Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an increasingly widespread sleep-breathing disordered disease, and is an independent risk factor for many high-risk chronic diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, arrhythmias and diabetes, which is potentially fatal. The key to the prevention and treatment of OSA is early diagnosis and treatment, so the assessment and diagnostic technologies of OSA have become a research hotspot. This paper reviews the research progresses of severity assessment parameters and diagnostic technologies of OSA, and discusses their future development trends. In terms of severity assessment parameters of OSA, apnea hypopnea index (AHI), as the gold standard, together with the percentage of duration of apnea hypopnea (AH%), lowest oxygen saturation (LSpO₂), heart rate variability (HRV), oxygen desaturation index (ODI) and the emerging biomarkers, constitute a multi-dimensional evaluation system. Specifically, the AHI, which measures the frequency of sleep respiratory events per hour, does not fully reflect the patients’ overall sleep quality or the extent of their daytime functional impairments. To address this limitation, the AH%, which measures the proportion of the entire sleep cycle affected by apneas and hypopneas, deepens our understanding of the impact on sleep quality. The LSpO₂ plays a critical role in highlighting the potential severe hypoxic episodes during sleep, while the HRV offers a different perspective by analyzing the fluctuations in heart rate thereby revealing the activity of the autonomic nervous system. The ODI provides a direct and objective measure of patients’ nocturnal oxygenation stability by calculating the number of desaturation events per hour, and the biomarkers offers novel insights into the diagnosis and management of OSA, and fosters the development of more precise and tailored OSA therapeutic strategies. In terms of diagnostic techniques of OSA, the standardized questionnaire and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) is a simple and effective method for preliminary screening of OSA, and the polysomnography (PSG) which is based on recording multiple physiological signals stands for gold standard, but it has limitations of complex operations, high costs and inconvenience. As a convenient alternative, the home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) allows patients to monitor their sleep with simplified equipment in the comfort of their own homes, and the cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) offers a minimal version that simply analyzes the electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. As an emerging diagnostic technology of OSA, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) adeptly pinpoint respiratory incidents and expose delicate physiological changes, thus casting new light on the diagnostic approach to OSA. In addition, imaging examination utilizes detailed visual representations of the airway’s structure and assists in recognizing structural abnormalities that may result in obstructed airways, while sound monitoring technology records and analyzes snoring and breathing sounds to detect the condition subtly, and thus further expands our medical diagnostic toolkit. As for the future development directions, it can be predicted that interdisciplinary integrated researches, the construction of personalized diagnosis and treatment models, and the popularization of high-tech in clinical applications will become the development trends in the field of OSA evaluation and diagnosis.

BACKGROUND:Traditional Chinese medicine has rich experience and unique advantages in the empirical treatment of phlegm-heat and Fu-organs excess syndrome of ischemic stroke.In order to further explore the therapeutic targets and mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine for this disease,it is crucial to establish a stable and reliable animal model of phlegm-heat and Fu-organs excess syndrome combined with empirical symptoms of ischemic stroke. OBJECTIVE:To explore the establishment method and evaluation system of the rat model of ischemic stroke with phlegm-heat and Fu-organ excess syndrome. METHODS:Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups:blank control group(n=12),ischemic stroke group(n=18),disease+syndrome group(n=18),phlegm-heat and Fu-organ excess syndrome group(n=12),all of which were given high-fat diet for 25 days.On the 26th day,the rats in the blank control group and ischemic stroke group were intragastrically given normal saline and high fat diet,while those in the other two groups were intragastrically given autologous feces suspension and high fat diet for 3 continuous days.After gavage,ischemic stroke models were established using the suture method in the ischemic stroke group and disease+syndrome group.The changes in diet,water intake,body mass,body temperature,fecal traits,nasal secretions,sputum in the throat,and tongue image were recorded.Neurological deficits,tongue image,blood lipid levels,morphological changes of brain tissue and carotid artery,and the serum levels of motilin and somatostatin were detected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the control group,the rats in the disease+syndrome group had shortness of breath,listlessness,irritability,bradykinesia,a large number of secretions around the nose,audible and heavy sputum in the throat,decreased diet and water intake,increased body mass,body temperature,and slingual vein score,decreased fecal pellet count,Bristol score and fecal moisture content,increased serum total cholesterol,triglyceride,low-density lipoprotein and somatostatin levels,decreased motilin level,increased neurological deficit score,significant pathological changes of the carotid artery,and significant morphological changes of the brain tissue.The ischemic stroke group only showed pathological changes of ischemic brain tissue,without the characteristics of phlegm-heat and Fu-organ excess syndrome.The phlegm-heat and Fu-organ excess syndrome group could present with the typical characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes,without the pathological changes of brain tissue with ischemic stroke.To conclude,the compound modeling method of high-fat induction combined with suture method and autologous feces gavage can establish an animal model of ischemic stroke with phlegm-heat and Fu-organ excess syndrome.

Shengma Gegentang is one of the classic formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Prescriptions （Second Batch）. This study reviewed ancient and modern literature and used literature tracing and bibliometric methods to analyze the historical evolution， efficacy， indications， dosage decoctions， and modern clinical disease spectrum of Shengma Gegentang. The results indicated that the earliest record of Shengma Gegentang can be found in the Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang of the Song dynasty， but its origin can be traced back to the Shaoyao Siwu Jiejitang in the Beiji Qianjin Yaofang of the Tang dynasty. The composition dosage of Shengma Gegentang is 413 g of Cimicifugae Rhizoma， 619.5 g of Puerariae Lobatae Radix， 413 g of Paeoniae Radix Alba， and 413 g of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， which are ground into coarse powder. Each dose is 12.39 g， and the amount of water added is 300 mL. 100 mL of solution is decocted and taken at the right time. The four drugs in the formula play the role of relieving exterior syndrome， penetrating pathogenic factors， and detoxicating together. Its indications are widely involved in internal medicine， pediatrics， surgery， ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology， obstetrics and gynecology， sexually transmitted diseases， and other diseases， such as measles， sores， acne， spots， surgical gangrene， red eyes， toothache， chancre， and fetal poison. The epidemic diseases treated by Shengma Gegentang are complicated， including rash， pox， macula， numbness， summer diarrhea， dysentery， sha disease， febrile symptoms， spring warmth， winter warmth， and cold pestilence. At the same time， it is a plague prevention formula. Although Shengma Gegentang has a wide range of indications， it cannot be separated from the pathogenic mechanism of evil Qi blocking the muscle surface and heat in the lungs and stomach. The modern clinical disease spectrum of Shengma Gegentang involves the ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology system， nervous system， pediatric-related diseases and syndromes， skin system， hepatobiliary system， and digestive system. It plays a key role in the treatment of epidemic diseases such as measles， chronic hepatitis B， dysentery， and tetanus.

In this study, we constructed a GLP-2R-HEK293 cell line and established a method for the determination of the in vitro biological activity of teduglutide based on HTRF, after optimizing experimental conditions and methodological verification. We also carried out relative potency detection of teduglutide pharmaceutical products using this method. The result showed that there was a quantitative-efficient relationship between the teduglutide activity and cAMP contents in GLP-2R-HEK293 cells, which conformed to four-parameter model. Method verification results of five concentrations of teduglutide (64%, 80%, 100%, 125% and 156%) met the requirements of the General Rules of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, 2020 edition, Volume IV (9401). We then analyzed the relative potency of three batches of teduglutide drug substances and three batches of drug products. The linearity, regression and parallelism of the obtained curves all fit the system suitability requirements. The relative potency of six batches of teduglutide was from 83% to 105%. In summary, the biological activity detection method established in this study was accurate, precise, simple and time-saving, which can be used for quality control of teduglutide pharmaceutical products.

This paper aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of hypoxic training at different fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂) on body composition, glucose metabolism, and lipid metabolism in obese individuals, and to determine the optimal oxygen concentration range to provide scientific evidence for personalized and precise hypoxic exercise prescriptions. A systematic search was conducted in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and CNKI databases for randomized controlled trials and pre-post intervention studies published up to March 31, 2025, involving hypoxic training interventions in obese populations. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software to assess the effects of different fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂≤14% vs. FiO₂>14%) on BMI, body fat percentage, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), with subgroup analyses based on oxygen concentration. A total of 22 studies involving 292 participants were included. Meta-analysis showed that hypoxic training significantly reduced BMI (mean difference (MD)=-2.29,95%CI: -3.42 to -1.17, P<0.000 1), body fat percentage (MD=-2.32, 95%CI: -3.16 to -1.47, P<0.001), waist circumference (MD=-3.79, 95%CI: -6.73 to -0.85, P=0.01), fasting blood glucose (MD=-3.58, 95%CI: -6.23 to -0.93, P=0.008), insulin (MD=-1.60, 95%CI: -2.98 to -0.22, P=0.02), TG (MD=-0.18, 95%CI: -0.25 to -0.12, P<0.001), and LDL-C (MD=-0.25, 95%CI: -0.39 to -0.11, P=0.000 3). Greater improvements were observed under moderate hypoxic conditions with FiO₂>14%. Changes in HOMA-IR (MD=-0.74, 95%CI: -1.52 to 0.04,P=0.06) and HDL-C (MD=-0.09, 95%CI: -0.21 to 0.02, P=0.11) were not statistically significant. Hypoxic training can significantly improve body composition, glucose metabolism, and lipid metabolism indicators in obese individuals, with greater benefits observed under moderate hypoxia (FiO>14%). As a key parameter in hypoxic exercise interventions, the precise setting of oxygen concentration is crucial for optimizing intervention outcomes.

Objective: To explore relationship of sleep quality with overweight and obesity among middle school students, so as to provide a reference basis for improving adolescent sleep health. Methods: From September to December 2023, 5 713 middle school students aged 13 to 18 were selected by stratified cluster random sampling method in six regions, including Shanghai, Suzhou, Taiyuan, Wuyuan, Xingyi and Urumqi. Sleep quality survey was conducted on middle school students by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Height and weight were measured, and World Health Organization s standards for growth and development of children and adolescents was used to evaluate their nutritional status. Both χ 2 test and Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the association between sleep quality and nutritional status of middle school students. Results: The non compliance detection rate of sleep quality was 38.4% among girls, but 29.2% among boys, and the difference was of statistical significance( χ 2=54.08, P < 0.01 ). The detection rate of substandard sleep quality was 34.2% in the group with normal nutritional status, 38.3% in the group with overweight, 43.7% in the group with obesity and 26.0% in the group with emaciation, and the difference in the rates of substandard sleep quality among middle school students of different nutritional status was statistically significant ( χ 2=68.15, P <0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that, after controlling for mental health and physical activity, the detection rate of substandard sleep quality in the obese groups was 1.30 times higher than that in the normal group, respectively( OR =1.30, 95% CI =1.06- 1.59 , P <0.01). Conclusions Sleep quality is correlated with overweight and obesity among middle school students, and there are gender differences. Intervention policies should be formulated according to the characteristics of different genders.

The subcortical visual pathway is generally thought to be involved in dangerous information processing, such as fear processing and defensive behavior. A recent study, published in Human Brain Mapping, shows a new function of the subcortical pathway involved in the fast processing of non-emotional object perception. Rapid object processing is a critical function of visual system. Topological perception theory proposes that the initial perception of objects begins with the extraction of topological property (TP). However, the mechanism of rapid TP processing remains unclear. The researchers investigated the subcortical mechanism of TP processing with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). They find that a subcortical magnocellular pathway is responsible for the early processing of TP, and this subcortical processing of TP accelerates object recognition. Based on their findings, we propose a novel training approach called subcortical magnocellular pathway training (SMPT), aimed at improving the efficiency of the subcortical M pathway to restore visual and attentional functions in disorders associated with subcortical pathway dysfunction.

Objective To investigate the clinical application of three-dimensional intracavitary/free-hand interstitial brachytherapy technique in radical radiotherapy for cervical cancer. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on the clinical data of patients with cervical cancer who underwent radical radiotherapy using CT-guided three-dimensional intracavitary/free-hand interstitial brachytherapy technique in The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from April 2019 to September 2021. The short-term efficacy and adverse reactions were analyzed, and the independent predictors affecting short-term efficacy were evaluated by logistic risk regression model. Results A total of 182 patients were included, and all patients successfully completed the treatment. Clinical efficacy assessment performed 3 months after treatment revealed an overall response rate of 90.65%; the incidence of grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions in the lower gastrointestinal tract was 4.4% during treatment. After reclassifying stage IIIC patients according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 staging system and including factors affecting the stage, it was found that the tumor volume before brachytherapy was the main factor affecting the clinical efficacy of patients at this stage (P = 0.004). Conclusion As a key method in radical radiotherapy for cervical cancer, three-dimensional intracavitary/free-hand interstitial brachytherapy technique is safe and effective and can be quickly popularized in primary hospitals beyond regional cancer centers for cervical cancer brachytherapy.

Objective: To analyze and summarize the clinical and pathological characteristics, management, and efficacy of patients with vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) through a single center large sample study, and preliminarily to explore the frequency of maintenance treatment medication for VLS. Methods: The clinical data of VLS patients in Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from 2018 to 2021 were retrospectively collected. The clinicopathological characteristics (patients' age, course of disease, complicated disease history, family history, symptoms, signs and pathology), treatment and effects were retrospectively analyzed. The patients in the maintenance treatment stage were followed up regularly to explore the minimum frequency of individual medication to maintain the stability of the disease. Results: (1) General situation: a total of 345 patients with VLS were included in this study. The average age was (50.4±14.7) years (ranged from 8 to 84 years old), prevalence was highest in the 50-59 years group (30.1%, 104/345). Immune diseases occurred in 18.6% (33/177) of patients, 24.3% (43/177) of patients had allergic skin diseases, and 5.6% (10/177) of the patients' immediate family members had chronic vulvar pruritus or vulvar hypopigmentation. (2) Clinical features: the most common symptom was vulvar pruritus (96.1%, 196/204) among 204 patients with recorded symptoms. The most common sign was hypopigmentation of the vulva (96.3%, 206/214). The most common involved sites were labia minora (70.3%, 142/202), labia majora (67.8%, 137/202), and labial sulcus (59.4%, 120/202). The cumulative number of sites involved in 62 vulvar atrophy patients (2.7±1.1) was significantly higher than that in 152 non-atrophy patients (2.2±1.0; t=3.48, P=0.001). The course of vulvar atrophy was (9.3±8.5) years, which was significantly longer than that of non-atrophy patients [(6.6±5.6) years; t=2.04, P=0.046]. (3) Pathological features: among the 286 patients with electronic pathological sections, the most common pathological feature in the epidermis was epithelial nail process passivation (71.3%, 204/286). The common pathological features in the dermis were interstitial collagenization (84.6%, 242/286), and inflammatory cell infiltration (73.8%, 211/286). (4) Treatment: 177 patients received standardized treatment after diagnosis and were followed up regularly in our hospital. In the initial treatment stage, 26.0% (46/177) of the patients were treated with 0.05% clobetasol propionate cream, and 74.0% (131/177) of the patients were treated with 0.1% mometasone furoate ointment. The complete remission rates of the two methods were respectively 80.4% (37/46) and 74.0% (97/131), and there was no statistically significant difference (χ²=0.76, P=0.385). During maintenance treatment, 27.1% (48/177) of the patients took the medication twice a week, 35.0% (62/177) took the medication once a week, and 37.9% (67/177) took the medication once every 10 days. During follow-up after 6 months of maintenance treatment, there were no patients with recurrence of pruritus or progression of vulvar signs. Conclusions: The majority of VLS patients have itching, hypopigmentation, involvement of labia minora and labia majora, progressive atrophy, and inflammatory infiltration of dermis. Local treatments of mometasone furoate and clobetasol propionate have good initial therapeutic effects. The frequency exploration of individualized maintenance treatment could minimize the occurrence of adverse reactions when ensuring the stability of the patients' condition.
Female ; Humans ; Child ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus/pathology* ; Clobetasol/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Mometasone Furoate/therapeutic use* ; Pruritus/drug therapy* ; Atrophy/drug therapy* ; Hypopigmentation/drug therapy*

Objective:To explore if miR-133a is involved in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)via regulating G6PD.Methods:Bioinformatics analysis predicted the binding sites of miR-133a and G6PD;RT-PCR or western blot was used to assess the expres-sion of miR-133a and G6PD in HCC tissues and the adjacent normal tissues;CCK-8 and flow cy-tometry assays were performed to evaluate the effects of miR-133a/G6PD on cell proliferation,apop-tosis;Fluorescent reporter gene and western blot assays were used to assess the effect of miR-133a on G6PD expression.Results:miR-133a expression was decreased in HCC tissues while G6PD was increased(P0.01);Up-regulation of miR-133a significantly reduced G6PD expression(P＜0.01);up-reg-ulation of miR-133a inhibited cell growth and promoted cell apoptosis(P＜0.05),whereas these effects induced by miR-133a over-expression were all abolished when G6PD was up-regulated(P＜0.01).Conclusion:miR-133a represses the occurrence and development of HCC via targeting G6PD.