OBJECTIVE To predict and validate the mechanisms of Chaiqi yigan granules （CQYG） improving hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. METHODS The signaling pathways of CQYG intervention in HCC were predicted using network pharmacology. A mice model of transplanted hepatocellular carcinoma was established by injecting H22 hepatoma cells into the axilla. Successfully modeled mice were randomly divided into model group （normal saline）， sorafenib group （positive control， 50 mg/kg）， and CQYG low-， medium- and high-dose groups （24.83， 49.66， 99.32 g/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. Mice in each group were administered the corresponding drug solution or normal saline intragastrically， once a day， for 14 consecutive days. After last administration， pathological morphological changes in the tumor tissues of mice were observed in each group. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of the nuclear proliferation antigen Ki-67 in tumor tissues of mice. Western blot assay was used to measure the expression of proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） [N-cadherin， E-cadherin， Vimentin， matrix metalloproteinase 7 （MMP7）] and the mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway [p38 MAPK， phosphorylated p38 MAPK， c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK）， phosphorylated JNK， extracellular regulated protein kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2）， phosphorylated ERK1/2] in tumor tissue of mice. RESULTS Network pharmacology analysis revealed that metabolic pathways， pathways in cancer， and the MAPK signaling pathway were key signaling pathways through which CQYG exert their anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects. In animal experiments， the tumor tissues of mice in the model group exhibited dense tumor cells and vigorous growth. Compared with model group， CQYG high-dose group showed a decreased density of tumor cells in the tumor tissues of mice. Moreover， the expression levels of Ki-67， N-cadherin， MMP7 and Vimentin proteins， along with the phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 and JNK proteins， were all significantly reduced （ P ＜0.05）. The expression level of E-cadherin protein was significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）， the phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK protein was increased， the difference was not statistically significant （ P ＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS CQYG can inhibit EMT by regulating the MAPK signaling pathway， thereby suppressing tumor cell invasion and metastasis and ultimately exerting a therapeutic effect in improving HCC.

Objective:To evaluate the treatment outcome of liver transplantation for patients with polycystic liver disease (PLD).Methods:Clinical data of 28 PLD patients admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from May 2014 to November 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, including 10 males and 18 females, aged (50.4±6.6) years. Patients were divided into liver transplantation group ( n=15) and non-liver transplantation group ( n=13). In the liver transplantation group, we analyzed seve-ral critical parameters including methods of liver transplantation, intra-abdominal fluid volume, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative red blood cell transfusion requirements, and postoperative complications. The prognosis of the two groups were also compared. Results:Among the 28 patients with PLD, 15 underwent liver transplantation, including 11 classic in situ liver transplantations, one modified back-to-back liver transplantation, and three liver-kidney combined transplantations. The 15 patients had 2 000 (300, 4 000) ml of abdominal fluid, 1 000 (600, 2 000) ml of intraoperative blood loss, and 8.0 (6.0, 17.0) U of red blood cells transfused during the operation. Postoperative complications occurred in eight cases, with four of which were managemed successfully, and the other four died. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates of after liver transplantation were 80.0%, 80.0%, and 73.3%, respectively. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates of patients with PLD without liver transplantation were 69.2%, 46.2%, and 38.5%, respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( χ2=3.91, P=0.048). Conclusion:Liver transplantation is a treatment option for patients with PLD, with a better long-term survival compared to patients without liver transplantation.

The therapeutic effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are closely related to the structure of the stimulation coil. Based on this, this study designed an A-word coil and proposed a multi-strategy fusion multi-objective slime mould algorithm (MSSMA) aimed at optimizing the stimulation depth, focality, and intensity of the coil. MSSMA significantly improved the convergence and distribution of the algorithm by integrating a dual-elite guiding mechanism, a hyperbolic tangent control strategy, and a hybrid polynomial mutation strategy. Furthermore, compared with other stimulation coils, the novel coil optimized by the MSSMA demonstrates superior performance in terms of stimulation depth. To verify the optimization effects, a magnetic field measurement system was established, and a comparison of the measurement data with simulation data confirmed that the proposed algorithm could effectively optimize coil performance. In summary, this study provides a new approach for deep TMS, and the proposed algorithm holds significant reference value for multi-objective engineering optimization problems.
Algorithms ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation/instrumentation* ; Equipment Design ; Humans

This study reports the diagnosis and treatment of six cases of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) in liver transplant recipients, confirmed at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University between August 2017 and May 2023. The report includes details on anti-rejection therapy, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections, imaging findings, histopathological results, treatment courses, and prognoses. By summarizing the clinical experience in the diagnosis and management of PTLD following liver transplantation, this study aims to provide valuable insights and references for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this condition.

This study retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 9 recipients with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) after liver transplantation admitted to the Organ Transplantation Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2020 to June 2024, and summarized their clinical manifestations, pathological features, treatment regimens, and prognostic conditions, so as to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To evaluate the treatment outcome of liver transplantation for patients with polycystic liver disease (PLD).Methods:Clinical data of 28 PLD patients admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from May 2014 to November 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, including 10 males and 18 females, aged (50.4±6.6) years. Patients were divided into liver transplantation group ( n=15) and non-liver transplantation group ( n=13). In the liver transplantation group, we analyzed seve-ral critical parameters including methods of liver transplantation, intra-abdominal fluid volume, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative red blood cell transfusion requirements, and postoperative complications. The prognosis of the two groups were also compared. Results:Among the 28 patients with PLD, 15 underwent liver transplantation, including 11 classic in situ liver transplantations, one modified back-to-back liver transplantation, and three liver-kidney combined transplantations. The 15 patients had 2 000 (300, 4 000) ml of abdominal fluid, 1 000 (600, 2 000) ml of intraoperative blood loss, and 8.0 (6.0, 17.0) U of red blood cells transfused during the operation. Postoperative complications occurred in eight cases, with four of which were managemed successfully, and the other four died. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates of after liver transplantation were 80.0%, 80.0%, and 73.3%, respectively. The 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates of patients with PLD without liver transplantation were 69.2%, 46.2%, and 38.5%, respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( χ2=3.91, P=0.048). Conclusion:Liver transplantation is a treatment option for patients with PLD, with a better long-term survival compared to patients without liver transplantation.

This study reports the diagnosis and treatment of six cases of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) in liver transplant recipients, confirmed at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University between August 2017 and May 2023. The report includes details on anti-rejection therapy, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections, imaging findings, histopathological results, treatment courses, and prognoses. By summarizing the clinical experience in the diagnosis and management of PTLD following liver transplantation, this study aims to provide valuable insights and references for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this condition.

This study retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 9 recipients with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) after liver transplantation admitted to the Organ Transplantation Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2020 to June 2024, and summarized their clinical manifestations, pathological features, treatment regimens, and prognostic conditions, so as to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To investigate the application of endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy (EUS-LB) to liver transplant recipients.Methods:In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 12 liver transplant recipients who underwent EUS-LB by the same endoscopist and specimens were diagnosed and reported by the same pathologist due to abnormal liver function or need to be evaluated for graft fibrosis in the Organ Transplantation Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were enrolled into the EUS-LB group from December 2021 to March 2022, meanwhile, a total of 23 patients whose PLB was completed by the same hepatologist and specimens were diagnosed by the same pathologist during the same period were enrolled in the PLB group. Acquisition of liver specimens and postoperative adverse events of the two groups were compared.Results:Patients in both groups were punctured 1-2 times on average, and the median total length of liver specimens in the EUS-LB group was significantly longer than that in the PLB group (61 mm VS 17 mm, Z=11.362, P=0.002). There was no significant difference in the length of the longest liver specimens between the two groups (17.6±6.9 mm VS 13.7±3.5 mm, t=2.382, P=0.086), while the number of liver specimens in the EUS-LB group was more than that in the PLB group (4.8±2.1 VS 2.3±1.2, t=9.271, P=0.001). The number of complete portal tracts was 11.3±4.6 in the EUS-LB group and 6.2±3.3 in the PLB group ( t=8.457, P=0.003). Abdominal pain was the only postoperative adverse event, and only 1 patient in the EUS-LB group had postoperative abdominal pain, which was fewer than that in the PLB group [8.3% (1/12) VS 43.5% (10/23), χ2=4.893, P=0.036]. Conclusion:Compared with PLB, EUS-LB delivers longer liver biopsy specimens with more complete portal tracts in liver transplant recipients, and fewer recipients complain about postoperative pain in EUS-LB group. Therefore, EUS-LB is a safer, more effective and more comfortable liver biopsy method.

This article reports a patient with hepatic coma who underwent artificial liver support therapy and liver transplantation successfully， and the patient recovered well in the later stage after active treatment. This article also discusses the timing of liver transplantation.