Preclinical studies include pharmacology， toxicology， pharmacokinetics research of animal experiments and in vitro experiments， which are crucial steps in the pre-marketing drugs and medical products， and are essential for exploring the mechanisms of traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） therapeutic mechanism and promoting clinical translation. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of preclinical studies in the field of TCM can comprehensively integrate preclinical evidence， consolidate research findings， assess the quality and risk of bias of included studies， enhance the utilization of research results， reduce resource waste， and promote the iterative optimization of TCM research models and evaluation indicators. This article introduced the process and methodology of conducting systematic review and meta-analyses of preclinical studies in TCM from nine steps， defining the research question， forming a research team， writing and registering a study protocol， conducting a comprehensive search， screening literature， evaluating included studies， extracting data， synthesizing data （meta-analysis）， and reporting systematic reviews. It aims to provide methodological references for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of preclinical studies in TCM and to promote the establishment and improvement of the evidence system in the field of TCM.

ObjectiveTo explore the protective effect and mechanism of Gegen Qianliantang （GQT） on intestinal mucosal barrier function in dextran sulfate sodium （DSS）-induced ulcerative colitis （UC） model mice. MethodsA UC model was established in C57BL/6 mice using a 2.5% DSS solution. Mice were randomly divided into five groups （n=8 per group）： blank group， model group， mesalazine sustained-release granule group （0.52 g·kg^-1）， high-dose GQT group （2.23 g·kg^-1）， and low-dose GQT group （1.12 g·kg^-1）. Fecal characteristics and body weight changes were observed before and after treatment. The body weight loss and disease activity index （DAI） of UC mice were calculated to evaluate symptom severity. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Alizarin blue-periodic acid-Schiff （AB-PAS） staining were used to detect histological changes in colon tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1） and mucin 2 （MUC2）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interferon-γ （IFN-γ）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， IL-17A， and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Flow cytometry was used to detect the activation of helper T lymphocyte subsets （Th1， Th17）， regulatory T cells （Treg）， and regulatory B cells （Breg） in spleen and colon tissues. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of T-bet， forkhead box protein P3（FoxP3）， nuclear transcription factor（NF）-κB p65， phosphorylated NF-κB p65 （p-NF-κB p65）， signal transducer and activator of transcription 3（STAT3）， and phosphorylated STAT3 （p-STAT3）. ResultsCompared with the model group， both high- and low-dose GQT groups significantly improved the body weight loss and DAI scores （P<0.05）， alleviated colonic inflammation， and showed optimal efficacy in the high-dose group. AB-PAS staining showed that compared with the model group， both the high- and low-dose GQT groups significantly increased goblet cell proliferation and mucin secretion， indicating improved mucosal barrier function. GQT upregulated the expression of ZO-1 and MUC2 in colon tissue （P<0.05）， suppressed IFN-γ， IL-6， and TNF-α secretion （P<0.05）， elevated IL-10 secretion （P<0.05）， but had no significant effect on IL-17A. At the same time， high- and low-dose GQT intervention increased the activation of CD4⁺ FoxP3⁺ Treg cells （P<0.05） and suppressed activation of CD4⁺ IFN-γ⁺ Th1 cells （P<0.05）. Western blot showed that GQT downregulated T-bet， NF-κB p65， and STAT3 protein expression （P<0.05）， upregulated FoxP3 （P<0.05）， and also reduced phosphorylation levels of p-NF-κB p65 and p-STAT3 （P<0.05）. ConclusionGQT can upregulate the activation of CD4⁺ FoxP3⁺ Treg cells， reduce the activation of CD4⁺ IFN-γ⁺ Th1 cells， inhibit the secretion of IFN-γ， IL-6， and TNF-α， and increase the secretion of IL-10. It enhances the expression of MUC2 and ZO-1 in colon tissue， thereby alleviating inflammatory damage to the intestinal mucosa and restoring mucosal barrier integrity. These effects may be related to its regulation of NF-κB p65 and STAT3 signaling pathways， ultimately regulating the activation of transcription factors T-bet and FoxP3.

Objective To explore the impact factors on early neurological deterioration(END)in patients with cerebral infarction combined with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Methods The clinical characteristics and laboratory of patients with acute ischemic stroke and COVID-19 in Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed from December 15,2022 to January 15,2023.According to whether or not END occurred,all patients were divided into END group and non-END group.The clinical data of two groups were analyzed.Results A total of eligible 56 patients were included in this study,with 16 cases in END group and 40 cases in non-END group.The average age of END group(74.31±12.04)was older than non-END group(67.18±8.15)(P＜0.05).The proportion of previous history of coronary heart disease and diabetes were higher than non-END group(all P＜0.05).In terms of laboratory examination,the number of monocytes,C-reactive protein,glycated hemoglobin,lactate dehydrogenase,myoglobin,albumin,D-dimer,and fibrin degradation products in END group were significantly higher than that in non-END group(all P＜0.05).Logistic analysis showed that C-reactive protein is an independent risk factor for cerebral infarction combined with COVID-19(OR =1.084,95%CI:1.002-1.173,P＜0.05).Area under the ROC curve was0.825(95%CI:0.709-0.941,P＜0.001).Conclusions For patients with cerebral infarction combined with COVID-19,early neurological deterioration is more likely to occur in elderly patients with multiple underlying diseases,abnormal coagulation and inflammation indicators.Increased C-reactive protein has good predictive ability.

Objective:To investigate the status of nursing practice and organizational management for reperfusion therapy in ischemic stroke across medical institutions in Beijing.Methods:In June 2023, a survey was conducted among nursing managers from 62 medical institutions under the jurisdiction of the Beijing Stroke Treatment Quality Control and Improvement Center. The survey aimed to assess the current nursing practices and organizational management for reperfusion therapy in ischemic stroke.Results:Among the 62 medical institutions, 16.13% (10/62) had dedicated reperfusion therapy nurses for stroke, and 87.10% (54/62) had established specific nursing protocols and procedures for stroke reperfusion therapy within their departments. However, 27.42% (17/62) of these institutions based the development and updates of their protocols on experiential summaries rather than standardized guidelines. In terms of nursing practice, there was room for improvement in emergency identification and triage of suspected stroke patients, assistance with intravenous thrombolysis, patient condition monitoring, early rehabilitation, and related health education. Regarding nursing quality control, significant differences were observed between institutions that regularly conducted quality control of stroke reperfusion therapy nursing and those that organized regular training sessions for nurses in this area ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:While nursing practices and quality for stroke reperfusion therapy in Beijing are progressing, there are disparities in regional development. There is a high demand for specialized stroke nursing and targeted technical training.

Ferroptosis is a newly discovered mode of programmed cell death characterized by the accumulation of intracellular iron-dependent lipid peroxidation.Current research has mainly focused on the role of ferroptosis in the field of cancer,but increasing evidence shows that ferroptosis is also related to the occurrence of infectious diseases.Ferroptosis has accordingly been detected in cases of COVID-19,tuberculosis,and cryptococcal meningitis,as well as other diseases.This article reviews the role of ferroptosis in infectious diseases,to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of ferroptosis-related infectious diseases.

The development and potential application of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is closely related to the human brain, so that the ethical regulation of BCI has become an important issue attracting the consideration of society. Existing literatures have discussed the ethical norms of BCI technology from the perspectives of non-BCI developers and scientific ethics, while few discussions have been launched from the perspective of BCI developers. Therefore, there is a great need to study and discuss the ethical norms of BCI technology from the perspective of BCI developers. In this paper, we present the user-centered and non-harmful BCI technology ethics, and then discuss and look forward on them. This paper argues that human beings can cope with the ethical issues arising from BCI technology, and as BCI technology develops, its ethical norms will be improved continuously. It is expected that this paper can provide thoughts and references for the formulation of ethical norms related to BCI technology.
Humans ; Brain-Computer Interfaces ; Technology ; Brain ; User-Computer Interface ; Electroencephalography

ObjectiveTo establish the specific chromatogram and thin layer chromatography（TLC） of Qingxin Lianziyin（QXLZY） benchmark samples， in order to clarify the key quality attributes and provide a reference for the quality evaluation of QXLZY. MethodHigh performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） specific chromatogram of QXLZY benchmark samples was developed by using a YMC Hydrosphere C₁₈ column（4.6 mm×250 mm， 5 μm） with the mobile phase of acetonitrile（A）-0.2% formic acid aqueous solution（B） for gradient elution（0-10 min， 5%-20%A； 10-20 min， 20%A； 20-25 min， 20%-24%A； 25-40 min， 24%-30%A； 40-55 min， 30%-50%A； 55-65 min， 50%-100%A； 65-75 min， 100%A； 75-75.1 min， 100%-5%A； 75.1-90 min， 5%A）， and the detection wavelength was 360 nm. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap/orbitrap mass spectrometry（UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS） with electrospray ionization（ESI） was used to identify the components of QXLZY benchmark samples by accurate relative molecular weight and multilevel MS fragment ion information， the detection conditions were positive and negative ion modes and data dependency scanning mode. TLC identification methods for Ophiopogonis Radix， Lycii Cortex， Nelumbinis Semen， Poria， Astragali Radix and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma in QXLZY were established. ResultA total of 15 characteristic peaks were identified from Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， Plantaginis Semen and Scutellariae Radix， and the relative standard deviations of the retention times of 15 characteristic peaks in 15 batches of QXLZY benchmark samples were≤3% with peak 8（baicalin） as the reference peak. A total of 100 compounds， including flavonoids， organic acids， saponins， amino acids and others， were identified in the benchmark samples by UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS. The established TLC had good separation and was suitable for the identification of Ophiopogonis Radix， Lycii Cortex， Nelumbinis Semen， Poria， Astragali Radix and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma in QXLZY. ConclusionThe material basis of QXLZY benchmark samples is basically determined by MS designation and source attribution. The established specific chromatogram and TLC of QXLZY are simple， stable and reproducible， which can provide a reference for the development and quality control of QXLZY.

ObjectiveTo compare the effects of different drying methods on volatile components of Pseudostellariae Radix. MethodThe samples were dried by different methods， including air drying， sun drying， hot air drying （40， 60， 80 ℃） and vacuum freeze drying. Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry （GC-IMS） was used to compare the changes of volatile components in the samples after different treatments. The samples were incubated at 80 ℃ and 500 r·min^-1 for 15 min， the injection temperature was 85 ℃， the injection volume was 200 μL， the flow rate of carrier gas was from 2 mL to 150 mL during 20 min， and the temperature of IMS detector was 60 ℃. SE-54 capillary column （0.32 mm×30 m， 0.25 μm） was used， the column temperature was 60 ℃， and the analysis time was 35 min. The differential spectra of volatile components were constructed and analyzed by principal component analysis （PCA）. ResultA total of 37 volatile components were identified from dried Pseudostellariae Radix. The number of compounds in descending order was ketones， aldehydes and alcohols. There were some differences in the volatile components in samples dried by different methods. And the volatile components in samples with sun drying， air drying and hot air drying at 40 ℃ were similar， compared with other drying methods， vacuum freeze drying and hot air drying at 80 ℃ had great effects on the volatile components of Pseudostellariae Radix， and the compounds in the samples with vacuum freeze drying were the least. ConclusionIn this study， GC-IMS for the detection and analysis of volatile components in Pseudostellariae Radix is established， which has the characteristics of high efficiency， nondestructive inspection and simple sample processing. This method can be used for the distinction of Pseudostellariae Radix dried by different methods. And hot air drying at 40 ℃ can effectively retain the volatile components of Pseudostellariae Radix， and achieve similar flavor to samples with sun drying and air drying.

Objective:To evaluate the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in differentiating Brucella spondylitis from tuberculosis spondylitis. Methods:A retrospective analysis method was used to include Brucella spondylitis patients and tuberculous spondylitis patients who had undergone MRI examination at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2015 to December 2017. All patients data of MRI examination (all had T1WI, T2WI, STIR images) were collected and compared. The differences in lesion location, MRI signal, vertebral body destruction, vertebral wedge, kyphosis deformity, attachment destruction, dead bone, bone hyperplasia, intervertebral space change, abscess location, and abscess range were analyzed. Results:A total of 91 patients with brucella spondylitis were selected, including 36 women and 55 men, with an average age of 49.40 years old; 112 patients with tuberculous spondylitis selected in the same examination, including 48 women and 64 men, with an average age of 47.15 years old. There was no statistically significant difference in gender and age between the two groups (χ 2 = 0.225, t = 1.387, P > 0.05). Brucella spondylitis was more common in lumbar spine [72.53% (66/91)], and tuberculosis spondylitis was more common in thoracic spine [47.32% (53/112)]. Brucella spondylitis patients showed higher T2WI hyperintensity than tuberculosis spondylitis patients [51.65% (47/91) vs 24.11% (27/112), P <0.05]; and showed lower T2 hyperlipidemia than patients with tuberculosis spondylitis [59.34% (54/91) vs 72.32% (81/112), P < 0.05]; the incidence rates of mild destruction of vertebral body, bone hyperplasia, normal intervertebral space, paravertebral abscess, and abscess not exceeding the range of vertebral body were higher than those of patients with tuberculosis spondylitis [81.32% (74/91), 93.41% (85/91), 37.36% (34/91), 71.43% (65/91), 38.46% (35/91) vs 20.54% (23/112), 28.57% (32/112), 1.79% (2/112), 30.36% (34/112), 1.79% (2/112), P < 0.01]; the incidence rates of vertebral body severe destruction, vertebral wedge less than 1/2, kyphosis deformity, dead bone, inter vertebral space narrowing, inter vertebral space vanishing, psoas abscess, abscess beyond the range of vertebral body were lower than those of patients with tuberculous spondylitis [12.09% (11/91), 18.68% (17/91), 2.20% (2/91), 2.20% (2/91), 61.54% (56/91), 1.10% (1/91), 2.20% (2/91), 1.10% (1/91) vs 75.89% (85/112), 72.32% (81/112), 29.46% (33/112), 46.43% (52/112), 79.46% (89/112), 18.75% (21/112), 66.96% (75/112), 74.11% (83/112), P < 0.01]. Conclusions:MRI signs can be used to differentiate Brucella spondylitis from tuberculosis spondylitis through analysis of bone hyperplasia, vertebral body destruction, vertebral wedge, kyphosis deformity, dead bone, abnormal intervertebral space, and paravertebral abscess and psoas abscess.

Objective To study the relationship between bronchial asthma and smoking status in Chinese people.Methods Asthma epidemiological survey and stratified-cluster-random method survey were performed in residents over 14 years in 8 provinces (cities) of China from February 2010 to August 2012.Asthma was diagnosed based upon case history,clinical signs and lung function test.Smoking status was investigated by questionnaire.Results Sampling population was 180 099 and 164 215 were valid.A total of 2 034 subjects were diagnosed as asthma including 79 692 men and 84 523 women.The overall prevalence rate of asthma was 1.24％ (2 034/164 215).Smokers were 23.8％ (39 137/164 215) in the whole population.Smokers were 34.5％ (702/2 034) in asthmatic patients,compared with 23.7％ (38 435/ 162 181) in no-asthmatic population.The incidence of asthma was 1.79％ and 1.06％ in smokers and nonsmokers respectively (P ＜0.001),suggesting that OR of smoking was 1.70 (95％ CI 1.55-1.86,P ＜ 0.001).According to asthma control test (ACT) score,the level of asthma control in non smoking group was higher than that in smoking group(43.2％ vs 35.3％).The times of hospitalization due to acute exacerbations (0.51 vs 0.41 events/person/year),total hospitalization rate (27.35 ％ vs 20.12％),annual emergency room visits (0.80 vs 0.60 events/person/year) and emergency room visit rate (31.77％ vs 24.47％) were all much higher in smoking asthmatic patients than those in non smoking asthmatic patients,indicating that the level of asthma control in smoking patients was significantly worse than in non smoking patients.Conclusions The smoking rate in Chinese people over 14 years is still high.The prevalence rate of asthma in smokers is significantly higher than that of non-smokers.The level of asthma control in smokers is significantly worse than that in non smokers.