To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications （DMC）， refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles， and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine， hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， was held in Beijing， 2024. Experts in TCM， Western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis， diagnostic and treatment challenges， and mechanism research related to DMC， ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development， research prioritization， and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM， strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.

Objective:To evaluate the levels and source of cadmium exposure by dietary pathway among middle-aged and elderly people ≥40 in cadmium-contaminated areas of China.Methods:A total of 7 193 people aged 40-89 years from four typical cadmium-contaminated areas in China were selected as the study subjects. Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), Total Diet Study (TDS) and a 3-day-24-hour dietary recall survey were conducted. Dietary cadmium intake and food sources through dietary pathways were assessed based on cadmium content in foods, consumption amounts and intake frequencies.Results:The mean age of the participants was 63.39±12.21 years, with 50.05% being males. The average monthly dietary cadmium intake was 7.39 μg/(kg·BW). Staple foods and vegetables were the primary sources of dietary cadmium intake, accounting for 57.51% and 32.48%, respectively. The monthly dietary cadmium intake in all surveyed regions did not exceed the Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake (PTMI) recommended by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).Conclusion:The monthly dietary cadmium intake among middle-aged and elderly people in cadmium-contaminated areas of China is relatively low, with the risk remaining at an acceptable level. Staple foods and vegetables are the most significant contributors to dietary cadmium intake.

Objective:Exploring the association rules of factors influencing high hospitalization costs for cancer patients, providing references for hospitals to optimize medical cost management measures.Methods:In the inpatient case information system of a tertiary general hospital, the medical record homepages of inpatients in the DRG groups of the oncology department in 2022 were obtained. The upper four scores of hospitalization costs was used as the threshold for patient grouping. Patients with hospitalization costs≥this threshold were the high-cost group, while other patients were control group; 12 factors, including age, gender, and admission condition, etc, were considered as potential influencing factors of high hospitalization costs. FP-Growth and Apriori algorithms were used to excavate the potential association rules between the influencing factors of high hospitalization costs. Logistic regression was used to analyze the independent influencing factors of high hospitalization costs.Results:A total of 5 512 hospitalized patients were included, including 1 378 patients in the high-cost group. Thirteen validated strong association rules for factors influencing high hospitalization costs were obtained, of which the rule antecedents included age (≥70 years), number of days in hospital (≥7 days), other diagnoses (≥5), surgery, planned readmission, use of antibiotics, admission (general/critical), living admission score (61~99), level of care (level 1/level 2), non-day ward, criticality during hospitalisation. Logistic regression results showed that all nine influencing factors except gender, use of antibiotics, and readmission plans were independent influences on high hospitalization costs ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The joint application of FP-Growth and Apriori algorithm could effectively explore the association rules of high hospitalization costs for oncology patients. The early warning information mainly included the number of hospitalization days, the number of other diagnoses, surgeries, and so on. It was suggested that medical institutions can reasonably control the high hospitalization costs through clinical pathway management, diagnosis and treatment process reengineering, admission risk assessment, and multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Objective:To analyze the influencing factors of China′s DRG payment system reform(DRG reform) and its hierarchical relationship, for references for the in-depth promotion of China′s medical insurance payment reform.Methods:Relevant literature on DRG reform in China from databases such as CNKI, Wanfang Database, Pubmed, etc, were obtained. Content analysis method was used to extract the influencing factors of DRG reform. The correlation between each influencing factor was determined through expert discussion. An interpretive structural model(ISM) was constructed to analyze the hierarchical relationship of factors influencing DRG reform.Results:After analysis, the influencing factors(12) of DRG reform in China were included such as medical level, hospital management, and medical staff′s cognition and behavior. Among them, the local situation was the deep-level factor affecting DRG reform, 9 factors such as data quality assurance and policy design/implementation were the middle-level factors, and patients′ interests/needs and disease grouping were the surface-level factors.Conclusions:There were many influencing factors on the reform of China′s DRG payment system. It was suggested that relevant management departments in various regions should focus on the actual situation of the locality, take data quality and policy design and implementation as the key points of reform, formulate a scientific and reasonable DRG grouping scheme, safeguard the interests of patients, so as to promote the deepening of DRG reform.

Background:Optimizing cultivation techniques for traditional Chinese medicine has become a crucial means to improve the quality of medicinal materials.Microbial agents,as environmentally friendly and efficient plant growth promoters and soil conditioners,have increasingly attracted attention in eco-agriculture research.Objective:Our understanding remains limited regarding how the application of microbial agents,alone or in combination,affects changes in the rhizosphere microbiome and its association with the bioactive components of medicinal materials.Methods:In this study,Epimedium pubescens Maxim.was employed as a model plant to examine the effects of 2 microbial agents(Paenibacillus mucilaginosus and Bacillus subtilis)applied individually and in combination on plant growth and the accumulation of bioactive components.Additionally,this study explored the relationship between the rhizosphere microbiome and plant development.Results:The application of microbial agents increased the yield of E.pubescens leaves by 20.30％to 33.66％and enhanced the total flavonol glycosides content by 11.40％to 29.94％.Meanwhile,microbial treatments reshaped the rhizosphere microbiome,promoted the enrichment of beneficial microorganisms(e.g.,Frankia and Paenibacillus),suppressed phytopathogenic fungi such as Didymella and Scytalidium,and enhanced the stability of the soil microbial co-occurrence network.The partial least squares path model suggested that microbial agents not only directly impact the quality of medicinal herbs but also indirectly alter the accumula-tion of bioactive components by modulating the soil microbiome.Conclusion:These findings deepen our understanding of the relationship between medicinal plant quality and rhizosphere micro-biomes as mediated by microbial agents.They also provide a basis for designing and manipulating synthetic microbial communities to promote sustainable development in eco-agriculture.

OBJECTIVE: To re-analyze a likely pathogenic variant in the Xq28 region identified by copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) through whole genome sequencing (WGS). METHODS: A fetus found to harbor a duplication in the Xq28 region by CNV-seq at Shengjing Hospital Affiliated to China Medical University in May 2023 was selected as the study subject. WGS was carried out for the fetus and its parents. Bioinformatic software was used to analyze the chromosomal structure and CNVs. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was applied to determine the expression level of the MECP2 gene. This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Shengjing Hospital (Ethic No. 2013PS33K). RESULTS: A duplication (ChrX:153302641_153503563) and four breakpoints were identified on the X chromosome of the fetus' father. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the duplicated region has involved exons 1 to 3 and part of the 5'-UTR of the MECP2 gene, which was inserted into the Xp11 region. Additionally, an inversion was detected in the Xp11 region adjacent to the duplicated segment. RT-PCR results showed normal level of MECP2 mRNA expression. The Xq28 duplication has not encompassed the entire MECP2 gene, nor disrupted its structure or altered its expression. CONCLUSION WGS has enabled more precise diagnosis of chromosomal structural variants and provided guidance for accurate genetic counseling for the affected families.
Humans ; Female ; Chromosomes, Human, X/genetics* ; DNA Copy Number Variations/genetics* ; Whole Genome Sequencing/methods* ; Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2/genetics* ; Pregnancy ; Male ; Adult

This study examined the regulatory effects of autonomic nervous system on aerobic endurance exercise performance in cold exposure, focusing on heart rate recovery (HRR) and heart rate variability (HRV) across genders. Thirty participants (17 males and 13 females) from a university track endurance program, classified as exercise grade II or above, underwent monitoring of HRV in time domain, frequency domain, nonlinear correlation indices and 1 min HRR. Measurements were taken before, during, and after aerobic endurance exercise in cold and normal environments, respectively. The results were as follows. (1) The duration of aerobic endurance exercise completed by all the subjects in cold environment was significantly increased compared with that in normal environment. The 1 min HRR after aerobic endurance exercise in cold environment was significantly lower than that in normal environment, and the decrease in the males was significantly higher than that in the females. (2) The time domain analysis results showed that, prior to the aerobic endurance exercise, there were no significant difference of standard deviation from the mean value of normal to normal intervals (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), and percentage of adjacent normal-to-normal intervals differing by more than 50 ms (pNN50) between cold and normal environments. During aerobic endurance exercise in cold environment, SDNN, RMSSD and pNN50 were significantly higher than those in normal environment, with the females showing significantly greater increases compared with those of the males. The levels of SDNN, RMSSD and pNN50 in the males at different time points under different environments were significantly lower than those in the quiet state; The levels of SDNN and RMSSD of the females at different time points under different environments were significantly lower than those in the quiet state, while the pNN50 at different time points under cold environments was significantly lower than that in the quiet state. (3) Frequency domain analysis results showed that, prior to the aerobic endurance exercise, there was no significant difference of high frequency normalized units [HF (n.u.)], low frequency normalized units [LF (n.u.)] and LF/HF ratio between cold and normal environments. During aerobic endurance exercise in cold environment, the levels of HF (n.u.) significantly increased compared to normal environment in the females, while LF (n.u.) and LF/HF ratio levels significantly decreased compared to normal environments. The levels of HF (n.u.), LF (n.u.) and LF/HF ratio of different genders at different time points in the different environments showed no significant changes, compared to those in the quiet state. (4) Non-linear analysis results showed a significant increase in SD1 (standard deviation perpendicular to the line-of-identity)/SD2 (standard deviation along the line-of-identity) ratio during aerobic endurance exercise in cold environment in the females, while no significant changes were observed in the males. SD1/SD2 ratios in the males at different time points and in the females at 1 min under cold environments were significantly higher than those in the quiet state. These findings suggest that aerobic endurance performance increases during cold exposure, accompanied by gender-specific differences in the regulation of autonomic nervous system. Females exhibit higher vagal activity and faster autonomic nervous system recovery compared to males.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Heart Rate/physiology* ; Cold Temperature ; Exercise/physiology* ; Physical Endurance/physiology* ; Autonomic Nervous System/physiology* ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Sex Factors

Heart failure (HF) is a common end-stage clinical manifestation of cardiovascular diseases, imposing substantial health-related burdens worldwide. With its high mortality rates and poor long-term prognosis, there is a pressing need for novel therapies. SIRT1, a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺)-dependent deacetylase, has anti-cardiovascular aging properties and other cardioprotective effects, attracting much research attention in recent years. In addition, SIRT1 plays an important role in HF pathophysiology. This review summarized the roles of SIRT1 and its activators in HF, the changes of SIRT1 gene expression in cardiac tissues from animal models and HF patients, and the current status of clinical trials investigating SIRT1 activators as potential therapies for HF. This will provide new ideas for further exploration of pathological mechanisms and the development of clinical prevention strategies for HF.
Heart Failure/metabolism* ; Sirtuin 1/genetics* ; Humans ; Animals

Objective:To compare the impacts of external fixation of different durations on rehabilitation outcomes after open repair of acute Achilles tendon rupture.Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of patients with unilateral acute closed Achilles tendon rupture admitted to Peking University Third Hospital from August 2020 to August 2023. Patients were divided into Group A ( n=96), Group B ( n=347), Group C ( n=346), and Group D ( n=105) based on different postoperative immobilization durations (0, 2, 4 and 6 weeks, respectively). After all the patients received identical open repair procedure, Group A was rehabilitated immediately but the other groups were rehabilitated with the same protocol after removal of the external fixation. Four groups were compared in terms of recovery time of one-leg heel-rise height (OHRH), recovery time of light exercise (LE) in brisk walking and jogging and recovery time of range of motion (ROM). Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were also compared at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks postoperatively. Achilles tendon total rupture score (ATRS) and American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scores were evaluated at 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 weeks postoperatively. Complications were recorded. Results:A total of 894 patients including 869 males and 25 females were included, aged 18-60 years [(35.0±6.3)years]. All the patients were followed up for 14-25 months [(19.0±3.0)months]. The recovery time of OHRH in Group A and B was 12.0(12.0, 12.0)weeks and 12.0(10.0, 12.0)weeks, shorter than those in Group C [14.0(14.0, 16.0)weeks] and D [14.0(14.0, 14.0)weeks] ( P<0.05), with no significant difference between Group A and B ( P>0.05) and between Group C and D ( P>0.05). The recovery time of LE in Group A and B was 18.0(18.0, 18.0)weeks and 18.0(16.0, 18.0)weeks, shorter than those in Group C [20.0(20.0, 20.0)weeks] and D [20.0(20.0, 20.0)weeks] ( P<0.05), with no significant difference between Group A and B ( P>0.05) and between Group C and D ( P>0.05). The recovery time of ROM in Group A and B was 6.0(6.0, 6.0)weeks and 6.0(6.0, 6.0)weeks, shorter than those in Group C [8.0(8.0, 10.0)weeks] and D [10.0(10.0, 10.0)weeks)] ( P<0.05), with no significant difference between Group A and B, and between Group C and D ( P>0.05). At 2 weeks postoperatively, the VAS scores were 2.0(1.0, 2.0)points, 2.0(1.0, 2.0)points, and 2.0(1.5, 2.0)points in Group B, C and D, lower than 5.0(5.0, 5.0)points in Group A ( P<0.05), with no significant difference among Group B, C, and D ( P>0.05). At 4 weeks postoperatively, the VAS scores were 1.0(0, 1.0)points, 1.0(0, 1.0)points, and 1.0(0.5, 1.0)points in Group B, C and D, lower than 2.0(1.0, 2.0)points in Group A ( P<0.05), with no significant difference among Group B, C, and D ( P>0.05). At 6 weeks postoperatively, the VAS score was 0(0, 0)points in all the 4 groups, with no significant difference among them ( P>0.05). At 8 weeks postoperatively, the VAS score was 0(0, 0)points, with lower scores in Group A and B than those in Group C and D ( P<0.05) but with no significant difference between Group A and B and between Group C and D ( P>0.05). At 6 weeks postoperatively, the ATRS scores were 52.0(52.0, 53.8)points and 52.0(50.0, 53.0)points in Group A and B, higher than 41.0(38.0, 43.0)points and 19.0(18.0, 20.0)points in Group C and D ( P<0.05), with a higher score in Group C than that in Group D ( P<0.05) but with no significant difference between Group A and B ( P>0.05). At 8 weeks postoperatively, the ATRS scores were 66.0(66.0, 68.0)points in Group A, higher than 63.0(62.0, 64.0)points, 52.0(50.0, 53.0)points, and 39.0(37.0, 40.0)points in Group B, C and D ( P<0.05), with a higher score in Group B than those in Group C and D ( P<0.05) and a higher score in Group C than that in Group D ( P<0.05). At 10 weeks postoperatively, the ATRS score was 75.0(74.0, 76.0)points in Group B, higher than 69.0(69.0, 70.0)points, 72.0(66.0, 74.0)points, and 62.0(58.5, 63.0)points in Group A, C and D ( P<0.05), with higher scores in Group A and C than that in Group D ( P<0.05) but with no significant difference between Group A and C ( P>0.05). At 12 weeks postoperatively, the ATRS score was 84.0(82.0, 85.0)points in Group B, higher than 75.0(75.0, 77.0)points, 79.0(72.0, 81.0)points, and 72.0(71.0, 73.0)points in Group A, C and D ( P<0.05), with higher scores in Group A and C than that in Group D ( P<0.05) but with no significant difference between Group A and C ( P>0.05). At 14 weeks postoperatively, the ATRS score was 87.0(86.0, 87.0)points in Group B, higher than 82.0(82.0, 84.0)points, 83.0(80.0, 85.0)points, and 79.0(77.5, 80.0)points in Group A, C and D ( P<0.05), with higher scores in Group A and C than that in Group D ( P<0.05) but with no significant difference between Group A and C ( P>0.05). At 16 weeks postoperatively, the ATRS scores were 87.0(87.0, 88.0)points and 88.0(87.0, 88.0)points in Group A and B, higher than 86.0(85.0, 87.0)points and 84.0(83.0, 85.0)points in Group C and D ( P<0.05), with a higher score in Group C than that in Group D ( P<0.05) but with no significant difference between Group A and B ( P>0.05). At 6 weeks postoperatively, the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scores were 94.0(94.0, 95.0)points and 95.0(94.0, 96.0)points in Group A and B, higher than 85.0(83.0, 86.0)points and 74.0(72.0, 75.0)points in Group C and D ( P<0.05), with a higher score in Group C than that in Group D ( P<0.05) but with no significant difference between Group A and B ( P>0.05). At 8 weeks postoperatively, the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scores were 100.0(99.0, 100.0)points in Group B, higher than 94.0(94.0, 95.0)points, 92.0(90.0, 93.0)points, and 83.0(82.0, 84.0)points in Group A, C and D ( P<0.05), with a higher score in Group A than those in Group C and D ( P<0.05) and a higher score in Group C than that in Group D ( P<0.05). At 10 weeks postoperatively, the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was 100.0(100.0, 100.0)points in Group B, higher than 98.0(98.0, 98.0)points, 98.0(96.8, 99.0)points, and 96.0(95.0, 97.0)points in Group A, C and D, with higher scores in Group A and C than that in Group D ( P<0.05) but with no significant difference between Group A and C ( P>0.05). At 12 weeks postoperatively, the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was 100.0(100.0, 100.0)points in both Group A and B, with no significant difference between them ( P>0.05), which was higher than 100.0(98.0, 100.0)points and 99.0(98.0, 99.0)points in Group C and D ( P<0.05), with a higher score in Group C than that in Group D ( P<0.05). At 14 and 16 weeks postoperatively, AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score was 100.0(100.0, 100.0)points, with no significant difference among all the groups ( P>0.05). Superficial wound infection occurred in 12 patients [5.2%(5/96) in Group A, 0.6%(2/347) in Group B, 0.6%(2/346) in Group C and 2.9%(3/105) in Group D] ( P<0.01) while rerupture occurred in 16 [9.4%(9/96) in Group A, 1.2% (4/347) in Group B, 0.9%(3/105) in Group C, and 0 patient in Group D] ( P<0.01). Conclusion:For patients with unilateral acute Achilles tendon rupture, two weeks of postoperative external fixation after open repair can shorten the time of returning sports, alleviate pain, and promote functional recovery, without increasing the risk of complications.

Paraplegia caused by spinal cord injury is a serious neurological complication, for which surgery is currently the main treatment method. Due to different surgical approaches, patients are usually expected to maintain a passive prone position for a long time or switch between the supine and prone positions. Affected by multiple factors such as neurogenic sensory disorders, pathological changes in muscle tone and operative duration, the risk of intraoperative acquired pressure injury (IAPI) is significantly increased. Current clinical prevention strategies for IAPI in these patients predominantly focus on localized pressure relief during positioning, lacking systematic, standardized comprehensive prevention protocols or evidence-based guidelines. To address it, Department of Nursing, Orthopedics Branch, China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care, Spinal Trauma Professional Committee, Orthopedics Branch, Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Nursing Group of Spine and Spinal Cord Professional Committee of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine organized experts in relevant fields to formulate Guideline for the prevention of intraoperative acquired pressure injury in paraplegic patients with spinal cord injury ( version 2025), based on evidence-based medical evidence and latest research results and clinical practice at home and abroad. Eleven recommendations were put forward from the aspects of preoperative risk assessment, intraoperative prevention strategies, postoperative handover and monitoring, and supportive mechanisms for IAPI prevention, aiming to standardize the prevention measures and management strategies of IAPI in paraplegic patients with spinal cord injury and accelerate the recovery of patients and improve the therapeutic effect.