Objective To explore the optimal method for preparing fresh and fixed skeletal muscle tissues,and to lay an experimental foundation for the rapid diagnosis of and research into the pathogenesis of skeletal muscle diseases.Methods The tibialis anterior muscle was extracted from C57BL/6J mice.Fresh tissue was treated by direct rapid freezing in liquid nitrogen,embedding combined with liquid nitrogen freezing,and foreign body alkane treatment combined with liquid nitrogen freezing.Fixed tissues were pre-treated by direct embedding with embedding agent combined with rapid liquid nitrogen freezing.The frozen sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin.The cross-sectional areas of ice crystals and muscle fibers were calculated to evaluate the effects of the different pre-treatment method.Results The morphology of the muscle fiber bundles was disrupted and numerous ice crystal vacuoles were observed in fresh tissues after direct liquid nitrogen freezing and foreign body alkane treatment combined with liquid nitrogen freezing.In contrast,the muscle fiber bundles were intact and dense and there were no ice crystals in tissues treated with embedding agent combined with rapid liquid nitrogen freezing,indicating that this pre-treatment method was suitable for preparing fresh skeletal muscle tissue.Fixed tissue treated with embedding agent and liquid nitrogen freezing also showed complete muscle fiber bundles and no ice crystals.Conclusions Treatment of fresh and fixed skeletal muscle tissues with embedding agent combined with rapid liquid nitrogen freezing preserves muscle fiber bundles,with no ice crystals.Tissues prepared by this method are thus suitable for further examinations,such as immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.This method will therefore aid the accurate and rapid diagnosis of and research into the pathogenesis of skeletal muscle diseases.

Objective:To compare the clinical and ultrasonic features of elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis(EORA)and young-onset rheumatoid arthritis(YORA).Methods:A total of 104 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis were categorized into two groups based on their age of onset: the EORA group, consisting of 70 patients, and the YORA group, consisting of 34 patients.A comparative analysis was conducted on the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and ultrasonic images of patients in these two groups.Results:The male ratio in the EORA group was significantly higher than that in the YORA group(24.3% vs.8.8%, P=0.048).There were no statistical differences in the course of disease, DAS28, ESR, CRP, RF, and anti-CCP antibody positive rates between the two groups( P>0.05)when compared with the YORA group.The incidence of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis in the EORA group was significantly higher than that in the YORA group( P=0.018, P=0.011).Ultrasonic results revealed a significantly higher incidence of phalangeal bone erosion in the EORA group compared to the YORA group(14.9% vs.4.3%, P<0.01).Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that different age groups, disease duration, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis did not have an effect on the ultrasonic changes of synovial hyperplasia, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, and bone erosion in RA patients. Conclusions:There is no significant difference in the clinical disease activity and disease progression between EORA group and YORA group.Additionally, the pattern of joint inflammation involvement is similar in both groups.Ultrasound examinations revealed a higher incidence of bone erosion in finger joints of EORA patients compared to YORA patients.

Objective To address the challenges of poor performance and lack of interpretability in existing models,the SHAP algorithm is used to develop an interpretable machine learning model that offers a novel approach to wound age estimation,Methods Based on the previous discovery of the expression of 35 wound age healing-related genes in contused skeletal muscle,the woun age estimaton model was constructed using four algorithms,namly,Multilayer Perceptron(MLP),Random Forest(RF),LightGBM(LGBM),and Support Vector Machine(SVM).The SHAP(Shapley Additive Explanation)algorithm was used to rank the importance of genetic features,eliminate redundant attributes,and optimize the model for accurate wound age estimation.the genetic features of the optimal model were analyzed using SHAP's local interpretation capabilities.Results The best results were obtained using model of MLP(area under the curve(AUC)=0.99)The wound ages were classified into four categories:4～12 h,16～24 h,28～36 h,and 40～48 h,using only 15 gene features.According to SHAP analysis,Fam210a was identified as the most relevant gene.Local analysis revealed that high expression of Fam210a contributed to an increase in the predicted probability of 4 h～12 h,while high expression of Rae1 contributed to an increase in the predicted probability of 16 h～24 h.Additionally,low expression of Tbx18 contributed to an increase in the predicted probability of 28 h～36 h,whereas high expression of Tbx18 contributed to an increase in the predicted probability of 40 h～48 h.Conclusions The combined MLP and SHAP model can be used to predict wound age.Using the SHAP interpreter can better understand the degree of contribution of feature genes to the model prediction,and lay the foundation for further in-depth study of wound age estimation.

Objective:To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of HEMO-FISS-QoL(HF-QoL) questionnaire (HF-QoL-C) in the Chinese population with hemorrhoids.Methods:From November 2021 to November 2022, a self-constructed general information questionnaire, HF-QoL-C, and the 36-item short form health survey (SF-36), Goligher classification, and Giordano severity of hemorrhoid symptom questionnaire (GSQ) were used to conduct a questionnaire survey on 760 hemorrhoid patients in the anorectal department of six hospitals. The data was analyzed for reliability and validity using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 26.0 software.Results:The Cronbach's α coefficient of HF-QoL-C and its dimension ranged from 0.831 to 0.960, and the split coefficient was 0.832-0.915. Four common factors were extracted through principal component exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable structural validity( χ2/ df=8.152, RSMEA=0.097, CFI=0.881, IFI=0.881, NFI=0.867). HF-QoL-C was correlated with SF36 and GSQ( r=-0.694, 0.501, both P<0.01). There were differences in the total score and dimensional scores of HF-QoL-C between surgical and drug treated patients, different grades of Goligher classification for hemorrhoidal disease, and different ranges of hemorrhoid prolapse (all P<0.001). No ceiling effect was found in the total score and the scores of each dimension(0.3%-2.0%). There was a floor effect in both psychological function and sexual activity dimensions (16.7%, 35.1%). Conclusion:HF-QoL-C has good reliability and validity, which can be used to measure the quality of life of Chinese hemorrhoid patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the regulatory effect of Changju Zhidong prescription on gut microbiota structure of children with tic disorder（TD）. MethodTwenty-four children with TD who visited the pediatric outpatient clinic of Dongzhimen Hospital of Bejjing University of Chinese Medicine from November 2020 to January 2022 were selected as the observation group， and eight healthy children were selected as the normal group. The observation group was treated with Changju Zhidong prescription for 12 weeks， and the clinical efficacy was observed by Yale global tic severity scale（YGTSS）， traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） syndrome score， and score of TCM symptom evaluation scale for pediatric gastrointestinal tract. Meanwhile， The fecal samples of the observation and normal groups were collected before and after treatment， and 16S rDNA sequencing was used to explore the effects of Changju Zhidong prescription on the distribution of gut microbiota of the children. ResultCompared with the pre-treatment， the YGTSS， TCM syndrome score， and score of TCM symptom evaluation scale for pediatric gastrointestinal tract of the observation group were significantly reduced after 12 weeks of treatment（P<0.05）， Simpson and Pieloue indices in alpha diversity were significantly reduced（P<0.05）. Before treatment， the relative abundance of Streptococcus parasanguini in the observation group was significantly higher than that of the normal group， while the relative abundances of Citrobacter， Lactobacillus， Lacticaseibacillus， Muribaculaceae unclassified， Odoribacter and 7 other bacterial groups were significantly lower than that in the normal group. Compared with the pre-treatment， the observation group showed a significant decrease in Ruminococcus torques group unclassified and Ruminococcus torques group， and a significant increase in Olsenella， Acetivibrio and 4 other bacterial groups. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the main pathways of Changju Zhidong prescription regulating gut microbiota were bacterial secretion system， insect hormone biosynthesis， limonene and pinene degradation， novobiocin biosynthesis， tropane piperidine and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis. ConclusionThe pathogenesis of children with TD is accompanied by intestinal flora disorders， and Changju Zhidong prescription can improve core and gastrointestinal symptoms， increase the abundance of beneficial and decrease the abundance of harmful gut microbiota in children with TD， and its mechanism may be through the metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides.

Following the principles of evidence-based medicine,in accordance with the structure and drafting rules of standardized documents,based on literature research,according to the characteristics of chronic cough in children and issues that need to form a consensus,the TCM Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Cough in Children was formulated based on the Delphi method,expert discussion meetings,and public solicitation of opinions.The guideline includes scope of application,terms and definitions,eti-ology and diagnosis,auxiliary examination,treatment,prevention and care.The aim is to clarify the optimal treatment plan of Chinese medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease,and to provide guidance for improving the clinical diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough in children with Chinese medicine.

Vigabatrin-associated brain abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (VABAM) is a relatively rare side effect of vigabatrin, most of which are asymptomatic. However, there will be extremely rare cases with hyperkinetic disorders, myoclonus, tremor, and acute encephalopathy under certain circumstances. VABAM is often underappreciated by physicians and its accurate incidence remains unclear. A female infant who was diagnosed with infantile spasms and required adrenocorticotropic hormone therapy accompanied by various antiseizure medicines was reported. Unfortunately, she became lethargic and her spasm deteriorated gradually after vigabatrin exposure. Her brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed abnormal signals bilaterally in the dorsal midbrain, thalamus, and rostral part of the pallidum. She had a seizure amelioration and became lively as a result of vigabatrin withdrawal. In the meanwhile, magnetic resonance imaging returned to normal. Attempts were made to discover the risk factors of VABAM and potential pathogenesis. Further understanding of the disease should contribute to decreasing misdiagnosis and making precise decisions.

Objective:To investigate the serum levels of secreted frizzled-related protein-4 (SFRP-4) and heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their predictive value for adverse pregnancy outcomes.Methods:A total of 123 pregnant women with GDM who were admitted from Jun. 2020 to Aug. 2022 were collected as the observation group, and 120 healthy pregnant women who underwent obstetric examination in our hospital were gathered as the control group. Serum SFRP-4 and HSP60 levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) , clinical data of selected persons were collected; Pearson method was used to analyze the correlation between serum SFRP-4 and HSP60 levels and glucose and lipid metabolism indexes; ROC curve was used to analyze the serum SFRP-4 and HSP60 in the diagnosis of adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with GDM.Results:There were no obvious differences in age, pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational age, pregnancy times, and serum HDL-C or LDL-C between the control group and the GDM group ( P>0.05) . FBG, FINS, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, TG, and TC in GDM group were obviously higher than those in control group [ (6.41±0.73) vs (4.98±0.61) mmol/L, (12.35±2.33) vs (7.61±1.56) mIU/L, (9.34±1.26) vs (5.74±0.23) %, (3.42±0.55) vs (1.27±0.53) , (1.74±0.82) vs (1.21±0.23) mmol/L, (4.98±1.21) vs (4.57±1.13) mmol/L] ( P<0.05) . The levels of serum SFRP-4 and HSP60 in the GDM group were obviously higher than those in the control group [ (5.68±1.78) vs (3.26±0.95) ng/mL, (32.56±6.28) vs (18.42±3.24) ng/mL] ( P<0.05) ; Serum SFRP-4 and HSP60 in GDM patients were positively correlated with FBG, FINS, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR ( P<0.05) , but had nothing to do with TG, TC, HDL-C, and LDL-C ( P>0.05) . Compared with the good pregnancy outcome group, the serum SFRP-4 and HSP60 levels in the poor group were obviously increased [ (7.41±1.62) vs (4.75±1.55) ng/mL, (38.31±5.76) vs (29.47±5.41) ng/mL] ( P<0.05) . The AUC of serum SFRP-4 combined HSP60 to diagnose adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients was 0.931, with a sensitivity of 86.05% and a specificity of 87.50%. The combined diagnostic performance was higher than that of the single test ( Z=2.070, P=0.038; Z=2.001, P=0.045) . Conclusions:The levels of serum SFRP-4 and HSP60 in GDM patients are increased, which are related to GDM pregnancy outcomes. The combination of the two has certain diagnostic value for adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM patients.

Objective:To investigate the imaging characteristics on contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)of carotid plaque instability and their correlation with histopathological changes in elderly patients.Methods:Twenty-three patients undergone carotid endarterectomy(CEA)at the Department of Neurosurgery of Beijing Hospital from June 2018 to November 2020 were retrospectively enrolled, including 27 males and 5 females, aging from 60 to 87(68.1±6.3)years.They were diagnosed with moderate to severe carotid artery stenosis(50%-99%)based on digital subtraction angiography(DSA).Carotid artery CEUS was conducted before surgery, and HE staining and CD34 immunohistochemical staining were used to record histopathological scores and microvessel density(MVD)counts.Results:The mean pathological score and MVD count were 2.46±0.66 and 37.17±12.88 for 32 cases with hypoechoic patterns, 22.42±0.55 and 38.06±13.66 for 18 cases with mixed echo patterns, and 2.75±0.35 and 23.50±9.192 for 2 cases with strong echo patterns, respectively.CEUS grading was positively correlated with histopathology score and MVD count( r=0.53、0.76, all P<0.01). Conclusions:Low echo and mixed echo plaques are more unstable than strong echo plaques.CEUS can be used to comprehensively assess the vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques and to decide the optimal surgical time for patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaque stenosis.

The automatic recognition technology of muscle fatigue has widespread application in the field of kinesiology and rehabilitation medicine. In this paper, we used surface electromyography (sEMG) to study the recognition of leg muscle fatigue during circuit resistance training. The purpose of this study was to solve the problem that the sEMG signals have a lot of noise interference and the recognition accuracy of the existing muscle fatigue recognition model is not high enough. First, we proposed an improved wavelet threshold function denoising algorithm to denoise the sEMG signal. Then, we build a muscle fatigue state recognition model based on long short-term memory (LSTM), and used the Holdout method to evaluate the performance of the model. Finally, the denoising effect of the improved wavelet threshold function denoising method proposed in this paper was compared with the denoising effect of the traditional wavelet threshold denoising method. We compared the performance of the proposed muscle fatigue recognition model with that of particle swarm optimization support vector machine (PSO-SVM) and convolutional neural network (CNN). The results showed that the new wavelet threshold function had better denoising performance than hard and soft threshold functions. The accuracy of LSTM network model in identifying muscle fatigue was 4.89% and 2.47% higher than that of PSO-SVM and CNN, respectively. The sEMG signal denoising method and muscle fatigue recognition model proposed in this paper have important implications for monitoring muscle fatigue during rehabilitation training and exercise.
Electromyography ; Memory, Short-Term ; Muscle Fatigue ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Recognition, Psychology