Objective Vascular dementia(VD)is a clinical syndrome caused by various cerebrovascular diseases,including ischemic,hemorrhagic,and acute and chronic hypoxic cerebrovascular diseases,leading to impaired brain function and affecting patients'cognitive ability,daily life,and work abilities.Vascular dementia is a preventable and reversible form of dementia,second only to Alzheimer's disease as the second common cause of dementia.At present,the relevant pathogenesis of vascular dementia is not clear,and there is no clear treatment method.However,its pathogenesis may be related to neuroinflammation,oxidative stress,neuronal damage and white matter lesions.Its main risk factors include genetic factors,hypercholesterolemia,diabetes,hypertension,etc.Neuroinflammatory response plays a major role in the process of secondary brain injury caused by cerebral ischemia,and inflammatory factors lead to an inflammatory cascade reaction that exacerbates damage to the nervous system.Inhibiting the inflammatory pathway and reducing the expression of inflammatory factors can improve the symptoms of vascular dementia patients and animal models,indicating that neuroinflammation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular dementia.This article explores the effects of Buyang Huanwu Decoction on inflammatory factors from the perspective of summarizing relevant literature in recent years.It mainly reviews the pharmacological effects of Buyang Huanwu Decoction on treating vascular dementia,the relationship between inflammatory factor levels and vascular dementia,and the prevention and treatment of vascular dementia by regulating inflammatory factor levels.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of sacubitril/valsartan on renal function in patients with primary hypertension. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted among patients with primary hypertension who were admitted to PLA Strategic Support Force Characteristic Medical Center from January 2018 to June 2023. Based on their medication， they were divided into two groups： sacubitril/valsartan group and valsartan group. Propensity score matching was used to match baseline data between the two groups. Patients were treated with antihypertensive drugs based on improving their lifestyle. Sacubitril/valsartan group additionally received oral administration of 200 mg Sacubitril/valsartan tablets once daily， while valsartan group additionally received oral administration of 80 mg Valsartan capsules once daily. The increase amplitude of serum creatinine from baseline， the proportion of patients with elevated serum creatinine ＞30%-50% or ＞50%， and the proportion of patients with hyperkalemia （serum potassium ≥5.5 mmol/L） were compared between two groups at 2 months and 6 months after treatment. The trends of changes in serum creatinine， serum potassium and estimated glomerular filtration rate （eGFR） were compared between the two groups before treatment （at baseline）， 2 months and 6 months after treatment. RESULTS After propensity score matching， there were 62 patients in sacubitril/valsartan group and 61 patients in valsartan group； there were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups before treatment （P＞0.05）， indicating comparability. After 6 months of treatment， the increase of serum creatinine in the sacubitril/valsartan group was significantly lower than that in the valsartan group （P＝0.003）； the proportion of patients with elevated serum creatinine ＞30%-50% in the sacubitril/valsartan group was significantly lower than that in the valsartan group （P＝0.045）. None of the patients experienced hyperkalemia events after 2 months and 6 months of treatment. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed significantly statistical differences in serum creatinine and eGFR between the two groups within 6 months of treatment （P＜0.001）. Patients taking valsartan experienced a continuous increase in serum creatinine levels and a decrease in eGFR， while patients taking sacubitril/valsartan showed a first increase and then a decrease in serum creatinine levels， and a first decrease and then an increase in eGFR with a prolonged duration of medication. CONCLUSIONS Sacubitril/valsartan can delay or even reverse the decline in renal function levels， and limit the deterioration of renal function in patients with primary hypertension， without increasing the risk of hyperkalemia.

The clinical practice guidelines of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） have problems such as limited clinical application and unclear implementation effects， which may be related to the lack of clinical practice evidence. To provide reliable and precise evidence for clinical practice， this article proposes a model of combining TCM guidelines with real-world study， which includes 4 steps. Firstly， during the implementation process of the guidelines， a high-quality research database is established. Secondly， the recommendations in the guidelines are evaluated based on the established database in multiple dimensions， including applicability， effectiveness， safety， and cost-effectiveness， and thus their effectiveness in practical applications can be determined. Thirdly， based on the established database， core prescriptions are identified， and the targeted populations and medication plans are determined. That is， the best treatment regimen is established based on the analysis of abundant clinical data regarding the effects of different medication frequencies， dosages， and duration on efficacy. Fourthly， the guidelines are updated according to the real-world evidence. The research based on this model can provide real-world evidence for ancient and empirical prescriptions， improving their application in clinical practice. Moreover， this model can reduce research costs and improve research efficiency. When applying this model， researchers need to pay attention to the quality of real-world evidence， ensuring that it can truly reflect the situation in clinical practice. In addition， importance should be attached to the clinical application of guideline recommendations， ensuring that doctors can conduct standardized diagnosis and treatment according to the guidelines. Finally， full-process participation of multidisciplinary experts is encouraged to ensure the comprehensiveness and scientificity of the study. In conclusion， the application of this model will contribute to the development of TCM guidelines responsive to the needs of clinical practice and achieve the goal of promoting the homogenization of TCM clinical diagnosis and treatment.

As a supplement to randomized controlled trials， observational studies can provide evidence for the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） treatment measures. They can also study influencing factors of diseases， etiology， and prognosis. However， there is a confounding effect due to the lack of randomization， which seriously affects the causal inference between the study factors and the outcome， resulting in confounding bias. Therefore， identifying and controlling confounding factors are key issues to be addressed in TCM observational studies. According to the causal network and the characteristics of TCM theory， confounding factors can be categorized into measured and unmeasured confounding factors. In addition， attention must be paid to identifying confounding factors and intermediate variables， as well as the interaction between confounding factors and study factors. For methods of controlling confounding factors， measured confounding factors can be controlled by stratification， multifactor analysis， propensity scores， and disease risk scores. Unmeasured and unknown confounding factors can be corrected using instrumental variable methods， difference-in-difference methods， and correction for underlying event rate ratios. Correcting and controlling confounding factors can ensure a balance between groups， and confounding bias can be reduced. In addition， methods such as sensitivity analysis and determination of interactions make the control of confounding factors more comprehensive. Due to the unique characteristics of TCM， observational studies of TCM face unique challenges in identifying and controlling confounding factors， including the ever-changing TCM treatment measures received by patients， the often-overlooked confounding effects in the four diagnostic information of TCM， and the lack of objective criteria for TCM evidence-based diagnosis. Some scholars have already conducted innovative explorations to address these issues， providing a methodological basis for conducting higher-quality TCM observational studies， so as to obtain more rigorous real-world evidence of TCM and gradually develop quality evaluation criteria for OS that are consistent with the characteristics of TCM.

The classification of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes is one of the core technical elements in the industry standard of Specification of Diagnosis and Therapeutic Effect Evaluation of Diseases and Syndromes in TCM. In the past，when clinical standards for TCM were formulated，the determination of TCM syndrome classification relied heavily on textbooks and expert experience，lacking systematic research. This approach thus failed to reflect the advancement and scientificity of the standards，thereby affecting their implementation and application. This article reviewed the presentation forms and technical methods of TCM syndrome classification，including the two-tier syndrome classification model with primary and secondary symptoms，as well as the application of modern literature research，ancient literature research，Delphi method，in-depth expert interviews，consensus conferences，and real-world research. When syndrome classification standards are developed，it is necessary to build upon modern literature research，adopt a mixed approach combining qualitative research and quantitative analysis results，and reach expert consensus through consensus conferences. Through systematic research，the scientificity，applicability，and coordination of TCM syndrome classification standards can be enhanced，providing guidance for the standardization of TCM.

ObjectiveHuman Ku70 protein mainly involves the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (DSB) through its DNA-binding properties, and it is recently reported having an RNA-binding ability. This paper is to explore whether Ku70 has RNA helicase activity and affects miRNA maturation. MethodsRNAs bound to Ku protein were analyzed by RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) and bioinfomatic anaylsis. The expression relationship between Ku protein and miRNAs was verified by Western blot (WB) and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays. Binding ability of Ku protein to the RNAs was tested by biolayer interferometry (BLI) assay. RNA helicase activity of Ku protein was identified with EMSA assay. The effect of Ku70 regulated miR-124 on neuronal differentiation was performed by morphology analysis, WB and immunofluorescence assays with or without Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. ResultsWe revealed that the Ku70 protein had RNA helicase activity and affected miRNA maturation. Deficiency of Ku70 led to the up-regulation of a large number of mature miRNAs, especially neuronal specific miRNAs like miR-124. The knockdown of Ku70 promoted neuronal differentiation in human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) and SH-SY5Y cells by boosting miR-124 maturation. Importantly, ZIKV infection reduced the expression of Ku70 whereas increased expression of miR-124 in hNPCs, and led to morphologically neuronal differentiation. ConclusionOur study revealed a novel function of Ku70 as an RNA helicase and regulating miRNA maturation. The reduced expression of Ku70 with ZIKV infection increased the expression of miR-124 and led to the premature differentiation of embryonic neural progenitor cells, which might be one of the causes of microcephaly.

Objective:To explore the role of mechanical hemodynamic support (MHS) in mapping and catheter ablation of patients with hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia (VT), report single-center experience in a cohort of consecutive patients receiving VT ablation during MHS therapy, and provide evidence-based medical evidence for clinical practice.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients with hemodynamically unstable VT who underwent catheter ablation with MHS at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University between August 2021 and December 2023 were included. Patients were divided into rescue group and preventive group according to the purpose of treatment. Their demographic data, periprocedural details, and clinical outcomes were collected and analyzed.Results:A total of 15 patients with hemodynamically unstable VT were included (8 patients in the rescue group and 7 patients in the preventive group). The acute procedure was successful in all patients. One patient in the rescue group had surgical left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, remaining 14 patients received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for circulation support. ECMO decannulation was performed in 12 patients due to clinical and hemodynamic stability, of which 6 patients were decannulation immediately after surgery and the remaining patients were decannulation at 2.0 (2.5) d after surgery. Two patients in the rescue group died during the index admission due to refractory heart failure and cerebral hemorrhage. During a median follow-up of 30 d (1 d to 12 months), one patient with LVAD had one episode of ventricular fibrillation at 6 months after discharge, and no further episodes of ventricular fibrillation and/or VT occurred after treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs. No malignant ventricular arrhythmia occurred in the remaining 12 patients who were followed up.Conclusions:MHS contributes to the successful completion of mapping and catheter ablation in patients with hemodynamically unstable VT, providing desirable hemodynamic status for emergency and elective conditions.

Extremely unbalanced data here refers to datasets where the values of independent or dependent variables exhibit severe unbalance in proportions, such as extremely unbalanced case-control ratio, very low incidence rate of disease, heavily censored time-to-event data, and low-frequency or rare variants. In such scenarios, the statistic derived from hypothesis test using the classical statistical method, e.g., logistic regression model and Cox proportional hazard regression model, might deviate from theoretical asymptotic distribution, resulting in inflation or deflation of type I error. With the increased availability and exploration of resources from large-scale population cohorts in genome-wide association study (GWAS), there is a growing demand for effective and accurate statistical approaches to handle extremely unbalanced data in independent and non-independent samples. Our study introduces classical statistical methods in genetic statistics firstly, then, summarizes the failure of classical statistical methods in dealing with extremely unbalanced data through simulation experiments to draw researchers' attention to the extremely unbalanced data in GWAS.

Objective To investigate the status of human papillomavirus(HPV)infection in women in Li-aocheng area,and to analyze the relationship between HPV genotypes and thin-prep cytologic test(TCT),so as to provide reference for the diagnosis,treatment and vaccination of cervical cancer in this area.Methods The relevant data of 4 968 women who underwent physical examination in the hospital from Januar-y 2020 to April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Cervical exfoliated cells were collected for TCT and HPV genotyping,and the distribution of HPV infection and genotype in women of different ages was analyzed.x2 test was used to compare the differences between groups,and multivariate Logistic regression was used to ana-lyze the influencing factors of different HPV types on cervical lesions.Results The overall HPV infection rate was 21.05％,and there was a significant difference in the overall infection rate among different age groups(x2=42.695,P＜0.001).The HPV infection rate of＞49-59 years old group was the highest(26.85％),followed by＞59 years old group.Among the different types of HPV infection,single infection accounted for the highest proportion(15.12％),followed by double infection(4.07％).The top five high-risk genotypes of HPV infection rate were HPV52,16,58,53,66,and HPV16,52,58 were the main high-risk genotypes in HPV single infection.TCT distribution of 1 046 HPV-positive cases:54.97％had no intraepithelial lesion or malig-nant lesion,29.64％atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance,2.58％atypical squamous cells could not exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion,11.47％low-grade squamous intraepithelial le-sion,and 1.34％high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion.The infection rates of HPV16,58 and 66 were re-lated to the severity of cervical cytology(x2 trend=23.765,7.807,16.122,P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that HPV16,18,31,33,35,39,51,52,53,56,58,59,66 genotypes were associated with cervical lesions.Conclusion The risk of HPV infection is high in women in this area,especially in mid-dle-aged and elderly women.High-risk HPV types 52,16 and 58 are the most common infection types in this area.HPV16 is closely related to the degree of cervical lesions.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation(taVNS)on overweight/obesity patients,and to explore its central mechanism.Methods Twenty-six overweight/obesity patients were randomly divided into two groups,12 cases in the taVNS test group(shortened as the taVNS group)and 14 cases in the lifestyle intervention control group(shortened as the control group).The patients in the control group were treated with online lifestyle intervention of calorie-restricted diet(CRD),and the patients in the taVNS group were treated with taVNS on the basis of the intervention for the control group.The taVNS was performed on unilateral acupoints of spleen and endocrine,twice(in the morning and at evening)per day,for five days a week.The treatment for the two groups covered four weeks.The obesity indicators such as body weight,body mass index(BMI)and waist circumference of the patients in the two groups were observed before and after treatment.Moreover,the resting-state cerebral functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)data of the patients were collected after treatment,and then the regulatory effect of taVNS on the regional homogeneity(ReHo)of local cerebral area of the patients was observed.Results(1)During the trial,one case in each group dropped off,and a total of 24 patients(including 13 cases in the control group and 11 cases in the taVNS group)were finally included in the statistical analysis of the observation indicators.(2)After treatment,the body weight,BMI and waist circumference of patients in the taVNS group were decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),while the obesity indicators in the control group only showed a downward trend compared with those before treatment,the differences being not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The improvement of the obesity indicators of body weight,BMI,and waist circumference in the taVNS group was significantly superior to that in the control group,and there were statistically significant differences in the post-treatment indicators and in the pre-and post-treatment difference values of the indicators between the two groups(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the taVNS group had greater ReHo values in the left prefrontal lobe and medial frontal gyrus than the control group,and the control group had greater ReHo value in the right parietal lobe than the taVNS group,which indicated that compared with the control group,the ReHo of the left prefrontal lobe and medial frontal gyrus in the taVNS group was increased and the ReHo of the right parietal lobe was decreased(Pvoxel＜0.001,Pcluster＜0.05,corrected by FWE level).Conclusion As a non-invasive treatment method,taVNS exerts certain efficacy for the treatment of overweight/obesity patients.The central response mechanism for treatment of obesity is probably related with the modulation of taVNS on the functional areas of left prefrontal lobe,medial frontal gyrus,and right parietal lobe of the patients.