Objective To predict the potential suitable habitats of Scutellaria barbata D.Don across China;To provide a theoretical basis for its artificial cultivation and standardized planting practices.Methods Distribution data were collected from 186 sample sites,combined with data from 90 environmental factors,and the MaxEnt model and ArcGIS 10.8.1 software were used to screen the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of Scutellaria barbata D.Don and to analyse and predict the distribution of Scutellaria barbata D.Don suitability zones in China.Results The dominant environmental factors affecting the distribution of Scutellaria barbata D.Don were the driest month precipitation,vegetation subclasses,minimum temperature in September,precipitation in October,and soil base saturation.The high-suitability zones for Scutellaria barbata D.Don are primarily concentrated in the northern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and its bordering areas with Hunan Province,the central of Guangdong Province,and the border regions between Jiangxi Province and Fujian Province.Conclusion The predicted results of this study can provide a reference for the selection of sites for artificial cultivation and standardized planting of Scutellaria barbata D.Don in southeast China and eastern southwest China(e.g.Zhejiang Province,Jiangxi Province,Sichuan Province,etc.),and provide a reference for the sustainable utilization of Scutellaria barbata D.Don medicinal resources.

Objective To develop a novel protective ventilator circuit component and to verify its performance by water seal and anti-splash experiments.Methods A novel protective ventilator circuit component had a design scheme with the multifunctional joint,and consisted of a tee connection tube,an isolation sleeve and a stop sleeve,of which,the tee connection tube was made of polyethylene polymer material and the others were made of silicone material.The tee connection tube had a T-shaped structure with two standard connection ports,which was composed of an adapter,a sealing cap,a plug and a sealing ring;the isolation sleeve was in the shape of a cylinder with a raised bottom,which was inserted into the adapter;the stop sleeve was located in the isolation sleeve,with an inverted frustum of a cone at the bottom and a rounded hole in the middle of the inverted frustum.An open ventilator circuit tube was involved in the performance verification of the circuit component developed.In the water seal experiment,sputum aspiration was simulated and the heights of the liquid level drop in the L-shaped tubes were compared after sputum aspiration.In the anti-splash experiment,the infection rates on the surfaces of the sterile hole towels and gloves were calculated.Results Water seal experiment showed after sputum aspiration the open ventilator circuit tube had the liquid level at the L-shaped tube higher significantly than that of the circuit component;the anti-splash experiment indicated sputum aspiration resulted in the occurance of the splashing out of the secretion and 77.5%infection rate by the open ventilator circuit tube,while no splashing out and 0%infection rate by the circuit component developed.Conclusion The novel protective ventilator circuit component behaves well in sealing and anti-splashing,and thus is worthy of clinical application for sputum aspiration.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(4):113-117]

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of moxibustion(Mox)combined with low-dose tadalafil(TAD)in the treatment of diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction(DMED)with the syndrome of Qi deficiency and blood stasis.Meth-ods:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,we selected 90 patients with DMED for this trial and equally randomized them into a Mox,a TAD,and a Mox combined with TAD(Mox+TAD)group to be treated by mild Mox applied to the acupoints Zusanli,Sanyinjiao and Yinlingquan qd alt,oral medication with low-dose TAD at 5 mg per dose qd,and combination of the above two thera-pies,respectively,all for 4 weeks.We obtained from the patients their IIEF-5 scores,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)symptoms scores,Erectile Hardness Scale(EHS)scores,corpus cavernosal hemodynamic indexes,and the peak systolic velocity(PSV),end diastolic velocity(EDV)and resistance index(RI)of the corpus cavernosal arteries before and after treatment,and compared them among the three groups.Results:The total effectiveness rate was significantly higher in the Mox+TAD(90.0％)than in the Mox(46.7％)and TAD groups(60.0％)(P＜0.05).Compared with the baseline,the IIEF-5 and EHS scores were increased,while the TCM symptoms scores decreased in all the three groups after treatment,more significantly in the Mox+TAD group than in the other two(P＜0.05).And the PSV and RI were remarkably increased,while the EDV decreased(P＜0.05)in all the three groups(P＜0.05)after treatment,with PSV even higher in the Mox+TAD than in the Mox and TAD groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Moxi-bustion combined with tadalafil has a definite efficacy and safety for the treatment of DMED,which can effectively improve the erectile function of the patients by increasing penile blood supply,benefiting qi and activating blood circulation.

Objective To evaluate the effects of transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)on left ventricular reverse remodeling(LVRR)and outcomes in patients with mixed aortic valve disease(MAVD)and predominant aortic stenosis(AS).Methods Patients undergoing TAVR at our center between January 2020 and December 2022 were enrolled consecutively.Propensity score matching(PSM)(1∶1 ratio)was used to reduce selection bias.Transthoracic echocardiography(TTE)was used to monitor left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and other structural parameters over time.The study outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death and rehospitalization due to cardiovascular causes.Linear mixed-effects models and logistic regression were utilized for comparing echocardiographic changes across groups and identifying independent risk factors for no-LVRR,respectively.Results After PSM,126 patients were included.MAVD group exhibited larger structural parameters(left ventricular end-systolic/end-diastolic diameter and volume,left ventricular mass index)and a lower left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)(all P＜0.05).However,more pronounced improvements in left ventricular structure and hemodynamics were observed during follow-up.Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the left ventricular mass index(LVMI)was an independent predictor of left ventricular reverse remodeling(LVRR)after TAVR,whereas persistent moderate or greater mitral regurgitation(MR)and paravalvular leak(PVL)significantly reduced the incidence of LVRR.During a median follow-up period of 23 months,a total of 31 endpoint events occurred,and there was no statistically significant difference in long-term prognosis between the two groups(Log-rank P=0.330).Conclusions Compared to patients in the AS group,those in the MAVD group exhibited more severe left ventricular remodeling before TAVR.However,more significant LVRR was observed during postoperative follow-up.Additionally,the long-term prognosis was comparable between the two groups.

Aim To explore the therapeutic effects of resveratrol(Res)on hepatic inflammation and oxida-tive stress in rheumatoid arthritis(RA),and to eluci-date the relationship of the regulatory mechanism of the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway in it.Methods A mouse model of arthritis was induced using chicken type Ⅱ collagen in combination with complete Freund's adjuvant,and Res was administered by tube feeding for treatment.Serum liver function indices and levels of hepatic inflammation and oxidative stress were detected in mice.An in vitro cellular model of hepatic inflam-mation and oxidative stress was established by treating mouse primary hepatocytes(MPHs)with TNF-α(5μg·L-1),cell proliferation inhibition was detected by CCK-8,and inflammation and oxidative stress-relat-ed indices were detected by protein blotting.The in-trinsic mechanisms by which Res attenuated hepatic in-flammation and oxidative stress in rheumatoid arthritis were explored by treating MPHs with Nrf2 inhibitor and Keap1 overexpression plasmid.Results Res signifi-cantly reduced the levels of inflammation and oxidative stress in hepatic tissues of collagen-induced arthritis mice as well as TNF-α-treated MPHs,and activated the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway.Inflammation and oxidative stress levels in MPHs were exacerbated by the use of Nrf2 inhibitors and Keap1 overexpression,which promoted apoptosis.Conclusion Res attenuates he-patic inflammation and oxidative stress in rheumatoid arthritis via the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway.

Objective The risk of death in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis(MHD)significantly increases if they develop concomitant gastrointestinal bleeding(GIB).This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics of MHD patients with concomitant GIB,identify risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality among them,and provide a basis for the early clinical identification and optimized clinical management of this specific patient population.Methods The clinical data of MHD patients with GIB admitted to West China Hospital,Sichuan University between July 2019 and May 2024 were collected and a retrospective analysis was conducted accordingly.The patients were divided into a death group and a survival group based on their discharge status.Clinical characteristics,laboratory test results,endoscopic findings,etc.,of the two groups were collected.Oversampling was used to reduce the bias caused by data imbalance between the two groups,and stepwise logistic regression and other methods were used for analysis.Results A total of 212 patients were included,with 40 in the death group and 172 in the survival group.According to the findings of logistic regression,the following were identified as independent risk factors for mortality among the patients:activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT)(odds ratio[OR]=1.014;95%CI,1.002-1.027;P=0.024),Glasgow-Blatchford bleeding score(GBS)(OR=2.348;95%CI,1.686-3.269;P<0.001),and age-corrected Charlson comorbidity index(aCCI)(OR=1.522;95%CI,1.185-1.954;P<0.001),and small intestinal vascular malformation(OR=0.372 2;95%CI,0.161-0.858;P=0.020).Conclusion For MHD patients with concomitant GIB,APTT,GBS,aCCI,and small intestinal vascular malformation are independent risk factors for in-hospital death.

Objective To analyze the effect of sodium cantharidinate and vitamin B6 injection(SCV)on four human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)cell lines(SMMC-7721,Bel-7402,Huh7,and HepG2)and explore its mechanism.Methods Normal hepatic cell line L02 was treated with SCV at concentrations of 0 μmol/L(control),0.5,1,2,4,8,16,and 32 μmol/L,and the cytotoxicity of SCV on L02 cells was detected using CCK-8 assay.Human HCC cell lines(SMMC-7721,Bel-7402,Huh7,and HepG2)were cultured.SCV-untreated control group(0 μmol/L)and 2,4,and 8 μmol/L SCV-treated groups were set up.CCK-8 assay,plate cloning formation assay,Transwell assay,wound healing assay,and flow cytometry were used to detect the effects of SCV on the growth and proliferation capacity,colony formation ability,invasion and migration capabilities,cell cycle,and apoptosis of the four hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines,respectively.Western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins,including nuclear factor kappa-B subunit p65(p65),B-cell lymphoma 2(Bcl-2),and Caspase-3,and to preliminarily explore the underlying mechanism.Results The CCK-8 assay showed that SCV at 0.5,1,2,4,and 8 μmol/L had no significant cytotoxic effect on L02 cells compared with untreated control group,so 2,4,and 8 μmol/L SCV were selected for subsequent experiments.Compared with the untreated control group(0 μmol/L),SCV at different concentrations(2,4,and 8 μmol/L)significantly inhibited the proliferation of the four HCC cell lines(P<0.001).The plate cloning formation assay showed that SCV at different concentrations(2,4,and 8 μmol/L)significantly reduced the colony formation ability of the four HCC cell lines(P<0.05 or P<0.01 or P<0.001).In addition,Transwell and wound healing assays revealed that SCV at different concentrations(2,4,and 8 μmol/L)significantly inhibited the invasion and migration of HCC cells(P<0.05 or P<0.01 or P<0.001).In the above results,the inhibitory effect of SCV was concentration-dependent.Flow cytometry analysis indicated that SCV arrested cells in the G2/M phase(P<0.05 or P<0.01 or P<0.001)and significantly promoted cell apoptosis(P<0.05 or P<0.01 or P<0.001).Western blotting showed that SCV significantly down-regulated the expression of p65(P<0.05 or P<0.01)and Bcl-2(P<0.05),and up-regulated the expression of Caspase-3(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusions SCV can significantly inhibit the proliferation,colony formation,invasion,and migration of multiple human HCC cell lines and arrest the cell cycle.SCV may inhibit the expression of p65 and Bcl-2,thereby lifting their inhibitory effect on the apoptotic pathway and activating Caspase-3 to promote apoptosis.

Objective The study aims to investigate the impact of microRNA-874-3p(miR-874-3p)regulation of plakophilin 3(PKP3)on the malignant biological behavior of lung adenocarcinoma cells and its underlying mechanism.Methods Immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry were used to detect the expression of PKP3 in lung adenocarcinoma tissue microarray and lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 cells respectively,and the relationship between PKP3 and clinicopathological features of lung adenocarcinoma patients was analyzed.Select lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549,the experiment was divided into A549 cell group(blank control group),miR-NC group(transfected with miR-NC)and miR-mimics group(transfected with miR-874-3p mimics),sh-NC group(control group transfected with PKP3 silencing plasmid),sh-PKP3 group(transfected with PKP3 silencing plasmid),miR+pcDNA-PKP3 group(transfected with miR-874-3P mimics+pcDNA-PKP3,rescue group)and miR+pcDNA-NC group(transfected with miR-874-3p mimics+pcDNA-NC).The proliferation,invasion,migration and apoptosis of cells in each group were detected.ENCORI database was used to predict the upstream gene of PKP3,and dual luciferase assay was used to detect the targeting relationship between miR-874-3p and PKP3.MAPK/mTOR pathway-related proteins were detected by Western blotting.Results The expression of PKP3 in lung adenocarcinoma tissue was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues.The high expression of PKP3 was related to clinical stage,tumor size,and lymph node metastasis(P＜0.05).Compared with the human normal lung epithelial cells(BEAS-2B),the expression of PKP3 in A549 cells increased significantly,and the expression of miR-874-3p decreased(P＜0.05).Overexpression of miR-874-3p decreased the PKP3 expression level(P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,both overexpression of miR-874-3p and silenced PKP3 inhibited the cloning and invasion ability of A549 cells,caused cell cycle arrest,and decreased the expression levels of cyclin dependent kinase 4(CDK4),cyclin D1,cyclin E1 proteins in A549 cells(P＜0.05).The expressions of Bax protein and Caspase-3 protein were up-regulated(P＜0.05),and apoptosis increased.Overexpression of PKP3 could reverse the biological behavior of overexpression of miR-874-3p.Overexpression of miR-874-3p and silencing of PKP3 significantly decreased the expressions of P38 MAPK and mTOR phosphorylated proteins.Conclusion MiR-874-3p can negatively regulate PKP3 expression and inhibit the malignant biological behavior of A549 cells through MAPK/mTOR pathway.

ObjectiveTo understand the incidence and mortality trends of acute cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in Yangpu District of Shanghai from 2009 to 2022, and provide a basis for the prevention and control of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. MethodsData were obtained from the Shanghai Acute Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Events Surveillance Platform. Data on the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in the population (age group, gender) from 2009 to 2022 were collected, and the Joinpoint Regression Program version 4.9 was used to calculate the average annual percent change (AAPC) in the incidence and mortality rates of acute cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. ResultsFrom 2009 to 2022, the crude incidence and standardized incidence rate of acute cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in Yangpu District showed no significant changes (AAPC=1.41%, P=0.569; AAPC=-1.03%, P=0.675), the crude mortality rate of acute cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in Yangpu District did not change significantly (AAPC=-3.04%, P=0.213), while the standardized mortality rate showed a decreasing trend (AAPC=-6.23% P=0.014). From 2009 to 2022, the crude incidence rates and age-standardized incidence rates for both males and females in Yangpu District showed no significant changes. The crude mortality trends for both genders were not significant, while the age-standardized mortality rates showed a decline (AAPC=-5.33%, P=0.029; AAPC=-7.50%, P=0.006). The incidence rate and age-standardized incidence rate were higher in males than in females. The crude incidence rates in the 30‒, 40‒, and 45‒year-old age groups increased annually (AAPC=9.13%、7.11%、4.67%, all P=0.001), and the crude mortality ratse in the 60‒, 65‒, 70‒, 75‒, 80‒, and 85‒year-old age groups declined annually (AAPC=-4.24%, P=0.044; AAPC=-5.41%, P=0.028; AAPC=-6.73%, P=0.004; AAPC=-7.46%, P=0.002; AAPC=-8.24%, P=0.002; AAPC=-6.16%, P=0.035). ConclusionFrom 2009 to 2022, the crude incidence, standardized incidence rate and crude mortality rate of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in Yangpu District tended to be stable, and the standardized mortality rate showed a downward trend. Men, middle-aged and young people were the key groups in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and it should be continued to improve the ability of medical emergency and increase the integration of medical and prevention.

Objective:To evaluate the preventive effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on chronic pain after lumbar spine surgery.Methods:This was a secondary analysis conducted on the studies assessing the effect of TEAS on gastrointestinal function in patients undergoing lumbar spinal surgery. Fifty lumbar spinal stenosis patients of either sex, aged 50-75 yr, with a body mass index of 18.5-28.0 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status cassification Ⅰ or Ⅱ, with expected operation time≥3 h, undergoing lumbar spinal surgery under general anesthesia, were enrolled and assigned into 2 groups ( n=25 each) using a random number table method: control group (C group) and TEAS group. In group C, stimulating electrodes were placed at the non-acupoint parts of the limbs, but no electrical stimulation was applied. In group TEAS, the bilateral Neiguan (PC6), Hegu (L14), Zusanli (ST36), Shangjuxu (ST37) and Xiajuxu (ST39) were stimulated with disperse-dense waves at a frequency of 2/100 Hz. The intensity of stimulation was the maximum current that patients could tolerate. The intervention was performed once a day for 30 min per session at 30 min prior to anesthesia induction and on postoperative days 1-7. Telephone follow-ups were conducted at 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery to record the occurrence of postoperative moderate-to-severe lower back pain and leg pain (Numerical Rating Scale score ≥4), and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) value and four-item neuropathic pain questionnaire scores. The pain-related medical visits and usage of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were also recorded after surgery. Results:Three patients in each group were lost to follow-up. Compared with group C, the incidence of chronic low back pain was significantly decreased at 6-12 months after surgery, the ODI value and four-item neuropathic pain questionnaire scores were decreased at 12 months after surgery ( P<0.05), ODI value difference reached the minimal clinically important difference, the proportion of patients requiring medical visits due to postoperative pain and usage rate of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were decreased at 6-12 months after surgery ( P<0.05), and no significant change in the incidence of chronic moderate-to-severe leg pain was found at each time period after surgery in group TEAS( P>0.05). Conclusions:TEAS can prevent the occurrence of chronic lower back pain and improve functional impairment in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery.