The therapeutic effects of Yueju Pills on depression and cardiovascular diseases have been widely recognized. Previous studies have shown that the drug can significantly improve depressive-like behaviors induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) combined with atherosclerosis(AS). Given the complex pathogenesis of psychocardiac diseases, this study integrated metabolomics and network pharmacology to systematically elucidate the mechanism of Yueju Pills in alleviating depressive symptoms in psychocardiac diseases. The results demonstrate that, after Yueju Pill intervention, the levels of 9 abnormal metabolites in the hippocampus restore to normal ranges, primarily involving key pathways or signaling pathways, including the cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP), mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR), glycine/serine/threonine metabolism, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. In a high-fat diet-induced CUMS ApoE~(-/-) mouse model, Yueju Pills significantly increases adenosine monophosphate(AMP) levels and decreases L-alanine and D-glyceric acid levels in the hippocampus. In conclusion, Yueju Pills exert antidepressant effects by regulating multiple metabolic axes, including glycine/serine/threonine metabolism and the cAMP, mTOR signaling pathways. Network pharmacology predictions reveal that the treatment of CUMS combined with AS by its core active components may be realized through modulating pathways concerning neuroinflammation and synaptic plasticity, including serine/threonine-protein kinase 1(AKT1), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1(MAPK1), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2). This study provides a theoretical reference for the clinical application of Yueju Pills in alleviating the depressive symptoms of psychocardiac diseases.
Animals ; Network Pharmacology ; Mice ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Metabolomics ; Male ; Depression/genetics* ; Humans ; Hippocampus/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Patients with glioma experience a high symptom burden and have diverse palliative care needs. However, the assessment scales used in palliative care remain non-standardized and highly heterogeneous. To evaluate the application patterns of the current scales used in palliative care for glioma, we aim to identify gaps and assess the need for disease-specific scales in glioma palliative care. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of five databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL for quantitative studies that reported scale-based assessments in glioma palliative care. We extracted data on scale characteristics, domains, frequency, and psychometric properties. Quality assessments were performed using the Cochrane ROB 2.0 and ROBINS-I tools. RESULTS: Of the 3,405 records initially identified, 72 studies were included. These studies contained 75 distinct scales that were used 193 times. Mood (21.7%), quality of life (24.4%), and supportive care needs (5.2%) assessments were the most frequently assessed items, exceeding half of all scale applications. Among the various assessment dimensions, the Distress Thermometer (DT) was the most frequently used tool for assessing mood, while the Short Form-36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) was the most frequently used tool for assessing quality of life. The Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) was the most common tool for cognitive assessment. Performance status (5.2%) and social support (6.8%) were underrepresented. Only three brain tumor-specific scales were identified. Caregiver-focused scales were limited and predominantly burden-oriented. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant heterogeneity, domain imbalances, and validation gaps in the current use of assessment scales for patients with glioma receiving palliative care. The scale selected for use should be comprehensive and user-friendly.
Humans ; Glioma/psychology* ; Palliative Care/methods* ; Quality of Life ; Psychometrics ; Brain Neoplasms/psychology*

In recent years, with the development of single-cell sequencing technology, spatial transcriptome technology and in vivo tracing technology, scientists have a deeper understanding of scientific issues about the in vivo development, functional regulation and ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Among them, epigenetic modification plays an important role in the development and fate decisions, function maintenance and ex vivo expansion of HSCs, which has become a research hotspot in the field of stem cells in recent years. This article reviews the recent research progress of epigenetic modification in the development, functional regulation and expansion of HSCs.
Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Humans ; DNA Methylation

Objective:To analyze the efficacy and feasibility of performing a new surgical procedure, tunnel esophagogastrostomy, to perform proximal gastrectomy.Methods:The study cohort comprised 10 consecutive patients who had undergone esophagogastrostomy by the tunnel technique in Jiangsu Cancer Hospital between October 2019 and July 2022. All patients were male. Their average age was (64.2±8.1) years and body mass index (25.5±3.2) kg/m2. Nine had upper gastric body adenocarcinoma, the remaining one having signet ring cell carcinoma. TNM staging of the tumors showed that seven were Stage IA, one Stage IB, one Stage IIA, and one Stage IIIA. Briefly, tunnel esophagogastrostomy is performed as follows: After performing a proximal gastrectomy, a rectangular seromuscular flap (3.0 cm × 3.5 cm) is created. The posterior esophageal wall is sutured to the gastric wall at the orad end of the seromuscular flap 5 cm from the stump with three to four stitches. Next, the stump of the esophagus is opened, the posterior esophageal wall is sutured to the gastric mucosa and submucosa, and the anterior esophageal wall is sutured to the full layer of the stomach. Finally, the caudad end of the seromuscular flap is closed. Data on surgical safety, postoperative morbidity, and postoperative reflux esophagitis were analyzed. All enrolled patients completed endoscopic follow-up 1 year and 2 years after surgery.Results:All procedures were completed. They comprised four cases of laparoscopic assisted surgery, four of DaVinci robotic surgery, and two of open surgery. The mean operation time was 212.7±33.2 mins, mean anastomosis time (51.6±5.3) minutes, mean tunnel preparation time (20.0±3.5) minutes, and mean operative blood loss (90.0±51.6) mL. The time to first postoperative passage of flatus was (64.8±11.5) hours. The mean hospital stay after surgery was (9.2±1.7) days. There were no postoperative complications above Clavien-Dindo Grade II. The mean preoperative Reflux Disease Questionnaire score was (3.3± 0.4) before the surgery, (3.8±1.0) 1 month postoperatively, and (3.3±0.4) 12 months postoperatively. All patients underwent endoscopic follow-up; no anastomotic stenoses were found. However, one patient had Grade A reflux esophagitis 1 year after surgery and another Grade B reflux esophagitis 2 years after surgery.Conclusion:Esophagogastrostomy by the tunnel technique is a safe and feasible means of performing proximal gastrectomy.

Objective To construct a simulation model for percutaneous intramuscular septal radiofrequency ablation,and to explore the effects of different excitation voltages and ablation time on ablation areas.Methods By using Mimics software the segmentation and three-dimensional surface reconstruction of the tissue in various regions of the heart were realized based on the preoperative CT data of some patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,and the reconstructed tissue was transformed into three-dimensional solid models with SolidWorks software,then the models were combined with the electrode needle mechanism established in COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software to form a simulation model for percutaneous intramuscular septal radiofrequency ablation.Electromagnetic and thermal multiphysics field boundary conditions were set with the model developed,and the tissue temperature distribution and the effects of ablation time and excitation voltage on the ablation region were simulated and analyzed.Results Simulation analysis of percutaneous intramuscular septal radiofrequency ablation could be carried out with the model developed,and different excitation voltages and ablation time proved to have significant effects on the effective ablation region.Conclusion The model constructed for percutaneous intramuscular septal radiofrequency ablation lays a foundation for the following research of the effects of multiple factors on ablation outcomes,which is of significance for parameter optimization in actual clinical treatment.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(4):45-50]

Objective:To investigate the enrollment scale and distribution of Master's Degree in Pediatrics programs in China, and to provide a reference for promoting pediatric education and disciplinary development.Methods:Data on colleges and universities authorized to award Master's Degree in Pediatrics in 2023 were collected, sorted, and analyzed for the number, structure, distribution, and enrollment scale and direction of these institutions using descriptive statistics.Results:Among the 117 clinical medicine academic master's degree programs in China, 72 enroll pediatric academic master's degree candidates, with an enrollment of 260 students. Among the 120 master's degree programs in clinical medicine, 104 enroll professional master's degree candidates, enrolling 1 195 students. Enrollment is mainly concentrated in East China, "non-double first-class" colleges and universities, medical colleges and universities with subject level B, and enrollment is carried out in the direction of secondary disciplines.Conclusions:The number of colleges and universities authorized to award Master's Degree in Pediatrics was small, and the distribution of these colleges and universities was unbalanced. The enrollment scale was small and the orientation of Professional Master's Degree was not reasonable. Some colleges and universities were authorized to award Master's Degree in Pediatrics, but did not enroll any students. It is suggested to increase the number of colleges and universities authorized to award Master's Degree in Pediatrics and strengthen the staffing of pediatric departments. The aim is to expand the enrollment scale of candidates for Master's Degree in Pediatrics, improving the differential training of candidates for Academic Master's Degree and Professional Master's Degree, and attach importance to the construction of pediatrics.

Objective To explore the correlation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome types with endoscopic features and pathological types of gastric polyps.Methods A total of 1 746 patients with gastric polyps admitted to the Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases,Dongguan Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine were enrolled.The clinical data of the patients were collected,including gender,age,information obtained by four diagnostic methods of TCM,and pathological types and predilection sites of gastric polyps as well as their number and size.The distribution of TCM syndromes in the patients with gastric polyps and their correlation with endoscopic features and pathological types of the polyps were analyzed.Results(1)Of the 1 746 patients,1 107(63.40%)were female and 639(36.60%)were male,with the male to female ratio being 1∶1.73.The incidence of gastric polyps was positively correlated with the age(P＜0.01):the older the age,the higher the incidence rate.The middle-aged and elderly people were the predilection population for gastric polyps,and the patients aged over 40 years old accounted for 87.40%.(2)The TCM syndrome types of patients with gastric polyps were predominated by spleen-stomach qi deficiency syndrome(418 cases,23.94%),and then came cold-damp obstruction syndrome(394 cases,22.57%),damp-heat in the spleen and stomach syndrome(353 cases,20.22%),qi stagnation and phlegm obstruction syndrome(311 cases,17.81%)and phlegm blended with blood stasis syndrome(70 cases,15.46%).(3)There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of TCM syndromes between the genders(P＜0.01):spleen-stomach qi deficiency syndrome,cold-damp obstruction syndrome,qi stagnation and phlegm obstruction syndrome and phlegm blended with blood stasis syndrome were more common in the female,while damp-heat in the spleen and stomach syndrome was more common in the male.The distribution of TCM syndromes varied in different age groups(P＜0.01):patients aged over 30 years old were more likely to suffer spleen-stomach qi deficiency syndrome,patients aged 30-39 and 40-49 years old were more likely to suffer damp-heat in the spleen and stomach syndrome,patients aged 50-59 years old were more likely to suffer qi stagnation and phlegm obstruction syndrome,and patients aged 60 years old or above were more likely to suffer cold-damp obstruction syndrome.(4)The pathological types of gastric polyps were predominated by fundus gland polyps(1 327 cases,76.00%),followed by hyperplastic polyps(266 cases,15.23%),inflammatory polyps(146 cases,8.36%),and adenomatous polyps(7 cases,0.40%).There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of TCM syndromes among various pathological types(P＜0.01):fundus gland polyps were common in the patients with spleen-stomach qi deficiency syndrome,hyperplastic polyps were common in the patients with qi stagnation and phlegm obstruction syndrome,inflammatory polyps were common in the patients with cold-damp obstruction syndrome,and adenomatous polyps were common in the patients with phlegm blended with blood stasis syndrome.(5)Gastric polyps were characterized by multiple polyps(1 120 cases,64.15%),single polyp was rare(626 cases,35.85%).The distribution of TCM syndromes varied in the patients with different number of polyps(P＜0.05):patients with multiple polyps were predominated by spleen-stomach qi deficiency syndrome(25.45%),patients with single polyp were predominated by damp-heat in the spleen and stomach syndrome(24.28%).(6)Gastric polyps frequently appeared in the gastric body and gastric fundus,with the diameter being or less than 0.5 cm.And the differences of the distribution of TCM syndromes in the patients with various favored sites and polyp size were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion TCM syndrome types of patients with gastric polyps are correlated with gender and age of the patients and with the pathological types and number of gastric polyps.The incidence is positively correlated with the age,and middle-aged and elderly people are the predilection population of gastric polyps.The female incidence is significantly higher than that of the male,and damp-heat in the spleen and stomach syndrome is more common in the male while the rest of syndrome types are more common in the female.The patients with gastric fundus gland polyps usually suffer spleen-stomach qi deficiency syndrome,patients with hyperplastic polyps usually suffer qi stagnation and phlegm obstruction syndrome,patients with inflammatory polyps usually suffer cold-damp obstruction syndrome,and patients with adenomatous polyps usually suffer phlegm blended with blood stasis syndrome.

The lingnan liver-soothing and spirit-regulating acupuncture and moxibustion technique,developed by Professor FU Wen-Bin,a renowned traditional Chinese medicine expert in Guangdong Province,represents an innovative achievement in acupuncture therapy for depression-related disorders.Drawing upon the rich legacy of master scholars,meticulous study of medical literature,and over three decades of continuous research and innovation,Professor FU has formulated this technique with profound influence and widespread application.By tracing the developmental trajectory of the Lingnan liver-soothing and spirit-regulating technique,this paper sheds light on its significant guiding principles and reference value for the development of other distinctive acupuncture techniques.Furthermore,it offers insights and inspiration for advancement in various fields of traditional Chinese medicine.

Protein as the allergens could lead to allergy. In addition, a widespread class of allergens were known as glycans of N-glycoprotein. N-glycoprotein contained oligosaccharide linked by covalent bonds with protein. Recently,studies implicated that allergy was associated with glycans of heterologous N-glycoprotein found in food, inhalants, insect toxins, etc. The N-glycan structure of N-glycoprotein allergen has exerted an influence on the binding between allergens and IgE, while the recognition and presentation of allergens by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) were also affected. Some researches showed thatN-glycan structure of allergen was remodeled by N-glycosidase, such as cFase I, gpcXylase, as binding of allergen and IgE partly decreased. Thus, allergic problems caused by N-glycoproteins could potentially be solved by modifying or altering the structure ofN-glycoprotein allergens, addressing the root of the issue. Mechanism of N-glycans associated allergy could also be elaborated through glycosylation enzymes, alterations of host glycosylation. This article hopes to provide a separate insight for glycoimmunology perspective, and an alternative strategy for clinical prevention or therapy of allergic diseases.

Autophagy is mediated by multiple molecules and pathways. In cardiovascular diseases， autophagy can play a role through key signaling pathways such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）/mTOR， mitogen-activated protein kinases （MAPK）， p53， Wnt/β-catenin， etc. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） monomers for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis such as hydroxysafflor yellow A， ginsenoside Rb1， salidroside， ligustrin， curcumin， etc.， and TCM prescription and preparations such as Huangqi baoxin decoction， Taohong siwu decoction， Tongxinluo capsule， Shuangshen ningxin capsule， Suxiao jiuxin pills， etc. can regulate autophagy through the above-mentioned key signaling pathways， thereby alleviating the progression of cardiovascular diseases.