Objective To develop an automated system for the determination of gross α and gross β activity concentrations in water, and to support the rapid and automated monitoring of environmental water bodies. Methods Based on the thick source method, microwave evaporation-ashing was used to replace conventional electric hotplate heating. A grinder and a sample-spreading device were designed and operated via a robotic arm, achieving fully automated pretreatment, sample preparation, and measurement. Results Spike recovery tests demonstrated that the recovery rates were 95.7%-102.5% for gross α and 97.2%-108.1% for gross β. The relative standard deviations were 4.1%-7.8% for gross α and 5.9%-7.7% for gross β. Compared with manual laboratory methods, the average relative errors were 2.17%-6.25% for gross α and 4.17%-6.90% for gross β. The sample preparation time was reduced from an average of 72 hours to less than 5 hours, representing an efficiency improvement of over 90%. Conclusion The developed system enables rapid, accurate, and fully automated monitoring of gross α/β radioactivity, making it suitable for online monitoring of environmental water bodies. It can provide timely data on the radiological indicators of water bodies for environmental protection and water resource management authorities.

Objective To introduce the causes of accidents and the diagnosis and treatment of two patients with radiation-induced skin injury admitted to our hospital in 2023, and to provide a reference for the clinical treatment of subsequent radiation-induced skin injury. Methods The clinical treatment process of two patients with acute skin injury caused by external radiation exposure were summarized and analyzed. Results The exposure history of the two patients was reconstructed, the flaw detection scenario was simulated, the biological dose and hand skin exposure dose were estimated, and the infrared thermal imaging device was used for dynamic monitoring. A comprehensive analysis was conducted based on clinical manifestations and other data. The diagnosis of “Xie” was excessive exposure combined with acute radiation-induced skin injury on both hands (Grade IV for the right hand palm, index finger, and middle finger and Grade II for the left hand little finger). The diagnosis of “Hao” was acute radiation-induced skin injury on both hands (Grade I). The two patients received different clinical treatment measures: “Xie” was treated with both local and systemic therapies, while “Hao” was mainly treated with systemic therapy. Conclusion After systematic and effective treatment, the radiation-induced skin injuries healed in both patients.

Objective With the vigorous development of nuclear reactors and controlled thermonuclear fusion research, the release of tritium, the predominant radionuclide in nuclear wastewater, into the environment has attracted widespread attention. Its impact on human health has also become a hot topic of research. This article presents a visual analysis of the literature on the biological effects of tritium ingestion by organisms over the past 70 years, with the aim of elucidating the biological effects of tritiated water and identifying current research hotspots and emerging trends. Methods We retrieved articles on the biological effects of tritium radiation published in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Web of Science (WOS) over the past 70 years. CiteSpace software was used to generate visual maps, including annual number of publications, countries of publication, keyword clustering, keyword timeline, keyword burst, and literature co-citation. Results A total of 437 articles were included. The cumulative number of annual publications exhibited a linear growth trend. Research hotspots focused on low-radioactivity tritiated water, dose rate effect, DNA double-strand break damage, genetic effect, and cancer mortality. Emerging research frontiers included human lymphocyte immune injury, oxidase activity, comparison of marine organisms in different living environments, comparison of tritium and ionizing radiation effects, changes in mitochondrial ATP content, and the hormetic effect of low-dose radiation. Conclusion In cellular and animal models, high doses of tritium exposure induce negative biological effects. However, whether low doses of tritium esposure elicit beneficial biological effects remains to be further explored. It is suggested that domestic and foreign teams enhance academic collaboration and discussions, focusing on current hotspots and frontiers to deepen our understanding of the biological effects induced by tritium radiation. This will provide scientific solutions for disease treatment and establish a scientific basis for the safe utilization of nuclear energy and the formulation of safety standards for nuclear wastewater discharge.

Objective To conduct a comprehensive survey of the resource allocation and radiological diagnosis frequency in radiological diagnosis and treatment institutions in Shaanxi Province, and provide scientific evidence for optimizing regional medical resource allocation and formulating radiation protection strategies. Methods In 2022, a cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1564 radiological diagnosis and treatment institutions in Shaanxi Province (excluding dental clinics and military/armed police force hospitals). Data on equipment configuration, personnel distribution, and number of diagnostic examinations were collected. Results There were a total of 8798 radiation workers engaged in radiological diagnosis and 3617 X-ray diagnostic units in Shaanxi Province. Moreover, 35.8% (3151) of the radiation workers and 21.9% (792) of the radiological diagnostic units were in tertiary hospitals. There were 91.5 X-ray diagnostic units per million population, including 53.2 X-ray radiography units and 17.1 computed tomography (CT) units per million population. In 2022, the total number of X-ray diagnostic examinations was 21 303 635, primarily including 10 812 197 (50.8%) X-ray radiography examinations and 8 969 358 (42.1%) CT examinations. Analysis of equipment utilization intensity showed that the average annual number of examinations per unit of radiological diagnostic equipment in tertiary hospitals reached 10 506.1, with CT equipment bearing the most prominent workload (13 248.7 examinations/unit). The overall radiological diagnosis frequency was 538.8 examinations/thousand population (273.4 X-ray radiography and 226.8 CT examinations/thousand population). Tertiary, secondary, and primary and below institutions accounted for 39.1%, 44.0%, and 16.9% of the total number of examinations, respectively. Conclusion The radiological diagnosis frequency in Shaanxi Province (538.8 examinations/thousand population) was below the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) Healthcare Level I (823 examinations/thousand population). Issues such as uneven resource distribution and CT equipment overload should be addressed by digital upgrading, hierarchical diagnosis and treatment systems, and enhanced equipment maintenance.

OBJECTIVE To ensure the safety of patients’ drug use and control the risk of medical insurance expenditure by upgrading the pre-prescription review system to conduct pre-review on prescriptions from internet hospitals and external prescriptions， as well as to review the payment methods of drugs （including in-hospital and external drug dispensing）. METHODS The data interfaces of prescriptions from internet hospitals and external prescriptions were integrated to achieve real-time rational drug use intervention. Additionally， an intelligent review project for payment method was added to precisely intervene in the medical insurance payment methods of drugs. The effect of the system upgrade was evaluated by comparing the qualification rates of prescriptions from internet hospitals and external prescriptions and the suspected amounts of drug violations from January to April 2025 （before the system upgrade） and May to August 2025 （after the system upgrade）. RESULTS After the upgrade of the pre-prescription review system， the qualification rates of prescriptions from internet hospitals and external prescriptions increased by 3.5% [95% confidence interval （CI）＝0.3%-6.7%， P ＝0.037 ] ； the suspected amounts of drug violations decreased to 52.9% of the pre-upgrade level （95%CI＝31.6%-88.5%， P ＝0.026）， and the average monthly sequential decrease was 29.5% （95%CI＝12.2%-43.4%， P ＝0.012）. Moreover， the addition of the intelligent review project for payment methods promoted the management of off-label drug use in our hospital. After the upgrade， a total of 79 filling valid applications for off-label drug use were received and archived. CONCLUSIONS The upgrade of the pre-prescription review system effectively improves the review qualification rates of prescriptions from internet hospitals and external prescriptions and the accuracy of medical insurance payment for drugs， and strengthens the supervision of off-label drug use， achieving dual guarantees of clinical rationality and medical insurance compliance.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Qiwei dongqingye powder （QDP） on bronchial asthma in mice. METHODS The mice were divided into blank group （normal saline）， model group （normal saline）， dexamethasone group （2 mg/kg）， and QDP low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （200， 400， 800 mg/kg）， with 14 mice in each group. Except for the blank group， mice in all other groups were given ovalbumin via intraperitoneal injection followed by aerosol inhalation to induce a bronchial asthma model. During the modeling process， mice in each group were administered corresponding drug solutions or normal saline intragastrically/intraperitoneally. After the last medication， the number of cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） of the mice was observed and counted； the pathological changes of the bronchus and lung tissue were observed； the levels of malondialdehyde （MDA）， nitric oxide （NO）， total superoxide dismutase （T-SOD）， and glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px） in the lung tissue of the mice were determined， and the level of interleukin-17 （IL-17） in the BALF and serum was determined. Transcriptomics was employed to predict and validate the mechanism of action of QDP against bronchial asthma. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the total cell count， neutrophil count， lymphocyte count， and macrophage counts in the BALF of the QDP high-dose group were all significantly reduced （ P ＜0.05）； the levels of MDA and NO in the lung tissue， and the levels of IL-17 in the BALF and serum were all decreased significantly （ P ＜0.05）； the levels of T-SOD and GSH-Px were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）； the arrangement of lung tissue cells tended to normalize， with reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells and decreased exfoliation of bronchial simple columnar epithelial cells. The transcriptomic results revealed that the differentially expressed genes were B-cell receptor signaling pathway， nuclear factor κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway， ferroptosis signaling pathway， and others. Further validation revealed that， compared with the model group， the expression levels of NF-κB p65 and chemokine ligand 20， as well as the phosphorylation level of NF-κB inhibitor protein α， were significantly decreased in the lung tissues of the mice in all QDP groups （ P ＜0.05）. Conversely， the protein expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） and heme oxygenase 1 （HO-1） were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS QDP can effectively alleviate bronchial asthma by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway， activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway， regulating oxidative stress， and reducing inflammatory responses.

OBJECTIVE To study the improvement effect and mechanism of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglucoside （TWM） on nephrotic syndrome in rats. METHODS The nephrotic syndrome model was established by intravenous injection of adriamycin via the tail vein. The modeling rats were randomly divided into the model group （distilled water）， prednisone group （10 mg/kg）， and TWM high- and low-dose groups （10 and 5 mg/kg， respectively）. Additionally， blank group （distilled water） without model induction was established. Each group consisted of 9 rats. Rats in each group were administered the corresponding drugs or distilled water by gavage， once a day， for 6 consecutive weeks. The histopathological morphology of kidney tissues in rats was observed； the levels of 24-hour urinary protein （24 h-UTP） and serum biochemical indicators [albumin （ALB）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， serum creatinine （SCr）， cholesterol （CHOL）， and triglyceride （TG）] in rats were determined； the levels of oxidative stress indicators [superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）] in kidney tissue of rats were determined； expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）/microRNA-155-5p （miR-155-5p）/nuclear factor erythriod 2- related factor 2 （Nrf2） signaling pathway-related mRNA and protein in the renal tissues of rats were detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the rats in the model group exhibited disordered renal tissue structure， with a small amount of glomerular necrosis and edema of the renal tubular epithelial cells. 24 h-UTP， serum levels of SCr， BUN， CHOL and TG， MDA content， mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-1α and Keap1 as well as the expression of miR-155-5p in renal tissues were increased significantly （ P ＜0.05）. Serum level of ALB， SOD level in renal tissue as well as mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2 were decreased significantly （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， TWM high-dose and low-dose groups exhibited significant improvements in renal injury， with notable reversals in the levels of the above quantitative indicators （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS TWM can alleviate oxidative stress-induced damage and thereby improve nephrotic syndrome in rats by regulating the HIF-1α/miR-155-5p/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To explore the inhibitory effect and its mechanism of asiaticoside on hypertrophic scar formation in rabbit ears based on the Wnt/ β -catenin pathway. METHODS The hypertrophic scar model in rabbit ears was established. Model rabbits were divided into the model group （normal saline）， asiaticoside low-dose group （12 mg/kg）， asiaticoside high-dose group （24 mg/kg）， and positive control group （tri amcinolone acetonide acetate 40 mg/kg）； additionally， a non-modeled control group （normal saline） was set up. There were 8 rabbits in each group. Rabbits in each group were injected with the corresponding drug solution/normal saline at the base within the scar area once daily for 28 consecutive days. After the last medication， the appearance of hypertrophic scars in rabbit ears was observed， and the hypertrophic scar index was measured； the levels of inflammatory factors [interleukin-6 （IL-6） and IL-10 ] in hypertrophic scar tissue of rabbits were determined； histopathological morphology of hypertrophic scar tissues in rabbit ears was observed， and the protein expression levels of collagen type Ⅰ （COLⅠ）， COLⅢ， Wnt4 and β -catenin in the hypertrophic scar tissues were detected. RESULTS Compared with control group， in the model group， the symptoms of hypertrophic scars were observed， the stratum corneum was thicker， and there was abnormal accumulation and disorganized arrangement of collagen. The hypertrophic scar index， IL-6 level， fibroblast density， area density of collagen fibers， mean optical density values of COLⅠ and COLⅢ， as well as the expression levels of Wnt4 and β -catenin proteins， were all significantly elevated （ P ＜0.05）， while the level of IL-10 was significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the hypertrophic scars in asiaticoside low- and high-dose groups were significantly softened， with a thinned stratum corneum， and the above quantitative indicators were all significantly reversed （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Asiaticoside can inhibit the formation of hypertrophic scars in rabbit ears and alleviate the inflammatory response in scar tissue. Its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of activation of the Wnt/ β -catenin pathway.

Solid organ transplantation (SOT) is an effective treatment method for various end-stage diseases. However, due to the need for long-term use of immunosuppressive drugs to prevent rejection reactions after the surgery, SOT recipients are generally in a state of low immune function, resulting in a significant increase in the risk of infection. Post-transplant infection, especially infections caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria, is one of the common complications for SOT recipients and is also a major cause of graft dysfunction, graft loss and even death of the recipients. As the global situation of bacterial resistance becomes increasingly severe, the burden of infectious diseases continues to increase, seriously threatening the survival prognosis and graft function of SOT recipients. The exploration of new antibiotic research and rational application strategies worldwide has become crucial. The development and launch of various new antibiotics have provided more options for clinical practice. Therefore, systematically reviewing the drug characteristics of new antibiotics and their application status in this special population of SOT recipients is of great significance for guiding clinical practice and improving patients’ prognosis.

Liver transplantation is the preferred treatment for end-stage liver disease, but recipients require long-term immunosuppressive therapy to control rejection, which may lead to complications and affect their long-term survival. Immune tolerance refers to the ability of organ transplant recipients to maintain their immune system's tolerance to the graft without relying on long-term immunosuppressants. Immune tolerance is an ideal goal pursued in the field of organ transplantation, which can reduce adverse drug reactions and improve long-term survival rates. Cell therapy has emerged as a promising strategy to induce such tolerance after liver transplantation. Therefore, this article reviews the application progress of cell therapies such as regulatory T cells, regulatory dendritic cells, mesenchymal stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, etc. in inducing immune tolerance after liver transplantation, in order to provide reference for the clinical application of immune tolerance induction after liver transplantation.