Objective To explore the application value of glucocorticoid in the treatment of elderly patients with severe pneumonia(SP)and respiratory failure(RF).Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 208 elderly patients with SP and RF in the hospital between January 2022 and December 2023.According to use of glucocorticoid or not,patients were divided into non-hormone group(n=83)and hormone group(n=125).According to propensity score matching method,there were 71 patients in each group.The clinical indexes,disease improvement,blood gas indexes,laboratory biochemical indexes and prognosis were compared between the two groups.Results The ventilator use time and length of hospital stay in hormone group were shorter than those in non-hormone group(P<0.05).After 7 d of treatment,score of Glasgow coma scale(GCS),oxygen-ation index(P/F),blood oxygen saturation(SaO2)and lymphocyte count(TLC)in hormone group were higher than those in non-hormone group,while scores of acute physiological and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ)and sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA),partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO2),blood lactic acid (LAC)and procalcitonin(PCT)were lower than those in non-hormone group(P<0.05).The survival curves showed that 28 d survival rate in hormone group was higher than that in non-hormone group(P<0.05).Cox pro-portional hazard model showed that no use of glucocorticoids was an independent risk factor of 28d death in elderly patients with SP and RF(P<0.05).Conclusion Glucocorticoid can shorten ventilator use time and length of hospital stay,alleviate disease severity,promote the recovery of blood gas indexes,improve biochemical indexes and increase survival rate in elderly patients with SP and RF.

Objective To explore the application value of glucocorticoid in the treatment of elderly patients with severe pneumonia(SP)and respiratory failure(RF).Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 208 elderly patients with SP and RF in the hospital between January 2022 and December 2023.According to use of glucocorticoid or not,patients were divided into non-hormone group(n=83)and hormone group(n=125).According to propensity score matching method,there were 71 patients in each group.The clinical indexes,disease improvement,blood gas indexes,laboratory biochemical indexes and prognosis were compared between the two groups.Results The ventilator use time and length of hospital stay in hormone group were shorter than those in non-hormone group(P<0.05).After 7 d of treatment,score of Glasgow coma scale(GCS),oxygen-ation index(P/F),blood oxygen saturation(SaO2)and lymphocyte count(TLC)in hormone group were higher than those in non-hormone group,while scores of acute physiological and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ)and sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA),partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO2),blood lactic acid (LAC)and procalcitonin(PCT)were lower than those in non-hormone group(P<0.05).The survival curves showed that 28 d survival rate in hormone group was higher than that in non-hormone group(P<0.05).Cox pro-portional hazard model showed that no use of glucocorticoids was an independent risk factor of 28d death in elderly patients with SP and RF(P<0.05).Conclusion Glucocorticoid can shorten ventilator use time and length of hospital stay,alleviate disease severity,promote the recovery of blood gas indexes,improve biochemical indexes and increase survival rate in elderly patients with SP and RF.

Objective:To investigate the current status of subjective well-being among stroke patients, and to explore the pathways and effects of influencing factors using structural equation model, so as to provide reference for improving subjective well-being among stroke patients.Methods:From July to November 2024, the stroke patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Hefei First People′s Hospital were selected by convenience sampling method. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a general demographic questionnaire, General Well-Being Scale, Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire, Social Support Rating Scale, Stroke Symptom Cluster Scale, and FRAIL Scale, and AMOS 26.0 was used to analyse the pathways and effects of influencing factors of subjective well-being.Results:A total of 435 questionnaires were collected, 410 were valid.Among 410 cases, 266 case were males, 144 were females, with an age of (65.96 ± 12.15) years. The subjective well-being scores of stroke patients were (72.58 ± 11.66) points. Cognitive reserve and social support were positively correlated with subjective well-being ( r = 0.517, 0.554, both P<0.01), while symptom burden and frailty were negatively correlated with subjective well-being ( r = -0.687, -0.670, both P<0.01). Path analysis showed that symptom burden, frailty, cognitive reserve, and social support had a direct impact on subjective well-being (path coefficients were -0.500, -0.266, 0.148, and 0.144, respectively, all P<0.05), while cognitive reserve, social support, and symptom burden had an indirect impact on subjective well-being (path coefficients were 0.287, 0.249, and 0.108, respectively, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The subjective well-being of stroke patients is influenced by multiple factors, with symptom burden being an important factor affecting subjective well-being. Intervention strategies such as improving cognitive reserve, strengthening social support systems, and preventing frailty can improve the subjective well-being of patients.

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) in the general practice internship of undergraduate clinical medicine students, identify issues that need improvement in the internship, and enhance medical students' competence.Methods:A total of 75 students in the five-year (English class) clinical medicine program enrolled in 2018 and 2019 who participated in general practice internship in Renji Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from October 2021 to October 2023 were selected as study subjects. The design of core EPAs was adopted to assess the correlation among different EPA dimensions and to analyze the qualified rates.Results:The evaluation of EPAs showed that EPA2 (practicing respect, understanding and teamwork) had the highest mean score of 9.33, and EPA10 (chronic disease management and management of key populations) had the lowest mean score of 8.08. A supervision level of 3a and above was used as the criterion for qualification. The supervision levels of the students' EPAs were mostly concentrated at levels 3a and 3b. The highest qualified rate was for EPA2 (practicing respect, understanding and teamwork) at 85.33%, followed by EPA1 (complying with the rules of the profession and demonstrating professionalism) at 80.00% and EPA8 (reviewing information and solving clinical problems) at 72.00%. The lowest qualified rate was for EPA10 (chronic disease management and management of key populations) at 33.33%, followed by EPA4 (analyzing and interpreting test results) at 57.33%.Conclusions:EPAs concretize competency evaluation, which can effectively reflect the "competency-oriented" training objectives encompassing multiple elements such as knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes, while maintaining professional specificity. Undergraduates demonstrated strengths in professionalism and academics, but showed deficiencies in community chronic disease management and management of key populations. These findings suggest the need to strengthen the training in health and social care to better align with the competencies required during standardized residency training.

Objective:To assess the relationship between basophil levels and mortality in patients with intra-abdominal infection.Methods:Information on patients with intraperitoneal infection admitted to the intensive care unit were extracted from the MIMIC database.A time-dependent Cox regression model was used to adjust for confounders associated with 28-day mortality.Propensity score matching(PSM)was used to balance the baseline differences be-tween groups with different basophil levels,and a restricted cube chart(RCS)was used to show the relationship between basophil count and 28-day mortality in patients with intra-abdominal infection.Results:A total of 4403 patients with intra-abdominal infection were enrolled in the MIMIC database.Patients with high basophil levels have lower mortality than those with low basophil levels.There was an L-shaped curve between basophil level and 28-day mortality,with a cut-off value of 0.47×109/L.Cox regression analysis showed that basophil levels were an independent protective factor for mortal-ity in patients with intra-abdominal infection after adjusting for potential confounders(HR=0.586,95%CI:0.443-0.769).Protective factors for death at basophil levels remained after PSM adjusted for potential confounders(HR=0.628,95%CI:0.470-0.832).Conclusion:Basophil level is an independent protective factor for mortality in patients with intra-abdominal infection,and basophil levels should be dynamically monitored to better evaluate the prognosis of patients.

Objective:To compare the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic Y-shaped suture suspension fixation and those of open reduction and internal fixation in the treatment of tibial insertion avulsion fractures of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data from the 23 patients with PCL tibial avulsion fracture who had been admitted to Department of Sports Medicine, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, University of South China, from May 2018 to May 2024. There were 15 males and 8 females with an age of (39.0±15.6) years. By the Meyers-McKeever classification, there were 20 cases of type Ⅱ and 3 cases of type Ⅲ. All patients were divided into 2 groups based on their different surgical schemes: an arthroscopic group of 11 cases treated with Y-shaped suture suspension fixation under arthroscopy and an open group of 12 cases treated with open reduction and internal fixation. The surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, Lysholm knee function scores, and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective scores at 1 month after surgery and the last follow-up were recorded and compared between the 2 groups.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in the preoperative general information between the 2 groups, indicating comparability ( P>0.05). The 23 patients were followed up for (13.7±3.8) months after surgery. None of the patients experienced complications like incision infection, neurovascular damage, nonunion or delayed union of fracture. In the arthroscopic group, the surgical time was (97.1±11.1) min, significantly shorter than that in the open group [(64.7±9.0) min], and the intraoperative blood loss (14.9±6.6) mL, significantly less than that in the open group [(29.4±13.2) mL] ( P<0.05). At 1 month after surgery, the VAS pain score, Lysholm knee function score, and IKDC subjective score in the arthroscopic group were, respectively, 3.0 (2.0, 3.0) points, (72.0±4.8) points, and (67.3±2.9) points, all significantly better than those in the open group [5.0 (4.0, 5.0) points, (66.9±4.0) points, and (63.1±2.4) points] ( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the VAS pain score, Lysholm knee function score, or IKDC subjective score at the last follow-up between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Both arthroscopic Y-shaped suture suspension fixation and open reduction and internal fixation can achieve satisfactory treatment outcomes for PCL tibial avulsion fractures. The latter shows an advantage in shorter surgical time, but the former advantages in less bleeding volume and better early efficacy.

Anemarrhenae Rhizoma is bitter, sweet, and cold in nature, and has the effects of clearing heat, dispelling fire, nourishing Yin, and moisturizing dryness. It is associated with the lung, stomach, and kidney meridians, and is mainly distributed in the northwestern and northern regions of China. Modern research has shown that Anemarrhenae Rhizoma contains various chemical active constituents, including steroidal saponins, flavonoids, polysaccharides, lignans, volatile oils, and alkaloids. These constituents exhibit pharmacological effects such as anti-tumor, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activities. However, there have been few comprehensive summaries of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma in recent years, which has limited its in-depth research and development. The complexity of traditional Chinese medicine constituents, along with their quality and efficacy, is easily influenced by processing, preparation, and the growing environment and resource distribution. This paper summarizes the resources, chemical constituents, and pharmacological effects of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, and predicts its quality markers(Q-markers) from several aspects, including the specificity of chemical composition, properties related to preparation and active ingredients, measurability of chemical components, compounding environment, construction of the ″active ingredient-target″ network pathway, and differences in active ingredient content from different origins and parts. These predicted Q-markers may provide a basis for improving the quality evaluation system of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma.
Anemarrhena/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Humans ; Animals ; Quality Control

Abstract Modern western medicine typically focuses on treating specific symptoms or diseases, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) emphasizes the interconnections of the body’s various systems under external environment and takes a holistic approach to preventing and treating diseases. Phenomics was initially introduced to the field of TCM in 2008 as a new discipline that studies the laws of integrated and dynamic changes of human clinical phenomes under the scope of the theories and practices of TCM based on phenomics. While TCM Phenomics 1.0 has initially established a clinical phenomic system centered on Zhenghou (a TCM definition of clinical phenome), bottlenecks remain in data standardization, mechanistic interpretation, and precision intervention. Here, we systematically elaborates on the theoretical foundations, technical pathways, and future challenges of integrating digital medicine with TCM phenomics under the framework of “TCM phenomics 2.0”, which is supported by digital medicine technologies such as artificial intelligence, wearable devices, medical digital twins, and multi-omics integration. This framework aims to construct a closed-loop system of “Zhenghou–Phenome–Mechanism–Intervention” and to enable the digitization, standardization, and precision of disease diagnosis and treatment. The integration of digital medicine and TCM phenomics not only promotes the modernization and scientific transformation of TCM theory and practice but also offers new paradigms for precision medicine. In practice, digital tools facilitate multi-source clinical data acquisition and standardization, while AI and big data algorithms help reveal the correlations between clinical Zhenghou phenomes and molecular mechanisms, thereby improving scientific rigor in diagnosis, efficacy evaluation, and personalized intervention. Nevertheless, challenges persist, including data quality and standardization issues, shortage of interdisciplinary talents, and insufficiency of ethical and legal regulations. Future development requires establishing national data-sharing platforms, strengthening international collaboration, fostering interdisciplinary professionals, and improving ethical and legal frameworks. Ultimately, this approach seeks to build a new disease identification and classification system centered on phenomes and to achieve the inheritance, innovation, and modernization of TCM diagnostic and therapeutic patterns.

Objective: To explore the influencing factors for implementation of weight management services in primary medical and healthcare institutions, so as to provide references for implementing sustainable services of weight management. Methods: From May to June 2025, Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province was selected as the survey site. Personnel responsible for weight management in primary medical and healthcare institutions were selected as the survey subjects using a combined method of purposive sampling and snowball sampling. Based on the five core domains of the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR), a semi-structured interview outline for weight management services in primary medical and healthcare institutions was designed. Original data was collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Interview data was organized and analyzed using framework analysis. Factors affecting weight management services were quantitatively analyzed by referencing CFIR's structural rating criteria. Results: A total of 21 participants completed interviews, covering positions in nutrition, endocrinology, traditional Chinese medicine, general practice, maternal health, and public health. There were 9 males and 12 females. Fifteen participants (71.43%) were aged 35 years and above, 18 (85.71%) held a bachelor's degree or higher, and 15 (71.43%) were frontline medical staff. Fifteen factors affecting weight management services were identified across five domains: innovation, outer setting, inner setting, individuals, and implementation process. Six barrier factors were identified: difficulties in policy implementation, time-consuming interventions, limited incentive measures, lack of professional skills, unclear weight-loss plans and goal setting, and imperfect follow-up and evaluation mechanisms. Three neutral factors were identified: the development and refinement of policies and regulations, the implementation of weight management training, and the optimization of the referral process within integrated healthcare systems (medical alliances / communities). Six facilitating factors were identified: the relatively significant advantages of lifestyle interventions, collaboration and coordination across multiple departments, cooperative communication among different units within the institution, the inherent convenience of primary care settings, a strong sense of professional responsibility, and the establishment of multidisciplinary teams. Conclusions The delivery of weight management services in primary medical and healthcare institutions is influenced by a wide array of factors across multiple domains. It requires policy support, multi-department coordination, a practice-oriented training system, optimized team resource allocation, incentives, and improved professional skills of medical staff to jointly promote long-term implementation.

Objective To investigate the alterations of cerebral blood flow(CBF)in type 2 diabetic mellitus(T2DM) patients without cognitive impairment by using arterial spin labeling(ASL)technique.Methods A total of 23 T2DM patients without cognitive impairment and 23 healthy controls(HC)matched by age,sex,and education attainment were recruited.Their clinical data were collected,and neuropsychological tests and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging were performed.Then,the outcomes of clinical features,neuropsychological tests,and global and regional CBF were compared between the two groups.The significant regional zCBF(z-transformed relative CBF)values were extracted and correlated with clinical data and neuropsychological scores in T2DM patients,controlling age,sex,and education.Results No significant difference was found in whole brain CBF between the two groups(P=0.155),while significantly higher CBF was identified in the left superior temporal gyrus and left insula in the T2DM group(Gaussian random field correction,initial threshold P < 0.001,cluster level P < 0.05).No correlation was observed between the significant regional zCBF values and the clinical data or the neuropsychological scores in T2DM patients(all P>0.05).Conclusion Alterations in cerebral hemodynamics may precede cognitive function changes in T2DM,suggesting that the ASL technique is promising for early monitoring of cerebral hemodynamic changes associated with cognitive impairment in patients with T2DM.
Humans ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/physiopathology* ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Case-Control Studies ; Cognitive Dysfunction ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Aged