ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Bushen Ruyan Formulation （补肾乳岩方， BRF） in treating premenopausal breast cancer patients of disharmony of the chong （冲） and ren （任） meridian type under endocrine intensive therapy. MethodsA total of 88 premenopausal breast cancer patients who received endocrine intensive therapy and were diagnosed with disharmony of the chong and ren meridian by traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） were included and randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group， with 44 cases in each group. The control group received ovarian function suppression （OFS） combined with endocrine therapy， while the treatment group was given oral BRF additionally. Both groups were treated for three months. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by comparing the pre- and post-treatment results of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast （FACT-B）， modified Kupperman score， T cell subsets （CD3⁺， CD4⁺， CD8⁺， CD4⁺/CD8⁺）， sex hormone levels， including estradiol （E₂）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， progesterone （P）， testosterone （T）， and prolactin （PRL）， tumor markers， such as carcinoembryonic antigen （CEA）， carbohydrate antigen 125 （CA125）， and carbohydrate antigen 153 （CA153）， TCM syndrome score， and TCM syndrome efficacy. Blood routine tests， liver function and kidney function were monitored to assess safety. ResultsThe FACT-B scores of each domains and the total scores of the treatment group increased， while the social/family status score of the control group decreased. The treatment group had significantly higher scores in all domains and total score compared to the control group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The modified Kupperman score and TCM syndrome score of the treatment group decreased， and were lower than those of the control group （P＜0.01）. The levels of CD3⁺ and CD4⁺ in the treatment group increased， and were higher than those of the control group （P＜0.05）. Serum testosterone levels in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group （P＜0.05）. The total effective rate of TCM syndrome efficacy in the treatment group was 67.44%， significantly higher than the 23.26% in the control group （P＜0.05）. No significant abnormalities were observed in the blood routine tests or liver/kidney function indicators in either group before or after treatment. ConclusionBRF can effectively improve quality of life， alleviate symptoms， increase serum CD3⁺ and CD4⁺ levels， and enhance clinical efficacy in premenopausal breast cancer patients undergoing endocrine intensive endocrine therapy. It is also safe with no significant adverse effects.

Background Although current evidence suggests a link between outdoor air pollution and depressive symptoms, the effect of solid fuel use (a significant indoor air pollutant) on depressive symptoms in China's rural middle-aged and elderly population remains poorly understood. Objective To explore the association between solid fuel use for cooking and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and elderly people in rural areas of China, and to provide a basis for the prevention and control of depressive symptoms among residents in rural areas. Methods Data were obtained from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), depressive symptoms were assessed using 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and cooking fuel type was self-reported. Subsequently, two-level binary unconditional logistic regression models were fitted to assess the impact of solid fuel use for cooking on depressive symptoms. Results A total of 7991 participants aged 45 years and older [mean age (58.52±9.18) years] were included in the study, with a mean CES-D score of 6.07±4.48 and a mean positive depressive symptoms rate of 34% (40.54% in the solid fuel group and 30.81% in the clean fuel group, χ²=74.40, P<0.001). After controlling for potential confounding covariates, rural middle-aged and elderly residents in the solid fuel group had a higher risk of reporting depressive symptoms than those in the clean fuel group (OR=1.36, 95%CI: 1.20-1.54), an association that was unaffected by participant characteristics and was positive across age and gender groups. Conclusion There is a positive association between solid fuel use for cooking and depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly people in rural areas of China. It is recommended that rural areas promote the upgrading of stoves through the installation of ventilation equipment or the switch from solid cooking fuel to clean fuel. This approach is directed toward reducing exposure to household air pollution, alleviating the prevalence of depression among middle-aged and elderly residents in vast rural areas, and enhancing their mental health.

Gas therapy is emerging as a highly promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. However, there are limitations, including the lack of targeted subcellular organelle accuracy and spatiotemporal release precision, associated with gas therapy. In this study, we developed a series of photoactivatable nitric oxide (NO) donors NRh-R-NO (R = Me, Et, Bn, iPr, and Ph) based on an N-nitrosated upconversion luminescent rhodamine scaffold. Under the irradiation of 808 nm light, only NRh-Ph-NO could effectively release NO and NRh-Ph with a significant turn-on frequency upconversion luminescence (FUCL) signal at 740 nm, ascribed to lower N-N bond dissociation energy. We also investigated the involved multistage near-infrared-controlled cascade release of gas therapy, including the NO released from NRh-Ph-NO along with one NRh-Ph molecule generation, the superoxide anion O₂^⋅- produced by the photodynamic therapy (PDT) effect of NRh-Ph, and highly toxic peroxynitrite anion (ONOO^‒) generated from the co-existence of NO and O₂^⋅-. After mild nano-modification, the nanogenerator (NRh-Ph-NO NPs) empowered with superior biocompatibility could target mitochondria. Under an 808 nm laser irradiation, NRh-Ph-NO NPs could induce NO/ROS to generate RNS, causing a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential and initiating apoptosis by caspase-3 activation, which further induced tumor immunogenic cell death (ICD). In vivo therapeutic results of NRh-Ph-NO NPs showed augmented RNS-potentiated gas therapy, demonstrating excellent biocompatibility and effective tumor inhibition guided by real-time FUCL imaging. Collectively, this versatile strategy defines the targeted RNS-mediated cancer therapy.

Objective To explore the method for measurement of tritium in nuclear power plant liquid effluent purified by a mixed ion-exchange resin, to verify the feasibility of the method by experiments, and to provide technical support for the development of standard methods for the measurement of tritium in liquid effluent of nuclear power plants. Methods The purification effect of the mixed ion-exchange resin was determined by measuring the quenching factor, conductivity, and β-nuclide adsorption efficiency of the samples purified using the resin. A comparison was made between the ion-exchange resin method and the atmospheric distillation method for tritium determination. The precision and accuracy of the method were verified by calculating the relative standard deviation and the recovery in repeated measurement of samples with different activity concentrations and spiked samples. Results There were no significant differences in quenching factor, conductivity, and tritium activity concentration between the two methods. The adsorption efficiencies of EC20MB resin for common β-nuclides such as carbon, iron, nickel, strontium, yttrium, and cesium ranged from 99.28% to 99.88%. Repeated measurement of the same sample showed relative standard deviations of 5.2%-9.4% and recoveries of 86.8%-107%. Conclusion There were no significant differences between the results of the ion-exchange resin purification method and the atmospheric distillation method. The precision and accuracy of the method met the requirements of the ecological and environmental management authorities for monitoring tritium in liquid effluent from nuclear power plants. This method can be widely used in daily monitoring work.

About 1%of the patients with acute hepatitis B can progress to acute liver failure,and 75%of the patients with hepatitis B virus(HBV)-related acute liver failure need to undergo liver transplantation or face death.This article reports a patient with HBV infection-related acute liver failure who achieved clinical cure and HBsAg seroconversion after antiviral therapy and symptomatic/supportive treatment,and dynamic monitoring was performed for immunological markers in peripheral blood.

Western bioethics,with its theoretical basis in individualism,is essentially a form of universalist ethics that makes it difficult to respond to the complexities of moral life.Scholars represented by Engelhardt and MacIntyre have profoundly reflected on universalist ethics from the perspective of moral pluralism,but they have not been able to fundamentally resolve the disputes.Grasping the theoretical lineage of the controversy between universalism and particularism can provide an important reference for the construction of bioethics based on Confucianism in contemporary China.Furthermore,from the perspective of opposing universalism and particularism,as well as in response to the issues of the era of life science and technology and the cultural background of China,it can not only realize the modern interpretation of Confucian ethics,but also promote the effective application of modern bioethics theory.

Objective:To analyze the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic radical resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA).Methods:Clinical data of 72 patients with HCCA undergoing radical resection at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2019 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 36 males and 36 females, aged 57(47, 63) years old. According to surgical approach, patients were divided into the laparoscopic group ( n=39) and open group ( n=33). The surgical safety, tumor radicality, postoperative recovery, complications and survival time were compared between the two groups. Results:Operative time was comparable between the two groups [(6.4±2.6) h vs. (6.3±2.4) h, P>0.05], while the intraoperative blood loss was lower in the laparoscopic group [(531.9±273.3) ml vs. (674.6±330.0) ml]. Data were also comparable between the two groups in terms of R0 resection rate [92.3% (36/39) vs. 93.9% (31/33)], the number of lymph node dissection (7.7±2.6 vs. 7.6±2.4), and the incidence of postoperative complications [20.5% (8/39) vs. 18.2% (6/33)] (all P>0.05). However, the laparoscopic group was superior to the open group in terms of postoperative analgesia time [(2.0±0.7)d vs. (2.8±0.9)d], postoperative resumption of feeding time [(1.6±0.5)d vs. (3.9±0.9)d], and postoperative hospitalization time [(8.6±1.5)d vs. (12.8±2.2)d] ( t=4.04, 8.23, 9.47, respectively, all P<0.001). Postoperative cumulative survival was comparable between the two groups ( χ2=0.50, P=0.480). Conclusion:Laparoscopic radical resection of HCCA has similar efficacy to open surgery and has the advantage of less invasiveness and enhanced recovery.

Microplastics(MPs)and nanoplastics(NPs)have become hazardous materials due to the massive amount of plastic waste and disposable masks,but their specific health effects remain uncertain.In this study,fluorescence-labeled polystyrene NPs(PS-NPs)were injected into the circulatory systems of mice to determine the distribution and potential toxic effects of NPs in vivo.Interestingly,whole-body imaging found that PS-NPs accumulated in the testes of mice.Therefore,the toxic effects of PS-NPs on the reproduction systems and the spermatocytes cell line of male mice,and their mechanisms,were investigated.After oral exposure to PS-NPs,their spermatogenesis was affected and the spermatogenic cells were damaged.The spermatocyte cell line GC-2 was exposed to PS-NPs and analyzed using RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)to determine the toxic mechanisms;a ferroptosis pathway was found after PS-NP exposure.The phenomena and indicators of ferroptosis were then determined and verified by ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1(Fer-1),and it was also found that nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)played an important role in spermatogenic cell ferroptosis induced by PS-NPs.Finally,it was confirmed in vivo that this mechanism of Nrf2 played a protective role in PS-NPs-induced male reproductive toxicity.This study demonstrated that PS-NPs induce male reproductive dysfunction in mice by causing spermatogenic cell ferroptosis dependent on Nrf2.

Ferroptosis is a form of iron-dependent cell death caused by a disorder of iron lipid metabolism.Its mechanism mainly includes lipid metabolism and iron metabolism,which are complicated and strictly regulated by various metabolic and signaling pathways.Current studies have shown that ferroptosis is associated with cancer,atherosclerosis,and neurological diseases.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is characterized by various active ingredients,relatively high safety,and lower treatment costs,which possess unique advantages in clinical applications.It has been widely used in the treatment of various diseases.Taking the regulation of ferroptosis by traditional Chinese medicine as the entry point may be a new direction for the future prevention and treatment of various diseases.In this review,we discussed the mechanism of iron lipid metabolic disorders based on ferroptosis and the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine intervention to provide reference and treatment strategies for the prevention and treatment of related diseases.

Objective To analyze the expression of microRNA(miR)-200a and miR-4652-3p in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with tuberculous meningitis(TBM)and their predictive value for disease severity and prognosis.Methods A total of 187 patients with tuberculous meningitis who visited Qingdao Chest Hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 were regarded and separated into stage Ⅰ(n=62),stage Ⅱ(n=76)and stage Ⅲ(n=49)according to the severity of the condition.There were 131 cases in the good prognosis group and 56 cases in the poor prognosis group according to the prognosis.The qRT-PCR method was applied to detect the expression levels of miR-200a and miR-4652-3p in cerebrospinal fluid.Spearman method was used to analyze correlation among miR-200a,miR-4652-3p and clinical data.ROC curve was applied to analyze the predictive value of cerebrospinal fluid miR-200a and miR-4652-3p levels in evaluating the severity and prognosis of tuberculosis meningitis patients.Multivariate logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of poor prognosis in patients.Results The expression levels of miR-200a(1.05±0.14,0.91±0.14,0.76±0.13)and miR-4652-3p(0.92±0.11,0.78±0.11,0.65±0.10)in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ,and Ⅲ tuberculous meningitis were decreased sequentially,and the differences were significant(F=61.079,87.203,all P＜0.05).The expression levels of miR-200a(0.95±0.14)and miR-4652-3p(0.82±0.11)in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with good prognosis tuberculous meningitis were higher than those of patients with poor rognosis(0.84±0.13,0.73±0.10),and the differences were statistically significant(t=5.025,5.262,all P＜0.05),while the levels of cerebrospinal fluid adenosine deaminase,TNF-α,IL-23,LTB4,CRP and mRS scores in patients with good prognosis were lower than those in patients with poor prognosis(t=5.649,7.721,11.150,9.455,11.314,14.407,all P＜0.05).There was a positive correlation between the levels of miR-200a and miR-4652-3p in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with tuberculous meningitis(r=0.405,P＜0.001).The levels of miR-200a and miR-4652-3p in cerebrospinal fluid were negatively correlated with LTB4,TNF-ot,CRP,mRS scores,IL-23 and adenosine deaminase(r=-0.472,-0.466,-0.461,-0.435,-0.422,-0.419;-0.459,-0.531,-0.471,-0.417,-0.513,-0.408,all P＜0.05).The AUC(95％CI)of miR-200a and miR-4652-3p to assess disease severity were 0.881(0.825～0.923)and 0.878(0.822～0.921),respectively.The AUC(95％CI)of both combination in assessing the severity of patients was 0.945(0.902～0.973),which was higher than the single detection,and the differences were significant(Z=3.008,2.960,all P=0.003).The AUC(95％CI)of poor prognosis patients evaluated by cerebrospinal fluid miR-200a and miR-4652-3p levels were 0.749(0.681～0.809)and 0.756(0.688～0.816),and the AUC of poor prognosis patients evaluated by both combination was 0.839(0.778～0.889),which was higher than that measured separately,and the differences were significant(Z=2.994,2.697,P=0.003,0.007).Adenosine deaminase[OR(95％CI):1.106(1.033～1.185)],miR-200a[OR(95％CI):0.529(0.369～0.744)],miR-4652-3p[OR(95％CI):0.471(0.310～0.715)],C-reactive protein[OR(95％CI):4.423(1.459～13.412)],TNF-α[OR(95％CI):1.196(1.061～1.348)],IL-23[OR(95％CI):4.809(1.086～3.013)],and LTB4[OR(95％CI):1.327(1.064～1.655)]were influencing factors for poor prognosis in patients with tuberculous meningitis(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The expressions of miR-200a and miR-4652-3p in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with tuberculous meningitis were down-regulated,and they were closely related to the severity and prognosis of the disease.The combination of the miR-200a and miR-4652-3p could better predict the severity and prognosis of tuberculous meningitis,which may have a certain clinical value.