The therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) decoction is closely related to its decocting methods. A correct understanding of the scientific connotations of decocting methods in TCM is of great significance for guiding the application of decoctions and the development of modern TCM preparations based on decoctions. The decocting process is not only a hot water extraction process of chemical components but also accompanied by complex chemical and physical changes, forming a complex multiphase system and significantly affecting the absorption and therapeutic effect of TCM. This article reviews the research progress in scientific connotations of decocting methods in TCM from the perspectives of chemical composition changes, phase state differences,absorption behavior changes, and pharmacological and toxicological changes caused by decocting. This review is expected to provide implications for studying decocting methods and their scientific interpretation, boost the innovation and development of TCM decoctions,and promote the design and development of modern TCM preparations.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Animals

Objective: To investigate the incidence and influencing factors of falls among the elderly in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, so as to provide the basis for developing effective prevention strategies. Methods: The residents aged 60 years and above in Haishu District and Yuyao City of Ningbo City were selected by the multi-stage cluster random sampling method from June to October 2022. Demographic information, fall incidence in the past year, history of disease and self-rated health were collected through questionnaire surveys. Incidence of falls was descriptively analyzed, and factors affecting falls were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model stratified by gender and age. Results: A total of 1 275 elderly people were surveyed, including 635 men and 640 women. The median age was 72.00 (interquartile range, 13.00) years. In the past year, 158 residents fell, accounting for 12.39%. Additionally, 14 individuals experienced two or more falls, accounting for 8.86%. The incidence of falls was 14.69% in women, which was higher than the 10.08% in men (P<0.05). The incidence of falls was 14.86% in the elderly over 70 years, which was higher than the 9.39% in those aged 60 to 70 years (P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression showed that the educational level (primary school and above, OR=0.501, 95%CI: 0.301-0.836), heart disease (present, OR=1.996, 95%CI: 1.076-3.703), and self-rated health status (good, OR=0.529, 95%CI: 0.319-0.875) were factors affecting falls in women; educational level (primary school and above, OR=0.514, 95%CI: 0.285-0.928) and self-rated health status (good, OR=0.456, 95%CI: 0.253-0.824) were factors affecting falls in residents aged 60 to 70 years. Conclusion Fall risk among the elderly is associated with gender, age, heart disease, educational level and self-rated health status, and the influencing factors for falls vary in different genders and ages.

Objective To survey and analysis of cephalometric indicators of Wa adults in China.Methods Cephalometric parameters were measured in 1996 cases(858 males and 1138 females)of Wa adults in China,including 927 cases(381 males and 546 females)of the Baraoke ethnic group,564 cases(241 males and 323 females)of the A Wa ethnic group,and 505 cases(236 males and 269 females)of the Wa ethnic group by using sliding caliper and spreading caliper.Seventeen direct cephalofacial parameters and one indirect parameter for each of the three dialect ethnic groups were derived separately and analyzed for age correlations,inter-sex u-tests,and multiple comparisons.Finally,the three dialect ethnic groups were subjected to cluster analysis and principal component analysis with 15 ethnic groups in China.Results Nose breadth,mouth breadth and physiognomic ear length were significantly and positively correlated with age for both sexes in the three Wa dialect ethnic groups,while head breadth and lip height were significantly and negatively correlated with age.Except for the interocular breadth,there were gender differences between males and females in the cephalometric parameters of the three Wa dialect ethnic groups.The cephalofacial features of the Baraoke,A Wa and Wa ethnic groups were different,as evidenced by the fact that males and females of the Baraoke and Wa dialect ethnic group had higher lip height,wider nasal breadth and wider mouth breadth,while males and females of the A Wa ethnic group had lower nasal height.Conclusion The cephalofacial features of the three Wa dialect ethnic groups are close to those of the Khmus and Mang,who have their origins in the ancient Baipu people and are also members of the Mon-Khmer language group of the Austroasiatic linguistic.

Aim To investigate the regulatory effects of 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA) on apoptosis and autophagy of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) in rats based on AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway and the underlying mechanism. Methods FLS of rats in vitro were cultured and induced by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) to construct a model of rheumatoid arthritis (R A). MTT assay was used to explore the optimal concentration of TNF-α and 3 -BrPA for induction and treatment of FLS. The effects of 3-BrPA on the migration and invasion of FLS were detected by Wound healing assay and Transwell assay. The apoptosis of FLS was tested by flow cytometry and mitochondrial membrane potential assay kit (JC-1). Moreover, FLS autophagic flux was detected by mCherry-EGFP-LC3B-overexpressed plasmids, and the expression of apoptosis/autophagy-related proteins as well as AMPK/mTOR pathway-related proteins were detected by Western blot. Results 3-BrPA (15 μmol • L) significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of FLS stimulated by TNF-a (25 μg • L

ObjectiveTo analyze the polarized light microscopic characteristics， the composition of physical phases and their relative contents of Maifanitum from different origins， and to establish the Fourier characteristic fingerprint of Maifanitum powder crystals by X-ray diffraction（XRD）. MethodA total of 26 batches of Maifanitum samples were selected， and the microscopic characteristics of the sample powders and grinding flakes were observed by polarized light microscopy under single polarized light and orthogonal polarized light， and the main phase compositions and their relative contents were analyzed by powder crystal XRD technique， and the XRD Fourier characteristic fingerprint of Maifanitum was established. The incident light source of XRD was Cu target Kβ radiation， the light tube voltage and light tube current were 40 kV and 40 mA， respectively， the divergence slit was 1°， the scattering slit was 1°， the receiving slit was 0.2 mm， the scanning speed was 5°·min^-1 with continuous scanning and scanning range of 5-90°（2θ）， and the step length was 0.02°. ResultThe polarized light micrographs of powders and grinding flakes of Maifanitum were obtained， and the main phases were plagioclase， potassium feldspar and quartz， and a few samples also contained illite， pyrite， iron dolomite， calcite， iron amphibole and chlorite， etc. The relative total content of feldspar phases was 61.9%-82.4%， and the relative content of quartz was 12.6%-33.6%. The XRD Fourier fingerprint analysis method of Maifanitum with 13 common peaks as the characteristic fingerprint information was established， and the similarity calculated by the mean correlation coefficient method was 0.920 9-0.997 7， the similarity calculated by the mean angle cosine method was 0.940 5-0.998 4， the similarity calculated by the median correlation coefficient method was 0.921 1-0.997 5， and the similarity calculated by the median angle cosine method was 0.947 5-0.998 2. ConclusionThe polarized light microscopic identification characteristics of Maifanitum are mainly plagioclase， quartz and potassium feldspar， and the technique of powder crystal XRD Fourier fingerprint analysis can be used for the identification of Maifanitum.

Objective: To analyze the prevalence and the risk factors of fungal sepsis in 25 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) among preterm infants in China, and to provide a basis for preventive strategies of fungal sepsis. Methods: This was a second-analysis of the data from the "reduction of infection in neonatal intensive care units using the evidence-based practice for improving quality" study. The current status of fungal sepsis of the 24 731 preterm infants with the gestational age of <34⁺⁰ weeks, who were admitted to 25 participating NICU within 7 days of birth between May 2015 and April 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. These preterm infants were divided into the fungal sepsis group and the without fungal sepsis group according to whether they developed fungal sepsis to analyze the incidences and the microbiology of fungal sepsis. Chi-square test was used to compare the incidences of fungal sepsis in preterm infants with different gestational ages and birth weights and in different NICU. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to study the outcomes of preterm infants with fungal sepsis, which were further compared with those of preterm infants without fungal sepsis. The 144 preterm infants in the fungal sepsis group were matched with 288 preterm infants in the non-fungal sepsis group by propensity score-matched method. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the risk factors of fungal sepsis. Results: In all, 166 (0.7%) of the 24 731 preterm infants developed fungal sepsis, with the gestational age of (29.7±2.0) weeks and the birth weight of (1 300±293) g. The incidence of fungal sepsis increased with decreasing gestational age and birth weight (both P<0.001). The preterm infants with gestational age of <32 weeks accounted for 87.3% (145/166). The incidence of fungal sepsis was 1.0% (117/11 438) in very preterm infants and 2.0% (28/1 401) in extremely preterm infants, and was 1.3% (103/8 060) in very low birth weight infants and 1.7% (21/1 211) in extremely low birth weight infants, respectively. There was no fungal sepsis in 3 NICU, and the incidences in the other 22 NICU ranged from 0.7% (10/1 397) to 2.9% (21/724), with significant statistical difference (P<0.001). The pathogens were mainly Candida (150/166, 90.4%), including 59 cases of Candida albicans and 91 cases of non-Candida albicans, of which Candida parapsilosis was the most common (41 cases). Fungal sepsis was independently associated with increased risk of moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (adjusted OR 1.52, 95%CI 1.04-2.22, P=0.030) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (adjusted OR 2.55, 95%CI 1.12-5.80, P=0.025). Previous broad spectrum antibiotics exposure (adjusted OR=2.50, 95%CI 1.50-4.17, P<0.001), prolonged use of central line (adjusted OR=1.05, 95%CI 1.03-1.08, P<0.001) and previous total parenteral nutrition (TPN) duration (adjusted OR=1.04, 95%CI 1.02-1.06, P<0.001) were all independently associated with increasing risk of fungal sepsis. Conclusions: Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis are the main pathogens of fungal sepsis among preterm infants in Chinese NICU. Preterm infants with fungal sepsis are at increased risk of moderate to severe BPD and severe ROP. Previous broad spectrum antibiotics exposure, prolonged use of central line and prolonged duration of TPN will increase the risk of fungal sepsis. Ongoing initiatives are needed to reduce fungal sepsis based on these risk factors.
Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Birth Weight ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Gestational Age ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Sepsis/epidemiology* ; Retinopathy of Prematurity/epidemiology* ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology*

Objective: By analyzing the prevalence and influencing factors of thyroid nodules (TN) among a population undergoing physical examinations in Nantong region, this study aims to provide theoretical basis for early prevention and intervention of TN. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 6 950 participants who underwent physical examinations at the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from January 2017 to April 2020. All participants underwent high-resolution ultrasound examination of the thyroid, and measurements of height, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), uric acid (UA), homocysteine (HCY) and other metabolic indicators were detected. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 statistical software. The numerical variables with normal distribution were expressed as mean±standard deviation (x¯±s), and the t-test was used for comparison between the two groups. Numerical variables with non-normal distribution were expressed as median (interquartile range), namely M (Q₁, Q₃). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between two groups, and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparison between multiple groups. Results: The prevalence of thyroid nodules among the 6 950 participants was 53.97% (3 751/6 950), with a rate of 47.08% (2 218/4 711) in males and 68.47% (1 533/2 239) in females, which was significantly higher in females than in males (χ²=278.575, P<0.001). The prevalence of TN increased with age both overall (χ²=552.145, P<0.001), in males (χ²=304.086, P<0.001), and in females (χ²=202.178, P<0.001). The prevalence of TN was higher in females than in males across different age groups (P<0.05). In the comparison between males in the TN and non-TN groups, significant differences were found in terms of alcohol consumption history, BMI, blood pressure, HCY, and FBG (all P<0.05). In the comparison between females in the TN and non-TN groups, significant differences were found in terms of BMI, blood pressure, HCY, FBG, TC, TG, LDL-C, and UA (all P<0.05). Univariate logistic regression model showed that FBG<6.1 mmol/L (P<0.001) and TC<5.2 mmol/L (P=0.013) were protective factors for TN. Normal UA (P=0.013) was a risk factor for TN. After adjusting for gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, BMI, and blood pressure, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that FBG<6.1 mmol/L (OR: 0.713, 95%CI: 0.621-0.817, P<0.001) was a protective factor against TN. Conclusion: The prevalence of TN is relatively high in the Nantong region. Gender, age, blood pressure, BMI, and FBG are important influencing factors for TN. Health screening and management should be strengthened for the physical examination population with abnormal indicators.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Thyroid Nodule/epidemiology* ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Physical Examination ; Body Mass Index ; Homocysteine

Objective: By analyzing the prevalence and influencing factors of thyroid nodules (TN) among a population undergoing physical examinations in Nantong region, this study aims to provide theoretical basis for early prevention and intervention of TN. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 6 950 participants who underwent physical examinations at the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from January 2017 to April 2020. All participants underwent high-resolution ultrasound examination of the thyroid, and measurements of height, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), uric acid (UA), homocysteine (HCY) and other metabolic indicators were detected. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 statistical software. The numerical variables with normal distribution were expressed as mean±standard deviation (x¯±s), and the t-test was used for comparison between the two groups. Numerical variables with non-normal distribution were expressed as median (interquartile range), namely M (Q₁, Q₃). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between two groups, and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparison between multiple groups. Results: The prevalence of thyroid nodules among the 6 950 participants was 53.97% (3 751/6 950), with a rate of 47.08% (2 218/4 711) in males and 68.47% (1 533/2 239) in females, which was significantly higher in females than in males (χ²=278.575, P<0.001). The prevalence of TN increased with age both overall (χ²=552.145, P<0.001), in males (χ²=304.086, P<0.001), and in females (χ²=202.178, P<0.001). The prevalence of TN was higher in females than in males across different age groups (P<0.05). In the comparison between males in the TN and non-TN groups, significant differences were found in terms of alcohol consumption history, BMI, blood pressure, HCY, and FBG (all P<0.05). In the comparison between females in the TN and non-TN groups, significant differences were found in terms of BMI, blood pressure, HCY, FBG, TC, TG, LDL-C, and UA (all P<0.05). Univariate logistic regression model showed that FBG<6.1 mmol/L (P<0.001) and TC<5.2 mmol/L (P=0.013) were protective factors for TN. Normal UA (P=0.013) was a risk factor for TN. After adjusting for gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, BMI, and blood pressure, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that FBG<6.1 mmol/L (OR: 0.713, 95%CI: 0.621-0.817, P<0.001) was a protective factor against TN. Conclusion: The prevalence of TN is relatively high in the Nantong region. Gender, age, blood pressure, BMI, and FBG are important influencing factors for TN. Health screening and management should be strengthened for the physical examination population with abnormal indicators.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Thyroid Nodule/epidemiology* ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Physical Examination ; Body Mass Index ; Homocysteine

Objective:To evaluate the residual risk (RR) of transfusion transmitted HIV (TT-HIV) after the implementation of nucleic acid amplification test (NAT) in blood screening test among blood centers in China.Methods:The data of blood donors and HIV infection markers from 2017 to 2020 were collected from 28 blood centers via the Platform of Comparison of blood establishments Practice in Chinese Mainland. The new infection rate/window period mathematical model was used for two types of blood screening strategies, namely, two rounds ELISA plus individual NAT take turn with pooling NAT (2ELISA+ ID-NAT/MP-NAT) and two ELISA plus one round pooling NAT (2ELISA+ MP-NAT), and the RR of HIV infection was estimated also based on first donors (FDs) and repeated donors (RDs) in different blood donation years. T-test analyses were conducted for comparing TT HIV RR among FDs and RDs in different blood donation years with two blood screening strategies, and the variation trend of RR in HIV test was observed.Results:From 2017 to 2020, the RR of FDs in 2ELISA+ ID-NAT/MP-NAT blood screening strategy was 2.869/10 6 person-year, 3.795/10 6 persons-year, 3.879/10 6 person-year, and 2.890/10 6 person-year respectively. The RR of RDs was 1.797/10 6 person-year, 1.502/10 6 person-year, 1.857/10 6 person-year, and 1.483/10 6 person-year respectively. Significant difference exists between RR of FDs and RDs, with F=9.898 and p<0.05. In 2ELISA+ MP-NAT strategy, the RR of FDs was 3.508/10 6 person-year, 1.868/10 6 person-year, 2.204/10 6 person-year, and 1.765/10 6 person-year respectively. The RR of RDs was 0.948/10 6 person-year, 0.926/10 6 person-year, 0.748/10 6 person-year, and 0.682/10 6 person-year respectively. Statistical difference existed between RR of FDs and RDs, with F=17.126 and P<0.05. There was no significant difference between the RR of FDs in these two strategies with F=3.493 and P>0.05, while there was a difference between the RR of RDs in these two strategies with F=24.516 and P<0.05, and a difference between the RR of total donors (TDs) in these two strategies F=20.216 and P<0.05. Conclusions:The RR of TT HIV significantly decreased after the introduction of NAT into blood test among blood centers in China. There were some differences in the RR of HIV testing among different blood screening strategies. There could be significant differences in the RR of HIV testing among different groups of blood donors. Compared with FDs, RDs is the low risk group for HIV.