Objective To provide basis for the formation of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD-STES),the item weight of the syndrome therapeutic evaluation scale for AECOPD-STES was determined.Methods Based on the clinical survey data of 387 AECOPD patients,the random forest method was adopted,and the Spyder integrated development environment.Anaconda navigator software was used to call the"random forest Classifier"in the sklearn package to establish the initial random forest model and calculate the item weights.Factor analysis was used to extract common factors with cumulative variance contribution>80%,and the item weight was calculated according to the cumulative variance contribution and component score coefficient of common factors.The percentage weight method was used to calculate the item weight based on the importance score of each item by 29 experts.Finally,40%,30%and 30%of the above three methods were given respectively to determine the final weight of the items.Results The random forest method showed that the weights of wind cold syndrome,cold Yin syndrome,phlegm heat syndrome,phlegm dampness syndrome and blood stasis syndrome were 0.014-0.170,0.076-0.194,0.017-0.183,0.010-0.183 and 0.069-0.298,respectively.Factor analysis showed that the weights of wind cold syndrome,cold yin Syndrome,phlegm heat syndrome,phlegm dampness syndrome and blood stasis syndrome were 0.030-0.111,0.100-0.182,0.037-0.095,0.022-0.141 and 0.054-0.185,respectively.The percentage weight method shows that the weight ranges of wind cold syndrome,cold yin Syndrome,phlegm heat syndrome,phlegm dampness syndrome and blood stasis syndrome were 0.072-0.102,0.146-0.182,0.057-0.077,0.075-0.111 and 0.115-0.185,respectively.According to the three methods,the weights of wind cold syndrome,cold yin Syndrome,phlegm heat syndrome,phlegm dampness syndrome and blood stasis syndrome were 0.050-0.121,0.117-0.174,0.040-0.117,0.056-0.130 and 0.092-0.188,respectively.Conclusion This study determined the weight of each item of AECOPD-STES,providing a basis for the calculation of syndrome score.

Objective To investigate the effect of miR-29b-3p targeting insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1)on high glucose-induced injury in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(HRMECs)and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)signaling pathway.Methods HRMECs were di-vided into the following groups:control group(normal culture),high glucose(HG)group(treated with 30.0 mmol·L-1 glucose for 48 h),inhibitor-NC group,miR-29b-3p inhibitor group,miR-29b-3p inhibitor+si-NC group,miR-29b-3p inhib-itor+si-IGF-1 group(all transfected with corresponding plasmids for 24 h after HG treatment),and LY294002 group(treated with 40 μmol·L-1 LY294002 for 24 h).The expression level of miR-29b-3p was detected by quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR).Cell viability was assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8)assay.Intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels were measured by immunofluorescence.The expression levels of malondialdehyde(MDA),superox-ide dismutase(SOD),and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry.Autophagosome formation was observed under a transmission electron microscope.The protein expression levels related to apoptosis,autophagy,IGF-1,and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR path-way were examined by Western blot.The targeting relationship between miR-29b-3p and IGF-1 was verified by a dual-lucif-erase reporter assay.Results Compared with the Control group,the HG group showed significant increases in the ex-pression levels of miR-29b-3p,ROS,MDA,Bax,Cleaved-caspase 3,p62,the p-PI3K/PI3K ratio,the p-Akt/Akt ratio,the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio,and the cell apoptosis rate;whereas the expression levels of IGF-1,SOD,GSH-Px,the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio,cell viability,and the number of autophagosomes were significantly decreased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the in-hibitor-NC group,the miR-29b-3p inhibitor group exhibited significant decreases in the expression levels of miR-29b-3p,ROS,MDA,Bax,Cleaved-caspase 3,p62,the p-PI3K/PI3K ratio,the p-Akt/Akt ratio,the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio,and the cell apoptosis rate;while the expression levels of IGF-1,SOD,GSH-Px,the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio,cell viability,and the num-ber of autophagosomes were significantly increased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the miR-29b-3p inhibitor+si-NC group,the miR-29b-3p inhibitor+si-IGF-1 group demonstrated significant increases in the expression levels of miR-29b-3p,ROS,MDA,Bax,Cleaved-caspase 3,p62,the p-PI3K/PI3K ratio,the p-Akt/Akt ratio,the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio,and the cell apoptosis rate;whereas the expression levels of IGF-1,SOD,GSH-Px,the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio,cell viability,and the number of autophagosomes were significantly decreased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the HG group,the LY294002 group showed significant decreases in the expression levels of miR-29b-3p,ROS,MDA,Bax,Cleaved-caspase 3,p62,the p-PI3K/PI3K ratio,the p-Akt/Akt ratio,the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio,and the cell apoptosis rate;while the expression levels of IGF-1,SOD,GSH-Px,the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio,cell viability,and the number of autophagosomes were significantly increased(all P＜0.05).The dual-luciferase activity was significantly lower in cells co-transfected with IGF-1-WT and miR-29b-3p mimic compared to miR-NC cells(P＜0.05).Conclusion Inhibition of miR-29b-3p can target upregulation of IGF-1 expression levels,thereby inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and improving high glucose induced cell damage in HRMECs.

Objective To provide basis for the formation of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD-STES),the item weight of the syndrome therapeutic evaluation scale for AECOPD-STES was determined.Methods Based on the clinical survey data of 387 AECOPD patients,the random forest method was adopted,and the Spyder integrated development environment.Anaconda navigator software was used to call the"random forest Classifier"in the sklearn package to establish the initial random forest model and calculate the item weights.Factor analysis was used to extract common factors with cumulative variance contribution>80%,and the item weight was calculated according to the cumulative variance contribution and component score coefficient of common factors.The percentage weight method was used to calculate the item weight based on the importance score of each item by 29 experts.Finally,40%,30%and 30%of the above three methods were given respectively to determine the final weight of the items.Results The random forest method showed that the weights of wind cold syndrome,cold Yin syndrome,phlegm heat syndrome,phlegm dampness syndrome and blood stasis syndrome were 0.014-0.170,0.076-0.194,0.017-0.183,0.010-0.183 and 0.069-0.298,respectively.Factor analysis showed that the weights of wind cold syndrome,cold yin Syndrome,phlegm heat syndrome,phlegm dampness syndrome and blood stasis syndrome were 0.030-0.111,0.100-0.182,0.037-0.095,0.022-0.141 and 0.054-0.185,respectively.The percentage weight method shows that the weight ranges of wind cold syndrome,cold yin Syndrome,phlegm heat syndrome,phlegm dampness syndrome and blood stasis syndrome were 0.072-0.102,0.146-0.182,0.057-0.077,0.075-0.111 and 0.115-0.185,respectively.According to the three methods,the weights of wind cold syndrome,cold yin Syndrome,phlegm heat syndrome,phlegm dampness syndrome and blood stasis syndrome were 0.050-0.121,0.117-0.174,0.040-0.117,0.056-0.130 and 0.092-0.188,respectively.Conclusion This study determined the weight of each item of AECOPD-STES,providing a basis for the calculation of syndrome score.

Objective To investigate the effect of miR-29b-3p targeting insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1)on high glucose-induced injury in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(HRMECs)and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)signaling pathway.Methods HRMECs were di-vided into the following groups:control group(normal culture),high glucose(HG)group(treated with 30.0 mmol·L-1 glucose for 48 h),inhibitor-NC group,miR-29b-3p inhibitor group,miR-29b-3p inhibitor+si-NC group,miR-29b-3p inhib-itor+si-IGF-1 group(all transfected with corresponding plasmids for 24 h after HG treatment),and LY294002 group(treated with 40 μmol·L-1 LY294002 for 24 h).The expression level of miR-29b-3p was detected by quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR).Cell viability was assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8)assay.Intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels were measured by immunofluorescence.The expression levels of malondialdehyde(MDA),superox-ide dismutase(SOD),and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry.Autophagosome formation was observed under a transmission electron microscope.The protein expression levels related to apoptosis,autophagy,IGF-1,and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR path-way were examined by Western blot.The targeting relationship between miR-29b-3p and IGF-1 was verified by a dual-lucif-erase reporter assay.Results Compared with the Control group,the HG group showed significant increases in the ex-pression levels of miR-29b-3p,ROS,MDA,Bax,Cleaved-caspase 3,p62,the p-PI3K/PI3K ratio,the p-Akt/Akt ratio,the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio,and the cell apoptosis rate;whereas the expression levels of IGF-1,SOD,GSH-Px,the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio,cell viability,and the number of autophagosomes were significantly decreased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the in-hibitor-NC group,the miR-29b-3p inhibitor group exhibited significant decreases in the expression levels of miR-29b-3p,ROS,MDA,Bax,Cleaved-caspase 3,p62,the p-PI3K/PI3K ratio,the p-Akt/Akt ratio,the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio,and the cell apoptosis rate;while the expression levels of IGF-1,SOD,GSH-Px,the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio,cell viability,and the num-ber of autophagosomes were significantly increased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the miR-29b-3p inhibitor+si-NC group,the miR-29b-3p inhibitor+si-IGF-1 group demonstrated significant increases in the expression levels of miR-29b-3p,ROS,MDA,Bax,Cleaved-caspase 3,p62,the p-PI3K/PI3K ratio,the p-Akt/Akt ratio,the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio,and the cell apoptosis rate;whereas the expression levels of IGF-1,SOD,GSH-Px,the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio,cell viability,and the number of autophagosomes were significantly decreased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the HG group,the LY294002 group showed significant decreases in the expression levels of miR-29b-3p,ROS,MDA,Bax,Cleaved-caspase 3,p62,the p-PI3K/PI3K ratio,the p-Akt/Akt ratio,the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio,and the cell apoptosis rate;while the expression levels of IGF-1,SOD,GSH-Px,the LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio,cell viability,and the number of autophagosomes were significantly increased(all P＜0.05).The dual-luciferase activity was significantly lower in cells co-transfected with IGF-1-WT and miR-29b-3p mimic compared to miR-NC cells(P＜0.05).Conclusion Inhibition of miR-29b-3p can target upregulation of IGF-1 expression levels,thereby inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and improving high glucose induced cell damage in HRMECs.

Background Metals and metalloids in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) may cause damage to the respiratory and circulatory systems of the human body, and long-term exposure is prone to causing chronic poisoning, cancer, and other adverse effects. Objective To assess the distribution characteristics of metals and metalloids in outdoor PM_2.5 in a southern city of China, conduct source apportionment, and evaluate the associated health risks, thereby providing theoretical support for further pollution control measures. Methods PM_2.5 samples were collected in districts A, B, and C of a southern China city, and the concentrations of 17 metals and metalloids were detected by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Pollution sources were assessed through enrichment factor and principal components analysis, and the main pollution sources were quantified using absolute principal component scores-multivariate linear regression (APCS-MLR). Health risks were evaluated based on the Technical guide for environmental health risk assessment of chemical exposure (WS/T777—2021). Results The ambient air PM_2.5 concentrations in the city were higher in winter and spring, and lower in summer and autumn. The annual average concentrations of ambient PM_2.5 in districts A, B, and C were 36.7, 31.9, and 24.4 μg·m⁻³, respectively. The ambient PM_2.5 levels in districts B and C were below the second-grade limit set by the Ambient air quality standards (GB 3095—2012). The enrichment factors of cadmium (Cd), aluminum (Al), and antimony (Sb) were greater than 10, those of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), and molybdenum (Mo) fell between 1 and 10, and those of manganese (Mn), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), and uranium (U) were below or equal to 1. The comprehensive evaluation of source analysis showed that the main pollution sources in districts A and C and the whole city were coal-burning. In district B, the main pollution source was also coal combustion, followed by industrial process sources and dust sources. The carcinogenic risks of As and Cr were between 1×10⁻⁶ and 1×10⁻⁴. However, the hazard quotients for 15 metals and metalloids in terms of non-carcinogenic risk were below 1. Conclusion Cr and As in the atmospheric PM_2.5 of the city present a certain risk of cancer and should be paid attention to. In addition, preventive control measures should be taken against relevant pollution sources such as industrial emission, dust, and coal burning.

Objective: To investigate the effects of cranial electrotherapy stimulation(CES) with varying parameter configurations on sleep quality in patients diagnosed with chronic insomnia disorder. Methods: Seventy-two participants meeting diagnostic criteria for chronic insomnia disorder were randomly allocated to a four-arm parallel study design.The intervention protocol comprised:Group 1(G1) received CES at 0.5 Hz,300 μA;Group 2(G2) underwent CES treatment at 1.5 Hz,300 μA;Group 3(G3) administered 100 Hz,300 μA stimulation;and Group4(G4) received sham stimulation with identical device placement but no current delivery.Primary outcomes were quantified through polysomnography(PSG) recordings conducted at baseline and post-intervention,whereas secondary outcomes were assessed via standardized sleep questionnaires including the Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index(ISI). Results: Following a 10-day intervention protocol,significant clinical improvements were observed across all active treatment groups(G1-G3) as evidenced by reductions in PSQI.Insomnia severity index(ISI) scores quantitative polysomnographic analysis revealed that both G2(1.5 Hz) and G3(100 Hz) cohorts demonstrated statistically significant enhancements in Flinders Fatigue Scale(FFS) scores,total sleep time(TST),and sleep efficiency(SE),accompanied by reduced sleep onset latency(SOL) compared to baseline measurements.However,no statistically significant differences were detected between the G2 and G3 intervention arms across all measured parameters.CES exerted no significant effect on sleep architecture. Conclusion CES can effectively improve the sleep of patients with chronic insomnia.Within a certain range,a higher frequency of CES leads to better sleep improvement effects.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)poses a serious threat to human health and carries a heavy burden of disease.The disease burden mainly includes traditional epidemiological indicators such as morbidity,disability rate,and mortality rate,as well as economic burden evaluation indicators such as direct economic burden,indirect economic burden,and intangible economic burden,as well as social/health burden evaluation indicators such as potential years of life reduction,disability adjusted life years,and quality adjusted life years.It summarized the existing methods for evaluating the burden of COPD diseases and proposed the following suggestions:(1)enriching economic burden research methods to comprehensively and accurately evaluate direct economic burden;(2)expanding the scope of economic burden research and improve the economic burden research of COPD;(3)strengthening information management and enhance the accuracy of disease burden data;(4)exploring multidimensional indicators and establish a COPD disease burden evaluation system;(5)strengthening relevant research and highlight the health economics advantages of traditional Chinese medicine intervention in COPD.It can provide references for establishing a COPD disease burden evaluation system and policy formulation.

Objective To explore prescription medication rules and potential mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease(ALD)based on the technology of data mining and network pharmacology.Methods The prescriptions related to the treatment of ALD were retrieved in Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure,Wanfang,Chinese Biomedical Literature and VIP databases.After the data were collated according to the filter criteria,IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0 and IBM SPSS Modeler 18 software were used to analyze the prescription rules and association rules.Then,the medication rules of TCM in the treatment of ALD were summarized,and the core drug combinations were obtained.Active ingredients in the core drug combinations for ALD and their targets were screened by network pharmacology.GO and KEGG analysis were performed on the main targets,and molecular docking technique was used to verify the binding ability of active ingredients to main targets.Results A total of 143 prescription for ALD were screened,involving 222 Chinese medicine,among which 28 high-frequency Chinese medicine were used with a frequency≥25 times.Eight core drug combinations were obtained by associations rule analysis.It has been found that there are 215 intersection targets between"Poria-Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma-Hearba Artemisiae Scopariae"and ALD,including six core targets of AKT1,TNF,VEGFA,IL-1β,SRC,EGFR.One hundred and sixty-eight of signaling pathways are involved,including cancer pathways,PI3K/AKT signaling pathways,chemical carcinogenesis-reactive oxygen species,lipid and atherosclerosis,etc.Molecular docking results showed that the main active components including cerevisterol,genkwanin and demethoxycapillarisin had good binding ability to AKT1.Conclusion The main active ingredients in"Poria-Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma-Hearba Artemisiae Scopariae"can participate in the regulation of key signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT by acting on key target proteins(AKT1,TNF,and VEGFA).Subsequently,they play a role in inhibiting inflammatory response and apoptosis,slowing down liver fibrosis,and promoting hepatocyte repair.This study provides data support and theoretical guidance for the study of TCM in the treatment of ALD.

Objective To observe the value of cardiac MR(CMR)compressed sensing(CS)sequence and conventional movie(CM)sequence for evaluating biventricular function in patients with congenital heart disease(CHD).Methods A total of 71 patients with CHD,including 31 cases with regular heart rhythm(regular heart rhythm group)and 40 cases with arrhythmia(arrhythmia group)were prospectively collected and scanned with CM and CS sequences.The scanning time of 2 sequences were recorded,and subjective scores of imaging quality of 2 kinds of images were compared.The differences,consistency and correlation between quantitative parameters of biventricular function measured on 2 kinds of images were analyzed.Results The acquisition time of CS was(18.87±1.75)s,of CM was(147.56±5.23)s,which was shortened by 87.21％than CS.The quality of both 2 kinds of images met the diagnostic requirements.The subjective scores of CS images were lower than that of CM in regular heart rhythm group(4[3,5]vs.4[4,5],Z=-2.070,P=0.038),while of CS images were higher than that of CM images in arrhythmia group(4[4,4]vs.3[4,4],Z=-2.673,P=0.008).No significant difference of the left ventricular function parameters was detected obtained based on 2 kinds of images in all 71 cases,nor in regular heart rhythm group as well as in arrhythmia group(all P＞0.05).Meanwhile,the right ventricular(RV)end-diastolic volume index(EDVI)obtained based on CM and CS images were not significantly different(all P＞0.05),but significant differences of ejection fraction(EF),end-systolic volume index(ESVI)and stroke volume index(SVI)were found in all 71 cases,in regular heart rhythm group and in arrhythmia group(all P＜0.05).CMR parameters of biventricular function measured on CM and CS images were all consistent and positively correlated(all P＜0.05).Conclusion CS sequence could be used to accurately assess biventricular function of CHD patients,significantly improve imaging quality and shorten scanning time.

The utilization of optimal orthodontic force is crucial to prevent undesirable side effects and ensure efficient tooth movement during orthodontic treatment.However,the sensitivity of existing detection techniques is not sufficient,and the criteria for evaluating optimal force have not been yet established.Here,by employing 3D finite element analysis methodology,we found that the apical distal region(A-D region)of mesial roots is particularly sensitive to orthodontic force in rats.Tartrate-resistant acidic phosphatase(TRAP)-positive osteoclasts began accumulating in the A-D region under the force of 40 grams(g),leading to alveolar bone resorption and tooth movement.When the force reached 80 g,TRAP-positive osteoclasts started appearing on the root surface in the A-D region.Additionally,micro-computed tomography revealed a significant root resorption at 80 g.Notably,the A-D region was identified as a major contributor to whole root resorption.It was determined that 40 g is the minimum effective force for tooth movement with minimal side effects according to the analysis of tooth movement,inclination,and hyalinization.These findings suggest that the A-D region with its changes on the root surface is an important consideration and sensitive indicator when evaluating orthodontic forces for a rat model.Collectively,our investigations into this region would aid in offering valuable implications for preventing and minimizing root resorption during patients'orthodontic treatment.