Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of enhanced external counterpulsation(EECP)in elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke(AIS)complicated by coronary heart dis-ease(CHD).Methods A total of 65 AIS patients with CHD admitted in our hospital from Janu-ary to June 2023 were recruited and randomly divided into a control group(drug secondary pre-vention,n=32)and a treatment group(drug combined with EECP therapy,n=33).Their NIHSS score,mRS score and Canadian Cardiovascular Society(CCS)angina grade were evaluated before and after treatment and compared between the two groups.The incidences of recurrent ischemic stroke,new hemorrhagic stroke and major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)were also recor-ded during treatment.Results The NIHSS score and mRS score were significantly decreased in both groups after treatment(P＜0.01).After treatment,the NIHSS score(2.67±1.63 vs 3.56± 1.83),mRS score[1.0(0.0,1.0)vs 2.0(1.0,2.0)]and CCS grade[1.0(1.0,2.0)vs 2.0(1.0,2.0)]were obviously lower in the treatment group than the control group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).There were no statistical differences in the incidence rates of recurrent ischemic stroke,new-onset hem-orrhagic stroke,and MACE between the control group and the treatment group(9.4％vs 6.1％,6.3％vs 3.0％,12.5％vs 6.1％,P＞0.0 5).Conclusion EECP is a safe and effective treatment option for elderly AIS patients with CHD.

Based on the theory of "disease involving both dryness and dampness"， it is believed that the complex of dryness and dampness and the mutual stalemate between them produce the disease， forming a pathological state of dampness within dryness and dryness within dampness. The two can occur accompanied by each other， transform into each other， and coexist as a disease. According to the clinical characteristics of sjögren's syndrome-related dry eye disease （SS-DED）， it is believed that its symptoms can reflect the pathological state of coexistence of dryness and dampness， and that "disease involving both dryness and dampness" is the key pathogenesis. The main treatment principles are performing both purgation and tonification， and treating the dryness and dampness simultaneously. The treatment should focus on rectifying qi， fortifying spleen and dispelling dampness， as well as opening orifices， nou-rishing yin and moistening dryness， usually with Shashen Maidong Decoction （沙参麦冬汤） and Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction （香砂六君子汤） in modifications. The theory of "disease involving both dryness and dampness" is expected to provide ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of SS-DED.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features,immunophenotype,and prognosis of head and neck spindle cell squamous cell carcinoma(SCSCC)to improve the understanding and diagnosis of this tumor.Methods:Clinicopathological data collected from January 2012 to December 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital,Air Force Military Medical University from 20 patients with head and neck SCSCC were retrospectively reviewed for histological morphology and immunophenotype.In situ and fluorescence in situ hybridization were performed to detect EBV-encoded ribonucleic acid(EBER)status and MDM2 gene amplification,respectively.Results:The median age among the 20 SCSCC cases was 67 years with a male-to-female ratio of 4∶1.Tumor locations were laryngeal(35.0%)and sinonasal(30.0%).SCSCC presented as polypoid or exogenous growths(61.5%),often with surface ulceration(90.0%).Histologically,sarcomatoid growth pat-terns were exhibited in 75.0%of the patients(n=15),while the remainder showed granular tissue-like or angiosarcomatoid patterns.Most tumors(65.0%)displayed components of conventional squamous cell carcinomas,with a predominant occurrence of high to moderate dif-ferentiation(91.7%).In terms of immunohistochemistry,AE1/AE3 was expressed in 83.3%(15/18)of cases,while p63 and p40 expression rates were 62.5%and 66.7%,respectively.All cases were negative for EBER.The Ki-67 proliferation index ranged 10%-70%.Overall,33.3%(1/3)of the cases showed MDM2 gene amplification.Among these,the median follow-up time for 18 patients was 18.3 months(range:1-92 months),with 6 survivors and 12 deaths.Conclusions:Head and neck SCSCC is more prevalent among elderly male smokers,predominantly exhibits a polypoid growth pattern,and does not display human papillomavirus or Epstein-Barr virus infection.Diagnosis requires a compre-hensive evaluation of clinical and pathological features and immunophenotype.Surgical resection is the primary treatment method.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of high-resolution magnetic resonance im-aging(HRMRI)in elderly patients with non-cardioembolic acute ischemic stroke(NCAIS).Meth-ods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 101 elderly NCAIS patients having HRMRI in our hospital from July 2022 to July 2023.Stroke subtypes were classified according to the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment(TOAST)system and the Chinese Ischemic Stroke Sub-classification(CISS)system.The constituent ratio distribution of each subtype classification was compared before and after HRMRI in both classification systems.Results TOAST system identi-fied 8 cases of small-artery occlusion(SAO),1 case of other determined etiology(SOE),5 cases of undetermined etiology(SUE)and then reclassified as large artery atherosclerosis(LAA),1 case of SUE which was reclassified as SAO,and 7 cases of LAA and 4 cases of SUE being reclas-sified as SOE after HRMRI.In total,the diagnosis of 26 cases(25.74％)was modified.In the CISS system,10 cases of penetrating artery disease(PAD),1 case of other etiologies(OE),and 4 cases of undetermined etiology(UE)were reclassified as LAA.Furthermore,9 cases of LAA and 3 cases of UE were reclassified as OE after HRMRI.In total,the diagnosis of 27 cases(26.73％)was modified.There were statistical differences in the constituent ratio before and after HRMRI in both TOAST(x2=15.425,P＜0.01)and CISS(x2=17.300,P＜0.01)systems.Conclusion HRMRI is of diagnostic value and significance in accurately diagnosing the etiology of AIS in eld-erly patients without cardioembolic causes.

Objective:To investigate the longitudinal trajectory and influencing factors of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in breast cancer patients during chemotherapy.Methods:From March 2019 to January 2020, breast cancer patients in Longhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Peking Union Medical College Hospital were selected as the research objects to conduct follow-up investigation. The survey tools included general information questionnaire, Cancer-related Fatigue Assessment Scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale.Results:A total of 91 patients were included in the study. The incidence of severe CRF at each time point before chemotherapy, 3 weeks after chemotherapy and 6 weeks after chemotherapy were 1.1% (1/91), 8.8% (5/57) and 2.1% (1/48), respectively. The results of the generalized estimation equation showed that the trajectory of the total score CRF firstly increased and then decreased, reaching a peak at 3 weeks after chemotherapy (35.45±13.07), and mild CRF change showed statistical difference ( P<0.05). In addition, BMI and sleep and daytime dysfunction were the influencing factors of the total score of CRF. Disease stage, sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction were the influencing factors of CRF with different severity. Conclusions:CRF is a prominent problem in breast cancer patients during chemotherapy. Attention should be paid to high-risk individuals with abnormal BMI and daytime function by medical staff.

Uremic pruritus is one of the skin complications that perplex patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Because the specific pathogenesis is not clear, there is no unified treatment plan in the world. In August 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of difelikefalin (under the trade name Korsuva) for the treatment of moderate to severe pruritus associated with chronic kidney disease in adult patients undergoing hemodialysis. Studies have shown that difelikefalin can remarkably reduce the intensity of pruritus and improve sleep and pruritus-related quality of life. The recommended dose of difelikefalin is 0.5 μg/kg, and difelikefalin is well tolerated and has high safety. This paper reviews the pharmacological effects, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy and safety of difelikefalin.

NKILA is a kind of newly-discovered lncRNA whose expression is aberrant in diverse malignant tumors. The existing researches have confirmed that NKILA participates in the occurrence and development of tumors mainly by regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway, and has significance to the cancer diagnosis, treatment and prognostic evaluation of patients. This article reviews the abnormal expressions and biological effects of NKILA, and the up- and down-stream mechanisms of NKILA regulating malignant biological behavior in different cancers.

Objective:To explore the clinical manifestations of 4 pedigrees with transthyretin related familial amyloid polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP).Methods:The clinical data were collected and analyzed from 4 pedigrees with TTR-AFP, admitted to our hospital from July 2017 to May 2019; 20 patients and 2 asymptomatic carriers of the TTR mutation gene were included. In particular, the detailed data of the 4 probands affected with TTR-FAP came from the 4 different pedigrees were collected. Results:In these 20 patients, the age of onset ranged from 30 to 65; the first symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, alternating episodes of constipation and diarrhea were found; there were damaged peripheral nerve and inexplicable weight loss; cardiomyopathy was noted in 9 patients; orthostatic hypotension was noted in 9 patients, sexual dysfunction in 5, abnormal urination in 6, and blurred vision or corestenoma in 3. TTR mutation gene was confirmed in 7 patients and pathological diagnosis was found in 3 patients. Diflunisal was used in one patient and tafamidis was used 2 patients. Twelve died and 8 patients survived among 20 patients with disease progression. All the 4 probands were male, with an average age of 49.3 years; all patients had different degrees of sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy and cardiomyopathy; electrophysiological examination suggested length dependent sensory motor peripheral neuropathy of the extremities, with axonal damage as the evidence; and cardiac hypertrophy was noted in echocardiography. The sural nerve biopsy of the 3 probands showed positive Congo red staining. Medical whole exon sequencing indicated that 2 probands had pathogenic mutations (TTR-E74K and TTR-A140S), and 1 proband had likely pathogenic mutation (TTR-S70R). Two asymptomatic carriers of the TTR gene mutation remained normal condition. Conclusion:The clinical manifestations of TTR-FAP include progressive sensorimotor and autonomic neuropathy, and multi-system disorders, such as combining with gastrointestinal problems, hypertrophic myocardium, inexplicable weight loss and blurred vision or corestenoma, which might be important reminders for diagnosis of TTR-FAP.

Objective:To explore the effect of parental rearing patterns and their consistency on the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children.Methods:From October to November 2017, 27 987 children aged 3 to 6 years old from 109 kindergartens in 11 cities of Hubei, Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces were selected by using the cluster sampling method. A total of 27 200 valid questionnaires which were completed by subjects' parents were collected. The emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children were collected by "strengths and difficulties questionnaire" and the parental rearing patterns were evaluated by the "Parental Behavior Scale". The differences in emotional and behavioral abnormality rates of preschool children with different characteristics were analyzed; with emotional and behavioral problems as dependent variables and parental support/participation and compulsion/hostility as independent variables, the multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the effect of parental rearing patterns and their consistency on the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children.Results:The age of children was (4.35±0.96) years old, and 51.4% of children were 13 975 males. There were 24 634 (90.6%) urban children and 17 916 (65.9%) only children. Both parents with strong support/participation accounted for 14.9%, and those with poor support/participation accounted for 11.9%; both parents with strong compulsion/hostility accounted for 15.2%, and those with low compulsion/hostility accounted for 11.3%. The rates of emotional symptoms, conduct behavior, hyperactive behavior, peer interaction, total difficulty score, and abnormal prosocial behavior of preschool children were 9.5%, 9.5%, 18.2%, 24.5%, 11.2%, and 10.2%, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that after adjusting for gender, only child, living area, family economic status, mother′s age and education level, father′s education level, and other factors, compared with fathers/mothers with strong support/participation and low compulsion/hostility and parents with strong support/participation and low compulsion/hostility, preschool children who had fathers/mothers with poor support/participation and strong compulsion/hostility or parents with poor support/participation and strong compulsion/hostility were more likely to have emotional symptoms, conduct behavior, hyperactive behavior, peer interaction, total difficulty score, and abnormal prosocial behavior ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Parental rearing patterns and their consistency are related to the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children.

Objective:To explore the effect of parental rearing patterns and their consistency on the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children.Methods:From October to November 2017, 27 987 children aged 3 to 6 years old from 109 kindergartens in 11 cities of Hubei, Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces were selected by using the cluster sampling method. A total of 27 200 valid questionnaires which were completed by subjects' parents were collected. The emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children were collected by "strengths and difficulties questionnaire" and the parental rearing patterns were evaluated by the "Parental Behavior Scale". The differences in emotional and behavioral abnormality rates of preschool children with different characteristics were analyzed; with emotional and behavioral problems as dependent variables and parental support/participation and compulsion/hostility as independent variables, the multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the effect of parental rearing patterns and their consistency on the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children.Results:The age of children was (4.35±0.96) years old, and 51.4% of children were 13 975 males. There were 24 634 (90.6%) urban children and 17 916 (65.9%) only children. Both parents with strong support/participation accounted for 14.9%, and those with poor support/participation accounted for 11.9%; both parents with strong compulsion/hostility accounted for 15.2%, and those with low compulsion/hostility accounted for 11.3%. The rates of emotional symptoms, conduct behavior, hyperactive behavior, peer interaction, total difficulty score, and abnormal prosocial behavior of preschool children were 9.5%, 9.5%, 18.2%, 24.5%, 11.2%, and 10.2%, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that after adjusting for gender, only child, living area, family economic status, mother′s age and education level, father′s education level, and other factors, compared with fathers/mothers with strong support/participation and low compulsion/hostility and parents with strong support/participation and low compulsion/hostility, preschool children who had fathers/mothers with poor support/participation and strong compulsion/hostility or parents with poor support/participation and strong compulsion/hostility were more likely to have emotional symptoms, conduct behavior, hyperactive behavior, peer interaction, total difficulty score, and abnormal prosocial behavior ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Parental rearing patterns and their consistency are related to the emotional and behavioral problems of preschool children.