BACKGROUND:The decreased postural control ability due to mild cognitive impairment in elderly people leads to the increased risk of falls.Dual-task is the primary research paradigm for evaluating the relationship between cognition and postural control in the scenes close to real life.The sample entropy of the plantar center of pressure(COP)displacement during standing can represent the complexity of postural control. OBJECTIVE:Based on the COP displacement sample entropy,to analyze the differences in postural stability characteristics and control strategies between older adults with mild cognitive impairment and cognitively normal older adults during the dual-task with postural control and spatial working memory,aiming to explore the impact of cognitive impairment on the postural control ability during standing. METHODS:Sixteen older adults with mild cognitive impairment and 17 cognitively normal older adults were eligible and selected for the study.They completed five test tasks,including spatial working memory,double-feet balance stance,Romberg stance,double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task,and Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task,with three valid completions of each task.The plantar COP data were collected by the Kistler 3D force platform.The indicators included cognitive behavior(cognitive score and reaction time)and kinematic indexes(COP displacement and sample entropy). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The older adults with mild cognitive impairment performed the spatial working memory task with the greatest cognitive score and the shortest reaction time,the double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task with moderate cognitive score and reaction time,and the Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task with the smallest cognitive score and the longest reaction time,where the differences were significant among the tasks(P<0.05).In the older adults with mild cognitive impairment,the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral COP displacements were significantly greater,and their sample entropy values were significantly smaller in the double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task and Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task than in the double-feet balance stance and Romberg stance tasks(P<0.05).In the spatial working memory task,there were no significant differences in cognitive score and reaction time between the both groups(P>0.05);however,in the double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task and Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task,cognitive scores were significantly smaller and reaction times were longer in the older adults with mild cognitive impairment compared with the cognitively normal older adults(P<0.05).In the double-feet balance stance-spatial working memory dual-task and Romberg stance-spatial working memory dual-task,the older adults with mild cognitive impairment exhibited significantly greater anterior-posterior and medial-lateral COP displacements and significantly smaller sample entropy values compared with the cognitively normal older adults(P<0.05).All findings indicate that compared with cognitively normal older adults,older adults with mild cognitive impairment exhibit smaller complexity,poorer systematic adaption and decreased automatic regulation of the postural control during performing the dual-tasks,who are more susceptible to spatial working memory interference,leading to the increased risk of falls.

Abstract: It is well-known that crystal form of a drug is a key factor impacting the physicochemical properties of the drug, which in turn affects its in vivo efficacy, safety and stability. The study on crystal forms of solid-state drugs is crucial for drug quality control, selection of production process and evaluation of clinical efficacy. The combination of chemometric and analytical techniques exhibited its great ability to analyze a large amount of multidimensional data, providing the possibility for quantification of trace amount of crystals (< 1%). Meanwhile, using the process analytical technology (PAT) to monitor the crystal content real-time during prescription preparation process can further realize the control on formulation quality and serve as a core technology to support the patent protection of crystalline forms. In this review, the combined application of crystal analytical techniques and chemometric methods for the quantitative analysis of trace crystals were summarized, aiming to provide guidance for the manufacturing of pharmaceutical preparations and their quality control.

Objective To investigate the MRI features of primary retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma(PRLS).Methods Thirty-three cases of pathologically confirmed PRLS were analyzed retrospectively,and their multi-parameter MRI features were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.Results Of the 33 PRLS,24 cases were located in the renal hilum,inferior vena cava,or the area around the bifurcation of the iliac vessels.Twenty-four cases had relatively intact capsule,25 cases had necrosis,and 15 cases had coagulated geographic necrosis.The mean diameter of the tumors was(9.9±5.1)cm,ranging from 3.0 to 20.7 cm,among which 27 cases with a diameter larger than 5 cm.The tumor parenchyma of the 33 PRLS all showed significantly high signal intensity on diffusion weighted imaging(DWI),and significantly low signal intensity on apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)map.The tumor parenchyma showed moderate to obvious degree of progressive enhancement,and the signal intensity value of the tumor in each phase after contrast injection was higher than that of the psoas major muscle(P＜0.001).Conclusion PRLS are usually large but have a relatively intact capsule and are closely related to the major retroperitoneal veins.The coagulated geographic necrosis,significantly limited diffusion of water molecules,and progressive enhancement pattern all show certain MRI characteristics.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative electroacupuncture intervention in promoting postoperative gastrointestinal functional recovery by meta-analysis.Methods The databases of PubMed,Cochrane Library,Web of Science,Embase,CBM,CNKI,VIP,and WanFang were searched systematically.The search period ranged from the inception of the databases to March 2024.Two researchers screened the literature independently,extracted the data,used Cochrane Risk of Bias tools to evaluate the quality of the inclusion study,and used RevMan 5.3 software for meta-analysis.Results Twelve RCTs were included,with 773 patients.There were 421 patients in the preoperative electroacupuncture group and 352 patients in the control group.The results of the meta-analysis showed that,time to first flatus(SMD=-0.56,95%CI-0.84 to-0.28,P＜0.001),time to first defecation(MD=-6.40 hours,95%CI-9.27 to-3.53,P＜0.001),time to bowel sound recovery(MD=-8.45 hours,95%CI-10.37 to-6.52,P＜0.001),time to first oral feeding(MD=-16.88 hours,95%CI-23.92 to-9.83,P＜0.001),the incidence of PONV(RR=0.75,95%CI 0.57 to 0.98,P=0.04)and length of hospital stay(MD=-0.78 d,95%CI-1.38 to-0.19,P=0.010)were significantly lower than the control group.Conclusion Electroacupuncture intervention before operation can effectively promote the recovery of post-operative exhaust,defecation,and bowel sound,shorten the time of fasting and drinking,reduce the inci-dence of PONV,shorten the length of hospital stay,and has good clinical value in promoting the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function.

Objective To explore the prescription law of Professor Wang Yinglin for treating pediatric cough based on the Carma algorithm and complex network.Methods The prescriptions of children with cough as the chief complaint who were treated by Professor Wang in the outpatient department from November 2022 to May 2023 were taken as the research object.Carma algorithm and complex network were used to analyze the main prescriptions of Professor Wang for treating children's cough,and explore the prescription law of Professor Wang for treating children's cough.Results A total of 420 cases were included,with an average age of 6.5 years old.Among them,there were 158 males and 262 females,involving 420 prescriptions,97 kinds of Chinese materia medica,a total frequency of 4 665,and 37 drugs with a frequency of use>20.By analyzing the drug combination derived from Carma analysis of algorithms and clinical verification,it was found that Professor Wang commonly used two drug combinations to treat children's cough:Poria-Exocarpium Citri Rubrum,Scrophulariae Radix-Imperatae Rhizoma,Peucedani Radix-Cynanchi Stauntonii Rhizoma,Perillae Fructus-Asteris Radix,Saposhnikoviae Radix-Liquidambaris Fructus;three medicine combination:Perillae Fructus-Asteris Radix-Semen Lepidii,Poria-Cablin Potchouli Herb-Exocarpium Citri Rubrum,Magnoliae Flos-Saposhnikoviae Radix-Liquidambaris Fructus;the combination of four drugs included Poria-Scrophulariae Radix-Exocarpium Citri Rubrum-Imperatae Rhizoma,Poria-Adenophorae Radix-Exocarpium Citri Rubrum-Scrophulariae Radix;five medicine combinations:Poria-Scrophulariae Radix-Exocarpium Citri Rubrum-Imperatae Rhizoma-Adenophorae Radix,Poria-Scrophulariae Radix-Exocarpium Citri Rubrum-Imperatae Rhizoma-Cablin Potchouli Herb;six medicine combinations:Poria-Scrophulariae Radix-Exocarpium Citri Rubrum-Imperatae Rhizoma-Adenophorae Radix-Folium Eriobotryae,Poria-Scrophulariae Radix-Exocarpium Citri Rubrum-Imperatae Rhizoma-Adenophorae Radix-Isatidis Radix,Poria-Scrophulariae Radix-Exocarpium Citri Rubrum-Imperatae Rhizoma-Cablin Potchouli Herb-Saposhnikoviae Radix,Folium Eriobotryae-Perillae Fructus-Asteris Radix-Semen Lepidii-Peucedani Radix-Cynanchi Stauntonii Rhizoma,Glehniae Radix-Crataegi Fructus-Stemonae Radix-Bulbus Lilii-Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae-Ophiopogonis Radix.Complex network analysis found that the core drugs were:Adenophorae Radix,Poria,Exocarpium Citri Rubrum,Scrophulariae Radix,Imperatae Rhizoma,Folium Eriobotryae,Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii,Isatidis Radix,Peucedani Radix,Cynanchi Stauntonii Rhizoma,Stemonae Radix,Bambusae Concretio Silicea,Cablin Potchouli Herb.Five core prescriptions were obtained by multi-scale backbone network analysis.Conclusion Professor Wang's treatment of pediatric cough varies depending on the medical history,symptoms,and location of the disease,with different prescriptions.New diseases are often considered based on pathogenic factors,with phlegm heat as the main treatment,and the efficacy is mostly achieved by purging the lungs and resolving phlegm;phlegm heat gradually subsides,and residual pathogens are not cleared.The main approach is to eliminate residual pathogens and replenish qi and yin;long term illness mainly focuses on supplementing qi and nourishing yin.

Objective:To investigate the effects of Longmu Anshen prescription on microglia(MG)polarization in the medial prefrontal cortex(mPFC)and anxiety behavior of chronic restraint stress(CRS)mice.Methods:Forty-eight healthy male KM mice were randomly divided into normal group,paroxetine hydrochloride group and Longmu Anshen prescription high,middle and low dose groups.From the 15th day,after 30 minutes of CRS every day,the normal group and the model were given distilled water by gavage,the paroxetine hydrochloride group was given paroxetine hydrochloride(2.6 mg/kg)by gavage,and the traditional Chinese medicine group was given Longmu Anshen prescription at high,medium and low doses(4.16,2.08,1.04 g/kg)by gavage for 21 days.The changes of anxiety behavior in mice were evaluated by light-dark boxes experiment and elevated plus maze;ELISA was used to detect IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α and IL-10 levels;protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)and arginase-1(Arg-1)in mice mPFC tissue were detected by Western blot;mRNA expression of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1(Iba-1),iNOS and Arg-1 in mice mPFC tissue were detected by RT-PCR;the protein expression of Iba-1 in mice hippocampal tissue was detected by immuno-histochemistry(IHC).Results:Compared with normal group,the residence time in the light boxes,the number of times of shuttle between the light-dark boxes,the percentage of times of entering the open arm(OE%)and the percentage of time spent in the open arm(OT%)of mice in model group were significantly reduced(P<0.01);moreover,in the mPFC tissue of the model group mice,the protein and mRNA expressions of Iba-1 and iNOS were significantly increased(P<0.01),and the levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly increased(P<0.01),while the protein and mRNA expressions of Arg-1 were significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the level of IL-10 was significantly decreased(P<0.01).Compared with model group,the residence time in the light boxes,the number of shuttles between the light-dark boxes,the OE%and OT%of mice in the paroxetine hydrochloride group and the high and medium dose groups of Longmu Anshen prescription were significantly increased(P<0.01);the expression levels of Iba-1 and iNOS protein and mRNA in mPFC tissue were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),and the levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly decreased(P<0.01),while the expression levels of Arg-1 protein and mRNA were significantly increased(P<0.01).IL-10 level was significantly increased(P<0.01).Conclusion:Longmu Anshen prescription can inhibit the activation of MG in mPFC tissues of CRS mice and may reduce nerve inflammation and increase the level of anti-inflammatory cytokines by regulating the polarization phenotype of M1/M2,thereby ameliorate CRS-induced anxiety behavior.

The clinical practice guidelines for prevention and treatment of postoperative gastrointestinal disorder with Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (2023) issued by the Anaesthesia Committee and Perioperative Medicine Committee of the Chinese Society of Integrative Medicine is the first evidence-based guideline for postoperative gastrointestinal disorder in China. It covers the definition, aetiology and pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of postoperative gastrointestinal disorder. Compared with previous expert consensus, this guideline has advantages in terms of scientific and rigorous methodology and is quite representative. Interpreting this guideline can help strengthen clinicians′ understanding of postoperative gastrointestinal disorder and enhance clinical practitioners′ understanding of the methodology of this guideline, thus enabling a better integration of recommendations and evidence for clinical practice and hastening the implementation of the guidelines. It also accelerates the dissemination of the methodological development of guidelines in China, helps clinicians understand the connotation and value of the guidelines, and provides methodological guidance and references for formulating clinical practice guidelines based on the current situation in China and involving other clinical disciplines.

Background/Aims: Ubiquitination is widely involved in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by regulating various cellular processes. However, systematic strategies for screening core ubiquitin-related genes, clarifying their functions and mechanisms, and ultimately developing potential therapeutics for patients with HCC are still lacking. Methods: Cox and LASSO regression analyses were performed to construct a ubiquitin-related gene prediction model for HCC. Loss- and gain-of-function studies, transcriptomic and metabolomics analysis were used to explore the function and mechanism of UBE2S on HCC cell glycolysis and growth. Results: Based on 1,423 ubiquitin-related genes, a four-gene signature was successfully constructed to evaluate the prognosis of patients with HCC. UBE2S was identified in this signature with the potential to predict the survival of patients with HCC. E2F2 transcriptionally upregulated UBE2S expression by directly binding to its promoter. UBE2S positively regulated glycolysis in a HIF-1α-dependent manner, thus promoting the proliferation of HCC cells. Mechanistically, UBE2S enhanced K11-linkage polyubiquitination at lysine residues 171 and 196 of VHL independent of E3 ligase, thereby indirectly stabilizing HIF-1α protein levels by mediating the degradation of VHL by the proteasome. In particular, the combination of cephalomannine, a small molecule compound that inhibits the expression of UBE2S, and PX-478, an inhibitor of HIF-1α, significantly improved the anti-tumor efficacy. Conclusions UBE2S is identified as a key biomarker in HCC among the thousands of ubiquitin-related genes and promotes glycolysis by E3 enzyme-independent ubiquitination, thus serving as a therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) has been widely used in predicting portal hypertension in clinical practice, and in recent years, spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) has also become a diagnostic tool. Studies have shown that SSM can predict portal hypertension and its complications such as esophagogastric variceal bleeding in patients with chronic liver diseases and assist in the risk stratification management of portal hypertension and esophagogastric variceal bleeding. It can accurately predict clinically significant portal hypertension, high-risk esophageal and gastric varices, decompensation rate, and mortality rate in patients with chronic liver diseases. At present, SSM data in most studies are obtained by detection using the liver equipment FibroScan Ⓡ (SSM@50 Hz). FibroScan Ⓡ 630 is a new scanner dedicated for SSM with a special mode for SSM (SSM@100 Hz). This article elaborates on the significance of SSM in predicting portal hypertension and briefly introduces the advantages and disadvantages of the new equipment for SSM.

Objective:To investigate the protective effect of fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) on neuronal injury and its potential molecular mechanism.Methods:Cortical neurons were dissected from brain tissues of newborn SD rats and seeded on Poly-L-Lysine coated plates. These neurons were then divided into control group, myelin group and myelin+FGF10 group; after 4 h of culture, neurons in the myelin group were added with a certain content of myelin solution (final concentration: 10 μg/mL), while neurons in the myelin+FGF10 group were added with myelin and FGF10 solution (final concentration: 4.3 nmol/L). One week after culturing, the neuronal apoptosis was detected by TUNEL and flow cytometry; neuronal survival was evaluated by live/dead assay and CCK-8 assay; expressions of apoptosis-related proteins, microtubule related proteins and RAS homologous gene family member A (Rho A)/Rho a-related protein kinase (ROCK) signaling pathway related proteins were detected by Western blotting and immunofluorescent double-label staining.Results:Compared with the control group, the myelin group had significantly increased neuronal apoptosis rate by TUNEL, early neuronal apoptosis rate by flow cytometry, activated cysteine proteinase-3 (caspase-3) protein expression and neuronal mortality rate by live/dead assay, and significantly decreased Bcl-2/Bax value, neuronal survival rate by CCK-8 method, value of acetylated tubulin/Tyr-tubulin (Ace/Tyr-tubulin), Tau protein expression and Ace/Tyr-tubulin fluorescent intensity ratio, and statistically increased Rho A and ROCK protein expressions and Rho A fluorescent intensity ( P<0.05). Compared with the myelin group, the myelin+FGF10 group had significantly decreased neuronal apoptosis rate by TUNEL, early neuronal apoptosis rate by flow cytometry and activated caspase-3 protein expression, significantly increased Bcl-2/Bax value, neuronal survival rate by CCK-8 method, Ace/Tyr-tubulin value, Tau protein expression and Ace/Tyr-tubulin fluorescent intensity ratio, and statistically decreased Rho A and ROCK protein expressions and Rho A fluorescent intensity ( P<0.05). Conclusion:FGF10 maintains microtubule stability in neurons likely through inhibiting Rho A/ROCK axis to antagonize myelin-induced apoptosis and improve the neuronal survival.