ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the application of narrative education in undergraduate nursing teaching， to understand the current application status of narrative education， and to provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent establishment of a sound narrative education system. MethodsA systematic search was conducted for studies published in Chinese and English databases on applying narrative education to undergraduate nursing teaching， with the search period ranging from database inception to February 23， 2025. Literature was screened， and relevant information was extracted. A rigorous quality evaluation was conducted on the included studies， and a descriptive analysis was performed on their content. ResultsA total of 20 papers were included， involving 3，180 research subjects， all of whom were undergraduate nursing students. The results of descriptive analysis showed that the teaching model of narrative education primarily encompassed reading narrative works， watching films and videos， performing narrative scenarios， and writing reflective journals. The course setting and content covered pre-teaching preparation and in-teaching implementation. The evaluation of teaching effectiveness included the evaluation of teachers’ teaching methods （student evaluation/self-evaluation） and the evaluation of students’ learning effectiveness （course grade evaluation/humanistic care scale/empathy scale assessment， and others）. ConclusionNarrative education combines abstract concepts with concrete clinical situations， which not only enriches students’ learning experiences but also enhances their humanistic literacy. Meanwhile， it provides teachers with opportunities to develop their narrative teaching skills， which requires them to possess profound professional knowledge and employ narrative techniques to guide students in reflection and critical thinking， thereby improving teaching quality and learning outcomes. Future efforts should consistently deepen the connotation research of narrative education and build a systematic nursing education system.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Yangxin Tongmai Formula （养心通脉方， YTF） in trea-ting coronary heart disease with blood stasis syndrome based on DNA methylation. MethodsSeventy-two SD rats were randomly divided into a control group （n=12） and a modeling group （n=60）. The modeling group was subjected to a high-fat diet， intragastric administration of vitamin D3， and subcutaneous injection of isoprenaline to establish the rat model of coronary heart disease with blood stasis syndrome. Forty-one successfully modeled rats were then randomly allocated into model group， YTF low-， medium-， and high-dose groups， and the atorvastatin calcium group， with 8 rats in each group and 1 rat reserved. The YTF low-， medium-， and high-dose groups received YTF at 6， 12， and 18 g/（kg·d） by gavage， respectively. The atorvastatin calcium group received atorvastatin calcium tablets at 1.8 mg/（kg·d） by gavage. The control group and the model group received 0.9% sodium chloride injection at 4 ml/（kg·d） by gavage. All administrations were performed once daily for 3 weeks. Twenty-four hours after the last administration， serum lipid levels including total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， myocardial enzymes including cardiac troponin T （cTnT）， creatine kinase MB （CK-MB）， and lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， and inflammatory factors including interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and interleukin-10 （IL-10） were detected by ELISA. Pathological changes in myocardial tissue were observed via HE staining. Whole blood DNA methylation sequencing was used to analyze differential methylation gene expression among the control group， model group， and YTF high-dose group. Western Blotting was used to verify the protein levels of the key genes and downstream signaling pathways. ResultsCompared to the control group， the model group showed increased levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， cTnT， CK-MB， LDH， and IL-1β， along with decreased levels of HDL-C and IL-10 （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to the model group， all treatment groups exhibited decreased levels of TC， LDL-C， CK-MB， and LDH， along with increased IL-10 levels. Among these， the high-dose YTF group demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing cTnT levels compared to the other TCM groups （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. HE staining indicated that the YTF high-dose group ameliorated myocardial cell swelling， disordered arrangement， pyknosis， and disappearance of nuclei， thereby reducing myocardial cell damage. Whole blood DNA methylation sequencing identified 240 differentially methylated genes shared by the control group， model group， and YTF high-dose group， including 109 hypermethylated and 131 hypomethylated genes； eif2ak3 was identified as a key differentially methylated gene. Compared to the control group， the model group exhibited increased protein levels of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha kinase 3 （eIf2ak3）， phosphorylated protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase （p-PERK）， activating transcription factor 4 （ATF4）， C/EBP homologous protein （CHOP）， and Bax， along with a decreased level of B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2） protein （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to the model group， the YTF high-dose group showed decreased protein levels of eIf2ak3， p-PERK， ATF4， CHOP， and Bax， and an increased level of Bcl-2 protein （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionYTF may regulate key differentially methylated genes such as eIf2ak3 and the PERK/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway， thereby inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress， reducing myocardial cell apoptosis， and exerting therapeutic effects in coronary heart disease blood stasis syndrome.

Objective: To investigate factors influencing perioperative blood transfusion in patients with scarred uterus during pregnancy undergoing cesarean section, construct and validate a transfusion risk prediction model, and provide evidence for preoperative assessment and blood management. Methods: Clinical data of 405 patients undergoing cesarean section for scarred uterus during pregnancy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2020 to December 2024 were retrospectively collected. The dataset was randomly divided into a training set (n=284) and a validation set (n=121) at a 7∶3 ratio. Within the training set, Firth-penalized logistic regression was employed for multivariate analysis to identify independent factors influencing perioperative blood transfusion and construct a predictive model. Model performance was evaluated in the validation set. Results: Multivariate Firth regression analysis showed that severe placenta previa (OR=75.566, 95%CI: 8.603-9979.174) and placenta accreta (OR=4.591, 95%CI: 1.120-19.416) were independent risk factors for perioperative blood transfusion, while preoperative red blood cell count (OR=0.189, 95%CI: 0.083-0.405) and fibrinogen levels (OR=0.588, 95%CI: 0.395-0.855) were protective factors. The predictive model constructed based on these four variables demonstrated good discriminatory performance, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of 0.803 (95%CI: 0.740-0.867) and 0.753 (95%CI: 0.644-0.862) in the training and validation sets, respectively. Conclusion: For patients with scarred uterus during pregnancy undergoing cesarean section, severe placenta previa and placenta accreta significantly increase the risk of transfusion, while higher preoperative red blood cell count and fibrinogen levels exert a protective effect. The predictive model established in this study facilitates the identification of patients requiring transfusion, thereby enabling preoperative blood preparation and optimized blood management.

ObjectiveTo elucidate the mechanism by which total flavonoids of Abelmoschi Corolla （TFA） treat immunoglobulin A （IgA） nephropathy （IgAN） through serum metabolomics analysis. MethodsSPF-grade male SD rats were randomly assigned into six groups （n=10）： blank， model， low-dose TFA （TFA-L， 27 mg·kg^-1）， medium-dose TFA （TFA-M， 54 mg·kg^-1）， high-dose TFA （TFA-H， 108 mg·kg^-1）， and losartan potassium （LST， 4.5 mg·kg^-1） groups. The remaining five groups， excluding the blank group， were modeled with bovine serum albumin （BSA）， lipopolysaccharide （LPS）， and carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄）. Specifically， from weeks 1 to 10， BSA was administered via gavage every other day， and a mixture of castor oil and CCl₄ was injected subcutaneously once a week， with LPS injected into the tail vein at weeks 6 and 8. After successful modeling， each intervention group was administrated with the medication prepared with distilled water once daily by gavage for a continuous period of 4 weeks. The levels of 24-hour urinary total protein （24 h UP） and serum creatinine （SCr） were quantified by kits， and the serum IgA level was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Renal pathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） staining. Renal IgA deposition was assessed by immunofluorescence （IF）. Endoplasmic reticulum （ER） stress was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Western blot and immunohistochemistry （IHC） were employed to detect the expression of ER stress-related factors. Non-targeted metabolomics was used to screen differential metabolites for analysis， and key metabolites arachidonic acid （AA）， prostaglandin E₂ （PGE₂）， and cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） were validated. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group showed increased 24-hour urine protein （24 h UP） and serum creatinine （SCr） levels （P<0.01）， obvious renal pathological damage， elevated serum IgA level （P<0.01）， increased renal AA and PGE₂ levels （P<0.01）， and up-regulated protein levels of COX-2， glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）， phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α （P-EIF2α）， activating transcription factor 4 （ATF4）， inositol-requiring enzyme 1α （IRE1α）， and spliced X-box binding protein 1 （XBP1s） in the renal tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the intervention groups showed reductions in 24 h UP and SCr levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， alleviated renal pathological injury， decreased serum IgA level （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and reduced renal AA and PGE₂ levels （P<0.01）. Western blot and IHC results showed that TFA reduced the levels of COX-2， GRP78， P-EIF2α， ATF4， IRE1α， and XBP1s in the renal tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Metabolomics results indicated that 51 commonly differential metabolites were found among the normal， model， and TFA-M groups. TFA ameliorated IgAN by affecting metabolic pathways related to the biosynthesis of arachidonic acid and arginine through L-aspartic acid， prostaglandin 2α， leukotriene B₄， leukotriene D₄， among others. ConclusionTFA can regulate the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway， thereby modulating ER stress， reducing renal damage， and ameliorating IgA nephropathy.

Hyperthyroidism （HT） is frequently complicated by atrial fibrillation （AF） in clinical practice. Based on traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） zang-xiang （藏象） theory and clinical experience， both HT and AF are closely associated with dysfunction of the liver. The pathogenesis is initiated by the liver failing to govern the free flow of qi， and liver constraint and qi stagnation， with the key turning points being liver constraint transforming into fire and the internal stirring of liver wind， ultimately leading to liver blood depletion and insufficient nourishment of the heart spirit. Thus， it is proposed to treat the disease from the liver， with stage-specific therapeutic approaches according to the evolution of the disease. In the early stage， the treatment should focus on soothing the liver and relieving constraint to reduce goiter and calm the heart， while in the progressive stage， the method of clearing liver and draining fire is suggested to subdue yang and stabilize palpitations. In the acute stage， the strategy is calming the liver and nourishing yin to subdue yang and extinguish wind. In the later stage， it is suggested to soften the liver and benefit qi， so as to nourish yin and restore pulse. These methods are sequentially applied to synergistically reduce goiter and stabilize palpitations， providing a therapeutic approach for HT complicated by AF.

Objective: This prospective study evaluated the feasibility of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI for assessing disease activity in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Materials and Methods: A total of 88 patients with active TAO, 76 with inactive TAO, and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. CEST MRI-derived magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and MTR asymmetry (MTRasym) at 1 ppm, 2 ppm, and 3.5 ppm were calculated. Clinical data, MTR, and MTRasym values for the extraocular muscles (one representative muscle per eye, yielding two measurements per participant) were compared among the groups. Spearman’s correlation was used to examine associations between imaging parameters and the clinical activity score (CAS) in patients with TAO. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent associations between imaging parameters and disease activity in patients with TAO (active vs. inactive). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance for discriminating active from inactive TAO. Results: Patients with active TAO showed lower MTR values (P < 0.001) and higher MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) (all P < 0.001) compared with those with inactive TAO. MTR was negatively correlated with CAS (r = -0.402; P < 0.001), while MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) were positively correlated with CAS (r = 0.369, 0.350, and 0.349, respectively;all P < 0.001). MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) in discriminating active from inactive TAO were 0.772 and 0.730, respectively. Combining MTR with MTRasym (1 ppm) significantly improved diagnostic performance compared with either parameter alone, achieving an AUC of 0.805 (P = 0.029 and 0.001). Conclusion MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. Their combination further enhanced diagnostic performance in distinguishing active from inactive TAO, suggesting their potential as quantitative imaging biomarkers to guide treatment in patients with TAO.

ObjectiveTo analyze the effects of the progestin-primed ovarian stimulation （PPOS） protocol on embryo euploidy rate and clinical pregnancy outcomes in infertile patients. MethodsWomen who underwent Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy （PGT-A） cycles were selected as study participants （a total of 656 cycles and 3 081 blastocysts）. Participants were divided into two age groups （≤35 years and >35 years） and further stratified by ovarian stimulation protocol： the Progestin-Primed Ovarian Stimulation （PPOS） group （n=48 and 60， respectively）， the Luteal Phase Long Protocol （LP） group （n=160 and 57， respectively）， and the Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Antagonist Protocol （AP） group （n=220 and 111， respectively）. Baseline characteristics， ovarian stimulation outcomes， and embryo development parameters were compared among the three protocols within each age group. Additionally， clinical pregnancy outcomes of the first frozen embryo transfer （FET） cycle were compared. The primary outcome measure was the embryo euploidy rate. Results① In the ≤35 years age group， baseline follicle-stimulating hormone （bFSH） levels were significantly higher in the PPOS group compared to the LP and AP groups， and the bFSH/bLH ratio was significantly higher in the PPOS group than in the AP group （P < 0.05）. In the >35 years age group， bFSH levels in both the PPOS and AP groups were significantly higher than in the LP group （P < 0.05）.② In the ≤35 years group， there were no significant differences in the rates of metaphase II （MII） oocytes， 2-pronuclei （2 PN） zygotes， cleavage， 2 PN cleavage， blastocyst formation， high-quality embryos， or embryo euploidy between the PPOS group and either the LP or AP groups. However， the PPOS group showed significantly lower values for the following parameters compared to the other two groups： total oocytes retrieved， number of MII oocytes， number of 2 PN zygotes， number of cleaved embryos， number of 2 PN cleaved embryos， number of blastocysts formed， number of high-quality embryos， number of high-grade blastocysts， number of transferable embryos， number of cryopreserved embryos， number of biopsied blastocysts， number of euploid embryos， and the rate of obtaining at least one euploid embryo. In the >35 years group， no significant differences were observed among the PPOS， LP， and AP groups in the rates of MII oocytes， 2 PN cleavage， blastocyst formation， or in the number of euploid embryos， euploidy rate， and the rate of obtaining at least one euploid embryo. However， the PPOS group had significantly lower numbers of total oocytes retrieved， MII oocytes， 2 PN zygotes， cleaved embryos， 2 PN cleaved embryos， blastocysts formed， transferable embryos， and cryopreserved embryos compared to the LP group （P<0.05）. The high-quality embryo rate was significantly lower in the PPOS group than in the AP group （P<0.05）. The numbers of high-quality embryos， high-grade blastocysts， and biopsied blastocysts were significantly lower in the PPOS group than in both the LP and AP groups （P<0.05）. Notably， the 2 PN fertilization rate was significantly higher in the PPOS group than in the AP group， and the cleavage rate was significantly higher in the PPOS group than in both the LP and AP groups （P<0.05）.③ No significant differences were found among the three groups in the biochemical pregnancy rate， clinical pregnancy rate， live birth rate， early miscarriage rate， and late miscarriage rate following the first FET cycle. ConclusionCompared to the other two protocols， the PPOS protocol does not significantly affect embryo euploidy or clinical pregnancy rates. However， in freeze-all cycles with PGT-A， the PPOS protocol does not reduce the rate of chromosomally normal embryos but may decrease the total number of available embryos. It may not be the optimal choice for younger women， but it can be considered as a viable option for women of advanced maternal age.

ObjectiveMigraine is a leading neurological disorder and the fourth most common cause of years lived with disability worldwide, affecting nearly 116 million individuals. Although pharmacological treatments are available, their efficacy is often limited by side effects and variable response rates. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) offers a safe, non-invasive alternative for migraine management. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms, particularly how rTMS modulates local cortical excitability and distributed pain-related circuits, remain poorly understood. Elucidating these mechanisms is essential for optimizing treatment protocols and improving clinical outcomes. MethodsThis study employed concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) to investigate neuroplastic and neurocircuitry mechanisms of DLPFC-rTMS in migraine. Study 1 compared 30 migraineurs and 28 healthy controls to identify abnormalities in TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) and significant current density (SCD) within sensory-discriminative regions including the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and posterior insula (pINS), cognitive-affective regions including the anterior insula (aINS) and midcingulate cortex (MCC), and a descending modulatory region, the periaqueductal gray (PAG). Study 2 used a single-blind, crossover, sham-controlled design in 34 healthy participants. Each participant received both active (10 Hz, 80% RMT, 1 500 pulses) and sham DLPFC-rTMS in counterbalanced order. TMS-EEG and cold pain tolerance were assessed before and after each session. ResultsIn Study 1, migraineurs showed a significantly less negative N120 amplitude compared to healthy controls (P=0.027, Cohen’s d=0.60), indicating local intracortical disinhibition. No group differences were observed for N40, P60, or P180 components. At the source level, migraineurs exhibited significantly higher SCD in the S1, pINS, aINS, and MCC (allQ<0.05), but not in the ventroposterior thalamus (vpTHAL), mediodorsal thalamus (mdTHAL), or PAG. In Study 2, active rTMS significantly reduced SCD from pre- to post-stimulation in the S1, aINS, and MCC (all Q<0.05). Sham stimulation also reduced SCD in the S1 (Q<0.05) but not in the aINS or MCC. Although no significant group-level analgesic effect was observed between active and sham conditions (P=0.107), correlation analyses revealed that greater SCD reductions in the S1 and MCC were significantly associated with higher post-rTMS pain tolerance (R=-0.487 and -0.495, both Q<0.01) and larger improvements in pain tolerance(R=-0.487 and -0.451, both Q<0.05). No such correlations were found following sham stimulation, suggesting that the behavioural relevance of neural changes is specific to active rTMS. ConclusionThis study provides novel evidence that migraineurs exhibit both local neuroplastic abnormalities (reduced N120 amplitude) and hyperactivity in key pain-processing regions (S1, pINS, aINS, MCC). A single session of DLPFC-rTMS reduced hyperactivity in the aINS, MCC, and S1. Notably, greater reductions in the S1 and MCC were associated with improved pain tolerance. These findings identify distinct cortical circuitries, particularly within the cognitive-affective pain network, that may serve as potential biomarkers for optimizing rTMS treatment in migraine and other chronic pain conditions. Future studies should validate these results in patient populations experiencing spontaneous migraine attacks and explore multi-session or accelerated rTMS protocols.

Objective To explore the clinical application value of dual-source CT (DSCT) in imaging evaluation after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstruction. Methods A total of 93 patients with ACL injury confirmed in our hospital between December 2023 and December 2024 were enrolled as the research subjects. All patients underwent arthroscopic single-bundle anatomical reconstruction of ACL, as well as DSCT and multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) examinations at 1 month after surgery. ACL scan parameters, bone tunnel aperture center, and radiation dose parameters (CT dose index volume, dose-length product, effective dose) under DSCT and MSCT were compared. At 3 months after surgery, according to postoperative curative effect by International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scoring method, patients were divided into favorable outcome group (IKDC ≥ 70 points, n = 69) and unfavorable outcome group (IKDC < 70 points, n = 24). The two groups were compared for bone tunnel angles [angle between femoral tunnel and joint line (γ angle), angle between femoral tunnel and femoral shaft (θ angle), angle between tibial tunnel and tibial shaft (α angle), angle between tibial tunnel and joint line (β angle)]. The predictive value of bone tunnel angles under DSCT in poor prognosis of patients after ACL reconstruction was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curves. Results The intraclass correlation coefficients for image quality of ACL length, ACL angle, long diameter of femoral attachment point, long diameter of tibial attachment point, Fx, Fy, Tx, Ty, γ angle, θ angle, α angle, and β angle were 0.812, 0.835, 0.823, 0.834, 0.836, 0.847, 0.841, 0.834, 0.835, and 0.864, respectively. The long diameters of femoral attachment point and tibial attachment point under DSCT were shorter than those under MSCT (P < 0.05), Tx and Ty were lower than those under MSCT (P < 0.05), CT dose index volume, dose-length product, and effective dose were lower than those under MSCT (P < 0.05). The γ angle and θ angle in the favorable outcome group were lower than those in the unfavorable outcome group (P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that after ACL reconstruction, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of γ angle, θ angle, and their combination under DSCT for predicting poor prognosis were 0.711, 0.712, and 0.783, respectively, with sensitivities of 76.81%, 79.71%, and 92.75% as well as specificities of 70.83%, 75.00%, and 62.50%, respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusion DSCT can evaluate the poor prognosis of patients after ACL reconstruction through ACL scan parameters, bone tunnel aperture center, γ angle, and θ angle, which also can effectively reduce radiation dose.

ObjectiveTo explore the process and guidelines for ethical review in decentralized drug clinical trials， promote clinical trial progress， and ensure drug development progress. MethodsThe key points of the ethical review were summarized by studying the relevant laws and regulations on decentralized drug clinical trials， analyzing the advantages and challenges of decentralized drug clinical trials， and combining the experience of the ethics committee of the institution in reviewing decentralized drug clinical trials. ResultsRelevant laws and regulations were the basis for the ethical review， and the ethics committee should adopt appropriate review methods based on regulations and hospital ethical standard operating procedures. The ethics committee should focus on the feasibility， applicability， and rationality， the adequacy of informed consent， the protection of rights and interests and privacy of subjects， as well as the qualification and standard operating procedures of electronic platforms for conducting decentralized drug clinical trials. ConclusionDecentralized drug clinical trials are in their early stages and urgently require guidance from relevant laws and regulations. Ethical review is also constantly being refined through exploration. It is necessary to supervise the implementation of responsibilities by all parties， pay attention to the rights and interests of subjects， and gradually promote the implementation of decentralized drug clinical trials.