OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effect and mechanism of processed Oxytropis falcata on renal fibrosis （RF） in rats. METHODS RF model was induced by adenine. After modeling， the rats were divided into the model group， positive control group （colchicine， 0.45 mg/kg）， and processed O. falcata low-， medium- and high-dose groups （0.5， 1， 2 g/kg）， respectively. Additionally， a blank group without modeling was set up， with 8 rats in each group. The positive control group and the various dosage groups of processed O. falcata were given the corresponding medicinal solutions intragastrically， while the blank group and model group were given equal volume of normal saline intragastrically， once daily for 28 consecutive days. The appearance and histopathological morphology of the rats’ kidneys were observed. Serum levels of renal function indexes [bl ood urea nitrogen （BUN）， creatinine （Cr） ] and inflammatory factors [interleukin-6 （IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） ] in rats were detected. Protein expressions of fibronectin （FN）， α -smooth muscle actin （ α -SMA） and collagen type Ⅰ （Col-Ⅰ） in renal tissue of rats were determined. mRNA expressions of transforming growth factor-β 1 （TGF-β 1 ）， Smad3 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2） in renal tissues were measured. Protein expression of TGF-β 1 and phosphorylation levels of Smad3 and ERK1/2 in renal tissues were detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the rats in the model group exhibited enlarged kidneys with pale color， rough and uneven surface. There was a significant infiltration of inflammatory cells and vacuolated cells in the renal tubules， along with marked proliferation of collagen fibers. Serum levels of BUN， Cr， IL-6 and TNF-α， protein expressions of α -SMA， Col-Ⅰ and FN in renal tissues， mRNA expressions of TGF-β 1 ， Smad3， ERK1 and ERK2 and protein expression of TGF-β 1 as well as phosphorylation levels of Smad3 and ERK1/2 in renal tissues were increased significantly （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， renal pathological changes of rats were alleviated in processed O. falcata groups， with reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells and proliferation of collagen fibers. The levels of the aforementioned quantitative indicators were all significantly reversed （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Processed O. falcata can improve renal function in RF rats， alleviate inflammatory responses， and reduce abnormal collagen fiber deposition. Its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of the activity of the TGF-β 1 /Smad signaling pathway.

Objective:To study the relationship between urinary arsenic methylation metabolism patterns and skin keratinization and pigmentation abnormalities in population exposed to arsenic through drinking water.Methods:Using a cross-sectional study method, a survey on endemic arsenic poisoning was conducted among permanent residents of drinking water endemic arsenic poisoning areas in Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2004 (before water improvement). In 2017 (after water improvement), 71 arsenic exposed individuals were followed up as survey subjects. According to the "Diagnosis of Endemic Arsenism" (WS/T 211-2015), the clinical grading of skin injuries (skin keratinization, pigmentation abnormalities) in the survey subjects was evaluated. Urine samples were collected for detection of arsenic methylation metabolite levels by high-performance liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and calibrated with urinary creatinine. The changes and amplitudes of urinary arsenic methylation indicators before and after water improvement were calculated and analyzed according to the outcome of skin keratinization and pigmentation abnormalities which were divided into reduced, unchanged, and added groups.Results:(1) The changes in urinary total arsenic (TAs), inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethyl arsenic (MMA), and dimethyl arsenic (DMA) levels in different outcome groups of skin keratinization were compared, and the differences were statistically significant ( H = 9.08, 8.77, 9.28, 8.57, P < 0.05). The changes in urinary TAs, iAs, MMA, DMA levels, iAs percentage (iAs%), DMA percentage (DMA%), and primary methylation index (PMI) in different outcome groups of skin pigmentation abnormalities were compared, and the differences were statistically significant ( H = 8.04, 10.67, 8.29, 9.14, 6.30, 9.10, 7.20, P < 0.05). (2) The comparison of amplitudes in urinary TAs, iAs, MMA, and DMA levels in different outcome groups of skin keratinization showed statistically significant differences ( H = 6.92, 7.34, 6.66, 6.16, P < 0.05). The amplitudes in urinary iAs level, iAs%, DMA%, and PMI in different outcome groups of skin pigmentation abnormalities were compared, and the differences were statistically significant ( H = 7.94, 7.61, 9.95, 7.22, P < 0.05). Conclusion:The changes pattern of urinary TAs, iAs, MMA, DMA, iAs%, DMA%, and PMI in population exposed to arsenic through drinking water is related to the transformation of skin keratinization and pigmentation abnormalities.

Objective To construct a comprehensive cost management index system for public hospitals.Methods Literature review,policy analysis,and the Delphi expert consultation method were used to establish the index system.Data from a tertiary grade A public hospital in Beijing from 2019 to 2024 were analyzed.Results The response rate for both rounds of expert consultation was 100％,indicating high expert engagement.The average authority level of the experts was 0.905.x2 tests of Kendall's W coefficient for the importance,operability,and sensitivity of the indicators yielded P＜0.001.A comprehensive cost management system comprising 5 dimensions and 13 indicators was established.Conclusion The constructed comprehensive cost management index system for public hospitals is scientifically sound and highly reliable.It enables effective cost control,risk warning,and continuous improvement,laying a solid foundation for the comprehensive advancement of cost management efforts.

Recent studies have shown that the physiological homeostasis of oral mucosal cells is regulated by the circadian clock.Dis-ruption or dysfunction of the circadian clock is closely associated with the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC).Research based on the circadian clock offers a novel perspective on the pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies for OSCC.However,there is current-ly limited research on this topic,and people generally have insufficient understanding and recognition of the circadian clock.Given the complexity and challenges of circadian clock which is the fourth dimension of medical research,we organize relevant experts based on summarizing the current research results of circadian clock in the pathogenesis and precision diagnosis and treatment of OSCC,combining the scientific principles of the circadian clock's role and their long-term research experience,then summarizes and recommends the con-sensus opinions for the research of circadian clock in the pathogenesis mechanism and precision diagnosis and treatment of human OSCC,with the hope of providing guidance for the basic research and clinical application of circadian clock or circadian rhythm in the pathogene-sis mechanism and precision diagnosis and treatment of oral and maxillofacial squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives:To investigate the influence of the mild photothermal effect of Au nanorods on the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells.Methods:Surface modification of Au nanorods was performed with bovine serum albumin(BSA)coating.The photothermal effect,photothermal stability and characteristics of AuNRs@CTAB and AuNRs@BSA were analyzed u-sing scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and a near-infrared laser.The biocompatibili-ty of AuNRs@BSA was evaluated using live/dead staining and the CCK-8 assay.The influence of the mild photothermal effect of AuNRs@BSA on the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 was assessed by ALP staining,alizarin red staining,and semi-quanti-tative analysis.Results:Biocompatible and near-infrared light-responsive AuNRs@BSA were prepared.In vitro experiments dem-onstrated that the mild photothermal effect of AuNRs@BSA increased the ALP activity and mineralization ability of MC3T3-E1(P＜0.000 1).Conclusion:The mild photothermal effect of AuNRs@BSA can promote the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells.

Objective To develop a toolkit suitable for assisting community health institutions in the early identification and inter-vention of mild cognitive impairment(MCI)among older adults.Methods A literature review was conducted to construct a draft of the identification and intervention toolkit.Tools with an expert approval rate above 70%were included after expert consultation.The final version of the toolkit was developed by integrating these tools with officially recommended tools in China.Results The expert consultation yielded an authority coefficient of 0.84.The finalized toolkit included the assessment tools of Mini-Mental State Examination,Montreal Cognitive Assessment,General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition,Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument and Clock Drawing Test,and 18 intervention measures in-cluding pharmacological treatment,cognitive training and psychological interventions,etc.Conclusion The MCI Identification-Intervention Toolkit may serve as a reference for guiding the identification and inter-vention of MCI among older adults for community health institutions.

AIM:To establish a stable and efficient rat model of alcoholic liver disease(ALD),we investigat-ed the effects of different alcoholic beverage concentrations and alcohol dosing regimens.METHODS:(1)SPF-grade male SD rats were randomized into 5 groups(n=10):blank,ALD1,ALD2,ALD3,and ALD4.Except for the blank group,rats received intragastric administration of 56%alcohol(6 mL/kg twice daily with an 8-hour interval)for 4 weeks,along with free access to 0%,5%,10%,or 15%alcoholic beverage to evaluate concentration-dependent effects.(2)An-other cohort was divided into three groups(n=10):blank,ALD5,and ALD6.Rats(except blank)were gavaged with 56%alcohol twice daily for 9 weeks(8 mL/kg for ALD5;6 mL/kg in week 1,increasing by 0.5 mL/kg weekly for ALD6),with 10%alcoholic beverage available ad libitum to assess dose-dependent effects.Serum biochemical markers[alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG),high-density li-poprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)]and inflammatory cytokines[interleu-kin-6(IL-6),IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)]were analyzed after modeling,complemented by imaging(B-ultrasound,CT,and MRI).Success and survival rates were calculated.RESULTS:(1)ALD1～4 groups exhibited sig-nificantly elevated ALT,AST,TC,TG,LDL-C,IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α(P<0.05 or P<0.01)and reduced HDL-C and liver-to-spleen CT density ratio vs blank.ALD3(10%alcoholic beverage)showed the highest modeling success rate with low mortality.(2)ALD5 and ALD6 groups also had siginificant differin terms(P<0.01),with ALD6(gradually increas-ing dose)displaying more severe liver injury,higher success rate,and better survival.CONCLUSION:The optimal ALD model was induced by intragastric administration of 56%alcohol(6 mL/kg twice daily in week 1,increasing by 0.5 mL/kg weekly for 9 weeks)combined with 10%alcoholic beverage.This protocol offers a reliable approach for ALD re-search and drug development.

Objective To investigate the spatial distribution patterns and environmental determinants of Lagotis brachystachya Maxim.,a keystone species in Tibetan medicine("Zhi Da Sa Zeng"),under contemporary climatic conditions in China;To provide references for the sustainable utilization of its resources and the ecological protection of alpine grassland areas.Methods Based on the maximum entropy model,the selected species distribution data and environmental factors were added to MaxEnt 4.3.1 software for modeling.The geographical detector was applied to quantify the factors influencing the spatial differentiation of the suitable areas,employing both factor detection and interaction detection functionalities.Additionally,an overlay analysis with land cover types was conducted to quantify the distribution characteristics of grassland within the potential suitable areas for Lagotis brachystachya Maxim..Results Under the current climatic conditions,dominant environmental drivers included elevation,monthly average temperature difference between day and night,average precipitation in June,wind speed in September,solar radiation in August,average precipitation in May,average precipitation in October,among which elevation demonstrated the strongest explanatory power(q=0.37)in habitat suitability analysis.The model prediction results showed that the potential suitable area for Lagotis brachystachya Maxim.was 5.31×105 km2.Considering the type of surface coverage,the main suitable habitat for Lagotis brachystachya Maxim.was grassland,with an area of 4.34×105 km2.The high suitable grassland of areas were mainly distributed in Qinghai Province(Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture),Sichuan Province(Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,Aba Qiang Autonomous Prefecture),Xizang Autonomous Region(Naqu City,Shigatse City,Changdu City),and Gansu Province(Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture).Conclusion This study can provide references for the protection of wild resources and the selection of domestication and cultivation areas for Lagotis brachystachya Maxim..

BACKGROUND:miRNAs expression has been reported to be associated with hepatic and renal fibrosis,and dermal fibrogenesis. Moreover,a targeted regulatory relationship between miR-192-5p and epidermal regulators has been demonstrated in gouty arthritis.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression and regulatory role of miR-192-5p in hypertrophic scar and to verify whether there is a targeted regulatory relationship between miR-192-5p and epidermal regulators. METHODS:(1) Six cases of hypertrophic scar tissue and six cases of normal skin tissue were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. And miR-192-5p and epidermal regulator mRNA expression were detected by qRT-PCR. (2) The primary hypertrophic scar fibroblasts were obtained using tissue explant method and cultured to 3-6 generations for subsequent experiments. There were three groups in the experiment:negative control group,miR-192-5p mimic group and miR-192-5p inhibitor group. The latter two groups were transfected with the corresponding sequences. Cell proliferation viability was detected by the cell counting kit-8 assay and EdU kit;and the migration ability was detected by the cell scratch test. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The gene and protein expressions of epidermal regulator,type Ⅰ collagen,type Ⅲ collagen and α-smooth muscle actin were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot,respectively. miR-192-5p targets were predicted by a bioinformatics website,and target binding was validated by dual luciferase assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Compared with normal skin tissues and their fibroblasts,miR-192-5p and epidermal regulator were highly expressed in hypertrophic scar and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts (P<0.05 or P<0.01). (2) After overexpression of miR-192-5p,cell proliferation was enhanced (P<0.05) and EdU positive cell rate increased (P<0.01) when compared with the negative control group;after inhibition of miR-192-5p,cell viability (P<0.05) and EdU positive rate decreased (P<0.05). (3) At 24 hours after overexpression of miR-192-5p,compared with the negative control group,the area between cell scratches and apoptosis rate decreased in the miR-192-5p mimic group (P<0.05) but increased in the miR-192-5p inhibitor group (P<0.01). (4) At 48 hours after transfection,the mRNA and protein levels of epidermal regulator were significantly decreased in the miR-192-5p mimic group,while the mRNA and protein levels of type Ⅰ collagen,type Ⅲ collagen and α-smooth muscle actin were significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The miR-192-5p inhibitor group showed opposite changes in the above four indicators (P<0.05 or P<0.01). (5) The Targetscan website predicted that epidermal regulator had a potential binding site for miR-192-5p. (6) Dual luciferase assays showed that miR-192-5p could bind to epidermal regulator in a targeted manner. To conclude,overexpression of miR-192-5p can decrease the expression of epidermal regulator,and the two may be negatively regulated,suggesting that regulation of epidermal regulator may play a role in inhibiting the proliferation of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts.

Objective:To study the relationship between urinary arsenic methylation metabolism patterns and skin keratinization and pigmentation abnormalities in population exposed to arsenic through drinking water.Methods:Using a cross-sectional study method, a survey on endemic arsenic poisoning was conducted among permanent residents of drinking water endemic arsenic poisoning areas in Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2004 (before water improvement). In 2017 (after water improvement), 71 arsenic exposed individuals were followed up as survey subjects. According to the "Diagnosis of Endemic Arsenism" (WS/T 211-2015), the clinical grading of skin injuries (skin keratinization, pigmentation abnormalities) in the survey subjects was evaluated. Urine samples were collected for detection of arsenic methylation metabolite levels by high-performance liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and calibrated with urinary creatinine. The changes and amplitudes of urinary arsenic methylation indicators before and after water improvement were calculated and analyzed according to the outcome of skin keratinization and pigmentation abnormalities which were divided into reduced, unchanged, and added groups.Results:(1) The changes in urinary total arsenic (TAs), inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethyl arsenic (MMA), and dimethyl arsenic (DMA) levels in different outcome groups of skin keratinization were compared, and the differences were statistically significant ( H = 9.08, 8.77, 9.28, 8.57, P < 0.05). The changes in urinary TAs, iAs, MMA, DMA levels, iAs percentage (iAs%), DMA percentage (DMA%), and primary methylation index (PMI) in different outcome groups of skin pigmentation abnormalities were compared, and the differences were statistically significant ( H = 8.04, 10.67, 8.29, 9.14, 6.30, 9.10, 7.20, P < 0.05). (2) The comparison of amplitudes in urinary TAs, iAs, MMA, and DMA levels in different outcome groups of skin keratinization showed statistically significant differences ( H = 6.92, 7.34, 6.66, 6.16, P < 0.05). The amplitudes in urinary iAs level, iAs%, DMA%, and PMI in different outcome groups of skin pigmentation abnormalities were compared, and the differences were statistically significant ( H = 7.94, 7.61, 9.95, 7.22, P < 0.05). Conclusion:The changes pattern of urinary TAs, iAs, MMA, DMA, iAs%, DMA%, and PMI in population exposed to arsenic through drinking water is related to the transformation of skin keratinization and pigmentation abnormalities.