ObjectiveTo explore the effect of cluster scalp acupuncture combined with Taijiquan training on depressive symptom, motor function, activities of daily living, serum markers, as well as brain functional connectivity (FC) and network topological properties in patients with post-stroke depression (PSD). MethodsA total of 40 PSD patients in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine from September, 2022 to September, 2023 were enrolled and randomly divided into control group (n = 20) and experimental group (n = 20). The control group received cluster scalp acupuncture alone, while the experimental group underwent Taijiquan training in addition, for four weeks. They were assessed with Hamilton Depression Scale-17 (HAMD-17), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and Barthel Index (BI) before and after treatment, while the serum levels of dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was applied to assess brain FC, as well as the global efficiency (Eg) and small-world property (σ) of brain networks. ResultsThe scores of HAMD-17, FMA and BI improved in both groups (t > 2.922, P < 0.01) after treatment, and improved more in the experimental group than in the control group (t > 2.517, P < 0.05). The serum levels of DA and 5-HT increased in both groups (t > 2.637, P < 0.05), and increased more in the experimental group (t > 2.192, P < 0.05). The serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α decreased in the experimental group after treatment (t > 4.059, P < 0.001), and they were less than those in the control group (t > 2.154, P < 0.05). FC between left middle frontal gyrus and right anterior cingulate gyrus, as well as between left hippocampus and right precuneus were higher in the experimental group than in the control group after treatment (t > 3.867, P < 0.001), while Eg and σ increased in both groups (t > 2.828, P < 0.05), and they were higher in the experimental group (t > 2.675, P < 0.05). ConclusionCombination of Taijiquan training is more effective on depressive symptoms, motor function and activities of daily living in PSD patients, which may be related to up-regulation of serum DA and 5-HT, reduction of inflammatory factors, enhancement of prefrontal-limbic system functional connectivity and optimization of brain network topological properties.

Objective::This study aimed to elucidate the effect of the lipopolysaccharides/toll-like receptor 4 (LPS/TLR4) pathway on early atherosclerosis (AS) development and its associated changes in fecal metabolites, thereby providing an experimental foundation for strategies to prevent and treat early AS.Methods::Twelve Tibetan miniature pigs aged 4-5 months were divided into normal control (NC) group and AS group (6 pigs in each). The group assignment was primarily based on body weight; Secondary criteria, including glucose, lipid profiles, and inflammatory indices, were considered to ensure balanced baseline characteristics between the 2 groups (all P > 0.05). AS group received a high-fat diet for 16 weeks to establish an AS model, while the NC group received a normal diet. Subsequently, serum levels of lipids and various inflammation and oxidative stress markers were measured. Pathological changes in the aorta and colon tissue, LPS/TLR4 pathway-associated protein expressions in the aorta, as well as occludin and zonula occludens-1 in the colon were also assessed. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra technology was employed for the metabolomic analysis of fecal extracts. Results::The lipid metabolism was disrupted in AS group, with significantly higher total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels ((12.24 ± 5.24) mmol/L vs. (1.86 ± 0.27) mmol/L, P = 0.004,6; (2.39 ± 0.50) mmol/L vs. (0.83 ± 0.07) mmol/L, P = 0.000,5; (6.94 ± 2.87) mmol/L vs. (0.77 ± 0.18) mmol/L, P = 0.003,3), as compared to that in NC group. Serum factors, including LPS, tumor necrosis factor-α, and malondialdehyde levels of AS group were significantly higher than that of NC group ((1,230.00 ± 192.70) EU/L vs. (695.70 ± 213.70) EU/L), P = 0.001,1; (424.20 ± 176.90) ng/L vs. (51.20 ± 26.61) ng/L, P = 0.023,5; (3.60 ± 0.77) nmol/mL vs. (2.62 ± 0.21) nmol/mL, P = 0.025,4). Pathological evaluations revealed prominent lipid deposition area in the aortic arch, thoracic aorta, and abdominal aorta of the AS group compared with that of the NC group (4.17% ± 2.30% vs. 0, P = 0.006,7; 6.23% ± 2.95% vs. 0, P = 0.003,6; 3.78% ± 2.18% vs. 0, P = 0.008,1). TLR4, nuclear factor kappa-B p65, and tumor necrosis factor-α expression in the aorta tissue of the AS group were upregulated, whereas occludin and zonula occludens-1 expression in colon tissues was downregulated. Additionally, metabolomics identified significant differences in 21 metabolites in the feces of the AS group compared to the NC group, with further analysis linking these differences to amino acid metabolism. Conclusions::The Tibetan miniature pig model of early AS induced by high-fat intake displayed pronounced chronic inflammation. Preliminary findings suggest that the underlying mechanisms may be associated with the LPS/TLR4 pathway and intestinal metabolic disorders.

Allergic rhinitis （AR） is one of the most common chronic non-infectious inflammatory diseases in children. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） employs a comprehensive therapeutic system integrating treatment by stages and syndrome differentiation and treatment， demonstrating significant advantages in the management of pediatric AR. This article systematically reviews the clinical treatment methods and underlying mechanisms of TCM for pediatric AR in recent years. It is found that internal therapies （such as herbal formulas or Chinese patent medicines like Xiaoqinglong decoction， Yiqi tuomin decoction）， external therapies （including intradermal needles， acupoint application， tuina， and herbal nasal therapy）， as well as combined internal and external approaches （oral herbs combined with acupoint application）， have demonstrated significant effects in alleviating clinical symptoms， improving immune indicators， and reducing recurrence rates in children with AR. The underlying mechanisms are primarily associated with the regulation of signaling pathways such as Toll-like receptor/nuclear factor-kappa B and mitogen-activated protein kinase， thereby modulating immune balance， suppressing inflammatory responses， inhibiting pyroptosis， reducing mucus secretion， and promoting nasal mucosal repair.

Objective:To analyze the clinical features and prognosis of acute B lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) children carrying a TCF3: : PBX1 fusion gene and to evaluate the prognostic value of this gene.Methods:Retrospective cohort study.A total of 2 164 B-ALL children aged 0-18 years diagnosed and treated at 19 pediatric centers from October 2016 to June 2022 were enrolled.They were divided into the positive group and the negative group according to whether they carried a TCF3: : PBX1 fusion gene.The clinical characteristics, treatment response, adverse reactions, and prognosis of the 2 groups of patients were analyzed.The rank sum and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare two and more than two groups of numerical variables, respectively.Fisher′s exact test was used to compare categorical variables.Results:Among the 2 164 patients, 116 (5.4%) were TCF3: : PBX1 positive, of which 70 patients were female, accounting for 60.3%.There were 840 female patients in the TCF3: : PBX1-negative group, accounting for 41.0%.There was a significant difference in the ratio of females between the TCF3: : PBX1-positive and TCF3: : PBX1-negative groups ( P<0.001).No significant difference was observed in age of onset between the two groups( P>0.05).The proportion of bone marrow naive cells [54.00 (14.00, 76.50)% vs.29.00 (3.00, 68.00)%], white blood cell counts [25.30 (10.46, 60.94)×10 9/L vs.9.03 (4.38, 30.73)×10 9/L] and hemoglobin counts [82.00(63.00, 101.00) g/L vs.74.00(60.00, 90.00) g/L] in the TCF3: : PBX1-positive group were significantly higher than those in the negative group at the onset (all P<0.05).In terms of treatment response, the proportion of peripheral blood naive cells on Day 8 in the TCF3: : PBX1-positive group was significantly higher than that in the negative group [2.00 (0, 9.00)% vs.0 (0, 2.00)%, P<0.001].The proportion of minimal residual disease <0.1% on Day 15 in the TCF3: : PBX1-positive group was significantly higher than that in the negative group ( P=0.038).There were no significant differences in cumulative recurrence rate, treatment-related mortality (TRM), and overall survival (OS) between the TCF3: : PBX1-positive group and TCF3: : PBX1-negative group (all P>0.05).The cumulative recurrence risk of TCF3: : PBX1-positive patients was 9.646 times higher than that of ETV6: : RUNX1-positive patients with better prognosis( HR=9.646, 95% CI: 1.026-90.700, P=0.047).There were no significant differences in TRM and OS between TCF3: : PBX1-positive and ETV6: : RUNX1-positive patients (all P>0.05).A significant enrichment of PAX5 mutations was detected in TCF3: : PBX1-positive patients.Among the 7 high-risk TCF3: : PBX1-positive patients in a single center, 4 patients had PAX5 mutations, and this proportion was significantly higher than that in other patients ( P<0.001). Conclusions:B-ALL children carrying a TCF3: : PBX1 fusion gene have a high remission rate and good long-term prognosis after intensive chemotherapy.It is suggesting that TCF3: : PBX1-positive B-ALL patients should be rated at intermediate risk to receive intensive chemotherapy.

Objective::This study aimed to elucidate the effect of the lipopolysaccharides/toll-like receptor 4 (LPS/TLR4) pathway on early atherosclerosis (AS) development and its associated changes in fecal metabolites, thereby providing an experimental foundation for strategies to prevent and treat early AS.Methods::Twelve Tibetan miniature pigs aged 4-5 months were divided into normal control (NC) group and AS group (6 pigs in each). The group assignment was primarily based on body weight; Secondary criteria, including glucose, lipid profiles, and inflammatory indices, were considered to ensure balanced baseline characteristics between the 2 groups (all P > 0.05). AS group received a high-fat diet for 16 weeks to establish an AS model, while the NC group received a normal diet. Subsequently, serum levels of lipids and various inflammation and oxidative stress markers were measured. Pathological changes in the aorta and colon tissue, LPS/TLR4 pathway-associated protein expressions in the aorta, as well as occludin and zonula occludens-1 in the colon were also assessed. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra technology was employed for the metabolomic analysis of fecal extracts. Results::The lipid metabolism was disrupted in AS group, with significantly higher total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels ((12.24 ± 5.24) mmol/L vs. (1.86 ± 0.27) mmol/L, P = 0.004,6; (2.39 ± 0.50) mmol/L vs. (0.83 ± 0.07) mmol/L, P = 0.000,5; (6.94 ± 2.87) mmol/L vs. (0.77 ± 0.18) mmol/L, P = 0.003,3), as compared to that in NC group. Serum factors, including LPS, tumor necrosis factor-α, and malondialdehyde levels of AS group were significantly higher than that of NC group ((1,230.00 ± 192.70) EU/L vs. (695.70 ± 213.70) EU/L), P = 0.001,1; (424.20 ± 176.90) ng/L vs. (51.20 ± 26.61) ng/L, P = 0.023,5; (3.60 ± 0.77) nmol/mL vs. (2.62 ± 0.21) nmol/mL, P = 0.025,4). Pathological evaluations revealed prominent lipid deposition area in the aortic arch, thoracic aorta, and abdominal aorta of the AS group compared with that of the NC group (4.17% ± 2.30% vs. 0, P = 0.006,7; 6.23% ± 2.95% vs. 0, P = 0.003,6; 3.78% ± 2.18% vs. 0, P = 0.008,1). TLR4, nuclear factor kappa-B p65, and tumor necrosis factor-α expression in the aorta tissue of the AS group were upregulated, whereas occludin and zonula occludens-1 expression in colon tissues was downregulated. Additionally, metabolomics identified significant differences in 21 metabolites in the feces of the AS group compared to the NC group, with further analysis linking these differences to amino acid metabolism. Conclusions::The Tibetan miniature pig model of early AS induced by high-fat intake displayed pronounced chronic inflammation. Preliminary findings suggest that the underlying mechanisms may be associated with the LPS/TLR4 pathway and intestinal metabolic disorders.

Objective:To analyze the clinical features and prognosis of acute B lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) children carrying a TCF3: : PBX1 fusion gene and to evaluate the prognostic value of this gene.Methods:Retrospective cohort study.A total of 2 164 B-ALL children aged 0-18 years diagnosed and treated at 19 pediatric centers from October 2016 to June 2022 were enrolled.They were divided into the positive group and the negative group according to whether they carried a TCF3: : PBX1 fusion gene.The clinical characteristics, treatment response, adverse reactions, and prognosis of the 2 groups of patients were analyzed.The rank sum and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare two and more than two groups of numerical variables, respectively.Fisher′s exact test was used to compare categorical variables.Results:Among the 2 164 patients, 116 (5.4%) were TCF3: : PBX1 positive, of which 70 patients were female, accounting for 60.3%.There were 840 female patients in the TCF3: : PBX1-negative group, accounting for 41.0%.There was a significant difference in the ratio of females between the TCF3: : PBX1-positive and TCF3: : PBX1-negative groups ( P<0.001).No significant difference was observed in age of onset between the two groups( P>0.05).The proportion of bone marrow naive cells [54.00 (14.00, 76.50)% vs.29.00 (3.00, 68.00)%], white blood cell counts [25.30 (10.46, 60.94)×10 9/L vs.9.03 (4.38, 30.73)×10 9/L] and hemoglobin counts [82.00(63.00, 101.00) g/L vs.74.00(60.00, 90.00) g/L] in the TCF3: : PBX1-positive group were significantly higher than those in the negative group at the onset (all P<0.05).In terms of treatment response, the proportion of peripheral blood naive cells on Day 8 in the TCF3: : PBX1-positive group was significantly higher than that in the negative group [2.00 (0, 9.00)% vs.0 (0, 2.00)%, P<0.001].The proportion of minimal residual disease <0.1% on Day 15 in the TCF3: : PBX1-positive group was significantly higher than that in the negative group ( P=0.038).There were no significant differences in cumulative recurrence rate, treatment-related mortality (TRM), and overall survival (OS) between the TCF3: : PBX1-positive group and TCF3: : PBX1-negative group (all P>0.05).The cumulative recurrence risk of TCF3: : PBX1-positive patients was 9.646 times higher than that of ETV6: : RUNX1-positive patients with better prognosis( HR=9.646, 95% CI: 1.026-90.700, P=0.047).There were no significant differences in TRM and OS between TCF3: : PBX1-positive and ETV6: : RUNX1-positive patients (all P>0.05).A significant enrichment of PAX5 mutations was detected in TCF3: : PBX1-positive patients.Among the 7 high-risk TCF3: : PBX1-positive patients in a single center, 4 patients had PAX5 mutations, and this proportion was significantly higher than that in other patients ( P<0.001). Conclusions:B-ALL children carrying a TCF3: : PBX1 fusion gene have a high remission rate and good long-term prognosis after intensive chemotherapy.It is suggesting that TCF3: : PBX1-positive B-ALL patients should be rated at intermediate risk to receive intensive chemotherapy.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the impact of maternal arsenic exposure during pregnancy on newborn birth indicators.Methods:Relevant literature on maternal arsenic exposure during pregnancy and newborn birth indicators published domestically and internationally were included in the study by searching databases such as CNKI, WanFang Data, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, etc., the search was conducted from the establishment of the database until August 31, 2022. Meta-analysis of effect values was performed using Stata SE16 software, and heterogeneity was tested using I2 statistics and Q-test. Random effects model or a fixed effects model was selected for comprehensive quantitative analysis based on the test results, and regression coefficient (β) was used as the effect indicator. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to the sample type, study area, study type. Results:A total of 34 articles (a total of 57 530 pairs of maternal infant combinations) were included, including 2 Chinese articles and 32 English articles. Among them, there were 31, 16, 18, and 5 articles including maternal arsenic exposure during pregnancy and newborn birth weight, length, head circumference, and chest circumference, respectively. After heterogeneity testing, I2 were 81.1%, 97.1%, 62.8%, and 98.3%, respectively. I2 was ≥50% and P < 0.05, indicating significant heterogeneity. A random effects model was used for meta-analysis. The combined β values (95% CI) of birth weight, length, head circumference, and chest circumference were - 10.99 (- 15.60, - 6.39), - 0.02 ( - 0.10, 0.06), - 0.01 (- 0.04, 0.03), and - 0.18 (- 0.35, - 0.01), respectively. The results of subgroup analysis showed that maternal arsenic exposure during pregnancy had a significant impact on newborn birth weight when the sample type was the blood sample [β(95% CI): - 25.72 (- 44.46, - 6.98)]. Conclusions:Maternal arsenic exposure during pregnancy may cause a relative decrease in newborn birth indicators, especially a significant decrease in birth weight. Blood arsenic level may be an important indicator for evaluating the decrease in birth indicators caused by maternal arsenic exposure during pregnancy.

Objective To investigate the incidence of central obesity and characteristics and changing trend of macronutrient energy supply in adult residents of Chongqing, and to analyze the relationship between carbohydrate energy supply and central obesity. Methods Using the longitudinal tracking data of China Health and Nutrition Survey project, combined with China food composition table , the energy and nutrient intake and macronutrient energy supply ratio were calculated. The association between carbohydrate energy supply and central obesity was analyzed by multi-level statistical model. Results In 2011, 2015 and 2018, the carbohydrate supply ratio of adult residents in Chongqing was 43.02%, 46.52%, and 46.07%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (F=18.699, P<0.001). The overweight rates in 2011, 2015, and 2018 were 29.2%, 36.7%, and 37.8%, while the obesity rates were 12.2%, 13.5%, and 19.5%, respectively, with statistically significant differences (χ²=41.416, P<0.001). The central obesity rates were 51.5%, 57.2%, and 62.8%, respectively (χ²=21.008, P<0.001). The carbohydrate supply ratio was positively correlated with waist circumference. Compared to the population with a carbohydrate to energy ratio of <55%, the risk of central obesity in the population with a carbohydrate to energy ratio of ≥ 65% was 1.63 times higher. Conclusion The ratio of carbohydrate to energy supply of adult residents in Chongqing has slightly increased. Rates of overweight, obesity and central obesity are on the rise. A high carbohydrate to energy supply ratio may be a risk factor for central obesity.

Objective    To study the relationship between preoperative heart rate variability (HRV) and postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). Methods    A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 290 patients who were admitted to the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from May to September 2020 and received OPCAB. There were 217 males and 73 females aged 36-80 years. According to the incidence of POAF, the patients were divided into two groups: a non-atrial fibrillation group (208 patients) and an atrial fibrillation group (82 patients). The time domain and frequency domain factors of mean HRV 7 days before operation were calculated: standard deviation of all normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences, percentage difference between adjacent normal-to-normal intervals that were greater than 50 ms, low frequency power (LF), high frequency power (HF), LF/HF. Results    The HRV value of patients without POAF was significantly lower than that of patients with POAF (P<0.05). The median SDNN of the two groups were 78.90 ms and 91.55 ms, respectively. Age (OR=3.630, 95%CI 2.015-6.542, P<0.001), left atrial diameter (OR=1.074, 95%CI 1.000-1.155, P=0.046), and SDNN (OR=1.017, 95%CI 1.002-1.032, P=0.024) were independently associated with the risk of POPAF after OPCAB. Conclusion     SDNN may be an independent predictor of POAF after OPCAB.

Objective::The objective of this study was to investigate the expression levels of microRNA-141-5p(miRNA-141-5p), MAPK1 and neutrophil elastase in patients with and without preeclampsia (PE), and the relationship between miRNA-141-5p and MAPK1 with respect to the secretion of elastase by neutrophils in patients with PE.Methods::Thirty patients with PE and 30 healthy pregnant (HP) women were recruited from The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China, between February 2017 and July 2018. Neutrophils were isolated from 8 mL peripheral blood samples and cultured. We recorded neutrophil count and morphology during culture. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry in different groups at 0, 24, and 48 h. The expression levels of elastase were detected in neutrophils by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas the expression levels of miRNA-141-5p in peripheral blood neutrophils were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction. We used TargetScanHuman Release 7.2 to analyze the target genes of miRNA-141-5p. The expression of MAPK1 in peripheral blood neutrophils was detected by western blotting. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21.0 software, and comparisons between groups were carried out with the Student t test. Results::There was no significant difference between the PE and HP groups ( P > 0.050) with regard to age or body mass index. The weight of newborns in the PE group (2846.00 ± 600.00 g) was significantly lower than that in the HP group (3055.00 ± 230.68 g). The number of neutrophilic granulocytes(NGs) in blood samples from the PE group was significantly higher than that in the HP group ( P = 0.003). There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to morphology. Apoptosis in the PE group was delayed when compared with the HP group at different time points. The P value of apoptosis in the PE and HP groups were respectively 0.790, < 0.001 and 0.030 at 0 h, 24 h and 48 h. The expression levels of miRNA-141-5p in the PE group were significantly lower than those in the HP group ( P < 0.050). The expression levels of MAPK1 in neutrophils from the PE group were significantly higher than those in the HP group ( P < 0.050) by western blot. The expression levels of elastase in neutrophils from the PE group were significantly higher than those in the HP group ( P < 0.050). Furthermore, the number of NGs in peripheral blood from the PE group was higher than that of the HP group; however, the levels of apoptosis were lower. The expression levels of miRNA-141-5p in NGs decreased, the expression of MAPK1 increased, and the secretion of neutrophil elastase in the NG medium increased in the PE group than those in the HP group. Conclusion::Collectively, our analysis suggested that miRNA-141-5p may be involved in the pathogenesis of PE by regulating the MAPK1 signaling pathway to activate neutrophils and increase the secretion of elastase.