OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanism of the Yishen paidu formula on renal fibrosis in rats with chronic renal failure （CRF） through the reactive oxygen species （ROS）/thioredoxin-interacting protein （TXNIP）/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 （NLRP3） pathway. METHODS Rats were randomly divided into control group， model group， Yishen paidu formula low-dose （Yishen paidu formula-L） group， Yishen paidu formula high-dose （Yishen paidu formula- H） group， Yishen paidu formula-H+pcDNA-NC group， and Yishen paidu formula-H+ pcDNA-TXNIP group， with 10 rats in each group. Except for control group， all other rats were fed a diet containing 0.5% adenine to establish a CRF model； the rats were then administered corresponding drugs or normal saline intragastrically or via tail vein， once daily， for 8 consecutive weeks. After the last administration， the levels of serum creatinine （Scr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， ROS， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin （IL）-6， and IL-1β were measured in each group. Pathological changes in renal tissue were observed， and the protein expression levels of Collagen Ⅲ， α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1）， TXNIP and NLRP3 in renal tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with model group， the renal histopathological damage and fibrosis of rats in Yishen paidu formula-L group and Yishen paidu formula-H group were significantly alleviated. The levels of Scr， BUN， ROS， MDA， TNF- α， IL-6 and IL-1β， and the protein expressions of Collagen Ⅲ， α-SMA， TGF-β1， TXNIP and NLRP3 were significantly decreased， while SOD levels were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Moreover， the changes were more pronounced in the Yishen paidu formula-H group （P＜0.05）. Compared with Yishen paidu formula-H+pcDNA-NC group， above indexes of rats in Yishen paidu formula-H+pcDNA-TXNIP group were reversed significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Yishen paidu formula can inhibit renal fibrosis in CRF rats by suppressing the ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway.

BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

The pathological changes of myocardial infarction （MI） are mainly characterized by progressive myocardial ischemic necrosis， decline in cardiac diastolic function， thinning of the ventricular wall， and enlargement of the ventricles. The clinical manifestations include myocardial ischemia， heart failure， arrhythmia， shock， and even sudden cardiac death， rendering MI one of the most perilous cardiovascular diseases. Currently， the clinical treatment for MI primarily involves interventional procedures and drug therapy. However， due to their significant side effects and high complication rates associated with these treatments， they fail to ensure a satisfactory quality of life and long-term prognosis for patients. On the other hand， traditional Chinese medicine has demonstrated remarkable potential in improving patient prognosis while reducing side effects. Research has elucidated that various signaling pathways such as nuclear transcription factor-κB （NF-κB）， adenosine 5̒-monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）/Smads， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， Wnt/β-catenin （β-catenin）， and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B（Akt） play crucial roles in regulating the occurrence and development of MI. Effectively modulating these signaling pathways through its therapeutic interventions， traditional Chinese medicine can enhance MI management by inhibiting apoptosis， providing anti-inflammatory properties， alleviating oxidative stress levels， and resisting myocardial ischemia. Due to its notable efficacy and favorable safety， it has become an area of focus in clinical practice.

ObjectivePhotoacoustic pump-probe imaging can effectively eliminate the interference of blood background signal in traditional photoacoustic imaging, and realize the imaging of weak phosphorescence molecules and their triplet lifetimes in deep tissues. However, background differential noise in photoacoustic pump-probe imaging often leads to large fitting results of phosphorescent molecule concentration and triplet lifetime. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel triplet lifetime fitting method for photoacoustic pump-probe imaging. By extracting the phase of the triplet differential signal and the background noise, the fitting bias caused by the background noise can be effectively corrected. MethodsThe advantages and feasibility of the proposed algorithm are verified by numerical simulation, phantom and in vivo experiments, respectively. ResultsIn the numerical simulation, under the condition of noise intensity being 10% of the signal amplitude, the new method can optimize the fitting deviation from 48.5% to about 5%, and has a higher exclusion coefficient (0.88>0.79), which greatly improves the fitting accuracy. The high specificity imaging ability of photoacoustic pump imaging for phosphorescent molecules has been demonstrated by phantom experiments. In vivo experiments have verified the feasibility of the new fitting method proposed in this paper for fitting phosphoometric lifetime to monitor oxygen partial pressure content during photodynamic therapy of tumors in nude mice. ConclusionThis work will play an important role in promoting the application of photoacoustic pump-probe imaging in biomedicine.

A strategy combining a tailored database and high-throughput activity screening that discover bioactive metabolites derived from Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex(MOC)was developed and implemented to rapidly profile and discover bioactive metabolites in vivo derived from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).The strategy possessed four characteristics:1)The tailored database consisted of metabolites derived from big data-originated reference compound,metabolites predicted in silico,and MOC chemical profile-based pseudomolecular ions.2)When profiling MOC-derived metabolites in vivo,attentions were paid not only to prototypes of MOC compounds and metabolites directly derived from MOC compounds,as reported by most papers,but also to isomerized metabolites and the degradation products of MOC compounds as well as their derived metabolites.3)Metabolite traceability was performed,especially to distinguish isomeric prototypes-derived metabolites,prototypes of MOC compounds as well as phase Ⅰ metabolites derived from other MOC compounds.4)Molecular docking was utilized for high-throughput activity screening and molecular dynamic simulation as well as zebrafish model were used for verification.Using this strategy,134 metabolites were swiftly characterized after the oral administration of MOC to rats,and several metabolites were reported for the first time.Furthermore,17 potential active metabolites were discovered by targeting the motilin,dopamine D2,and the serotonin type 4(5-HT4)receptors,and part bioactivities were verified using molecular dynamic simulation and a zebrafish constipation model.This study extends the application of mass spectrometry(MS)to rapidly profile TCM-derived metabolites in vivo,which will help pharmacologists rapidly discover potent metabolites from a complex matrix.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of inferior gluteus maximus muscle-pedicled myocutaneous flap for reconstruction of stage Ⅳ ischial pressure sores.Methods:Clinical data of patients with stage Ⅳ ischial pressure sores treated between April 2020 and September 2023 at the First People’s Hospital of Yulin were retrospectively analyzed. Underlying comorbidities were treated preoperatively to assure surgical safety. Stage Ⅰ management involved radical debridement of infected tissue followed by vacuum sealing drainage (VSD). Stage Ⅱ reconstruction was performed after inflammation control. An inferior gluteus maximus-pedicled myocutaneous flap was designed laterally to the defect. The muscle component width exceeded the skin paddle width, with the distal muscle extending about 3 cm beyond the skin island. The flap was advanced medially in a V-Y fashion to cover the defect. The donor site was sutured in layers. Postoperative flap viability, wound healing, aesthetic outcomes, and pressure sores recurrence were assessed.Results:A total of 20 patients were included in this study. Among them, 14 were males and 6 were females. The age ranged from 27 to 72 years, with a mean age of 52.3 years. The body mass index (BMI) ranged from 17.8 to 31.3 kg/m 2, with a mean BMI of 21.0 kg/m 2. All had paraplegia secondary to spinal cord injury. Comorbidities included type 2 diabetes and (or) hypertension (10 cases) and ischial osteomyelitis (3 cases). Pressure sores duration ranged from 1 month to 3 years. Defect sizes were 3 cm×4 cm to 5 cm×10 cm (depth: 3-6 cm). Flap sizes matched defects (3 cm×4 cm to 5 cm×10 cm), with muscle dimensions of 2 cm×5 cm×9 cm to 3 cm×8 cm×15 cm. Postoperatively, all 20 flaps showed good blood supply without flap necrosis. The wound healing time ranged from 12 to 22 days (mean: 15 days). Seventeen cases achieved primary wound healing. The remaining three cases developed fat liquefaction at the donor sites, but their wounds eventually healed after dressing changes on postoperative days 18, 20, and 22, respectively. During follow-up (mean: 13 months, range: 6-34 months), the flaps maintained good texture with no recurrence. Conclusion:The inferior gluteus maximus muscle-pedicled myocutaneous flap provides sufficient bulk, simple design, and reliable transposition for dead-space obliteration and surface coverage in stage Ⅳ ischial pressure sores. This technique yields favorable aesthetics and low recurrence rates.

Objective To summarize the changing prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacterales based on the data of CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021 for improving antimicrobial treatment in clinical practice.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a commercial automated susceptibility testing system according to the unified CHINET protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints of the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)M100 31st ed in 2021.Results Over the seven-year period(2015-2021),the overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE)was 9.43％(62 342/661 235).The prevalence of CRE strains in Klebsiella pneumoniae,Citrobacter freundii,and Enterobacter cloacae was 22.38％,9.73％,and 8.47％,respectively.The prevalence of CRE strains in Escherichia coli was 1.99％.A few CRE strains were also identified in Salmonella and Shigella.The CRE strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(44.23±2.80)％,followed by blood(20.88±3.40)％and urine(18.40±3.45)％.Intensive care units(ICUs)were the major source of the CRE strains(27.43±5.20)％.CRE strains were resistant to all the β-lactam antibiotics tested and most non-β-lactam antimicrobial agents.The CRE strains were relatively susceptible to tigecycline and polymyxins with low resistance rates.Conclusions The prevalence of CRE strains was increasing from 2015 to 2021.CRE strains were highly resistant to most of the antibacterial drugs used in clinical practice.Clinicians should prescribe antimicrobial agents rationally.Hospitals should strengthen antibiotic stewardship in key clinical settings such as ICUs,and take effective infection control measures to curb CRE outbreak and epidemic in hospitals.

Objective To characterize the changing species distribution and antibiotic resistance profiles of respiratory isolates in hospitals participating in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Methods Commercial automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems and disk diffusion method were used to test the susceptibility of respiratory bacterial isolates to antimicrobial agents following the standardized technical protocol established by the CHINET program.Results A total of 589 746 respiratory isolates were collected from 2015 to 2021.Overall,82.6％of the isolates were Gram-negative bacteria and 17.4％were Gram-positive bacteria.The bacterial isolates from outpatients and inpatients accounted for(6.0±0.9)％and(94.0±0.1)％,respectively.The top microorganisms were Klebsiella spp.,Acinetobacter spp.,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus,Haemophilus spp.,Stenotrophomonas maltophilia,Escherichia coli,and Streptococcus pneumoniae.Each microorganism was isolated from significantly more males than from females(P＜0.05).The overall prevalence of methicillin-resistant S.aureus(MRSA)was 39.9％.The prevalence of penicillin-resistant S.pneumoniae was 1.4％.The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase(ESBL)-producing E.coli and K.pneumoniae was 67.8％and 41.3％,respectively.The overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant E.coli,K.pneumoniae,Enterobacter cloacae,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and Acinetobacter baumannii was 3.7％,20.8％,9.4％,29.8％,and 73.3％,respectively.The prevalence of β-lactamase was 96.1％in Moraxella catarrhalis and 60.0％in Haemophilus influenzae.The H.influenzae isolates from children(＜18 years)showed significantly higher resistance rates to β-lactam antibiotics than the isolates from adults(P＜0.05).Conclusions Gram-negative bacteria are still predominant in respiratory isolates associated with serious antibiotic resistance.Antimicrobial resistance surveillance should be strengthened in clinical practice to support accurate etiological diagnosis and appropriate antimicrobial therapy based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing results.

This study was aimed at preliminarily investigating the genetic and antimicrobial resistance characteristics of Salmonella Alachua isolates through whole-genome analyses.Five Salmonella Alachua isolates from various sources(both hu-man and non-human)were collected and identified.Phenotype and serotype verification,antimicrobial susceptibility testing,and whole-genome sequencing were performed.Virulence genes,antimicrobial resistance genes,and plasmid replicons were predicted according to globally available Salmonella Alachua genomic data.A phylogenetic tree was constructed to explore the genetic background.The first report of Salmonella Alachua in China emerged in Shanghai in 2015,and patients presented pri-marily with diarrhea.The isolates have been found predominantly in the eastern and southern coastal regions.Among the five i-solates analyzed,four belonged to sequence type(ST)2061,and one belonged to ST1298.All isolates were susceptible to most commonly used clinical antibiotics.Whole-genome analyses revealed that two ST2061 strains carried the blaKPC-2 gene,and one ST1298 strain carried the fosA7 gene.Phylogenetic analysis of global Salmonella Alachua populations indicated that the ST2061 clone belonged to the C1 clade,which was closely related to strains from the UK,whereas the ST1298 clone was found in the C4 clade,a globally disseminated fosA 7-positive lineage.This study provides initial insights into the genetic and antimi-crobial resistance characteristics of Salmonella Alachua in China,highlighting the presence of strains carrying blaKPC-2 and fo-sA7 genes.These findings may provide a reference for future large-scale molecular epidemiological surveillance and source-trac-ing efforts,and they underscore the importance of enhanced resistance monitoring for Salmonella Alachua.

Objective To analyze the global research literature on monkeypox from 2014 to 2024 through bibliometric analysis,and provide reference for monkeypox research in China.Methods Based on data from the Web of Science Core Collection database and utilizing the visualization analysis capabilities of VOSviewer software,we employed keyword co-occurrence analysis and national cooperative network analysis methods and examined the trends in monkeypox research publications,popular journals,high-yield institutions,international collaborations,and keywords.Results A total of 2 396 papers were published from 2014 to 2024,with a significant increase in publications after 2022.The United States had the highest number of publications(808 papers,accounting for 33.72%).The network of international scientific collaborations showed close cooperation between the United States and countries like the United Kingdom and Canada,frequent collaborations among developing countries such as China and India,and extensive cooperation among European countries like Italy and Spain,which also established partnerships with Brazil,Mexico,and others.Keywords co-occurrence clustering and essential science indicators(ESI)highly cited papers revealed that the monkeypox research hotspots after 2022 including the analysis of the virology,clinical,epidemiological characteristics of the global outbreak in 2022,uncovering the causes of the global outbreak and the differences from previous outbreaks.Studies on vaccines and antiviral drugs also gradually became focal points.Conclusion Since the outbreak of monkeypox in 2022,monkeypox research has developed rapidly.Papers focus on specific populations,and gradually shifting from virological,clinical and epidemiological characterization to the development of new drugs,vaccines,and clinical validation studies.