Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and osteoporosis (OP) are two very common metabolic diseases. A growing body of experimental evidence supports a pathophysiological link between MAFLD and OP. MAFLD is often associated with the development of OP. Rutaecarpine (RUT) is one of the main active components of Chinese medicine Euodiae Fructus. Our previous studies have demonstrated that RUT has lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects, and can improve the OP of rats. However, whether RUT can improve both fatty liver and OP symptoms of MAFLD mice at the same time remains to be investigated. In this study, we used C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 months to construct a MAFLD model, and gave the mice a low dose (5 mg·kg^-1) and a high dose (15 mg·kg^-1) of RUT by gavage for 4 weeks. The effects of RUT on liver steatosis and bone metabolism were then evaluated at the end of the experiment [this experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (approval number: IMB-20190124D₃03)]. The results showed that RUT treatment significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and lipid accumulation, and significantly reduced bone loss and promoted bone formation. In summary, this study shows that RUT has an effect of improving fatty liver and OP in MAFLD mice.

Chronic hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection is the main cause of the disease burden of viral hepatitis worldwide， and meanwhile， due to changes in lifestyle and dietary habits， the incidence rate of metabolic associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） is constantly increasing， making MAFLD the leading chronic liver disease around the world. Chronic HBV infection comorbid with MAFLD is becoming more and more common in clinical practice. Metabolic factors， rather than viral factors， are the main cause of chronic HBV infection comorbid with MAFLD. During disease progression， steatohepatitis and fibrosis， rather than steatosis， are the main influencing factors for the progression to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. For patients with chronic HBV infection and MAFLD， integrated management of virus and metabolic factors is of great importance. This article reviews the tissues regarding the interaction， prognosis， and clinical management of chronic HBV infection and MAFLD.

This study aimed to investigate halofuginone's inhibitory effect and mechanism on the activity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. HepG2 cells were used to detect the effects of halofuginone. After treatment, cell activity, cell migration, cell cycle, and cell apoptosis were detected by CCK-8, transwell, and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression levels of growth and metabolism-related factors such as citrate synthase (CS), ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH), and isocitrate deoxygenase (IDH) were detected by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot. Compared with the control group, the activity of HepG2 cells was significantly inhibited by halofuginone (P < 0.01), the migration rate of HepG2 cells was decreased (P < 0.01), the apoptosis of HepG2 cells was induced (P < 0.01), and the cell cycle was arrested in S phase (P < 0.01). The expression levels of tricarboxylic acid key enzymes CS, IDH3, and OGDH were up-regulated, the expression level of isocitrate dehydrogenase isoenzymes IDH1 and IDH2 were down-regulation. In conclusion, halofuginone can inhibit the proliferation and migration of HepG2 cells and promote apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, which may be due to the promotion of the aerobic metabolism of cells.

Objective To explore the etiology and pathogenesis of dry eye by studying the distribution pattern of gender,age and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome type in dry eye patients and by analyzing their correlation.Methods A total of 244 patients with dry eye who met the inclusion criteria were selected.The distribution of gender,age and TCM syndrome types was statistically analyzed,and then the correlation of TCM syndrome types with gender and age of dry eye patients was explored.Results(1)Of the 244 dry eye patients,96(39.34%)were male and 148(60.66%)were female,the incidence of the female being higher than that of the male.There were 124(50.82%)patients younger than 45 years old,81(33.20%)patients aged 45-60 years old,and 39(15.98%)patients older than 60 years old.The proportion of the patients younger than 45 years old was higher than that of other age groups.(2)Among the 244 patients with dry eyes,89 cases(36.47%)were differentiated as liver and kidney deficiency syndrome,75 cases(30.74%)were differentiated as qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome,69 cases(28.28%)were differentiated as spleen and kidney deficiency,and 11 cases(4.51%)were differentiated as yin deficiency and damp-heat syndrome.And the occurrence frequency of the above four syndrome types was in descending order.(3)In the dry eye patients of various age groups,patients aged＜45 years old predominantly suffered from qistagnation and blood stasis syndrome,accounting for 41.94%(52/124);patients aged 45-60 years old and those aged＞60 years old predominantly suffered from liver and kidney deficiency syndrome,accounting for 46.91%(38/81)and 53.85%(21/39),respectively.The distribution of TCM syndrome types varied in the patients with different age groups,and the difference was statistically significant(χ2 = 22.128,P＜0.01).(4)In male dry eye patients,qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome was predominant,accounting for 39.58%(38/96);among female dry eye patients,liver and kidney deficiency syndrome and spleen and kidney deficiency syndrome were prevalent,accounting for 41.89%(62/148)and 31.08%(46/148),respectively.The distribution of TCM syndrome types varied in the patients with different genders,and the difference was statistically significant(χ2 = 82.610,P＜0.01).Conclusion The TCM syndromes of patients with dry eyes are frequently differentiated as liver and kidney deficiency syndrome,followed by the qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome.The prevalence of dry eyes is related to the gender and age,and gender and age are correlated with the TCM syndrome types to certain extent.

Objective·To evaluate the changes in cognitive function in overweight and obese adolescents,and explore the association between cognitive function and fibroblast growth factor 21(FGF21).Methods·A total of 175 adolescents from a senior high school in Shanghai were divided into normal weight group(n=50),overweight group(n=50)and obese group(n=75)based on their body mass index(BMI).General information,anthropometric data and laboratory testing indicators of the adolescents were collected and compared.The cognitive function of the three groups of adolescents was assessed by using the accuracy(ACC)and reaction time of Flanker task and n-back task.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the serum FGF21 level of the three groups of adolescents.Partial correlation analysis and multiple linear regression model were used to evaluate the correlation between cognitive task performance and anthropometric data and laboratory testing indicators.Results·Compared with the normal weight group,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,and the levels of fasting plasma glucose,glycosylated hemoglobin and triacylglycerol in the obese group were higher(all P<0.05).Under congruent or incongruent stimulus conditions in the Flanker task,there was no significant difference in ACC between any two groups;compared with the normal weight and overweight groups,the reaction time of the adolescents in the obese group was prolonged(all P<0.05).In the n-back task,there were no significant differences in ACC between any two groups,while the obese group had longer reaction time in the 1-back and 2-back tasks compared to the normal weight and overweight groups(all P<0.05).Compared with the normal weight group,serum FGF21 levels of the adolescents in the obese group were higher(P=0.000).Partial correlation analysis showed that the reaction time of the adolescents in Flanker and n-back tasks was correlated with their BMI,body fat mass,waist circumference,waist-to-hip ratio and FGF21 level(all P<0.05).Multiple linear regression analysis further confirmed that BMI was associated with prolonged reaction time in cognitive-related behavioral tasks in the adolescents(all P<0.05),and FGF21 level was associated with ACC in the 2-back task(P=0.000)and reaction time in the incongruent stimulus condition(P=0.048).Conclusion·Overweight and obese adolescents have cognitive impairments,and BMI and serum FGF21 levels are associated with changes in their cognitive function.

Decoction is the most commonly used dosage form in the clinical treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). During boiling, the violent movement of various active ingredients in TCM creates molecular forces such as hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, hydrophobic interactions and electrostatic interactions, which results in the formation of self-assembled aggregates in decoction (SADs), including particles, gels, fibers, etc. It was found that SADs widely existed in decoction with biological activities superior to both effective monomers and their physical mixtures, providing a new idea to reveal the pharmacodynamic material basis of Chinese herbal medicine from the perspective of component interactions-phase structure. Recently, SADs have become a novel focus of research in TCM. This paper reviewed their relevant studies in recent years and found some issues to be concerned in the research, such as the polydispersity of decoction system, instability of active ingredient interactions during boiling, uncertainty of the aggregates self-assembly rules, and stability, purity, yield of the products. In this regard, some solutions and new ideas were presented for the integrated development and clinical application of SADs.

Objective To study the effects of different pellet feed hardness on the growth and reproduction,feed utilization rate,and environmental dust in laboratory mice.Methods One hundred of fifty 50 3-week-old SPF-grade C57BL/6JGpt and 150 ICR laboratory mice were randomly divided into three groups,with an equal number of males and females.They were fed diets with different hardness of 18.62 kg,23.15 kg,and 27.89 kg.Body weight,feed utilization rate,and dust levels in cages were recorded and calculated for mice aged 3-10 weeks.Forty-five 6-week-old male mice and ninety 4-week-old female mice from each strain were randomly divided into three groups and fed pellet feeds with three different hardness levels.After 2 weeks of adaptation to the same hardness feed,the mice were paired at a 1:2 male-to-female ratio and monitored for reproductive data for 3 months.Results At the age of 4 weeks,the body weight of male C57BL/6JGpt mice in 23.15 kg group was significantly higher than that in the 18.62 kg and 27.89 kg groups(P＜0.01),and the body weight of females in the 18.62 kg group was significantly higher than that in the 27.89 kg group(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in body weight among ICR mice aged 3-10 weeks across different feed hardness groups(P＞0.05).For both strains,feed utilization rate for males was higher than that for females across different feed hardness groups at all weeks of age(P＜0.01).Compared to the 27.89 kg group,both the 18.62 kg and 23.15 kg groups showed a significant increase in the 50-mesh dust levels in cages for both strains aged 4-8 weeks(except for 7-week-old C57BL/6JGpt mice)(P＜0.05).For both C57BL/6JGpt and ICR mice,there was no significant difference in basic reproductive performance such as interval between the first litter and the monthly production index among the three feed hardness groups during the experimental period(P＞0.05).However,the monthly production index of C57BL/6JGpt mice first increased and then decreased with the increase of feed hardness,while that of ICR mice increased with increasing feed hardness,though these differences were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion Different strains and genders had different tolerance to feed hardness.C57BL/6JGpt mice are more adapted to lower hardness feeds,while ICR mice are better suited to slightly higher hardness feeds.

Objective:To investigate the current status of vocational training for pediatric clinical research coordinators (CRC), and discuss the construction of base-based pediatric CRC training, and to promote the ability of pediatric CRCs.Methods:From July 25 to October 16, 2023, an anonymous self-designed questionnaire survey was conducted through the Wenjuanxing platform to investigate the current situation of pediatric CRC vocational training and base training needs. The data were collated using Excel. Categorical data were described as numbers and percentages.Results:A total of 328 usable questionnaires were returned. Only 7.62% (25 people) believed that existing CRC training was sufficient and could meet actual work needs; 4.88% (16 people) responded that there was no training; 46.34% (152 people) believed that the training was insufficient to support actual work needs; 87.50% (287 people) believed that continuous CRC training was needed; 46.95% (154 people) preferred experienced CRCs for teaching, who should have at least 3 years of CRC work experience; and 46.95% (154 people) preferred a duration of 3 months for CRC training. The preferred training methods were: practice under the direction of experienced CRCs (90.85%, 298 people), step-by-step teaching of practical skills (88.41%, 290 people), case analysis and discussion (87.20%, 286 people), process simulation (83.23%, 273 people), and lecture-based teaching (76.52%, 251 people). The preferred post-training assessment methods were: case analysis (76.52%, 251 people), operation simulation (74.09%, 243 people), process simulation (73.17%, 240 people), written examination (66.16%, 217 people), and interview (63.72%, 209 people).Conclusions:The current pediatric CRC training is not enough to meet actual work needs. It is urgent to develop and promote a CRC training system that can meet work needs, laying the foundation for the construction of pediatric clinical research ecology in China.

Objective:To construct an evaluation the index system of entrustable professional activities for resident training doctors in psychiatric department,and to provide reference for formulating training strategies and assessment standards.Entrustable professional activities refers to the ability of trainees to perform and complete spe-cific clinical tasks independently after they have been trusted.Methods:Through documental analysis and semi-structured interviews,the item database of entrustable professional activities for psychiatric resident training physi-cians was established.Delphi consultation was conducted among 63 experts in the field of psychiatry from 7 national resident training bases and 3 medical colleges in China.Indicators were comprehensively screened and sorted out,and indicators at all levels and their weights were determined by the analytic hierarchy process.Results:A hierarchi-cal evaluation index system of entrustable professional activities for psychiatric resident training doctors was con-structed,including 4 first-level indicators,17 second-level indicators and 68 third-level indicators.The weights of the first-level,second-level and third-level indicators were determined.Conclusion:The evaluation index system of en-trustable professional activities is comprehensive and systematic,which is suitable for clinical work and convenient for practical application.It could provide quantitative standards for the assessment of psychiatric residents and pro-mote the improvement of training quality.

Objective: To investigate the impact of temperature changes between neighboring days (TCN) on the mortality risk of respiratory diseases, so as to provide the evidence for the study of deaths from respiratory diseases caused by climate change. Methods: The monitoring data of deaths from respiratory diseases in Zibo City from 2015 to 2019 were collected from Shandong Provincial Management Information System for Chronic Diseases and Cause of Death Surveillance. The meteorological and air pollutant data of the same period were collected from China Meteorological Data Website and ChinaHighAirPollutants dataset. The effect of TCN on the risk of deaths from respiratory diseases was examined using a generalized additive model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model, and subgroup analyses for gender and age were conducted. The disease burden attributed to TCN at different intervals was assessed by calculating attributable fraction. Results: Totally 11 767 deaths from respiratory diseases were reported in Zibo City from 2015 to 2019, including 6 648 males (56.50%) and 5 119 females (43.50%). There were 1 307 deaths aged <65 years (11.11%), and 10 460 deaths aged 65 years and older (88.89%). A monotonically increasing exposure-response relationship was observed between TCN and deaths from respiratory diseases in the general population, females, and the population aged 65 years and older. The 95th percentile of TCN (P95, 3.84 ℃) reached the peak at a cumulative lagged of day 11 (RR=2.063, 95%CI: 1.261-3.376). The results of subgroup analyses showed greater impacts on females and the population aged 65 years and older, with cumulative lagged effects peaking at day 12 (RR=3.119, 95%CI: 1.476-6.589) and day 11 (RR=2.107, 95%CI: 1.260-3.523). The results of attributional risk analysis showed that next-day warming might increase the attributable risk of deaths from respiratory diseases, and next-day cooling might decrease the attributable risk. Conclusion Next-day warming may increase the mortality risk of respiratory diseases, and has greater impacts on females and the population aged 65 years and older.