Mitochondrial quality control （MQC） homeostasis serves as a fundamental mechanism in maintaining the mitochondrial structure and function. Dysregulation of MQC contributes to the progression of acute ischemic stroke （AIS） through multiple pathways including disturbances in energy metabolism， increased oxidative stress， and imbalances in mitochondrial fusion and fission. Drawing upon the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） theory of the kidney governing Yin and Yang， this study innovatively proposes an integrative model of "Yin-Yang dynamic balance-MQC homeostasis" to elucidate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Specifically， kidney Yang deficiency and decline result in reduced driving force， thereby inhibiting mitochondrial fusion. This leads to decreased efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation and impaired adenosine triphosphate （ATP） production. Conversely， when kidney Yin is dysfunctional and excessive phlegm-blood stasis accumulates， mitochondrial fission becomes hyperactive， causing rapid accumulation of reactive oxygen species （ROS） and intensified oxidative stress. The interplay between these two pathological states culminates in the central TCM pathogenesis—Yin-Yang imbalance and disordered Qi and blood-of AIS. To address this pathogenesis， a therapeutic strategy is proposed： tonifying the kidney as the primary intervention to restore MQC homeostasis， supplemented by resolving phlegm and removing blood stasis to interrupt the deleterious cycle of cerebral vascular damage. This work integrates the holistic perspective of TCM with contemporary molecular insights， offering precise intervention targets along the "kidney-mitochondria axis" for the prevention and treatment of AIS， while establishing a novel integrative paradigm for stroke management that bridges traditional and modern medicine. Future research should focus on elucidating the molecular mechanisms through which TCM regulates MQC in AIS and integrating classical TCM theories with evidence-based medicine to facilitate the translation of theoretical insights into clinical applications.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of clinical genetics specialization development and the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities for hereditary diseases across medical institutions in Shanghai, and to assess the necessity and feasibility of establishing training bases for clinical genetics specialists. METHODS: By employing a cross-sectional survey design, the Clinical Genetics Committee of Shanghai Medical Association has conducted questionnaire surveys from March to April 2025 across 54 healthcare institutions in Shanghai (including 33 tertiary hospitals and 21 secondary hospitals). The survey involved administrative departments and medical personnel from 15 clinical specialties. The survey has covered current genetic disease diagnosis and treatment practices, relevant and specialised disease types, genetic department establishment, testing capabilities, personnel teams, and training requirements. RESULTS: The results revealed that 78.0% of clinical departments surveyed had treated patients with hereditary disorders. Shanghai possesses diagnostic and therapeutic expertise for over 95% of hereditary diseases listed in its rare disease catalogue, reflecting both the practical clinical demand for such conditions and the city's overall diagnostic and therapeutic strengths in this field. Nevertheless, significant disparities exist in the development of genetics departments across different tiers of healthcare institutions. Resources for genetic testing capabilities (including molecular, cellular, and biochemical testing) are also unevenly distributed across different tiers of hospitals. The survey further revealed that only 26.0% of departments believe that their current physician structure fully meets the diagnostic and treatment demands. Over 90% of departments consider standard training for clinical genetic specialists necessary, with 74.0% expressing willingness to participate in establishing training bases. Based on above findings and thorough deliberation, the Clinical Genetics Committee of the Shanghai Medical Association proposes advancing specialist training and discipline development through establishing a standard training system. The committee has drafted a three-year training protocol featuring a "joint training"-centered model, recommending a pilot-first, dynamically optimized strategy for steadily advancing training base development. CONCLUSION Shanghai faces substantial demand for genetic disease diagnosis and treatment, yet exhibits shortcomings in clinical genetics specialization development, resource allocation, and talent pipeline cultivation. To establish a standard training system holds significant practical importance and is underpinned by a broad demand.
Humans ; China ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Genetic Diseases, Inborn/genetics* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Genetics, Medical/education* ; Genetic Testing

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of action of Qingre huatan huoxue decoction against atherosclerosis （AS）based on macrophage polarization. METHODS Using atorvastatin served as the positive control， the drug-containing serum of the Qingre huatan huoxue decoction was prepared to treat RAW264.7 macrophages. Macrophage viability， apoptosis rate， and the fluorescence intensities of CD86 and CD206 were measured， along with the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-1β （IL-1β）. Apolipoprotei n E-deficient （ApoE －/－ ） mice （AS model mice） fed with a high-fat diet were randomly assigned to model group， atorvastatin group （2.6 mg/kg）， and low-， medium- and high-dose groups of Qingre huatan huoxue decoction （90， 180， 360 mg/kg）， respectively. C57BL/6J mice fed with a standard diet served as the normal control group， with 10 mice per group. The treatment group mice were administered the corresponding drugs intragastrically， once daily， for 8 consecutive weeks. Serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were measured in all groups. Lipid deposition in the aorta （assessed by the percentage of plaque in the entire aorta and aortic root） and morphological changes in the aortic root were observed. Expression levels of CD86 and CD206 in aortic tissue， as well as the protein expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， arginase-1 （Arg-1）， AMP-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， phosphorylated AMPK （p-AMPK）， and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ （PPAR-γ） in aortic tissues were all detected. RESULTS Cell experiment results showed that， at concentrations of 5-100 μg/mL， the drug-containing serum of the Qingre huatan huoxue decoction significantly increased RAW264.7 cell viability （ P ＜0.05）. The drug-containing serum of the Qingre huatan huoxue decoction at concentrations of 10， 50， and 100 μg/mL， along with atorvastatin， significantly reduced apoptosis rates， CD86 fluorescence intensity， and TNF-α and IL-1β levels in RAW264.7 cells， while markedly enhancing CD206 fluorescence intensity （ P ＜0.05）. Animal experiment results showed that， compared with the model group， all dosage groups of Qingre huatan huoxue decoction and the atorvastatin group showed significantly reduced/down-regulated levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in serum， along with decreased aortic total and root plaque percentages， CD86 expression， and iNOS protein expression. CD206 expression and Arg-1， p-AMPK/AMPK， PPAR-γ protein expression were significantly up-regulated （ P ＜0.05）. Pathological morphology of the aorta showed varying degrees of improvement. CONCLUSIONS The formula of Qingre huatan huoxue decoction exerts its anti-AS effects by regulating macrophage polarization， increasing the proportion of M2 macrophages， thereby effectively inhibiting AS plaque formation and reducing inflammatory responses.

ObjectiveTo investigate the current situation of mutual recognition for ethical review outcomes in multicenter clinical research across 10 contracting medical institutions in Guangdong Province， analyze existing issues and propose improvement recommendations， thereby promoting the standardized management of mutual recognition for ethical review outcomes in medical institutions. MethodsData from 381 multicenter clinical studies conducted in these 10 medical institutions from January 24 to October 31， 2024， were collected. Text visualization was performed using Python and the WordCloud library， and statistical analyses were conducted with SPSS 25.0. ResultsOf the 381 studies investigated， industry-sponsored clinical trials （ISTs） accounted for 51.71%， while investigator-initiated clinical trials （IITs） constituted 48.29%. The proportions of ethical committees serving as primary reviewers and collaborative reviewers were 33.33% and 66.67%， respectively. The confirmation methods of mutual recognition outcomes were primarily expedited reviews （50.66%） and meeting reviews （49.34%）， and no cases of “direct confirmation” were found. The Chi-square test revealed statistically significant differences in review confirmation methods based on project type （χ²=14.851， P<0.001） and ethics committee role （χ²= 69.435， P<0.001）. The frequency distribution trend of the contingency table showed that IST projects and primary ethics committees preferred to employ meeting review （58.88% and 79.53% respectively， both higher than the average level of 49.34%）， while IIT projects and the collaborative ethics committees more frequently utilized expedited review （60.87% and 65.75% respectively， both higher than the average level of 50.66%）. ConclusionThe confirmation methods of mutual recognition for ethical review outcomes in multicenter clinical research are significantly associated with the role of the ethics committee and the type of project. It is recommended to improve management systems， enhance information construction and personnel training， as well as clarify mutual recognition responsibilities and strengthen supervision. This aims to ensure review quality while improving mutual recognition efficiency， thereby safeguarding the rights and interests of research participants.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the immediate effectiveness and safety of four intranasal acupuncture methods based on different intranasal localizations of Neiyingxiang （EX-HN 9） for improving nasal ventilation in patients with allergic rhinitis （AR）. MethodsA total of 120 patients with AR were randomly divided into four groups with 30 cases in each group， the agger nasi group， the inferior turbinate-alar junction group， the inferior turbinate top group， and the nasal septum group. All patients received one 20-minute session of intranasal acupuncture. The agger nasi group received acupuncture at the agger nasi site， the inferior turbinate-alar junction group at the junction of the inferior turbinate and alar cartilage， the inferior turbinate top group at the top of the inferior turbinate directly facing the nostril， and the nasal septum group at Little's area of the nasal septum. Before acupuncture and within 5 min after treatment， the assessments and measurements were performed including nasal obstruction symptom evaluation （NOSE） scale used to evaluate the severity of nasal obstruction before and after acupuncture， a nasal resistance/nasal flow analyzer applied to detect nasal airway resistance （NAR） and nasal respiration volume （NS）， the visual analogue scale （VAS） adopted to assess pain intensity. The incidence of nasal bleeding and other adverse events were recorded， and patients' willingness to receive repeat treatment was statistically analyzed. ResultsCompared with baseline within group， all four groups showed decreased NOSE scores and NAR as well as elevated NS after treatment （all P＜0.05）. Compared with the agger nasi group and the inferior turbinate-alar junction group， the inferior turbinate top group had higher NOSE scores and lower NS； the nasal septum group presented higher NOSE scores and NAR alongside lower NS （P＜0.05）. The nasal septum group yielded significantly higher VAS scores than the other three groups （P＜0.05）， with 11 cases （36.67%） of massive nasal bleeding observed， while no severe nasal hemorrhage occurred in the remaining groups. The proportions of patients willing to receive repeated intranasal acupuncture treatment were 70.00% （21/30） in the agger nasi group， 76.67% （23/30） in the inferior turbinate-alar junction group， 43.33% （13/30） in the inferior turbinate top group， and 3.33% （1/30） in the nasal septum group， respectively， with statistical significant difference among groups （χ² = 39.91， P＜0.001）. ConclusionAll four intranasal acupuncture methods can immediately improve nasal ventilation in patients with AR. The agger nasi group and inferior turbinate-alar cartilage junction group achieved superior therapeutic improvement compared with the inferior turbinate top group and nasal septum group， accompanied by better safety and higher patient acceptability.

Background/Aims: The pathophysiology of refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (RGERD), which differs from proton pump inhibitor dependent gastroesophageal reflux disease (DGERD), remains incompletely elucidated. This study aims to compare esophageal motility patterns, transdiaphragmatic pressure gradients (TPG), and reflux profiles between RGERD and DGERD patients, and to delineate dynamic pressure gradient-esophagogastric junction (EGJ) interactions in these patients. Methods: In this retrospective study, 274 patients who underwent 24-hour impedance-pH monitoring and high-resolution manometry, along with an assessment of proton pump inhibitor responsiveness, were classified as RGERD (32.5%), DGERD (54.4%), or non-GERD (13.1%). Clinical characteristics, TPG, esophageal motility, and reflux metrics were compared between RGERD and DGERD patients. Subgroup analysis excluding hiatal hernia (HH) was conducted to investigate the pathophysiology of RGERD. Results: The RGERD group exhibited a significantly higher proportion of chest pain compared to the DGERD group. Regarding reflux profiles, RGERD patients without HH (RGERDHH- group) experienced increased weakly acidic reflux (P < 0.001) and prolonged bolus exposure (P = 0.006) compared to their counterparts (DGERDHH- group). Mechanistically, the RGERDHH- group showed reduced lower esophageal sphincter basal pressure (P = 0.010) and EGJ contractile integral (P = 0.005). Notably, following a wet-swallow, the RGERDHH- group experienced the significant elevation in gastric pressure and TPG. Correlation analyses revealed weakly acidic reflux and bolus exposure were positively correlated with gastric pressure variation, and inversely correlated with lower esophageal sphincter basal pressure. Conclusions Transient gastric pressure elevation and compromised EGJ barrier function drive weakly acidic reflux and esophageal bolus exposure. This pressure gradient-barrier mismatch underpins the refractoriness of RGERD.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the immediate effectiveness and safety of four intranasal acupuncture methods based on different intranasal localizations of Neiyingxiang （EX-HN 9） for improving nasal ventilation in patients with allergic rhinitis （AR）. MethodsA total of 120 patients with AR were randomly divided into four groups with 30 cases in each group， the agger nasi group， the inferior turbinate-alar junction group， the inferior turbinate top group， and the nasal septum group. All patients received one 20-minute session of intranasal acupuncture. The agger nasi group received acupuncture at the agger nasi site， the inferior turbinate-alar junction group at the junction of the inferior turbinate and alar cartilage， the inferior turbinate top group at the top of the inferior turbinate directly facing the nostril， and the nasal septum group at Little's area of the nasal septum. Before acupuncture and within 5 min after treatment， the assessments and measurements were performed including nasal obstruction symptom evaluation （NOSE） scale used to evaluate the severity of nasal obstruction before and after acupuncture， a nasal resistance/nasal flow analyzer applied to detect nasal airway resistance （NAR） and nasal respiration volume （NS）， the visual analogue scale （VAS） adopted to assess pain intensity. The incidence of nasal bleeding and other adverse events were recorded， and patients' willingness to receive repeat treatment was statistically analyzed. ResultsCompared with baseline within group， all four groups showed decreased NOSE scores and NAR as well as elevated NS after treatment （all P＜0.05）. Compared with the agger nasi group and the inferior turbinate-alar junction group， the inferior turbinate top group had higher NOSE scores and lower NS； the nasal septum group presented higher NOSE scores and NAR alongside lower NS （P＜0.05）. The nasal septum group yielded significantly higher VAS scores than the other three groups （P＜0.05）， with 11 cases （36.67%） of massive nasal bleeding observed， while no severe nasal hemorrhage occurred in the remaining groups. The proportions of patients willing to receive repeated intranasal acupuncture treatment were 70.00% （21/30） in the agger nasi group， 76.67% （23/30） in the inferior turbinate-alar junction group， 43.33% （13/30） in the inferior turbinate top group， and 3.33% （1/30） in the nasal septum group， respectively， with statistical significant difference among groups （χ² = 39.91， P＜0.001）. ConclusionAll four intranasal acupuncture methods can immediately improve nasal ventilation in patients with AR. The agger nasi group and inferior turbinate-alar cartilage junction group achieved superior therapeutic improvement compared with the inferior turbinate top group and nasal septum group， accompanied by better safety and higher patient acceptability.

ObjectiveAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by difficulties with communication and social interaction, restricted and repetitive behaviors. Previous studies have indicated that individuals with ASD exhibit early and lifelong attention deficits, which are closely related to the core symptoms of ASD. Basic visual attention processes may provide a critical foundation for their social communication and interaction abilities. Therefore, this study explores the behavior of children with ASD in capturing attention to changes in topological properties. MethodsOur study recruited twenty-seven ASD children diagnosed by professional clinicians according to DSM-5 and twenty-eight typically developing (TD) age-matched controls. In an attention capture task, we recorded the saccadic behaviors of children with ASD and TD in response to topological change (TC) and non-topological change (nTC) stimuli. Saccadic reaction time (SRT), visual search time (VS), and first fixation dwell time (FFDT) were used as indicators of attentional bias. Pearson correlation tests between the clinical assessment scales and attentional bias were conducted. ResultsThis study found that TD children had significantly faster SRT (P<0.05) and VS (P<0.05) for the TC stimuli compared to the nTC stimuli, while the children with ASD did not exhibit significant differences in either measure (P>0.05). Additionally, ASD children demonstrated significantly less attention towards the TC targets (measured by FFDT), in comparison to TD children (P<0.05). Furthermore, ASD children exhibited a significant negative linear correlation between their attentional bias (measured by VS) and their scores on the compulsive subscale (P<0.05). ConclusionThe results suggest that children with ASD have difficulty shifting their attention to objects with topological changes during change detection. This atypical attention may affect the child’s cognitive and behavioral development, thereby impacting their social communication and interaction. In sum, our findings indicate that difficulties in attentional capture by TC may be a key feature of ASD.

While tumor immunotherapy has improved the prognosis of many patients,immunotherapy drug resistance develops in most tu-mors.Studies of new targets and therapies are needed to overcome this challenge.Growing evidence indicates that Siglecs function in im-mune checkpoints.Siglecs belong to a family of salivary acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectins.The majority of Siglecs are immunosup-pressive transmembrane proteins that bind to sialic acid-containing glycans on glycoproteins and glycolipids.Sialoglycan-Siglec interactions contribute to tumor immune escape and are strongly correlated with poor prognosis in tumor patients.This review will discuss Siglec func-tion in immune checkpoints,and how the interaction between sialic acid and Siglecs regulates the tumor microenvironment to exert thera-peutic effects.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of serum signal lymphocyte activation molecule family member 8(SLAMF8)levels for post-stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI).Methods:The GSE122063 dataset was selected from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO), and key genes associated with vascular dementia were identified using STRING network and Cytoscape software.This prospective cohort study involved 123 patients with acute cerebral infarction(ACI)who were admitted to the Department of Neurology at Jiangsu University Affiliated Hospital from January to December 2023.Patients were followed up for six months and categorized into PSCI and post-stroke non-cognitive impairment(PSNCI)groups based on the occurrence of PSCI.General data from both groups at baseline, as well as the Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE)and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale(MoCA)scores at the six-month follow-up, were collected.Baseline serum levels of SLAMF8 and stabilin-1(STAB1), along with serum levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and interleukin-6(IL-6)at the six-month follow-up, were measured.Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between variables, while logistic regression analysis was employed to determine baseline factors influencing the occurrence of PSCI.Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC)curves were plotted to analyze the predictive value of variables for PSCI occurrence.Results:The Cytoscape software identified SLAMF8 and STAB1 as key genes associated with vascular dementia, utilizing maximum neighborhood component density(DNMC)and eccentricity algorithms on the GSE122063 dataset.In the cohort study, patients in the PSCI group exhibited higher baseline NIHSS scores and serum SLAMF8 levels compared to the PSNCI group( t=3.033, 5.422; P<0.01). Additionally, they demonstrated significantly lower MMSE and MoCA scores( t=16.340, 18.634; P<0.001)and higher serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6( t=2.633, 2.632; P<0.05)at the 6-month follow-up.No significant difference was observed in baseline STAB1 levels between the two groups( t=1.280, P>0.05). In the PSCI group, there was no significant correlation between baseline serum SLAMF8 levels and admission NIHSS scores( r=0.257, P=0.082); however, SLAMF8 showed a negative correlation with both MMSE scores( r=-0.711, P<0.001)and MoCA scores( r=-0.686, P<0.001)at the 6-month follow-up.Logistic regression analysis indicated that baseline serum SLAMF8 levels( OR=1.142, P=0.001)and NIHSS scores( OR=1.094, P=0.007)were risk factors for the development of PSCI in patients with acute cerebral infarction(ACI). ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the ROC curve(AUC)for baseline serum SLAMF8 levels in predicting PSCI occurrence in ACI patients was 0.776, while the AUC for the combined prediction using both SLAMF8 and NIHSS scores was 0.796.Furthermore, baseline serum SLAMF8 levels were positively correlated with serum IL-1β levels( r=0.652, P<0.001)and IL-6 levels( r=0.710, P<0.001)at the 6-month follow-up. Conclusions:The serum SLAMF8 level, exhibiting early high expression in ACI patients, may serve as a potential biological marker for predicting the occurrence of PSCI.