ObjectiveTo explore the effect of different drying conditions on the appearance and intrinsic quality indicators of Pinelliae Rhizoma for screening suitable drying conditions， so as to provide reference for its standardized production and quality evaluation. MethodsDifferent dried samples of Pinelliae Rhizoma were prepared by lime-assisted sweating method and intermittent drying method. Visual analysis was employed to measure the color brightness values（L^*） of the surface， cross-section and powder of the samples， texture analyzer was used to determine the hardness of the samples under different drying conditions. The total starch content was calculated by measuring the contents of amylose and amylopectin in the samples with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. High performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was used to determine the contents of seven nucleoside components（uracil， hypoxanthine， uridine， inosine， guanosine， β-thymidine and adenosine） in the samples. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between the external characteristics and intrinsic indicators of the different dried samples. Principal component analysis（PCA） was used to comprehensively rank the data of various indicators， and partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） was used to screen differential components with variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1. Furthermore， the difference between the optimal drying condition for Pinelliae Rhizoma and the traditional sun-drying method was explored by independent samples t-test. ResultsWith the increase of temperature， the color of the intermittently dried samples gradually deepened， while their hardness gradually decreased. Concurrently， the contents of extract， total starch， uridine and adenosine exhibited an upward trend， whereas the contents of uracil， hypoxanthine and inosine displayed a downward trajectory. Compared with the intermittent drying group， the content of extract in the samples subjected to lime-assisted sweating increased. With the increase of lime dose， the hardness and the total content of nucleoside components in the samples showed a downward trend， while the total starch content showed an upward trend. Correlation analysis showed that the comprehensive score of L^* was negatively correlated with the contents of uracil， hypoxanthine and inosine， and positively correlated with the contents of uridine， guanosine and adenosine. Hardness was negatively correlated with adenosine content， and positively correlated with the contents of inosine， uracil and hypoxanthine. Through comprehensive consideration and comprehensive score of principal components， the method of 5% lime-mixed sweating for 6 days emerged as the top-ranking approach. Except for the extract， the results of independent samples t-test showed that there was no significant difference between the 5% lime-mixed sweating for 6 days and the traditional sun-drying in terms of other content indicators. ConclusionThe whiteness and firmness of Pinelliae Rhizoma exhibit significant correlations with its chemical composition， while uridine， uracil， guanosine， adenosine and inosine are the key constituents responsible for the quality difference of Pinelliae Rhizoma under different drying conditions. The lime-assisted sweating method optimized in this study can be proposed as a viable alternative to the traditional sun-drying method. This method not only ensures the quality of the medicinal material but also effectively reduces the drying time and prevents mold contamination， which provides a valuable reference for the standardization of drying conditions and the establishment of quality evaluation criteria for Pinelliae Rhizoma.

Objective:To explore the effect of family empowerment model on the improvement of swallowing care ability and care preparedness of primary caregivers of first-episode stroke dysphagia patients, further to explore its impact on patients′s wallowing function and life quality.Methods:This study was a randomized controlled study. From January 2021 to December 2022, 80 main caregivers of patients with dysphagia caused by manual stroke admitted to the Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shenzhen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were selected as the research objects, and 40 cases in the control group and 40 cases in the observation group were selected by random number table method. The control group were treated with conventional nursing care of first-episode stroke dysphagia patients in the acupuncture and moxibustion Department. On the basis of the conventional care in the control group, the observation group were treated with family empowerment model intervention for 14 days and was followed up for 28 days. Primary caregivers′ swallowing care ability, Caregiver Preparedness Scale (CPS), patients′ swallowing function rate, Swallowing Related Quality of Life (SWALQOL) were used to evaluate the effects before intervention and at the end of intervention.Results:There were 18 males and 19 females primary caregivers in the control group, aged (55.61 ± 7.43) years old. There were 18 males and 21 females primary caregivers in the observation group, aged (58.23 ± 8.22) years old. The swallowing care ability score showed a statistically significant difference between the observation group (143.47 ± 3.96) and the control group (107.74 ± 1.43) ( t=-26.76, P<0.05). After intervention, the caregiver preparedness scale was (26.11 ± 3.81) in the observation group, and (18.35 ± 4.54) in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-4.11, P<0.05).The patients′ swallowing function rate and SWALQOL score were respectively 97.44% (38/39) and (91.41 ± 8.08) points in the observation group, and 72.97% (27/37) and (80.33 ± 4.21) points in the control group, and the difference was both statistically significant ( χ2=10.76, t=-2.54, both P<0.05). Conclusions:The implementation of family empowerment model could enhance the swallowing care ability and care preparedness of primary caregivers of the first-episode stroke dysphagia patients, which could further improve patients′ swallowing function and life quality.

Objective To analyze the registered clinical trials of headache treated by TCM;To discuss the current research status;To provide reference for the optimization of subsequent clinical trial research plans.Methods All clinical trials of headache treated by TCM were retrieved from the ChiCTR and the ClinicalTrials.The retrieval time was from the database establishment to May 22,2023.The general characteristics,study types,intervention measures and outcome indicators of the trials were analyzed respectively.Results A total of 104 registered studies were included,with the number of registered studies increasing since 2004 and reaching a peak in 2020,involving 25 provincial administrative regions or countries and 69 clinical trial institutions;the funding sources were mainly scientific research funds of universities,national finance and local finance.The research type was mainly intervention research;the designing scheme was mainly randomized parallel control study;the high frequency random method was simple random method;45 registered studies used blind methods.Exploratory studies/pre-trials were the most commonly used in the phases of clinical researches.Most of the registered studies were single-center clinical trials with a total sample size of 9 648 patients.The main interventions were acupuncture and oral Chinese medicines.The high frequency outcome indicators included life quality of score,headache attack frequency,headache attack days and headache severity,etc.There were some problems in outcome indicators,such as non-standard,lack of TCM characteristic advantages,and insufficient patient participation.Conclusion The number of registered studies of headache treated by TCM has increased by year,but there are some problems in design elements,such as random method,blind method,number of research centers,sample size and the setting of outcome indicator.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a gastric bypass stent system for weight loss and obesity-associated metabolic parameters.Methods:A sub-analysis of a multicenter randomized control trial was conducted on data of 14 obese patients who were implanted the gastric bypass stent system under endoscopy in Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from March 2021 to October 2022. The device was removed after 12 weeks and the patients were followed up for 36 weeks. Outcomes included changes in excess weight loss (EWL), total weight loss (TWL), insulin resistance, liver enzymes, lipids and uric acid at 12, 24 and 36 weeks, and the safety of the device.Results:Among the 14 patients, there were 9 males and 5 females, aged 34.3±7.4 years, with an initial body weight of 104.8±13.9 kg. Stents were removed in advance in 2 patients because of intolerable adverse reactions of the digestive tract. The remaining 12 patients completed follow-up, and their EWL was 34.4%±25.5% at 12 weeks, 39.1%±37.5% at 24 weeks, and 27.3%±40.8% at 36 weeks. TWL was 8.7%±6.2%, 10.1%±10.2% and 8.3%±13.8%, respectively. The levels of homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) at 12 weeks (4.81±3.71, P=0.022), 24 weeks (4.17±2.77, P=0.002) and 36 weeks (4.66±3.58, P=0.016) were statistically significant compared with baseline (7.03±3.59). The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were 48 (21-124) U/L, 39 (14-96) U/L, 27 (10-86) U/L and 32 (16-113) U/L at baseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks and 36 weeks, respectively, and the changes of ALT were statistically significant at 24 weeks and 36 weeks ( P=0.009, P=0.026 compared with baseline). The levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were 30 (20-62) U/L, 24 (15-72) U/L, 22 (11-56) U/L and 26 (13-74) U/L at baseline, 12 weeks, 24 weeks and 36 weeks, respectively, and the change of AST was significant at 24 weeks ( P=0.018 compared with baseline). However, the changes of uric acid and serum lipid were not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The only severe adverse event was esophageal mucosal laceration during the process of explantation, which was successfully treated with endoscopic clips. There was no device migration, acute pancreatitis or hepatic abscess. Conclusion:The gastric bypass stent system, relatively safe, has a good short-term weight loss effect and improves insulin resistance and liver enzymes.

Objective:To standardize the management of auditory hallucination symptoms in inpatients with mental illness and develop an expert consensus on the management of auditory hallucinations in hospitalized psychiatric patients.Methods:From March 2023 to July 2023, the Mental Health Committee of the Chinese Nursing Association focused on the key issues in the management of auditory hallucinations symptoms in inpatients with mental illness, based on clinical practice, using literature analysis combined with the work experience of mental health experts, and formed the first draft of the expert consensus on the management of auditory hallucinations in inpatients with mental illness (hereinafter referred to as the consensus). Through 3 rounds of expert consultation and 3 rounds of expert demonstration meeting, the draft was adjusted, revised, and improved.Results:37 experts were included in the Delphi expert consultation, 1 male and 36 females with 39-67(51.48 ± 6.61) years old. The positive coefficients of experts in 3 rounds of Delphi expert consultations were all 100%, and the degrees of expert authority were 0.924, 0.938 and 0.949, respectively. The average importance value of each item was higher than 4.00, the variation coefficient of each item was less than 0.25. The Kendall harmony coefficient of the experts were 0.179, 0.195 and 0.198, respectively (all P<0.05). There were 15, 12, 12 experts in the first, seeond, third rounds of expert demonstration meeting. Finally, a consensus was reached on the recommendation of 4 parts, included auditory hallucination assessment, management format, symptom management implementation, and precautions. Conclusions:The consensus covers all parts of the management of auditory hallucination symptoms in hospitalized patients with mental disorders, which is practical and scientific. It is helpful to guide mental health professionals to standardize the management of auditory hallucination symptoms, improve the quality of nursing and ensure the safety of patients.

Objective:To study the overall training effect of segmented training model on key fiberoptic bronchoscopy techniques for anesthesiology residents and the influence of key technique training order on the training effect.Methods:Different fiberoptic bronchoscopy simulators were used for specialized training in different key techniques of fiberoptic operation. To examine the effect of key technique learning order on the teaching effect, 40 anesthesiology residents who participated in fiberscope simulation training at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine between November 2022 and March 2023 were selected for this study. They were randomly divided into two groups (Group S and Group M) using a numerical table method. The teaching was completed using two orders of key techniques. The operation time, operation quality score, and theoretical knowledge mastery score of the two groups were recorded to compare the effect of key technique learning order on the mastery of fiberoptic skills. SPSS 29.0 statistical software was used for data analysis. Measurement data that conformed to normal distribution were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, and the independent samples t-test or Fisher's exact test were used for comparison between groups. The chi-square test was used for comparison of enumeration data. Results:After segmented training in each key technique, both groups of trainees were able to shorten the operation time of the corresponding key technique [SM simulator operation time (132.25±14.69) s vs. (49.80±4.46) s in group S, P<0.01; M simulator operation time (82.30±11.60) s vs. (57.10±6.77) s in group S, P<0.01; SM simulator operation time (83.10±10.62) s vs. (52.10±5.20) s in group M, P<0.01; M simulator operation time (132.25±14.69) s vs. (55.40±5.91) s in group M, P<0.01)]. Moreover, both groups showed a reduced number of wall touches [SM simulator wall touches (3.35±0.93) times vs. (0.65±0.49) times in group S, P<0.01; M simulator wall touches (2.50±1.05) times vs. (0.70±0.80) times in group S, P<0.01; SM simulator wall touches (1.55±1.15) times vs. (0.40±0.50) times in group M, P<0.01; M simulator wall touches (5.90±1.29) times vs. (1.10±0.79) times in group M, P<0.01]. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the performance score of fiberoptic-guided tracheal intubation after training [(92.50±5.97) points vs. (91.75±5.45) points] and in the lung segment localization time [(23.15±4.39) s, (21.40±4.84) s, (22.85±4.42) s vs. (22.75±5.11) s, (21.00±5.40) s, (21.50±5.10) s]. Conclusions:Segmented training on key fiberoptic bronchoscopy techniques is an effective model of fiberscope training for anesthesiology residents, and the order of training key techniques does not affect the effectiveness of training.

Polygala tenuifolia,commonly known as Yuanzhi(YZ)in Chinese,has been shown to possess anti-insomnia properties.However,the material basis and the mechanism underlying its sedative-hypnotic effects remain unclear.Herein,we investigated the active components and neurochemical mechanism of YZ extracts using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)-based pharmaco-metabolomics and mass spectrometry imaging(MSI)-based spatial resolved metabolomics.According to the results,17 prototypes out of 101 ingredients in the YZ extract were detected in both the plasma and brain,which might be the major components contributing to the sedative-hypnotic effects.Network pharmacology analysis revealed that these prototypes may exert their effects through neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,serotonergic synapse,dopaminergic synapse,and dopaminergic synapse,among other pathways.LC-MS/MS-based targeted metabolomics and Western blot(WB)revealed that tryptophan-serotonin-melatonin(Trp-5-HT-Mel)and tyrosine-norepinephrine-adrenaline(Tyr-Ne-Ad)are the key regulated pathways.Dopa decarboxylase(DDC)upregulation and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase(PNMT)downregulation further confirmed these pathways.Furthermore,MSI-based spatially resolved metabolomics revealed notable alterations in 5-HT in the pineal gland(PG),and Ad in the brainstem,including the middle brain(MB),pons(PN),and hypothalamus(HY).In summary,this study illustrates the efficacy of an integrated multidimensional metabolomics approach in unraveling the sedative-hypnotic effects and neurochemical mechanisms of a Chinese herbal medicine,YZ.

In the context of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by dysregulated lipid metabolism in hepatocytes, the quest for safe and effective therapeutics targeting lipid metabolism has gained paramount importance. Sanhuang Xiexin Tang (SXT) and Baihu Tang (BHT) have emerged as prominent candidates for treating metabolic disorders. SXT combined with BHT plus Cangzhu (SBC) has been used clinically for Weihuochisheng obese patients. This retrospective analysis focused on assessing the anti-obesity effects of SBC in Weihuochisheng obese patients. We observed significant reductions in body weight and hepatic lipid content among obese patients following SBC treatment. To gain further insights, we investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of SBC in HFD-fed mice. The results demonstrated that SBC treatment mitigated body weight gain and hepatic lipid accumulation in HFD-fed mice. Pharmacological network analysis suggested that SBC may affect lipid metabolism, mitochondria, inflammation, and apoptosis-a hypothesis supported by the hepatic transcriptomic analysis in HFD-fed mice treated with SBC. Notably, SBC treatment was associated with enhanced hepatic mitochondrial biogenesis and the inhibition of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/NF-κB pathways. In conclusion, SBC treatment alleviates NAFLD in both obese patients and mouse models by improving lipid metabolism, potentially through enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis. These effects, in turn, ameliorate inflammation in hepatocytes.
Humans ; Mice ; Animals ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Organelle Biogenesis ; Retrospective Studies ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Obesity/metabolism* ; Liver ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Body Weight ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipids ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects*

ObjectiveThis study analyzed the outcome indicators in randomized controlled trials （RCTs） on traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） treatment of vertigo， aiming to provide a reference for clinical trial protocol design and the establishment of core indicator sets for vertigo treatment. MethodCNKI， Wanfang， VIP， SinoMed， PubMed， Embase， and Web of Science were searched for the RCTs on TCM treatment of vertigo， and data extraction was conducted. ResultA total of 375 RCTs involving 33 593 patients were included， from which 482 outcome indicators were extracted， with a frequency of 2 715 and an average of seven outcome indicators used for each RCT. In addition， there were some differences in outcome indicators reported by different study groups. According to the functional properties， the reported outcome indicators were classified into nine domains： clinical symptoms and signs， TCM symptom efficacy， physical and chemical examinations， quality of life， mental health， safety events， patients’ satisfaction degree， long-term prognosis， and economic evaluation. The outcome indicators with higher frequency were clinical total effective rate， total TCM symptom score， occurrence of adverse reactions， dizziness handicap inventory （DHI） score， average flow velocity of the basilar artery， incidence of adverse reactions， average flow velocity of the left vertebral artery， average flow velocity of the right vertebral artery， plasma viscosity， and vertigo score. ConclusionThe outcome indicators reported by RCTs of TCM treatment of vertigo mainly have two problems： lack of unified standards and norms and insufficient attention to outcome indicators that can reflect the characteristics of TCM. The construction of the core indicator set for TCM treatment of vertigo should fully highlight the characteristic advantages of TCM and unify the standards and norms for the outcome indicators on this basis， so as to improve the quality of clinical research and the value of secondary research.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical effect of self-made Wenfei-Quyu-Huatan Decoction combined with conventional western medicine in the treatment of acute attack of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods:A total of 103 patients with acute attack of COPD who were admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to April 2019 were divided into control group (51 cases) and the intervention group (52 cases) according to the random number table method. The control group was treated with conventional western medicine, and the intervention group was treated with self-made Wenfei-Quyu-Huatan Decoction based on control group. Both groups were treated for 14 days. TCM syndrome scores were recorded before and after the treatment, the FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC were detected by pulmonary function meter, the content of TNF-α, IL-8 and CRP in serum were detected by ELISA, and adverse reactions during the treatment were recorded and clinical efficacy was evaluated. Results:The total effective rate was 88.5% (46/52) in the intervention group and 70.6% (36/51) in the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( χ2=5.067, P=0.024). After the treatment, the TCM syndrome score of the intervention group was significantly lower than the control group (7.3 ± 0.9 vs. 12.9 ± 1.2; t=27.979, P<0.01); FVC (2.69 ± 0.35 L vs. 2.12 ± 0.24 L, t=9.621), FEV1 (1.58 ± 0.22 L vs. 1.13 ± 0.18 L, t=11.349) and FEV1/FVC (0.59 ± 0.07 vs. 0.53 ± 0.08, t=4.053) in the intervention group were significantly higher than the control group ( P<0.01); the serum IL-8 (51.48 ± 6.27 ng/L vs. 69.27 ± 7.32 ng/L, t=13.255), CRP (2.12 ± 0.46 mg/L vs. 3.51 ± 0.53 mg/L, t=14.223) and TNF-α (41.38 ± 6.22 ng/L vs. 52.24 ± 7.29 ng/L, t=8.139) level were significantly lower than the control group ( P<0.01). During the treatment, the incidence of adverse reactions was 11.8% (6/51) in the control group and 15.4% (8/52) in the intervention group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=0.321, P=0.571). Conclusions:The self-made Wenfei-Quyu-Huatan Decoction combined with the conventional western medicine can improve the clinical symptoms, lung function and reduce the level of inflammatory cytokines in patients with COPD acute attack.