Tuberculosis (TB), a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is primarily airborne and remains a global health problem, especially in resource-limited countries and regions. The emergence of drug resistance in M. tuberculosis has rendered the existing means ineffective in the treatment of TB. Therefore, research in new therapeutic directions has become imperative. In this review, we outline functional peptides in terms of the mechanisms of action, anti-TB attempts, advantages and disadvantages, and latest advances, aiming to analyze the research progress in anti-TB peptides. Furthermore, we investigate the potential applications of bioactive compounds found in traditional Chinese Medicine within the context of peptides.

ObjectiveTo analyze the policy texts regarding the inclusion of 44 assisted reproductive medical service projects into basic medical insurance in China and to provide recommendations for the formulation and improvement of subsequent policies. MethodsMethods such as textual analysis， qualitative research， and descriptive statistics were employed. Based on the theory of policy instruments， a two-dimensional analytical framework integrating policy instruments with policy objectives was constructed to systematically examine the current status and existing issues in the inclusion of assisted reproductive medical service projects in basic medical insurance. ResultsDemand-based and environment-based policy instruments were more frequently utilized， accounting for 42.11% and 37.89%， respectively. Supply-based policy instruments accounted for only 20.00%， indicating limited use. In terms of policy objectives， standardized service management constituted the largest proportion （27.65%）， whereas integrating service resources accounted for the smallest share （10.00%）， showing an imbalanced and insufficient utilization of policy instruments. ConclusionTo better advance and implement the inclusion of assisted reproductive medical service projects in basic medical insurance and foster the construction of a fertility-friendly society， it is essential to strengthen the use of supply-based policy instruments， promote internal structural balance， expand the medical insurance catalog of assisted reproductive technologies， increase reimbursement rates， intensify publicity efforts， formulate scientific planning， establish rigorous qualification evaluations， enhance the synergy of policy instruments， and optimize the structure of policy instruments.

AIM:To investigate the role of serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hsCRP)in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetic retinopathy(DR)in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).METHODS:A nested case-control study was conducted involving 187 T2DM patients(187 eyes)who attended at Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University from June 2017 to October 2024. Patients were categorized into three groups: the diabetes mellitus(DM)group, non-proliferative DR(NPDR)group, and proliferative DR(PDR)group. Baseline information was collected, including age, sex, duration of DM, and duration of hypertension. All patients underwent fasting biochemical tests and comprehensive ophthalmic examinations.RESULTS: A positive correlation was observed between hsCRP and fasting blood glucose(FBG; P=0.004)and glycated hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c; P=0.048)by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis. After adjusting for confounding factors, multivariable Logistic regression identified hsCRP as a significant risk factor for DR(OR=2.67, 95% CI: 1.19-5.96, P=0.017). CONCLUSION:Serum hsCRP is positively correlated with FBG and HbA1c and can serve as an important predictor of the severity of DR.

To enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the baicalin-berberine complex(BA-BBR) in the treatment of ulcerative colitis(UC), BA-BBR nanocrystal microspheres(BA-BBR NC MS) were prepared using the dropping method. The microspheres were characterized in terms of morphology, particle size, differential scanning calorimetry(DSC), and powder X-ray diffraction(XRD). The release profiles of BA and BBR from the microspheres were measured, and the drug release mechanism was investigated. A rat model of UC was induced by 5% dextran sodium sulfate(DSS) and treated continuously for 7 days to evaluate the therapeutic effects of different formulations. The results showed that the prepared BA-BBR MS and BA-BBR NC MS were uniform gel spheres with particle sizes of(1.77±0.16) mm and(1.67±0.08) mm, respectively. After drying, the gels collapsed inward and exhibited a rough surface. During the preparation process, the BA-BBR nanocrystals(BA-BBR NC) were uniformly encapsulated within the microspheres. The release profiles of the microspheres followed a first-order kinetic model, and the 12-hour cumulative release of BA and BBR from BA-BBR NC MS was higher than that from BA-BBR MS. Compared with BA-BBR, BA-BBR NC, and BA-BBR MS, BA-BBR NC MS further alleviated UC symptoms in rats, most significantly reducing the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and MPO, while increasing the level of IL-4 in colon tissues. These results indicate that BA-BBR NC MS, based on a "nano-in-micro" design, can deliver BA-BBR to the intestine and exert significant therapeutic effects in a UC rat model, suggesting it as a promising new strategy for the treatment of UC.
Animals ; Colitis, Ulcerative/metabolism* ; Rats ; Nanoparticles/chemistry* ; Microspheres ; Male ; Berberine/administration & dosage* ; Flavonoids/administration & dosage* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Humans ; Particle Size ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/immunology* ; Drug Liberation ; Drug Compounding

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of Xinxuetong Oral Liquid in the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).Methods A total of 80 patients with ACS of blood stasis syndrome who were hospitalized in Shunde Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from January 2023 to September 2023 were randomly divided into the treatment group and control group according to random number table method,40 patients in each group.The patients in the two groups were given conventional western medicine treatment including lifestyle guidance,percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI),and conventional western medicine therapy.Additionally,the treatment group was treated with Xinxuetong Oral Liquid.The course of treatment for the two groups covered eight weeks.Before and after treatment the two groups were observed in the changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome score,blood stasis syndrome score,angina pectoris score,blood lipid indicators,carotid ultrasonography indicators,echocardiography indicators,and serum levels of trimethylamine-N-oxide(TMAO),nitric oxide(NO),endothelin 1(ET-1),interleukin 8(IL-8),serine/threonine-protein kinase 1(AKT-1),and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGF-A).After treatment,the efficacy on TCM syndrome efficacy and the safety of the regimen in the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)During the trial,there were two cases of loss to follow-up and one case of withdrawal due to pneumonia,and eventually a total of 77 patients completed the full course of treatment,among which 39 patients were in the treatment group and 38 patients were in the control group.(2)After eight weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the treatment group was 89.74％(35/39),and that of the control group was 63.16％(24/38).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the effective rate of TCM syndrome efficacy in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the scores of TCM symptoms such as chest pain,chest distress,symptom aggravation at night,and palpitation in the two groups,as well as the score of gloomy complexion in the treatment group,were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and the decrease of scores of chest distress,symptom aggravation at night,and palpitation in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(4)After treatment,the blood stasis syndrome score and angina pectoris symptom score of the two groups of patients were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the decrease in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(5)After treatment,the serum TMAO,ET-1,IL-8,AKT-1,and VEGF-A levels in the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the serum NO level was significantly increased compared with that before treatment(P＜0.01).The decrease of serum TMAO,ET-1,IL-8,and AKT-1,VEGF-A levels and the increase of serum NO level in the treatment group were significantly superior to those of the control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(6)After treatment,the total cholesterol(TCHO)and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)levels of the two groups(P＜0.01)and the triglyceride(TG)level of the treatment group(P＜0.05)were decreased significantly compared with those before treatment,while the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)level of the treatment group was increased significantly compared with that before treatment(P＜0.01).No obvious changes of TG and HDL-C levels before and after treatment were shown in the control group(P＞0.05).The comparison of blood lipid indicators after treatment between groups showed that there were no statistically significant differences(P＞0.05).(7)After treatment,the carotid ultrasonography indicators of carotid intima-media thickness(IMT)and Crouse score of the carotid plaque in the two groups were significantly improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.01).However,there was no statistical significance in the comparison of the two indicators between the two groups after treatment(P＞0.05).(8)The observation of echocardiography indicators showed that only the post-treatment left ventricular diameter(LVd)of the treatment group was significantly larger than that before treatment(P＜0.05),while no obvious changes of the other echocardiography indicators before and after treatment were shown in the two groups(P＞0.05).The comparison between the groups after treatment also showed no statistically significant differences(P＞0.05).(9)During the treatment,no serious drug-induced adverse reactions or drug-related severe cardiovascular events and complications occurred in the two groups.Conclusion The combination of Xinxuetong Oral Liquid with conventional western medicine treatment exerts certain efficacy and safety on improving the clinical symptoms of patients with ACS of blood stasis syndrome,and its therapeutic mechanism may be related to the improvement of blood lipid levels,inflammatory response,and TMAO level.

Objective To investigate the risk factors associated with recurrence of high-grade non-functioning pituitary neuroendocrine tumors(NF-PitNETs)following total resection.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on the clinical data of 252 patients with high-grade NF-PitNETs who underwent surgical treatment at the Department of Neurosurgery,Beijing Tiantan Hospital from January 2012 to December 2023,and met the inclusion criteria.High-grade NF-PitNETs included Knosp 3A,3B,and 4-grade subtypes.Kaplan-Meier curves and Log-rank tests were employed to compare the progression-free survival(PFS)of Knosp 3A,3B,and 4-grade patients.Cox regression analysis was applied to identify the risk factors associated with the recurrence of high-grade NF-PitNETs.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to calculate the area under the curve(AUC)of each recurrence-related factor to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency.Results Survival analysis revealed that there were significant differences in PFS among Knosp 3A,3B,and 4-grade patients(P<0.001).The PFS of Knosp 3A was significantly better than that of grade 3B and 4-grade(P<0.05),while there was no significant difference between Knosp 3B and 4-grade(P=0.118).After integrating the three groups into Knosp 3A group and 3B-4 group,there were significant differences in PFS and some clinical features between the two groups(P<0.05).Cox regression analysis indicated that age<55 years old(HR=2.883,95%CI 1.253-6.634;P=0.013),T2 heterogeneous signal(HR=1.842,95%CI 1.061-3.197;P=0.030),Knosp 3B-4(HR=2.190,95%CI 1.069-4.488;P=0.032),and Ki-67≥3%(HR=2.266,95%CI 1.265-4.061;P=0.006)were risk factors related to tumor recurrence.ROC curve analysis showed that the AUCs of the above-mentioned risk factors were 0.682,0.706,0.709 and 0.750,respectively,and the AUC of the multi-factor combined model(age+T2 signal+Knosp grade+Ki-67)was 0.838,which was significantly larger than that of each single risk factor(P<0.05).Conclusion High-grade NF-PitNETs patients with age<55 years old,T2 heterogeneous signal,Knosp 3B-4 and Ki-67≥3%have a higher recurrence risk.The combined application of multiple risk factors can improve the predictive value of recurrence.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of comprehensive intervention on bowel function, anxiety, and quality of life in hospitalized elderly patients, and to assess its safety.Methods:Sixty-four elderly inpatients with mixed-type constipation were recruited between October 2020 and January 2021 and randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group ( n=32 in each group). The control group received oral mosapride(5 mg each time, 3 times a day) plus one aloe capsule(once a day), whereas the treatment group was provided with a comprehensive intervention including dietary and defecation-behavior guidance, abdominal massage, and psychological support, and additionally took lorazepam(0.5 mg each time, once a day) on top of the control regimen for a 4-week treatment course. Bowel efficacy was recorded at baseline, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after intervention. Anxiety was assessed with the Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), and quality of life with the short-form 36 health survey (SF-36). Complications and adverse events were also monitored.SPSS 22.0 software was used for data analysis, and χ2 test or repeated measures ANOVA was used for comparison between the two groups. Results:After 2 and 4 weeks, the overall response rates in the treatment group were 84.37%(27/32) and 93.75%(30/32), respectively, and significantly higher than those in the control group (59.37%(19/32) and 62.50%(20/32); χ2=4.947, 9.143, both P<0.05). HAMA scores decreased from 20.50±2.11 to 14.75± 1.48 in the treatment group and from 20.13±1.60 to 17.75±1.98 in the control group ( Finteraction=18.36, P<0.001). SF-36 total scores improved from 75.82±5.11 to 89.35±5.21 in the treatment group and from 74.90±5.26 to 83.03±5.42 in the control group ( Finteraction=12.74, P<0.001). At both 2 and 4 weeks, the treatment group had lower HAMA scores and higher SF-36 scores than the control group (all P<0.05). The incidence of complications in the treatment group was lower than that in in the control group (6.25%(2/32) vs 37.50%(12/32), χ2=9.143, P<0.05). No serious adverse events occurred in either group. Conclusion:Comprehensive intervention significantly improves functional constipation in elderly inpatients, alleviates anxiety, enhances quality of life, and is well tolerated.

Objective To understand the current situation of thirst in patients with cirrhosis and analyze its influencing factors,in order to improve medical staff's attention to thirst symptoms in patients with cirrhosis and provide theoretical basis for clinical intervention.Methods A total of 220 patients with cirrhosis who were hospitalized in the infection department of a tertiary A general hospital in Wuhan from March to June 2024 were selected by convenience sampling method.General data questionnaire,Numerical Score Scale and Thirst Distress Scale were used to investigate the factors affecting thirst sensation in patients with cirrhosis.Results A total of 202 valid questionnaires were collected,and the effective questionnaire recovery rate was 91.82％.The results showed that the incidence of thirst in patients with cirrhosis was 59.41％;the score of thirst was 3.00(3.00,6.00)points,and the mean score of thirst was 3.09.Among them,43.07％of the patients with cirrhosis were in the moderate to severe level of thirst.The score of Thirst Distress Scale is 6.00(6.00,17.00)points,and the average score of thirst distress was 11.62 points,which was in the medium level.47.03％of patients with cirrhosis indicated thirst distress,and 23.76％of patients with cirrhosis which was in the moderate and severe level of distress.The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the degree of ascites,the use of diuretics,the stage of disease,and the degree of thirst distress were the factors influencing the degree of thirst in patients with cirrhosis(P＜0.05).Gender,marital status,degree of ascites,use of diuretic drugs,disease stage and degree of thirst were the factors influencing degree of thirst distress in patients with cirrhosis(P＜0.05).Conclusion The incidence and severity of thirst in patients with cirrhosis are relatively high,and are affected by many factors.Medical staff should pay more attention to the management of thirst symptoms in patients with cirrhosis,and formulate targeted nursing measures or nursing programs according to the related influencing factors of thirst,so as to improve the comfort level of patients and improve the disease experience of patients.

Objective Based on the transcriptome data of Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L.Koch,SSR primers were designed and developed to evaluate the genetic diversity and analyze the population structure of the germplasm resources of S.mutilans,which can provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of the germplasm resources of S.mutilans.Methods We collected 301 samples of S.mutilans from major production areas,and analyzed the population genetic diversity and population structure of the germplasm resources of S.mutilans using 18 pairs of highly polymorphic SSR primers after screening.Results A total of 142 alleles were amplified by 18 primer pairs across all samples,with an average of 7.89 alleles amplified per locus.The mean of observed heterozygosity(HO)of the 18 populations was 0.39,the mean of expected heterozygosity(HE)was 0.46,the mean of polymorphism information content(PIC)was 0.41,the mean of Nei's gene diversity index(H)was 0.46,and the mean of Shannon information index(I)was 0.81.The results showed that the wild resources of S.mutilans collected in this study had a high level of genetic diversity,Four populations in Anhui and Zhejiang had higher genetic diversity than populations in Hubei.Molecular analysis of variance(AMOVA)of the population showed that most of the genetic variation in the materials of this study mainly occurred within populations.The STRUCTURE analysis of germplasm resources showed that all germplasm could be divided into four populations.Conclusion This study showed that the natural population of S.mutilans possesses high genetic diversity with high genetic variation and is better adapted to changes in the environment.Our results provided a research basis for the rational utilization of the germplasm resources of S.mutilans and the selection and breeding of superior varieties.

Objective To investigate the current status of pelvic floor muscle training(PFMT)adherence for preventing low anterior resection syndrome(LARS)in rectal cancer patients with prophylactic ostomy and analyze its influencing factors.Methods A total of 247 patients who underwent preventive stoma reversal surgery after sphincter-preserving rectal cancer resection between January 2024 and February 2025 at 22 tertiary hospitals in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region were recruited in this study.Their clinical data were collected through a general information questionnaire,a LARS Knowledge-Attitude-Practice and Needs questionnaire,a PFMT Self-Efficacy Scale,and a PFMT Adherence Questionnaire.Univariate analysis,correlation analysis,LASSO regression,and random forest importance ranking were applied to screen the variables,and multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to analyze the significant variables.Results The overall PFMT adherence score was 14.52±4.18 among the 247 patients.The random forest algorithm identified 7 key predictors when the minimum error was achieved at a λ value of 2.293.The top 7 variables in importance ranking were PFMT self-efficacy,total knowledge-attitude-practice(KAP)score,education level,primary caregiver,tumor location,stoma reversal time,and chemoradiotherapy.Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that PFMT self-efficacy(P<0.001,β=0.007,95%CI:0.004～0.009),total KAP score(P<0.001,β=0.052,95%CI:0.035～0.070),stoma reversal time(P<0.030,β=-0.539,95%CI:-1.025～-0.053),and chemoradiotherapy(P<0.045,β=-0.451,95%CI:0.010～0.892)were significant related factors of PFMT adherence(P<0.05).Conclusion PFMT adherence for LARS prevention is at a moderate level in rectal cancer patients with prophylactic ostomy.Key factors such as PFMT self-efficacy,total KAP score,stoma reversal time,and chemoradiotherapy are significantly correlated with PFMT adherence.