ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of mitochondrial translational initiation factor 2 （MTIF2） gene methylation and its association with the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. MethodsMethSurv and EWAS Data Hub were used to perform the standardized analysis and the cluster analysis of MTIF2 methylation samples， including survival curve analysis， methylation signature analysis， the association of tumor signaling pathways， and a comparative analysis based on pan-cancer database. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison between two groups； a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to perform the univariate and multivariate survival analyses of methylation level at the CpG site. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to investigate the survival differences between the patients with low methylation level and those with high methylation level， and the Log-likelihood ratio method was used for survival difference analysis. ResultsGlobal clustering of MTIF2 methylation showed that there was no significant difference in MTIF2 gene methylation level between different races， ethnicities， BMI levels， and ages. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed that the patients with N-Shore hypermethylation of the MTIF2 gene had a significantly better prognosis than those with hypomethylation （hazard ratio ［HR］=0.492， P<0.001）， while there was no significant difference in survival rate between the patients with different CpG island and S-Shore methylation levels （P>0.05）. The methylation profile of the MTIF2 gene based on different ages， sexes， BMI levels， races， ethnicities， and clinical stages showed that the N-Shore and CpG island methylation levels of the MTIF2 gene decreased with the increase in age， and the Caucasian population had significantly lower N-Shore methylation levels of the MTIF2 gene than the Asian population （P<0.05）； the patients with clinical stage Ⅳ had significantly lower N-Shore and CpG island methylation levels of the MTIF2 gene than those with stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ （P<0.05）. Clinical validation showed that the patients with stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ HCC had a significantly lower methylation level of the MTIF2 gene than those with stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ HCC and the normal population （P<0.05）. ConclusionN-Shore hypomethylation of the MTIF2 gene is a risk factor for the development and progression of HCC.

The Guidelines for Establishing Animal Models of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Cold-dampness Obstruction Syndrome and Dampness-heat Obstruction Syndrome （hereinafter referred to as the Guidelines） （No. T/CACM1567-2024） was published by Chinese Association of Chinese Medicine on January 11， 2024. To assist researchers and medical workers in understanding and applying the Guidelines more accurately， and also to provide reference and assistance for the establishment of guidelines on other types of diseases and syndromes combined with animal models， this paper made a declaration of the workflow， technological links， development references， promotion of its application and after-effect evaluation of the Guidelines that has been made according to the requirements of "Draft Group Standard of the Standardization Office of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine".

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation, joint destruction, and functional impairment. Angiogenesis plays a key role in the pathological progression of RA with dysfunction of endothelial cells to promote synovial inflammation, sustain pannus formation, subsequently leading to joint damage. Colquhounia Root Tablets (CRT), a Chinese patent drug, has shown a satisfying clinical efficacy in treating RA, while the underlying mechanism by which CRT inhibits RA-associated angiogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we applied a research approach combining transcriptomic data analysis, bio-network mapping, and in vivo and in vitro experiments to explore the molecular mechanisms of CRT in suppressing angiogenesis in RA. Animal welfare and experimental procedures follow the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Basic Theory for Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (ratification number: IBTCMCACMS21-2307-06). Network analysis identified that key genes such as nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2), SMAD family member 3 (SMAD3), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) significantly enriched in pathways related to NOD-like receptor signaling and VEGF signaling, indicating that CRT may inhibit angiogenesis by regulating vascular endothelial cell function with modulating angiogenesis-related pathways. In vivo data showed that CRT significantly reduced the positive expression of CD31 and VEGF in the ankle joint of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats. In vitro data further confirmed that CRT effectively inhibited VEGF-induced migration, invasion, and tube formation in HUVECs, while significantly reduced the expression of angiogenesis-related factors VEGF/CD31/Ang-1, as well as the positive expression of VEGF and CD31 in HUVECs. Furthermore, CRT markedly decreased the protein expression of NOD2, VEGFA, and SMAD3. In conclusion, these findings indicate that CRT may inhibit the RA-related angiogenesis by targeting the NOD2/SMAD3/VEGF signaling axis to improve endothelial cell function, enriching the scientific connotation of CRT in inhibiting pathological angiogenesis in RA and also offer new insights for clinical prevention and treatment of RA.

ObjectiveTo investigate the prognostic role of radiotherapy in women aged 70 years or older with breast cancer. MethodsA total of 311 women aged 70 years or older with breast cancer undergoing breast-conserving surgery in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between February 28， 2011 and February 28， 2021， were divided into two groups： 183 patients in the control group were given postoperative radiotherapy， and 128 patients in the case group were not treated by radiotherapy. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test or χ² test was used to compare the general clinicopathological data of the two groups， the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test to analyze the disease-free survival （DFS） and overall survival （OS）， multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model to examine the factors affecting DFS and OS. Additional subgroup analysis was performed. ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences between the control and case groups in age， T-stage， N-stage， tumor clinical stage， estrogen receptor （ER）， progesterone receptor （PR） and human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 （HER2） statuses， Ki-67， tumor histological grade， tumor pathological type， and whether they received adjuvant chemotherapy or postoperative endocrine therapy （all P > 0.05）. The median follow-up was 110.0 （95%CI： 98.9， 121.1） months for the control group and 93.0 （95% CI： 86.1， 100.0） months for the case group. Differences between the two groups in DFS rate were significant （92.9% vs. 85.2%， P = 0.024）， but in OS rate insignificant （92.3% vs. 88.3%， P=0.199）. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that T-stage， N-stage （N2 and N3）， HER2 status， Ki-67， tumor histological grade （grade Ⅱ and Ⅲ）， and no radiotherapy were independent risk factors for DFS in elderly breast cancer patients （all P < 0.05）， while ER status was an independent protective factor （P < 0.05）. The independent risk factors for OS in elderly breast cancer patients included tumor stage， N-stage （N2 and N3）， HER2 status， and Ki-67 （all P < 0.05）， and ER status was an independent protective factor （P < 0.05）. Subgroup analysis revealed that in elderly hormone receptor （HR）-negative breast cancer patients， the median follow-ups of the control and case groups were 123.0 （95% CI： 116.8， 129.2） months and 88.0 （95% CI： 75.2， 100.8） months， respectively， with a statistically significant difference both in DFS （91.3% vs. 68.6%， P=0.008） and OS rates （89.1% vs. 71.4%， P=0.027）. ConclusionsPost-breast-conserving radiotherapy provides a limited survival benefit in the overall elderly breast cancer patients， but a significant survival benefit in the elderly HR-negative breast cancer patients， which suggests the need for a prospective randomized controlled trial of a stratified step-down strategy for radiotherapy in elderly breast cancer patients.

AIM: To investigate the efficacy of Yangyin Yiqi Decoction combined with polyethylene glycol eye drops on dry eye disease after cataract surgery and its effect on inflammatory factors in tears.METHODS:Prospective study. A total of 104 patients(104 eyes)with dry eye disease after cataract surgery admitted to our hospital from April 2022 to March 2024 were selected and randomly divided into two groups: 52 cases(52 eyes)in the control group were treated with polyethylene glycol eye drops; 52 cases(52 eyes)in the combined group were treated with Yangyin Yiqi Decoction combined with polyethylene glycol eye drops. The dry eye symptom score, tear film stability index, tear inflammatory factor level, ocular surface disease index score(OSDI)and clinical efficacy of the two groups were compared before and after treatment.RESULTS:There were 6 cases(6 eyes)lost to follow-up, and 3 cases(3 eyes)were lost to follow-up in each group, with a loss to follow-up rate of 5.8%. The total effective rate of treatment in the combination group was significantly higher than that in the control group(94% vs 80%, P=0.037), and the Schirmer I test(SIt)and tear film break-up time(BUT)were higher than those in the control group(all P<0.05), and the dry eye symptom score, corneal fluorescein staining(FL)score, IL-1β, TNF-α, hs-CRP levels in tears and OSDI score were lower than those in the control group(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION:The combination of Yangyin Yiqi Decoction and polyethylene glycol eye drops provides an effective treatment plan for patients with dry eye disease after cataract surgery. It can effectively alleviate dry eye symptoms, reduce eye discomfort, improve tear film stability and ocular surface status, and reduce inflammatory factors in tears.

Purpose The study aims to investigate the effects of various ages,genders and body mass index(BMI)on amide proton transfer weighted(APTw)in the right kidney of normal Chinese.Materials and Methods A total of 182 healthy volunteers enrolled from September 2021 to February 2022 at Xi'an GaoXin Hospital were prospectively performed.There were 7 groups(11-80 years)according to age per 10 years;2 groups according to gender,male and female;4 groups according to BMI,slim group,normal group,overweight group and obese group.3D-APTw imaging of the right kidney was performed via intermittent breath-holding.The correlation between APT values and age and BMI was analyzed,and the differences in APT values between age groups,different BMI groups and gender were analyzed,respectively.Results A total of 131 cases were finally included.There was a weak positive correlation between APT and age(r=0.325,P<0.001).There were statistical difference in APT values among different age groups(F=3.566,P=0.003),the post-hoc analysis showed that the APT values of 11-20 years[(1.853±0.357)%]old group was significantly lower than those of 41-50 years[(2.387±0.432)%]old group and 51-60 years[(2.336±0.451)%]old group(P<0.05);the APT value of male[1.980(2.320,1.820)%]was significantly lower than that of female[2.284(2.586,1.825)%;Z=2.301,P=0.021].There was a very weak positive correlation between APT and BMI(r=0.181,P=0.039),with statistically different APT values among BMI groups(F=3.265,P=0.024).The results of intra-group analysis showed that APT values in emaciation group were significantly lower than those in normal group,overweight group and obesity group,respectively(all P<0.05).Conclusion The APT value of the right kidney may be correlated with age and BMI,with males lower than females.The effect of age,gender and BMI on APT on the clinical application of 3D-APTw may be considered.

【Objective】 To develop the Visual Cognitive Ability Assessment Scale for Preschool Children and to evaluate its reliability and validity, in order to provide reference for clinical evaluation of visual cognitive ability of preschool children. 【Methods】 1) From November 2021 to February 2022, construct the dimension framework was constructed and the pool of scale items was compiled according to the theory. 2) In March to June 2022, items were screened preliminarily through group discussion and Delphi method. In August 2022, the entries was revised by a pre-survey in a small sample (n=50). 3) Parents of children aged 4 - 7 from 8 kindergartens in 4 main urban areas of Nanjing were investigated by stratified cluster random sampling method in September to December 2022. The valid sample of the first survey (n=344) was analyzed to conduct item analysis and re-test reliability analysis, the valid sample of the second survey (n=695) was tested for reliability and confirmatory factor analysis, then the scale was finally compiled and evaluated. 【Results】 1) The scale contained 19 items in 4 dimensions:visual memory, discerning vision, spatial vision and visual integration. All items passed the project analysis test. 2) The Cronbach′s α coefficient of each dimension ranged from 0.604 to 0.886, and the Cronbach′s α coefficient of the whole scale was 0.917. During the two surveys, the scores of each item were correlated, and the average retest reliability coefficient was 0.601 (P< 0.05). 3) Content validity index (S-CVI) at scale level was 0.91, and item level content validity index (I-CVI) ranged from 0.8 to 1.0. After several rounds of model modification, the confirmatory factor model fit well. 【Conclusion】 The reliability and validity of the Visual Cognitive Ability Assessment Scale for Preschool Children are acceptable and meet the requirements of the scale, which provides a practical tool for clinical screening of visual and cognitive disorders.

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of pediatric tuina therapy in treating anorexia nervosa. MethodsTotally 120 children with anorexia nervosa were randomly divided into a tuina group and a medication group， with 60 cases in each group. Sixty healthy children undergoing physical examinations were recruited as the healthy control group. Children in the tuina group received traditional pediatric tuina therapy， while those in the medication group received orally chewed Jianwei Xiaoshi tablets. Each treatment course lasted for 7 days， with a 1-day interval between courses， and a total of 4 courses were administered. Before and after treatment， seven indicators including gastric motility frequency， gastric area， gastric area 30 minutes after drinking， anterior-posterior diameter and area during gastric fundus dilation， anterior-posterior diameter and area during gastric fundus contraction were measured using a color Doppler ultrasound diagnostic instrument in children from the healthy control group， tuina group， and medication group. Additionally， gastric emptying rate at 30 minutes， changes in anterior-posterior diameter and area during gastric fundus contraction， and changes in gastric area were compared. ResultsThis study ultimately included 60 healthy children in the control group， 59 children in the tuina group， and 51 children in the medication group. Compared with the control group at baseline， the gastric area and the anterior-posterior diameter and area during gastric fundus contraction increased， while the gastric emptying rate， gastric motility frequency， and changes in anterior-posterior diameter during gastric fundus contraction decreased in both the tuina group and medication group， with only a decrease in gastric area during gastric fundus contraction observed in the tuina group （P＜0.05）. Compared with baseline， after treatment， the gastric emptying rate， gastric motility frequency， and changes in anterior-posterior diameter and area during gastric fundus contraction increased in the tuina group， while the gastric area and area during gastric fundus contraction decreased 30 minutes after treatment； in the medication group， gastric motility frequency and changes in anterior-posterior diameter during gastric fundus contraction increased， while the area during gastric fundus contraction decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the medication group after treatment， the gastric area decreased 30 minutes after treatment， while the gastric emptying rate and gastric motility frequency increased （P＜0.05）. ConclusionThe possible mechanism of pediatric tuina therapy in treating anorexia nervosa is to promote gastric motility and gastric emptying， thereby improving gastrointestinal dysfunction in children.

OBJECTIVE To establish high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） fingerprint of Xiaohe syrup and determine the contents of 10 effective ingredients in them. METHODS With 12 batches of Xiaohe syrup as samples， ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （UPLC-MS/MS） was adopted with Athena C18 （250 mm×4.6 mm， 5 μm） as the chromatographic column， acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid aqueous solution as mobile phase for gradient elution. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min， and the detection wavelength was 210 nm. Similarity Evaluation System for Traditional Chinese Medicine Chromatographic Fingerprint （2012A version） was imported to establish the fingerprint of Xiaohe syrup and evaluate the similarity. The content determination was performed on ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18（ 100 mm×2.1 mm， 1.7 μm） chromatographic column， with 0.01% formic acid acetonitrile-0.01% formic acid water as mobile phase for gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min； combined with high-resolution mass spectrometer， positive and negative ions were scanned with an electric spray ion source to determine the content of each main component in 12 batches of Xiaohe syrup. RESULTS A total of 33 common peaks were calibrated in 12 batches of samples， with similarities greater than 0.97； 10 chromatographic peaks were confirmed， namely flavonoid glycosides， paeoniflorin， ferulic acid， naringin， rosmarinic acid， neohesperidin， salvianolic acid B， tetrahydropalmatine， saikosaponin A， and saikosaponin D. The results of content determination showed that the above 10 components had good linear relationships within their respective mass concentration ranges （all R 2＞0.999）， with contents ranging from 0.35 to 0.64， 3.15 to 5.61， 0.11 to 0.17， 1.68 to 3.17， 1.59 to 1.90， 1.15 to 1.64， 0.78 to 1.48， 0.11 to 0.26， 0.06 to 0.13， and 0.33 to 0.61 mg/mL， respectively. CONCLUSIONS The main components of 12 batches of Xiaohe syrup are similar， but the contents vary； HPLC fingerprint and UPLC-MS/MS content determination method established in this study can be used for comprehensive quality evaluation of Xiaohe syrup.

Objective:To investigate the arsenic metabolism pattern and possible influencing factors in the population in drinking-water-borne endemic arsenic poisoning (drinking-water-borne arsenic poisoning for short) areas.Methods:In December 2004, a cluster sampling method was used to select arsenic poisoning population (arsenic poisoning group) and healthy population (control group) in drinking-water-borne arsenic poisoning area of Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as the survey subjects. A questionnaire survey was conducted. Arsenic content in drinking water at home of survey subjects, the levels of urinary arsenic and its metabolites, including [trivalent arsenic (As Ⅲ), inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsenic acid (pentavalent, MMA V), dimethylarsenic acid (pentavalent, DMA V), total arsenic (tAs), percentage of inorganic arsenic (iAs%), percentage of monomethylarsenic acid (MMA%), percentage of dimethylarsenic acid (DMA%), primary methylation index (PMI), secondary methylation index (SMI)] were tested using high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; nail arsenic and nail selenium levels were tested using atomic fluorescence spectrometer. The influencing factors of arsenic metabolism pattern were analyzed by multiple linear regression. Results:A total of 536 survey subjects were included, including 155 individuals in the arsenic poisoning group and 381 in the control group. The water arsenic level ranged from 0.0 to 825.7 μg/L. Compared with the control group, there was no significant difference in the distribution of gender, education level and dental fluorosis in the arsenic poisoning group ( P > 0.05), but there were significant differences in the distribution of age, marital status, smoking, drinking and water arsenic ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the levels of urinary As Ⅲ, iAs, MMA V, DMA V, tAs, MMA%, MMA/DMA and nail arsenic in the arsenic poisoning group were higher ( P < 0.05), while the levels of urinary DMA%, SMI and nail selenium were lower ( P < 0.05); but there was no statistically significant difference in the levels of urinary iAs% and PMI ( P > 0.05). Gender, education level, depth of wells, water arsenic, total number of wells and nail arsenic were the influencing factors of urinary As Ⅲ (β = - 19.82, - 23.83, 0.61, 0.21, 7.26, 2.98, P < 0.05). Age, depth of wells, water arsenic and nail arsenic were the influencing factors of urinary tAs (β = 3.18, 3.25, 1.31, 15.59, P < 0.05). Gender, education level, depth of wells, water arsenic, total number of wells and nail arsenic were the influencing factors of urinary iAs (β = - 20.47, - 25.90, 0.64, 0.25, 7.87, 3.11, P < 0.05). Age, gender, education level, water arsenic and nail arsenic were the influencing factors of urinary MMA V (β = 0.52, - 17.07, - 21.84, 0.22, 2.77, P < 0.05). Age, depth of wells, water arsenic and nail arsenic were the influencing factors of urinary DMA V (β = 2.35, 2.47, 0.85, 9.22, P < 0.05). Conclusions:Compared with healthy individuals, there are differences in arsenic metabolism pattern among individuals with drinking-water-borne arsenic poisoning. Age, gender, education level, depth of wells, water arsenic, total number of wells and nail arsenic may be influencing factors of different arsenic metabolism patterns.