Objective: To investigate the objective characteristics of tongue manifestation in different stages of damp-heat syndrome in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled 134 patients with DKD G3-5 stages who met the diagnostic criteria for damp-heat syndrome in DKD. The patients were treated at Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, from May 2023 to January 2024. The patients were divided into three groups: DKD G3, DKD G4, and DKD G5 stage, with 53, 33, and 48 patients in each group, respectively. Clinical general data (gender, age, and body mass index) and damp-heat syndrome scores were collected from the patients. The YZAI-02 traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) AI Tongue Image Acquisition Device was used to capture tongue images from these patients. The accompanying AI Open Platform for TCM Tongue Diagnosis of the device was used to analyze and extract tongue manifestation features, including objective data on tongue color, tongue quality, coating color, and coating texture. Clinical data and objective tongue manifestation characteristics were compared among patients with DKD G3-5 based on their DKD damp-heat syndrome status. Results: No statistically significant difference in gender or body mass index was observed among the three patient groups. The DKD G3 stage group had the highest age (P<0.05). The DKD G3 stage group had a lower score for symptoms of poor appetite and anorexia(P<0.05) than the DKD G5 group. No statistically significant difference was observed in damp-heat syndrome scores among the three groups. Compared with the DKD G5 stage group, the DKD G3 stage group showed a decreased proportion of pale color at the tip and edges of the tongue (P<0.05). The DKD G4 stage group exhibited an increased proportion of crimson at the root of the tongue, a decreased proportion of thick white tongue coating at the root, a decreased proportion of pale color at the tip and edges of the tongue, an increased hue value (indicating color tone) of the tongue color in the middle, an increased brightness value (indicating color lightness) of the tongue coating color in the middle, and an increased thickness of the tongue coating (P<0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in other tongue color proportions, color chroma values, body characteristics, coating color proportions, coating color chroma values, and coating texture characteristics among the three groups. Conclusion Tongue features differ in different stages of DKD damp-heat syndrome in multiple dimensions, enabling the inference that during the DKD G5 stage, the degree of qi and blood deficiency in the kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, gallbladder, spleen, and stomach is prominent. Dampness is more likely to accumulate in the lower jiao, particularly in the kidneys, whereas heat evil in the spleen and stomach is the most severe. These insights provide novel ideas for the clinical treatment of DKD.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Maxing Loushi decoction in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD） with phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome， and to investigate its effects on inflammatory factors， immune function， and the programmed death-1（PD-1）/programmed death-ligand 1 （PD-L1） signaling pathway. MethodsA randomized controlled study was conducted， enrolling 90 hospitalized patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome in the Respiratory and Emergency Departments of Dongzhimen Hospital， Beijing University of Chinese Medicine， from April 2024 to December 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an observation group using a random number table， with 45 patients in each group. The control group received conventional Western medical treatment， while the observation group received additional Maxing Loushi decoction for 14 days. Clinical efficacy， COPD Assessment Test （CAT） score， modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale （mMRC）， 6-minute walk test （6MWT）， serum inflammatory factors， T lymphocyte subsets， and serum PD-1/PD-L1 levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsThe total clinical effective rate was 78.57% （33/42） in the control group and 95.35% （41/43） in the observation group， with the observation group showing significantly higher efficacy than that of the control group. The difference was statistically significant （χ² = 5.136， P<0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant reductions in CAT and mMRC scores （P<0.05， P<0.01） and significant increases in 6MWT compared to baseline （P<0.01）. The observation group demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group in this regard. Levels of inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， monocyte chemoattractant protein-1（MCP-1）， and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α （MIP-1α） were significantly reduced in both groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with greater reductions in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. CD8⁺ levels were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ levels were significantly increased in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more significant improvements observed in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum PD-1 levels were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and PD-L1 levels were increased significantly in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more pronounced changes in the observation group （P<0.05）. ConclusionMaxing Loushi decoction demonstrates definite therapeutic efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome. It contributes to reducing serum inflammatory factors， improving immune function， and regulating the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Maxing Loushi decoction in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD） with phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome， and to investigate its effects on inflammatory factors， immune function， and the programmed death-1（PD-1）/programmed death-ligand 1 （PD-L1） signaling pathway. MethodsA randomized controlled study was conducted， enrolling 90 hospitalized patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome in the Respiratory and Emergency Departments of Dongzhimen Hospital， Beijing University of Chinese Medicine， from April 2024 to December 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an observation group using a random number table， with 45 patients in each group. The control group received conventional Western medical treatment， while the observation group received additional Maxing Loushi decoction for 14 days. Clinical efficacy， COPD Assessment Test （CAT） score， modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale （mMRC）， 6-minute walk test （6MWT）， serum inflammatory factors， T lymphocyte subsets， and serum PD-1/PD-L1 levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsThe total clinical effective rate was 78.57% （33/42） in the control group and 95.35% （41/43） in the observation group， with the observation group showing significantly higher efficacy than that of the control group. The difference was statistically significant （χ² = 5.136， P<0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant reductions in CAT and mMRC scores （P<0.05， P<0.01） and significant increases in 6MWT compared to baseline （P<0.01）. The observation group demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group in this regard. Levels of inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， monocyte chemoattractant protein-1（MCP-1）， and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α （MIP-1α） were significantly reduced in both groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with greater reductions in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. CD8⁺ levels were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ levels were significantly increased in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more significant improvements observed in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum PD-1 levels were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and PD-L1 levels were increased significantly in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more pronounced changes in the observation group （P<0.05）. ConclusionMaxing Loushi decoction demonstrates definite therapeutic efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome. It contributes to reducing serum inflammatory factors， improving immune function， and regulating the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo understand the visual environment sanitation in primary and secondary school classrooms in Minhang District， Shanghai， and to investigate the factors affecting the decline in students’ visual acuity. MethodsIn 2020， among all the primary and secondary schools in Minhang District， according to different types of classroom structures， levels， orientations， unilateral lighting， and bilateral lighting， a total of 20 231 students from 674 classrooms in primary and secondary schools were selected through stratified cluster sampling. Each monitored classroom was regarded as a research unit， and the naked eye vision of students was tested using a standard logarithmic vision chart during the 2020 and 2021 academic years. The change in average visual acuity between the two measurements was taken as the dependent variable， and the visual environment indices were considered as independent variables. The relationship between classroom visual environment indices and the decline in students’ naked eye vision was analyzed. ResultsThe qualification rates for per capita classroom area， window to floor area ratio， average illuminance of the blackboard， uniformity of blackboard illuminance， average illuminance of the desks， uniformity of desk illuminance， lighting coefficient of classroom， blackboard reflection ratio， back wall reflection ratio， and distance between lamps and desks were 79.53%， 88.58%， 46.74%， 70.33%，64.69%， 80.86%， 71.81%， 20.30%， 1.63%， and 97.53%， respectively. The average naked eye vision of primary and secondary school students in the 2020 academic year was 4.75±0.37 （right eye） and 4.76±0.37 （left eye）， while in the 2021 academic year， it was 4.70±0.39 （right eye） and 4.71±0.38 （left eye）. There was a significant decrease in the naked eye vision of primary and secondary school students in the 2021 academic year compared to that of 2020 （P<0.05）. Univariate linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation between grade， average illuminance of the blackboard， average illuminance of the desks， uniformity of desk illuminance， lighting coefficient， and distance between lamps and desks， and the decline of students’ naked eye vision within one academic year （P<0.05）. After adjusting for grade， multiple linear regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between the average illuminance of the blackboard， uniformity of desk illuminance， lighting coefficient， and distance between lamps and desks， and the decline of students’ naked eye vision within one academic year （P<0.05）. Higher average illuminance of the blackboard， uniformity of desk illuminance， lighting coefficient， and distance between lamps and desks were protective factors for naked eye vision. ConclusionThe visual environment of primary and secondary school classrooms in Minhang District is a matter of concern. Average illuminance of the blackboard， uniformity of desk illuminance， lighting coefficient， and distance between lamps and desks are related to the degree of visual impairment in students over a year.

Objective:To explore the effect of timely induction intervention on postpartum urination in primipara during vaginal delivery, so as to provide the evidence for preventing the occurrence of postpartum urinary retention and relieving the pain of primipara.Methods:This study adopted a randomized controlled trial design, and selected 400 cases of primipara who were hospitalized for vaginal delivery in the Obstetric Department of Dalian Women and Children's Medical Group Sports New Town Hospital from June 2021 to September 2022 as the study objects by convenience sampling method. They were divided into the intervention group and the control group with 200 cases each by random number table method, and the control group received routine postpartum care. Instruct active urination within 6 hours after delivery. The intervention received timely induction urination intervention. The general condition and bladder urine volume of the women in the intervention group were evaluated at 2, 4, 6 h after delivery, respectively, and personalized guidance was implemented, including the frequency of massage of the bottom of the uterus, the control of water intake, the selection of methods and timing of inducing urination, etc., and routine postpartum care was given when the women completed their first urination and had no complaints of discomfort. The first urination time, first urination volume, first bladder irritation during the first urination and the incidence of postpartum urinary retention in different periods were compared between the two groups.Results:The patients in the control group were (29.60 ± 3.20) years old, while the patients in the intervention group were (28.81 ± 3.42) years old. The first urination time in the intervention group was (6.89 ± 2.18) h, which was shorter than that in the control group (9.11 ± 3.86) h, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-2.49, P<0.01). The first urination volume in the intervention group was (322.36 ± 120.15) ml, which was higher than that in the control group (262.93 ± 105.68) ml, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=3.39, P<0.05). The incidence of the first bladder irritation in the intervention group was 22.0%(44/200), which was lower than that in the control group 33.5%(67/200), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=6.60, P<0.05). The incidence of postpartum urinary retention within 24 h in the intervention group was 5.5%(11/200), which was lower than that in the control group 11.5%(23/200), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=4.63, P<0.05). The incidence of postpartum urinary retention within 1 week in the intervention group was 9.5%(19/200), which was lower than that in the control group 16.5%(33/200), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=4.33, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postpartum urinary retention within 24 to 72 h between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Timely induction intervention can reduce the incidence of postpartum urinary retention, shorten the time of first urination, increase the volume of first urination and improve the comfort of first urination, which is worthy of clinical application.

BACKGROUND:Tissue engineering has brought new hope to the clinical challenge of liver failure,and the preparation of plant-derived decellularized fiber scaffolds holds significant importance in liver tissue engineering. OBJECTIVE:To prepare apple tissue decellularized scaffold material by using fresh apple slices and a solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate,and assess its biocompatibility. METHODS:Fresh apples were subjected to decellularization using phosphate buffer saline and sodium dodecyl sulfate solution,separately.Afterwards,the decellularized apple tissues and apple decellularized scaffold materials were decontaminated with phosphate buffer saline.Subsequently,scanning electron microscopy was used to assess the effectiveness of decellularization of the apple materials.Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were extracted from the inguinal fat BALB/C of mice,and their expression of stem cell-related markers(CD45,CD34,CD73,CD90,and CD105)was identified through flow cytometry.The cells were then divided into a scaffold-free control group and a scaffold group.Equal amounts of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were seeded onto both groups.The biocompatibility of the decellularized scaffold with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells was evaluated using CCK-8 assay,hematoxylin-eosin staining,and phalloidine staining.Cell adhesion and growth on the scaffold were observed under light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.Furthermore,the scaffold was subdivided into the non-induced group and the hepatogenic-induced group.Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were cultured on the decellularized apple scaffold,and they were cultured for 14 days in regular culture medium or hepatogenic induction medium for comparison.Immunofluorescent staining using liver cell markers,including albumin,cytokeratin 18,and CYP1A1,was performed.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the secretion of alpha fetoprotein and albumin.Additionally,scanning electron microscopy was employed to observe the morphology of the induced cells on the scaffold,verifying the expression of liver cell-related genes on the decellularized scaffold material.Finally,the cobalt-60 irradiated and sterilized decellularized apple scaffolds were transplanted onto the surface of mouse liver and the degradation of the scaffold was observed by gross observation and hematoxylin-eosin staining after 28 days. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The scanning electron microscopy results revealed that the decellularized apple scaffold material retained a porous structure of approximately 100 μm in size,with no residual cells observed.(2)Through flow cytometry analysis,the cultured cells were identified as adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells.(3)CCK-8 assay results demonstrated that the prepared decellularized apple tissue scaffold material exhibited no cytotoxicity.Hematoxylin-eosin staining and phalloidine staining showed that adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were capable of adhering and proliferating on the decellularized apple tissue scaffold.(4)The results obtained from immunofluorescence staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells cultured on the decellularized apple scaffolds exhibited elevated expression of liver-specific proteins,including albumin,alpha-fetoprotein,cytokeratin 18,and CYP1A1.These results suggested that they were induced differentiation into hepatocyte-like cells possessing functional characteristics of liver cells.(5)The decellularized apple scaffold implanted at 7 days has integrated with the liver,with partial degradation of the scaffold observed.By 28 days,the decellularized apple scaffold has completely degraded and has been replaced by newly-formed tissue.(6)The results indicate that the decellularized scaffold material derived from apple tissue demonstrates favorable biocompatibility,promoting the proliferation,adhesion,and hepatic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

This paper summarized the key points and methods in terms of the establishment of the guideline working group and the management of conflict of interests， trying to provide reference for the development of clinical practice guidelines for Chinese patent medicine （CPM）. The establishment of the working group is the first important step for developing CPM guidelines. Considering the characteristics of the clinical practice guidelines for CPM， this study suggests that the three key elements of ‘multidisciplinarity’， ‘clinical relevance’ and ‘geographical representativeness’ should be put focus on when forming the working group. The guideline advisory committee， clinical expert group， evidence systematic evaluation group， secretary group and the external review group should be established. All group members should clarify the conflict of interest， and the process and management method of the conflict of interest should be clearly reported.

Recommendations for Chinese patent medicine （CPM） based on key information on rational drug use are one of the important conditions for enhancing guideline enforceability as well as facilitating guideline implementation. In this study， we discussed in detail of the key information on the rational use of CPM in five aspects， which are dosage， drug discontinuation， drug-drug and drug-food interactions， safety and economy. Following the process of multi-source search， synthesis and prioritization， it is suggested to collect key information on the rational use of CPM from a multi-source search of drug instructions， policy documents， literature， and clinical experts' experiences. Then the searched information should be summarized and prioritized with the principle that taking drug instructions as the basis and other-sources information for check and supplementation. Finally， methodological recommendations for the retrieval and synthesis of key information on rational drug use in guideline recommendations has been formed.

ObjectiveTo investigate the general situation of defect of vertebral column among primary and middle school students in Minhang District of Shanghai and analyze the related factors， to provide a scientific basis for prevention and treatment. MethodsFrom September to October 2022， a total of 5 715 students were selected from two primary schools， two middle schools， and two high schools in Minhang District for physical examinations and screening for defect of vertebral column. ResultsTotally 219 students had defect of vertebral column， accounting for 3.83% of the sampled population. Anteroposterior spinal abnormalities were found in 4 individuals， accounting for 0.07%， and 218 students had scoliosis， accounting for 3.81%. The detection rate of defect of vertebral column was higher in girls （6.27%） than that in boys （1.51%）， and higher in high school students （10.74%） than in primary school students （1.31%） and middle school students （10.97%）. Students who are mildly underweight （5.95%） and who are moderately to severely underweight （7.46%） had a higher detection rate of defect of vertebral column than those with normal weight （4.54%）， overweight （2.83%）， and obesity （1.60%）. The detection rate among students with poor vision （4.32%） was significantly higher than those with normal vision （2.24%）， with all differences statistically significant （all P<0.05）. ConclusionThe positive rate of defect of vertebral column in primary and middle school students in Minhang District， Shanghai is nearly 4%， with most cases being scoliosis. Factors such as being female， increasing age， being underweight， and poor vision are associated with a higher probability of detecting defect of vertebral column.

DNA polymerase theta (Polθ), also known as DNA polymerase θ, is the member of the DNA polymerase A family and plays a crucial role in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSB). Polθ has 3 distinct structural domains: the N-terminal helicase-like domain with a conserved sequence, the C-terminal polymerase domain, and the central domain, which is a disordered sequence connecting these two regions. Notably, Polθ is the only known polymerase in eukaryotes that possesses helicase activity. However, it is also an error-prone polymerase. When DNA DSBs occur, a specialized network consisting of at least 4 pathways, including classical-non homologous end joining (C-NHEJ), homologous recombination (HR), single-strand annealing (SSA), and alternative-end joining (Alt-EJ), is responsible for repairing DNA damage caused by DSBs. In the absence of major DNA repair pathways like HR, cells rely on Alt-EJ pathway mediated by Polθ to repair damaged DNA and maintain genomic stability. Nevertheless, due to the low fidelity of Polθ, Alt-EJ repair often leads to errors. Depletion of Polθ has shown to increases DSB formation and compromise genomic stability. Conversely, overexpression of Polθ has been associated with increases DNA damage markers and impairs cell cycle progression. As a result, the impact of Polθ on genome stability remains controversial. Furthermore, overexpression of Polθ is frequently observed in cancer and is associated with a characteristic mutational signature and poor prognosis. Depleting Polθ in an HR-deficient background has been shown to impair cell viability, suggesting a synthetic lethal (SL) relationship between Polθ and HR factors. In recent years, targeted chemotherapy drugs that inhibit tumor growth have gained significant attention. However, off-target effects and drug resistance pose challenges for clinical application, particularly with poly-ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitor (PARPi). Blocking Polθ activity in HR-deficient tumor cells has been found to reverse PARPi resistance, making Polθ a very promising therapeutic target in cancer treatment. The availability of crystal structures for both helicase and polymerase domain has facilitated the design of potent inhibitors of Polθ. Currently, several highly specific and effective small molecule inhibitors targeting Polθ, such as Novobiocin, RP-6685, and ART558, have been reported to effectively block various cancers with HR deficiency. The initial success of these inhibitors points to new directions for treating BRCA1/2-mutated tumors. Additionally, reducing the Alt-EJ repair pathway mediated by Polθ can improve HR repair efficiency and increase the chance of exogenous gene target integration (TI), suggesting potential new applications for Polθ inhibitors. This article reviews the recent research progress on the molecular function of Polθ and its involvement in the Alt-EJ pathway modification mechanism, providing insights for a deeper understanding of this field.