AIM: To examine differences in etiology, risk factors, gender, and acute-phase manifestations of retinal artery occlusion(RAO)patients in different age groups, highlighting age-related heterogeneity.

METHODS:This retrospective comparative cohort study enrolled patients with RAO. Patients were divided into <50 y group and ≥50 y group. Etiological classification was based on modified TOAST criteria. Comparisons assessed the prevalence of risk factors, etiological distribution, sex ratio, and, in cases of acute central retinal artery occlusion(CRAO), fundus characteristics and visual outcomes.

RESULTS:This study included a total of 145 RAO patients,which were divided into two groups based on age: <50 y group(15 females and 13 males)with the mean age of 36.64±9.72 y, and ≥50 y group(38 females and 79 males)with the mean age of 63.50±9.54 y. Hypertension(46.4% vs 85.5%)and diabetes(3.6% vs 27.4%)were less prevalent in <50 y group(both P<0.001). The <50 y group was characterized predominantly by stroke of other determined etiology(SOE, 35.7% vs 2.6%, P<0.001), whereas the ≥50 y group was dominated by small artery occlusion(SAO, 35.9%)and large artery atherosclerosis(LAA, 31.6%), the incidence rates were significantly higher in the ≥50 y group than in the <50 y group(both P<0.001). Females were more frequently represented in <50 y group(53.6% vs 32.5%, P=0.039). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that LAA was independently linked to older age and SOE to younger age. Boxcarring occurred exclusively in ≥50 y patients\〖39.5%(17/43)vs 0, P=0.011\〗.

CONCLUSION:The RAO patients<50 y predominantly present with non-atherosclerotic causes and a higher proportion of females, whereas patients≥50 y are mainly affected by atherosclerosis driven etiologies and show signs of reduced vascular compensatory capacity. These findings indicate that age-related differences in RAO should be taken into account when determining etiologic evaluation and management strategies.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Xiaozhen Formula （消疹方） in preventing skin toxicity induced by epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors （EGFRIs） in patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. MethodsA randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled， multicenter clinical study was conducted. A total of 120 patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC from seven centers were enrolled and randomly assigned to a treatment group （60 cases） or a control group （60 cases）. On the basis of EGFRI-targeted therapy， patients in the treatment group received Xiaozhen Formula granules， whereas those in the control group received Xiaozhen Formula placebo granules， both at 10 g twice daily for 4 consecutive weeks. The primary outcomes were the grading of skin toxicity evaluated using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events （NCI-CTCAE） version 5.0 and the incidence of rash. Secondary outcomes included the time to onset and time to resolution of the highest-grade rash， the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 （EORTC QLQ-C30） scores， the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale （HADS） scores， and disease control rate， together with safety assessments. ResultsBased on the full analysis set （FAS）， the incidence of skin toxicity in the treatment group was 18.33% （11/60）， significantly lower than 45.00% （27/60） in the control group （P＜0.01）， with the highest severity of skin toxicity in both groups was grade 2. Among patients who developed rash， the resolution rate in the treatment group was 90.91% （10/11）， higher than that 33.33% （9/27） in the control group. The median time to resolution was 15 days （95%CI： 8-17 days） in the treatment group and it was not reached in the control group； the distribution of time to resolution differed significantly between groups （P＜0.001）. After treatment， the treatment group had higher EORTC QLQ-C30 functional scale and global health status/quality-of-life scores， and lower symptom scale， single-item scores， as well as HADS-A， and HADS-D scores than the control group （P＜0.05）. In the FAS analysis， the disease control rate （DCR） was 85.0% （51/60） in the treatment group， lower than 100.0% （60/60） in the control group （P=0.003）， whereas no significant between-group difference was observed in the per-protocol set （PPS） analysis （P=0.464）. The incidence of adverse events did not differ significantly between the two groups （P＞0.05）， and no definite safety signals related to the investigational drug were observed. ConclusionXiaozhen Formula can reduce the incidence of EGFRI-induced skin toxicity， and improve the outcome of rash regression， the patients' quality of life and psychological status in EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients.

Objective To retrieve the anticoagulation management related evidences in postoperative patients with heart valve operation to provide an evidence-based basis for medical professionals conducting the antithrombotic therapy in postoperative patients with heart valve operation.Methods The related evidences of anticoagulation management after heart valve surgery were retrieved from major databases and websites at home and abroad based on the"6S"evidence resource pyramid modeling system.The retrieval time was from January 1,2017 to February 29,2024.Two researchers trained by evidence-based care evaluated the quality of the literatures and extracted the relevant evidences meeting the criteria by combining with clinical situation.Results A total of 12 literatures were included,including 5 guidelines,4 clinical practices and 3 expert consen-sus.Thirty pieces of best evidences were summarized in eight aspects:contraindications,postoperative an-tithrombotic regimens,warfarin use method,vitamin K use precautions,daily life precautions,anticoagulation complications,long term perioperative anticoagulation bridging and complicating pregnancy.Conclusion The evidences summarized in this study could provide a reference for standardizing anticoagulation management in postoperative pa-tients with heart valve operation and for clinical healthcare workers in order to standardize the anticoagulation therapy after heart valve replacement and reduce the occurrence of anticoagulation-related complications.

Objective To investigate the association between the variability of remnant cholesterol inflammatory index(RCII),a novel composite biomarker,and the risk of stroke,in order to provide a theoretical basis for stroke prevention.Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted on 38 659 Kailuan individuals who took annual physical examinations in 2006,2008,and 2010.These subjects were grouped based on the quartiles of RCII variability,which was represented by standard deviation(SD)and average real variability(ARV),and were followed up every 2 years,with the occurrence of stroke(including ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes),death,or the end of follow-up on December 31,2022 as the endpoints.Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the cumulative incidence rate of endpoint events across different groups,and log-rank test was used to compare the difference of cumulative incidence of endpoint events in each group.Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was adopted to analyze the association between RCII variability and risk of stroke.Results Among the 38 659 participants,a total of 2 539 strokes occurred during a mean follow-up period of 11.22±2.26 years.After adjusting confounding factors,when the participants were grouped by the quartiles of RCII-SD,the hazard ratio(HR)for stroke was 1.034(95%CI:0.917～1.167,P=0.584),1.146(95%CI:1.018～1.290,P=0.025),and 1.209(95%CI:1.066～1.370,P=0.003),respectively in the Q2,Q3,and Q4 groups,when compared with the Q1 group(Ptrend<0.05).When they were grouped by the quartiles of RCII-ARV,the HR for stroke was 1.008(95%CI:0.894～1.136,P=0.901),1.109(95%CI:0.986～1.248,P=0.085),and 1.152(95%CI:1.018～1.303,P=0.025),respectively,in the Q2,Q3,and Q4 groups,when compared with the Q1 group.Furthermore,both sensitivity and stratified analyses yielded similar results.Conclusion RCII variability is significantly associated with stroke,and the risk of stroke is gradually increasing with increment of the variability.Countermeasures Relevant authorities can focus on reducing RCII variability as a central objective by establishing regular monitoring mechanism,strengthening lifestyle interventions,and standardizing dietary,exercise,and weight management in order to suppress the index fluctuations.The principle of stable lipid-lowering in medication and optimization of therapeutic regimens with stable efficacy should be emphasized to prevent the risk of additional vascular damage.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between cerebral blood flow (CBF) in different brain regions and gait disorder (GD) in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD).Methods:Patients with CSVD visited the Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from November 2023 to October 2024 were included prospectively. They were divided into GD group (<0.8 m/s) and non-GD group (≥0.8 m/s) based on their step speed. CBF was measured using 3D pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (3D-pCASL) perfusion imaging. Gait parameters were quantitatively evaluated using a wearable gait analyzer. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent factors associated with GD in patients with CSVD. Partial correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between gait parameters and CBF in different brain regions. Results:A total of 52 patients with CSVD were enrolled, including 26 males and 26 females, aged 67.00±6.84 years. Thirty-eight cases (73.1%) had mild overall burden of CSVD, and 14 cases (26.9%) had a moderate to severe overall burden of CSVD. There were 17 patients (32.7%) in the GD group and 35 (67.3%) in the non-GD group. Compared with the non-GD group, the body mass index was significantly higher, the CBF of the left occipital lobe and bilateral cerebellum decreased significantly, the step speed, step length, stride length, step frequency, swing phase, peak arm angular velocity, arm swing amplitude, maximum calf anterior/posterior swing angle, peak calf angular velocity, foot swing speed, and peak sagittal plane angular velocity in the torso decreased significantly, while the number of steps, stance phase, step length asymmetry, stride length, and step length variability increased significantly in the GD group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that left cerebellar CBF was an independent protective factor for GD in patients with CSVD (odds ratio 0.902, 95% confidence interval 0.827-0.982; P=0.019). For every 1 ml/(100 g.min) decreased in left cerebellar CBF, the patients with CSVD had an increased risk of developing GD by approximately 9.8%. Partial correlation analysis showed that left occipital lobe CBF was significantly positively correlated with step speed ( r=0.305, P=0.032), maximum calf back swing angle ( r=0.314, P=0.026), and peak calf angular velocity ( r=0.356, P=0.011). The left cerebellar CBF was significantly positively correlated with step speed ( r=0.295, P=0.037) and significantly negatively correlated with step length variability ( r=-0.335, P=0.017); the right cerebellar CBF was significantly positively correlated with step speed ( r=0.309, P=0.029) and significantly negatively correlated with step length variability ( r=-0.344, P=0.014). Conclusion:GD in patients with CSVD is associated with decreased CBF in the left occipital lobe and bilateral cerebellum, and decreased CBF in the left cerebellum significantly increased the risk of GD in patients with CSVD.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Lingnan fire needling in the treatment of plaque psoriasis.Methods A total of 60 cases of patients with plaque psoriasis admitted to Bao'an Hospital of Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from August 2021 to January 2023 were selected,and the patients were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group according to the random number table method,with 30 cases in each group.The observation group was given Lingnan fire needling for treatment,and the control group was given topical application of Calcipotriol Ointment.The course of treatment covered eight weeks continuously.After eight weeks of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated,and the changes of Psoriasis Area and Severity Index(PASI)scores and Dermatology Life Quality Index(DLQI)scores,as well as the diameter of glomus under dermoscopy of the patients in the two groups were observed before the treatment and after 2,4,6,and 8 weeks of treatment.Changes in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale(GAD-7)scores before treatment and after 2,4,6,and 8 weeks of treatment were compared between the two groups.Results(1)After 2,4,6 and 8 weeks of treatment,the scores of PASI,DLQI and GAD-7 of patients in the two groups were improved significantly(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(2)The cured and markedly rate of the observation group was 86.67%(26/30);and that of the control group was 66.67%(20/30).The efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(3)After 2,4,6,and 8 weeks of treatment,the diameter of glomus under dermoscopy of the patients in the two groups were improved significantly(P<0.05),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Lingnan fire needling therapy for plaque psoriasis can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of the patients,relieve the anxiety symptoms induced by skin lesions and itching,so as to improve their quality of life.

This article aims to summarize the clinical experiences of Professor Zhou Peng in treating post-thoracotomy pain syndrome(PTPS)by application of integrated acupuncture and moxibustion based on spirit-regulating and essence-consolidating therapy.In the view of Professor Zhou Peng,PTPS is prone to disturb the heart and spirit due to recurrent attacks,thus over consumption of the"spirit of the body";and various factors during and after the operation damage the"essence of the body",so the treatment is based on the principle of spirit-regulating and essence-consolidating,the disease can be treated from the perspective of heart,liver,spleen,and kidneys.Clinical use of multi-dimensional integration of acupuncture and moxibustion mode of external treatment,with local encircled acupuncture,plum-blossom needling to relieve the patient's urgent needs,and then use the spirit-regulating and essence-consolidating therapy,refined moxibustion,embedding needling for comprehensive treatment,treating symptom and root cause simultaneously,so as to exert certain therapeutic effect.

Objective:To investigate the temporal expression of Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF15) in the serum of patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) and explore the clinical significance of GDF15 in protecting cardiomyocytes in ACS.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 289 ACS patients admitted to the emergency departments from February to October 2023. Data on gender, age, troponin T (TnT), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), GDF15, and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) within 30 minutes of admission were recorded. Differences in these indicators among different groups were compared. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the diagnostic value of GDF15, TnT, and BNP for ACS. Among the patients, 15 exhibited a temporal expression pattern of GDF15, and their blood samples were re-measured using a GDF15 fluorescent quantitative immunochromatographic assay kit. Fifteen patients without temporal expression were randomly selected as controls, and their samples were also re-measured to exclude detection errors. Fifteen patients with temporal expression were included in the temporal expression group, and 15 without temporal expression were included in the non-temporal expression group. Laboratory indicators such as fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, creatinine, and uric acid were compared between the groups. Additionally, patient age, gender, body mass index (BMI), coronary angiography results, echocardiography, Gensini score, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and GRACE risk score were recorded to assess their correlation with GDF15 temporal expression. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 27 software, with continuous data expressed as mean ± standard deviation (Mean ± SD) and compared using t-tests and χ2 tests. Results:The overall trend in ACS patients showed a higher proportion of males than females (73.36% vs. 26.64%). The oldest group was the Unstable Angina (UA) group, with a mean age of (63.98 ± 15.19) years, while the youngest group was the non-ACS chest pain group, with a mean age of (54.29 ± 16.39) years. A higher proportion of patients in the UA, ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) groups had a history of smoking. The combination of GDF15 and TnT showed high diagnostic value for ACS, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.843, consistent with previous studies. Among all ACS patients, 15 exhibited a temporal expression pattern of GDF15, where GDF15 levels peaked at 4 hours, gradually decreased, and peaked again at 24 hours. Patients in the temporal expression group had higher LVEF and left ventricular end-systolic diameter compared to the non-temporal expression group. The Gensini score was lower in the temporal expression group, and the GRACE risk score was significantly lower in the temporal expression group (00.7±14.72) compared to the non-temporal expression group (116.1±23.46), with a statistically significant difference ( P = 0.0115). There were no significant differences in general characteristics (age, gender, BMI) or clinical biochemical indicators (fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, creatinine, uric acid) between the temporal and non-temporal expression groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusions:GDF15 demonstrates significant diagnostic and prognostic predictive value in ACS. Patients with temporally dynamic expression of serum GDF15 exhibit milder myocardial injury and a lower probability of mortality. These findings provide novel therapeutic targets and research directions for further exploring the role of GDF15 in ACS management.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)is a metabolic disease characterized by abnormal deposition of lipid in hepatocytes.If not intervened in time,NAFLD may develop into liver fibrosis or liver cancer,and ultimately threatening life.NAFLD has complicated etiology and pathogenesis,and there are no effective therapeutic means and specific drugs.Currently,insulin sensitizers,lipid-lowering agents and hep-atoprotective agents are often used for clinical intervention,but these drugs have obvious side effects,and their effectiveness and safety need to be further confirmed.Adenosine monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase(AMPK)plays a central role in maintaining energy homeostasis.Activated AMPK can enhance lipid degradation,alleviate insulin resistance(IR),suppress oxidative stress and inflammatory response,and regulate autophagy,thereby alleviating NAFLD.Natural herbal medicines have received extensive attention recently because of their regulatory effects on AMPK and low side effects.In this article,we reviewed the biologically active natural herbal medicines(such as natural herbal medicine formulas,extracts,polysaccharides,and monomers)that reported in recent years to treat NAFLD via regulating AMPK,which can serve as a foundation for subsequent development of candidate drugs for NAFLD.

Objective To observe the value of machine learning(ML)models based on ultrasound radiomics for preoperatively distinguishing atypical parathyroid tumor(APT)/parathyroid carcinoma(PC)and parathyroid adenoma(PA).Methods Totally 330 primary hyperparathyroidism patients who underwent surgical treatments were retrospectively enrolled and categorized into APT/PC group(n=78)and PA group(n=252)according to surgical pathology and clinical follow-up results,also divided into training set(n=231)and test set(n=99)at the ratio of 7∶3.Based on preoperative ultrasound,545 radiomics features were extracted,and recursive feature elimination(RFE),Kruskal-Wallis or analysis of variance methods were used to screen the features,respectively.Support vector machine(SVM),linear discriminant analysis(LDA),least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression(LRLASSO),also random forest(RF)and decision tree(DT)algorithms were adopted to construct ML models for differentiating APT/PC and PA,respectively.Then the models were trained in training set,their performance were verified in test set,and a 5-fold cross-validation was adopted to screen out the better combinations.Results Compared with Kruskal-Wallis and analysis of variance methods,the distinguishing efficacy of SVM,LDA,LRLASSO,RF and DT models constructed based on features screened out using RFE method in training set(area under the curve[AUC]=0.870,0.878,0.850,0.847,1.000)and test set(AUC=0.856,0.842,0.827,0.847 and 0.704)were all relatively higher.In test set,the AUC of SVM,LDA,LRLASSO and RF models constructed based on the features screened out using RFE method(included 25,23,17 and 23 features)were all higher than that of DT model(8 features)(all P＜0.001).No significant difference of AUC was found between SVM,LRLASSO or RF models and LDA model(all P＞0.05).The AUC of SVM and RF models were higher than that of LRLASSO model(both P＜0.05),while of SVM and RF models were not significantly different(P＞0.05),indicating that SVM,LDA and RF models were better ones.Conclusion SVM,LDA,LRLASSO,RF and DT models based on ultrasound radiomics could effectively distinguish APT/PC and PA preoperatively,among which SVM,LDA and RF models had better diagnostic efficacy.