BACKGROUND:This review explores the current research status and frontier hot spots of functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)in the field of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)for the treatment of ischemic stroke,and attempts to grasp future research trends,with a view to providing a reference for subsequent research in this field. OBJECTIVE:To visualize and analyze the hotspots and frontiers in the TCM treatment of ischemic stroke based on fMRI using CiteSpace knowledge mapping combined with binary logistic regression equations,in order to grasp the future research trends and further explore the distribution of brain regions with abnormal neural activity related to the types of post-stroke dysfunction. METHODS:CNKI,WanFang,VIP,Chinese Biomedical Literature Database and Web of Science core set database were searched.CiteSpace was used to plot keyword co-occurrence,keyword clustering timeline,burst term detection,co-cited literature mapping to analyze hotpots and frontiers in this field.Binary logistic regression analysis fitted the distribution of brain regions with abnormal neural activity associated with different dysfunction after ischemic stroke. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 354 articles were included for CiteSpace knowledge mapping analysis.The number of annual publications showed that the research popularity has been raised from 2000 to 2022 with a good development prospect,but the core strength is mainly concentrated in China.Keywords co-occurrence and clustering time line analysis showed that aphasia,hemiplegia and cognitive impairment are the hot poststroke dysfunction types.Electroacupuncture,acupuncture and head acupuncture are hotspot intervention measures.Functional connectivity is a hotspot analysis method,and resting fMRI is a hotspot scanning technology.The time span of each research hotspot is long,indicating that it has a certain research value and the relevant research is gradually deepening,promoting the research progress in this field.However,acupuncture is the main intervention measure,and there is a lack of research on traditional Chinese medicine,Chinese patent medicine,acupuncture and medicine combination and other TCM therapy.Burst term detection results showed that functional connectivity,graph theory,degree centrality,default mode network,randomized controlled trials have great influence and strong explosive power.They are the current and future frontier hot spots in this field,suggesting that future research should focus on the brain network information integration and strengthen the scientific and rigorous clinical trial design.The results of co-cited literature analysis showed that the epidemiological investigation of ischemic stroke,the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of stroke,the brain activation patterns under different tasks,and the neuropathological mechanism of brain network dysfunction after stroke are the theoretical basis of this field.Future research direction in this field is to explore TCM-targeted brain regions and neural networks to reveal the brain effect mechanism of TCM promoting neural remodeling after stroke.A total of 255 articles were included for binary Logistic regression analysis.The results showed that sensorimotor cortex and premotor area dysfunction are positively correlated with the incidence of motor dysfunction after stroke;hippocampus,cerebellum posterior lobe,precuneus,inferior temporal gyrus and anterior cingulate nerve dysfunction are positively correlated with the incidence of cognitive impairment after stroke;cuneus,angular gyrus and prefrontal lobe neural dysfunction were positively correlated with the incidence of affective disorder after stroke;anterior cingulate,cerebellum posterior lobe neural dysfunction are positively correlated with the incidence of swallowing disorder after stroke.The above brain regions are the core brain regions of the sensorimotor network,default mode network and reward loop,suggesting that functional abnormalities within or between brain networks related to dysfunction may be potential target areas for TCM intervention,but the specific changes in neural activity activation or inhibition still need to be refined.

Cultivating general dentists who master standardized periodontal diagnosis and treatment techniques is conducive to the prevention and control of periodontal diseases, as well as to the improvement of oral health of our population. Manual supragingival scaling is the most important essential skill of periodontal initial therapy, and also the basic periodontal diagnosis and treatment technique that every general practitioner should know. This article starts from the reasons why manual supragingival scaling is important and how to standardize the teaching and training of manual supragingival scaling, unfolding the first chapter of basic periodontal diagnosis and treatment training to provide reference for promoting the standardized development of periodontology education in China.

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of avian influenza viruses in the external environment of poultry in Anqing City， Anhui Province， and provide scientific evidence for prevention and control of animal-derived influenza in humans. MethodsA total of 28 farmers’ markets/farms in 10 counties （cities， districts） of Anqing City， Anhui Province， were selected as surveillance sites by simple random sampling strategy. Poultry faeces and other related samples were collected for 6 consecutive weeks. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to examine the nucleic acids of influenza A virus. Subtypes H5， H7， and H9 of avian influenza virus were further tested in the positive samples. ResultsA total of 426 specimens were collected， among which 113 tested positive with a positive rate of 26.53%. Among the positive specimens， 104 were determined to be subtype H9， accounting for 92.04%. It did not significantly differ in the positive rate between the main and non-main urban areas （χ²<0.01， P>0.05） or among the specimens collected in different weeks （χ²=7.57， P>0.05）. However， it significantly differed in the positive rate among the specimens collected in the third week and other weeks （χ²=6.89， P<0.05）. Furthermore， among the different sampling sites， farms had the highest positive rate of 46.67%. Among the specimens from different sources， the surface-coated specimens from poultry cages had the highest positive rate of 34.78%. ConclusionAvian influenza viruses are prevalent in the external environment of poultry in Anqing City. It warrants strengthening the surveillance and risk assessment to reduce the virus transmission in the external environment and risk of human infection with animal-derived influenza.

Objective:To investigate the role and diagnostic value of miRNA-205 in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with vascular calcification.Methods:It was divided into in vitro cell experiment and retrospective cohort study. In vitro experiments were conducted by using rat thoracic aortic smooth muscle cells. Alizarin red staining and calcium content detection were used to detect the calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) test kit was used to measure ALP activity. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression levels of osteogenic transcription factors runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and smooth muscle-22α (SM-22α) in VSMCs. qRT-PCR was used to detect miRNA-205 and Runx2 expression levels. The double luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify the targeted relationship between miRNA-205 and Runx2. The non-dialysis patients with CKD 3-5 stage from June 2020 to January 2021 in the Department of Nephrology of Fourth Hospital, Hebei Medical University were selected. According to coronary artery calcium score (CACs), the patients were divided into non-calcification group (CACs=0), mild-moderate calcification group (0 400). Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between miRNA-205 and Runx2 and vascular calcification. Logistic regression model and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to analyze the ability of miRNA-205 to predict the vascular calcification in patients with CKD. Results:(1)Compared with the control group, calcium nodules were more, and the calcium content, ALP activity and Runx2 protein level were higher, and the expression levels of miRNA-205, α-SMA and SM-22α were significantly lower in high phosphorus group (all P<0.05). Overexpression of miRNA-205 significantly reduced the calcification of VSMCs and Runx2 protein level, and increased the protein levels of α-SMA and SM-22α (all P<0.05). miRNA-205-5p reduced the activity of luciferase in the wild-type Runx2-3'-end non-coding region plasmid. (2) Eighty CKD patients were enrolled, with age of (57.50±14.93) years old and 49 males (61.3%). The results of comparison of miRNA-205 and Runx2 expression levels in non-calcification group ( n=26), mild- moderate calcification group ( n=30) and severe calcification group ( n=24) showed that, the higher degree of calcification, the lower miRNA-205 expression level and the higher Runx2 mRNA expression level (all P<0.05). miRNA-205 was negatively correlated with CACs ( r=-0.50, P<0.01) and Runx2 was positively correlated with CACs ( r=0.55, P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis results suggested that miRNA-205 ( OR=0.451, 95% CI 0.122-0.873) was an independent influencing factor of vascular calcification in CKD patients. The area under the ROC curve of miRNA-205 and miRNA-205 combined with Runx2 for predicting vascular calcification were 0.796 (95% CI 0.697-0.859) and 0.924 (95% CI 0.866-0.982), respectively. Conclusions:miRNA-205 inhibits vascular calcification by targeting Runx2 to negatively regulate osteogenetic phenotype transformation of VSMCs and is expected to be an early diagnostic marker of vascular calcification in CKD patients.

Objective:To investigate the role and mechanism of N 6-methyladenosine (m 6A) methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) in vascular calcification (VC) of chronic kidney disease (CKD) through apoptosis-associated protein. Methods:(1) Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to test METTL3 mRNA in serum of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. (2) Western blotting was used to detect the expression of METTL3 protein in high-phosphorus stimulated vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and immunofluorescence double lable was used to observe the distribution of METTL3 and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2). The METTL3 overexpressed and knockdown plasmids were constructed and transfected into VSMCs. Alizarin red staining was used to detect calcification degree. Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of osteogenic markers [Runx2, bone morphogenetic protein-2(BMP-2), collagen Ⅰ] and apoptosis- related proteins Bax and Bcl-2. (3) SD rats were randomly divided into control group, CKD-VC group and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) intervention group. The calcification of thoracic aorta was evaluated by von Kossa staining, and the protein expressions of Runx2, Bax and Bcl-2 were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.Results:(1) METTL3 mRNA expression in MHD patients with VC was significantly lower than that in non-VC patients ( P<0.05), and was negatively correlated with coronary artery calcium score ( r=-0.65, P<0.001). (2) The expression of METTL3 in VSMCs stimulated by high phosphorus was decreased and showed a time dependence. Immunofluorescence double label showed that METTL3 and Runx2 were co-expressed in the nucleus. METTL3 was overexpressed in high-phosphorus induced VSMCs, and the expressions of Runx2, collagen I and BMP-2 were significantly decreased, accompanied by the decrease of calcified nodules and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (all P<0.05). Conversely, METTL3 knockdown aggravated VSMCs calcification by inducing apoptosis. (3) Furthermore, METTL3 inhibitor SAH was administered in vivo, and it was found that inhibition of METTL3 expression significantly increased the calcification of rat thoracic aorta, and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and Runx2 expression were up-regulated. Conclusions:Serum METTL3 level is reduced in MHD patients with VC. In vivo and in vitro studies demonstrate that METTL3 inhibits VC in CKD by mediating the apoptosis-related protein Bax/Bcl-2.

Objective:To study the healthcare level (HCL) in China and its influencing factors.Methods:By using the data reported in the China statistical yearbook published by the National Bureau of Statistics and in other public literature, HCL was calculated in terms of the number of population and physicians in the whole country and various provinces. Multiple regression was used to analyze the relationship between HCL and regional population, area, number of administrative divisions and gross domestic product (GDP). Pearson correlation analysis was applied to analyze the relationship between healthcare level and medical radiation frequency. Results:Since 2015, Chinese HCL value was lower than 1 000, but there were two provinces with HCL value greater than 1 000 in 2019. Population and GDP were the influencing factors for the HCL, with correlation coefficients of 0.416 and -0.583, respectively. There was a correlation between HCL and medical exposure frequency of Chinese population( r= -0.620, P=0.028). Conclusions:Chinese HCL value was 542 in 2020, but there has been great differences between various provinces. HCL as an indicator of medical exposure assessment needs further research in China.

With the rapid development of pet hospitals and the increasing application of radiological diagnosis in China, the protection of staff and assistants in these hospitals is worthy of attention. Based on the progress in international management and research with respect to radiological diagnosis and protection in animal hospitals, this paper presents a brief review of the current situation, existing problems and management regulations of animal hospitals in China. It summarizes typical issues that may be encountered in radiation protection by government departments, animal hospitals, radiation professionals and assistants in animal hospitals. It also puts forward the key points of radiation protection in animal hospitals in China, which can provide scientific suggestion to assist government in decision-making and standardizing and improving the radiation protection in animal hospitals.

Objective To obtain the medical exposure frequency data of residents through a questionnaire survey on mobile phone networks in the community, and to analyze the main influencing factors. Methods A snowball sampling method was used to expand the sampling from medical staff in a county hospital to the community. The questionnaire included personal information such as occupation category, type of medical insurance, and education level as well as basic radiation-related knowledge and medical exposure type and frequency of respondents received in 2021. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of medical exposure. Results A total of 223 respondents were investigated, and 12.56% of them received radiological diagnosis and radiotherapy in 2021. The proportion of males receiving medical exposure was significantly higher than that of females (19.64% vs 10.18%). The likelihood of the person receiving medical exposure increased considerably with age, with the proportion of residents receiving medical exposure at 20, 30, 40, and 50 years of age being 6.25%, 7.95%, 19.23%, and 33.33%, respectively. Of persons who received medical exposure, 57.14% underwent CT scans. Persons participating in the new rural cooperative medical system were likely less to receive radiological diagnosis and radiotherapy than urban workers and residents (OR = 0.55, CI:0.13-2.23, P > 0.05). Conclusion Questionnaire survey in the community can obtain more information about the medical exposure of residents, and age and type of medical insurance are important factors affecting the frequency of medical exposure.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma powder in treating dyslipidemia by regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway. MethodSixty patients with dyslipidemia （syndrome of combined phlegm and stasis） treated in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine from May 2021 to June 2022 were selected in this study and randomized into two groups according to the randomized， double-blind control principle. The control group was treated with Xuezhikang capsules + Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma powder placebo and the observation group with Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma powder + Xuezhikang capsules placebo for 6 weeks. The clinical efficacy， traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， and liver and kidney function indicators were evaluated at weeks 0， 3， and 6. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to determine the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， kinase insert domain receptor （KDR）， epidermal growth factor （EGF）， and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） in the peripheral serum. Quantitative Real-time PCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of KDR， EGFR， PI3K， and Akt in the mononuclear cells of the peripheral blood. ResultThe observation group （83.33%） showed the total effective rate comparable to that of the control group （89.66%） and no adverse reactions. Compared with before treatment， the patients in the observation group showed decreased TCM syndrome score and serum levels total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） and after being treated for 3 and 6 weeks （P<0.05）， the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） showed an upward trend, but the difference was not statistically significant. After treatment， the two groups showed no significant differences. Compared with that before treatment, the mRNA expression of PI3K, Akt and EGFR in peripheral blood mononuclear cell and the expression of EGF, VEGF and KDR in serum of the observation group showed a downward trend with time, in which the mRNA expression of PI3K, Akt, VEGF and KDR decreased more significantly (P<0.05)，The expression levels of KDR mRNA and serum EGFR show a trend of first increasing and then decreasing.Compared with the control group after treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in mRNA expression of PI3K, Akt, EGFR, and KDR, as well as serum levels of EGF, EGFR, VEGF, and KDR between the two groups of patients at the same time point. ConclusionNotoginseng Radix et Rhizoma powder is safe and effective in correcting dyslipidemia. It may inhibit the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by down-regulating the expression of VEGF/KDR to lower the blood lipid level.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nonsurgical methods in early postnatal correction of congenital auricle malformation.Methods:The clinical trials regarding non-surgical treatment for congenital ear deformity published before May 2021 were searched in databases of Cochrane Library, PubMed, Medline, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang. The information of included studies was extracted. The Meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.3 software.Results:A total of 15 trials were included, involving 1 349 patients. The Meta-analysis results showed that the effect of the group <6 weeks was better than the group over 6 weeks ( OR=4.67, 95% CI: 3.21, 6.78, Z=8.09, P<0.001); The complications incidence of the group < 6 weeks was lower than the group over 6 weeks ( OR=0.27, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.88, Z=2.18, P=0.03); The correction time required of the group <6 weeks was shorter than the group over 6 weeks ( MD=-11.81, 95% CI: -18.36, -5.26, Z=3.54, P=0.001). Conclusions:Non-surgical correction of congenital ear malformation within 6 weeks after birth has better efficacy and safety.