Objective: To determine the clinical efficacy and mechanism of Piwei Peiyuan Pill (PPP) combined with moxibustion for treating patients with chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) with spleen and stomach weakness syndrome. Methods: Ninety-six CAG patients with spleen and stomach weakness syndrome who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled at the Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from June 2022 to December 2023. The patients were randomly divided into a control, a Chinese medicine, and a combined group using a random number table method, with 32 cases in each group (two cases per group were excluded). The control group was treated with rabeprazole combined with folic acid tablets (both thrice daily), the Chinese medicine group was treated with PPP (8 g, thrice daily), and the combined group was treated with moxa stick moxibustion (once daily) on the basis of the Chinese medicine group for 12 consecutive weeks. Gastric mucosa atrophy in the three groups was observed before and after treatment. The gastric mucosal pathological score was evaluated. The Patient Reported Outcome (PRO) scale was used to evaluate the patients′ physical and mental health status and quality of life.An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-10, IL-37, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β levels in each group. Real-time fluorescence PCR was used to detect the relative expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) mRNA in each group. Western blotting was used to detect the relative expression levels of proteins related to the STAT3/mTOR signaling pathway, and the adverse drug reactions and events were recorded and compared. Results: There was no statistical difference in age, gender, disease duration, family history of gastrointestinal tumors, alcohol consumption history, and body mass index among the three groups of patients.The total therapeutic efficacy rates of the control, Chinese medicine, and combined groups in treating gastric mucosal atrophy were 66.67% (20/30), 86.67% (26/30), and 90.00% (27/30), respectively (P<0.05). Compared to before treatment, the pathological and PRO scale scores of gastric mucosa in each group decreased after treatment, and TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-37, and TGF-β levels decreased. The relative STAT3 and mTOR mRNA expression levels, as well as the relative STAT3, p-STAT3, mTOR, and p-mTOR protein expression levels decreased (P<0.05), whereas the IL-4 and IL-10 levels increased (P<0.05). After treatment, compared to the control group, the pathological score of gastric mucosa, PRO scale score, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-37, TGF-β content, relative STAT3 and mTOR mRNA expression levels, and relative STAT3, p-STAT3, mTOR, and p-mTOR protein expression levels in the Chinese medicine and combined groups after treatment were reduced (P<0.05), whereas the IL-4 and IL-10 levels increased (P<0.05). After treatment, compared to the Chinese medicine group, the combined group showed a decrease in relative STAT3, mTOR mRNA expression levels, and STAT3, p-STAT3, mTOR, and p-mTOR protein expression levels (P<0.05). Conclusion The combination of PPP and moxibustion may regulate the inflammatory mechanism of the body by inhibiting the abnormal activation of the STAT3/mTOR signaling pathway, upregulating related anti-inflammatory factor levels, downregulating pro-inflammatory factor expression, and increasing related repair factor expression, thereby promoting the recovery of atrophic gastric mucosa, reducing discomfort symptoms, and improving the physical and mental state of CAG patients with spleen and stomach weakness syndrome.

Objective To explore clinical outcomes and bone resection of interlaminar fenestration decompression and u-nilateral biportal endoscopic(UBE)technique in treating lumbar disc herniation(LDH).Methods A retrospective study was performed on 105 patients with single-level LDH treated from December 2019 to December 2021.Fifty-four patients in UBE group,including 32 males and 22 females,aged from 18 to 50 years old with an average of(38.7±9.3)years old,were treated with UBE,29 patients withL4.5and 25 patients with L5S1.There were 51 patients in small fenestration group,including 27 males and 24 females,aged from 18 to 50 years old with an average of(39.9±10.0)years old,were treated with small fenestra-tion,25 patients with L4.5 and 26 patients with L5S1.Perioperative indexes,such as operation time,postoperative time of getting out of bed and hospital stay were observed and compared between two groups.Visual analogue scale(VAS)and Oswestry dis-ability index(ODI)were compared between two groups before operation and 1,3,6 and 12 months after operation,respective-ly;and modified MacNab evaluation criteria was used to evaluate clinical efficacy.Amount of bone resection and retention rate of inferior articular process laminoid complex were compared between two groups.Results All 105 patients were successfully completed operation.Both of two groups were followed up from 6 to 12 months with an average of(10.69±2.49)months.Oper-ation time,postoperative time of getting out of bed and hospital stay were(58.20±5.54)min,(2.40±0.57)dand(3.80±0.61)d in UBE group,and(62.90±7.14)min,(4.40±0.64)d and(4.40±0.64)d in small fenestrum group,respectively;and had sta-tistically difference between two groups(P＜0.05).Postoperative VAS of low back and leg pain and ODI in both groups were significantly lower than those before surgery(P＜0.05).VAS of lumbar pain in UBE group(1.37±0.49)score was lower than that of small fenestration group(2.45±0.64)score,and had statistically difference(t=9.745,P＜0.05).Postoperative ODI in UBE group at 1 and 3 months were(28.54±3.31)％and(22.87±3.23)％,respectively,which were lower than those in small fenestra group(36.31±9.08)％and(29.90±8.36)％,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).There were no significant difference in VAS and ODI between two groups at other time points(P＞0.05).According to the modified MacNab evaluation criteria at the latest follow-up,49 patients got excellent result,3 good,and 2 fair in UBE group.In small fenestration group,35 patients got excellent,12 good,and 4 fair.In UBE group,amount of bone resection on L4,5 segment was(0.45±0.08)cm3 and(0.31±0.08)cm3 on the segment of L5S1.In small fenestration group,amount of bone resection on L4.5 segment was(0.57±0.07)cm3 and(0.49±0.04)cm3 on the segment of L5S1,and amount of bone resection of lower articular process laminar complex on the same segment in UBE group was less than that in small fenestration group(P＜0.05).In UBE group,retention rate of laminoid complex on L4,5 segment was(0.73±0.04)and L5S1 segment was(0.83±0.03),whileL4,5segment was(0.68± 0.06)and L5S1 segment was(0.74±0.04)in small fenestration group,the lower articular process laminar complex retention rate in UBE group was higher than that in small fenestration group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Both unilateral double-channel endoscopy and small fenestration of laminae could achieve good clinical results in treating LDH,but UBE has advantages of less trauma,higher eficiency,faster postoperative recovery and less damage to bone structure.

Objective With the widespread of transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis(AS),the life-cycle management has become a major determinant of prognosis.Methods A total of 408 AS patients who underwent successfully TAVR from June 2021 to August 2023 were consecutively enrolled in Hospital Valve Intervention Center.Patients were assigned to the Usual Care(UC)group between June 2021 and October 2022,while patients were assigned to the Heart Multi-parameter Monitoring(HMM)group between November 2022 and August 2023.The primary endpoint was defined as composite endpoint within 6 months post-TAVR,including all-cause death,cardiovascular death,stroke/transient ischemic attack,conduction block,myocardial infarction,heart failure rehospitalization,and major bleeding events.Secondary endpoints were the time interval(in hours)from event occurrence to medical consultation or advice and patient satisfaction.Statistical analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.Results The incidence of primary endpoint in HMM group was significantly lower than that in UC group(8.9％vs.17.7％,P=0.016),the driving event was the rate of diagnosis and recognition of conduction block.The average time intervals from event occurrence to receiving medical advice were 3.02 h in HHM group vs.97.09 h in UC group(P＜0.001).Using cardiac monitoring devices and smart healthcare platforms provided significant improving in patients long-term management(HR 0.439,95％CI 0.244-0.790,P=0.006).Conclusions The utilization of cardiac monitoring devices and smart healthcare platforms effectively alerted clinical events and improved postoperative quality of life during long-term management post TAVR.

The distribution of Ixodes and Ana plasma carried by Ixodes ticks in Anhui Province was clarified as reference for prevention and control of anaplasmosis.In total,630 hard ticks were collected from Jinzhai County,Hanshan County,Jing-de County and Chaohu City in Anhui Province from April to August 2023.Ticks were identified by morphological analysis and 16S rRNA sequencing.Nested PCR with Anaplasma species-specific primers were used to detect 16S rRNA of Anaplasma spe-cies carried by ticks.A phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA11.0 software.Of the identified ticks,18.8％(18/96)were Rhipicephalus microplus and 81.2％(78/96)were Haemaphysalis longicorni in Jinzhai County of Anhui Province,all were H.longicorni in Hanshan County and Chaohu City,while the main species in Jingde County was R.microplus.The posi-tive rate of Anaplasma carried by H.longicornis was 30.9％(102/330),which included A.bovis at 1.8％(6/330),A.phagocytophilum at 21.8％(72/330)and uncultured Anaplasma species at 7.3％(24/330).R.microplus was positively cor-related to A.bovis(13.6％,18/132).The uncultured Anaplasma species was mainly detected in host-free ticks.A.phagocy-tophilum was detected in 24.4％of parasitic ticks and 15.8％of host-free ticks.The positive rates of host-free and parasitic ticks were 19.9％and 17.8％,respectively.These results show that H.longicornis and R.microplus were the dominant ticks in several counties of Anhui Province.H.longicornis and R.microplus as well as free and parasitic ticks all carried Anaplas-ma.

The aim of our research was to obtain Listeria bacteriophages from food and related environments,and conduc-ted the analysis of the electron microscopic morphology,host range specificity,and biological characteristics of the purified phages.The double-layer agar method and the spot test were employed for the isolation and identification of a virulent Listeria phage named LMLPA5,with the isolated strain Listeria in-nocua Lin08 as the host.Phage morphology was observed by transmission electron microscope.The biological characteris-tics of the phage were assessed by determining their host range,optimal multiplicity of infection(MOI),one-step growth curve,and physicochemical stability.Additionally,the preservation efficacy of the phage at 4 ℃,-20 ℃,and-80 ℃ was explored.The phage LMLPA5 belongs to the family Myoviridae based on morphology,exhibiting clear and transparent plaques without halo surrounded.Strains of sever-al Listeria species and different serotypes strains of Listeria monocytogenes were susceptible to lysis by LMLPA5,indica-ting its broad-spectrum activity against Listeria monocytogenes.Optimal MOIs and single-step growth curve analyses revealed optimal MOIs of 0.1 and latent period of 10 minutes for LMLPA5,with average burst size at 95.2 PFU/cell.LMLPA5 was sensitive to high temperatures,and completely inactivated after exposure to 70 ℃ for 1 h,while the phage remained stable for over 32 hours ranging from 4 ℃ to 40 ℃.Within the pH range of 4 to 10,phage titer remained stable and completely inactiva-ted until 60 minutes of ultraviolet exposure.LMLPA5 displayed insensitivity to chloroform,confirming its non-enveloped phage morphology.The phages remained stable for over 8 months when store at 4 ℃ and-80 ℃.The biological characteristics and lysis capacity of phage LMLPA5 were elucidated in this study,which provide the basis for further application.

Objective:To explore the potential action mechanism of Huotu Jiji Pellets(HJP)in the treatment of erectile dys-function(ED)based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.Methods:We identified the main effective compounds and active molecular targets of HJP from the database of Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP)and Integrative Pharmacology-Based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCMIP)and the therapeutic target genes of ED from the data-bases of Genecards.Then we obtained the common targets of HJP and ED using the Venny software,constructed a protein-protein in-teraction(PPI)network of HJP acting on ED,and screened out the core targets with the Cytoscape software.Lastly we performed GO functional enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of the core targets followed by molecular docking of HJP and the core targets using Chem3D and AutoDock Tools and QuickVina-W software.Results:A total of 64 effective compounds,822 drug-related targets,1 783 disease-related targets and 320 common targets were obtained in this study.PPI network analysis showed that the core targets of HJP for ED included ESR1,HSP90AA1,SRC,and STAT3.GO functional enrichment analysis indicated the involvement of the core targets in such biological processes as response to xenobiotic stimulus,positive regulation of kinase activity,and positive regu-lation of MAPK cascade.KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested that PI3K-Akt,apoptosis,MAPK,HIF-1,VEGF,autophagy and other signaling pathways may be related to the mechanism of HJP acting on ED.Molecular docking prediction exhibited a good doc-king activity of the key active molecules of HJP with the core targets.Conclusion:This study showed that HJP acted on ED through multi-components,multi-targets and multi-pathways,which has provided some evidence and reference for the clinical treatment and subsequent studies of the disease.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective To analyze the high risk factors of obstetric brachial plexus palsy(OBPP),and to explore how to evaluate the relationship between fault medical behavior and OBPP in the process of medical damage forensic identification.Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out on 25 cases of medical damage liability disputes related to OBPP from 2017 to 2021 in Beijing Fayuan Judicial Science Evidence Appraisal Center.The shortcomings of hospitals in birth weight assessment,delivery mode selection,labor process observation and shoulder dystocia management,and the causal relation-ship between them and the damage consequences of the children were summarized.Results Fault medi-cal behavior was assessed as the primary cause in 2 cases,equal cause in 10 cases,secondary cause in 8 cases,minor cause in 1 case,no causal relationship in 1 case,and unclear causal force in 3 cases.Conclusion In the process of forensic identification of OBPP,whether medical behaviors fulfill diagno-sis and treatment obligations should be objectively analyzed from the aspects of prenatal evaluation,de-livery mode notification,standardized use of oxytocin,standard operation of shoulder dystocia,etc.Meanwhile,it is necessary to fully consider the objective risk of different risk factors and the diffi-culty of injury prevention,and comprehensively evaluate the causal force of fault medical behavior in the damage consequences.

BACKGROUND:Croton cream can activate ERK pathways and have anti-apoptotic effects on neuronal cells.It is not clear whether it synergistically exerts anti-apoptotic effects by inhibiting the activation of JNK and p38 pathways. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects and mechanisms of croton cream on neuronal damage and apoptosis in the ischemic cortex of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS:(1)Ninety Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,croton cream low-dose group,croton cream medium-dose group,croton cream high-dose group and nimodipine group,with 15 rats in each group.Except for the sham operation group,animal models of middle cerebral artery occlusion were prepared in rats by the thread method.Rats in the three croton cream groups were given 20,40,and 60 mg/kg croton cream,respectively.Rats in the sham operation and model groups were given the same amount of normal saline,once a day,for 7 consecutive days.The optimal concentration of croton cream,namely the high dose of croton cream,was selected based on neurological deficit score,TTC staining,brain tissue water content,hematoxylin-eosin staining and Nissl staining.(2)Another 120 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,croton cream group,JNK inhibitor group,croton cream+JNK inhibitor group,p38 MAPK inhibitor group,croton cream+p38 MAPK inhibitor group,and nimodipine group,with 15 rats in each group.Animal models of middle cerebral artery occlusion were prepared using the thread method in all the groups except in the sham operation group.Thirty minutes before modeling,10 μL of SP600125(JNK inhibitor)and 10 μL of SB203580(p38 MAPK inhibitor)were injected into the lateral ventricle of the rats,respectively.Rats in croton cream groups were intragastrically given 60 mg/kg croton cream.Seven days later,the JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway,apoptosis-related proteins and cell apoptosis were detected by western blot,TUNEL staining and flow cytometry,respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the sham operation group,neurological deficit score,cerebral water content,cerebral infarction volume and apoptosis rate were significantly increased in the model group(P<0.05),where nerve cells showed scattered distribution.Compared with the model group,neurological deficit score,water content of brain tissue and cerebral infarction volume were significantly decreased in the croton cream medium-dose group,high-dose group and nimodipine group(P<0.05),and the pathological morphology of nerve cells was significantly improved.(2)Compared with the JNK inhibitor group,p-JNK/JNK,p-p38/p38 and Bax expressions in rat brain tissue and the apoptotic rate were significantly decreased in the croton cream+inhibitor groups(P<0.05),while the expression of and Bcl-2 was significantly increased(P<0.05).To conclude,croton cream may inhibit the activation of JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway and reduce neuronal apoptosis to achieve neuroprotective effects in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Objective:To investigate the prognosis of patients with initially resectable gastric cancer liver metastasis (GCLM) who were treated by different modalities, and analyze the influencing factors for prognosis of patients.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 327 patients with initially resectable GCLM who were included in the database of a nationwide multicenter retrospective cohort study on GCLM based on real-world data from January 2010 to December 2019 were collected. There were 267 males and 60 females, aged 61(54,68)years. According to the specific situations of patients, treatment modalities included radical surgery combined with systemic treatment, palliative surgery combined with systemic treatment, and systemic treatment alone. Observation indicators: (1) clinical characteristics of patients who were treated by different modalities; (2) prognostic outcomes of patients who were treated by different modalities; (3) analysis of influencing factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM; (4) screening of potential beneficiaries in patients who were treated by radical surgery plus systemic treatment and patients who were treated by palliative surgery plus systemic treatment. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M( Q1, Q3), and comparison between groups was conducted using the rank sum test. Count data were described as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rate and draw survival curve, and Log-Rank test was used for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using the COX proportional hazard regression model. The propensity score matching was employed by the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching method with a caliper value of 0.1. The forest plots were utilized to evaluate potential benefits of diverse surgical combined with systemic treatments within the population. Results:(1) Clinical characteristics of patients who were treated by different modalities. Of 327 patients, there were 118 cases undergoing radical surgery plus systemic treatment, 164 cases undergoing palliative surgery plus systemic treatment, and 45 cases undergoing systemic treatment alone. There were significant differences in smoking, drinking, site of primary gastric tumor, diameter of primary gastric tumor, site of liver metastasis, and metastatic interval among the three groups of patients ( P<0.05). (2) Prognostic outcomes of patients who were treated by different modalities. The median overall survival time of the 327 pati-ents was 19.9 months (95% confidence interval as 14.9-24.9 months), with 1-, 3-year overall survival rate of 61.3%, 32.7%, respectively. The 1-year overall survival rates of patients undergoing radical surgery plus systemic treatment, palliative surgery plus systemic treatment and systemic treatment alone were 68.3%, 63.1%, 30.6%, and the 3-year overall survival rates were 41.1%, 29.9%, 11.9%, showing a significant difference in overall survival rate among the three groups of patients ( χ2=19.46, P<0.05). Results of further analysis showed that there was a significant difference in overall survival rate between patients undergoing radical surgery plus systemic treatment and patients undergoing systemic treatment alone ( hazard ratio=0.40, 95% confidence interval as 0.26-0.61, P<0.05), between patients undergoing palliative surgery plus systemic treatment and patients under-going systemic treatment alone ( hazard ratio=0.47, 95% confidence interval as 0.32-0.71, P<0.05). (3) Analysis of influencing factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM. Results of multivariate analysis showed that the larger primary gastric tumor, poorly differentiated tumor, larger liver metastasis, multiple hepatic metastases were independent risk factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM ( hazard ratio=1.20, 1.70, 1.20, 2.06, 95% confidence interval as 1.14-1.27, 1.25-2.31, 1.04-1.42, 1.45-2.92, P<0.05) and immunotherapy or targeted therapy, the treatment modality of radical or palliative surgery plus systemic therapy were independent protective factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM ( hazard ratio=0.60, 0.39, 0.46, 95% confidence interval as 0.42-0.87, 0.25-0.60, 0.30-0.70, P<0.05). (4) Screening of potentinal beneficiaries in patients who were treated by radical surgery plus systemic treatment and patients who were treated by palliative surgery plus systemic treatment. Results of forest plots analysis showed that for patients with high-moderate differentiated GCLM and patients with liver metastasis located in the left liver, the overall survival rate of patients undergoing radical surgery plus systemic treatment was better than patients undergoing palliative surgery plus systemic treatment ( hazard ratio=0.21, 0.42, 95% confidence interval as 0.09-0.48, 0.23-0.78, P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared to systemic therapy alone, both radical and palliative surgery plus systemic therapy can improve the pro-gnosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM. The larger primary gastric tumor, poorly differen-tiated tumor, larger liver metastasis, multiple hepatic metastases are independent risk factors for prognosis of patients with initial resectable GCLM and immunotherapy or targeted therapy, the treatment modality of radical or palliative surgery plus systemic therapy are independent protective factors for prognosis of patients with initially resectable GCLM.