds， in antibacterial and antiviral fields and the regulation of nervous system activity. As a result， a deeper understanding of aromatherapy was achieved. At the same time， the potential of these aromatic substances for drug development was thoroughly explored， providing important references and insights for possible future drug research and application.

AIM: To observe the effect of fudosteine on induced sputum cell components and lung function in patients with stable neutrophil-dominated COPD. METHODS: From October 2019 to October 2022, 53 patients with stable COPD were selected and divided into fudosteine group and placebo group. The placebo group was treated with routine treatment, and the fudosteine group was treated with fudosteine on the basis of routine treatment. The two groups were treated for 6 months. The clinical symptoms [Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and Modified British Medical Research Council Dyspnea scale (MMRC), Breathlessness, Cough, and Sputum Scale (BCSS)], lung function index, induced sputum cytology analysis and other related examination results were recorded in detail before and after treatment. RESULTS: (1) Compared with the baseline, the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and the ratio of FEV1 to FVC (FEV1/FVC) of the two groups were improved after treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). However, after treatment, there was no significant difference in pulmonary function between the two groups except for the percentage of carbon monoxide diffusion in the predicted value (DLCO%pre) (DLCO%pre in the fudosteine group was higher than that in the placebo group). (2) After treatment, the total number of induced sputum cells and neutrophil counts in the fudosteine group were lower than those in the placebo group. Compared with the number of cells in each component at baseline, the total number of induced sputum cells and neutrophil count in the fudosteine group were significantly lower (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Fudosteine treatment in patients with stable neutrophil-dominated COPD can improve lung function, reduce the total number of induced sputum cells and the total number of neutrophils, thereby improving airway inflammation.

Induced sputum testing is a non-invasive test that reflects the nature and extent of airway inflammation and plays an important role in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of chronic airway diseases. This article outlines the development history of induced sputum technology, introduces the principle and operation of induced sputum technology, evaluates its safety, summarizes the three main test components, elaborates the role of this technology in various chronic airway diseases, such as reflecting the type of airway inflammation, predicting the efficacy of medication, and combining it with transcriptomics to study disease mechanisms, and briefly summarizes its innovations and makes a vision for the future.

To address the problem of low accuracy in multi-classification recognition of motor imagery electroencephalogram(EEG)signals,a recognition method is proposed based on differential entropy and convolutional neural network for 4-class classification of motor imagery.EEG signals are extracted into 4 frequency bands(Alpha,Beta,Theta,and Gamma)through the filter,followed by the computation of differential entropy for each frequency band.According to the spatial characteristics of brain electrodes,the data structure is reconstructed into three-dimensional EEG signal feature cube which is input into convolutional neural network for 4-class classification.The method achieves an accuracy of 95.88%on the BCI Competition IV-2a public dataset.Additionally,a 4-class classification motor imagery dataset is established in the laboratory for the same processing,and an accuracy of 94.50%is obtained.The test results demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits superior recognition performance.

Objective:In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with previous 96-week treatment with tenofovir amibufenamide (TMF) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), we investigated the efficacy of sequential TMF treatment from 96 to 144 weeks.Methods:Enrolled subjects who were previously assigned (2:1) to receive either 25 mg TMF or 300 mg TDF with matching placebo for 96 weeks received extended or switched TMF treatment for 48 weeks. Efficacy was evaluated based on virological, serological, biological parameters, and fibrosis staging. Statistical analysis was performed using the McNemar test, t-test, or Log-Rank test according to the data. Results:593 subjects from the initial TMF group and 287 subjects from the TDF group were included at week 144, with the proportions of HBV DNA<20 IU/ml at week 144 being 86.2% and 83.3%, respectively, and 78.1% and 73.8% in patients with baseline HBV DNA levels ≥8 log10 IU/ml. Resistance to tenofovir was not detected in both groups. For HBeAg loss and seroconversion rates, both groups showed a further increase from week 96 to 144 and the 3-year cumulative rates of HBeAg loss were about 35% in each group. However, HBsAg levels were less affected during 96 to 144 weeks. For patients switched from TDF to TMF, a substantial further increase in the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization rate was observed (11.4%), along with improved FIB-4 scores.Conclusion:After 144 weeks of TMF treatment, CHB patients achieved high rates of virological, serological, and biochemical responses, as well as improved liver fibrosis outcomes. Also, switching to TMF resulted in significant benefits in ALT normalization rates (NCT03903796).

Objective:In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with previous 96-week treatment with tenofovir amibufenamide (TMF) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), we investigated the safety profile of sequential TMF treatment from 96 to 144 weeks.Methods:Enrolled subjects that previously assigned (2:1) to receive either 25 mg TMF or 300 mg TDF with matching placebo for 96 weeks received extending or switching TMF treatment for 48 weeks. Safety profiles of kidney, bone, metabolism, body weight, and others were evaluated.Results:666 subjects from the initial TMF group and 336 subjects from TDF group with at least one dose of assigned treatment were included at week 144. The overall safety profile was favorable in each group and generally similar between extended or switched TMF treatments from week 96 to 144. In subjects switching from TDF to TMF, the non-indexed estimated glomerular filtration rate (by non-indexed CKD-EPI formula) and creatinine clearance (by Cockcroft-Gault formula) were both increased, which were (2.31±8.33) ml/min and (4.24±13.94) ml/min, respectively. These changes were also higher than those in subjects with extending TMF treatment [(0.91±8.06) ml/min and (1.30±13.94) ml/min]. Meanwhile, switching to TMF also led to an increase of the bone mineral density (BMD) by 0.75% in hip and 1.41% in spine. On the other side, a slight change in TC/HDL ratio by 0.16 (IQR: 0.00, 0.43) and an increase in body mass index (BMI) by (0.54±0.98) kg/m 2 were oberved with patients switched to TMF, which were significantly higher than that in TMF group. Conclusion:CHB patients receiving 144 weeks of TMF treatment showed favorable safety profile. After switching to TMF, the bone and renal safety was significantly improved in TDF group, though experienceing change in metabolic parameters and weight gain (NCT03903796).

ObjectiveTo explore the association between short-term exposure to atmospheric fine particulate matter （PM_2.5） and ozone （O₃） and systemic inflammatory indicators in patients with pneumonia， and to identify the susceptible populations. MethodsFrom September 2018 to April 2020， data of 1 480 patients admitted for pneumonia was collected from a tertiary hospital in Taiyuan City. Generalized additive models （GAMs） were used to explore the associations between PM_2.5 and O₃ exposure and inflammatory indicators of patients with pneumonia； and to explore the susceptibility factors and susceptible populations to PM_2.5 and O₃ exposures through stratified analyses. ResultsThe short-term exposure to PM_2.5 was associated with changes in peripheral blood C-reation protein （CRP）， erythrocyte sedimentation （ESR）， easinophil （EOS）， neutrophil （NEU） and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio （NLR） in patients with pneumonia， and there were different degrees of hysteresis effects， with the effect values reaching a maximum at lag03， lag03， lag0， lag03， lag03， respectively， which were 4.13% （95%CI： 0.43%‒7.84%）， 3.10% （95%CI： 0.24%‒5.97%）， 5.27% （95%CI： 3.12%‒7.42%）， 1.85% （95%CI： 0.36%‒3.34%）， and 2.53% （95%CI： 0.53%‒4.74%） for every 10 μg·m^-3 of PM_2.5. The changes in O₃ concentration were associated with the elevation of peripheral blood PCT and ESR in patients with pneumonia， and their effect values all reached the maximum at lag01 d， every 1 μg·m^-3 of O₃ elevation increased by 0.38% （95%CI： 0.04%‒0.73%） and 0.47% （95%CI： 0.19%‒0.76%）， respectively. Stratified analyses showed that the associations of PM_2.5 with peripheral blood CRP， ESR， NEU， and NLR in pneumonia patients were more significant in males， the elderly， and those with onset in the cold season； the associations of O₃ with peripheral blood PCT and ESR in pneumonia patients were more significant in the elderly and those with onset in the warm season， and the peripheral blood CRP and PCT in female patients with pneumonia were more susceptible to the changes of O₃. ConclusionShort-term exposure to atmospheric PM_2.5 and O₃ are positively associated with changes in inflammatory indicators in patients with pneumonia， and the effects of PM_2.5 on patients with pneumonia are more extensive than those of O₃， with a longer lag effect. In addition， elderly patients with pneumonia are more sensitive to air pollution， male patients with pneumonia are more sensitive to PM_2.5， and female patients with pneumonia are more sensitive to O₃. Cold and warm seasons can exacerbate the effects of PM_2.5 and O₃ on inflammatory indicators in patients with pneumonia， respectively， and the patients must be protected well.