ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Yueju Wan on the 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） signaling pathway in rats with functional dyspepsia （FD） and to explore its therapeutic mechanism in the treatment of FD. MethodsSixty Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a normal group， model group， mosapride group （1.575 mg·kg^-1）， and Yueju Wan low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （0.735， 1.47， and 2.94 g·kg^-1， respectively）. The FD rat model was established using GUO's tail-clamping stimulation combined with irregular feeding. After 14 days of modeling， rats were administered the corresponding drugs by gavage for 28 days. After treatment， gastric emptying rate and small intestinal propulsion rate were measured. Serum levels of 5-HT， tryptophan hydroxylase （TPH）， and substance P （SP） were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and acetylcholine （ACh） levels were determined by chemical methods. Histopathological changes in the gastric antrum were observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to assess the mRNA and protein expression levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 receptor （5-HT4R）， SP， and acetylcholinesterase （AChE） in colon tissue， as well as 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 receptor （5-HT3R）， SP， and AChE in hypothalamic tissue. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to examine the expression of 5-HT and 5-HT4R in the colon and 5-HT and 5-HT3R in the hypothalamus. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the gastric emptying rate and small intestinal propulsion rate in the model group were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Serum levels of 5-HT， SP， ACh， and TPH were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. Histopathological examination revealed irregular arrangement of glands in the gastric antrum， slight mucosal atrophy， and mild inflammatory cell infiltration. The mRNA and protein expression levels of 5-HT4R， SP， and AChE in colon tissue， as well as 5-HT3R， SP， and AChE in hypothalamic tissue， were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and 5-HT protein expression in both the colon and hypothalamus was also significantly reduced （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all Yueju Wan groups showed significantly increased gastric emptying rate and small intestinal propulsion rate （P<0.01）. The glands in the gastric antrum were more regularly arranged， with no inflammatory cell infiltration observed. Serum levels of 5-HT， SP， ACh， and TPH were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression levels of 5-HT4R， SP， and AChE in colon tissue and 5-HT3R， SP， and AChE in hypothalamic tissue were significantly upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and 5-HT protein expression in both the colon and hypothalamus was significantly increased （P<0.01）. ConclusionYueju Wan has preventive and therapeutic effects on FD， and its mechanism may be related to regulation of the 5-HT signaling pathway， promotion of brain-gut peptide secretion， and enhancement of gastric motility.

ObjectiveTo investigate the differential expression of integrin alpha-6（ITGA6） in abdominal wall endometriosis （AWE） tissues and its molecular mechanisms in regulating AWE. Methods36 AWE lesions were designated as the experimental group， while 36 cases of normal endometrial tissues served as the controls. Differential expression of ITGA6 between the two groups was assessed through immunohistochemical （IHC） staining. Human ITGA6 gene-specific interference sequences were designed， synthesized， and packaged into lentiviral vectors to establish the Ishikawa cell line with ITGA6-knockdown. Similarly， the ITGA6-overexpression cell line was constructed using the coding sequence （CDS） of the gene. Real-time PCR and Western blot were performed to detect changes in epithelial-mesenchymal transition（EMT）-related markers and angiogenesis-related indicators. Cell invasion and migration capabilities were assessed by Cell Scratch and Transwell assays. Furthermore， Western blot was conducted to profile PI3K/AKT pathway dynamics. ResultsEctopic endometrial tissues exhibited a marked increase in the number of ITGA6-positive cells and their expression intensity compared to eutopic endometrium （each P < 0.001）. Compared with the NC group， the ITGA6-knockdown group showed significantly reduced expression of N-cadherin， VEGF， and TGF-β1 （all P < 0.01）， while E-cadherin expression was markedly increased （P < 0.01）. Concomitantly， the invasion and migration capacities of ITGA6-low expression were significantly impaired （P < 0.001 for both）， accompanied by a marked reduction in AKT and phosphorylated AKT（p-AKT） levels （P < 0.001）. Conversely， overexpressing ITGA6 resulted in opposite effects. ConclusionITGA6 modulates EMT and angiogenesis in Ishikawa cells via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway， thereby enhancing cell invasion and migration capabilities， which contributes to the pathogenesis of AWE.

Since its emergence in the 1980s, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has caused a global pandemic, posing a severe threat to human life and health as well as social development. Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) effectively curbs HIV transmission and antiretroviral therapy (ART) significantly extends the lifespan of patients, vaccines remain a pivotal tool for blocking transmission and ending the pandemic. The high genetic variability of HIV-1, the glycan shield of its envelope glycoproteins, and the long-term persistence of latent reservoirs have repeatedly led to bottlenecks in traditional vaccine strategies. In recent years, mRNA technology has offered a novel approach to addressing these challenges, leveraging advantages such as sequence programmability, short production cycles, native conformational expression of antigens, and self-adjuvant effects. In recent years, mRNA vaccine technology has emerged as a transformative solution to longstanding vaccinology challenges, characterized by its sequence programmability, rapid production cycles, native conformational antigen expression, and intrinsic self-adjuvanting properties. Unlike traditional platforms reliant on pathogen culture or recombinant proteins, mRNA vaccines can be expeditiously designed and updated based solely on viral genomic sequences. Lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated mRNA facilitates endogenous antigen expression and presentation, simultaneously eliciting potent humoral and cellular immune responses. Within this landscape, self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) further extends in vivo antigen expression to enhance the persistence of immune responses. Moreover, the LNP delivery system not only protects mRNA from degradation and mediates endosomal escape but also synergizes with mRNA to optimize immune activation via self-adjuvant effects. Importantly, mRNA platforms circumvent the pre-existing immunity associated with viral vectors and the genomic integration risks of DNA vaccines, positioning them as a cornerstone for global pandemic preparedness. This review systematically delineates recent advances in mRNA technology for HIV-1 vaccine development, focusing on four pivotal research frontiers. First, mRNA innovations building upon the RV144 trial optimize antigens through codon modification and multivalent designs to induce more durable and broad-spectrum immunity. Second, particulate mRNA vaccine strategies, utilizing virus-like particles (VLPs) and ferritin nanoparticles, achieve in situ antigen self-assembly, significantly enhancing B cell activation and reducing infection risks in non-human primate models. Third, germline-targeting mRNA vaccines address the low-affinity barrier of broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAp) precursors, efficiently activating rare precursor B cells and promoting affinity maturation. Fourth, therapeutic mRNA vaccines offer unique advantages for an HIV functional cure; combining immunogens with mRNA-encoded adjuvants potentiates cellular immunity, while LNP-mediated “shock-and-kill” strategies specifically activate latent reservoirs to guide immune clearance. Comparative analyses with traditional platforms reveal that mRNA technology redefines antigen production and presentation, simulating chronic infection through sustained expression and enabling dual-pathway presentation via endogenous synthesis. Furthermore, we explore the mechanistic innovations of mRNA vaccines in inducing bNAps: sustained in vivo production prolongs the activation window for precursor B cells and maintains germinal center (GC) reactions; endogenously expressed antigens adopt native conformations to expose conserved epitopes; and self-adjuvanting effects modulate the functions of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and follicular helper T cells (Tfh), driving somatic hypermutation and affinity maturation. We also address critical clinical translation challenges, including immune durability, adaptability to special populations, and large-scale LNP manufacturing, while proposing targeted optimization strategies. In conclusion, this review establishes a theoretical framework for utilizing mRNA technology to overcome HIV-1 immune escape, transitioning from a descriptive paradigm to a problem-solving-based synthesis of evidence. By integrating preclinical and early clinical data, we bridge the gap between basic design and translational verification. mRNA technology is poised to become a central pillar inHIV-1 prevention and therapy, providing a robust toolset to achieve the global goal of ending the AIDS pandemic and offering a blueprint for vaccine development against other recalcitrant infectious diseases.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the syndrome improvement and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome）. MethodsThrough a multi-center randomized controlled methodology design，confirmed influenza cases were collected from October 2022 to April 2023 in the pediatrics department of eight hospitals，such as Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. A total of 180 children with influenza and heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome conforming to the standard were recruited through the clinic. The sick children meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into groups by a block-randomized method. The children in the experimental group were treated with Qingxuan Daozhi formula for five days，and those in the control group were treated with Oseltamivir Phosphate Granules for five days. The primary efficacy indicator was the negative conversion rate of influenza antigen detection. Secondary efficacy indicators were the Canadian acute respiratory illness and flu scale （CARIFS） and the incidence of complications，severe cases， and critical cases. Follow-up observation was conducted on the day of enrollment，48 hours after medication，72 hours after medication， and （6+1） d after medication. ResultsOne hundred and eighty participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group （90 cases） or the control group （90 cases）. All participants were followed up during the study. Comparison of influenza antigen detection results in the primary efficacy indicators showed that the average time of negative influenza antigen conversion in the experimental group was （5.29±1.25） d，and that in the control group was （5.40±1.68） d，without a statistically significant difference. After five days of intervention，52 cases in the experimental group and 51 cases in the control group converted to negative，without a statistically significant difference. CARIFS score results in the secondary efficacy indicators showed that during 72 hours after intervention，there were statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in three dimensions， including headache，muscle soreness， and the need for extra care （P<0.05）. On the （6+1） days after the intervention，the differences in both the experimental group and the control group were statistically significant in 10 dimensions， including sore throat，bad sleep，uncomfortable feeling，poor spirit and fatigue，crying more than usual，the need for extra care，symptom，function，influence on parents，and total score （P<0.05）. The comparison results within the group in the dimensional scores of symptom， function， and influence on parents，as well as the CARIFS total score showed that with the delay of follow-up time，scores of both groups decreased significantly，with a statistically significant difference （P<0.01）. Inter-group comparison results showed that the mean score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group at the time of enrollment. With the progress of intervention，the score of the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group. At the end of follow-up，the mean score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group，with no statistically significant difference. In terms of the incidence of complications，severe cases， and critical cases， there were no complications，severe cases， and critical cases in the two groups，without a statistically significant difference. ConclusionThe symptom improvement effect and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome） are not inferior to Oseltamivir Phosphate granules， and children's acceptance is better. It can be more widely used in clinical treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome）.

With the rapid advancement of medical technology and the increasing complexity of clinical environments, competence in clinical ethical decision-making has become an indispensable core competency for exemplary physicians. However, traditional medical ethics education has long been confronted with the persistent challenges of theory-practice dissociation and the disconnect between pedagogical settings and clinical realities. Thus, how to construct a "Clinical Ethics" curriculum that aligns with the objectives of training high-caliber medical professionals has emerged as a critical and challenging issue in current medical education reform. To effectively address this challenge, the Office of Education at Peking University Third Hospital, since 2021, has assembled a multidisciplinary "Clinical Ethics" teaching and management team comprising faculty from Peking University School of Humanities and key clinical specialists from the hospital. In 2022, the "Clinical Ethics" elective course was formally launched for fourth-year students in the eight-year MD program who had completed coursework in "Medical Ethics" and organ-system-based curricula, with the aim of exploring and operationalizing a pre-clinical ethics education model tailored for senior medical students. The course employs a modular instructional design encompassing "theoretical review-case-based deliberation-clinical workshop", which effectively facilitates the deep integration of medical humanities with clinical practice.Following four years of iterative refinement through the "plan-act-observe-reflect" cycle, the course has demonstrated positive outcomes in enhancing students' ethical awareness and decision-making capabilities, and has preliminarily established a sustainable collaborative mechanism among the multidisciplinary faculty team. This article systematically delineates the course development background, pedagogical model and methodological innovations, and the multidisciplinary collaborative framework, alongside reflections and summaries based on implementation outcomes, with the intent of providing references for the future development of "Clinical Ethics" curricula.

Background As a pillar industry in China, the manufacturing sector has a high incidence of non-fatal occupational injuries. The factors influencing non-fatal occupational injuries in this industry are closely related at various levels, including individual, equipment, environment, and management, making the analysis of these influencing factors complex. Objective To identify influencing factors of non-fatal occupational injuries among manufacturing workers, providing a basis for targeted interventions and surveillance. Methods A total of 2243 frontline workers from cable and shipbuilding enterprises were selected as study subjects to investigate the incidence of non-fatal occupational injuries and collect information at four levels: individual, equipment, management, and environment in past 12 months. Data balancing was performed using resampling, and LASSO regression was used to select factors of non-fatal occupational injuries. The influence degree and type of variables were judged based on the magnitude of the estimated coefficients of each variable, where variables with estimated coefficients > 0 are risk factors, and those <0 are protective factors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC)curve (AUC) was used to test the performance of the model, with an AUC value > 0.7 indicating good model performance. Results Among the 2243 frontline workers, males accounted for 77.7% (1742 out of 2243), with the main age range being 40-49 years old, representing 29.5% (661 out of 2243), 82.7% of the workers (1854 out of 2243) were married, and 55.6% (1248 out of 2243) had a junior middle school education level. The average monthly income for 51.0% (1144 out of 2243) of the workers was between 5000 and 6999 Chinese Yuan. The incidence of non-fatal occupational injuries among the manufacturing workers was 8.4% (189/2243) in the past 12 months. Among the 22 factors associated with the occurrence of non-fatal occupational injuries (P<0.05), 10 were individual-level factors, including gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, colleague relationships, average exercise duration, job burnout, work fatigue, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological and sensory organ diseases; 3 were equipment-level factors, including equipment operability, hazardous workpieces, and safety hazards; 5 were environmental-level factors, including low temperatures, special operations, noise, workspace size, and dirty and disorderly environment; and 4 were management-level factors, including daily working hours, weekly working days, overtime, and pre-job technical training. The AUC value of the LASSO regression model was 0.704 and the final model retained a total of 10 variables. Among them, there were 7 risk factors for non-fatal occupational injuries (coefficient > 0), including safety hazards, musculoskeletal disorders, dangerous workpieces, job burnout, dirty and disorderly environment, smoking, and male gender; and 3 protective factors (coefficient < 0), including pre-job technical training, good colleague relationship, and long working days per week. Conclusion Manufacturing enterprises need to focus on the incidence of non-fatal occupational injuries and conduct targeted interventions for non-fatal occupational injuries by controlling potential safety hazards, providing pre-job technical training, reducing dangerous workpieces, rectifying working environment, and reasonably arranging working hours.

Objective To study the chemical composition of and identify its active components.Methods The chemical constituents of Dendrobium Primulinum were extracted using solvents,followed by separation through silica gel and gel column chromatography,with structural identification performed via spectral analysis.The in vitro activity screening of some compounds was conducted using the MTT assay.Results Seven compounds were isolated and identified from Dendrobium primulinum,namely 7-dihydroxy-2,4-methoxyphenanthrene(1),densiflorol B(2),3,4,7-trihydroxy-2-methoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene(3),thunalbene(4),phillygenin(5),3 β-hydroxy-5 α,8 α-epidioxyergosta-6,22-diene(6)、4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy--cinnamaldehyde(7).Antitumor activity tests were performed on compounds 1 to 5,revealing that compound 1 exhibited strong inhibitory activity against the MCF-7/S cell line,with an IC50 of 5.13 μM.Conclusion Compounds 1 to 6 are reported for the first time from Dendrobium primulinum,while compound 7 is reported for the first time from this genus.

Objective To analyze the efficacy of different nucleoside(acid)analogs(NAs)used as monotherapy and in combination with pegylated interferon α-2b(Peg-IFN-α-2b)in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 229 CHB patients who visited the Hepatology Department of the Third People's Hospital of Kunming from September 2022 to August 2023.Patients were divided into six groups based on their antiviral regimen:entecavir(ETV)group(A,n=47),ETV combined with Peg-IFN-α-2b group(B,n=19),Tenofovir Alafenamide(TMF)group(C,n=64),TMF combined with Peg-IFN-α-2b group(D,n=35),Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate(TDF)group(E,n=29),and TDF combined with Peg-IFN-α-2b group(F,n=35).The blood routine,liver function,kidney function,HBV serological markers,and HBV-DNA levels were compared before and after 24 weeks of treatment.Results After 24 weeks of treatment,there were no statistically significant differences in efficacy rates and HBV-DNA positivity rates between the monotherapy with NAs and the combination with Peg-IFN-α-2b(P>0.05).Comparing before and after treatment,the ETV group had the highest effective rate,while TDF combined with Peg-IFN-α-2b group had the lowest effective rate.TDF group had the highest efficiency,while ETV combined with Peg-IFN-α-2b group had the lowest efficiency.Except for ETV+Peg-IFN-α-2b and TDF+Peg-IFN-α-2b groups,the HBV-DNA positivity rates in the other four groups were significantly lower after treatment compared to before(P<0.05).There was a significant difference in HBsAg levels among the different treatment regimens of monotherapy with NAs and combination with Peg-IFN-α-2b(P=0.0483).Additionally,except for the ETV and TDF groups,the serum HBsAg levels in the other four groups were significantly lower after treatment compared to before(P<0.05).There were no significant difference in LSM and GFR before and after treatment(P>0.05).In the monotherapy groups,ALT and GGT levels were significantly lower after treatment compared to before(P<0.05),while in the combination Peg-IFN-α-2b group,WBC,NEUT,and PLT levels were significantly lower after treatment compared to before(P<0.05).Conclusion Combination therapy with Peg-IFN-α-2b can reduce HBsAg levels and may be more effective in controlling the virus;however,it may cause adverse reactions such as bone marrow suppression,increasing risks.Physicians and patients need to weigh the benefits against the risks and develop personalized treatment plans based on individual circumstances.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical value of digital PCR (dPCR) for the prenatal diagnosis of common fetal aneuploidies. METHODS: A dPCR-based assay was developed for detecting trisomies 21, 18, and 13. A retrospective analysis was carried out on 173 amniotic fluid samples collected by the Prenatal Diagnosis Center of Taizhou Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023. By using chromosomal karyotyping as the gold standard, the diagnostic performance of the multiplex dPCR system was evaluated in a double-blind manner. This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Taizhou Hospital (Ethics No. K20250339). RESULTS: Chromosomal karyotyping has identified 59 cases of trisomy 21, 5 cases of trisomy 18, 2 cases of trisomy 13, 6 cases with chromosomal structural abnormalities or mosaicisms, and 101 cases with a normal karyotype. The dPCR results (Z-score cutoff = 4.0, CI = 99.997%) showed full concordance with karyotyping (sensitivity = 100%, specificity = 100%, Kappa = 1). Among the 6 structurally abnormal or mosaicism samples, dPCR has accurately detected 4 cases, but mis-classified 2 cases of trisomy 21 with very low-level mosaicisms (3.3%, 6.9%, respectively) as normal. CONCLUSION The established multiplex dPCR system demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for common chromosomal aneuploidies, with results available within 24 hours. It can serve as an efficient supplementary tool to conventional chromosomal karyotyping, providing reliable support for time-sensitive clinical decision-making in prenatal diagnosis.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Aneuploidy ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; Karyotyping ; Retrospective Studies ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Chromosome Disorders/genetics* ; Adult ; Trisomy 13 Syndrome/diagnosis* ; Trisomy 18 Syndrome/genetics* ; Down Syndrome/genetics*

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical features and outcomes of recompensation in patients with autoimmune hepatitis （AIH）-related decompensated cirrhosis， to identify independent predictive factors， and to construct a nomogram prediction model for the probability of recompensation. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted among the adult patients with AIH-related decompensated cirrhosis who were admitted to The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from January 2015 to August 2023 （n=211）. The primary endpoint was achievement of recompensation， and the secondary endpoint was liver-related death or liver transplantation. According to the outcome of the patients at the end of the follow-up， the patients were divided into the recompensation group （n=16） and the persistent decompensation group（n=150）.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data with homogeneity of variance， and the Mann-Whitney U rank sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data with heterogeneity of variance； the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups； the Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis； the Cox proportional-hazards regression model was used to identify independent predictive factors， and a nomogram model was constructed and validated. ResultsA total of 211 patients were enrolled， with a median age of 55.0 years and a median follow-up time of 44.0 months， and female patients accounted for 87.2%. Among the 211 patients， 61 （with a cumulative proportion of 35.5%） achieved recompensation. Compared with the persistent decompensation group， the recompensation group had significantly higher white blood cell count， platelet count （PLT）， total bilirubin （TBil）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， total bile acid， prothrombin time， international normalized ratio （INR）， SMA positive rate， Model for End-Stage Liver Disease （MELD） score， Child-Pugh score， and rate of use of glucocorticoids （all P0.05）， as well as significantly lower age at baseline， number of complications， and death/liver transplantation rate （all P0.05）. At 3 and 12 months after treatment， the recompensation group had continuous improvements in AST， TBil， INR， IgG， MELD score， and Child-Pugh score， which were significantly lower than the values in the persistent decompensation group （all P0.05）， alongside with continuous increases in PLT and albumin， which were significantly higher than the values in the persistent decompensation group （P0.05）. The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that baseline ALT （hazard ratio ［HR］=1.067， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.010 — 1.127， P=0.021）， IgG （HR=0.463，95%CI：0.258 — 0.833， P=0.010）， SMA positivity （HR=3.122，95%CI：1.768 — 5.515， P0.001）， and glucocorticoid therapy （HR=20.651，95%CI：8.744 — 48.770， P0.001） were independent predictive factors for recompensation， and the nomogram model based on these predictive factors showed excellent predictive performance （C-index=0.87，95%CI：0.84 — 0.90）. ConclusionAchieving recompensation significantly improves clinical outcomes in patients with AIH-related decompensated cirrhosis. Baseline SMA positivity， a high level of ALT， a low level of IgG， and corticosteroid therapy are independent predictive factors for recompensation. The predictive model constructed based on these factors can provide a basis for decision-making in individualized clinical management.