Objective:To compare clinical features, esophageal motility, and reflux characteristics in elderly patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD)with and without extraesophageal symptoms.Methods:This study was conducted as a cross-sectional analysis involving 75 patients aged 60 years and older, who visited the outpatient department of gastroenterology at China-Japan Friendship Hospital between January and December 2023.Among these, 43 patients exhibited extraesophageal symptoms [23 males, 20 females; median age 69(66, 75)], while 32 patients did not present with such symptoms [12 males, 20 females; median age 69(66, 73.75)].We collected data regarding the patients' demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and comorbidities via a questionnaire, and analyzed the range of extraesophageal symptoms.The presence of reflux esophagitis was assessed according to the Los Angeles classification, and the status of the gastroesophageal valve was evaluated through gastroscopy.Additionally, we measured esophageal motility and reflux characteristics using high-resolution manometry and 24-hour pH-impedance monitoring.Results:The smoking rate was significantly higher in patients with extraesophageal symptoms compared to those without extraesophageal symptoms[39.53%(17/43) vs.15.63%(5/32), P=0.039].Conversely, the prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in patients without extraesophageal symptoms compared to those with extraesophageal symptoms[41.86%(18/43) vs.65.63%(21/32), χ2=4.151, P=0.042].Among patients with extraesophageal symptoms, the proportion experiencing pharyngeal symptoms was the highest at 83.72% (36/43), followed by oral symptoms at 32.56%(14/43), while the lowest proportion was for respiratory symptoms at 16.28%(7/43).The esophageal body peristaltic contraction rate was significantly higher in patients without extraesophageal symptoms compared to those with extraesophageal symptoms[100%(100%, 100%) vs.100%(80%, 100%), Z=-2.671, P=0.008].The number of non-acid reflux episodes was significantly higher in patients with extraesophageal symptoms compared to those without[5.00(1.00, 5.00) vs.1.00(1.00, 2.00), Z=-3.842, P<0.001].Additionally, the proportion of proximal reflux was significantly higher in patients with extraesophageal symptoms compared to those without[83.8%(65.6%, 95.4%) vs.68.5%(59.8%, 77.35%), Z=-2.037, P=0.042]. Conclusions:Patients with GERD and extraesophageal symptoms exhibit a higher prevalence of smoking, diminished peristaltic function in the esophageal body, an increased incidence of proximal esophageal reflux, and a greater number of non-acid reflux episodes.

Energy metabolism disorders are a critical factor contributing to cognitive dysfunction.Astrocytes,as key suppliers of energy substrates to neurons,help to sustain normal cognitive function via their extensive energy metabolism activities in the brain,coordinated by various energy supply mechanisms.Imbalances in astrocyte-neuron energy metabolism coupling lead to abnormal neuronal activity,thereby driving the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's disease(AD).It is therefore essential to investigate the pathological mechanisms and therapeutic targets associated with AD from the perspective of energy metabolism to support the future development of AD treatments and interventions.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),characterized by multi-component and multi-target effects,has shown potential efficacy for regulating cerebral energy metabolism,suggesting that modulating brain energy metabolism may represent a significant pathway by which TCM might ameliorate AD.This review systematically elucidates the mechanistic role of the dysregulation of astrocyte-neuron bioenergetic coupling in the pathogenesis and progression of AD,and critically evaluates recent advancements in therapeutic interventions mediated by TCM.

OBJECTIVE To optimize the water extraction technology for Kaixin granules. METHODS UPLC-MS/MS method was established for the simultaneous determination of ginsenoside Rg1， ginsenoside Re， ginsenoside Rb1， tenuifolin， polygalaxanthone Ⅲ and 3， 6′-disinapoyl-sucrose. An orthogonal test was designed with extraction times， extraction duration， and the volume of added water as factors. Using the contents of the aforementioned six indicator components and the extract yield as evaluation indexes， analytic hierarchy process-entropy weight method was employed to determine the combined weights of each indicator. Subsequently， process optimization and validation were conducted by integrating grey relational analysis （GRA） and back propagation （BP） neural network. RESULTS The water extraction technology optimized by the orthogonal test and GRA was 10- fold water for the first decoction and 8-fold water for the subsequent two， extracting 3 times，extracting for 1 h each time； the average comprehensive score of the validation experiment was 91.10 （RSD＝0.31%， n＝3）. The water extraction technology optimized by BP neural network was extracting 3 times with 10-fold water added each time， extracting for 1.5 h each time； the average comprehensive score of the validation experiment was 95.89 （RSD＝0.73%， n＝3）. Considering practical production requirements， the optimal water extraction technology was extraction performed three times， with 10-fold water for the first decoction and 8-fold water for the subsequent two extractions， with an extraction time of 1 h each. CONCLUSIONS The optimized water extraction technology for Kaixin granules is stable and feasible.

Objective To explore the status of nursing work engagement, nursing work environment and emotional intelligence and their relationship among nurses who work in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) units. Methods A total of 225 HSCT nurses were selected as study subjects by convenience sampling method. Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Nursing Work Environment Scale and Emotional Intelligence Scale were used to assess the work engagement, work environment and emotional intelligence among these nurses. AMOS 23.0 software was used to construct the structural equation model. Results The median and 25th and 75th percentiles of the score of work engagement of the research subjects were 59.0 (54.0, 64.0) points. The average scores of the nursing work environment and emotional intelligence were (117.8±21.5) and (58.8±10.7) points, respectively. The score of work engagement was positively correlated with the scores of the nursing work environment and emotional intelligence (rank correlation coefficients were 0.550 and 0.431, respectively, both P<0.01). The total score of the nursing work environment was positively correlated with the total score of emotional intelligence (correlation coefficient was 0.271, P<0.01). The nursing work environment influenced the work engagement status of HSCT nurses through the mediating effect of emotional intelligence, with an indirect effect of 0.115 (95% confidence interval: 0.201-0.365), accounting for 20.4% of the total effect. Conclusion Emotional intelligence is a mediating variable between the nursing work environment and work engagement of HSCT nurses.

Objective : To characterize MMP12 as a pan-cancer marker and assess its screening value as a tumor serum marker. Methods : Bioinformatics tools such as GEPIA2,GSCA,cBioPortal,and GeneMANIA were used to analyze the pan-cancer features of MMP12 in TCGA datasets,including encompassing differential gene expression analysis,prognostic analysis,DNA methylation analysis,gene structural variation analysis and immune microenvironment analysis.Furthermore,serum samples we collected from patients with lung adenocarcinoma,breast invasive carcinoma,esophageal squamous cell carcinoma,stomach adenocarcinoma,liver hepatocellular carcinoma,and healthy individuals.ELISA was used to detect MMP12 expression in serum,and the screening performance was evaluated using the area under the ROC curve.Additionally,we followed up 28 ESCC patients and compared serum MMP12 levels between 19 patients with disease progression and 9 patients with stable disease. Results: The pancancer feature analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between MMP12 mRNA expression and its promoter DNA methylation(P<0.05),as well as a positive correlation with gene copy number variations(P<0.05).MMP12 mRNA expression was up-regulated in 14 cancer tissues compared to normal tissues next to cancer(P<0.05) and was associated with poor prognosis of cancer patients(P<0.05).Immunocorrelation analysis showed that MMP12 was significantly associated with immunity,infiltration of stromal cells,tumor mutational burden(TMB) and microsatellite instability(MSI)(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis indicated that MMP12 could serve as a potential biomarker for screening lung adenocarcinoma,breast invasive carcinoma,esophageal squamous cell carcinoma,stomach adenocarcinoma,and liver hepatocellular carcinoma.In a 30-month follow-up study of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients,the expression of MMP12 was higher in the disease progression group than that in the stable group. Conclusion MMP12 serves as a potential prognostic and screening marker of pan-cancer.

Objective To investigate the perioperative outcomes and postoperative pregnancy outcomes of patients with intrauterine adhesions(IUA)treated by see-and-treat hysteroscopy and traditional hysteroscopy in transcervical resection of adhesions(TCRA).Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed on 485 patients with moderate-to-severe IUA who met the inclusion criteria and admitted in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2021.According to surgical approaches,the patients were assigned into a see-and-treat mode group and a traditional mode group.After clinical diagnosis(ultrasound and symptoms)of IUA,the patients from the former group received direct hysteroscopic adhesion separation surgery,and those of the latter group were diagnosed by outpatient hysteroscopy first and then hysteroscopic adhesion separation surgery.The perioperative indicators,postoperative three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound(3D-TVUS)examination related characteristics,postoperative menstrual recovery,postoperative pregnancy outcomes,obstetric related complications,and neonatal outcomes were collected and compared between the 2 groups.Results Among the enrolled 485 patients,there were 277 in the see-and-treat group and 208 in the traditional group.The success rate of surgical treatment was 89.89%in the see-and-treat group and 92.79%in the traditional group,but no statistical difference was seen between them(Chi-square=1.234,P=0.267).3D-TVUS examination displayed that the see-and-treat mode group obtained better improvement of endometrial morphology,uterine morphology and menstruation after operation than the traditional group(P<0.001).The postoperative pregnancy rate was slightly higher in the see-and-treat group than the traditional mode group(58.84%vs 58.17%,P=0.882).However,the see-and-treat mode showed obvious advantage in the postoperative natural pregnancy rate,with a rate of 90.80%,obviously higher than that in the traditional mode group(81.82%,P=0.026).The live birth rate was 70.55%in the see-and-treat mode group,excluding 1 case with ongoing pregnancy in the second trimester and 1 case with ongoing pregnancy in the third trimester,and the rate was 74.38%in the traditional group,excluding 3 cases with ongoing pregnancy in the third trimester,but there was no statistical difference between the 2 groups(P=0.303).In terms of obstetric-related complications,there were 0 cases of blood transfusion during delivery hospitalization in the see-and-treat group,while there were 7 cases in the traditional group(P=0.003).In neonatal outcomes,the rate of transfer to the pediatric department was 10.43%in the see-and-treat mode group and 22.22%in the traditional mode group(P=0.021).For health economics,the see-and-treat hysteroscopy group demonstrated a significant advantage over the traditional hysteroscopy group(P<0.001).There was no significant difference in pain scores between the 2 groups.Conclusion The see-and-treat approach is a safe,feasible,and highly efficient strategy for integrating the diagnosis and treatment of IUA,enabling maximal minimization of surgical trauma while optimizing time and cost efficiency.

Objective:To investigate the difference in brain activity intensity between methamphetamine (MA) dependent patients (MA group) and healthy controls (control group) using fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), and to establish a classification model between these two groups using support vector machine (SVM).Methods:From February 2014 to October 2019, a total of 46 male MA-dependent patients and 46 male healthy controls were recruited from the Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Ningbo University. The study collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data and analyzed the differences in brain functional activity between the two groups. This analysis was conducted using both static and dynamic fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (d-fALFF). Additionally, the study examined the correlation between fALFF/d-fALFF values in specific brain regions and the total scores, as well as each factor score, of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Furthermore, the relationship between fALFF/d-fALFF values and the age of first use and total dose of MA in the MA group was investigated. Finally, the fALFF map and d-fALFF map of brain regions with significant differences between groups were used as features for constructing classification.Results:Compared to the healthy control group, those dependent on MA showed significantly increased fALFF mainly in the nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, thalamus, and amygdala nucleus( t=-5.21--2.72, all P<0.05). The MA group exhibited decreased fALFF in the superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, orbital gyrus, and cingulate gyrus( t=3.59-5.00, all P<0.05). Most of the brain regions with decreased d-fALFF overlapped with those exhibiting decreased fALFF( t=3.33-4.87, all P<0.05). The results of the correlation analysis showed that the fALFF value of the right nucleus accumbens was positively correlated with the age of first use of MA ( r=0.537, P<0.001). There is no significant relationship between the abnormal fALFF and d-fALFF values in the MA group and the total scores and each factor scores of BPRS, as well as the total dose of MA taken (after removing outliers). Based on fALFF and d-fALFF values, the SVM classifier achieved accuracies of 90.33%±6.89% and 71.56%±7.80%, respectively. Conclusions:There are significant abnormalities in the low-frequency fluctuation of the resting brain in patients dependent on MA. These abnormalities reflect the rigidity of prefrontal cortex activity, functional impairment, and dysfunction of the anti-reward system. These factors may be one of the causes for MA dependent behavior and repeated episodes. In addition, the fALFF values may be helpful for distinguishing MA dependent individuals from the control group.

Objective:To construct a meridian tapping exercise program for frail elderly, so as to provide daily healthcare options for frail elderly people.Methods:Guided by the theory of meridians and collaterals, data mining was conducted on the database of ancient Chinese medical literature to select acupoints and meridians for tapping. Through literature research, the exercise prescription was improved. A preliminary exercise prescription was formulated through literature review and revised through two rounds of expert consultation in December 2023.Results:The effective response rate for both rounds of expert consultation questionnaires was 7/7. The expert authority coefficients were 0.83 and 0.87, respectively, and the overall Kendall′s coefficient of concordance was 0.301 and 0.302 (both P<0.05). The final meridian tapping exercise for frail elderly comprised 2 primary indicators, 8 secondary indicators, and 23 tertiary indicators. Conclusions:The meridian tapping exercise for the frail elderly is scientific, reliable and practical, which can provide a choice for the frail elderly to carry out targeted traditional Chinese medicine exercises.

Energy metabolism disorders are a critical factor contributing to cognitive dysfunction.Astrocytes,as key suppliers of energy substrates to neurons,help to sustain normal cognitive function via their extensive energy metabolism activities in the brain,coordinated by various energy supply mechanisms.Imbalances in astrocyte-neuron energy metabolism coupling lead to abnormal neuronal activity,thereby driving the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's disease(AD).It is therefore essential to investigate the pathological mechanisms and therapeutic targets associated with AD from the perspective of energy metabolism to support the future development of AD treatments and interventions.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),characterized by multi-component and multi-target effects,has shown potential efficacy for regulating cerebral energy metabolism,suggesting that modulating brain energy metabolism may represent a significant pathway by which TCM might ameliorate AD.This review systematically elucidates the mechanistic role of the dysregulation of astrocyte-neuron bioenergetic coupling in the pathogenesis and progression of AD,and critically evaluates recent advancements in therapeutic interventions mediated by TCM.

Objective:To construct a meridian tapping exercise program for frail elderly, so as to provide daily healthcare options for frail elderly people.Methods:Guided by the theory of meridians and collaterals, data mining was conducted on the database of ancient Chinese medical literature to select acupoints and meridians for tapping. Through literature research, the exercise prescription was improved. A preliminary exercise prescription was formulated through literature review and revised through two rounds of expert consultation in December 2023.Results:The effective response rate for both rounds of expert consultation questionnaires was 7/7. The expert authority coefficients were 0.83 and 0.87, respectively, and the overall Kendall′s coefficient of concordance was 0.301 and 0.302 (both P<0.05). The final meridian tapping exercise for frail elderly comprised 2 primary indicators, 8 secondary indicators, and 23 tertiary indicators. Conclusions:The meridian tapping exercise for the frail elderly is scientific, reliable and practical, which can provide a choice for the frail elderly to carry out targeted traditional Chinese medicine exercises.