BACKGROUND:Liuwei Dihuang Wan takes"three tonifying and three reducing effects"as its compatibility feature to nourish yin and tonify the kidneys,while Zuogui Wan takes"seeking yin in yang"as its compatibility feature to nourish yin and tonify the kidneys by promoting yang.Both of them belong to the same method of nourishing yin and tonifying the kidneys,and have better curative effects at the symptomatic and cellular molecular levels. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of Liuwei Dihuang Wan and Zuogui Wan in bone metabolism,and to explore their mechanism of action in the osteoprotegerin(OPG)/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand(RANKL)osteoblastic pathway. METHODS:Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into model,Liuwei Dihuang Wan,Zuogui Wan,and sham operation group,with eight rats in each group.Osteoporosis models were prepared using removal of both ovaries in the first three groups.Starting at 30 days postoperatively,rats in the Liuwei Dihuang Wan group were gavaged with Liuwei Dihuang Wan 1.125 g/kg/d;rats in the Zuoqui Wan group were gavaged with Zuogui Wan 2.25 g/kg/d;and rats in the sham operation group and the model group were gavaged with saline 10 mL/kg/d.After 12 weeks of gavage,the rat tibia was taken to measure bone mineral density.The serum levels of estrogen,bone alkaline phosphatase,and cAMP/cGMP were measured using ELISA,and the expression of OPG/RANKL in the femur was detected using western blot. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the sham operation group,the model group showed a decrease in bone mineral density and levels of estrogen and bone alkaline phosphatase(P＜0.05)and an increase in cAMP/cGMP level(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the Liuwei Dihuang Wan group and the Zuogui Wan group significantly increased bone mineral density(P＜0.05)and bone alkaline phosphatase levels(P＜0.05);the Zuogui Wan group significantly decreased cAMP/cGMP levels(P＜0.05)and upregulated OPG expression(P＜0.05);the Liuwei Dihuang Wan group upregulated OPG expression and downregulated RANKL expression(P＜0.05);and both groups were unable to significantly increase estrogen levels(P＞0.05).To conclude,Zuogui Wan,which seeks yin from yang,can effectively increase the expression of OPG but cannot downregulate the expression of RANKL.However,Liuwei Dihuang Wan,which has three tonifying and three reducing effects,can bidirectionally regulate the expression of OPG and RANKL.This result suggests that Liuwei Dihuang Wan can significantly inhibit osteoclastic function compared with Zuogui Wan,and further research is needed to verify this conclusion.

BACKGROUND:Studies have reported that alendronate intake significantly increases bone mineral density in patients with osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE:To analyze and compare the changes in metabolites before and after alendronate intervention in ovariectomized rats by chromatography-mass spectrometry,and to further explore the specific mechanism and target of alendronate in the treatment of osteoporosis. METHODS:A total of 36 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into model group,alendronate sodium group and sham operation group.The osteoporosis model was established by ovariectomy in the first two groups.Four weeks after modeling,the rats in the alendronate group were intragastrically given alendronate sodium,while those in the sham operation group and model group were given equal volume of normal saline.After 12 weeks of continuous gavage,the metabolites of the lumbar spine were analyzed by chromatography-mass spectrometry,and the common differential metabolites were obtained,which were analyzed by bioinformatics such as Kyoto Gene and Genome Encyclopedia pathway. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Totally 17 different metabolites were obtained in the three groups.The enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes showed that alendronate sodium could regulate unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis,linoleic acid metabolism and other pathways to protect ovariectomized rats.These results indicate that alendronate sodium may exert its anti-osteoporosis effect by interfering with unsaturated fatty acid bioanabolism and linoleic acid metabolism,so as to achieve the purpose of preventing osteoporosis

BACKGROUND:The mechanisms and targets of alendronate in the treatment of osteoporosis still need to be investigated in depth. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the mechanism by which alendronate regulates bone metabolism in rats with osteoporosis and to perform a bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed proteins. METHODS:Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups(n=12 per group):model group,alendronate group and sham-operated group.Animal models of osteoporosis were prepared using ovariectomy in the model and alendronate groups.At 4 weeks after modeling,rats in the alendronate group were gavaged with alendronate;the other two groups were given the equal volume of normal saline.After 12 weeks of continuous gavage,the bone mineral density of the tibia was measured and the lumbar spine of the rats was taken for proteomic analysis using Tandem mass tag-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry technique to identify differentially expressed proteins for gene ontology,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway and protein-protein interaction analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:There were 32 up-regulated proteins and 51 down-regulated proteins identified between the alendronate group and model group.Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed proteins were mainly involved in molecular functions,such as binding and catalytic activity,and in biological processes,such as cellular process and metabolic process.Kyoto Encylopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed proteins in the alendronate group and model group were mainly involved in the biosynthesis of pantothenate and coenzyme A.Protein-protein interaction analysis indicated that among the differentially expressed proteins in the alendronate group and model group,Hspa1l,Enpp3,Unc45a,Myh9 and Cant1 were located at the nodes of the protein-protein interaction network and were closely related to bone metabolism.Overall,these findings indicate that alendronate may regulate bone metabolism in the rat model of osteoporosis by regulating the expression of differentially expressed proteins and biosynthesis of pantothenate and coenzyme A.

BACKGROUND:Numerous scholars have previously researched certain greater tuberosity fractures and the procedures used to treat them.Few researchers,however,have studied the comminuted split fracture of the greater tuberosity of the humerus(Liu-Gang type IV)with rotator cuff tear in great detail. OBJECTIVE:To compare the clinical therapeutic effect of open repair position modified calcaneal plate combined with suture anchors and proximal humeral internal locking system(PHILOS)plate in the treatment of comminuted fracture of split-type greater tuberosity of humerus combined with rotator cuff tears(Liu-Gang type IV). METHODS:Case data of 30 patients with comminuted fracture of split-type greater tuberosity of humerus combined with rotator cuff tears(Liu-Gang type IV)from May 2012 to May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.They were divided into the modified calcaneal plate combined with suture anchor group(group A)and the PHILOS with#2 Johnson group(group B),with 15 cases in each group.Intraoperative blood loss,surgical time,and incision length of all patients were recorded.Pain visual analog scale score,Constant-Murley score,as well as shoulder joint abduction,forward flexion,external rotation,and dorsal expansion activities during the last follow-up(>1 year)were evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The surgical incision length and operation time were shorter,and blood loss was less in group A than those in group B(P<0.05).(2)No significant difference in visual analog scale score and Constant-Murley score was detected between the two groups(P>0.05).(3)During the last follow-up,forward flexion in group A was better than that in group B(P<0.05).No significant difference in abduction,external rotation,and dorsal expansion was determined between group A and group B(P>0.05).(4)In terms of complications,there was 1 case of shoulder joint pain and discomfort in group A(7%),2 cases of subacromial impingement syndrome,2 cases of upward movement of nodules,and 2 cases of shoulder joint pain(40%)in group B.There were significant differences in complication rates between the two groups(P=0.031).(5)In summary,the modified calcaneal plate combined with suture anchors in the treatment of comminuted fracture of split-type greater tuberosity of humerus combined with rotator cuff tears(Liu-Gang type IV)could better restore the forward flexion function of the shoulder joint and has a small incision,less blood loss,shorter operation time and fewer complications.

OBJECTIVE To predict the amount of colorants used in the preparation of placebo of Chinese medicine by construc-ting particle swarm optimization-back propagation neural network PSO-BPNN compound granules,and to provide a new idea for the simulation of placebo color of Chinese medicine compound granules.METHODS The BP neural network was used to establish the model of sample color parameters L,a?,b?and pigment mass fraction.The global search ability of particle swarm optimization algo-rithm was used to optimize the weight and bias of BP neural network to prevent the local minimum value of the model.The linear reduc-tion weight coefficient method and the introduction of mutation operator were used to improve the global optimization ability of particle swarm optimization algorithm.The color comprehensive evaluation index(ΔE)was used as the objective evaluation standard to verify the test results.RESULTS The training results show that the fitting accuracy of the improved PSO-BP neural network was up to 98.31%.The prediction results show that the prediction error of the improved PSO-BP neural network was the smallest,and the mean absolute percentage error(MAPE),root mean square error(RMSE)and mean color difference(ΔE)were 0.411 5,2.164 6 and 2.56,respectively.The verification samples of three kinds of particles were prepared for verification.The ΔE of the verification sample and the model drug were 1.73,2.63 and 4.11,respectively.The color difference between the two groups and the model drug was small by visual evaluation.CONCLUSION The BP neural network based on the improved particle swarm optimization algorithm can simulate the prediction of the amount of colorants used in the preparation of Chinese medicine compound granules,and can be used as a recommended optimization model for placebo color matching research.

Objective:To conduct the visual analysis of emergency palliative care based on the Web of Science database.Methods:The literature on emergency palliative care collected from 2012 to 2022 was systematically searched in the Web of Science core collection. CiteSpace software was used for visual analysis.Results:A total of 630 articles were included, and the number of publications was on the rise. The country with the highest number of publications was the United States, with 8 out of the top 10 institutions in terms of publication volume coming from the United States. The author with the highest number of publications was Grudzen. The top 10 journals in terms of citation frequency were mostly specialized journals on palliative care and first aid. The results of keyword analysis showed that a total of 15 clustering labels and 20 emergent words were output, reflecting the changes of key research objects, main research types and areas of concern.Conclusions:At present, nursing research in this field is in the development stage in China. We can draw on the practical experience of foreign countries to further explore the emergency palliative care model and service system based on China's national conditions.

The timely use of screening tools to assess the palliative care needs of emergency patients can provide decision-making basis for patient referral and help patients receive palliative care in a timely manner.This paper reviews the palliative care needs screening tools for emergency patients at home and abroad,describes their development methods,scoring criteria and application status,compares and analyzes their characteristics and shortcomings.It aims to provide references for the localized development and application of palliative care needs screening tools in emergency patients.

Objective To observe the effect of Qixian Tongluo Formula on contralateral corticospinal tract(CST)remodeling and motor functional recovery in rats with cerebral infarction,and to explore its potential molecular mechanism from the perspective of regulating factors related to never remodeling.Methods The rat middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)model was established by silk thread ligation.Fifty model rats were randomly divided into model group,citicoline group(0.054 g·kg-1),Qixian Tongluo Formula low-,medium-and high-dose(7.83,15.66,31.32 g·kg-1)groups,and sham operation group,with 10 rats in each group.The intervention administration was started on the 3rd day after operation once a day for 26 consecutive days.On the 3rd,14th and 28th day after operation,the gross motor function was evaluated by Longa score,and the fine motor function was evaluated by beam-walking test(BWT)score.The contralateral motor cortex was injected with the nerve tracer biotin dextran amine(BDA)on the 14 th day after operation to anterogradely trace the CST.On the 28th day after operation,the expression of axonal growth associated protein-43(GAP-43)and BDA positive fibers in the contralateral motor cortex and cervical spinal cord were detected by immunohistochemistry.The co-localization areas of BDA positive fibers and presynaptic marker protein vesicular glutamate transporter 1(VGLUT1)in the cervical spinal cord gray matter were detected by immunofluorescence.The expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF),glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor(GDNF),nerve growth factor(NGF)and nerve remodeling-associated inhibitory factor[Nogo-A,oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein(OMgp)and myelin-associated glycoprotein(MAG)]in the contralateral motor cortex were detected by Western Blot.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between Longa score or BWT score and BDA/VGLUT1 co-localization area,respectively.Results Compared with the sham operation group,rats in the model group had obvious symptoms of motor function deficits,and the Longa scores were significantly increased(P＜0.01)and the BWT scores were significantly decreased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)at each time point.The expression of GAP-43 in the contralateral motor cortex and cervical spinal cord was up-regulated(P＜0.05),the number of edge-crossing fibers from the posterior funiculus in cervical cord was increased(P＜0.05),the co-localization area of BDA/VGLUT1 in the gray matter of the cervical spinal cord was increased(P＜0.05),the expressions of BDNF,GDNF and NGF in the contralateral motor cortex were up-regulated(P＜0.05),while the expressions of Nogo-A,OMgp and MAG were down-regulated(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the Longa scores in each administration group on the 14th and 28th day after MCAO operation were significantly decreased(P＜0.01),the BWT scores were significantly increased(P＜0.01),the expression of GAP-43 in the contralateral motor cortex and cervical spinal cord was significantly up-regulated(P＜0.01).The number of edge-crossing fibers from the posterior funiculus in cervical cord was significantly increased(P＜0.01),the co-localization area of BDA/VGLUT1 in the gray matter of the cervical spinal cord was significantly increased(P＜0.01).The expressions of BDNF,GDNF and NGF in the contralateral motor cortex were significantly up-regulated(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),while the expressions of Nogo-A,OMgp and MAG were significantly down-regulated(P＜0.05),and the most significant effect was observed in the high dose group.The Longa score was negatively correlated with the co-localization area of BDA/VGLUT1(r=-0.89,P＜0.01),and the BWT score was positively correlated with the co-localization area of BDA/VGLUT1(r=0.84,P＜0.01).Conclusion Qixian Tongluo Formula can improve motor function through promoting contralateral CST remodeling in MCAO rats after cerebral infarction,and the molecular mechanism may be related to the regulation of the expression of nerve remodeling-associated factor in the contralateral motor cortex.

Objective To analyze the publication profile and research hotspots of studies at home and abroad on postoperative cognitive dysfunction by bibliometric methods. Methods Literatures related to postoperative cognitive dysfunction published in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Web of Science databases from 2013 to 2023 were included, and statistical analysis was conducted by CiteSpace software. Results A total of 2 705 Chinese literatures and 2 412 English core literatures were included. The number of literatures on postoperative cognitive dysfunction showed an annual increase from 2013 to 2023; China was the country with the highest number of publications internationally, with Capital Medical University ranking the top among Chinese institutions; domestically, postoperative cognitive dysfunction researches predominantly focused on clinical studies, while overseas researches emphasized pathological mechanisms and basic investigations. Research hotspot analysis revealed an enhanced interest in the inflammatory mechanisms and anesthetic aspects of postoperative cognitive dysfunction. Conclusion From 2013 to 2023, the overall research at home and abroad interest in postoperative cognitive dysfunction has shown an upward trend, yet its pathophysiological mechanisms need further exploration. The risk factors for postoperative cognitive impairment and their correlations with anesthesia and mortality are being actively explored, and new methods for prevention and treatment such as percutaneous electrical stimulation are gradually emerging.

Objective:To compare the differences in the prevalence of mild micro-hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) among patients with cirrhosis by using the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) and the Stroop smartphone application (Encephal App) test.Methods:This prospective, multi-center, real-world study was initiated by the National Clinical Medical Research Center for Infectious Diseases and the Portal Hypertension Alliance and registered with International ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05140837). 354 cases of cirrhosis were enrolled in 19 hospitals across the country. PHES (including digital connection tests A and B, digital symbol tests, trajectory drawing tests, and serial management tests) and the Stroop test were conducted in all of them. PHES was differentiated using standard diagnostic criteria established by the two studies in China and South Korea. The Stroop test was evaluated based on the criteria of the research and development team. The impact of different diagnostic standards or methods on the incidence of MHE in patients with cirrhosis was analyzed. Data between groups were differentiated using the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ2 test. A kappa test was used to compare the consistency between groups. Results:After PHES, the prevalence of MHE among 354 cases of cirrhosis was 78.53% and 15.25%, respectively, based on Chinese research standards and Korean research normal value standards. However, the prevalence of MHE was 56.78% based on the Stroop test, and the differences in pairwise comparisons among the three groups were statistically significant (kappa = -0.064, P < 0.001). Stratified analysis revealed that the MHE prevalence in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C was 74.14%, 83.33%, and 88.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Chinese researchers, while the MHE prevalence rates in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C were 8.29%, 23.53%, and 38.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Korean researchers. Furthermore, the prevalence rates of MHE in the three groups of patients with Child-Pugh grades A, B, and C were 52.68%, 58.82%, and 73.53%, respectively, according to the Stroop test standard. However, among the results of each diagnostic standard, the prevalence of MHE showed an increasing trend with an increasing Child-Pugh grade. Further comparison demonstrated that the scores obtained by the number connection test A and the number symbol test were consistent according to the normal value standards of the two studies in China and South Korea ( Z = -0.982, -1.702; P = 0.326, 0.089), while the other three sub-tests had significant differences ( P < 0.001). Conclusion:The prevalence rate of MHE in the cirrhotic population is high, but the prevalence of MHE obtained by using different diagnostic criteria or methods varies greatly. Therefore, in line with the current changes in demographics and disease spectrum, it is necessary to enroll a larger sample size of a healthy population as a control. Moreover, the establishment of more reliable diagnostic scoring criteria will serve as a basis for obtaining accurate MHE incidence and formulating diagnosis and treatment strategies in cirrhotic populations.