OBJECTIVE To investigate the neuroprotective effect and mechanism of eleutheroside B （ELB） on Parkinson’s disease （PD） model mice by regulating the IκB kinase β （IKKβ）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway. METHODS Fifty mice were randomly divided into normal control group， model group， positive control group （selegiline hydrochloride， 10 mg/kg）， and ELB low-dose and high-dose groups （80， 160 mg/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. Each group was given relevant medicine or normal saline intragastrically for 14 consecutive days. Starting from the 10th day of administration， the model group and all administration groups were intraperitoneally injected with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1，2，3，6-tetrahydropyridine （MPTP） 30 mg/kg， for five consecutive days to establish the chronic PD model. After the last administration for 24 h， six mice were randomly selected from each group to test their behavioral abilities； detect the levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-10， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in brain tissue and their mRNA expressions were measured， and positive expression of tyrosine hydroxylase （TH）， protein expressions of TH， α -synuclein （ α -syn）， ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 （Iba-1）， as well as phosphorylation levels of IKKβ and NF-κB p65 proteins in the brain tissue were detected. The ultrastructure of neurons in substantia nigra was observed. RESULTS Compared with the model group， rotarod endurance time and climbing score of each administration group （except for the ELB low-dose group） were increased significantly （ P ＜0.05）， while the levels and mRNA expressions of IL-1β， TNF-α， α -syn， and Iba-1， as well as phosphorylation levels of IKKβ and NF-κB p65 proteins in brain tissue were decreased significantly （except for TNF-α in the ELB low-dose group）. Conversely， the level and mRNA expression of IL-10 （except for the ELB low-dose group）， TH positive expression and protein expressions were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）. Typical neurodegenerative pathological changes， such as neuronal karyopyknosis， mitochondrial swelling and vacuolization， and endoplasmic reticulum dilation， all showed varying degrees of improvement. CONCLUSIONS ELB may exert neuroprotective effects by inhibiting the activation of the IKKβ/NF-κB signaling pathway， alleviating inflammatory responses， reducing abnormal α -syn aggregation and neuronal loss， and further improving motor dysfunction in PD mice.

ObjectiveTo address the limitations of the current quality standard for Polygalae Radix（PR）， which relies on a single component for quality assessment and struggles to holistically control its intrinsic quality， by constructing a comprehensive quality evaluation system integrating "macro-characterization of chemical profile， synchronous quantification of multiple index components， and quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker（QAMS） for key component groups". This study aims to facilitate the scientific revision of the quality standard for PR. MethodsHigh performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） characteristic chromatograms were established for 11 batches of PR medicinal materials（YZ）， 10 batches of PR decoction pieces（YP）， and 10 batches of licorice-processed PR decoction pieces（ZYZ）， followed by similarity evaluation and identification of common peaks. HPLC-QAMS was developed for xanthones（sibiricaxanthone B， polygalaxanthone Ⅺ， polygalaxanthone Ⅲ） in the characteristic chromatograms. Simultaneously， the external standard method（ESM） was used to determine the contents of the corresponding xanthones and 3，6'-disinapoyl sucrose in YZ， YP， and ZYZ， followed by multivariate statistical analysis and Spearman correlation analysis. ResultsThe similarity between the characteristic chromatograms of 31 batches of PR samples and the reference chromatogram was>0.9. A total of 13 common peaks were identified， and 10 of these peaks were characterized through reference standard comparison. The successfully constructed QAMS method showed that the relative correction factors（RCFs） of sibiricaxanthone B and polygalaxanthone Ⅺ to polygalaxanthone Ⅲ were 0.76 and 0.88， and their relative retention times（RRTs） were 0.85 and 0.97， respectively. The results calculated by the QAMS method showed no significant difference from those obtained by the ESM. According to the limit standard for polygalaxanthone Ⅲ in the 2020 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China（hereinafter referred to as the Chinese Pharmacopoeia）， the pass rate of 31 batches of samples was only 19.35%. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated certain compositional differences between different batches of YZ and YP， as well as between YP and ZYZ， with 3，6'-disinapoyl sucrose identified as the main differentiating component. Furthermore， correlation analysis revealed that the content of polygalaxanthone Ⅲ was positively correlated with the contents of sibiricaxanthone B and polygalaxanthone Ⅺ， but showed no association with the content of 3，6'-disinapoyl sucrose. ConclusionIt is recommended that the content limit for polygalaxanthone Ⅲ in YZ，YP and ZYZ be revised to not less than 0.07%， or the total content of polygalaxanthone Ⅲ， sibiricaxanthone B and polygalaxanthone Ⅺ be not less than 0.18%. The newly established triple quality control model of "holistic control via characteristic chromatograms， precise quantification of oligosaccharide esters， and efficient detection of xanthones by QAMS" provides a systematic and precise solution for quality evaluation of PR and similar Chinese herbal medicines.

Objective To evaluate the application value of artificial intelligence (AI) in the quality control of mammographic images and explore its feasibility for improving image quality. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 500 mammographic images from 125 female patients. These images were acquired in December 2024 at the Department of Radiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Tongji University by two junior technologists with qualification certificate for junior radiologic technologists and ≤ 2 months of independent operation. The reference standard was the evaluation by a panel of senior experts comprising one associate chief radiologist and two intermediate radiologic technologists with over 10 years of experience in mammography. The evaluation was based on nine criteria within an AI quality control system. The correlation and consistency (Kappa test) of the assessment outcomes were compared among the junior technologist group, the AI quality control group, and the panel group. Additionally, the differences in the proportions of high-, medium-, and low-quality images rated by the three groups were analyzed. After one month of AI assistance, 200 images from 50 additional patients acquired by the same two junior technologists in January 2025 were collected. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated for the assessment performance of the junior technologist group before and after AI assistance. Differences were compared using the DeLong test. Changes in the disqualification rates for the nine criteria were analyzed. Results In consistency analysis, the AI quality control group showed high consistency with the panel group across multiple key criteria, with Kappa values ranging from 0.41 to 1.00. In contrast, the consistency between the junior technologist group and the panel group was generally low, with Kappa values ranging from 0.13 to 0.49. In comparison of image quality classification, no significant differences were observed in image quality classification between the AI group and the panel group (P>0.05). However, the proportion of images rated as high quality by the junior technologist group was significantly higher, while the proportions rated as medium and low quality were significantly lower, compared to those rated by the panel group (P<0.05). After AI assistance, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the assessment performance of junior technologist group increased significantly from 0.56 (95%CI: 0.51-0.61) to 0.91 (95%CI: 0.87-0.94) (P<0.001). The disqualification rates for skin folds, incomplete inclusion of the pectoralis major muscle, and nipple not in profile decreased significantly. Conclusion AI demonstrates assessment capability comparable to the panel group in mammographic quality control. AI effectively enhances the quality of images acquired by junior technologists through real-time, objective feedback.

Objective To evaluate the application value of artificial intelligence (AI) in the quality control of mammographic images and explore its feasibility for improving image quality. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 500 mammographic images from 125 female patients. These images were acquired in December 2024 at the Department of Radiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Tongji University by two junior technologists with qualification certificate for junior radiologic technologists and ≤ 2 months of independent operation. The reference standard was the evaluation by a panel of senior experts comprising one associate chief radiologist and two intermediate radiologic technologists with over 10 years of experience in mammography. The evaluation was based on nine criteria within an AI quality control system. The correlation and consistency (Kappa test) of the assessment outcomes were compared among the junior technologist group, the AI quality control group, and the panel group. Additionally, the differences in the proportions of high-, medium-, and low-quality images rated by the three groups were analyzed. After one month of AI assistance, 200 images from 50 additional patients acquired by the same two junior technologists in January 2025 were collected. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated for the assessment performance of the junior technologist group before and after AI assistance. Differences were compared using the DeLong test. Changes in the disqualification rates for the nine criteria were analyzed. Results In consistency analysis, the AI quality control group showed high consistency with the panel group across multiple key criteria, with Kappa values ranging from 0.41 to 1.00. In contrast, the consistency between the junior technologist group and the panel group was generally low, with Kappa values ranging from 0.13 to 0.49. In comparison of image quality classification, no significant differences were observed in image quality classification between the AI group and the panel group (P>0.05). However, the proportion of images rated as high quality by the junior technologist group was significantly higher, while the proportions rated as medium and low quality were significantly lower, compared to those rated by the panel group (P<0.05). After AI assistance, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the assessment performance of junior technologist group increased significantly from 0.56 (95%CI: 0.51-0.61) to 0.91 (95%CI: 0.87-0.94) (P<0.001). The disqualification rates for skin folds, incomplete inclusion of the pectoralis major muscle, and nipple not in profile decreased significantly. Conclusion AI demonstrates assessment capability comparable to the panel group in mammographic quality control. AI effectively enhances the quality of images acquired by junior technologists through real-time, objective feedback.

Objective To evaluate the application value of artificial intelligence (AI) in the quality control of mammographic images and explore its feasibility for improving image quality. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 500 mammographic images from 125 female patients. These images were acquired in December 2024 at the Department of Radiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Tongji University by two junior technologists with qualification certificate for junior radiologic technologists and ≤ 2 months of independent operation. The reference standard was the evaluation by a panel of senior experts comprising one associate chief radiologist and two intermediate radiologic technologists with over 10 years of experience in mammography. The evaluation was based on nine criteria within an AI quality control system. The correlation and consistency (Kappa test) of the assessment outcomes were compared among the junior technologist group, the AI quality control group, and the panel group. Additionally, the differences in the proportions of high-, medium-, and low-quality images rated by the three groups were analyzed. After one month of AI assistance, 200 images from 50 additional patients acquired by the same two junior technologists in January 2025 were collected. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated for the assessment performance of the junior technologist group before and after AI assistance. Differences were compared using the DeLong test. Changes in the disqualification rates for the nine criteria were analyzed. Results In consistency analysis, the AI quality control group showed high consistency with the panel group across multiple key criteria, with Kappa values ranging from 0.41 to 1.00. In contrast, the consistency between the junior technologist group and the panel group was generally low, with Kappa values ranging from 0.13 to 0.49. In comparison of image quality classification, no significant differences were observed in image quality classification between the AI group and the panel group (P>0.05). However, the proportion of images rated as high quality by the junior technologist group was significantly higher, while the proportions rated as medium and low quality were significantly lower, compared to those rated by the panel group (P<0.05). After AI assistance, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the assessment performance of junior technologist group increased significantly from 0.56 (95%CI: 0.51-0.61) to 0.91 (95%CI: 0.87-0.94) (P<0.001). The disqualification rates for skin folds, incomplete inclusion of the pectoralis major muscle, and nipple not in profile decreased significantly. Conclusion AI demonstrates assessment capability comparable to the panel group in mammographic quality control. AI effectively enhances the quality of images acquired by junior technologists through real-time, objective feedback.

HDAC7, a member of class IIa HDACs, plays a pivotal regulatory role in tumor, immune, fibrosis, and angiogenesis, rendering it a potential therapeutic target. Nevertheless, due to the high similarity in the enzyme active sites of class IIa HDACs, inhibitors encounter challenges in discerning differences among them. Furthermore, the substitution of key residue in the active pocket of class IIa HDACs renders them pseudo-enzymes, leading to a limited impact of enzymatic inhibitors on their function. In this study, proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology was employed to develop HDAC7 drugs. We developed an exceedingly selective HDAC7 PROTAC degrader B14 which showcased superior inhibitory effects on cell proliferation compared to TMP269 in various diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Subsequent investigations unveiled that B14 disrupts BCL6 forming a transcriptional inhibition complex by degrading HDAC7, thereby exerting proliferative inhibition in DLBCL. Our study broadened the understanding of the non-enzymatic functions of HDAC7 and underscored the importance of HDAC7 in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, particularly in DLBCL and AML.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is regarded as a neurodegenerative disease, and it has been proposed that AD may be a systemic disease. Studies have reported associations between non-neurological diseases and AD. The correlations between AD pathology and systemic (non-neurological) pathological changes are intricate, and the mechanisms underlying these correlations and their causality are unclear. In this article, we review the association between AD and disorders of other systems. In addition, we summarize the possible mechanisms associated with AD and disorders of other systems, mainly from the perspective of AD pathology. Regarding the relationship between AD and systemic pathological changes, we aim to provide a new outlook on the early warning signs and treatment of AD, such as establishing a diagnostic and screening system based on more accessible peripheral samples.
Alzheimer Disease/therapy* ; Humans ; Brain/pathology*

Pulpotomy, which belongs to vital pulp therapy, has become a strategy for managing pulpitis in recent decades. This minimally invasive treatment reflects the recognition of preserving healthy dental pulp and optimizing long-term patient-centered outcomes. Pulpotomy is categorized into partial pulpotomy (PP), the removal of a partial segment of the coronal pulp tissue, and full pulpotomy (FP), the removal of whole coronal pulp, which is followed by applying the biomaterials onto the remaining pulp tissue and ultimately restoring the tooth. Procedural decisions for the amount of pulp tissue removal or retention depend on the diagnostic of pulp vitality, the overall treatment plan, the patient's general health status, and pulp inflammation reassessment during operation. This statement represents the consensus of an expert committee convened by the Society of Cariology and Endodontics, Chinese Stomatological Association. It addresses the current evidence to support the application of pulpotomy as a potential alternative to root canal treatment (RCT) on mature permanent teeth with pulpitis from a biological basis, the development of capping biomaterial, and the diagnostic considerations to evidence-based medicine. This expert statement intends to provide a clinical protocol of pulpotomy, which facilitates practitioners in choosing the optimal procedure and increasing their confidence in this rapidly evolving field.
Humans ; Calcium Compounds/therapeutic use* ; Consensus ; Dental Pulp ; Dentition, Permanent ; Oxides/therapeutic use* ; Pulpitis/therapy* ; Pulpotomy/standards*

Intentional tooth replantation (ITR) is an advanced treatment modality and the procedure of last resort for preserving teeth with inaccessible endodontic or resorptive lesions. ITR is defined as the deliberate extraction of a tooth; evaluation of the root surface, endodontic manipulation, and repair; and placement of the tooth back into its original socket. Case reports, case series, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the efficacy of ITR in the retention of natural teeth that are untreatable or difficult to manage with root canal treatment or endodontic microsurgery. However, variations in clinical protocols for ITR exist due to the empirical nature of the original protocols and rapid advancements in the field of oral biology and dental materials. This heterogeneity in protocols may cause confusion among dental practitioners; therefore, guidelines and considerations for ITR should be explicated. This expert consensus discusses the biological foundation of ITR, the available clinical protocols and current status of ITR in treating teeth with refractory apical periodontitis or anatomical aberration, and the main complications of this treatment, aiming to refine the clinical management of ITR in accordance with the progress of basic research and clinical studies; the findings suggest that ITR may become a more consistent evidence-based option in dental treatment.
Humans ; Tooth Replantation/methods* ; Consensus ; Periapical Periodontitis/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether hydrocortisone can improve the prognosis of patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP) by Meta-analysis. METHODS: Randomized controlled trial (RCT) on hydrocortisone in the treatment of sCAP were extracted from the database including PubMed, Cochrane library, Web of Science, and Embase, and the search time was up to April 29, 2023. The patients in the standard treatment group received standard treatment such as antibiotics and supportive care, while those in the hydrocortisone group received hydrocortisone treatment on the basis of standard treatment. Meta-analysis was used to compare the mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, mechanical ventilation rate and incidence of adverse reactions (hyperglycemia, gastrointestinal bleeding, secondary infection) between the two groups. The risk of literature bias was assessed. The studies that might have publication bias were corrected by the subtraction and complementation method. At the same time, trial sequential analysis (TSA) was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 5 RCTs involving 1 031 patients were finally enrolled, including 494 patients in the standard treatment group and 537 patients in the hydrocortisone group. Among the 5 studies, the research site of 2 studies was in the mixed ward. Considering the inclusion characteristics of the study population, there was doubt whether its research object was sCAP patients, which might have a certain impact on the results and introduce potential bias. Meta-analysis showed that the mortality in the hydrocortisone group was significantly lower than that in the standard treatment group [6.0% vs. 14.0%; odds ratio (OR) = 0.38, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.25-0.59, P < 0.01; I² = 9%]. The studies that were asymmetric were corrected by the reduction and supplementation method. Even after filling the missing studies, hydrocortisone could still reduce the death risk of the patient (OR = 0.49, 95%CI was 0.32-0.73, P < 0.01; I² = 31%). TSA showed that the average mortality of the standard treatment group was about 14.0%, and that of the hydrocortisone group was about 6.0%, with a relative risk reduction (RRR) = 57%. The calculated sample size was 699 cases, and the actual sample size was 1 031 cases. The actual sample size exceeded the required sample size, and the Z-curve crossed the O'Brien-Fleming boundary and the curve corresponding to P = 0.05, it meant that hydrocortisone could effectively reduce the mortality of sCAP. Compared with the standard treatment group, no statistical difference in the duration of mechanical ventilation was found in the hydrocortisone group [mean difference (MD) = -3.26, 95%CI was -6.72-0.21, P = 0.07; I² = 0%], but the 8-day mechanical ventilation rate was significantly lowered (19.5% vs. 55.4%; OR = 0.24, 95%CI was 0.12-0.45, P < 0.01; I² = 0%), and also no significantly difference was found in the incidence of hyperglycemia (54.3% vs. 44.6%, OR = 1.26, 95%CI was 0.56-2.84, P = 0.58; I² = 61%), gastrointestinal bleeding (2.5% vs. 3.6%; OR = 0.70, 95%CI was 0.34-1.46, P = 0.34; I² = 0%) and secondary infection (9.2% vs. 11.5%; OR = 0.46, 95%CI was 0.06-3.35, P = 0.45; I² = 53%). CONCLUSION Hydrocortisone can reduce the mortality rate of sCAP patients, decrease their need for mechanical ventilation, and does not increase the risk of hyperglycemia, gastrointestinal bleeding, or secondary infections.
Humans ; Hydrocortisone/therapeutic use* ; Community-Acquired Infections/drug therapy* ; Pneumonia/drug therapy* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Respiration, Artificial ; Community-Acquired Pneumonia