Objective To investigate the effect of Pirfenidone(PFN)on respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)infection-induced damage to bronchial epithelial cells by regulating the high mobility group protein B1(HMGB1)/receptor for advanced glycation end products(RAGE)signaling pathway.Methods Human bronchial epithelial cells(HBE)were divided into Control group(cultured for 24 h under normal conditions),RSV group(inoculated with 4.65×106/mL RSV at 33℃for 2 h);low PFN(L-PFN)group(treated with 0.05 mg/mL PFN for 24 h),moderate PFN(M-PFN)group(treated with 0.10 mg/mL PFN for 24 h),high PFN(H-PFN)group(treated with 0.20 mg/mL PFN for 24 h)and recombinant HMGB1(rHMGB1)group(treated with 1 μg/mL rHMGB1+0.20 mg/mL PFN for 24 h).EdU method was applied to detect the proliferation rate of cells in each group,Hochest33258 staining method was applied to detect apoptosis status of cells in each group,and the migration of cells in each group was evaluated by the scratch experiment.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was applied to measure the levels of interferon(IFN)-α,IFN-γ,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin(IL)-1α,IL-6 and IL-4 in each group of cells,and Western blot was applied to detect the protein expression of HMGB1,RAGE,B lymphoblastoma-2-associated X protein(Bax),cysteine aspartic protease-3(Caspase-3),and B lymphoblastoma-2(Bcl-2).Results Compared with the RSV group,the cell proliferation rate,scratch closure rate,IL-4 levels,and expression of Bcl-2 in L-,M-,and H-PFN groups increased,while the apoptosis rate,the levels of IFN-α,IFN-γ,TNF-α,IL-1α,IL-6,and the expression of HMGB1,RAGE,Bax,and Caspase-3 reduced(P<0.05);rHMGB1 weakened the effect of H-PFN on the above-mentioned indicators(P<0.05).Conclusion PFN may suppress the apoptosis and inflammatory damage of RSV-infected bronchial epithelial cells by inhibiting the HMGB1/RAGE pathway.Conclusion PFN may suppress the apoptosis and inflammatory damage of RSV-infected bronchial epithelial cells by inhibiting the HMGB1/RAGE pathway.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the fairness of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) healthcare resource allocation at the prefecture-level in China using the healthcare resource agglomeration degree (HRAD) method, so as to provide empirical evidence for optimizing resource distribution.Methods:Data on TCM healthcare resources (including the number of TCM institutions, public TCM hospitals, TCM hospital beds, and TCM healthcare technicians) were collected from 333 prefecture-level regions in 2023. The HRAD method was employed to assess fairness in geographic allocation (HRAD i) and population-based allocation (HRAD i/PAD i). A multi-indicator comprehensive evaluation was conducted using the entropy weight method to determine weighting coefficients. Results:Significant disparities were observed in the geographic agglomeration of TCM resources (HRAD i) in China. Resource-rich regions (HRAD i>5) were primarily concentrated in eastern and some central-western provinces, while resource-scarce regions (HRAD i<1) were mainly distributed in western, northeastern, and parts of central and eastern provinces. Analysis of population-based fairness (HRAD i/PAD i) revealed that most prefecture-level cities nationwide had ratios<1, with only 8 provinces having more cities with ratios>1 than<1. The comprehensive evaluation showed that top-ranked cities in the east (e.g., Hangzhou, Dongying, Shenzhen), central region (e.g., Taiyuan, Zhengzhou), and west (e.g., Hainan Prefecture, Alxa League) were predominantly core cities or sparsely populated areas. Conclusions:China′s prefecture-level TCM healthcare resource allocation exhibits significant geographic and population-based inequities, with excessive concentration in provincial capitals and developed cities. Urgent strategies are needed to optimize resource allocation, enhance fairness and accessibility, including promoting the decentralization of high-quality resources, strengthening regional collaborative support, enhancing talent attraction in underdeveloped areas, and leveraging information technology to improve efficiency.

Objective To investigate the effect of Pirfenidone(PFN)on respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)infection-induced damage to bronchial epithelial cells by regulating the high mobility group protein B1(HMGB1)/receptor for advanced glycation end products(RAGE)signaling pathway.Methods Human bronchial epithelial cells(HBE)were divided into Control group(cultured for 24 h under normal conditions),RSV group(inoculated with 4.65×106/mL RSV at 33℃for 2 h);low PFN(L-PFN)group(treated with 0.05 mg/mL PFN for 24 h),moderate PFN(M-PFN)group(treated with 0.10 mg/mL PFN for 24 h),high PFN(H-PFN)group(treated with 0.20 mg/mL PFN for 24 h)and recombinant HMGB1(rHMGB1)group(treated with 1 μg/mL rHMGB1+0.20 mg/mL PFN for 24 h).EdU method was applied to detect the proliferation rate of cells in each group,Hochest33258 staining method was applied to detect apoptosis status of cells in each group,and the migration of cells in each group was evaluated by the scratch experiment.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was applied to measure the levels of interferon(IFN)-α,IFN-γ,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin(IL)-1α,IL-6 and IL-4 in each group of cells,and Western blot was applied to detect the protein expression of HMGB1,RAGE,B lymphoblastoma-2-associated X protein(Bax),cysteine aspartic protease-3(Caspase-3),and B lymphoblastoma-2(Bcl-2).Results Compared with the RSV group,the cell proliferation rate,scratch closure rate,IL-4 levels,and expression of Bcl-2 in L-,M-,and H-PFN groups increased,while the apoptosis rate,the levels of IFN-α,IFN-γ,TNF-α,IL-1α,IL-6,and the expression of HMGB1,RAGE,Bax,and Caspase-3 reduced(P<0.05);rHMGB1 weakened the effect of H-PFN on the above-mentioned indicators(P<0.05).Conclusion PFN may suppress the apoptosis and inflammatory damage of RSV-infected bronchial epithelial cells by inhibiting the HMGB1/RAGE pathway.Conclusion PFN may suppress the apoptosis and inflammatory damage of RSV-infected bronchial epithelial cells by inhibiting the HMGB1/RAGE pathway.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the fairness of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) healthcare resource allocation at the prefecture-level in China using the healthcare resource agglomeration degree (HRAD) method, so as to provide empirical evidence for optimizing resource distribution.Methods:Data on TCM healthcare resources (including the number of TCM institutions, public TCM hospitals, TCM hospital beds, and TCM healthcare technicians) were collected from 333 prefecture-level regions in 2023. The HRAD method was employed to assess fairness in geographic allocation (HRAD i) and population-based allocation (HRAD i/PAD i). A multi-indicator comprehensive evaluation was conducted using the entropy weight method to determine weighting coefficients. Results:Significant disparities were observed in the geographic agglomeration of TCM resources (HRAD i) in China. Resource-rich regions (HRAD i>5) were primarily concentrated in eastern and some central-western provinces, while resource-scarce regions (HRAD i<1) were mainly distributed in western, northeastern, and parts of central and eastern provinces. Analysis of population-based fairness (HRAD i/PAD i) revealed that most prefecture-level cities nationwide had ratios<1, with only 8 provinces having more cities with ratios>1 than<1. The comprehensive evaluation showed that top-ranked cities in the east (e.g., Hangzhou, Dongying, Shenzhen), central region (e.g., Taiyuan, Zhengzhou), and west (e.g., Hainan Prefecture, Alxa League) were predominantly core cities or sparsely populated areas. Conclusions:China′s prefecture-level TCM healthcare resource allocation exhibits significant geographic and population-based inequities, with excessive concentration in provincial capitals and developed cities. Urgent strategies are needed to optimize resource allocation, enhance fairness and accessibility, including promoting the decentralization of high-quality resources, strengthening regional collaborative support, enhancing talent attraction in underdeveloped areas, and leveraging information technology to improve efficiency.

OBJECTIVE To understand the development status and existing problems of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)pharmacists in public TCM hospitals in China,aiming to provide suggestions for the competent departments to formulate management policies for TCM pharmacists and promote the healthy development of TCM.METHODS The data on the number and professional titles of TCM pharmacists in public TCM hospitals in China from 2019 to 2023 were collected.Descriptive analysis was employed to analyze the number,distribution and professional titles of TCM pharmacists in public TCM hospitals across the country,and to measure the quantity shortfalls of the number of TCM pharmacists in these hospitals.RESULTS From 2019 to 2023,the number of TCM pharmacists in public TCM hospitals in China grew slowly,with an average annual growth rate of 2.56%.However,the proportion of TCM pharmacists to the total number of pharmacists in public TCM hospitals gradually decreased,with an average annual growth rate of-0.65%.In terms of hospital grades,the number of TCM pharmacists in tertiary public TCM hospitals showed positive growth,while those in secondary and primary public TCM hospitals showed negative growth.In terms of hospital types,the average annual growth rate of TCM pharmacists in TCM hospitals was 2.22%,in integrated Chinese and Western medicine hospitals it was 7.97%,and in ethnic minority medicine hospitals it was 2.74%.The development of TCM pharmacists in different provinces was uneven.The annual growth rate of TCM pharmacists in Guizhou exceeded 10%,while the growth rate in Hunan and Heilongjiang was negative.In 2023,the number of TCM pharmacists per thousand population in public TCM hospitals was 0.03,indicating a relatively low staffing level.The professional titles of TCM pharmacists in public TCM hospitals were mainly primary and intermediate,with a total of 67.33%.According to the calculation that the proportion of TCM pharmacists to pharmacists was not less than 60%,public TCM hospitals and hospitals of integrated TCM and Western medicine should be reconfigured with TCM pharmacists 6 212 and 1 288 people,respectively.CONCLUSIONS The number of TCM pharmacists in public TCM hospitals is growing slowly,with insufficient staffing levels,relatively low professional titles,and uneven distribution and development across provinces.It is suggested that relevant competent departments strengthen policy guidance,increase the attention given by the state level to TCM pharmacists,strengthen the construction of the talent team for TCM pharmacists,improve the quality and optimize the allocation of TCM pharmacist talents in order to promote the high-quality development of TCM services.

Objective:To explore the evolution of imaging findings on dynamic chest high resolution CT（HRCT） in patients with mild COVID-19.Methods:The data of epidemiology, clinical data and continuous dynamic chest high-resolution CT images of the patients with mild COVID-19 were analyzed retrospectively. Twenty-five patients (including 24 common type and 1 mild) were enrolled in the group, including 14 males and 11 females, with age of （42±12） years and hospital stay of （19±5） days. The basic images and dynamic images of HRCT were analyzed and compared by the radiologists.Results:The clinical manifestations were fever (22 cases), cough (18 cases), expectoration (8 cases), pharyngeal pain (6 cases). Most laboratory tests lacked specificity. There were no significant abnormalities on chest CT of one mild patient. HRCT findings of the common type were as follows: (1) the distribution of the lesions: most of the multiple lesions involved both lungs (19 cases), with average of 3 (3±1) lobes, located in the peripheral pulmonary zone near the pleura (22 cases); (2) the morphology and density of the lesions: most of the lesions were ground glass density foci (22 cases), which were patchy and massive (18 cases), nodular (10 cases) and arc broadband (7 cases); with the development of the disease, the density of some lesions increased with localized pulmonary consolidation (10 cases), accompanied by air bronchus sign (5 cases) and halo sign (5 cases). Dynamic changes of HRCT images in the chest: the positive manifestations were found on the 5th (5, 6) day after the onset of the disease, the progressive time of CT lesions was 5 (5, 7) days, the peak time of CT lesions was 11 (10, 13) days, and the turning time of CT lesions was 9 (8, 11) days.Conclusions:Dynamic chest HRCT can monitor the basic evolution process of the disease in patients with mild COVID-19, and provide a more intuitive basis for clinical early diagnosis and treatment.

We reported two fetal cases diagnosed with Smith-Magenis syndrome.One case was found with bilateral ventriculomegaly,double-outlet right ventricle,pulmonary stenosis and ventricular septal defect when performing fetal echocardiography.Then the fetus was diagnosed with severe tetralogy of Fallot and tortuous ductus arteriosus by autopsy.The other case was suggested to have tetralogy of Fallot,right aortic arch and ectopic ductus arteriosus by fetal echocardiography,which was later confirmed by autopsy.Both of the two pregnancies were terminated.Tissue samples of the two fetuses were analyzed by the low-coverage whole-genome sequencing,and both cases carried a microdeletion of 3.63 Mb and 4.86 Mb in chromosome 17pl 1.2,which overlapped with the missing segments causing Smith-Magenis syndrome.Therefore,the two fetuses were both diagnosed with Smith-Magenis syndrome.

Objective To explore abnormalities in functional connectivity of the affective network (AN) in relapse of major depressive disorder (MDD) after antidepressant treatment combined with resting state functional connectivity analysis.Methods Eleven recurrent MDD subjects after treatment,seventeen non recurrent MDD subjects after treatment and seventy-two healthy controls underwent fMRI scan.The amygdala,the pallidum,the insular cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex of the AN were selected as the template.Group independent component analysis (ICA) was performed to decompose the fMRI images into spatially independent components and the independent component which fit this template best was selected as AN.Two-sample t-tests were performed to investigate the changes in functional connectivity of the AN.Finally,the right amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex were defined as seed regions.Results Compared with healthy control subjects and non-recurrent MDD group,recurrent MDD group showed significantly increased functional connectivity in the right amygdala in AN(P＜0.001).Meanwhile,the functional connectivity between the right amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex was significantly decreased in recurrent MDD group(P ＜0.05).Conclusion Abnormal resting-state functional connectivity of the right amygdala after antidepressant treatment in MDD was found,suggesting that altered amygdala functional connectivity may serve as a predicator of relapse of the MDD.

Objective To observe the expression of autophagy-related genes and proteins in the smooth bladder muscle of rats after spinal cord injury (SPI).Methods Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly and evenly divided into a model group and a control group.The model group had SPI induced using the modified Allen's method,while the control group was only given laminectomy.Six hours after the operation,the Basso Beattle Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale was used to evaluate the rats' hindlimb locomotor function.Nissl staining was used to observe the morphological changes in their spinal cords,while Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining were employed to assess the expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and protein 62 (P62).The expression of autography gene Beclin1 mRNA was determined using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results The average BBB score in the model group was significantly lower than in the control group.After Nissl's staining,a decreased number of neurons and Nissl bodies was observed.Western blotting showed that the expression of LC3-Ⅱ had increased significantly and that of P62 had decreased significantly in the model group compared with the control group.The immunofluorescence staining showed LC3 and P62 dots in the bladders' smooth muscle cells.RT-PCR detected significantly higher LC3 and Beclinl mRNA levels in the model group than in the control group;in contrast the average P62 mRNA level was significantly lower.Conclusions Autophagy was activated in rats' bladder muscles after SPI.That may be related to the pathogenesis of a neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury.

Objective To investigate the effects of citicoline combined with rehabilitative training on motor function after focal cerebral ischemia. Methods One hundred and twenty male adult Sprague-Dawley rats ( 3 months old) were subjected to left middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by suturing. Ninety-six of them were randomly divided into four groups of 24: a control group, a drug group, a rehabilitative training group, and a drug combined with rehabilitative training group. The rats in the control group did not receive any treatment. Three days after reperfusion, those in the drug group received 500 mg/kg of citicoline daily; those in the rehabilitative training group received motor training including balancing, grasping, rotating and walking exercises; those in the combined group received both citicoline and the motor training program. Behavioral tests were administered at the 7th, 14th and 21st days after MCAO. At the same time points, immunohistochemistry was used to detect calcium-binding protein S100 and β-tubulin expression in the peri-ischemia region of the cortex. Results ①As compared with the control group, the drug group at the 7th, 14th and 21st day after MCAO and the other two groups at the 7th day after MCAO showed no significant difference in average behavior scores. But at the 14th and 21st day the rehabilitative training group as well as the drug combined with rehabilitative training group had average behavior scores significantly superior to those of the control group, especially in the drug combined with rehabilitative training group. ②As compared with the control group, the expression of S100 and β-tubulin in the drug and rehabilitative training groups at the 7th day after MCAO showed no significant difference. In the drug combined with rehabilitative training group the average score was significantly higher than in the other groups at the 7th day after MCAO. All the other groups had average scores significantly higher than that of the controls at the 14th and 21st day after MCAO, especially the drug combined with rehabilitative training group. Conclusions Citicoline combined with rehabilitative training can significantly improve motor function recovery in rats. The effect of the combined modalities was more obvious, and the functional enhancement might be partially attributable to the up-regulation of S100 and β-tubulin in the cortex.