ObjectiveThis study aims to elucidate the potential mechanism of Zuojinwan in improving liver fibrosis through hepatic tissue metabolomics analysis. MethodsTwenty-four mice were randomly allocated into normal group， model group ， positive drug group （silymarin， 100 mg·kg^-1）， and Zuojinwan group （Zuojinwan solution， 2.5 g·kg^-1）， with per group six mice. Liver fibrosis model was induced via intraperitoneal injection of olive oil solution with 10% carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄） （0.5 μL·g^-1， three times weekly for 8 weeks） in all groups except the normal group. During the final 4 weeks， the silymarin group received silymarin （100 mg·kg^-1） by gavage thrice weekly， while the Zuojinwan group was administered Zuojinwan solution （2.5 g·kg^-1） under the same regimen. After the last administration， the levels of liver fibrosis indicators and liver injury markers in serum were detected. The pathological morphological changes of the liver tissues were observed. The levels of liver fibrosis markers α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） and Collagen Ⅰ（ColⅠ） were detected. Metabolomics was analyzed on mice's liver tissues. The mice's serum was collected for metabolomics analysis. ResultsCompared with the model group， Zuojinwan significantly improved indicators related to liver fibrosis and liver injury. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly elevated levels of fibrosis markers such as laminin （LN）， hyaluronic acid （HA）， procollagen typeⅢ （PC-Ⅲ）， and type Ⅳ Collagen （Ⅳ-C）， while liver injury indicators such as alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alkaline phosphatase （ALP）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， and total bilirubin （TBIL）， exhibited a marked upward trend （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the silymarin group showed a significant decrease in the aforementioned indicators （P<0.05）. Notably， compared with the model group， the Zuojinwan group exhibited a significant reduction in all these indicators （P<0.05）， with efficacy comparable to that of the silymarin group. Zuojinwan reduced mRNA and protein levels of α-SMA and ColⅠ in the liver tissue. Metabolomics results revealed that compared with the model group， Zuojiinwan significantly reduced levels of glucose metabolism-related metabolites such as D-fructose 1，6-bisphosphate （FBP）， nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate （NADPH）， sodium beta-D-fructose 6-phosphate （F6P）， dihydroxyacetone phosphate （DHAP）， fumaric acid， and D-glucose 6-phosphate （G6P） （P<0.05）. Serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect glucose metabolism indicators and further validate the regulatory effect of Zuojinwan on glucose metabolism. ConclusionThese results suggest that Zuojinwan may improve liver fibrosis by regulating the dysregulated levels of glucose metabolism during the progression of liver fibrosis.

ObjectiveHistorically documented Zhejiang Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma（Baizhu） possesses premium characteristics such as phoenix-like head and crane-like neck， pronounced sweetness， and fragrant aroma. However， its current market circulation is low， and the processed products with Zhejiang-style characteristics are at the risk of being lost. This study aims to preserve the ancient Zhejiang-style processing techniques and evaluate them using modern scientific methods. MethodsMultidimensional intelligent sensory evaluation was used to digitally characterize the "quality-structure" of the external appearance of nine-steamed and nine-processed Baizhu medicinal materials（intermediate processed products） and the "odor-taste" of the internal quality of its decoction pieces（slices）， and the appearance parameters were digitally characterized by colorimeter， texture analyzer， electronic nose and electronic tongue， the chemical composition was analyzed via ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS）. Then， cluster analysis on the differences in odor between the medicinal materials（intermediate processed products） and decoction pieces（slices） of nine-steamed and nine-processed Baizhu was conducted， as well as the differences in taste between water-soluble and alcohol-soluble extracts of the decoction pieces（slices）， and the correlation analysis of chroma value-alcohol-soluble extract content-component response value. ResultsThe nine-steamed and nine-processed Baizhu had a dark brown to black epidermis， a brownish-yellow to brownish-gray cross-section， a slightly tough texture， a faint odor， and a slightly sweet， bitter and pungent taste. Texture analyzer measurements revealed minimal adhesion and maximum recovery in the middle section of the characteristic processed Baizhu， consistent with the processing endpoint of thorough steaming and cooking. The head section showed the highest internal hardness， elasticity and chewiness， indicating a denser texture in this area. The electronic nose sensor could clearly distinguish the difference between the medicinal materials and its decoction pieces， with a more significant clustering effect at 60 ℃ for 30 minutes compared to ambient temperature headspace for 2 hours， highlighting the significant impact of the baking degree before slicing on the quality. The electronic tongue taste signal map clearly distinguished the differences between water-soluble and alcohol-soluble extracts of nine-steamed and nine-processed Baizhu decoction pieces， and the addition of auxiliary materials during processing could enhance its alcohol-soluble extract content. A total of 82 chemical components were identified in the characteristic processed Baizhu. After processing， the contents of 58 components increased， while 24 components decreased. Correlation analysis revealed significant negative correlations（P<0.01） between ethanol-soluble extract content and colorimetric values of brightness（L^*）， yellow-bule value（b^*）， and total color difference（E^*_ab）. E^*_ab showed marked negative correlations（P<0.05） with the response values of isochlorogenic acid A and C. ConclusionThis study establishes a modern intelligent sensory evaluation model for multidimensional holographic characterization of nine-steamed and nine-processed Baizhu， clarifying the correlation between increased isochlorogenic acid content and the visual color appearance after different steaming cycles， as well as its intrinsic alcohol-soluble extracts. This provides a reference for quality evaluation and processing standards of the Zhejiang-style characteristic processed products.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association of comprehensive control of multiple metabolic risk factors with the risk of all-cause mortality in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease （MASLD） and its quantitative effect. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted based on the data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey （NHANES） in 2003—2018. A total of 29 458 participants were enrolled， including 12 528 patients with MASLD and 16 930 non-MASLD controls. The control status of nine risk factors was assessed， i.e.， hypertension， diabetes， liver fibrosis （assessed by fibrosis-4 index ［FIB-4］）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）/alanine aminotransferase （ALT） ratio， serum albumin， renal function （assessed by serum creatinine）， systemic inflammation （assessed by neutrophil count）， smoking， and physical activity. According to the status of comprehensive risk factor control， the patients with MASLD were further divided into low-control group with 1 107 patients， moderate-control group with 7 042 patients， and high-control group with 4 379 patients. A total of 397 participants were enrolled in the external validation cohort， among whom there were 266 participants with MASLD and 131 participants without MASLD. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Cox proportional hazards model incorporating complex sampling weights for NHANES data were used to investigate the association between the degree of risk factor control and all-cause mortality， and the Kaplan-Meier curve， the log-rank test， restricted mean survival time （RMST）， and population attributable fraction （PAF） were used for further assessment. The robustness of the findings was validated in an independent clinical cohort （n=397）. ResultsThe cohort study based on the NHANES database showed that during the median follow-up time of 6.7 years， 1 171 deaths occurred among the 12 528 patients with MASLD. There was a significant reduction in mortality risk with the increase in the number of risk factors controlled （trend test： χ²=65.06， P<0.001）. Compared with the low-control group， the mortality risk decreased successively in the moderate-control group （hazard ratio ［HR］=0.59， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.51 — 0.69） and the high-control group （HR=0.36， 95%CI： 0.27 — 0.48）， and the mortality risk was reduced by 22% for each additional risk factor controlled （HR=0.78， 95%CI： 0.74 — 0.82）. The PAF analysis showed that AST/ALT ratio control （PAF=19.2%） and physical activity （PAF=18.9%） were the largest contributors. The survival analysis of the sub-cohort constructed based on nearest neighbor matching （with a maximum follow-up time of 13.3 years） showed that there was a significant difference in cumulative survival rate between the MASLD groups with different control levels and the non-MASLD group （P<0.001）. The RMST analysis further quantified the survival benefit of each group， and the high-control group had the longest 10-year RMST （9.88 years）， which was superior to that of the non-MASLD group （9.43 years）， the moderate-control group （9.33 years）， and the low-control group （7.96 years）. The multivariable-adjusted model analysis of the complete cohort showed that compared with the non-MASLD population， the MASLD patients in the low-control group had a significant increase in mortality risk， the moderate-control group had a comparable mortality risk， and the high-control group had a significantly lower mortality risk. The subgroup analysis showed a significant protective effect of comprehensive control in both male and female individuals （P<0.05）， and the interaction analysis suggested a potentially stronger protective effect in female individuals （P_{for interaction}=0.031）. The protective effect was statistically significant in patients aged ≥60 years （P<0.05）. There was a significant difference in protective effect across the groups stratified based on waist circumference （P<0.05）， but there was no significant interaction between groups （P_{for interaction}=0.821）. In the external validation cohort， among the 397 participants， there were 72 cases of all-cause mortality （18.1%）. The survival analysis showed a significant gradient increase in the survival rate of MASLD patients with the increase in the level of control （P=0.022）. The RMST analysis showed that the moderate- and high-control groups had a better RMST than the non-MASLD group at 5 years （4.47 years vs 4.56 years vs 4.40 years）， with a more significant survival advantage at 10 years （8.67 years vs 8.95 years vs 8.44 years）. The Cox regression analysis showed that， with the low-control MASLD group as the reference， there was a significant reduction in mortality risk in the moderate-control group （HR=0.41， 95%CI： 0.21 — 0.81） and the high-control group （HR=0.32， 95%CI： 0.14 — 0.71）； with the non-MASLD population as the reference， there was a significant increase in mortality risk in the low-control group （HR=2.02， 95%CI： 1.03 — 3.95）， with a comparable mortality risk in the moderate-control group （HR=0.83， 95%CI： 0.48 — 1.44） and the high-control group （HR=0.66， 95%CI： 0.30 — 1.38）， and the point estimates of the effects were highly consistent with the main study. ConclusionAmong MASLD patients， better control of metabolic risk factors is associated with a lower mortality risk. Achieving optimal control can eliminate the excess mortality risk associated with MASLD， thereby helping patients achieve a better survival prognosis than the general population.

The diagnosis of hematological disorders is currently established from the combined results of different tests, including those assessing morphology (M), immunophenotype (I), cytogenetics (C), and molecular biology (M) (collectively known as the MICM classification). In this workflow, most of the results are interpreted manually (i.e., by a human, without automation), which is expertise-dependent, labor-intensive, time-consuming, and with inherent interobserver variability. Also, with advances in instruments and technologies, the data is gaining higher dimensionality and throughput, making additional challenges for manual analysis. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising tool in clinical hematology to ensure timely diagnosis, precise risk stratification, and treatment success. In this review, we summarize the current advances, limitations, and challenges of AI models and raise potential strategies for improving their performance in each sector of the MICM pipeline. Finally, we share perspectives, highlight future directions, and call for extensive interdisciplinary cooperation to perfect AI with wise human-level strategies and promote its integration into the clinical workflow.

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is an irreversible sensorineural hearing loss that severely endangers workers’ health, making early screening crucial. This article reviewed the research progress on early screening methods for occupational NIHL, introduced the testing mechanisms of three core screening methods—tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions, and extended high-frequency audiometry —and summarized their clinical application advantages and limitations. It is proposed that multimodal combined detection (e.g., the combination of tympanometry, otoacoustic emissions, and extended high-frequency audiometry) can significantly improve the accuracy and comprehensiveness of early screening. Meanwhile, future studies with prospective cohort design are encouraged to verify the long-term monitoring value of each method and to strengthen the joint development of screening technologies with cutting-edge approaches such as machine learning, in order to further improve screening efficiency and provide stronger protection for workers’ hearing health.

Objective:To investigate the effect of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor BMS-1 on LPS-induced inflammation in mouse microg-lia cells(BV-2 cells).Methods:Bv-2 cells were divided into Control group,LPS group and LPS+BMS-1 group.Bv-2 cells in Control group were cultured in DMEM medium for 78 hours,cells in LPS group were stimulated with 100 ng/ml LPS for 6 hours after 72 hours of normal culture,Bv-2 cells in LPS+BMS-1 group were treated with 50 nmol/ml BMS-1 for 72 hours and then stimulated with 100 ng/ml LPS for 6 hours.Expressions of PD-1 and iNOS mRNA in each group were detected by RT-qPCR,and expressions of PD-1 and iNOS protein in microglia were detected by Western blot.Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis in each group.Levels of inflamma-tory cytokines IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α and IL-10 were detected by ELISA.Results:RT-qPCR and Western blot results showed that com-pared with Control group,LPS group had significantly increased expression of PD-1 and iNOS(P<0.05).Compared with LPS group,LPS+BMS-1 group had significantly decreased expression of PD-1(P<0.05)and significantly increased expression of iNOS(P<0.05).Flow cytometry showed that compared with Control group,LPS group had a significantly increased in apoptosis of microglia(P<0.000 1).Compared with LPS group,LPS+BMS-1 group had a significantly increased in apoptosis of microglia(P<0.000 1).ELISA results showed that compared with Control group,LPS group had no significantly increased in pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-6(P>0.05),while significantly increased in TNF-α(P<0.000 1)and anti-inflammatory factor IL-10(P<0.000 1).Pro-inflammatory cyto-kine IL-1β in LPS+BMS-1 group was significantly higher than that in LPS group(P=0.000 1),IL-6 and TNF-α were also significantly higher than those in LPS group(P<0.000 1),while anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in LPS+BMS-1 group was significantly lower than that in LPS group(P<0.000 1).Conclusion:BMS-1 can promote LPS-induced inflammatory response or impede the recovery of inflammation,and increase apoptosis of microglia.PD-1/PD-L1 pathway may be a potential therapeutic target for neuroinflammation.

Objective To explore the predictive value of ultra-sound(US)combined with multi-sequence MRI in a clinical-deep learning radiomics nomogram(DLRN)for the short-term efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)in patients with triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC).Methods A total of 122 TNBC patients from five hospitals were retrospectively analyzed,and divided into training group(72 cases)and validation group(50 cases).The clinical and pathological data,NAC regimens,and imaging data were collected.The lesions and its surrounding 10-unit voxels from US and MRI images were retained as the region of interest(ROI).Pyradiomics software and a ResNet152 convolutional neural network(CNN)framework were used to extract radiomics and deep learning features to construct a clinical-DLRN with outcome dimension fusion.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and calibration curve were plotted,and five-fold cross-validation decision curve were used to verify the model's clinical effec-tiveness.Results The clinical-DLRN constructed by US combined with multi-sequence MRI showed that area under the curve(AUC)was 0.967[95％confidence interval(CI)0.782-0.967]and accuracy(ACC)was 0.900,respectively.The five-fold cross-validation decision curve showed good generalization,with the highest clinical net benefit between risk thresholds of 0.72 and 0.96.Conclusion The clinical-DLRN integrating US and multi-sequence MRI has the best efficacy in predicting the short-term efficacy of NAC in TNBC patients,which offering potential guidance for personalized TNBC treatment.

Objective To develop an artificial intelligence(AI)diagnostic system for computed tomography angiography(CTA)images related to acute aortic syndrome(AAS)and to evaluate its efficacy in diagnosing and differentiating between AAS subtypes.Methods We collected the CTA images of patients diagnosed with aortic dissection(AD),intramural hematoma(IMH),or penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer(PAU)who were treated in the Department of Peripheral Vascular Diseases,The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University,from June 2016 to June 2022.Based on the strict inclusion and exclusion criteria,2 057 CTA images were selected and extracted.Normal human aorta CTA images served as the control group.The YOLO v7 neural network was used to diagnose and differentiate subgroups of AAS patients in the CTA images,and its diagnostic performance was evaluated.Results The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value,and total accuracy of the AAS diagnostic system based on the YOLO v7 were 98.72％,83.10％,97.82％,89.40％,and 96.92％,respectively.The total accuracy for differential diagnosis of the subgroups was 85.58％.The total accuracy of diagnosis results was significantly higher than that of differential diagnosis results(P＜0.05).Conclusion The AI-based AAS diagnostic system utilizing YOLO v7 meets the established standards for disease diagnosis.However,further research is warranted involving larger image databases and more advanced deep learning networks to improve the differentiation among AAS subtypes.

Objective To investigate the spatiotemporal expression pattern of metabotropic glutamate receptor 4(mGluR4)in the mouse cochlear basilar membrane and its dynamic changes during postnatal development until hair cell synaptic maturation.Methods Ten healthy 3-month-old C57BL/6L wild-type mice(5 males,5 females,25～35 g)were bred to obtain offspring.Cochlear samples from postnatal days 1～30(P1～P30)were analyzed.Frequency-specific auditory brainstem response(ABR)thresholds were measured at 45.2,32.0,22.6,16.0,11.3,8.0,5.6,and 4.0 kHz in P12,P14,P16,P21,and P30 mice.Immunofluorescence assay combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to scan cochlear whole-mount preparations.Spatiotemporal co-localization profiling of mGluR4 and synaptic markers Ctbp2 and Snap25 was observed,and quantitative comparisons of fluorescent puncta density were performed.Results ABR testing revealed undifferentiated waveforms in all P12 mice,while 70%of P14 mice exhibited well-defined Wave I.In P14,P16,P21 and P30,mice undergoing ABR testing,50%failed to exhibit ABR waveforms when stimulated by 45.2 kHz tones,and 87.5%showed no response to 32.0 kHz stimuli.Auditory response thresholds for other frequencies progressively decreased with increasing postnatal age.Immunolocalization demonstrated stronger mGluR4 expression in inner hair cells(IHCs)versus outer hair cells(OHCs).Distinct mGluR4 puncta were observed at IHC presynaptic active zones(co-localized with Snap25)as early as P11,but showed minimal overlap with CtBP2-labeled ribbons.Quantitative analysis revealed significantly higher mGluR4 puncta density at P30 compared to P14 synapses(P<0.05).Conclusion Postnatal upregulation of mGluR4 at IHC synaptic regions correlates with functional maturation.These findings suggest mGluR4 may modulate vesicular exocytosis regulation and exert pharmacological inhibition on glutamate release,potentially influencing synaptic plasticity during auditory pathway refinement.

Objective To investigate the effect of pramlintide,a pancreatic amyloid peptide analog,on learning and memory of Alzheimer's disease(AD)mice through antioxidant stress,and to determine the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt)signaling pathway.Methods The APP/PS1 mice were divided into a pramlintide treatment group(intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 μmol/L per day for 10 weeks)and an AD group(same dose of PBS),with 5 mice in each group.The learning and memory abilities were detected with water maze test,the pathological changes of the hippocampus were observed with HE staining and immunohistochemistry,the morphological characteristics of dendritic spines in hippocampus were observed after Golgi staining,and the ultrastructure of hippocampal neurons was observed through transmission electron microscopy(TEM).The content of malondialdehyde(MDA)and the level of superoxide dismutase(SOD)in the hippocampal tissue were detected by biochemical assay,and the levels of inflammatory factors IL-6,TNF-α and IL-1β were determined with ELISA.Western blotting was applied to measure the expression of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway related proteins in the hippocampus.In the cell experiment,SH-SY5Y cells were added with Aβ 1-42 to establish a cell model of AD.After the cells were treated with pramlintide,the levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory response were detected,and cell apoptosis was detected by immunofluorescence.Results The animal experiments showed that pramlintide treatment resulted in significantly shortened escape latency(P<0.01),increased platform crossings(P<0.01),and prolonged time to exploring hidden platform(P<0.01).In the hippocampal tissue of the pramlintide treatment group,HE staining displayed hippocampal neurons in high density and neat arrangement(P<0.05),immunohistochemical results showed significantly reduced Aβ protein(P<0.01),Golgi staining results demonstrated more dendritic spines(P<0.05),TEM revealed almost intact neuronal mitochondrial structure,with reduced vacuolization and clear and identifiable morphology.When compared with the AD group,the levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory response were decreased(P<0.01),and the relative expression of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt proteins was increased(P<0.01)in the treatment group.In cell experiments,the levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory response were decreased in AD cell model after pramlintide treatment(P<0.01),and the results of immunofluorescence showed that cell apoptosis was declined(P<0.01).Conclusion Pramlintide can improve the cognitive function,reduce the hippocampal deposition of Aβ,reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory response,alleviate the pathological changes of neuronal ultrastructure,and enhance the expression of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in AD mice.