Based on spleen deficiency-phlegm dampness as the core pathogenesis of obesity， and integrating recent advances in modern medicine regarding the key role of immune inflammation in obesity， this paper proposes a multidimensional pathogenic network of "obesity-spleen deficiency-phlegm dampness-immune imbalance". Various traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） herbs that strengthen the spleen， regulate qi， and resolve phlegm and dampness can treat obesity by improving spleen-stomach transport and transformation， promoting water-damp metabolism， and regulating immune homeostasis. This highlights immune inflammation as an important entry point to elucidate the TCM concepts of "spleen deficiency-phlegm dampness" and the therapeutic principle of "strengthening the spleen and eliminating dampness to treat obesity". By systematically analyzing the intrinsic connection between "spleen deficiency generating dampness， internal accumulation of phlegm dampness" and immune dysregulation in obesity， this paper aims to provide theoretical support for TCM treatment of obesity based on dampness.

BACKGROUND: The available evidence regarding the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients receiving dialysis with coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCI and clinical outcomes as compared with medical therapy alone in patients undergoing dialysis with CAD in China. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study was conducted in 30 tertiary medical centers across 12 provinces in China from January 2015 to June 2021 to include patients on dialysis with CAD. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. Secondary outcomes included all-cause death, the individual components of MACE, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria types 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between PCI and outcomes. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to account for potential between-group differences. RESULTS: Of the 1146 patients on dialysis with significant CAD, 821 (71.6%) underwent PCI. After a median follow-up of 23.0 months, PCI was associated with a 43.0% significantly lower risk for MACE (33.9% [ n  = 278] vs . 43.7% [ n  = 142]; adjusted hazards ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.71), along with a slightly increased risk for bleeding outcomes that did not reach statistical significance (11.1% vs . 8.3%; adjusted hazards ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval, 0.82-2.11). Furthermore, PCI was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities. Subgroup analysis did not modify the association of PCI with patient outcomes. These primary findings were consistent across IPTW, PSM, and competing risk analyses. CONCLUSION This study indicated that PCI in patients on dialysis with CAD was significantly associated with lower MACE and mortality when comparing with those with medical therapy alone, albeit with a slightly increased risk for bleeding events that did not reach statistical significance.
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; China ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVES: Verrucous epidermal nevus (VEN), seborrheic keratosis (SK), verruca plana (VP), verruca vulgaris (VV), and nevus sebaceous (NS) are common verrucous proliferative skin diseases with similar clinical appearances, often posing diagnostic challenges. Dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) can aid in their differentiation, yet their specific features under these tools have not been systematically described. This study aims to summarize and analyze the dermoscopic and RCM features of VEN, SK, VP, VV, and NS. METHODS: A total of 121 patients with histopathologically confirmed verrucous proliferative skin diseases were enrolled. Dermoscopy and RCM imaging was used to observe and analyze the microscopic features of these conditions. RESULTS: Under dermoscopy, the 5 diseases displayed distinct characteristics: VEN typically showed gyriform structures; SK was characterized by gyriform structures, comedo-like openings, and milia-like cysts; VP and VV featured dotted vessels and frogspawn-like structures; NS presented as brownish-yellow globules. RCM revealed shared features such as hyperkeratosis and acanthosis across all 5 diseases. Specific features included gyriform structures and elongated rete ridges in VEN; pseudocysts and gyriform structures in SK; evenly distributed ring-like structures in VP; vacuolated cells and papillomatous proliferation in VV; and frogspawn-like structures in NS. CONCLUSIONS These 5 verrucous proliferative skin conditions exhibit distinguishable features under both dermoscopy and RCM. The combination of these 2 noninvasive imaging modalities holds significant clinical value for the differential diagnosis of verrucous proliferative skin diseases.
Humans ; Dermoscopy/methods* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Microscopy, Confocal/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Adolescent ; Keratosis, Seborrheic/pathology* ; Young Adult ; Warts/diagnosis* ; Child ; Aged ; Skin Diseases/pathology* ; Nevus, Sebaceous of Jadassohn/diagnosis* ; Skin Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Child, Preschool

Cardiac fibrosis is characterized by an elevated amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) within the heart. However, the persistence of cardiac fibrosis ultimately diminishes contractility and precipitates cardiac dysfunction. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of cardiac fibrosis. Here, we elucidate the functional role of a specific circular RNA CELF1 in cardiac fibrosis and delineate a novel feedback loop mechanism. Functionally, circ-CELF1 was involved in enhancing fibrosis-related markers' expression and promoting the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), thereby exacerbating cardiac fibrosis. Mechanistically, circ-CELF1 reduced the ubiquitination-degradation rate of BRPF3, leading to an elevation of BRPF3 protein levels. Additionally, BRPF3 acted as a modular scaffold for the recruitment of histone acetyltransferase KAT7 to facilitate the induction of H3K14 acetylation within the promoters of the Celf1 gene. Thus, the transcription of Celf1 was dramatically activated, thereby inhibiting the subsequent response of their downstream target gene Smad7 expression to promote cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, Celf1 further promoted Celf1 pre-mRNA transcription and back-splicing, thereby establishing a feedback loop for circ-CELF1 production. Consequently, a novel feedback loop involving CELF1/circ-CELF1/BRPF3/KAT7 was established, suggesting that circ-CELF1 may serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for cardiac fibrosis.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of β-glucan(BG)against intestinal ischemia reperfusion(II/R)injury by regulating the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1).Methods Male C57BL/6 mice(6～8 weeks old)were subjected,and finally,the experiments had sham group,II/R group,II/R+BG group(0.1 mg/mL BG in drinking water for 2 weeks before modeling),II/R+liraglutide(LLT,GLP-1 analogue)group(0.2 μg/g LLT injected every 12 hours for 3 consecutive days before modeling),and II/R+BG+Ex9-39(GLP-1 R antagonist)group(intraperitoneal injection of 2 μg/g Ex9-39 1 h before modeling).After modeling,HE staining was used to observe intestinal morphological changes,and RT-qPCR and Western blotting were employed to evaluate the molecules(Occludin,ZO-1 and Claudin-1)related to intestinal barrier damage.The effect of 0.1 mg/mL BG treatment on the GLP-1 level in the serum and intestinal tissues of normal mice was determined with ELISA and immunofluorescence assay,respectively,and RT-PCR for the molecules related to GLP-1 expression(Gcg,Pcsk1/2,GIP and Foxa2).The effects of LLT and Ex9-39 pretreatment on intestinal morphology and intestinal barrier damage were also determined by morphological observation and expression levels of related molecules.Results II/R induced significant decreases in the mRNA levels of Occludin,ZO-1 and Claudin-1 and increase in Chiu's score when compared with sham control mice(P＜0.05).While,the mRNA levels of the 3 molecules were obviously higher and the Chiu's score was lower in the II/R+BG group than the II/R group(P＜0.05).BG pretreatment induced notably enhanced secretion of GLP-1 in the serum and intestinal tract of normal mice,and improved the mRNA expression of GLP-1-related molecules(P＜0.05).The intervention of GLP-1 analogue LLT could attenuate the II/R damage and decreased Chiu's score,with statistical difference in comparison with the II/R group(P＜0.05).GLP-1 receptor antagonist Ex9-39 reversed the protective effects of BG pretreatment against II/R damage,with notably differences in the expression of Occludin,ZO-1 and Claudin-1 and Chiu's score(P＜0.05).Conclusion BG can attenuate intestinal mucosal and functional injury after II/R by promoting intestinal GLP-1 secretion.

Objective:To describe the characteristics, etiology and patterns of outpatients and inpatients patients with moderate or severe valvular heart disease (VHD).Methods:This is a cross-sectional study. Outpatients and inpatients with moderate or severe VHD who underwent transthoracic echocardiography for first examination from 1 st January 2001 to 1 st January 2020 in Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University were enrolled. Data were collected from medical records and big data platform of Southwest Hospital. Characteristics of age and gender, etiology and types of VHD were descriptively analysed. Results:A total of 68 354 patients with moderate or severe VHD were enrolled. The age was 63 (50, 72) years. And 35 706 (52.24%) patients were female. (1) Age characteristics: There was similar age trend between male and female patients with moderate or severe VHD. The number of patients increased firstly and then decreased and reached its peak in the age group of 65-69 years old. The peak age of mitral stenosis patients was 45-49 years, which was earlier than that of whole patients with moderate or severe VHD. The median age of patients with bicuspid aortic valve was 42 years. (2) Gender characteristics: The proportion of tricuspid regurgitation, pulmonary regurgitation, mitral regurgitation, mitral stenosis and valve surgery in female patients with moderate or severe VHD were higher than those in male patients. The proportion of aortic regurgitation, aortic stenosis and bicuspid aortic valve in male patients with moderate or severe VHD were significantly higher than those in female patients (all P<0.05). (3) Etiology: The proportion of rheumatic VHD was 13.07% (8 934/68 354), which was higher than that of degenerative VHD (0.67% (458/68 354)). (4) Types of VHD: Tricuspid regurgitation made contribution to the largest proportion with 60.72% (41 503/68 354), followed by mitral regurgitation, aortic regurgitation, mitral stenosis, pulmonary regurgitation and aortic stenosis. Conclusions:There are certain regional characteristics in the prevalence of moderate or severe VHD in southwest China, suggesting different attention should be paid on the whole process of refined management of moderate or severe VHD.

Objective:To explore the latent categories of outpatient nurses' conflict management styles and analyze their influencing factors.Methods:A total of 408 outpatient nurses from six hospitals of Jiangsu Province were selected as study participants by convenience sampling. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory Scale, the Nurse Burnout Scale, the Caring Ability Inventory Scale and the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale. Latent profile analysis was used to classify the conflict management styles of outpatient nurses, and logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the influencing factors of different categories.Results:A total of 408 questionnaires were distributed, and 372 valid responses were received, with an effective response rate of 91.18%. Outpatient nurses' conflict management styles were divided into two categories: the "Integration-Concession Group" and the "Dominance-Avoidance Group." Logistic regression analysis showed that being an only child, receiving interpersonal communication training, nurse burnout, humanistic care ability, and emotional intelligence were significant influencing factors of the latent categories of conflict management styles ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:There is heterogeneity in outpatient nurses' conflict management styles. It is recommended that nursing administrators adopt a comprehensive approach, conduct thorough assessments of nurses' general conditions and personality traits, guide nurses toward adopting positive conflict management methods, and enhance their abilities in problem-solving and conflict resolution. This can improve interpersonal relationships and work efficiency in medical settings, stabilize the outpatient nursing workforce, and improve the overall quality of nursing services.

Objective:To explore the effectiveness of patient participation and Internet plus in fall prevention management strategies of elderly inpatients and analyze the causes of falls, so as to provide a basis for continuous improvement in fall prevention to investigate their continuous improvement.Methods:A pre- and post-control study was conducted. Totally 8 480 elderly inpatients hospitalized in the Department of Internal Medicine from 1 June 2020 to 31 May 2021 in Chenzhou NO. 1 People′s Hospital were selected by convenient sampling as the control group, and 8 662 elderly inpatients hospitalized in the Department of Internal Medicine from 1 June 2021 to 31 May 2022 were in the experimental group. The routine fall prevention measures were used in the control group, and on this basis, the experimental group formulated and implemented fall prevention management strategies involving patients based on the patient participation framework "informing, participating, empowering, cooperating, and electronic information support" and introduced Internet plus. Then the differences between the two groups in terms of the incidence of falls and the satisfaction rate of nursing care were compared.Results:The experimental group included 8 662 cases (5 110 males and 3 552 females) with (73.96 ± 8.78) years old, while the control group included 8 480 cases (4 918 males and 3 562 females) with (74.11 ± 8.59) years old. The incidence of falls in experimental group (0.092%, 8/8 662) was lower than that in control group (0.224%, 19/8 480), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ 2=4.71, P<0.05); the nursing care satisfaction rate of experimental group (98.880%, 8 565/8 662) was higher than that of control group (96.450%, 8 179/8 480), and the difference also was statistically significant ( χ 2=106.50, P<0.01); the analysis of the fall causes of the patients revealed that the toilet squatting commode was an important hidden risk of falls in elderly patients. Conclusions:Fall prevention management strategies based on patient participation can reduce the incidence of falls in elderly patients and improve the satisfaction rate of nursing care. Patient participation introduced "Internet plus" can prevent patient falls. The root causes of patient falls will continue to change, and care managers should continually track real-time changes in the root causes of falls to identify problems, develop and adjust prevention strategies accordingly, and pay attention to the importance of infrastructure in the safety of older patients.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of Zuogui Pills (ZGP) on improving the stemness of ovarian germline stem cells (OSCs) in ovarian aging rats through the gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43) phosphorylation based on the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway. Methods Eight-week-old female SD rats were randomly divided into control(CON),model(cyclophosphamide,CTX),ZGP and dehydroepiandrosterone(DHEA) groups,six rats in each group. CTX was injected intraperitoneally for 15 days to establish a model for ovarian aging,and then ZGP (1.85 g·kg-1) or DHEA (8.1 mg·kg-1) was administered by gavage once daily for 30 days. Follicle count at different stages and pathological changes of ovarian tissues were observed by HE staining. ELISA was used to detect serum levels of anti-mullerian hormone (AMH),follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH),and estradiol(E2). The expression levels of related proteins (PCNA,MVH,Oct4,Cx43,p-Cx43,EGFR,AKT、p-AKT) in ovarian tissue were detected by Western Blot. Results Compared with the CON group,rats in CTX group had significantly reduced body mass(P<0.05) and ovarian mass(P<0.05). The number of primordial follicles decreased significantly(P<0.01). Serum FSH level increased remarkably(P<0.01),while AMH and E2 levels showed a downward trend (P>0.05). The protein expressions of Oct4,MVH,PCNA,EGFR,p-AKT/AKT,p-Cx43(Ser368)/Cx43 and Cx43 in ovarian tissue were obviously decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01). Compared with the model group,the body mass of rats in ZGP group was significantly increased (P<0.05),as well as ovarian mass and ovarian coefficient were remarkably increased (P<0.01). The number of primordial follicles were increased significantly (P<0.01),and E2 level increased significantly (P<0.05). The protein expressions of Oct4,MVH,PCNA,EGFR,p-AKT/AKT,p-Cx43(Ser368)/Cx43 and Cx43 in ovarian tissue were all increased significantly (P<0.05,P<0.01). Conclusion ZGP may ameliorate ovarian aging by maintaining the stemness of OSCs. Its mechanism of actions is related to the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and gap junction protein phosphorylation.

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of sacubitril valsartan in the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in children. Methods A total of 19 hospitalized children with DCM were retrospectively selected as study subjects. All patients received captopril combined with conventional anti-heart failure therapy for 1 to 4 weeks, but due to ineffective treatment, they were switched to treatment of sacubitril valsartan. Clinical data, biochemical indicators, and echocardiographic findings were collected to assess changes in clinical symptoms and related indicators after 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month sacubitril valsartan treatment. Information on the dosage and administration of sacubitril valsartan, as well as the occurrence of adverse reactions was collected. Results Among 19 patients, there were 8 males and 11 females, with a median age of 3 years. Heart function was classified as grade Ⅱ in 2 patients, grade Ⅲ in 10 patients, and grade Ⅳ in 7 patients. At the final follow-up, the efficacy assessment showed significant improvement in 8 patients, effective improvement in 6 patients, and no improvement in 5 patients, with a total effective rate of 73.7%. After 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month sacubitril valsartan treatment, the levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were lower, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was higher, and left ventricular diastolic diameter (LVDd)-Z value was smaller compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05). The initial single dose of sacubitril valsartan was 0.8 mg/kg, and the average maintenance dose was 1.7 mg/kg, administered twice daily. After treatment, 1 patient developed hypotension, and 5 patients exhibited mild abnormalities in renal function indicators (of which 4 recovered to normal levels after tolerance). Conclusion Sacubitril valsartan can effectively improve heart failure symptoms and cardiac function indicators in children with DCM, but close monitoring of blood pressure and renal function changes is required during treatment.