Objective:To explore the key components and mechanism of Qufeng Ningfei Powder in treating asthma through qualitative analysis of its blood components, combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques.Methods:The blood components of Qufeng Ningfei Powder were qualitatively analyzed using UPLC-QE-Orbitrap-MS technology. R language was employed to analyze chip data from the GEO database, obtaining a list of differentially expressed genes. SwissTargetPrediction was utilized to predict the targets of drug components. Asthma-related targets were searched through databases such as OMIM, GeneCards, and TTD. The intersection of drug and disease targets was identified using Venn online analysis tool, constructing a "drug-component-target-disease" network to screen potential core components. A protein-protein interaction network (PPI) of core targets was constructed using STRING platform and Cytoscape software. GO function enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis were conducted using DAVID database to validate potential mechanism. Molecular docking was performed to verify the interaction between key components and core targets.Results:A total of 64 components were identified, from which 53 active components were screened, corresponding to 609 targets. Further searching disease databases revealed 96 target genes related to asthma, with an intersection of 6 genes between drug and asthma differential genes. Core target gene IL6 and its corresponding core compound were determined through network topology analysis. Molecular docking confirmed the binding of the main active components of Qufeng Ningfei Powder with the core target protein IL6.Conclusion:The blood components of Qufeng Ningfei Powder may regulate IL-17 through IL6, counteract airway remodeling, oxidative stress, and airway hyperresponsiveness, and thus treat asthma.

Objective:To establish a method for the identification of Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix) dispensing granules with PCR for the identification of dispensing granules.Methods:The collected samples were identified by DNA bar code, and the methods of extracting genomic DNA from Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix, Qianghuo standard decoction and dispensing granules were established. Specific differential primers were designed based on ITS2 sequence, and the PCR amplification system and reaction conditions were optimized.Results:The PCR amplification system and reaction conditions were determined. The target bands of about 216 bp were obtained by amplification of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix, Qianghuo standard decoction and dispensing granules, and there was no interference from counterfeit products and blank.Conclusions:The specific PCR identification method of Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix) dispensing granules is established, which has good specificity. The detection limit of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix is 0.91 ng, and the detection limit of dispensing granules is 7.36 ng, which also provides a reference for the identification of other kinds of TCM dispensing granules.

Background::The incidence rate of lung cancer in women has significantly increased over the past decade, and previous evidence has indicated a significant relationship between the elevated levels of sex hormones and the risk of lung cancer. Therefore, we hypothesized that female hormone-related cancer (FHRC) patients, including breast, endometrial, cervical, and ovarian cancer patients, may experience a higher risk of developing subsequent lung cancer. This meta-analysis aimed to identify the risk of lung cancer among FHRC patients compared to the general population.Methods::The PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CNKI databases were searched up to May 11, 2022. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to identify the risk of subsequent lung cancer after FHRC. Subgroup analyses based on the follow-up time and tumor type were also conducted.Results::A total of 58 retrospective cohort studies involving 4,360,723 FHRC participants were included. The pooled results demonstrated that FHRC patients had a significantly increased risk of developing subsequent primary lung cancer (SIR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.48-1.76, P <0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed an obvious trend of increasing lung cancer risk over time (SIRs for <5 years, ≥5 years, ≥10 years, ≥20 years, and ≥30 years after FHRC: 1.32, 1.59, 1.57, 1.68, and 1.95, respectively). In addition, subgroup analysis stratified by tumor type indicated an increased risk of developing subsequent lung cancer after breast (SIR = 1.25, P <0.001), endometrial (SIR = 1.40, P = 0.019), cervical (SIR = 2.56, P <0.001), and ovarian cancer (SIR = 1.50, P = 0.010). Conclusion::FHRC patients are more likely to develop lung cancer than the general population. Furthermore, the increased risk of subsequent primary lung cancer is more obvious with a longer survival time and is observed in all types of hormone-related cancer.Registration::International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols: No. INPLASY202270044; https://inplasy.com/

Objective:To establish a polymerase chain reaction(PCR)method to accurately discriminate the crude materials and aqueous extract of Zaocys dhumnades,Elaphe carinata,Elaphe meollendorff and Ptyas korros.Methods:Specific primers were designed using mitochondrial Cytb gene(CO1)as a target gene,and annealing temperature,number of cycles and the type of DNA polymerases were optimized.The mixed samples were detected by this method.Results:By this multiplex allele-specific PCR identification method,135,182,246 and 197 bp of specific fragments were amplified from DNA templates of Zaocys dhumnades,Elaphe carinata,Elaphe meollendorffi and Ptyas korros,respectively,following the conditions:cycle number of 35,annealing temperature of 62 ℃.The adulterants and the blank control showed no bands.The method could simultaneously and accurately identify the snake-derived components in the mixed samples.Conclusion:The method can be used to identify the samples of Zaocys dhumnades,Elaphe carinata,Elaphe meollendorffi and Ptyas korros simultaneously,accurately and rapidly,and is suitable for the identification of standard decoctiond and formula granules samples.

Objective:To study the standardization path of medical ultrasound equipment management based on total quality management,and to improve the service level of medical ultrasound equipment in clinical diagnosis and treatment activities.Methods:According to the process of medical ultrasound equipment use,the risk nodes were determined,the formation path and damage probability of equipment use risk were analyzed by probabilistic graphical model,and the standardized path of medical ultrasound equipment use was formulated based on time control and standardized use mode.35 medical ultrasound equipment in clinical use in The People's Hospital of Jianyang from 2022 to 2023 were selected,the use and management of 33 medical ultrasound equipment in 2022 were managed in the conventional management mode(33 units),and the use and management of 35 medical ultrasound equipment in 2023(2 new units)were adopted in the total quality management mode.The difference in equipment operation quality,risk ratio and service effect under different modes were compared.Results:The failure rates of medical ultrasound diagnostic equipment,medical ultrasound treatment equipment and other medical ultrasound equipment using the total quality management model were(0.763±0.68)%,(0.833±0.65)%and(0.969±0.64)%,respectively,which were lower than those of the conventional management mode,the difference was statistically significant(t=3.331,5.348,5.940,P<0.05).The proportion of risk problems such as component damage,delayed diagnosis and treatment,resource waste and social impact of medical ultrasound equipment using total quality management mode were(2.023±0.99)‰,(1.569±0.89)‰,(2.541±1.05)‰ and(1.238±0.63)‰,respectively,which were lower than those of the conventional management mode,the difference was statistically significant(t=3.935,3.676,5.699,3.189,P<0.05).The scores of clinicians,nurses,operating technicians,equipment engineers and management personnel involved in the use and management of medical ultrasound equipment were for the service effect of the total quality management model were(95.797±2.13)points,(93.880±2.12)points,(94.605±1.91)points,(91.387±3.20)points and(96.275±1.82)points,respectively,which were higher than those of the conventional management mode,the difference was statistically significant(t=4.536,5.477,6.869,2.943,4.673,P<0.05).Conclusion:The standardized path of medical ultrasound equipment management based on total quality management can improve the operation quality of equipment,reduce the incidence of clinical use risk,and enhance the level of clinical service.

Objective    To explore the association of pretreatment hyponatremia with clinicopathological and prognostic characteristics of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods    The PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, VIP, CNKI and WanFang databases were searched from the inception to July 12, 2021 for relevant literatures. The quality of included studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) score. The relative risk (RR) and hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were combined to assess the relationship between pretreatment hyponatremia and clinicopathological and prognostic characteristics. The prognostic indicators included the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). All statistical analysis was conducted by the STATA 15.0 software. Results    A total of 10 high-quality studies (NOS score≥6 points) involving 10 045 patients were enrolled and all participants were from Asian or European regions. The pooled results demonstrated that male [RR=1.18, 95%CI (1.02, 1.36), P=0.026], non-adenocarcinoma [RR=0.86, 95%CI (0.81, 0.91), P<0.001] and TNM Ⅲ-Ⅳ stage [RR=1.17, 95%CI (1.12, 1.21), P<0.001] patients were more likely to experience hyponatremia. Besides, pretreatment hyponatremia was significantly related to worse OS [HR=1.83, 95%CI (1.53, 2.19), P<0.001] and PFS [HR=1.54, 95%CI (1.02, 2.34), P=0.040]. Pretreatment hyponatremia was a risk factor for poor prognosis of NSCLC patients. Conclusion    Male, non-adenocarcinoma and advance stage NSCLC patients are more likely to experience hyponatremia. Meanwhile, the pretreatment sodium level can be applied as one of the prognostic evaluation indicators in NSCLC and patients with hyponatremia are more likely to have poor survival. However, more researches are still needed to verify above findings.

Objective:To detect the levels of γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) in the amniotic fluid of normal pregnancies at 19-23 +6 gestational weeks and to analyze the changes in GGT level with gestational age. Methods:This study retrospectively collected the amniotic fluid supernatant from 383 singleton pregnant women (102, 103, 82, 68 and 28 cases at 19-19 +6, 20-20 +6, 21-21 +6, 22-22 +6, 23-23 +6 weeks of gestation, respectively) who underwent amniocentesis for prenatal diagnosis but had normal genetic diagnosis results in Cheeloo Hospital of Shandong University from January 2021 to September 2022. The levels of GGT in the amniotic fluid supernatant were tested and the statistical parameters including xˉ± s, min-max, median ( M), P1, P2.5, P5, P95, P97.5 and P99 values of GGT levels at each gestational week were calculated. GGT were non-normal data and converted into natural logarithms (lnGGT), and a least square linear regression equation was established to analyze the relationship between lnGGT and gestational week. Results:At 19-19 +6, 20-20 +6, 21-21 +6, 22-22 +6, and 23-23 +6 gestational weeks, the xˉ± s of amniotic fluid GGT were (385.8±235.7), (331.8±219.4), (253.7±197.9), (226.7±166.4), and (155.3±96.8) U/L, and the weekly declines were 14.0%, 23.5%, 10.6%, and 31.5%, respectively; the M values were 311.0, 288.0, 199.0, 160.5, and 105.5 U/L, and the weekly declines were 7.4%, 30.9%, 19.3%, and 34.3%, respectively; the P1- P99 were 67.1-1 404.5, 63.2-1 189.1, 36.0-849.8, 44.0-787.3, and 32.0-375.6 U/L, respectively. lnGGT was negatively correlated with gestational age ( R 2=0.148, P<0.001). Conclusions:In normal pregnancies at 19-23 +6 gestational weeks, GGT levels in amniotic fluid decrease with gestational age. Therefore, gestational age should be considered when establishing the reference value for amniotic fluid GGT in normal pregnancies.

Objective    To explore the relationship between metformin use and the risk and prognosis of esophageal cancer in patients with diabetes. Methods    The PubMed, Web of Science, EMbase, VIP, WanFang and CNKI databases were searched by computer to identify relevant studies from inception to August 21, 2021. Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) was used to evaluate research quality. The STATA 12.0 software was used to conduct the statistical analysis. Results    A total of 14 studies involving 5 605 218 participants were included finally. NOS of all researches were≥6 points. The pooled results indicated that metformin use could decrease the risk of esophageal cancer in diabetics (OR=0.84, 95%CI 0.71-1.00, P=0.045), and could also prolong the overall survival of diabetics with esophageal cancer (HR=0.89, 95%CI 0.80-0.99, P=0.025). Conclusion    Metformin use can not only decrease the risk of esophageal cancer in patients with diabetes, but also improve the prognosis of diabetics with esophageal cancer significantly. However, more prospective high-quality studies are still needed to verify the conclusion.

Human respiratory tract is colonized with microbial communities. In recent years, high-throughput DNA sequencing technology has subverted the traditional understanding of pulmonary sterility by proving that there are bacteria in the lungs. As research progresses, it is discovered that there is a connection between the gut and respiratory microbiota, known as the " gut-lung axis" . The gut microbiota can influence lung immunity, and lung inflammation can affect the gut microbiota and cause disease. An in-depth understanding of the " gut-lung axis" has given us a deeper understanding of mucosal immunity. The respiratory microbiota may play an important role in the structural maturation of the host airway, the formation of local immunity and the development of the system, and also has an important impact on the occurrence and development of respiratory diseases in children. In recent years, many achievements have been made in microbiological research around respiratory diseases. Attempts to apply microbe-directed therapies (including probiotics, prebiotics and antibiotics and even vaccines) to restore the healthy homeostasis of the respiratory microbiota in diseased states may be an important target for the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases in the future. The assumption of applying " omics" such as metagenomics, metabolomics, metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics for experimental research may help to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of the respiratory microbiota on respiratory health and disease, and to better understand the function of the respiratory microbiota and causality. Actively searching for novel probiotics or microbiota with anti-inflammatory properties will be a potential candidate approach for improving airway inflammation in the future; further discovery of novel metabolites with immunomodulatory potential as well as the metabolites of purified microorganisms (such as short-chain fatty acids) will provide promising candidates for the treatment of respiratory diseases. This article summarized the progress in this field in recent years.

Neoadjuvant therapy leads to the eradication of micrometastasis, thereby providing survival benefit to patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). In the recent years, multiple clinical trials have corroborated the safety and durability of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of MIBC. Notably, there is a significantly higher response rate (e.g. pathologic complete response) and comparable occurrence of adverse events in patients treated with neoadjuvant dual immunotherapy, immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy or targeted therapy as compared with that treated with neoadjuvant single-agent immunotherapy. With an overview of breakthroughs in the past years, we believe that immune combination therapy is of great promise and expected to revolutionize the landscape of neoadjuvant therapy of MIBC.