ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which the combination of berberine （BBR） and baicalin （BAI） ameliorates type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） due to internal accumulation of dampness-heat from the perspectives of gut microbiota and metabolomics. MethodsAntibiotics were used to induce pseudo-sterile mice. Thirty pseudo-sterile mice were randomized into a normal fecal microbiota transplantation group （n=10） and a T2DM （syndrome of internal accumulation of dampness-heat） fecal microbiota transplantation group （n=20）. The mice were then administrated with suspensions of fecal microbiota from healthy volunteers and a patient with T2DM due to internal accumulation of dampness-heat by gavage， respectively. Each mouse received 200 µL suspension every other day for a total of 15 times to reshape the gut microbiota. The T2DM model mice were then assigned into a model group （n=8） and a BBR-BAI group （n=11）. BBR was administrated at a dose of 200 mg·kg^-1， and BAI was administrated in a ratio of BBR-BAI 10∶1 based on preliminary research findings. The administration lasted for 8 consecutive weeks. Fasting blood glucose （FBG）， glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c）， insulin （INS）， triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （CHOL）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， and alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels were measured to evaluate the effects of the BBR-BAI combination on glucose and lipid metabolism and liver function in T2DM mice. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe pathological changes in the colon tissue. The expression of claudin-1， zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1）， and occludin in the colon tissue was determined by Western blot. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was employed to assess the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in the colon tissue. The fecal microbiota composition and differential metabolites were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight tandem mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）， respectively. ResultsThe BBR-BAI combination lowered the FBG， HbA1c， and INS levels （P<0.05， P<0.01） and alleviated insulin resistance （P<0.01） in T2DM mice. Additionally， BBR-BAI elevated the levels of ZO-1， occludin， and claudin-1 （P<0.05， P<0.01） and down-regulated the expression levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 in the colon （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The results of 16S rRNA sequencing showed that BBR-BAI increased the relative abundance of Ligilactobacillus， Phascolarctobacterium， and Akkermansia （P<0.05）， while significantly decreasing the relative abundance of Alistipes， Odoribacter， and Colidextribacter （P<0.05）. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS identified 28 differential metabolites， which were primarily involved in arachidonic acid metabolism and α-linolenic acid metabolism. ConclusionBBR-BAI can ameliorate T2DM due to internal accumulation of dampness-heat by modulating the relative abundance of various bacterial genera in the gut microbiota and the expression of fecal metabolites.

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Shaoyao gancao decoction in improving intestinal motility in rats with slow transit constipation （STC） by regulating acid-sensitive ion channel 3 （ASIC3）/extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK） signaling pathway. METHODS SD rats were used to construct an STC model by gavage with compound diphenoxylate. The successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into model group， Shaoyao gancao decoction group （1.5 g/mL）， lactulose group （208.4 mg/mL， positive control）， and combined inhibition group （Shaoyao gancao decoction 1.5 g/mL+amiloride hydrochloride 20 μg/kg）， with 12 rats in each group. Additionally， 12 healthy rats were selected as the blank group. They were given relevant medicine once a day and continuously intervened for 14 days. After intervention， the intestinal propulsion function and visceral sensitivity of the model rats were detected. The expression of ASIC3 in the colon tissue of rats was observed by immunohistochemical staining. mRNA expressions of ASIC3， ERK1 and ERK2 as well as protein expressions of ASIC3， ERK1/2 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 （p-ERK1/2） in colon tissue of rats were detected； the ultrastructural changes of the enteric nervous system （ENS） -interstitial cell of Cajal （ICC）-smooth muscle cell （SMC） network in the rat colon were observed under electron microscopy. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the intestinal propulsion rate of the Shaoyao gancao decoction group was significantly increased， while the visceral pain threshold was significantly decreased. The proportion of the positive area of ASIC3 in the colonic tissue was significantly increased. The relative mRNA expression levels of ERK1， ERK2， and ASIC3， as well as the relative protein expression levels of p-ERK1/2 and ASIC3， and the p-ERK1/2 to ERK1/2 in the colonic tissue， were all significantly increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Additionally， there was marked repair of the morphological structure of ICC and SMC， with closer gap junctions observed. Compared with the Shaoyao gancao decoction group， the combined inhibition group exhibited a diminished improvement in intestinal motility of rats， with statistically significant differences in the levels of some indicators （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； the repairing of the morphological structure of ICC and SMC was notably attenuated. CONCLUSIONS Shaoyao gancao decoction can effectively improve the intestinal transmission function and promote intestinal repair in STC rats， and its mechanism may be related to regulating the balance of the ENS-ICC-SMC network mediated by the ASIC3/ERK signaling pathway， thus promoting intestinal motility and reducing visceral sensitivity.

The relevant laws and regulations regarding the utilization of the deceased as medical research subjects are not yet fully developed in China nowadays. Taking the deceased as research subjects as a starting point， this paper discussed the definition of the deceased and the scope of their interest protection from multiple perspectives. It posited that the scope of interest protection for the deceased encompassed two components： spiritual personality interests and material personality interests represented by the remains. The spiritual personality interests of the deceased included identification information such as name， portrait， reputation， honor， privacy， and personal information， as well as medical and health information. The personal information of the deceased was not directly affected by the individual’s life and death status and remained relatively independent. In terms of ethical review， the research team approached from two perspectives： the remains and the personal information of the deceased. Based on the standard of whether the research subjects involve a human body， research with the remains of the deceased as the medical research subjects was classified as non-clinical research. According to the standard of whether a human body is clinically operated， research with the personal information of the deceased （including medical and health information） as the medical research subjects was recognized as clinical research without human research operation. This approach provided evidence for the application of existing laws and regulations in ethical review and record management. The ethical review of investigator-initiated clinical research conducted in medical and health institutions， as well as the regulatory conditions for exemption from ethical review， were examined. The forms， content， and acquisition of informed consent were summarized， and the risk-benefit characteristics of the research activity were evaluated， with a view to providing a basis for the smooth and compliant implementation of research activities involving the deceased as medical research subjects.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for airway obstruction after cervical spine surgery and to construct and validate a predictive risk model.Methods A retrospective analysis of data from 250 patients who underwent cervical spinesurgery was performed.Patients were divided into modeling set(n=175)and validation set(n=75)in a ratio of 7 to 3.Patients in the modeling set were categorized into respiratory distress group and normal breathing group based on whether they ex-perienced postoperative airway obstruction.General patient data were collected.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent influencing factors for postoperative airway ob-struction.Based on the identified factors,a risk prediction model was constructed.The R software was utilized to draw a nomogram and calibration curve for the risk prediction model.Receiver operat-ing characteristic(ROC)curves were employed to assess the predictive value of the risk prediction model.The goodness-of-fit was evaluated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test.Results Among the pa-tients in the modeling set,28 cases developed postoperative airway obstruction,with an incidence rate of 16.00％(28/175).Univariate analysis results indicated that there were statistically significant differences in age,operation time,postoperative edema,surgical segments,preoperative tracheal shifting exercise and the number of involved surgical segments between the respiratory distress group and the normal breathing group(P＜0.05).Age,preoperative tracheal shifting exercise,postopera-tive edema and operation time were identified as independent influencing factors for postoperative airway obstruction(P＜0.05).Internal validation showed that the area under the ROC curve of this model was 0.888,with sensitivity of 75.1％ and specificity of 92.1％.Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that the prediction model had good fit and high prediction value(x2=3.435,P=0.904).The area under the external validation ROC curve was 0.735,with sensitivity of 83.3％ and specificity of 65.1％.Conclusion Age,preoperative tracheal shifting exercise,postoperative edema and opera-tion time are independent influencing factors for patients with airway obstruction after cervical spine surgery.The risk prediction model constructed based on these factors has good predictive perform-ance and clinical application value.

In recent years,with the gradual maturity of achievable remote collection of digital health technology,more and more clinical research have applied this technology to improve the quality of data collection and reduce the burden on subjects.However,its technological characteristics of detachment from the diagnostic and treatment environment and real-time transmission of sensitive information also pose corresponding risks to the protection of subjects'rights and interests and data standardization management,among which personal information protection and data control permissions are more prominent issues.Based on risk analysis and regulatory review,this paper explored the responsibilities of multiple parties,including the sponsors,researchers,clinical trial institutions,and ethics committee,as well as proposed five elements of special concern for ethical review,with a view to providing a reference for promoting the standardized development of digital health technology in clinical research.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Shugan Bushen Yulin Decoction （疏肝补肾毓麟汤， SBYD） in the treatment of asthenospermia and infertility with liver constraint and kidney deficiency. MethodsA multicenter， randomized， controlled clinical study was conducted in three hospitals in central China. Totally 95 patients with asthenospermia and infertility were controlled. According to random number table， the patients were divided into treatment group （47 cases） and control group （48 cases）. The control group was given vitamin E soft capsules （100 mg per time， twice daily） orally， and the treatment group was given SBYD （one dose daily， 30 min after breakfast and dinner， about 200 ml each time） orally. The course of treatment was 12 weeks in both groups. After the treatment， the sperm concentration， percentage of forward motile sperm （PR）， and percentage of total sperm activity， that is PR + percentage of non-progressively motile sperm （NP） were compared between groups， and the clinical efficacy was judged. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score （inlcuding 6 single symptom scores and total symptoms score） and 21-item depression， anxiety， and stress scale （DASS-21） scores （including depression， anxiety and stress scores） were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. The patients were followed up for 6 months， and the pregnancy status of spouse between groups was compared. The occurrence of adverse events and vital signs during the trial were recorded for safety assessment. ResultsTwo cases in the treatment group and three cases in the control group dropped out. Finally， 45 cases in each group were included in the statistical analysis. The total effective rate was 86.67% （39/45） in the treatment group， significantly higher than 73.74% （33/45） in the control group （P＜0.05）. After treatment， PR and PR + NP significantly increased in both groups， and were much higher in the treatment group than in the control group （P＜0.05）. The scores of lumbar and knee soreness， emotional disturbance， cold sperm， chest and rib-side and lesser abdomen distension and pain， frequent sighing， and the total TCM syndrome score in the treatment group decreased after treatment （P＜0.05）； and except for cold sperm， the scores of other symptoms mentioned above as well as the total TCM syndrome score in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group （P＜0.05）. The scores of depression， anxiety and stress of DASS-21 in the treatment group decreased after treatment， and were lower than those in the control group （P＜0.05）. After 6 months of follow-up， the spouses of 5 patients in the treatment group and 3 patients in the control group got pregnant （P＞0.05）. No adverse events occurred in both groups during the treatment， and their vital signs were stable. ConclusionSBYD can obviously improve sperm vitality and effectively improve the clinical symptoms， anxiety and depression， and is safe in treating asthenospermia and infertility with liver constraint and kidney deficiency.

AIM:To observe the effect of fudostei-ne on induced sputum cell components and lung function in patients with stable neutrophil-dominat-ed COPD.METHODS:From October 2019 to Octo-ber 2022,53 patients with stable COPD were select-ed and divided into fudosteine group and placebo group.The placebo group was treated with routine treatment,and the fudosteine group was treated with fudosteine on the basis of routine treatment.The two groups were treated for 6 months.The clinical symptoms[Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire(SGRQ),COPD Assessment Test(CAT)and Modified British Medical Research Council Dys-pnea scale(MMRC),Breathlessness,Cough,and Sputum Scale(BCSS)],lung function index,induced sputum cytology analysis and other related exami-nation results were recorded in detail before and after treatment.RESULTS:(1)Compared with the baseline,the forced expiratory volume in one sec-ond(FEV1),forced vital capacity(FVC),and the ra-tio of FEV1 to FVC(FEV1/FVC)of the two groups were improved after treatment,and the differenc-es were statistically significant(P＜0.05).However,after treatment,there was no significant difference in pulmonary function between the two groups ex-cept for the percentage of carbon monoxide diffu-sion in the predicted value(DLCO％pre)(DLCO％pre in the fudosteine group was higher than that in the placebo group).(2)After treatment,the total num-ber of induced sputum cells and neutrophil counts in the fudosteine group were lower than those in the placebo group.Compared with the number of cells in each component at baseline,the total num-ber of induced sputum cells and neutrophil count in the fudosteine group were significantly lower(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:Fudosteine treatment in pa-tients with stable neutrophil-dominated COPD can improve lung function,reduce the total number of induced sputum cells and the total number of neu-trophils,thereby improving airway inflammation.

AIM:To observe the effect of fudostei-ne on induced sputum cell components and lung function in patients with stable neutrophil-dominat-ed COPD.METHODS:From October 2019 to Octo-ber 2022,53 patients with stable COPD were select-ed and divided into fudosteine group and placebo group.The placebo group was treated with routine treatment,and the fudosteine group was treated with fudosteine on the basis of routine treatment.The two groups were treated for 6 months.The clinical symptoms[Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire(SGRQ),COPD Assessment Test(CAT)and Modified British Medical Research Council Dys-pnea scale(MMRC),Breathlessness,Cough,and Sputum Scale(BCSS)],lung function index,induced sputum cytology analysis and other related exami-nation results were recorded in detail before and after treatment.RESULTS:(1)Compared with the baseline,the forced expiratory volume in one sec-ond(FEV1),forced vital capacity(FVC),and the ra-tio of FEV1 to FVC(FEV1/FVC)of the two groups were improved after treatment,and the differenc-es were statistically significant(P＜0.05).However,after treatment,there was no significant difference in pulmonary function between the two groups ex-cept for the percentage of carbon monoxide diffu-sion in the predicted value(DLCO％pre)(DLCO％pre in the fudosteine group was higher than that in the placebo group).(2)After treatment,the total num-ber of induced sputum cells and neutrophil counts in the fudosteine group were lower than those in the placebo group.Compared with the number of cells in each component at baseline,the total num-ber of induced sputum cells and neutrophil count in the fudosteine group were significantly lower(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:Fudosteine treatment in pa-tients with stable neutrophil-dominated COPD can improve lung function,reduce the total number of induced sputum cells and the total number of neu-trophils,thereby improving airway inflammation.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of leptospirosis in China from 2010 to 2022, so as to provide insights into formulation of the leptospirosis control strategy. Methods All data pertaining to clinically diagnosed cases and confirmed cases of leptospirosis reported in China from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2022 was collected from Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information Management System. The spatial, temporal and population distributions, and report and diagnosis institutions of leptospirosis cases were analyzed using a descriptive epidemiological method. Results A total of 4 559 leptospirosis cases were reported in China from 2010 to 2022, with an annual average number of 351 cases, and the number of reported leptospirosis cases reduced from 679 cases in 2010 to 158 cases in 2018. A total of 4 276 leptospirosis cases were reported in Sichuan Province, Yunnan Province, Guangdong Province, Hunan Province, Fujian Province, Zhejiang Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Anhui Province, Jiangxi Province and Guizhou Province, accounting for 93.79% of the total number of leptospirosis cases in China. The number of leptospirosis cases had recently appeared a remarkable decline in Yunnan Province, while a significant rise was seen in the number of leptospirosis cases in two provinces of Zhejiang and Guangdong. No leptospirosis cases were reported in Henan Province from 2010 to 2020; however, there were 5 cases and 2 cases reported in 2021 and 2022, respectively. There was only one leptospirosis case reported in Shaanxi Province from 2010 to 2017; however, leptospirosis cases were reported in the province for 5 consecutive years since 2018. Leptospirosis cases were reported throughout the year in China from 2010 to 2022, with the peak of incidence found during the period between August and October, and the peak of leptospirosis incidence varied in provinces. A higher number of leptospirosis cases was seen among men than among women, with a male to female ratio of 2.3:1, and the median age of leptospirosis cases was 50 years (interquartile range, 23 years), with the highest proportion of leptospirosis cases reported at ages of 51 to 60 years (23.21%). Among all reported leptospirosis cases, 53.28% were confirmed cases, and the proportion of confirmed cases increased from 35.05% in 2010 to 61.66% in 2022. In addition, there were 67.22% of leptospirosis cases (2 937 cases) reported by comprehensive hospitals, 20.44% (893 cases) by disease control and prevention institutions, 7.23% (316 cases) by grassroots healthcare institutions and 5.10% (223 cases) by other healthcare and medical institutions, and the mortality of reported leptospirosis cases was 1.07% in China from 2010 to 2022, with a higher mortality seen among men than among women (1.39% vs. 0.36%; χ² = 9.52, P = 0.002). Conclusions The incidence of leptospirosis remained at a low level in China from 2010 to 2022, and southern China was still the main endemic area for leptospirosis. The epidemiological characteristics of leptospirosis cases varied in endemic provinces, and leptospirosis cases had been continued to be reported in Shaanxi and Henan provinces, which should be paid much attention to. Intensified surveillance of leptospirosis, improved diagnosis and treatment capability of leptospirosis cases and leptospirosis control with adaptations to local circumstance are recommended.