Hyperthyroidism （HT） is frequently complicated by atrial fibrillation （AF） in clinical practice. Based on traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） zang-xiang （藏象） theory and clinical experience， both HT and AF are closely associated with dysfunction of the liver. The pathogenesis is initiated by the liver failing to govern the free flow of qi， and liver constraint and qi stagnation， with the key turning points being liver constraint transforming into fire and the internal stirring of liver wind， ultimately leading to liver blood depletion and insufficient nourishment of the heart spirit. Thus， it is proposed to treat the disease from the liver， with stage-specific therapeutic approaches according to the evolution of the disease. In the early stage， the treatment should focus on soothing the liver and relieving constraint to reduce goiter and calm the heart， while in the progressive stage， the method of clearing liver and draining fire is suggested to subdue yang and stabilize palpitations. In the acute stage， the strategy is calming the liver and nourishing yin to subdue yang and extinguish wind. In the later stage， it is suggested to soften the liver and benefit qi， so as to nourish yin and restore pulse. These methods are sequentially applied to synergistically reduce goiter and stabilize palpitations， providing a therapeutic approach for HT complicated by AF.

Health economics evidence plays an important role in linking clinical value evidence with health resource allocation decisions in the development of clinical practice guidelines. It can not only effectively balance clinical effectiveness and economic feasibility but also avoid forming "idealized" recommendations that are detached from the affordability of the healthcare system or the burden-bearing capacity of patients. To promote guideline developers to use health economics evidence more standardizedly and fully, this paper conducts an in-depth analysis of the current application status, existing challenges, access channels, and application processes of health economics evidence in current guidelines, and on this basis, puts forward considerations and suggestions for strengthening and standardizing the application of health economics evidence in China's clinical practice guidelines.

Objective To explore the effect of Xiongcan Yishen Formula on ferroptosis in testicular tissue of male rats with late-onset hypogonadism(LOH).Methods A total of 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 6 months were randomly divided into model group,low-dose and high-dose Xiongcan Yishen Formula groups and propionate testosterone group,with 12 rats in each group.An additional 6 male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were set as the normal group.Except for the normal group,the rats were intraperitoneally injected with Cyclophosphamide at a dose of 20 mg/(kg·d)for 5 consecutive days to establish the LOH model,while the normal group received an equal volume of physiological saline for 5 days.The normal group and model group were given equal volumes of distilled water by gavage,while the low-dose and high-dose Xiongcan Yishen Formula groups were administered concentrated decoction at doses of 10.4 g and 41.6 g/kg/d respectively,and the propionate testosterone group received intramuscular injections of 5.21 mg/kg/d propionate testosterone,all for 28 consecutive days.ELISA was used to detect serum testosterone levels in rats,HE staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the gross morphology of testicular tissue and the ultrastructure of Leydig cells,and RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related genes and proteins in testicular tissue.Results The LOH model rats exhibited pathological changes such as atrophy of seminiferous tubules,structural disorder,and reduced spermatocytes in the lumen,as well as ultrastructural changes in Leydig cells including altered nuclear morphology,increased mitochondrial density,and reduced cristae.After intervention with Xiongcan Yishen Formula and propionate testosterone,the pathological changes in testis and the ultrastructure of Leydig cells were improved.Compared with the normal group,serum testosterone levels in the model group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the expression of ROS,ACSL4 mRNA and protein in testicular tissue was significantly increased,while the expression of FTH1,GPX4,and SLC7A11 mRNA and protein was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,ser-um testosterone levels in the low-dose and high-dose Xiongcan Yishen Formula groups and the propionate testosterone group were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the expression of ROS,ACSL4 mRNA and protein was significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the high-dose Xiongcan Yishen Formula group showed significantly increased expression of FTH1,GPX4,and SLC7A11 mRNA and protein(P＜0.05).Conclusion Ferroptosis in testicular tissue is increased in LOH rats,and Xiongcan Yishen For-mula can elevate serum testosterone levels and improve pathological changes and ultrastructure in testicular tissue of LOH rats,possibly related to the inhibition of ferroptosis in testicular tissue of LOH rats.

Objective To investigate the current situation of the attitude and practical ability of hospice care in the terti-ary cancer hospital of Zhejiang Province,so as to provide reference for managers to explore more effective hospice care support.Methods Using convenience sampling selected 278 clinical nurses from Zhejiang Cancer Hospital.From June to August 2024,the general data questionnaire,hospice care attitude scale and self-assessment practice scale of hospice care were used to survey nurses with questionnaires,and the related factors affecting practical ability and the correlation between attitudes and practical a-bility were analyzed.Results The hospice attitude score of 278 nurses in the hospice co-photography mode was(88.43±12.01),and the average score of entries was(3.54±0.48).The total score of the hospice Practical ability scale was(61.87±12.42),and the average score of the items was(3.64±0.73).Nurses'age,education background,previous experience in ca-ring for end-stage patients and their families,and self-assessment of competence in hospice care were the main influencing factors of nurses'practical ability score(all P＜0.05).There was a positive correlation between clinical nurses'practice ability score and hospice attitude score,the correlation coefficient r=0.176,P＜0.05.Conclusion Under the mode of hospice co-care,the attitude of nurses in Zhejiang Province is above the middle level,and the practical ability of nurses needs to be further improved,the higher the attitude of nurses,and the nurses'practical ability of hospice care is strong.Nursing managers should carry out professional training to promote the attitude of nursing staff,so as to improve the practical ability of nurses in hospice care.

Objective To understand the current situation of healthcare-associated infection(HAI)in China,pro-vide data support and decision-making basis for formulating scientific and effective strategies for HAI prevention and control.Methods A nationwide cross-sectional survey on HAI was conducted among various types and levels of medical institutions in China according to a unified protocol of bedside surveys and case investigations.Results In 2024,a total of 5 736 medical institutions and 2 751 765 patients were surveyed.Among them,34 889 HAI cases were identified,with a prevalence rate of 1.27％.The number of HAI episodes was 38 032,and case prevalence rate was 1.38％.The prevalence rate of HAI in medical institutions in different regions of China ranged from 0.66％to 2.35％.Among medical institutions of different scales,those with a bed capacity of ≥900 had the high-est incidence of HAI,reaching 1.65％.The most common infection site was the lower respiratory tract(44.66％),followed by the urinary tract(12.94％),surgical site(9.32％),upper respiratory tract(7.02％),and bloodstream infection(5.78％).The top 3 departments with the highest HAI rates were the general intensive care unit(10.02％),department of neurosurgery(5.51％),and department(group)of hematology(5.34％).A total of 23 238 strains of HAI pathogens were detected,with 10 714 strains(46.10％)from lower respiratory tract speci-mens.The top 5 detected strains were Klebsiella pneumoniae(14.76％),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(13.33％),Escherichia coli(12.79％),Acinetobacter baumannii(9.23％),and Staphylococcus aureus(7.88％).231 944 pa-tients underwent class Ⅰ incision surgery were monitored,with 1 647 cases experienced surgical site infection,and the prevalence rate of surgical site infection was 0.71％.The number of patients who should undergo pathogen de-tection(patients receiving therapeutic and therapeutic combined prophylactic antimicrobial agents)was 715 179,while the actual number was 480 492,with a pathogen detection rate of 67.18％.425 225 patients received patho-genic detection before treatment,with a detection rate of 59.46％.Conclusion The overall HAI prevalence in Chi-na is lower,showing disparities among medical institutions of different regions and scales.Therefore,precise imple-mentation of measures is necessary for HAI prevention and control,with a focus on high-risk institutions and high-risk departments,key areas,and critical procedures.All levels of medical institutions should continuously reduce the incidence of HAI by strengthening monitoring,standardizing the use of antimicrobial agents,and reinforcing basic HAI prevention and control measures.

The circadian clock is an important internal time regulatory system for a range of physiological and behavioral rhythms within living organisms. Testosterone, as one of the most critical sex hormones, is essential for the development of the reproductive system, maintenance of reproductive function, and the overall health of males. The secretion of testosterone in mammals is characterized by distinct circadian rhythms and is closely associated with the regulation of circadian clock genes. Here we review the central and peripheral regulatory mechanisms underlying the influence of circadian clock genes upon testosterone synthesis. We also examined the specific effects of these genes on the occurrence, development, and treatment of common male diseases, including late-onset hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, male infertility, and prostate cancer.
Testosterone/metabolism* ; Humans ; Male ; Circadian Clocks/genetics* ; Circadian Rhythm Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism* ; Circadian Rhythm/physiology* ; Hypogonadism/metabolism* ; Erectile Dysfunction/metabolism* ; Infertility, Male/metabolism* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Men's Health

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

Objective:To investigate the impact of peripheral blood prolymphocyte percentage on the prognosis of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) .Methods:This study included 300 patients diagnosed with CLL at the Department of Hematology of Jiangsu Provincial People’s Hospital from October 2011 to December 2020. The association between prolymphocyte percentage and other parameters was analyzed, and the optimal cutoff prolymphocyte percentage was determined by X-tile analysis. Further survival analysis and prognostic model construction were used to validate the predictive value of prolymphocyte percentage.Results:Of the 300 eligible patients with CLL who were enrolled, 50 received Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) as first-line treatment. The group with higher prolymphocyte percentage comprised more patients in the advanced stages ( P=0.010) and had higher β 2-microglobulin ( P<0.001), unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region gene ( P<0.001), and TP53 aberration ( P=0.004). The optimal cutoff percentage of prolymphocytes was 1%. Patients with a prolymphocyte percentage >1% had significantly shorter treatment-free survival (TFS) ( P<0.001) and overall survival time ( P=0.007) than patients with a prolymphocyte percentage ≤1%. On multivariate analysis, prolymphocyte percentage >1% tended to have an independent prognostic value for TFS [ HR=1.405 (95% CI 0.971~2.032), P=0.071]. Compared with the nomogram of CLL international prognostic index (CLL-IPI) alone, the nomogram of CLL-IPI combined with prolymphocyte percentage showed better discrimination (area under the curve: 0.778 vs. 0.637; P=0.006). In addition, patients with a prolymphocyte percentage >1% were more likely to progress after BTKi treatment ( P=0.038) . Conclusion:Peripheral blood prolymphocyte percentage was associated with various clinical and biological parameters and prognosis among patients with treatment-naive CLL.

Objective:To report the follow-up status of patients participating phase Ⅲ clinical trial (ZGDD3) of Donafenib tosilate (abbreviated as Donafenib) in the treatment of progressive radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC), and to explore its efficacy, safety and prognostic factors.Methods:This study was a randomized controlled trial, and the clinicopathological data and follow-up results of 29 patients (16 males, 13 females, age 40-68 years) who participated in the clinical trial ZGDD3 between August 2018 and March 2021 were analyzed. Patients were divided into Donafenib group and placebo group using the central dynamic randomization method with the ratio of 2∶1. Adverse reactions (AE) during the trial were observed. Independent-sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher exact test were used to analyze the differences of baseline characteristics between the two groups. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were followed up. Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve (log-rank test) and Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the prognostic factors. Results:There were 22 patients in Donafenib group and 7 patients in placebo group. There were no significant differences of baseline characteristics between the two groups ( t values: -0.68, Z values: from -1.47 to -0.56, all P>0.05). The follow-up was 32.07(21.07, 49.85) months. During the trial, drug-related AEs occurred in all patients in Donafenib group, mostly was grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ, no grade Ⅳ or Ⅴ AEs were found. The median PFS was significantly longer in Donafenib group than that in placebo group (13.23 vs 4.03 months; χ2=9.68, P=0.002), and the median OS was 55.00 and 24.30 months respectively ( χ2=2.07, P=0.150). Metastasis to less common sites was the independent risk factor for OS (hazard ratio ( HR)=6.789, 95% CI: 1.272-36.246, P=0.025). Conclusions:Donafenib shows good clinical application in the treatment of RAIR-DTC, demonstrating good safety and efficacy. Metastasis to less common sites is closely related to OS.

This paper aims to contribute to guaranteeing the stable development and enhancing the understanding of ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica so that the national strategy and industrial demand can be better served. It first introduces current traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)policy and industrial development status from five aspects, including policy guarantee, theoretical support, technological innovation, standardization system, and brand influence. Then, the paper analyzes the development dilemma of TCM agriculture in production and quality increase and ecological environment protection. It also proposes the development goals of ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica that meet the current industrial development demand, which are reducing chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and carbon emissions, improving quality, increasing efficiency, and protecting ecological environment. In addition, the new development goals are interpreted through case studies. Finally, this paper proposes four development strategies for ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica: conducting research on the pattern and spatial and temporal variations of nationwide TCM production areas; studying the internal and external ecological memories of medicinal plant growth from the perspectives of genetic variations and environmental adaptation variations and elucidating their contributions to the formation of quality; carrying out selection and breeding of stress-resistant varieties for ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica, the optimization of key technologies for soil improvement and restoration and green prevention and control against diseases and pests, and the improvement of quality; carrying out research on the quality assurance and value realization of ecological products made from TCM. This research can provide guidance for policy formulation, theoretical development of the discipline, and the enhancement of industrial technology for ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica.
Agriculture/methods* ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry* ; Ecosystem ; Materia Medica ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional