ObjectiveTo explore the improving effect of Huangqi Chifengtang（HCT） on atherosclerosis（AS）， and elucidate its mechanism in relation to adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase（AMPK）/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α（PPARα） signaling pathway and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain（NOD）-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3（NLRP3） inflammasome. MethodsEight C57BL/6J mice were set as the normal group， and 32 ApoE^-/- mice were randomly divided into the model group， the positive drug group（atorvastatin， 5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， HCT low- and high-dose groups（1.95， 3.90 g·kg^-1·d^-1）. ApoE^-/- mice were fed with high-fat and high-cholesterol feed to establish an AS mouse model. After modeling， they were orally administered corresponding dose of drugs for 28 days， while the normal and model groups received an equal volume of physiological saline via oral gavage. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the pathological status of the aorta and liver in mice， Biochemical testing and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） were used to detect the levels of total cholesterol（TC）， triglycerides（TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol（LDL-C）， alanine aminotransferase（ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase（AST）， C-reactive protein（CRP）， interleukin（IL）-1β， IL-18 in the serum， as well as superoxide dismutase（SOD）， malondialdehyde（MDA）， and reduced glutathione（GSH） in the liver. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein（ASC）， cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1（Caspase-1）， Toll-like receptor 4（TLR4） in the aorta， and fatty acid synthase（FAS）， stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1（SCD1）， PPARα， and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A（CPT1A） in the liver. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the protein expressions of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and ASC in the aorta， and Western blot was used to measure the protein expressions of AMPK， p-AMPK， sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c（SREBP-1c）， CPT1A， and FAS in the liver. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant increase in lipid plaque deposition in the aorta and lipid accumulation in the liver， the levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， AST， ALT， IL-1β， IL-18 and CRP in the serum were significantly increased（P<0.01）， and the mRNA and protein expressions of aortic TLR4， NLRP3， Caspase-1 and ASC were significantly upregulated（P<0.01）. The levels of SOD and GSH in the liver were significantly reduced， while the level of MDA was significantly increased（P<0.01）. The mRNA expressions of FAS and SCD1 in the liver were significantly downregulated， while the mRNA expressions of PPARα and CPT1A were significantly upregulated. The protein expressions of p-AMPK/AMPK and CPT1A in the liver were significantly reduced， while the expressions of SREBP-1c and FAS proteins were significantly increased（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the low- and high-dose HCT groups showed significant improvements in aortic plaques and hepatic lipid deposition. The levels of TC， LDL-C， AST， IL-1β and IL-18 in the serum of the low-dose HCT group， as well as TC， TG， LDL-C， AST， ALT， IL-1β， IL-18 and CRP in the serum of the high-dose HCT group， were significantly reduced（P<0.01）. The mRNA expressions of TLR4， NLRP3 and Caspase-1 in the aorta of the low-dose HCT group， as well as TLR4， NLRP3， Caspase-1 and ASC in the aorta of the high-dose HCT group， were significantly downregulated（P<0.01）. The protein expressions of Caspase-1 and ASC in the aorta of the low-dose HCT group， as well as NLRP3， Caspase-1 and ASC in the high-dose HCT group， were significantly downregulated（P<0.01）. The levels of SOD and GSH in the liver of the low- and high-dose HCT groups were significantly increased， while the level of MDA in the high-dose HCT group was significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the HCT-treated group， the mRNA expressions of FAS and SCD1 in the liver were significantly upregulated， while the mRNA expressions of PPARα and CPT1A were significantly downregulated， the protein expressions of p-AMPK/AMPK and CPT1A in the liver were significantly increased， while the protein expressions of SREBP-1c and FAS were significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionHCT can improve lipid metabolism by activating the AMPK/PPARα pathway and inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory responses， thereby reducing hepatic lipid deposition and AS plaque formation.

OBJECTIVE Based on comment texts from the Weibo platform， this study adopts the text mining method to systematically analyze the public’s emotional attitudes and core concerns of “medical insurance reimbursement”， and explore the public’s real experiences and feedback in the implementation of the current system. METHODS With “medical insurance reimbursement” as the keyword， Python web crawler technology was used to collect Weibo comment texts from December 2023 to April 2025. Word frequency analysis， sentiment analysis， semantic network analysis and Latent Dirichlet Allocation （LDA） topic models were adopted to mine the in-depth features of comment texts and investigate the public’s concerns and emotional attitudes toward “medical insurance reimbursement”. RESULTS A total of 3 645 valid comment texts were obtained. The overall emotional of the public toward “medical insurance reimbursement” was weakly positive： 66.4% of the comments contained positive emotions， and 32.4% contained negative emotions. Semantic network analysis indicated that positive public emotions mainly centered on the achievements of medical insurance reform and the improvement of security level， while negative emotions mainly focused on reimbursement rules， economic burden and the implementation of medical insurance policies. The LDA model identified eight core themes， mainly including access of new drugs to medical insurance catalogs， medical insurance support for traditional Chinese medicine and biomedicine， disputes over medical insurance coverage of specific medical items， cross-regional medical treatment and medical insurance settlement， medical insurance reimbursement and medical burden， as well as the approval of innovative drugs and medical insurance payment. CONCLUSIONS The public generally holds a positive attitude toward “medical insurance reimbursement”， yet still has many expectations in terms of policy implementation. On the premise of guaranteeing the sustainability of medical insurance funds， it is suggested to further improve the transparency and fairness of the reimbursement process， and promote the scientific， standardized and efficient development of the medical insurance system. Meanwhile， attention should be paid to public opinion feedback on social media， and the policy communication mechanism should be strengthened， so as to enhance the public’s sense of gain and trust in the medical insurance system.

OBJECTIVE Based on comment texts from the Weibo platform， this study adopts the text mining method to systematically analyze the public’s emotional attitudes and core concerns of “medical insurance reimbursement”， and explore the public’s real experiences and feedback in the implementation of the current system. METHODS With “medical insurance reimbursement” as the keyword， Python web crawler technology was used to collect Weibo comment texts from December 2023 to April 2025. Word frequency analysis， sentiment analysis， semantic network analysis and Latent Dirichlet Allocation （LDA） topic models were adopted to mine the in-depth features of comment texts and investigate the public’s concerns and emotional attitudes toward “medical insurance reimbursement”. RESULTS A total of 3 645 valid comment texts were obtained. The overall emotional of the public toward “medical insurance reimbursement” was weakly positive： 66.4% of the comments contained positive emotions， and 32.4% contained negative emotions. Semantic network analysis indicated that positive public emotions mainly centered on the achievements of medical insurance reform and the improvement of security level， while negative emotions mainly focused on reimbursement rules， economic burden and the implementation of medical insurance policies. The LDA model identified eight core themes， mainly including access of new drugs to medical insurance catalogs， medical insurance support for traditional Chinese medicine and biomedicine， disputes over medical insurance coverage of specific medical items， cross-regional medical treatment and medical insurance settlement， medical insurance reimbursement and medical burden， as well as the approval of innovative drugs and medical insurance payment. CONCLUSIONS The public generally holds a positive attitude toward “medical insurance reimbursement”， yet still has many expectations in terms of policy implementation. On the premise of guaranteeing the sustainability of medical insurance funds， it is suggested to further improve the transparency and fairness of the reimbursement process， and promote the scientific， standardized and efficient development of the medical insurance system. Meanwhile， attention should be paid to public opinion feedback on social media， and the policy communication mechanism should be strengthened， so as to enhance the public’s sense of gain and trust in the medical insurance system.

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

Objective:To assess the attitudes toward and factors influencing starting insulin use among community-based patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).Methods:A cross- sectional study. This secondary analysis used baseline data from patients with T2D recruited through convenience sampling from a community-based peer support intervention study implemented in nine community health service centers in Shanghai since 2017. Attitudes toward insulin use were assessed using the Chinese Attitudes to Starting Insulin Questionnaire (Ch-ASIQ); the higher the score, the more negative the attitude toward starting insulin use. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the factors influencing attitudes toward starting insulin use.Results:A total of 336 patients with T2D were included in the survey. The patients had a mean age of (67.7±7.9) years, mean disease duration of (13.62±7.73) years, relatively low levels of depression [Patient Health Questionnaire 8 (PHQ-8): 2 (0, 5)] and diabetes distress [Diabetes Distress Scale 4 (DDS-4): 1.97±0.95], and suboptimal target achieving rates of risk factors including body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose, and lipid levels. The total score on the Ch-ASIQ among all patients was 1.84±0.55. Multivariate analyses showed that refusing insulin use was positively significantly associated with higher scores on the Ch-ASIQ and the three sub-dimensions of "Factors promoting self-efficacy," "Fear of pain or needles," and "Time and family support" [ β (95% CI): 0.515 (0.355-0.674), 0.728 (0.470-0.986), 0.273 (0.030-0.515), 0.909 (0.606-1.213), all P<0.05]. In addition, disease duration [ β (95% CI):-0.011 (-0.019 to -0.004)] was independently negatively associated with the Ch-ASIQ score. In comparison, age [ β (95% CI): 0.011 (0.003-0.018)], DDS-4 [0.129 (0.069-0.190)], and PHQ-8 [0.015 (0.000-0.029)] were independently positively associated with the Ch-ASIQ score (all P<0.05). There were slight differences in the factors influencing the four sub-dimensions of the Ch-ASIQ scale. Conclusions:Community-based patients with T2D had moderate negative attitudes toward starting insulin treatment. Refusing insulin use, shorter diabetes duration, older age, higher diabetes distress, and higher levels of depression were associated with higher negative attitudes towards starting insulin use.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and genetic etiology of a child with Neurofibromatosis-Noonan syndrome (NFNS). METHODS: A child with NFNS who was treated at the Department of Endocrinology of Hangzhou Children's Hospital in January 2024 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child was collected by retrospective analysis. Peripheral venous blood samples (2 mL each) were collected from the child and his parents. Genomic DNA was extracted, and trio-whole exome sequencing (Trio-WES) of the family was carried out. Sanger sequencing was used to perform family verification on the candidate variants. The identified variants were classified for pathogenicity according to the Standards and Guidelines for the Interpretation of Sequence Variants established by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) (hereafter referred to as the "ACMG guidelines"). This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Hangzhou Children's Hospital (Ethics No. 2021-06). RESULTS: The child was a 7-year and 4-month-old male. He has short stature, numerous café-au-lait spots on the neck and trunk, and special facial features such as a full forehead, wide interpupillary distance, a low nasal bridge, and low-set ears. The results of Trio-WES showed that the he had harbored the NF1 gene c.3773G>T (p.W1258L) mutation, which was verified by Sanger sequencing to be de novo in origin. The NF1 gene was associated with NFNS, which has an autosomal dominant inheritance. According to the ACMG guidelines, this variant was judged to be a likely pathogenic variant (PS2+PM2+PP3+PP2). No pathogenic variant in genes associated with Noonan syndrome, such as PTPN11, SOS1, RAF1, RIT1, and KRAS, was found. CONCLUSION The child with NFNS has clinical features such as short stature, special facial features, and café-au-lait spots. The c.3773G>T (p.W1258L) variation in the NF1 gene may be the genetic etiology of the NFNS child in this study. The results of this study has enriched the variation spectrum of the NF1 gene.
Child ; Humans ; Male ; Exome Sequencing ; Mutation ; Neurofibromatosis 1/genetics* ; Neurofibromin 1/genetics* ; Noonan Syndrome/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the pathogenic mechanism of a child with Waardenburg syndrome type 4C due to a c.661_664dup (p.P222Lfs*60) variant of SOX10 gene through in vitro experiments. METHODS: A child diagnosed at the Handan First Hospital was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child was collected. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the child and his parents. Following extraction of genomic DNA, trio-whole exome sequencing was carried out. Pathogenicity of candidate variant was determined by bioinformatic analysis and reference to the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. Expression plasmids of wild-type SOX10 and the c.661_664dup (p.P222Lfs*60) variant were constructed and transiently transfected into 293T cells to determine the expression at the RNA and protein levels. The 293T cells transiently transfected with the wild-type/mutant SOX10 were treated with 10 ug/mL cycloheximide (CHX) for 0, 4, 8, 24 h, respectively, and the degradation rate of target protein was detected by Western blotting assay. This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Handan First Hospital (Ethics No. HDYY-LW-25053). RESULTS: The child was found to harbor a heterozygous c.661_664dup (p.P222Lfs*60) variant of the SOX10 gene, which was unreported previously. The variant did not significantly alter the expression of SOX10 at the mRNA level but the protein level. After the CHX treatment, the degradation of mutant SOX10 protein had slowed down. CONCLUSION The mutant SOX10 may affect the expression of downstream genes by affecting the degradation rate of its protein product.
Humans ; HEK293 Cells ; Mutation ; SOXE Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Waardenburg Syndrome/genetics* ; Child

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of transnasal endoscopic clipping of the paraclival internal carotid artery (ICA) in skull base surgery.Methods:The paraclival ICA was anatomically dissected in cadaveric head specimens. The clinical data of 15 patients with skull base lesions involving the ICA who admitted to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from January 2021 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 4 patients underwent transnasal endoscopic clipping of the paraclival ICA and concurrent lesion resection. The surgical methods were summarized, and the key points and indications of this technique were analyzed.Results:Intraoperative clipping of the ICA was successful and hemostatic in all 4 patients. Postoperatively, 3 patients had no complications, while 1 patient developed delayed ischemic cerebral infarction. Two patients were cured, 1 patient was maintained on immunotherapy, and 1 patient died. During follow-up, the clip was in situ in 1 patient, had detached in another, and was obscured by temporal muscle coverage in the remaining 2 patients.Conclusions:Transnasal endoscopic clipping of the paraclival ICA represents a potential option for managing the ICA in skull base surgery. However, it carries significant risks and limitations, mandating careful patient selection based on specific circumstances.

Systematically sort out the successful development experience and current shortcomings of various aspects of combined Chinese and Western medicine first aid,and on this basis,we discuss the development ideas of combined Chinese and Western medicine first aid.Based on the complementary advantages of the combination of Chinese and Western medicines in first aid,it takes the special diseases with bottlenecks in the efficacy of the current single system as an entry point,and further optimizes the combination of Chinese and Western medicines in first aid through the dynamic and sequential coordination of Chinese medicine's holistic conditioning and Western medicine's targeted treatment,and promotes the development of the synergistic strategy of the first aid of Chinese and Western medicines,so as to better play the advantageous roles of the combination of Chinese and Western medicines in first aid to enhance the clinical efficacy,reduce the toxicity and side-effects,and improve the prognosis of the diseases.We also strive to promote the improvement of the dosage form of traditional first aid prescriptions and the technical innovation of the production process,so as to realize the improvement of the key indexes such as the timeliness of the onset of action,the controllability of the quality,and the targeting of the efficacy of the Chinese medicinal preparations in the first aid,in order to better support and guarantee the medicines for the first aid of the combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicines.At the same time,we should also promote the systematic construction of the standardized operation specification and efficacy evaluation system of acupuncture and moxibustion,explore the integration of acupuncture and moxibustion with modern first aid,and optimize acupuncture and moxibustion intervention strategies in emergency departments to enhance the efficacy of first aid under the restriction of medical equipments.The proposal of these suggestions may provide some enlightenment in the development of the idea of integrating Chinese and Western medicine in emergency care,and may have some reference value for the development of emergency medicine model with Chinese characteristics.

This article summarized Professor Liu Qiquan's clinical experience in the treatment of acne from the perspective of"internal retention and stagnation of heat pathogen".Professor Liu believes that the core pathogenesis of acne lies in the internal retention and stagnation of heat pathogen,which manifests as external skin inflammation,with the primary focus being on the heat pathogen.With the pathogen inside the body,the progress of disease and syndrome is related to"toxin,depression,blood stasis and deficiency".At the same time,the disease is also closely related to the dysfunction of the five-zang organs.Professor Liu points out that"to resist the outside,one must first settle the inside",and treats acne from the five internal organs.Based on the idea of"internal retention and stagnation of heat pathogen",according to the symptoms of the patients,the comprehensive use of methods to guide the treatment,such as penetrating turbidity,removing pathogenic factors and detoxifying heat,promoting qi and dispersing stagnant heat,cooling collaterals to control blood and breaking stasis heat,and restraining qi,softening yin and supporting deficiency heat,has been proved to have a good clinical effect.One medical case was attached as evidence.