1.Brief analysis of the concept of " relaxation and tranquility" and the protection of elderly brain health
Eryu WANG ; Yongyan WANG ; Chenyang QUAN ; Jiawei LIU ; Qiwu XU ; Beibei SHAN ; Yingzhen XIE
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(2):291-296
China is currently in an accelerated stage of population aging, and brain diseases pose a significant threat to the health of the elderly. " Preventing brain aging and maintaining brain health" has become a high-level goal of healthy aging. During the process of aging, the physiological and psychological states of elderly people change, making them prone to nervousness and exhaustion, which can disturb the brain spirit, damage the brain collaterals, and severely endanger brain health. Starting from the holistic view of cultivating both body and spirit in traditional Chinese medicine, based on the physical and mental characteristics of the elderly, this paper applies the concept and method of " relaxation and tranquility" in the protection of elderly brain health, focusing on maintaining relaxation and tranquility in both physical and mental aspects. Specific measures include emphasizing subjective consciousness, relaxing the heart and calming down; utilizing the daoyin method, relaxing the body and calming down, combining relaxation and tranquility, cultivating both body and spirit to prevent diseases and protect the brain, which enables the elderly to have a healthy mind and body, a sense of happiness and fulfillment, and to age gracefully. Simultaneously, advocating for tranquility is also called " respect" for relaxation, following nature to understand constant changes, and improving one′s ability to think positively in old age, in order to expand ideas for the protection of elderly brain health.
2.Evaluation of Animal Models of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Based on Clinical Characteristics in Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine
Beibei BAO ; Peng ZHANG ; Baichuan XU ; Yiyin ZHANG ; Suyun LI ; Yang XIE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(18):212-220
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common clinical chronic airway disease with high morbidity, high mortality, a heavy disease burden, and complex mechanisms that have not been fully elucidated. Clinical problems promote the continuous progress of basic research. The establishment and evaluation of animal models is an important way to delve into the pathogenesis and treatment strategies of COPD. On the basis of the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnostic criteria, and syndrome differentiation of COPD in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine, this paper summarizes the establishment methods and characteristics of existing animal models of COPD and analyzes the fitting degree of the models with the disease characteristics in Western medicine and syndrome characteristics in TCM. The results showed that the animal models of COPD in Western medicine were mainly induced by single factors and compound factors, and the model with the highest fitting degree was established by cigarette smoke combined with lipopolysaccharide and hormone. The model showed a fitting degree of 84% with the disease characteristics in Western medicine and 70% with the syndrome characteristics in TCM, being consistent with the clinical characteristics of COPD induced by multiple factors. Most of the animal models of COPD in TCM were established on the basis of disease models and combined with TCM etiology and pathogenesis characteristics, and prepared by syndrome differentiation. Among them, the model of accumulation of cold and water retention in lung had the highest fitting degree of 92% with the TCM diagnostic criteria. The models of phlegm-heat obstructing lung and phlegm-stasis obstructing lung had the fitting degree of 94% with clinical manifestations in Western medicine and the highest fitting degree with the diagnostic criteria in Western medicine. Different animal models of COPD have their own advantages and disadvantages, and most of them simply replicate the manifestations of COPD at a certain stage, failing to reflect the multiple causes and the dynamic changes of TCM etiology and pathogenesis. Moreover, the syndromes of these models fail to match the clinical syndromes in TCM. Therefore, establishing the animal models reflecting clinical characteristics of COPD in TCM and Western medicine and improving the model evaluation criteria are important contents to promote the overall development of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine for COPD.
3.Quantitative trait locus(QTL) mapping and candidate gene expression analysis of cold tolerance of rice at plumule and seedling stages.
Beibei ZHAO ; Zhining ZHANG ; Yanan JIANG ; Chengxiang HU ; Luyi ZHANG ; Jun LIU ; Jiangmin XU ; Yuexing WANG ; Yuchun RAO
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(10):3939-3955
Rice (Oryza sativa L.), as a thermophilic crop, is highly susceptible to cold stress during its growth process. Chilling injury at the plumule stage and seedling stage often affects the morphological development and leads to yield reduction of rice. The exploration and utilization of cold tolerance genes are among the most direct and effective approaches to address cold stress in rice. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with cold tolerance at plumule and seedling stages, in this study, we measured the seedling rates and survived seedling rates of the indica rice cultivar 'HZ', the japonica cultivar 'Nekken2', and their 120 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) under cold stress. A previously constructed high-density genetic linkage map was used for the mapping of the QTLs conferring cold tolerance at the plumule and seedling stages. A total of 4 QTLs for plumule-stage cold tolerance and 9 QTLs for seedling-stage cold tolerance were detected, with the maximum limit of detection reaching 5.20. Notably, a genetically overlapping QTL for both plumule and seedling stages was identified on chromosome 8, spanning a physical interval of 24 432 953-25 295 129 bp. Candidate genes within the detected QTL intervals were screened, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was conducted to analyze the gene expression during the plumule and seedling stages. The results revealed that LOC_Os03g06570, LOC_Os03g07100, LOC_Os06g08280, LOC_Os08g38440, LOC_Os08g39100, and LOC_Os08g39540 exhibited significantly differential expression between the parental lines. These genes were either significantly downregulated or upregulated under cold stress. Among them, the first three gene (LOC_Os03g06570, LOC_Os03g07100, and LOC_Os06g08280) were hypothesized to be key candidates regulating the cold tolerance of rice seedlings, while the latter three genes (LOC_Os08g38440, LOC_Os08g39100, and LOC_Os08g39540) were identified as comprehensive regulators of cold tolerance during both plumule and seedling stages. These findings lay a foundation for the fine mapping and cloning of cold tolerance genes at the plumule and seedling stages, providing valuable insights for breeding cold-tolerant rice varieties.
Quantitative Trait Loci/genetics*
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Oryza/growth & development*
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Seedlings/growth & development*
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Cold Temperature
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Chromosome Mapping
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Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
4.Development, reliability evaluation and validity of a health sevice experience assessment tool for patients with pulmonary tuberculosis
Jiajia YAO ; Yutong HAN ; Beibei CHE ; Danni LI ; Biao XU ; Qi ZHAO
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(10):871-877
ObjectiveTo develop a scientifically rigorous and contextually appropriate instrument for evaluating the health service experience of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in China, to enable systematic assessment of core medical care dimensions, and to provide quantitative evidence for service improvement. MethodsGrounded in the theoretical framework of healthcare accessibility and the clinical care pathway for tuberculosis patients, the tool was developed through a systematic literature review and the Delphi expert consultation method. A multi-stage cluster sampling strategy was employed to survey pulmonary tuberculosis patients who had been receiving treatment for more than two months, aimed to explore the scale’s applicability in real-world settings. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s α and split-half reliability coefficients. Validity was evaluated through content validity, structural validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. ResultsThe tool was composed of 21 items across four dimensions: awareness, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability of tuberculosis medical care. It demonstrated a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.838 and a split-half reliability coefficient of 0.859. Exploratory factor analyses extracted six factors: satisfaction with healthcare services, supportive role of nurses, affordability of treatment costs, doctor-patient communication, waiting time for medical appointments, and transportation cost. The goodness-of-fit index (GFI) and other indices met the recommended standards, with the loading matrix indicating robust structural validity of the tool. The constructed factor model exhibited satisfactory content validity and discriminant validity. ConclusionThe scale for assessing patients’ experiences with tuberculosis-related medical care developed in this study demonstrates good reliability and validity and serves as a practical tool for evaluating patient experiences of tuberculosis medical care in China.
5.Interpretation of consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and management of succinic semialdehyde dehydroge-nase deficiency formulated by the international SSADHD consensus group in 2024
Beibei KANG ; Lei XU ; Qiang YU ; Yanping FAN ; Lijie ZHU ; Xuemei ZHENG ; Jianguo CAO ; Jiaqin WANG
Chinese Journal of Applied Clinical Pediatrics 2024;39(10):738-742
Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency (SSADHD) is a rare autosomal recessive neurometabolic disease.Pathogenic mutations in ALDH5A1 genes lead to abnormalities in the structure, activity and function of succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, resulting in a series of neurological damage.Due to the rarity of SSADHD and the huge differences in its clinical manifestations, it often leads to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, and the treatment is mainly symptomatic.There is no specific drug or treatment.In March 2024, the SSADHD consensus group, composed of SSADHD researchers from 19 institutions in 11 countries and regions, released the " Consensus Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Succinic Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase Deficiency" , which elaborates on the definition, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of SSADHD, aiming to standardize and unify the diagnosis and management of SSADHD.This article interprets the key contents of the guidelines, in order to provide guidance for the early screening, diagnosis and treatment of SSADHD in China.
6.Low energy targeted reconstruction combined with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-Veo in venography of lower extremity
Shigeng WANG ; Xin FANG ; Yijun LIU ; Beibei LI ; Xu WANG ; Yong FAN ; Xiaoyu TONG ; Wei WEI
Journal of Practical Radiology 2024;40(5):809-813
Objective To investigate the application value of energy spectral CT low energy(keV)targeted reconstruction tech-niques combined with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-Veo(ASIR-V)algorithm in lower extremity computed tomography venography(CTV).Methods Forty patients with lower extremity CTV examination were retrospectively selected.Gemstone spec-tral imaging(GSI)mode was used with a transient tube voltage of 80 kVp/140 kVp and tube current in GSI Assist mode.Group A(conventional group):70 keV combined with 40%ASIR-V mono-energy images,conventional display field of view(DFOV)inclu-ding both lower extremity.Group B(low keV group):50 keV combined with 50%ASIR-V mono-energy images,DFOV as in group A.Group C(low keV targeted reconstruction group):50 keV combined with 50%to 80%ASIR-V mono-energy images(10%interval,called as groups C1-C4),targeted reconstruction(small DFOV,covered one lower extremity with left and right femurs as the center).The CT and standard deviation(SD)values of the bilateral lower extremity veins were measured on each axial image and the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)were calculated.Two observers scored the venous images and the sharpness of embolus display subjectively using a 5-point scale and Kappa test was used to examine the consistency.Results In terms of vein dis-play,the score of groups B and C was better than that of group A(P<0.05).In terms of embolus display sharpness,the scores of large and small embolus in group C increased with the increase of ASIR-V percentage initially and then gradually decreased(P<0.05).The scores in group C2 were the highest which were superior to the scores of group B and group A(P<0.05).The CT values of each venous segment in groups B and C were higher than those in group A(P<0.05).In groups C1 to C4,with the increasing weight of ASIR-V,the SNR and CNR increased gradually(P<0.05),but slightly lower than those in group B(P<0.05).Conclusion 50 keV targeted reconstruction techniques combined with 60%ASIR-V algorithm significantly improves the contrast of lower extremity veins and the embolus display sharpness,providing more accurate clinical imaging information.
7.Screening and bioinformatics analysis of key autophagy-related genes in alcoholic hepatitis
Chao YUAN ; Qinghai LIAN ; Beibei NI ; Yan XU ; Tong ZHANG ; Jian ZHANG
Organ Transplantation 2024;15(1):90-101
Objective To screen key autophagy-related genes in alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and investigate potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for AH. Methods Two AH gene chips in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and autophagy-related data sets obtained from MSigDB and GeneCards databases were used, and the key genes were verified and obtained by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The screened key genes were subject to gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), protein-protein interaction (PPI) and immune infiltration analyses. Messenger RNA (mRNA)- microRNA (miRNA) network was constructed to analyze the expression differences of key autophagy-related genes during different stages of AH, which were further validated by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in the liver tissues of AH patients and mice. Results Eleven autophagy-related genes were screened in AH (EEF1A2, CFTR, SOX4, TREM2, CTHRC1, HSPB8, TUBB3, PRKAA2, RNASE1, MTCL1 and HGF), all of which were up-regulated. In the liver tissues of AH patients and mice, the relative expression levels of SOX4, TREM2, HSPB8 and PRKAA2 in the AH group were higher than those in the control group. Conclusions SOX4, TREM2, HSPB8 and PRKAA2 may be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for AH.
8.A survey on maternal adverse symptoms and functionality in the third trimester and postpartum
Ya LIU ; Xu QIAN ; Chunyi GU ; Shuang LIANG ; Beibei SHEN ; Liping SUN
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;36(8):771-778
ObjectiveTo use the maternal morbidity WOICE Tool(Chinese version)to investigate the maternal morbidity in Shanghai, and to examine the current situation and associated factors of adverse symptoms and impaired functioning in the third trimester and postpartum period. MethodsPregnant women who made their initial visit and established a medical record at a tertiary obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Shanghai from March to August 2021 were recruited and a baseline survey was completed. The prevalence of maternal morbidity was surveyed in the third trimester and first 6 weeks postpartum. ResultsSelf-reported adverse physical symptoms were observed in 89.8% of women in the third trimester and 86.1% in first 6 weeks postpartum. The prevalence rates of anxiety and depression were 4.1% and 6.2% in the third trimester, and 6.2% and 7.5% in first 6 weeks postpartum, respectively. The proportions of women reporting impaired functioning were 80.3% in the third trimester and 64.1% in first 6 weeks postpartum, respectively. Physical symptoms were associated with parity, education, the newborn’s health status, and risk of experiencing violence. Psychological symptoms were associated with age, household responsibilities, employment status, the newborn’s health status, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and risk of experiencing violence. Functionality was associated with the type of registered residence, education level, household responsibilities, and risk of experiencing violence. ConclusionThe physical health status of pregnant and postpartum women in Shanghai is better than that in the middle-income regions abroad, with anxiety and depression at average levels compared to national statistics in China. Physical, psychological, and functional status are affected by multiple factors including personal, health, family, and work conditions. Preventive measures should be taken from various perspectives to mitigate adverse symptoms and impaired functioning, and to improve the positive experience of pregnancy and childbirth.
9.The application value of spectral CT venography in the display and staging of deep venous thrombosis in the lower extremity
Shigeng WANG ; Yijun LIU ; Xin FANG ; Beibei LI ; Xu WANG ; Zhiming MA ; Xiaoyu TONG ; Yong FAN ; Wei WEI ; Anliang CHEN
Journal of Practical Radiology 2024;40(3):478-482
Objective To investigate the application value of spectral computed tomography venography(CTV)in the display and staging of deep venous thrombosis(DVT)in the lower extremity.Methods Eighty-two patients with CTV were selected and ran-domly divided into group A(42 patients)and group B(40 patients).Group A:tube voltage 120 kVp.Group B:gemstone spectral ima-ging(GSI)mode,reconstruction of 50 keV and iodine(water)maps.The CT and standard deviation(SD)values of the veins were measured,signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)were calculated in 120 kVp images of group A and in 50 keV images of group B.Two observers scored the image quality of the 2 groups subjectively,and Kappa test was used to examine the con-sistency.Based on the duration from the occurrence of clinical symptoms,the DVTs were classified.The CT values and iodine con-centration(IC)of DVT were measured in the 120 kVp images of group A and in the iodine(water)maps of group B,respectively.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to compare the effectiveness of CT values and IC in diagnosing DVT staging.Results CT values,SNR,and CNR of veins in group B were higher than those in group A(P<0.05).The subjective scores of the two groups were consistent(Kappa=0.926-0.955,P<0.05).The score for the display of veins and thrombus clarity in group B was 5(4,5),which was better than the score of 4(3,4)in group A(P<0.05).The efficiency of IC in diagnosing DVT staging[area under the curve(AUC)=0.973]was better than that of CT values(AUC=0.891).Conclusion The spectral CTV can improve the contrast of lower extremity deep veins and the clarity of thrombus,and can provide more objective indicators for the diagnosis of thrombus staging,which is conducive to accurate clinical diagnosis and treatment.
10.The influence of individualized low-dose CT imaging parameters on liver fat content measurement by quantitative CT
Shiyu WANG ; Yijun LIU ; Wei WEI ; Beibei LI ; Xu WANG ; Xiaoyu TONG
Journal of Practical Radiology 2024;40(10):1717-1721
Objective To investigate the influence of individualized low-dose CT imaging parameters on quantitative computed tomography(QCT)liver fat content measurement and image quality by using the combined technique of Auto-prescription and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction(ASIR-V)algorithm with different weights.Methods A total of 231 patients who underwent both chest and abdominal CT scans were prospectively selected.The overlapping liver of two-position scans in the same case was studied,in which the chest was scanned with an individualized low-dose protocol(group A)and the upper abdomen was scanned with a routine 120 kVp protocol(group B).Patients with group A were scanned by using 80 kVp and 100 kVp based on Auto-prescription technique,and divided into the subgroups of A1 and A2;meanwhile the same patients with group B were scanned by using 120 kVp and divided into the subgroups of B1 and B2.The images were transferred to AW4.6 and QCTpro workstations for measuring CT values,standard deviation(SD)values and Fat%QCT values of the left lobe,right anterior lobe,and right posterior lobe of the liver in the overlapping regions.The signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)were also calculated using the same-level erector spinae as background.Paired sample t-test was employed to compare the differences in Fat%QCT measurements between groups A and B.Spearman correlation analysis was conducted,and linear regression equations were established.Two observers evaluated image quality using a five-point scale and Kappa test was conducted to test inter-observer consistency.Results In group A,the Fat%QCT values showed no statistically significant difference among different weights of ASIR-V.However,the statistically significant difference was found between groups A and B(P<0.05),and there were highly positive correlations between subgroups A1 and B1 and between subgroups A2 and B2(r=0.939 7,0.987 2,P<0.05).The linear regression equation under 80 kVp and 100 kVp were as follows:y=0.976x+3.119,y=1.007x+2.041.The SNR and CNR of group A combined with post-60%ASIR-V were higher than those of group B combined with post-40%ASIR-V under conventional tube voltage.The subjective scores between groups A and B had no statistically significant difference.Conclusion Low-dose chest imaging based on Auto-prescription technique combined with post-60%ASIR-V can not only satisfy clinical diagnostic requirement,but also realize quantitative analysis of Fat%QCT under low tube voltage(80 kVp/100 kVp).


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