ObjectiveTo establish an objective evaluation system based on the quality characteristics of Gardeniae Fructus without relying on the origin label according to the theory of excellent shape， high quality， and superior effect of authentic medicinal materials， thus providing a scientific basis for the standardization of Gardeniae Fructus. MethodsDifferent batches of Gardeniae Fructus samples were collected from different producing areas. Through herbal textual research and a review of modern literature， fruit length， maximum fruit diameter， and chroma were selected as quantitative indicators to characterize the traditional appearance traits of Gardeniae Fructus. The above indicators were measured by a vernier caliper and a spectrophotometer. Through classical famous prescription data and literature analysis， total iridoid glycosides， total crocus glycosides， and total flavonoids were selected as the core component indicators related to efficacy， and their content was determined. Finally， through cluster analysis， the threshold ranges of the quantitative indicators of excellent shape and high quality were determined， and the applicability of the established evaluation system was verified by the determination of the indicators for each batch of medicinal materials. ResultsThe excellent shape indicators of Gardeniae Fructus were the fruit length-to-maximum fruit diameter ratio ≤1.86， 0°≤h≤45°， and L^*≥ 37.32. The content of total iridoid glycosides， total crocus glycosides， and total flavonoids should be no less than 2.2%， 0.44%， and 0.028%， respectively. The measurement results of different batches of Gardeniae Fructus showed that the evaluation system could effectively distinguish the Gardeniae Fructus samples in line with the traditional cognition of excellent shape and high quality. ConclusionThis study preliminarily constructs an excellent shape and high quality-based quality evaluation system for Gardeniae Fructus， which links appearance traits with chemical indicators and provides a methodological basis for the quality control and scientific grading of this herbal medicine.

Objective To investigate the protective effect and underlying mechanisms of HydroMg, a novel sustained-release hydrogen donor, in a model of doxorubicin (DOX)-induced chronic cardiotoxicity. Methods H9C2 cells were treated with 1 μmol/L DOX and/or 1 μg/mL HydroMg, and mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and apoptosis were measured. In the animal experiment, mice were divided into control, HydroMg, DOX, and DOX＋HydroMg groups. The HydroMg group received intraperitoneal injection of HydroMg (100 mg/kg). Chronic cardiotoxicity was established by intraperitoneal injection of DOX (5 mg/kg every week) for four consecutive weeks; In the DOX＋HydroMg group, HydroMg (100 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 4–5 h prior to each DOX injection. Cardiac function and remodeling were evaluated by echocardiography and heart weight index (HWI). The long-term survival of mice were analyzed. Subsequently, transcriptome sequencing was performed on myocardial tissues from the DOX group to identify key molecular alterations compared with controls. Results At the cellular level, HydroMg treatment effectively reversed DOX-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, as evidenced by restored membrane potential, reductions in total ROS and mitochondrial superoxide levels by approximately 30% and 9%, respectively, and a decrease in the apoptosis rate from 34.13% to 18.27%. In the animal model, compared with the DOX group, HydroMg intervention increased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and fractional shortening (LVFS) by 9.62% and 5.82%, respectively, attenuated the reduction in HWI (4.41 mg/mm vs 3.53 mg/mm), and improved the 4-week survival rate (80% vs 60%). Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the core molecular features of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, including widespread suppression of oxidative phosphorylation and antioxidant pathways. Conclusions HydroMg protects against DOX-induced chronic cardiotoxicity by alleviating oxidative stress and improving mitochondrial function, and provides a potential therapeutic strategy against DOX-related cardiotoxicity.

Objective:To investigate the role and mechanism of IL-17 in hypertensive heart failure in rats.Methods:The spon-taneously hypertensive(SHR)model of hypertensive heart failure was established by abdominal aortic ligation.IL-17+IgG and IL-17 protein were injected intraperitoneally into the rats with hypertensive heart failure.After 4 weeks,cardiac structure and function were monitored,and peripheral blood and myocardial tissue were collected.The role and mechanism of IL-17 in hypertensive heart failure were studied by HE staining,immunohistochemistry,Western blot,qRT-PCR and ELISA.Results:After intraperitoneal injection of exogenous IL-17,the levels of IL-17,NT-proBNP,P38 and MK2 protein expressions were increased,and the levels of VEGF and Cav1.2 protein expression were decreased.Exogenous intraperitoneal injection of IL-17+IgG blocked IL-17,increased VEGF level and Cav1.2 protein expression,and decreased NT-proBNP level,P38 and MK2 protein expressions.Conclusion:IL-17 can be activated P38 lightning/MK2-Cav1.2 signaling pathways involved in high blood pressure,heart failure and cardiac function in rats damage;inhi-bition of IL-17 can effectively improve the cardiac function damage caused by hypertensive heart failure.

Objective To investigate the dosimetric effect of a biological optimization approach combining physical optimization with generalized equivalent uniform dose(gEUD)on hippocampus avoidance whole-brain radiotherapy(HA-WBRT).Methods A retrospective review was conducted of 20 patients with multiple brain metastases who underwent whole-brain radiotherapy at a certain hospital between May 2021 and December 2022.Two radiotherapy plans including plan_DV and plan_gEUD were designed for each patient by using Eclipse V15.6 planning system.Plan_DB used conven-tional dose-volume(DV)physical optimization,and plan_gEUD went through re-optimization with an Upper gEUD function applied to hippocampal region and hippocampal protection zone.Evaluation was carried out in accordance with RTOG 0933 guidance for the absolute values D2%,D98%and D50%received by 2%,98%,and 50%of the target volume in the planning target volume,conformity index(CI),homogeneity index(HI),gradient index(GI)and the dosimetric indexes of hippocampal region,hippocampal protection zone and other organs at risk(OARs).SPSS 26.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results The two kinds of plans both had the target volume coverage meet the requirements of RTOG 0933 guidance.Plan_gEUD had the D98%,D2%and V105 of the planning target volume lower than those of plan_DV,with the differences being statistically significant(all P<0.05).The two kinds of plans had no significant differences in monitor unit,D50%and Dmax of PTV,HI,CI and GI(all P>0.05).Plan_gEUD had the Dmax and Dmean of hippocampal region and them of hippocampal pro-tection zone lower than those of plan_DV,and the optic nerve Dmax of plan_gEUD was higher than that of plan_DV,with the differences being statistically significant(all P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences between the two kinds of plans in the Dmax of inner ear,optic chiasm,lens,and eyeball(all P>0.05).Conclusion Physical optimization in the HA-WBRT plan combined with gEUD optimization results in a greater dose reduction to the hippocampus while maintaining target coverage.

OBJECTIVE:To review the development trend,target population,setting and construction process of osteoporosis-specific quality of life measures both domestically and internationally.METHODS:All of the currently available publicly available osteoporosis-specific quality-of-life scales were found by searching the PubMed,Embase,CNKI,and WanFang Data.The search period included the time from database construction to August 2024.The basic information,development trend,target population,and the setting of the scale's dimensions,entries,and levels were taken from the original research and development literature that included the scale.The content of the dimensions and the scale's construction process were then compiled and examined.RESULTS:A total of 20 osteoporosis-specific quality of life scales were included in the study,and the literature on the development of 34 scales was traced.The number of dimensions of the included scales ranged from 2-7 dimensions,all of which included physiological dimensions;the number of entries of the scales ranged from 10-84 entries,while the number of levels set under the entries was mostly focused on four or five levels.There are three main ways of constructing the scales,of which the construction of a pool of entries and the screening of the entries according to classical measurement theory and item response theory is an approach that has emerged in recent years.CONCLUSION:According to the specific target population and diversified measurement objectives,the content of osteoporosis-specific quality of life scales has become increasingly streamlined,with fewer dimensions and entries overall;and its building procedure is gradually becoming more standardized.

Aim To investigate the effect of triptolide(TP)on corticosterone(CORT)-induced depression-like behaviors in mice and explore the antidepressant mechanism of TP based on the CREB/BDNF/TrkB sig-naling pathway.Methods Sixty 8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into five groups:control group,CORT group,TP groups of low and high doses(10,30 μg·kg-1),and fluoxetine(FLU)group(10 mg·kg-1).Except for the control group,the other groups received subcutaneous injec-tions of CORT for three consecutive weeks to establish the model of depression.During the last two weeks of modeling,normal saline,TP and FLU were adminis-tered via intraperitoneal injection respectively.After the administration,depression-like behaviors in mice were assessed using forced swimming test,tail suspen-sion test,and sucrose preference test.Biochemical methods were used to measure the levels of SOD and MDA in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex(PFC).Cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL meth-od.Immunohistochemistry,immunofluorescence,and Western blotting were employed to detect the expres-sion of apoptosis/autophagy-related proteins,synaptic structure markers,and proteins related to the CREB/BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway.Results TP signifi-cantly ameliorated CORT-induced depression-like be-haviors in mice,mainly manifested by reduced immo-bility time in the tail suspension test and forced swim-ming test,and increased sucrose preference rate.TP alleviated CORT-induced oxidative stress by increasing SOD levels and reducing MDA production in brain tis-sue.Additionally,TP also inhibited apoptosis and ex-cessive autophagy of neurons in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex,maintained synaptic plasticity,and significantly upregulated the expression of p-CREB,BDNF,and TrkB.Conclusions TP exhibits potential antidepressant effect in mice by upregulating the CREB/BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway,reducing oxida-tive stress,inhibiting excessive neuronal apoptosis and autophagy,and improving synaptic plasticity.

Objective:To determine the optimal cut-off value of serum cotinine for distinguishing smoking status among Chinese adults based on a large-scale national sample.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 8 987 Chinese adults aged 20-79 years from 152 administrative counties across 31 provinces during 2017-2018. Sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, smoking status, and health status were collected via questionnaires and physical examinations. Blood samples were analyzed for serum cotinine levels using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and for blood creatinine levels using the picric acid method. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed with serum cotinine concentration as the test variable and self-reported smoking status as the state variable. The optimal cut-off value was determined based on the maximum Youden′s index, and the bootstrap method was used for repeated sampling (2 000 times) to evaluate the confidence interval of the cut-off value. The net reclassification index (NRI) was used to evaluate the discrimination ability of the cut-off value of this study, the cut-off value of the American population 1 (total population: 3.3 μg/L, men: 4.1 μg/L, women: 3.0 μg/L) and the cut-off value of the American population 2 (the recommended value of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the total population: 10.0 μg/L) against the smoking status of the Chinese population. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS 27 and Python 3.11, with a significance level of α=0.05.Results:The age of the research subjects was (49.2±15.2) years. Among them, males accounted for 49.8% (4 477); smokers accounted for 28.8% (2 586); the detection rate of serum cotinine was 94.6% (8 501), and the M ( Q1, Q3) concentration of serum cotinine was 0.9 (0.3, 85.4) μg/L. The ROC curve analysis results showed that the cut-off value (95% CI) of serum cotinine in the total population was 8.8 (6.7-11.7) μg/L, with the specificity (95% CI) about 93.6%(92.7%-94.3%), the sensitivity (95% CI) about 91.0%(89.7%-92.3%) and the area under the curve (AUC) (95% CI) about 0.93 (0.92-0.94). The cut-off value (95% CI) of cotinine for males was 17.1 (8.8-21.8) μg/L, with the specificity (95% CI) about 90.7%(87.9%-92.0%), the sensitivity (95% CI) about 89.4%(88.4%-92.2%) and the AUC (95% CI) about 0.92 (0.91-0.93). The cut-off value (95% CI) of cotinine for females was 7.4 (3.3-15.0) μg/L, with the specificity (95% CI) about 95.6%(92.7%-96.8%), the sensitivity (95% CI) about 87.6%(81.6%-92.8%) and the AUC (95% CI) about 0.92 (0.87-0.95). The NRI analysis results showed that compared with the cut-off value of the American population 2, the NRI of this study′s cut-off values in the total population, males and females were 0.020 ( P=0.015), 0.033 ( P=0.015) and 0.011 ( P=0.380), respectively, indicating that this study′s cutoff value could have better classification performance in the total population and males. Compared with the cut-off value of the American population 2, the NRI of the total population in this study was 0.001 ( P=0.285). Conclusion:The serum cotinine cut-off value based on the analysis of large sample data in China is more suitable for distinguishing the smoking status of Chinese adults.

Objective To explore the feasibility and safety of non-anticoagulation veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(VV-ECMO)in patients with severe chest trauma.Methods A retrospective cohort study method was used.A total of 19 patients with severe chest trauma who received VV-ECMO with a delayed anticoagulation strategy at Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to October 2021 were included in the delayed anticoagulation group,and 20 patients with severe chest trauma who received VV-ECMO with a non-anticoagulation strategy from November 2021 to October 2024 were included in the non-anticoagulation group.The overall clinical characteristics of the patients were statistically analyzed,including gender,age,injury severity score(ISS),acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ),reason for VV-ECMO,use of vasoactive drugs,oxygenation index(PaO2/FiO2),and interval from injury to VV-ECMO.The primary outcomes were hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications.The secondary outcomes were blood transfusion during VV-ECMO,VV-ECMO time,mechanical ventilation time,intensive care unit(ICU)length of stay,and 28-day mortality.Results There was no significant difference in gender,age,ISS score,APACHEⅡscore,reason for VV-ECMO,use of vasoactive drugs,PaO2/FiO2,and interval from injury to VV-ECMO between the non-anticoagulation group and the delayed anticoagulation group.There was no significant difference in overall incidence of hemorrhagic and thrombotic between the two groups[incidence of hemorrhagic complications:15.0%(3/20)vs.31.6%(6/19),incidence of thrombotic:15.0%(3/20)vs.5.3%(1/19),both P>0.05].The infusion rate of 4 or more paked red blood cell(PRBC)within 24 hours during VV-ECMO in the non-anticoagulation group was significantly lower than that in the delayed anticoagulation group[5.0%(1/20)vs.31.6%(6/19),P<0.05].The amount of PRBC and platelet transfusion and the time on VV-ECMO in the non-anticoagulation group during VV-ECMO were significantly lower than those in the delayed anticoagulation group[PRBC(U):5.8±3.8 vs.8.1±3.1,platelets(U):1(0,1)vs.2(1,3),time on VV-ECMO(hours):71.55±24.37 vs.114.21±34.08,all P<0.05].There were no statistically significant differences in the amount of plasma and cryoprecipitate transfusion during VV-ECMO,mechanical ventilation time,ICU hospitalization time,and 28-day mortality between the two groups.Conclusion For patients with severe chest trauma receiving VV-ECMO withholding routine systemic anticoagulation did not result in thrombotic complications or higher mortality and required less PRBC and platelet transfusions.Non-anticoagulant VV-ECMO is safe and feasible for patients with severe chest trauma with high risk of bleeding.

Objective To develop and validate a nomogram prediction model for residual stone risk after flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy(FURL)in patients with 2-3 cm renal calculi,so as to provide reference for treatment options.Methods Clinical data of 342 patients with renal calculi measuring 2-3 cm undergoing FURL in our hospital during Jun.2017 and Apr.2024 were retrospectively collected.At a 3∶1 randomization ratio,patients were allocated to the training cohort(n=257)and validation cohort(n=85).Patients in the training cohort were stratified into two subgroups based on postoperative stone-free status:residual stone group(n=63)and stone-free group(n=194).Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors influencing stone retention and construct the nomogram prediction model.Bootstrapped resampling was applied to validate the model internally,model performance was assessed with calibration curves,Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to test the degree of fitting,receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted to evaluate the predictive accuracy,and decision curve analysis was used to determine the clinical net benefit.The model's generalization capability was evaluated with 10-fold cross-validation of the training set.Results Multivariate logistic regression revealed that stone size,CT value,lower calyx stones,multiple stones,renal infundibulum length(RIL),and renal infundibulum width(RIW)were independent predictors of residual stones(P＜0.05).The nomogram based on the above mentioned parameters demonstrated excellent discrimination,with Bootstrap-validated concordance indices of 0.876(training cohort)and 0.948(validation cohort).Hosmer-Lemeshow tests showed good calibration in both cohorts(P＞0.05).ROC analysis yielded the area under the curve(AUC)of 0.876 and 0.948 for the training and validation cohorts,respectively.The optimal cutoff value was 0.253,with corresponding sensitivity of 84.13％,specificity of 78.35％,and total score of nomogram of 143.The decision curve analysis showed when the threshold probability of the training cohort and verification cohort was 0-0.81 and 0-0.97,respectively,the nomogram could obtain good clinical net benefit in predicting the risk of residual stones.The average accuracy of 10-fold cross-validation was 0.814,and the average AUC was 0.865.Conclusion The nomogram model effectively predicts residual stone risk following FURL for 2-3 cm renal calculi.It is suggested that patients with a total score of ≤143 may consider undergoing FURL.

Objective:To report the nationwide surveillance results of pathogenic profiles and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Gram-positive bloodstream infections in China in 2023.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-posttive bacteria from blood cultures were collected in member hospitals of National Bloodstream Infection Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System（BRICS）during January to December 2023. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the dilution method recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. Statistical analyses were conducted using WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software.Results:A total of 4 385 Gram-positive bacterial isolates were obtained from 60 participating center. The top five pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus（ n=1 544，35.2%），coagulase-negative Staphylococci（ n=1 441，32.9%）， Enterococcus faecium（ n=574，13.1%）， Enterococcus faecalis（ n=385，8.8%），and α-hemolytic Streptococci（ n=187，4.3%）. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus（MRSA）and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci（MRCNS）was 26.2%（405/1 544）and 69.8%（1 006/1 441），respectively. Notably，all Staphylococci remained susceptible to glycopeptide or daptomycin. Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated excellent susceptibility（>97.0%）to cephalobiol，rifampicin，trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole，linezolid，minocycline，tigecycline，and eravacycline. No Enterococcus exhibiting resistance to linezolid were detected. Glycopeptide resistance was uncommon but more frequent in Enterococcus faecium（resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin：both 1.7%）compared to Enterococcus faecalis（both 0.3%）. The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS exhibited significant regional variations across the country（ χ2=17.674 and 148.650，respectively，both P<0.001）. No vancomycin-resistant Enterococci were detected in central China. Institutional comparison demonstrated higher prevalence of MRSA（ χ2=14.111， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.828， P=0.028）in provincial hospitals than that in municipal hospitals. Socioeconomic analysis identified elevated detection rates of both MRSA（ χ2=18.986， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.477， P=0.034）in less developed regions（per capita GDP