INTRODUCTION: Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been available in Singapore since 2016, its uptake among gay, bisexual and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (GBMSM) is low. The iPARTY study was established to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of PrEP and a PrEP teleconsultation service for young GBMSM aged 18 to 29 years. METHOD: A total of 53 young GBMSM were enrolled in the iPARTY study. They had a total of 5 in-person consultations and teleconsultations, at 12-week intervals. Laboratory tests and quarterly baseline surveys were performed to assess PrEP adherence, sexual behaviour, and incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). RESULTS: Thirty-five participants completed the entire 12-month follow-up. Most participants had positive experiences with PrEP teleconsultations. There was a statistically significant fall in participants' aggregate Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores throughout the study. Self-reported PrEP adherence decreased over the course of the study, denoting improved mental health. Although self-reported condom use for anal intercourse and participants' risk perception of HIV decreased after PrEP adoption, there was no statisti-cally significant increase in STI incidence. CONCLUSION This pilot project has shown that PrEP services provide an opportunity for YMSM to access sexual health testing, treatment and counselling, and may even have tangible benefits on the mental health of this population. Teleconsultation is shown to be a suitable platform for the delivery of such services. Collaborative initiatives are crucial to further enhance the affordability and accessibility of PrEP in Singapore, and to improve patient adherence.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult ; Anti-HIV Agents/administration & dosage* ; Feasibility Studies ; Health Risk Behaviors ; HIV Infections/psychology* ; Incidence ; Medication Adherence ; Mental Health/statistics & numerical data* ; Pilot Projects ; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis/statistics & numerical data* ; Sexual and Gender Minorities/statistics & numerical data* ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases/prevention & control* ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Telemedicine/statistics & numerical data* ; Homosexuality, Male/statistics & numerical data*

By employing the analytic hierarchy process(AHP), the CRITIC method(a weight determination method based on indicator correlations), and the AHP-CRITIC hybrid weighting method, the weight coefficients of evaluation indicators were determined, followed by a comprehensive score comparison. The grey correlation analysis was then performed to analyze the results calculated using the hybrid weighting method. Subsequently, a backpropagation-artificial neural network(BP-ANN) model was constructed to predict the extraction process parameters and optimize the extraction process for Shenxiong Huanglian Jiedu Granules(SHJG). In the extraction process, an L_9(3~4) orthogonal experiment was designed to optimize three factors at three levels, including extraction frequency, water addition amount, and extraction time. The evaluation indicators included geniposide, berberine, ginsenoside Rg_1 + Re, ginsenoside Rb_1, ferulic acid, and extract yield. Finally, the optimal extraction results obtained by the orthogonal experiment, grey correlation analysis, and BP-ANN method were compared, and validation experiments were conducted. The results showed that the optimal extraction process involved two rounds of aqueous extraction, each lasting one hour; the first extraction used ten times the amount of added water, while the second extraction used eight times the amount. In the validation experiments, the average content of each indicator component was higher than the average content obtained in the orthogonal experiment, with a higher comprehensive score. The optimized extraction process parameters were reliable and stable, making them suitable for subsequent preparation process research.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Neural Networks, Computer

This study aims to explore the specific mechanism by which puerarin inhibits ferroptosis and improves the myocardial contractile function in myocardial hypertrophy through the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/antioxidant response element(ARE)/heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) signaling pathway. The hypertrophic cardiomyocyte model was established using phenylephrine, and H9c2 cells were divided into control group, model group, puerarin group, and puerarin+ML385 group. Cell viability and surface area were detected by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) and immunofluorescence experiments. The mitochondrial membrane potential and Ca~(2+) concentration were measured. The ferroptosis-related indicators were detected by biochemical and fluorescence staining methods. The expression of proteins related to ferroptosis and the Nrf2/ARE/HO-1 signaling pathway was detected by Western blot. A myocardial hypertrophy model was established, and 40 rats were randomly divided into sham group, model group, puerarin group, and puerarin+Nrf2 inhibitor(ML385) group, with 10 rats in each group. Echocardiogram, hemodynamic parameters, and myocardial hypertrophy parameters were measured. Histopathological changes of myocardial tissues were observed by hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining and Masson staining. Biochemical methods, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and fluorescence staining were used to detect inflammatory factors and ferroptosis-related indicators. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of proteins related to ferroptosis and the Nrf2/ARE/HO-1 signaling pathway. Cell experiments showed that puerarin intervention significantly enhanced the viability of hypertrophic cardiomyocytes, reduced their surface area, and restored mitochondrial membrane potential and Ca~(2+) homeostasis. Mechanism studies revealed that puerarin promoted Nrf2 nuclear translocation, upregulated the expression of HO-1, solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11), and glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4), and decreased malondialdehyde(MDA), reactive oxygen species(ROS), and iron levels. These protective effects were reversed by ML385. In animal experiments, puerarin improved cardiac function in rats with myocardial hypertrophy, alleviated myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, inhibited inflammatory responses and ferroptosis, and promoted nuclear Nrf2 translocation and HO-1 expression. However, combined intervention with ML385 led to deterioration of hemodynamics and a rebound in ferroptosis marker levels. In conclusion, puerarin may inhibit cardiomyocyte ferroptosis through the Nrf2/ARE/HO-1 signaling pathway, thereby improving myocardial contractile function in myocardial hypertrophy.
Animals ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/genetics* ; Rats ; Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Isoflavones/pharmacology* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Cardiomegaly/genetics* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Antioxidant Response Elements/drug effects* ; Myocardial Contraction/drug effects* ; Heme Oxygenase-1/genetics* ; Cell Line

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the molecular epidemiology of children with phenylketonuria (PKU) in Gansu, China, providing foundational data for intervention strategies. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1 159 PKU families who attended Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child Care Hospital from January 2012 to December 2024. Sanger sequencing, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, whole exome sequencing, and deep intronic variant analysis were used to analyze the PAH gene. RESULTS: For the 1 159 children with PKU, 2 295 variants were identified in 2 318 alleles, resulting in a detection rate of 99.01%. The detection rates were 100% (914/914) in 457 classic PKU families, 99.45% (907/912) in 456 mild PKU families, and 96.34% (474/492) in 246 mild hyperphenylalaninemia families. The 2 295 variants detected comprised 208 distinct mutation types, among which c.728G>A (14.95%, 343/2 295) had the highest frequency, followed by c.611A>G (4.88%, 112/2 295) and c.721C>T (4.79%, 110/2 295). The cumulative frequency of the top 23 hotspot variants reached 70.28% (1 613/2 295), and most variant alleles were detected in exon 7 (29.19%, 670/2 295). CONCLUSIONS Deep intronic variant analysis of the PAH gene can improve the genetic diagnostic rate of PKU. The development of targeted detection kits for PAH hotspot variants may enable precision screening programs and enhance preventive strategies for PKU.
Humans ; Phenylketonurias/epidemiology* ; Female ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Phenylalanine Hydroxylase/genetics* ; Mutation ; Child, Preschool ; China/epidemiology* ; Child ; Infant

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. It has a high prevalence and poor prognosis. The application of antiarrhythmic drugs and even surgery cannot completely treat the disease, and there are many sequelae. AF can be classified into the category of "palpitation" in Chinese medicine according to its symptoms. Acupuncture has a significant effect on AF. The authors find that an important mechanism of acupuncture in AF treatment is to regulate the cardiac vagus nerve. Therefore, this article intends to review the distribution and function of vagus nerve in the heart, the application and the regulatroy effect for the treatment of AF.
Atrial Fibrillation/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Vagus Nerve/physiology* ; Animals

Bone grafting is a primary method for treating bone defects. Among various graft materials, xenogeneic bone substitutes are widely used in clinical practice due to their abundant sources, convenient processing and storage, and avoidance of secondary surgeries. With the advancement of domestic production and the limitations of imported products, an increasing number of bone filling or grafting substitute materials isentering clinical trials. Relevant experts have drafted this consensus to enhance the management of medical device clinical trials, protect the rights of participants, and ensure the scientific and effective execution of trials. It summarizes clinical experience in aspects, such as design principles, participant inclusion/exclusion criteria, observation periods, efficacy evaluation metrics, safety assessment indicators, and quality control, to provide guidance for professionals in the field.
Humans ; Bone Substitutes/therapeutic use* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic/methods* ; Consensus ; Bone Transplantation ; Research Design

Objective To systematically evaluate the effects of total intravenous anesthesia and inhalational anesthesia on postoperative recovery in patients undergoing transsphenoidal pituitary tumor resection.Methods A comprehensive search was conducted in international biomedical databases including Ovid Medline,Embase,CINAHL(EBSCO),Cochrane Library,and Web of Science,from inception to July 4,2023.Additionally,ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched for ongoing and completed trials.The randomized controlled trials(RCT)comparing total intravenous anesthesia and inhalational anesthesia in patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary tumors were included.The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated by the Cochrane Collaboration tool.Relevant data were extracted and synthesized for analysis.Results A total of 327 records were identified,of which eight RCTs met the inclusion criteria.Four studies showed that the patients receiving desflurane or sevoflurane anesthesia experienced faster emergence from anesthesia than those receiving propofol.Two studies indicated that patients in the propofol group had lower levels of emergence agitation and a lower incidence of early postoperative nausea and vomiting.The results on postoperative cognitive function were inconsistent across studies.No differences were found between the groups in terms of postoperative complications or overall recovery quality during hospitalization.Conclusions Inhalational anesthesia appears to provide an advantage in promoting faster emergence following transsphenoidal pituitary surgery,whereas total intravenous anesthesia may contribute to smoother and more stable recovery.Further high-quality studies are needed to clarify the effects of different anesthetic techniques on both short- and long-term postoperative recovery.
Humans ; Anesthesia, Intravenous ; Pituitary Neoplasms/surgery* ; Anesthesia, Inhalation ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Anesthesia Recovery Period ; Pituitary Gland/surgery* ; Postoperative Period

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Shenqi Tangluo pill （SQTLP） on oxidative stress injury of skeletal muscle of type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） mice based on nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1）/NAD（P）H quinone oxidoreductase 1 （NQO1） pathway. MethodA total of 60 7-week-old male db/db mice ［specific pathogen-free （SPF） grade］ were selected and fed for one week for adaption. They were divided into the model control group， SQTLP low-， medium- and high-dose （19， 38， and 76 g·kg^-1） groups and metformin group （0.26 g·kg^-1） by gavage. Each group consisted of 12 mice. Twelve male db/m mice of the same age were selected as the blank group. The intervention was implemented continuously for 8 weeks. Fasting blood glucose （FBG） was detected. Fasting serum insulin （FINS） levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance （HOMA-IR） index and the homeostasis model assessment-insulin sensitivity index （HOMA-ISI） were calculated. Oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT） and insulin tolerance test （ITT） were conducted. The activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD） and glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px） and the contents of malondialdehyde （MDA） and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate （NADPH） in skeletal muscle tissues were detected by biochemical kits. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the pathological changes in skeletal muscle tissues. The levels of reactive oxygen species （ROS） and 4-hydroxynonenal （4-HNE） in skeletal muscle tissue were detected by immunofluorescence （IF）. The expression levels of Nrf2， HO-1， NQO1 and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit （GCLC） proteins in skeletal muscle tissues were detected by Western blot. ResultCompared with those in the blank group， FBG， FINS and HOMA-IR in the model group were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while HOMA-ISI was decreased （P<0.05）. The results of OGTT and ITT showed that blood glucose was significantly increased at all time points （P<0.05）， and glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance were significantly impaired. SOD and GSH-Px activities in skeletal muscle tissues were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， and MDA and NADPH contents were significantly increased （P<0.05）. In skeletal muscle tissues， the arrangement of muscle fibers was loose， the nucleus was disordered， and inflammatory cells were infiltrated. The expression levels of ROS and 4-HNE in skeletal muscle tissues were significantly increased （P<0.05）. The protein expression levels of Nrf2， HO-1， NQO1 and GCLC in skeletal muscle tissues were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the model group， FBG， FINS and HOMA-IR in the metformin group were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， while HOMA-ISI was increased （P<0.05）. The results of OGTT and ITT showed that blood glucose in the metformin group was significantly decreased at all time points （P<0.05）. The activities of SOD and GSH-Px in skeletal muscle tissues were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while the contents of MDA and NADPH were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. No obvious abnormality was found in the skeletal muscle tissue of the metformin group. The expressions of ROS and 4-HNE in skeletal muscle tissues were decreased （P<0.05）. The protein expression levels of Nrf2， HO-1， NQO1 and GCLC in skeletal muscle tissues were significantly increased （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the model group， FBG， FINS and HOMA-IR in the SQTLP medium- and high-dose groups were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， while HOMA-ISI was increased （P<0.05）. The results of OGTT and ITT showed that the glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance of mice were improved in each dose group of SQTLP. The GSH-Px activity in the SQTLP low-dose group was significantly increased （P<0.05）， and the NADPH content was decreased （P<0.05）. The activities of SOD and GSH-Px in the SQTLP medium- and high-dose groups were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while the contents of MDA and NADPH were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. The skeletal muscle tissue injury of mice in each dose group of SQTLP was ameliorated to different degrees. In the SQTLP medium- and high-dose groups， the expressions of ROS and 4-HNE were decreased （P<0.05）， and the protein expression levels of Nrf2， HO-1， NQO1 and GCLC were significantly increased （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the SQTLP low-dose group， FBG and HOMA-IR in the SQTLP high-dose group were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， while HOMA-ISI was increased （P<0.05）. The results of OGTT and ITT showed that the SQTLP high-dose group significantly improved the glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance of mice. The activities of SOD and GSH-Px in skeletal muscle tissues were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while the contents of MDA and NADPH were significantly decreased （P<0.05）. No obvious abnormality was found in the skeletal muscle tissue， the expressions of ROS and 4-HNE were decreased （P<0.05）， and the protein expression levels of Nrf2， HO-1， NQO1 and GCLC were significantly increased （P<0.05） in the skeletal muscle tissue of the SQTLP high-dose group. ConclusionSQTLP can significantly improve IR in T2DM mice， and the mechanism is related to SQTLP activating the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signaling pathway， promoting the expression of antioxidant enzymes， and thus improving the oxidative stress injury in the skeletal muscle.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from the leaves of Cyanocarya paliurus(Batalin)Iljinskaja and their α-glucosidase inhibitory activities.METHODS The 95%ethanol extract from the leaves of C.paliurus was isolated and purified by macroporous resin,silica gel,Sephadex LH-20,polyamide,C18 reversed-phase silica gel and semi-preparative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.Their α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were evaluated by PNPG.RESULTS Fifteen compounds were isolated and identified as cyclopaloside C(1),cyclopaloside A(2),juglanosides E(3),vaccinin A(4),ent-murin A(5),kaempferol 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside(6),kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(7),kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucuronide methyl ester(8),kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucuronide ethyl ester(9),kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucuronide butyl ester(10),quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside(11)quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(12),quercetin-3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside(13),quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucuronide butyl ester(14),dihydrokaempferol(15).The IC50 value of total extracts ihibited α-glucosidase was(1.83±0.04)μg/mL,and the IC50 values of compounds 1,4-5 were(29.48±1.86),(0.50±0.07),(0.71±0.07)μmol/L,respectively.CONCLUSION Compound 1 is a new tetrahydronaphthalene glycoside.Compounds 4-5,8-10 and 14 are isolated from the leaves of C.paliurus for the first time.Compounds 4-5 are relatively rare flavonoid lignans with potential inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase.

Objective To investigate the effect of Jichuan decoction on defecation in rats with slow transit constipation(STC).Methods A total of 36 SD rats were divided into model group,experimental group and control group.Except the control group,STC rat models were established in the other two groups by gavage of 2％rhein acid suspension.The experimental group was given 170％Jichuan decoction of 10 mL·kg-1 by gavage,while the control group and model group were given with 0.9％NaCl by gavage,once a day for 30 days.Fecal dry-wet weight ratio and colon transport time were observed by fecal weighing and recording of first fecal discharge time;substance P(SP)and vasoactive peptide(VIP)contents in plasma were detected by kit;changes in intestinal flora were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).Results The dry-wet ratio of feces in control group,model group and experimental group were(44.86±4.40)％,(53.44±3.52)％and(44.28±4.33)％,respectively;the colon transport time were(340.17±34.91),(424.67±37.26)and(377.36±38.87)min,respectively;plasma SP were(79.86±7.56),(60.30±2.41)and(78.84±5.83)pg·mL-1,respectively;plasma VIP were(30.56±2.87),(23.38±6.62)and(28.39±2.37)pg·mL-1,respectively;the numbers of Bifidobacterium were 7.77±0.04,5.19±0.09 and 7.45±0.03,respectively;the numbers of Lactobacillus were 6.40±0.07,4.10±0.05 and 6.36±0.08,respectively.There were statistically significant differences in the above indexes between model group and control group,and between experimental group and model group(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Conclusion Jichuan decoction can improve the defecation of rats with slow transit constipation.