OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the quality of the Heat-clearing and symptom-relieving formula and screen potential marker components that influence the quality of the formula. METHODS The contents of 11 components （calycosin-7- O - β -D-glucoside， ononin， hyperoside， isoquercitrin， baicalin， baicalein， cryptotanshinone， tanshinone Ⅱ A ， tanshinone Ⅰ， senkyunolide A， ferulic acid） in the Heat-clearing and symptom-relieving formula were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （HPLC-MS/MS）. Using the contents of the aforementioned components as variables， cluster analysis （CA）， principal component analysis （PCA）， and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA） were conducted using OriginPro 2024 software and SIMCA 14.1 software； marker components affecting the quality of the Heat-clearing and symptom-relieving formula were then screened based on the criteria of variable importance in the projection （VIP） value＞1 and P ＜0.05. The comprehensive evaluation of 20 batches of samples was carried out using the entropy weight-technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution（TOPSIS） and grey correlation analysis （GCA） methods. RESULTS The contents of the above 11 components were 7.993-72.866， 4.542-31.228， 727.666-1 901.884， 496.846-1 293.279， 1 995.501-6 779.150， 54.500-241.280， 150.302-304.339， 79.698-189.206， 257.118-682.418， 5.498-21.687， 7.524-26.935 μg/g. CA， PCA and OPLS-DA results showed that 20 batches of samples were grouped into 2 categories. Q1， Q3， Q4， Q7-Q9， Q12， Q15， Q16 were grouped into one category， and the rest were grouped into another category； VIP values of ferulic acid， tanshinone Ⅱ A ， baicalin， cryptotanshinone， calycosin-7- O - β -D-glucoside and ononin were all greater than 1 （ P ＜0.05）. Both the entropy weight-TOPSIS and GCA methods showed that the samples ranked in the top 11 according to the euclidean distance and relative correlation degree were Q2， Q5， Q6， Q10， Q11， Q13， Q14， Q17-Q20. CONCLUSIONS The established HPLC-MS/MS method is rapid， accurate and highly sens itive. Combined with chemical pattern recognition analysis， entropy weight-TOPSIS and GCA methods， this method can be used to evaluate the quality of the Heat-clearing and symptom-relieving formula. Ferulic acid， tanshinone Ⅱ A ， baicalin， cryptotanshinone， calycosin-7- O - β -D-glucoside and ononin may be the marker components that affect the quality of this formula. The overall quality of 11 batches of the Heat-clearing and symptom-relieving formula， including Q17， is relatively superior.

ObjectiveTo analyze the effects of the progestin-primed ovarian stimulation （PPOS） protocol on embryo euploidy rate and clinical pregnancy outcomes in infertile patients. MethodsWomen who underwent Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy （PGT-A） cycles were selected as study participants （a total of 656 cycles and 3 081 blastocysts）. Participants were divided into two age groups （≤35 years and >35 years） and further stratified by ovarian stimulation protocol： the Progestin-Primed Ovarian Stimulation （PPOS） group （n=48 and 60， respectively）， the Luteal Phase Long Protocol （LP） group （n=160 and 57， respectively）， and the Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Antagonist Protocol （AP） group （n=220 and 111， respectively）. Baseline characteristics， ovarian stimulation outcomes， and embryo development parameters were compared among the three protocols within each age group. Additionally， clinical pregnancy outcomes of the first frozen embryo transfer （FET） cycle were compared. The primary outcome measure was the embryo euploidy rate. Results① In the ≤35 years age group， baseline follicle-stimulating hormone （bFSH） levels were significantly higher in the PPOS group compared to the LP and AP groups， and the bFSH/bLH ratio was significantly higher in the PPOS group than in the AP group （P < 0.05）. In the >35 years age group， bFSH levels in both the PPOS and AP groups were significantly higher than in the LP group （P < 0.05）.② In the ≤35 years group， there were no significant differences in the rates of metaphase II （MII） oocytes， 2-pronuclei （2 PN） zygotes， cleavage， 2 PN cleavage， blastocyst formation， high-quality embryos， or embryo euploidy between the PPOS group and either the LP or AP groups. However， the PPOS group showed significantly lower values for the following parameters compared to the other two groups： total oocytes retrieved， number of MII oocytes， number of 2 PN zygotes， number of cleaved embryos， number of 2 PN cleaved embryos， number of blastocysts formed， number of high-quality embryos， number of high-grade blastocysts， number of transferable embryos， number of cryopreserved embryos， number of biopsied blastocysts， number of euploid embryos， and the rate of obtaining at least one euploid embryo. In the >35 years group， no significant differences were observed among the PPOS， LP， and AP groups in the rates of MII oocytes， 2 PN cleavage， blastocyst formation， or in the number of euploid embryos， euploidy rate， and the rate of obtaining at least one euploid embryo. However， the PPOS group had significantly lower numbers of total oocytes retrieved， MII oocytes， 2 PN zygotes， cleaved embryos， 2 PN cleaved embryos， blastocysts formed， transferable embryos， and cryopreserved embryos compared to the LP group （P<0.05）. The high-quality embryo rate was significantly lower in the PPOS group than in the AP group （P<0.05）. The numbers of high-quality embryos， high-grade blastocysts， and biopsied blastocysts were significantly lower in the PPOS group than in both the LP and AP groups （P<0.05）. Notably， the 2 PN fertilization rate was significantly higher in the PPOS group than in the AP group， and the cleavage rate was significantly higher in the PPOS group than in both the LP and AP groups （P<0.05）.③ No significant differences were found among the three groups in the biochemical pregnancy rate， clinical pregnancy rate， live birth rate， early miscarriage rate， and late miscarriage rate following the first FET cycle. ConclusionCompared to the other two protocols， the PPOS protocol does not significantly affect embryo euploidy or clinical pregnancy rates. However， in freeze-all cycles with PGT-A， the PPOS protocol does not reduce the rate of chromosomally normal embryos but may decrease the total number of available embryos. It may not be the optimal choice for younger women， but it can be considered as a viable option for women of advanced maternal age.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate how spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) exerts its analgesic effects through regulating brain function in lumbar disc herniation (LDH) patients by utilizing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHODS: From September 2021 to September 2023, we enrolled LDH patients (LDH group, n=31) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs, n=28). LDH group underwent rs-fMRI at 2 distinct time points (TPs): prior to the initiation of SMT (TP1) and subsequent to the completion of the SMT sessions (TP2). SMT was administered once every other day for 30 min per session, totally 14 treatment sessions over a span of 4 weeks. HCs did not receive SMT treatment and underwent only one fMRI scan. Additionally, participants in LDH group completed clinical questionnaires on pain using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, whereas HCs did not undergo clinical scale assessments. The effects on the brain were jointly characterized using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo). Correlation analyses were conducted between specific brain regions and clinical scales. RESULTS: Following SMT treatment, pain symptoms in LDH patients were notably alleviated and accompanied by evident activation of effects in the brain. In comparison to TP1, TP2 exhibited the most significant increase in ALFF values for Temporal_Sup_R and the most notable decrease in ALFF values for Paracentral_Lobule_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Additionally, the most substantial enhancement in ReHo values was observed for the Cuneus_R, while the most prominent reduction was noted for the Olfactory_R (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Moreover, a comparative analysis revealed that, in contrast to HCs, LDH patients at TP1 exhibited the most significant increase in ALFF values for Temporal_Pole_Sup_L and the most notable decrease in ALFF values for Frontal_Mid_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Furthermore, the most significant enhancement in ReHo values was observed for Postcentral_L, while the most prominent reduction was identified for ParaHippocampal_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Notably, correlation analysis with clinical scales revealed a robust positive correlation between the Cuneus_R score and the rate of change in the VAS score (r=0.9333, P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Long-term chronic lower back pain in patients with LDH manifests significant activation of the "AUN-DMN-S1-SAN" neural circuitry. The visual network, represented by the Cuneus_R, is highly likely to be a key brain network in which the analgesic efficacy of SMT becomes effective in treating LDH patients. (Trial registration No. NCT06277739).
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/diagnostic imaging* ; Male ; Female ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Adult ; Manipulation, Spinal/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiopathology* ; Pain Management ; Rest ; Case-Control Studies

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation and joint damage, accompanied by the accumulation of plasma cells, which contributes to its pathogenesis. Understanding the genetic alterations occurring during plasma cell differentiation in RA can deepen our comprehension of its pathogenesis and guide the development of targeted therapeutic interventions. Here, our study elucidates the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying plasma cell differentiation by demonstrating that PRDX1 interacts with DOK3 and modulates its degradation by the autophagy-lysosome pathway. This interaction results in the inhibition of plasma cell differentiation, thereby alleviating the progression of collagen-induced arthritis. Additionally, our investigation identifies Salvianolic acid B (SAB) as a potent small molecular glue-like compound that enhances the interaction between PRDX1 and DOK3, consequently impeding the progression of collagen-induced arthritis by inhibiting plasma cell differentiation. Collectively, these findings underscore the therapeutic potential of developing chemical stabilizers for the PRDX1-DOK3 complex in suppressing plasma cell differentiation for RA treatment and establish a theoretical basis for targeting PRDX1-protein interactions as specific therapeutic targets in various diseases.

ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence and associated factors of malocclusion among preschool children in Fengxian District, Shanghai, and to provide a scientific basis for local medical and public health departments to formulate targeted interventions. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from September to December 2024. A total of 1 172 children aged 3‒5 years were recruited from 10 kindergartens across 5 townships in Fengxian District, using stratified cluster random sampling method. Clinical examinations were conducted to record occlusal parameters such as the relationship of the second deciduous molars, canine teeth relationship, anterior overbite and overjet, anterior and posterior crossbite, and crowded dentition. A questionnaire survey was performed to the parents to collect information on factors influencing malocclusion, including genetic predisposition, poor oral habits, dietary patterns, and sleep-related breathing conditions. Data were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27 software, with chi-square test for categorical data and binary logistic regression analysis for influencing factors. ResultsThe overall prevalence of malocclusion among 3‒5-year-old children in Fengxian District of Shanghai was 70.73%, with no statistically significant differences between genders (P>0.05). Deep overbite accounted for the highest proportion (49.66%), followed by Angle Class Ⅱ malocclusion of the second deciduous molars (17.83% on the left, 19.11% on the right), midline deviation (13.23%), anterior crossbite (6.74%), and crowding of the maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth (16.38% for the maxillary dentition, 17.58% for the mandibular dentition). Multivariate analyses showed that habitual mouth breathing during the day (OR=0.509, P=0.009) and morning dry mouth upon waking (OR=1.455, P=0.023) were independent influencing factors for malocclusion. ConclusionThe prevalence of malocclusion is relatively high among preschool children in Fengxian District, Shanghai,with deep overbite being the dominant trait. Sleep-related breathing conditions (such as habitual mouth breathing during the day and morning dry mouth) is an important influencing factor for malocclusion. Public health authorities should strengthen oral health education and promote the correction of bad habits to reduce the prevalence of malocclusion and improve children’s oral health.

AIM To investigate the tumor-suppressive mechanism of Guiqi Yiyuan Extract combined with cisplatin in Lewis lung cancer mice.METHODS Ten intact C57BL/6J mice were assigned to the blank group.Sixty additional mice were developed into Lewis lung cancer models bearing transplanted tumor and subsequently allocated into the model group,the cisplatin group(5 mg/kg),the high-dose Guiqi Yiyuan Extract group(6.6 g/kg),and the low-dose,medium-dose and high-dose Guiqi Yiyuan Extract combined with cisplatin group(1.6,3.3,6.6 g/kg+5 mg/kg),with 10 mice in each group.Mice in the blank and model groups received saline via daily gavage,while treatment groups were administered Guiqi Yiyuan Extract orally(once daily),and cisplatin injection intraperitoneally(once every other day).After 14 days of drug administration,mice were euthanized for endpoint analysis.The following assessments were conducted:general health status and body weight changes monitored throughout the study period;tumor excision and weighing for inhibition rate calculation;histopathological examination of tumors via hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining;serum quantification of IL-1 β,IL-18 and HMGB1 by ELISA;ultrastructural analysis of tumor cell death using transmission electron microscopy(TEM);spatial localization of TXNIP and GSDMD-N in tumor sections via immunofluorescence(IF);and Western blot detection of TXNIP,NLRP3,Caspase-1,cleaved Caspase-1,GSDMD,GSDMD-N protein expressions in tumor tissues.RESULTS Compared to the model group,the cisplatin group and all combination therapy groups exhibited significant reduction in tumor weight(P＜0.05)and increased tumor suppression rate;enhanced tumor tissue necrosis with characteristic pyroptotic morphology;elevated serum levels of IL-1β,IL-18 and HMGB1(P＜0.05);and upregulated expressions of pyroptosis-associated proteins TXNIP,NLRP3,Caspase-1,cleaved Caspase-1,GSDMD and GSDMD-N(P＜0.05).The high dose combination group demonstrated optimal therapeutic efficacy(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION Guiqi Yiyuan Extract enhances cisplatin sensitivity,demonstrating synergistic anti-tumor effects in Lewis lung carcinoma-bearing mice.This combinatorial therapeutic effect likely involves modulation of the TXNIP/NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway.

[Purpose]To analyze the trends in incidence,mortality and potential life loss of esophageal cancer in Linzhou City of Henan Province from 2010 to 2019.[Methods]The data of esophageal cancer incidence and mortality from 2010 to 2019 were collected from Linzhou cancer registries.The crude incidence and mortality rates,age-standardized rates(ASR)by sex and age group,the potential years of life lost(PYLL),average potential years of life lost(APYLL),and potential years of life lost rate(PYLLR)were calculated.The average annual percentage change(AAPC)from 2010 to 2019 were analyzed with Joinpoint software.[Results]From 2010 to 2019,there were a total of 8 447 newly diagnosed cases and 6 475 deaths of esophageal cancer in Linzhou.The ASR incidence and ASR mortality of esophageal cancer in the total population,males,females all showed significant downward trends,with AAPCs of-3.97％,-4.35％,-3.29％and-3.78％,-2.68％,-4.95％,respectively(all P＜0.05).The crude incidence and mortality rates in all age groups also showed significant downward trends.The AAPCs of incidence rate for the age groups of 0～49,50～59,60～69,and ≥70 years old were-9.92％,-8.27％,-1.41％,and-3.86％,respectively(all P＜0.05),and the AAPCs of mortality rate were-950％,-12.36％,-2.61％,and-2.98％,respectively(all P＜0.05).From 2010 to 2019,the total PYLL caused by esophageal cancer was 60 880 person years,APYLL was 13.73 person years,and PYLLR was 5.77‰.The PYLL,APYLL,and the PYLLR of the total population and those stratified by sex all showed a decreasing trend(all P＜0.05).[Con-clusion]From 2010 to 2019,the incidence,mortality and potential life loss of esophageal cancer in Linzhou City all decreased,and the long-term effect and screening programs is significant.How-ever,the risk of esophageal cancer among men and the elderly is still relatively high,indicating that more targeted prevention and control strategies should be developed.

[Purpose]To analyze the trends of incidence and mortality of malignant tumors in Linzhou City of Henan Province from 2010 to 2019.[Methods]The incidence and mortality data of malignant tumors of Linzhou cancer registration areas from 2010 to 2019 were collected and evaluated for data quality.The crude incidence/mortality rates and age-standardized incidence/mortality rates by Chinese standard population(ASIRC/ASMRC)were calculated by sex,age and can-cer type.Joinpoint software was used to calculate the average annual percentage change(AAPC)to analyze the trends from 2010 to 2019.[Results]From 2010 to 2019,the crude incidence of malig-nant tumors in Linzhou City showed an upward trend,with an AAPC of 2.09％(95％CI:0.58％～3.63％),while the ASIRC tended to be stable.The incidence of malignant tumors showed a signifi-cant upward trend in the 15～29 and 60～69 age groups,and a significant downward trend in the 70～79 age group.From 2010 to 2019,the ASIRC of esophageal cancer and stomach cancer in both men and women showed a significant downward trend,while that of lung cancer and prostate cancer increased in men,and the incidences of thyroid cancer,uterus cancer,cervical cancer,lung cancer and breast cancer increased significantly in women.From 2010 to 2019,the crude mortality of malignant tumors in Linzhou showed a significant upward trend,with an AAPC of 1.18％(95％CI:0.88％～1.48％),while ASMRC showed a significant downward trend,with an AAPC of-1.63％(95％CI:-1.86％～-1.40％).The mortality increased in the group aged 80 and above,while the other age groups remained in a downward or stable state.From 2010 to 2019,the ASMRC of stomach cancer and esophageal cancer in both men and women showed a down-ward trend,while those of prostate cancer,and malignant tumors of the lip,oral cavity and pha-ryngeal in men increased,and that of ovarian cancer in women increased significantly.[Conclu-sion]The disease burden of malignant tumors in Linzhou City is still heavy.The incidence of common cancer types such as thyroid cancer,prostate cancer and lung cancer shows a significant-ly increasing trends from 2010 to 2019.

Objective:To construct a thyroid nodule segmentation model using ultrasound dynamic images and explore its potential for assisting in the screening of thyroid nodules.Methods:A total of 126 patients with thyroid nodules（comprising 150 nodules）who were diagnosed and treated at Xuzhou Cancer Hospital from April 2024 to December 2024 were prospectively enrolled. Two-dimensional ultrasound was performed to capture short-axis and long-axis video images of thyroid nodules，forming a dynamic ultrasound image dataset. The dataset was divided into training，validation，and test sets in a ratio of 6∶1∶3. After the training loss curve converged，the model that performed well on the validation set was selected for testing. Three-fold cross-validation was employed for training and testing. All 300 ultrasound videos were divided into three subsets. In each experiment，two subsets were used as the training set，and one subset was used as the test set to evaluate the model's generalization ability. A collaborative spatiotemporal diffusion model was established based on the dynamic trends and tissue texture details of thyroid nodules. Six widely used segmentation metrics were employed to evaluate the model's application capabilities.Results:The study included 126 patients with 150 thyroid nodules，300 dynamic ultrasound images，and video lengths of 3-4 seconds per nodule，resulting in 12 312 segmented images. The size of the thyroid nodules was（10.7 ± 10.6）mm（transverse diameter）×（8.4 ± 6.3）mm（anteroposterior diameter）. Among the nodules，62（41.3%）had clear boundaries，while 88（58.7%）had indistinct boundaries；61（40.7%）exhibited regular shapes，while 89（59.3%）were irregular；66（44.0%）had a taller-than-wide aspect ratio；and 70（46.7%）showed microcalcifications. The collaborative diffusion model based on dynamic ultrasound image segmentation achieved the following scores：a Jaccard score of（69.22 ± 0.03）%，a Dice score of（79.16 ± 0.18）%，a Precision score of（86.70 ± 0.17）%，a Recall score of（77.82 ± 0.04）%，an Sα score of（85.26 ± 0.01）%，and an Eθmn score of（90.58 ± 0.17）%. Compared to other models，this model demonstrated significant improvements across all evaluation metrics，achieving the highest values in each metric with increments of over 8% and 1%，respectively. Conclusions:The collaborative diffusion model with a dynamic controller，constructed based on dynamic ultrasound images of thyroid nodules，demonstrates excellent performance in ultrasound image segmentation. It improves the accuracy of thyroid nodule screening，thereby providing a valuable auxiliary diagnostic tool for clinical practice.

Objective To explore the correlation between serum hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)levels and cerebral microbleeds(CMBs)and cognitive impairment and to assess the predictive value of HIF-1α for CSVD-related cognitive impairment.Methods A total of 104 patients with CSVD who attended the Department of Neurology,First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University from June 2022 to November 2023 were enrolled.All enrolled patients were subjected to basic statistics,cranial nuclear magnetic resonance examination,cognitive function assessment,and serum HIF-1α test,and the number and location of CMBs were counted.Based on the above data the enrolled patients were grouped.The correlation between HIF-1α and cognitive function and CMBs was studied the influencing factors of CMBs and cognitive impairment were analyzed,and the predictive value of HIF-1α on the occurrence of cognitive impairment was evaluated.Results There were statistically significant differences in HIF-1α levels and cognitive function among different CMBs groups.Serum HIF-1α levels were significantly negatively correlated with overall cognitive function,visuospatial and executive function,attention,and delayed recall,and serum HIF-1α was positively correlated with the number of CMBs.HIF-1α may be a risk factor for CMBs and cognitive impairment associated with CSVD,and serum HIF-1α has potential in predict the cognitive impairment caused by CSVD.Conclusion Serum levels of HIF-1α were associated with the number of CMB and CSVD-related cognitive impairment,and serum levels of HIF-1α may have a predictive value for CSVD-related cognitive impairment.