ObjectiveTo explore the effect of different drying conditions on the appearance and intrinsic quality indicators of Pinelliae Rhizoma for screening suitable drying conditions， so as to provide reference for its standardized production and quality evaluation. MethodsDifferent dried samples of Pinelliae Rhizoma were prepared by lime-assisted sweating method and intermittent drying method. Visual analysis was employed to measure the color brightness values（L^*） of the surface， cross-section and powder of the samples， texture analyzer was used to determine the hardness of the samples under different drying conditions. The total starch content was calculated by measuring the contents of amylose and amylopectin in the samples with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. High performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was used to determine the contents of seven nucleoside components（uracil， hypoxanthine， uridine， inosine， guanosine， β-thymidine and adenosine） in the samples. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between the external characteristics and intrinsic indicators of the different dried samples. Principal component analysis（PCA） was used to comprehensively rank the data of various indicators， and partial least squares-discriminant analysis（PLS-DA） was used to screen differential components with variable importance in the projection（VIP） value>1. Furthermore， the difference between the optimal drying condition for Pinelliae Rhizoma and the traditional sun-drying method was explored by independent samples t-test. ResultsWith the increase of temperature， the color of the intermittently dried samples gradually deepened， while their hardness gradually decreased. Concurrently， the contents of extract， total starch， uridine and adenosine exhibited an upward trend， whereas the contents of uracil， hypoxanthine and inosine displayed a downward trajectory. Compared with the intermittent drying group， the content of extract in the samples subjected to lime-assisted sweating increased. With the increase of lime dose， the hardness and the total content of nucleoside components in the samples showed a downward trend， while the total starch content showed an upward trend. Correlation analysis showed that the comprehensive score of L^* was negatively correlated with the contents of uracil， hypoxanthine and inosine， and positively correlated with the contents of uridine， guanosine and adenosine. Hardness was negatively correlated with adenosine content， and positively correlated with the contents of inosine， uracil and hypoxanthine. Through comprehensive consideration and comprehensive score of principal components， the method of 5% lime-mixed sweating for 6 days emerged as the top-ranking approach. Except for the extract， the results of independent samples t-test showed that there was no significant difference between the 5% lime-mixed sweating for 6 days and the traditional sun-drying in terms of other content indicators. ConclusionThe whiteness and firmness of Pinelliae Rhizoma exhibit significant correlations with its chemical composition， while uridine， uracil， guanosine， adenosine and inosine are the key constituents responsible for the quality difference of Pinelliae Rhizoma under different drying conditions. The lime-assisted sweating method optimized in this study can be proposed as a viable alternative to the traditional sun-drying method. This method not only ensures the quality of the medicinal material but also effectively reduces the drying time and prevents mold contamination， which provides a valuable reference for the standardization of drying conditions and the establishment of quality evaluation criteria for Pinelliae Rhizoma.

Dental stem cells (DSCs), a distinct subset of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are isolated from dental tissues, such as dental pulp, exfoliated deciduous teeth, periodontal ligament, and apical papilla. They have emerged as a promising source of stem cell therapy for tissue regeneration and autoimmune disorders. The main types of DSCs include dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), and stem cells from apical papilla (SCAP). Each type exhibits distinct advantages: easy access via minimally invasive procedures, multi-lineage differentiation potential, and excellent ethical acceptability. DSCs have demonstrated outstanding clinical efficacy in oral and maxillofacial regeneration, and their long-term safety has been verified. In oral tissue regeneration, DSCs are highly effective in oral tissue regeneration for critical applications such as the restoration of dental pulp vitality and periodontal tissue repair. A defining advantage of DSCs lies in their ability to integrate with host tissues and promote physiological regeneration, which render them a better option for oral tissue regenerative therapies. Beyond oral applications, DSCs also exhibit promising potential in the treatment of systemic diseases, including type Ⅱ diabetes and autoimmune diseases due to their immunomodulatory effects. Moreover, extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from DSCs act as critical mediators for DSCs' paracrine functions. Possessing regulatory properties similar to their parental cells, EVs are extensively utilized in research targeting tissue repair, immunomodulation, and regenerative therapy-offering a "cell-free" strategy to mitigate the limitations associated with cell-based therapies. Despite these advancements, standardizing large-scale manufacturing, maintaining strict quality control, and clarifying the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction of DSCs and their EVs with recipient tissues remain major obstacles to the clinical translation of these treatments into broad clinical use. Addressing these barriers will be critical to enhancing their clinical applicability and therapeutic efficacy. In conclusion, DSCs and their EVs represent a transformative approach in regenerative medicine, and increasing clinical evidence supports their application in oral and systemic diseases. Continuous innovation remains essential to unlocking the widespread clinical potential of DSCs.
Humans ; Dental Pulp/cytology* ; Translational Research, Biomedical ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology* ; Periodontal Ligament/cytology* ; Stem Cells/cytology* ; Regeneration ; Tooth, Deciduous/cytology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Regenerative Medicine

The incidence of allergic rhinitis (AR) is increasing year by year, especially in children. AR not only affects the growth, development, life and learning of children but also causes huge economic and social burdens. This study explores the impact of individual factors such as genetic polymorphisms, epigenetics, inflammatory response mechanisms, and microecological influence mechanisms on children′s AR. It also reviews the impact of external factors such as allergenic factors, ambient air pollutants, infection and immunity factors, and climate and climate change on the disease, with the aim of improving understanding of AR in children and providing a basis for its prevention and treatment.

Objective:To analyze the temporal trends of the incidence rate of tuberculosis (TB) in Shaanxi Province and provide a reference for WHO to control the prevalence of TB effectively.Methods:Joinpoint regression was used to analyze the trend of the incidence rate of TB in Shaanxi Province from 2004 to 2022, and the seasonal autoregressive moving average model was used to forecast the incidence rate of TB in Shaanxi Province to 2030.Results:The incidence rate of TB in Shaanxi Province decreased from 90.896/100 000 in 2004 to 35.364/100 000 in 2022, showing a general downward trend (AAPC=-7.72%, P<0.001). From 2014 to 2019, the reduction trend slowed down (APC=-0.69%, P=0.814), of which the largest decline occurred from 2019 to 2022 (APC=-13.26%, P=0.010). The predicted incidence rate of TB in Shaanxi Province from 2020 to 2022 was higher than the reported incidence rate, with the expected incidence rate of 51.342/100 000 in 2022 and 43.468/100 000 in 2030. Conclusion:The incidence rate of TB in Shaanxi Province shows a downward trend from 2004 to 2022, but the decline has shrunk in recent years. It is predicted that the downward trend will continue to slow down by 2030.

Objective To detect the expression of vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein 33A(VPS33A)in the peripheral blood of elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis,and explore its correlation with clinical prognosis.Methods A total of 95 elderly pulmonary tuberculosis patients admitted to Macheng City People's Hospital from February 2019 to February 2021 were collected as the research group,and 90 healthy subjects in the same period were selected as control group.The expression of VPS33A and Toll like receptor 2(TLR2)in peripheral blood was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR),and the level of interleukin-6(IL-6)in peripheral blood was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were given standardized anti-tuberculosis regimen therapy(2HRZE/4HR)treatment,and they were followed up for 12 months.According to their prognosis,they were divided into good prognosis group(n=58)and bad prognosis group(n=37).The predictive value of VPS33A for poor prognosis was analyzed by ROC curve.The correlation between serum VPS33A,IL-6 and TLR2 in poor prognosis group was analyzed by Pearson method.Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the factors influencing poor prognosis in elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.Results Compared with the control group,VPS33A level(0.87±0.22 vs 1.02±0.23)in peripheral blood was lower,but IL-6(22.13±5.36 pg/ml vs 18.53±4.68 pg/ml)and TLR2 levels(1.26±0.25 vs 0.99±0.21)were higher in the pre-treatment study group,with significant differences(t=6.170,6.682,11.241,all P＜0.05).Compared with the pre-treatment study group,VPS33A level(0.95±0.25)in peripheral blood was higher,but IL-6(19.66±5.44 pg/ml)and TLR2 levels(1.11±0.2)were lower in the post-treatment study group,with significant differences(t=3.336,4.648,6.331,all P＜0.05).The level of VPS33A(0.71±0.16)in peripheral blood of poor prognosis group was lower than that of good prognosis group(0.97±0.22),while the levels of IL-6(26.41±7.16 pg/ml)and TLR2(1.35±0.26)were higher than those of good prognosis group(19.40±4.21pg/ml,1.20±0.24),with significant differences(t=5.555,6.012,2.875,all P＜0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that VPS33A in the pre-treatment study group was negatively correlated with IL-6 and TLR2 levels(r=-0.649,-0.634,all P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis results showed that the AUCs of VPS33A,IL-6 and TLR2 for predicting the prognosis of tuberculosis in the elderly were 0.805,0.842 and 0.882,respectively.The combined AUC of the three was 0.971,which was higher than that predicted by the three alone(Z=4.010,3.136,2.285,P=0.001,0.002,0.022).Logistic regression analysis showed that VPS33A,IL-6 and TLR2 were the influencing factors for poor prognosis of elderly pulmonary tuberculosis patients(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The expression of VPS33A is down-regulated in the peripheral blood of elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis,which may be a good predictive value for the prognosis of elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis,and be a factor affecting bad prognosis.

Objective To evaluate the application value of golden angle radial sparse parallel(Grasp)sequence in contrast-enhanced MRI of liver.Methods The imaging data of 30 patients who underwent gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid contrast-enhanced MRI of liver were collected.With the same equipment,images were collected by Grasp sequence and breath-hold sequence separately,with an interval of less than 3 months.The subjective and objective scores of the late arterial phase and portal venous phase images were evaluated.Results There were no significant differences in all subjective scores of the late arterial phase and portal venous phase images between the two sequences(P＞0.05).The signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)of the late arterial phase images in the Grasp sequence was lower than that in the breath-hold sequence(148.4±52.8 vs 195.6±68.4),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.01).Although the SNR of the portal venous phase in the Grasp sequence was lower than that in the breath-hold sequence,the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).There was no statistical difference in the other objective scores between the two sequences(P＞0.05).Conclusion The image quality of Grasp sequence in contrast-enhanced MRI of liver can meet the diagnositic requirements,and it is suitable for patients with poor breath-hold capacity,which has important application value.

Objective To analyze the predictive value of anti-rheumatoid arthritis-33(anti-RA33),interleu-kin-6(IL-6)and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP)levels for treatment response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA)based on the decision curve.Methods A total of 102 RA patients admitted to the hospital from January 2021 to August 2023 were selected.The clinical data of the patients were collected and their serum anti-RA33,IL-6 and hs-CRP levels were detected.After half a year of treatment with methotrex-ate and etanercept,the patients were divided into good response group and non-response group according to the treatment response.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the levels of anti-RA33,IL-6,hs-CRP and disease activity score 28(DAS28)in RA patients.Multivariate Logistic regres-sion analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of non-response in RA patients.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to analyze the efficacy of anti-RA33,IL-6 and hs-CRP in non-response to RA.The decision curve was used to analyze the net benefit of anti-RA33,IL-6 and hs-CRP alone or in com-bination to predict the non-response of RA patients to treatment.Results After half a year of treatment,80 patients had good or moderate response(good response group)and 22 patients had no response(non-response group).The course of disease in the good response group was shorter than that in the non-response group,and DAS28 score was lower than that in the non-response group(P＜0.05).The levels of serum anti-RA33,IL-6 and hs-CRP in the good response group were lower than those in the non-response group(P＜0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that the levels of serum anti-RA33,IL-6 and hs-CRP were negatively correlated with DAS28 score(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that DAS28 score,anti-RA33,IL-6 and hs-CRP levels were the influencing factors of non-response to treatment in RA patients(P＜0.05).ROC curves showed that the area under the curve of serum anti RA33,IL-6,hs-CRP single and combined for predicting patients without reaction were 0.729,0.814,0.831,0.948,and the combined prediction value was higher.The decision curve analysis showed that within the scope of the most reasonable threshold.The overall net benefit of serum anti-RA33,IL-6 and hs-CRP combined predicted treatment responsiveness in RA patients was higher than the net benefit predicted alone.Conclusion The levels of anti-RA33,IL-6 and hs-CRP are closely related to the treatment response of RA patients.The combination of the three has high clinical value and net benefit in predicting no response to treatment.

The incidence of allergic rhinitis (AR) is increasing year by year, especially in children. AR not only affects the growth, development, life and learning of children but also causes huge economic and social burdens. This study explores the impact of individual factors such as genetic polymorphisms, epigenetics, inflammatory response mechanisms, and microecological influence mechanisms on children′s AR. It also reviews the impact of external factors such as allergenic factors, ambient air pollutants, infection and immunity factors, and climate and climate change on the disease, with the aim of improving understanding of AR in children and providing a basis for its prevention and treatment.

Objective:To analyze the temporal trends of the incidence rate of tuberculosis (TB) in Shaanxi Province and provide a reference for WHO to control the prevalence of TB effectively.Methods:Joinpoint regression was used to analyze the trend of the incidence rate of TB in Shaanxi Province from 2004 to 2022, and the seasonal autoregressive moving average model was used to forecast the incidence rate of TB in Shaanxi Province to 2030.Results:The incidence rate of TB in Shaanxi Province decreased from 90.896/100 000 in 2004 to 35.364/100 000 in 2022, showing a general downward trend (AAPC=-7.72%, P<0.001). From 2014 to 2019, the reduction trend slowed down (APC=-0.69%, P=0.814), of which the largest decline occurred from 2019 to 2022 (APC=-13.26%, P=0.010). The predicted incidence rate of TB in Shaanxi Province from 2020 to 2022 was higher than the reported incidence rate, with the expected incidence rate of 51.342/100 000 in 2022 and 43.468/100 000 in 2030. Conclusion:The incidence rate of TB in Shaanxi Province shows a downward trend from 2004 to 2022, but the decline has shrunk in recent years. It is predicted that the downward trend will continue to slow down by 2030.

Background::Evidence indicates that low muscle strength is associated with an increased cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risk. However, the association between muscle strength changes based on repeated measurements and CVD incidence remains unclear.Methods::The study used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2011 (Wave 1), 2013 (Wave 2), 2015 (Wave 3), and 2018 (Wave 4). Low muscle strength was defined as handgrip strength <28 kg for men or <18 kg for women, or chair-rising time ≥12 s. Based on changes in muscle strength from Waves 1 to 2, participants were categorized into four groups of Normal-Normal, Low-Normal, Normal-Low, and Low-Low. CVD events, including heart disease and stroke, were recorded using a self-reported questionnaire during Waves 3 and 4 visits. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the association between muscle strength changes and CVD incidence after multivariable adjustments. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated with the Normal-Normal group as the reference.Results::A total of 1164 CVD cases were identified among 6608 participants. Compared to participants with sustained normal muscle strength, the CVD risks increased progressively across groups of the Low-Normal (HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.01-1.43), the Normal-Low (HR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.14-1.60), and the Low-Low (HR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.49-2.07). Similar patterns were observed for the significant associations between muscle strength status and the incidence risks of heart disease and stroke. Subgroup analyses showed that the significant associations between CVD and muscle strength changes were consistent across age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) categories.Conclusions::The study found that muscle strength changes were associated with CVD risk. This suggests that continuous tracking of muscle status may be helpful in screening cardiovascular risk.