Objective This study aims to explore the layout and optimization of management disciplines in"Double First-Class"Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)universities,providing talent support and management guidance for the devel-opment of TCM.Methods Based on an overview of the development of management disciplines in TCM universities,six"Doub-le First-Class"TCM universities were selected as research subjects.Data were collected and compared using web retrieval and lit-erature research methods.Results Management disciplines in TCM universities still face challenges,such as weak foundational infrastructure and difficulties in interdisciplinary integration,insufficient faculty and suboptimal curriculum systems,and a single teaching model with a disconnect between theory and practice.Conclusion This paper proposes targeted suggestions and strate-gies for optimizing the layout of management disciplines in TCM universities,including strengthening support for management dis-ciplines and deepening TCM management characteristics,optimizing curriculum design and enhancing faculty resources,and in-novating teaching models to promote the deep integration of theory and practice.

In recent years, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, the application of deep learning in the field of pathology has been continuously expanding. Particularly, the rise of multimodal data fusion methods has opened up new technical paths for the precise diagnosis, prognosis assessment, and individualized treatment of tumors. By integrating multi-level and multi-source data such as clinical information, pathological omics, molecular omics, and imaging omics, deep learning models can identify potential associated features and key biological mechanisms that are difficult to reveal by a single modality, thereby significantly improving the accuracy of disease classification and the scientific nature of risk stratification. This article systematically reviews the research progress of multimodal data fusion methods based on deep learning in the field of pathology in recent years, focuses on sorting out different types of fusion strategies, evaluates their advantages and challenges in practical clinical applications, and looks forward to future development trends.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of applying function-related grouping model of Changsha medical insurance for patients convalescing from a cerebral infarction using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health′s rehabilitation set (ICF-RS).Methods:Ninety cerebral infarction patients in convalescence were treated according to their functional status, including clinical treatment, rehabilitation, traditional Chinese medicine treatment, and rehabilitation nursing. Within 3 days after admission and at the time of discharge, they were evaluated using a comprehensive assessment system for cerebral infarction based on the ICF-RS. The modified Ashworth scale (MAS), Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA), the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and the Boston diagnostic aphasia examination (BDAE) were also employed.Results:With the exception of ICF-RS item b280 (pain perception) and item x005 of the MAS, all of the remaining assessments indicated significant enhancements compared to the pre-treatment levels. Functional severity grading also improved significantly after the treatment. Thirteen of the ICF-RS categories indicated more favorable therapeutic outcomes after the treatment. That was accompanied by improvements in the FMA upper limb, lower limb and total scores, and in the MMSE scores. However, no significant disparity was detected in the MAS scores or the BDAE grades before and after treatment.Conclusions:The comprehensive evaluation system based on the ICF-RS effectively evaluates the effectiveness of rehabilitation after cerebral infarction in a way suitable for medical insurance purposes.

Recent data suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor (VEGFRi) can enhance the anti-tumor activity of the anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) antibody in colorectal cancer (CRC) with microsatellite stability (MSS). However, the comparison between this combination and standard third-line VEGFRi treatment is not performed, and reliable biomarkers are still lacking. We retrospectively enrolled MSS CRC patients receiving anti-PD-1 antibody plus VEGFRi (combination group, n=54) or VEGFRi alone (VEGFRi group, n=32), and their efficacy and safety were evaluated. We additionally examined the immune characteristics of the MSS CRC tumor microenvironment (TME) through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data, and an MSS CRC immune cell-related signature (MCICRS) that can be used to predict the clinical outcomes of MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was developed and validated in our in-house cohort. Compared with VEGFRi alone, the combination of anti-PD-1 antibody and VEGFRi exhibited a prolonged survival benefit (median progression-free survival: 4.4 vs. 2.0 months, P=0.0024; median overall survival: 10.2 vs. 5.2 months, P=0.0038) and a similar adverse event incidence. Through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis, we determined ten MSS CRC-enriched immune cell types and their spatial distribution, including naive CD4⁺ T, regulatory CD4⁺ T, CD4⁺ Th17, exhausted CD8⁺ T, cytotoxic CD8⁺ T, proliferated CD8⁺ T, natural killer (NK) cells, plasma, and classical and intermediate monocytes. Based on a systemic meta-analysis and ten machine learning algorithms, we obtained MCICRS, an independent risk factor for the prognosis of MSS CRC patients. Further analyses demonstrated that the low-MCICRS group presented a higher immune cell infiltration and immune-related pathway activation, and hence a significant relation with the superior efficacy of pan-cancer immunotherapy. More importantly, the predictive value of MCICRS in MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was also validated with an in-house cohort. Anti-PD-1 antibody combined with VEGFRi presented an improved clinical benefit in MSS CRC with manageable toxicity. MCICRS could serve as a robust and promising tool to predict clinical outcomes for individual MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy.
Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Male ; Female ; Immunotherapy ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Tumor Microenvironment/immunology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Microsatellite Instability ; Transcriptome ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/immunology* ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor/antagonists & inhibitors*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether auraptene (AUR) exerts a protective effect on acute diquat (DQ)-induced liver injury in mice and explore its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Forty SPF-grade healthy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal control group (Control group), DQ poisoning model group (DQ group), AUR treatment group (DQ+AUR group), and AUR control group (AUR group), with 10 mice in each group. The DQ poisoning model was established via a single intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg/kg DQ aqueous solution (0.5 mL); Control group and AUR group received an equal volume of pure water intraperitoneally. Four hours post-modeling, DQ+AUR group and AUR group were administered 0.5 mg/kg AUR aqueous solution (0.2 mL) by gavage once daily for 7 consecutive days, while Control group and DQ group received pure water. Blood and liver tissues were collected after anesthesia on day 7. Liver ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hepatic glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were detected using WST-1, thiobarbituric acid (TBA), and enzymatic reaction methods, respectively. Protein expression of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), and activated caspase-9 in liver tissues was analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Transmission electron microscopy revealed that mitochondria in the Control group exhibited mild swelling, uneven distribution of matrix, and a small number of cristae fractures. In the AUR group, mitochondria showed mild swelling, with no obvious disruption of cristae structure. In the DQ group, mitochondria demonstrated marked swelling and increased volume, matrix dissolution, loss and fragmentation of cristae, and extensive vacuolization. In contrast, the DQ+AUR group showed significantly reduced mitochondrial swelling, volume increase, matrix dissolution, cristae loss and fragmentation, and vacuolization compared to the DQ group. Compared with the DQ group, the DQ+AUR group exhibited significantly lower serum AST levels (U/L: 173.45±23.60 vs. 255.33±41.51), ALT levels (U/L: 51.77±21.63 vs. 100.70±32.35), and hepatic MDA levels (μmol/g: 12.40±2.76 vs. 19.74±4.10), along with higher hepatic GSH levels (mmol/g: 37.65±14.95 vs. 20.58±8.52) and SOD levels (kU/g: 124.10±33.77 vs. 82.81±22.00), the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Western blotting showed upregulated Nrf2 expression (Nrf2/β-actin: 0.87±0.37 vs. 0.53±0.22) and HO-1 expression (HO-1/β-actin: 1.06±0.22 vs. 0.49±0.08), and downregulated Keap1 expression (Keap1/β-actin: 0.82±0.12 vs. 1.52±0.76) and activated caspase-9 expression (activated caspase-9/β-actin: 1.16±0.28 vs. 1.71±0.30) in the DQ+AUR group compared to the DQ group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION AUR attenuates DQ-induced acute liver injury in mice by activating the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Liver/pathology* ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/drug therapy* ; Diquat/poisoning* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Oxidative Stress ; Apoptosis ; Coumarins

OBJECTIVE: Prunella vulgaris L. has long been used for liver protection according to traditional Chinese medicine theory and has been proven by modern pharmacological research to have multiple potential liver-protective effects. However, its effects on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are currently uncertain. Our study explores the effects of P. vulgaris polysaccharides on NASH and intestinal homeostasis. METHODS: An aqueous extract of the dried fruit spikes of P. vulgaris was precipitated in an 85% ethanol solution (PVE85) to extract crude polysaccharides from the herb. A choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet (CDAHFD) was administrated to male C57BL/6 mice to establish a NASH animal model. After 4 weeks, the PVE85 group was orally administered PVE85 (200 mg/[kg·d]), while the control group and CDAHFD group were orally administered vehicle for 6 weeks. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and other methods were used to assess the impact of PVE85 on the liver in mice with NASH. 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis was employed to evaluate the gut microbiota abundance and diversity in each group to examine alterations at various taxonomic levels. RESULTS: PVE85 significantly reversed the course of NASH in mice. mRNA levels of inflammatory mediators associated with NASH and protein expression of hepatic nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) were significantly reduced after PVE85 treatment. Moreover, PVE85 attenuated the thickening and cross-linking of collagen fibres and inhibited the expression of fibrosis-related mRNAs in the livers of NASH mice. Intriguingly, PVE85 restored changes in the gut microbiota and improved intestinal barrier dysfunction induced by NASH by increasing the abundance of Actinobacteria and reducing the abundance of Proteobacteria at the phylum level. PVE85 had significant activity in reducing the relative abundance of Clostridiaceae at the family levels. PVE85 markedly enhanced the abundance of some beneficial micro-organisms at various taxonomic levels as well. Additionally, the physicochemical environment of the intestine was effectively improved, involving an increase in the density of intestinal villi, normalization of the intestinal pH, and improvement of intestinal permeability. CONCLUSION PVE85 can reduce hepatic lipid overaccumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis in an animal model of CDAHFD-induced NASH and improve the intestinal microbial composition and intestinal structure. Please cite this article as: Zhu MJ, Song YJ, Rao PL, Gu WY, Xu Y, Xu HX. Therapeutic role of Prunella vulgaris L. polysaccharides in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and gut dysbiosis. J Integr Med. 2025; 2025; 23(3): 297-308.
Animals ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/drug therapy* ; Male ; Dysbiosis/drug therapy* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Polysaccharides/therapeutic use* ; Prunella/chemistry* ; Mice ; Liver/metabolism* ; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Diet, High-Fat

ObjectiveTo describe the epidemiological characteristics and trend of pulmonary tuberculosis among the elderly in Shanghai from 2014 to 2023, to estimate the incidence between 2024‒2025, so as to provide references for optimizing the prevention and control strategies of pulmonary tuberculosis for elderly in Shanghai. MethodsData of pulmonary tuberculosis patients aged ≥60 years in Shanghai registered in the Tuberculosis Registration and Management System of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2014 to 2023 was derived to describe the demographic characteristics of the elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, and to calculate the reported incidence rate and annual percentage change (APC) of pulmonary tuberculosis. The autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was constructed using monthly reported incidence data from January 2014 to June 2023, and data from July to December in 2023 were used to validate the model and predict the reported incidence rate of pulmonary tuberculosis among elderly in 2024 and 2025. ResultsA total of 19 208 elderly pulmonary tuberculosis patients were registered and reported in Shanghai from 2014 to 2023, with an average annual reported incidence rate of 35.04/100 000. The reported incidence rate of pulmonary tuberculosis in elderly showed an overall decreasing trend, APC=-3.34% (t=-3.360,P=0.010). While, the proportion of elderly pulmonary tuberculosis patients showed a yearly increasing trend among the total registered and reported cases, APC=5.65% (t=10.820, P<0.001). The difference in the average annual reported incidence rate of pulmonary tuberculosis in elderly was statistically significant in different regions (χ²=31.762, P=0.007), with the central urban areas(33.23/100 000) being lower than that in suburban areas (36.46/100 000), and the annual decreasing rate was faster in central urban area, APC=-4.88% (t=-4.838, P<0.001) and -2.76% (t=-2.811, P=0.023), respectively. The incidence rate was significantly higher in males than that in females (χ²=514.395, P<0.001). Additionally, the difference in reported incidence rate was statistically significant among different age groups(χ²=119.751,P<0.001), among which patients aged ≥80 years had the highest average annual incidence rate (59.69/100 000), and those aged ≤60 years had the lowest average annual incidence rate (28.57/100 000). Compared with the non-residential permanent elderly population (47.68/100 000), the average annual incidence rate of pulmonary tuberculosis among the elderly with household registration in Shanghai was lower (33.82/100 000) (χ²=24.295, P<0.001). The ARIMA (0,0,1) (0,1,1) 12 model was used to predict the incidence rate of pulmonary tuberculosis among the elderly in Shanghai in 2024 and 2025, and which was predicted to be 37.41/100 000 and 35.92/100 000, respectively. ConclusionThe reported incidence rate of pulmonary tuberculosis among the elderly in Shanghai showed an overall yearly downward trend from 2014 to 2023, but its proportion in the total number of reported pulmonary tuberculosis cases increased year by year. Prevention and control efforts should still not be slackened and emphasis should be placed on male, suburban and non-residential permanent elderly populations.

Objective To analyze the sleep problems and temperament characteristics of children aged 12-35 months so as to understand the relationship between the sleep problems and temperament in early childhood.Methods 129 toddlers with sleep problems and 129 normal controls were selected.The brief infant sleep questionnaire(BISQ)was used to investigate children's sleep problems and the temperament questionnaire was used to investigate their temperament characteristics.The influence of temperament on sleep problems was analyzed by Logistic regression analysis.Results The temperament types of children aged 12 to 35 months with sleep problems were mainly easy to cultivate and moderately easy to cultivate.There was a statistically significant difference(P<0.05)in the comparison of easily cultivating temperament types between the children with the sleep problems and the control group;Compared with the control group,there were statistically significant differences(P<0.05)in the five dimensions of avoidance,adaptability,emotional essence,persistence,and attention dispersion among children with sleep problems.Compared with the temperament type of easy to cultivate,the proportion of sleep problems in children intermediately easy to cultivate and slow to start was higher(both P<0.05)Conclusion There is a certain relationship between the sleep problems and temperament types in children aged 12 to 35 months.Early understanding of sleep problems and temperament characteristics of toddlers can guide parents to adjust their education methods in time,give parents"individualized"sleep guidance and intervention,reduce the occurrence of long-term development problems and promote the healthy physical and mental development of toddlers.

In recent years,the incidence and mortality rates of hepatocellular carcinoma in China have gradually become close to each other,reflecting persistent limitations in current diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.Given the close association between hepatocellular carcinoma development and the progression of precancerous lesions,the expert panel released the first edition of the Multidisciplinary Experts Consensus on Diagnosis and Treatment of Precancerous Lesions of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in 2020 and updated it in 2023,aiming to advance early-intervention strategies and improve overall patient survival rates.This article provides an in-depth interpretation of the key imaging diagnostic points outlined in the consensus,aiming to offer radiologists at all levels with a robust reference for early identification and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma precancerous lesions,thereby facilitating critical support for timely patient intervention and treatment.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important food crop. The appearance of lesion mimics in rice leads to phytohormone disorders, which affects rice adaptation to environmental stresses and ultimately reduces the yield and quality. To explore whether the changes in the adaptability of rice lesion-mimic mutants to stressful environments are caused by the disorder of phytohormone metabolism in plants. In this study, we screened an ethyl methane sulfonate-treated population of the japonica cultivar 'Taipei 309' for a mutant with rust-like spots on leaves at the early tillering stage and brown-red spots at maturity and named it rsl1 (rust spotted leaf 1). Compared with the wild type, rsl1 showed decreases in plant height, panicle length, primary branch number, secondary branch number, filled grains per panicle, seed-setting rate, and 1 000-grain weight, and an increase in number of effective panicles. Genetic analysis indicated that rsl1 was controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene. RSL1 was localized between two molecular markers, B7-7 and B7-9, on rice chromosome 7 by map-based cloning. PCR sequencing of the annotated genes in this interval revealed a mutation of C1683A on the eighth exon of SPL5 (LOC_Os07g10390) in rsl1, which resulted in premature termination of protein translation. Exogenous phytohormone treatments showed that rsl1 was less sensitive to salicylic acid (SA), abscisic acid (ABA), and indo-3-acetic acid (IAA) and more sensitive to methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and gibberellin acid (GA) than the wild type. In addition, the survival rate of rsl1 was lower than that of the wild type under salt, alkali, drought, and high temperature stresses, and it was higher than that of the wild type under cold stress. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) results showed that RSL1 was involved in the regulation of ABA, SA, MeJA, IAA, and GA-related genes under abiotic stresses. The present study showed that the RSL1 mutation led to the appearance of lesion mimics and affected the growth, development, and stress resistance of rsl1 under abiotic stresses. The study of the functional mechanism of this gene can provide theoretical guidance for the research on rice stress resistance.
Oryza/microbiology* ; Stress, Physiological/genetics* ; Plant Diseases/genetics* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Chromosome Mapping ; Plant Growth Regulators/metabolism* ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Mutation ; Cyclopentanes ; Genes, Plant ; Plant Leaves/genetics* ; Oxylipins