Addressing the enduring challenge of evaluating traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), the integrated evidence chain-based effectiveness evaluation of TCMs (Eff-iEC) has emerged. This paper explored its capacity through a demonstration study that evaluated the effectiveness evidence of six commonly used anti-hepatic fibrosis Chinese patent medicines (CPMs), including Biejiajian Pill (BP), Dahuang Zhechong Pill (DZP), Biejia Ruangan Compound (BRC), Fuzheng Huayu Capsule (FHC), Anluo Huaxian Pill (AHP), and Heluo Shugan Capsule (HSC), using both Eff-iEC and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The recognition of these CPMs within the TCM academic community was also assessed through their inclusion in relevant medical documents. Results showed that the evidence of BRC and FHC received higher assessments in both Eff-iEC and GRADE system, while the assessments for others varied. Analysis of community recognition revealed that Eff-iEC more accurately reflects the clinical value of these CPMs, exhibiting superior evaluative capabilities. By breaking through the conventional pattern of TCMs effectiveness evaluation, Eff-iEC offers a novel epistemology that better aligns with the clinical realities and reasoning of TCMs, providing a coherent methodology for clinical decision-making, new drug evaluations, and health policy formulation.

Working memory is an executive memory process that includes encoding, maintenance, and retrieval. These processes can be modulated by transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) with sinusoidal waves. However, little is known about the impact of the rate of current change on working memory. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of two types of tACS with different rates of current change on working memory performance and brain activity. We applied a randomized, single-blind design and divided 81 young participants who received triangular wave tACS, sinusoidal wave tACS, or sham stimulation into three groups. Participants performed n-back tasks, and electroencephalograms were recorded before, during, and after active or sham stimulation. Compared to the baseline, working memory performance (accuracy and response time) improved after stimulation under all stimulation conditions. According to drift-diffusion model analysis, triangular wave tACS significantly increased the efficiency of non-target information processing. In addition, compared with sham conditions, triangular wave tACS reduced alpha power oscillations in the occipital lobe throughout the encoding period, while sinusoidal wave tACS increased theta power in the central frontal region only during the later encoding period. The brain network connectivity results showed that triangular wave tACS improved the clustering coefficient, local efficiency, and node degree intensity in the early encoding stage, and these parameters were positively correlated with the non-target drift rate and decision starting point. Our findings on how tACS modulates working memory indicate that triangular wave tACS significantly enhances brain network connectivity during the early encoding stage, demonstrating an improvement in the efficiency of working memory processing. In contrast, sinusoidal wave tACS increased the theta power during the later encoding stage, suggesting its potential critical role in late-stage information processing. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential mechanisms by which tACS modulates working memory.
Humans ; Memory, Short-Term/physiology* ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult ; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation/methods* ; Brain/physiology* ; Adult ; Electroencephalography ; Single-Blind Method

Middle compartment defects,a common subtype of pelvic floor dysfunction(PFD),are primarily characterized by the prolapse of the uterus or vaginal vault.Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)has emerged as a valuable diagnostic tool for PFD,offering superior soft tissue resolution while eliminating exposure to ionizing radiation.This review comprehensive summarizes current applications of MRI in the diagnosis and treatment of PFD,covering measurement methods,manifestations of three-level structural defects,postoperative efficacy evaluation,vaginal axial assessment,and evaluation of the mesh status.The authors suggest that MRI enables precise preoperative evaluation of three-level defects,thereby facilitating the development of personalized treatment plans.Additionally,MRI provides an accurate postoperative assessment of surgical outcomes and mesh status,offering a new basis for postoperative assessment.MRI demonstrates unique value in the diagnosis and treatment of middle compartment defects.

Objective:To gain a deep understanding of the current cognition and training needs of nursing undergraduates regarding their emergency response teamwork skills, and to provide reference for the development of courses on emergency response teamwork among nursing undergraduates.Methods:From September to October 2023, purposive sampling was used to select 15 senior nursing undergraduates from Peking Union Medical College, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and Beijing City University as subjects for semi-structured interviews. Colazizzi 7-step analysis method was used to summarize and extract themes.Results:Three themes were extracted, including insufficient cognition and skill in emergency response, lack of emergency response teamwork cultivation, and the need for systematic and comprehensive training courses.Conclusions:Universities, hospitals, and other training institutions should work together to develop a systematic emergency response teamwork training course for nursing undergraduates, to cultivate the skills of nursing undergraduates and reserve talents for high-quality emergency response nursing teams.

Objective:To observe alterations in center retinal thickness (CRT) in patients diagnosed with central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) before and after undergoing superselective arterial thrombolysis (IAT) treatment.Methods:A retrospective clinical study. From August 2022 to September 2023, 12 patients (12 eyes) diagnosed with CRAO and treated with IAT at the ophthalmology department of Shenzhen Second People's Hospital. Among these patients, there were 8 males (8 eyes) and 4 females (4 eyes), all experiencing unilateral onset. The mean age was (47.00±15.06) years. The mean duration from onset to thrombolysis was (30.00±30.42) h. All eyes underwent best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) assessments; additionally, 6 eyes underwent Fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA). BCVA assessments were conducted using a standard logarithmic chart and transformed into logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) values for statistical analysis. The OCT measured CRT at various locations around the macular fovea (M), including upper (S1, S3), lower (I1, I3), nasal (N1, N3), and temporal (T1, T3) areas at 1 mm and 3 mm distances from the fovea. CRT was defined as the vertical distance between the inner retinal boundary membrane and the inner interface of the retinal pigment epithelial layer. Pre- and post-IAT examinations were performed using the same equipment and methodologies within a 24-hour interval. Changes in CRT at different macular points were compared and observed, while arterial imaging time changes were assessed in 6 eyes that underwent FFA. Paired t-tests were utilized to analyze logMAR BCVA, CRT at different locations, and arterial imaging time pre- and post-treatment. Results:Prior to IAT treatment, the logMAR BCVA for the affected eye was 3.48±1.42, while the arterial imaging time for the 6 eyes undergoing FFA examination was (27.50±5.47) s. After 24 hours, the logMAR BCVA had improved to 2.35±1.59 for the affected eye, with 9 eyes showing varying degrees of BCVA improvement. The arterial imaging time was (24.17±7.28) s post-treatment. The differences in logMAR BCVA and arterial imaging time before and after treatment were found to be statistically significant ( t=2.489, 3.262; P<0.05). Additionally, the comparison of CRT at S3 ( t=2.871), I1 ( t=2.325), and T3 ( t=3.446) before and after treatment yielded statistically significant differences ( P<0.05). Conversely, the comparison of CRT at S1 ( t=1.879), I3 ( t=1.915), N1 ( t=2.001), N3 ( t=1.987), T1 ( t=2.180), and M ( t=-0.490) showed no statistically significant differences ( P>0.05). Conclusions:IAT treatment for CRAO has been shown to be effective in achieving therapeutic effects by reducing CRT in the macular area. However, the short-term improvement in retinal edema in the macular area is limited.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (aCCI) and ischemic stroke in patients with ophthalmic artery occlusion (OAO) or retinal artery occlusion (RAO).Methods:A single center retrospective cohort study. Seventy-four patients with OAO or RAO diagnosed by ophthalmology examination in Shenzhen Second People's Hospital from June 2004 to December 2020 were included in the study. The baseline information of patients were collected and aCCI was used to score the patients' comorbidity. The outcome was ischemic stroke. The median duration of follow-up was 1 796.5 days. According to the maximum likelihood ratio of the two-piecewise COX regression model and the recursive algorithm, the aCCI inflection point value was determined to be 6, and the patients were divided into low aCCI group (<6 points) and high aCCI group (≥6 points). A Cox regression model was used to quantify the association between baseline aCCI and ischemic stroke.Results:Among the 74 patients, 53 were males and 21 were females, with the mean age of (55.22±14.18) (19-84) years. There were 9 patients of OAO and 65 patients of RAO. The aCCI value ranges from 1 to 10 points, with a median of 3 points. There were 63 patients (85.14%, 63/74) in the low aCCI group and 11 patients (14.86%, 11/74) in the high aCCI group. Since 2 patients could not determine the time from baseline to the occurrence of outcome events, 72 patients were included for Cox regression analysis. The results showed that 16 patients (22.22%, 16/72) had ischemic stroke in the future. The baseline aCCI in the low aCCI group was significantly associated with ischemic stroke [hazard ratio ( HR)=1.76, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.21-2.56, P=0.003], and for every 1 point increase in baseline aCCI, the risk of future ischemic stroke increased by 76% on average. The baseline aCCI in the high aCCI group had no significant correlation with the ischemic stroke ( HR=0.66, 95% CI 0.33-1.33, P=0.247). Conclusions:aCCI score is an important prognostic information for patients with OAO or RAO. A higher baseline aCCI score predicts a higher risk of ischemic stroke, and the association has a saturation effect.

DNA barcoding is a rapidly developing frontier technology in the world and will be useful in promoting the quality control and standardization of traditional Chinese medicine. Until now, many studies concerning DNA barcoding have focused on leaf samples but rarely on Chinese herbal medicine. There are three issues involved in DNA barcoding for traditional Chinese medicinal materials: (1) the extraction methods for total DNA of the rhizomes of the medicinal materials; (2) intra-specific variation among samples from different places of origin; (3) accuracy and stability of this method. In this study, Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix was used to verify the stability and accuracy of DNA barcoding technology. Five regions (ITS2, psbA-trnH, matK, rbcL, and ITS) were tested for their ability to identify 86 samples of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix and their adulterants. After improving the DNA extraction method, genomic DNA from all samples was successfully obtained. To evaluate each barcode's utility for species authentication, PCR amplification efficiency, genetic divergence, and species authentication were assessed. Among all tested regions only ITS2 locus showed 100% of PCR amplification and identification efficiencies. Based on the established method, we successfully identified two samples of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix bought in pharmacy to the original species.

From August 2007 to January 2009 a total of 95 patients with complex renal calculi were treated with CT ( n = 32 ), X-ray ( n = 33 ) or ultrasound ( n = 30 ) guided percutaneous nephrostomy and ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy respectively. The CT guided procedure had lower positioning time,positioning failure rate, complication rate and residual stone rate than those of X-ray and ultrasound localization, particularly had advantages in the stone clearance rate and complications rate ( all P ＜ 0. 05 ).CT guided localization can be chosen in the following conditions: higher kidney position, large staghorn calculi or renal pelvis stones without hydronephrosis, with congenital renal malformations or failure of ultrasound or X-ray localization.

Objective To investigate the enhanced effect of polysaccharide from B.jiangsiensis(PBJ) on the immune hypofunction mouse models and its dose-effect relationship.Methods The immune hypofunction mouse models were made by hypodermic injection with cyclophosphamide(Cy) in mice.PBJ's effect on hemolysin content in mouse body induced by chicken erythrocytes and the delayed-type hypersensitivity(DTH) induced by dinitrochlorobenzene in mice were observed and contrasted in the different mouse groups treated with Cy in vivo by hypodermic injection together with PBJ at doses of 400mg/kg,200mg/kg and 50mg/kg,respectively.Results The test showed that the index of hemolysin,hemolytic plaque formation and delayed hypersensitivity reaction in model group markedly decreased while the indexes of hemolysin test in the control group,high and middle dose groups increased(P

Objective To study the therapeutic effect of tianluo decoction against hepatitis B virus(HBV) in vivo and vitro.Methods The inhibitive effect were observed in the duplication process of hepatitis B virus by fluorescence quantitative PCR(FQ-PCR) in vitro test and duck's hepatitis B animal model in vivo test.Results FQ-PCR in vitro test demonstrated that tianluo decoction had biological function to inhibit from duplication of hepatitis B virus,and there were significant difference in inhibit hepatitis B virus from duplicating in distilled water and tianluo decoction group(median:6.9?108/ml vs 2.6?104/ml,u=2.76,P