BACKGROUND:In clinical work,the stiffness of neck soft tissue in patients with neck and shoulder pain is mainly detected through palpation,which is highly subjective and lacks an objective basis.Real-time shear wave elastography is a quantitative elastic ultrasound technique that can objectively assess muscle elasticity and muscle status. OBJECTIVE:To apply real-time shear wave elastography to assess the stiffness of scalene muscles in patients with neck and shoulder pain and to observe the characteristics of muscle stiffness changes in the bilateral anterior,middle and posterior scalene muscles in patients with neck and shoulder pain. METHODS:From December 2021 to June 2022,36 healthy subjects(control group)and 36 patients with neck and shoulder pain(test group)were recruited at the Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine.Real-time shear wave elastography was applied to measure the mean values of elastic modulus and cross-sectional area of the anterior and middle and posterior scalene muscles bilaterally in the neutral and lateral flexion positions of the neck in both groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In the same position,there were no significant differences between the mean Values of elastic modulus of the left and right anterior scalene muscles as well as between the mean Values of elastic modulus of the left and right middle scalene muscles in each group(P>0.05);there were no significant differences between the cross-sectional area of the left and right anterior scalene muscles as well as the cross-sectional area of the left and right posteromedial scalene muscles in each group(P>0.05);and the elastic modulus and cross-sectional area of the posteromedial scalene muscles were significantly higher than those of the anterior scalene muscles in both groups(P<0.01,P<0.001).The mean Values of elastic modulus of the anterior and posteromedial scalene muscles were higher in the test group than in the control group in the neutral and lateral neck flexion positions(P<0.001),while the cross-sectional areas of the anterior and posteromedial scalene muscles were lower than those in the control group(P<0.01,P<0.001).To conclude,real-time shear wave elastography can be used to visually evaluate the differences in the mean Values of elastic modulus of the anterior and posteromedial scalene muscles in different states of the neck muscles in patients with neck and shoulder pain,whose bilateral scalene muscles are in a state of strain and stiffness.

[Objective] To explore the characteristics of lifestyle behaviors and mental health status among blood donors in Guangzhou, and to investigate the correlation between donation frequency and these factors. [Methods] A cross-sectional study was conducted among 13 042 whole blood donors from 17 street blood donation sites of Guangzhou Blood Center from May to August 2020. Descriptive analysis was used to describe the characteristics of lifestyle behaviors and mental health status among blood donors in Guangzhou. Ordinal multinomial logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation between donation frequency and these factors. [Results] It was found that some of 13 042 blood donors had unhealthy habits, such as 6.8% (698/10 214，2 828 missing values) had severe tobacco dependence, 30.6% (3 997/13 042) had low exercise levels, 38.8%（5 056/13 042）had poor sleep quality, and 2.2% (271/12 159，883 missing values) had alcohol dependence. In addition, 2.8% (364/13 042) and 1.3% (172/13 042) of the donors may have moderate to severe depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The results of the ordinal multinomial logistic regression model showed that exercise level was significantly negatively correlated with the degree of depression and anxiety among blood donors. With the decrease in exercise level, the possibility of depression and anxiety among donors increased significantly. BMI, household income, education level, marital status, donation frequency, alcohol consumption and smoking had no significant correlation with the mental health status of donors. [Conclusion] Improving the exercise habits of blood donors may help enhance their mental health level. It is recommended that blood station staff strengthen the content of exercise when providing health education to blood donors to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It also suggests that there may be a certain degree of under-diagnosis of mental health problems in the process of health consultation before blood donation, and conducting more comprehensive and effective mental health assessments for blood donors is recommended.

Objective To explore the molecular mechanism of Atractylodes macrocephala in the treatment of Ulcerative colitis(UC)based on network pharmacology,and verify it with animal experiments.Methods The active components of Atractylodes macrocephala was screened from the TCMSP database,the TCM-ID database,and in combination with relevant references,and the corresponding targets were obtained through Swiss database.The relevant targets of UC were obtained from GeneCards database,construct the"drug-component-target-disease"network diagram and"pathway-active ingredient-target"network diagram and draw PPI network diagram;GO function enrichment analysis and KEGG signal pathway annotation analysis were carried out.Autodock software is used for molecular docking of active components and targets.Then,the experimental validation of the network pharmacology prediction was carried out.The mouse UC model was induced by dextran sodium sulfate(DSS).The pathological changes of the colon tissue,the number of goblet cells,and the positive expression of inflammatory factorswere detected by HE staining,AB-PAS staining and immunohistochemistry in colon tissue of UC mice.Results The results have shown 30 active ingredients including atractylolactone I,II and III were screened,and 591 corresponding targets were obtained,of which the key target was IL-1β、TNF-α and so on.Molecular docking show that the core components had good binding affinity with the key targets.And the results of animal experiments showed that the alcohol extract of Atractylodes macrocephala could significantly increase the colon length,reduce the DAI score,improve the pathological changes of colon tissue of UC mice,increase the number of goblet cells,and inhibit the expression of IL-1β,TNF-α in colon tissue.Conclusion This study indicated that Atractylodes macrocephala could regulate the release of inflammatory factors through multiple components,multi-target and multi-channel,which could inhibit inflammatory reaction and play a role in improving UC.

OBJECTIVE To study the pharmacokinetic changes in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of bronchial asthma model rats after the complication of Ephedra sinica and Prunus armeniaca. METHODS SD male rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， E. sinica group （12 g/kg， calculated by raw drug， similarly hereinafter）， P. armeniaca group （6 g/kg） and E. sinica-P. armeniaca drug-pair group （12 g/kg of E. sinica+6 g/kg of P. armeniaca）， with 6 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， the bronchial asthma model was induced by spraying rats in each group with an equal volume mixture of 2% acetylcholine chloride and 0.4% histamine phosphate， once a day， for 7 d. One hour before modeling every time， rats in each group were gavaged with the corresponding drug/normal saline， once a day， for 7 d. After the final administration and provocation of asthma， blood and cerebrospinal fluid collection were performed at different time points. The plasma and cerebrospinal fluid samples were pre-treated （with geranylgeranyl as the internal standard）， and the mass concentrations of ephedrine/pseudoephedrine， methyl ephedrine and amygdalin in both samples were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. DAS 2.0 pharmacokinetic software was used to determine the main pharmacokinetic parameters through the non-atrial chamber model and to compare the changes of the pharmacokinetic parameters before and after the combination of the two drugs. RESULTS Compared with E. sinica group， cmax and AUC0-21.33 h （or AUC0-10.67 h） of ephedrine/pseudoephedrine and methyl ephedrine in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of rats were significantly reduced in E. sinica-P. armeniaca drug-pair group， while CLZ/F and VZ/F were significantly increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； tmax of methyl ephedrine in the cerebrospinal fluid was significantly shortened （P＜ 0.05）.Compared with P. armeniaca group， the t1/2 of amygdalin in the plasma of rats in E. sinica-P. armeniaca drug-pair group was significantly shortened， and CLZ/F was significantly increased （P＜0.01）； the tmax of bitter amygdalin in the cerebrospinal fluid was significantly shortened， and the AUC0-10.67 h， CLZ/F， and VZ/F were significantly increased （P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS The combination of E. sinica and P. armeniaca accelerates the absorption and elimination of ephedra alkaloids， thus reducing the accumulation of ephedra alkaloids in the bronchial asthma model rats.

Objective To explore the feasibility and accuracy of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)in the prediction of testicular torsion(TT)in children with acute scrotal pain.Methods A retrospective case-control study was performed on 158 pediatric patients with ultrasound suspicion of TT who underwent surgical testicular examination during Jan.2017 and Jan.2024.The patients were divided into TT group and non-TT group.Clinical data and laboratory data at admission were analyzed.Sensitivity and specificity of NLR to TT were determined with the area under the curve(AUC)represented on the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.Results There were with no statistically significant differences in clinical data between the two groups(P＞0.05).The NLR was significantly higher in the TT group than in the non-TT group[(4.82±2.37)vs.(2.85±0.75),P＜0.05].The optimal cut-off value of TT predicted by NLR was 2.07,the AUC was 0.809(95％CI:0.709-0.909),and the sensitivity and specificity were 97.9％and 93.3％,respectively,which were significantly higher than other factors.Conclusion For suspicious ultrasound diagnosis of pediatric acute scrotal pain cases,NLR can be used to predict the possibility of TT and may help to evaluate the urgent surgical treatment in these patients.

Objective:To systematically integrate qualitative studies on psychological experience of breast cancer patients in rehabilitation period, so as to provide basis for improving psychological care and rehabilitation efficacy.Methods:Qualitative research on psychological experience of breast cancer patients during rehabilitation was electronically retrieved in databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang data, and China Biology Medical disc. The search period was from database establishment to September 2023. The quality evaluation of the literature was conducted using the 2020 version of the quality evaluation criteria for qualitative research of the Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence-Based Health Care Center. The results were integrated using the aggregative Meta integration method.Results:A total of 18 articles were included. Sixty-six research topics were extracted and categorized into 10 new categories, forming three integrated results, namely, psychological adjustment of patients with negative emotions and rehabilitation needs in the process of coping, family and social factors affecting patient rehabilitation experience, and patients perceiving that the healthcare system was not yet perfect.Conclusions:Medical and nursing staff should pay attention to the psychological problems of breast cancer patients in the rehabilitation period, understand their rehabilitation needs, provide targeted counseling and services, pay attention to the family and social support factors of breast cancer patients, help them improve their quality of life, and actively promote rehabilitation.

【Objective】 To investigate the prevalence of depression in blood donors and analyze the related factors, so as to develop a rapid depression screening model for blood donors. 【Methods】 A total of 13 015 street whole blood donors in Guangzhou Blood Center during May to August, 2020 filled in an anonymous e-questionnaire, including social demography information and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 before donation. The cut-off value for detecting depression was 10. Logistic regression by SPSS 26.0 was used to analyze depression related factors. 2-level decision tree with 30/10 as the minimum number of cases in parent/child node, 10-fold cross validation was used to cut items of PHQ-9 to form the depression screening model. 【Results】 364 out of 13 015 (2.80%) street whole blood donors reported a score ≥ 10. Donors with 18-29 years old (P <0.05), unmarried (P<0.05), less than 50 000 RMB household income per year (P< 0.05) were more prone to depression. 81.96% donors in "<10 scores" group, while 3.85%donors in "≥ 10 scores" group were in two terminal nodes formed by Item-6, 2 and 4 of PHQ-9. After verification by the 10 fold crossover method, the estimated misclassification risk of the model was 1.7%. 【Conclusion】 The screening prevalence of depression based on PHQ-9 in Guangzhou blood donors was 2.8%(95% CI: 2.52%-3.09%) . Donation frequency was not related to depression. A rapid and efficient depression screening model for blood donors based on item-6, 2 and 4 of PHQ-9 was developed.

Objective: To investigate the factors influencing the development of gastric cancer in Chinese populations, so as provide insights into creating a model for predicting gastric cancer incidence among Chinese populations. Methods: The case-control and cohort studies pertaining to factors affecting the development of gastric cancer were retrieved in electronic Chinese and English databases, including CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science and Embase from their inception until September 30, 2021. A meta-analysis was performed using R package version 4.1.0. Sensitivity analysis was performed using the “leave-one-out” evaluation procedure, and the publication bias was evaluated using the Egger regression test and the trim-and-fill procedure. Results: A total of 5 301 publications were screened and 116 eligible studies were included in the final analysis, including 103 case-control studies and 13 cohort studies, which covered approximately 3.23 million study subjects. A total of 45 factors affecting the development of gastric cancer were collected, and there were less than 4 publications reporting 7 factors, which were only qualitatively described. There were 38 factors included in the final meta-analysis. A total of 21 factors were identified as risk factors of gastric cancer, including a history of gastrointestinal diseases (pooled OR=4.85, 95%CI: 3.74-6.29), H. pylori infection (pooled OR=3.18, 95%CI: 2.35-4.32), binge eating and drinking (pooled OR=2.88, 95%CI: 2.09-3.97) and a family history of tumors (pooled OR=2.78, 95%CI: 2.17-3.56), and 10 factors as protective factors, including vegetable intake (pooled OR=0.48, 95%CI: 0.38-0.61), tea consumption (pooled OR=0.55, 95%CI: 0.47-0.64), administration of aspirin (pooled OR=0.53, 95%CI: 0.31-0.92) and administration of statins (pooled OR=0.59, 95%CI: 0.44-0.80). Sensitivity analyses of eating moldy food frequently, white meat intake, favoring spicy food and administration of sulfonylureas were not robust. Following correction with the trim-and-fill procedure, there was still a publication bias pertaining to high income, diabetes, administration of stains, alcohol consumption, tea consumption and white meat intake. Conclusions The development of gastric cancer is associated with a medical history of gastrointestinal disease, H. pylori infection, family history of tumors and poor dietary habits. Risk and protective factors of gastric cancer are recommended to be included in models used to predict gastric cancer incidence among Chinese populations.

Recent studies have characterized the genomic structures of many eukaryotic cells,often focusing on their relation to gene expression.However,these studies have largely investigated cells grown in 2D cultures,although the transcriptomes of 3D-cultured cells are generally closer to their in vivo phenotypes.To examine the effects of spatial constraints on chromosome conformation,we investigated the genomic architecture of mouse hepatocytes grown in 2D and 3D cultures using in situ Hi-C.Our results reveal significant differences in higher-order genomic interactions,notably in compartment identity and strength as well as in topologically associating domain(TAD)-TAD interactions,but only minor differences are found at the TAD level.Our RNA-seq analysis reveals up-regulated expression of genes involved in physiological hepatocyte functions in the 3D-cultured cells.These genes are associated with a subset of structural changes,suggesting that differences in genomic structure are critically important for transcriptional regulation.However,there are also many structural differences that are not directly associated with changes in gene expression,whose cause remains to be determined.Overall,our results indicate that growth in 3D significantly alters higher-order genomic interactions,which may be consequential for a subset of genes that are impor-tant for the physiological functioning of the cell.

【Objective】 To investigate the changes of platelet, white blood cell, red blood cell counts, Hb and PCV before and after plateletpheresis donation. 【Methods】 10 444 platelet donors who donated platelet from Aug 1, 2019 to Jul 31, 2020 were selected as subjects, among which first-time donors were selected as control group and donors who donated twice or more as donation group. After matching gender and age using Propensity Score Matching method in the two groups, the changes of platelet, white blood cell, red blood cell counts, Hb and PCV of platelet blood donors were compared by t test. 【Results】 There were a slight increase in Plt (t=-6.651, P<0.05), a decrease in WBC (t=2.312, P<0.05), a decrease in hemoglobin(t=4.643, P<0.05), and no change in RBC (t=1.439, P>0.05) and in PCV (t=0.030, P>0.05) after plateletpheresis donation. 【Conclusion】 Plateletpheresis donation has an effect on some peripheral blood parameters, but within the normal reference range.