Objective: To develop QingNangTCM, a specialized large language model (LLM) tailored for expert-level traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) question-answering and clinical reasoning, addressing the scarcity of domain-specific corpora and specialized alignment. Methods: We constructed QnTCM_Dataset, a corpus of 100 000 entries, by integrating data from ShenNong_TCM_Dataset and SymMap v2.0, and synthesizing additional samples via retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and persona-driven generation. The dataset comprehensively covers diagnostic inquiries, prescriptions, and herbal knowledge. Utilizing P-Tuning v2, we fine-tuned the GLM-4-9B-Chat backbone to develop QingNangTCM. A multi-dimensional evaluation framework, assessing accuracy, coverage, consistency, safety, professionalism, and fluency, was established using metrics such as bilingual evaluation understudy (BLEU), recall-oriented understudy for gisting evaluation (ROUGE), metric for evaluation of translation with explicit ordering (METEOR), and LLM-as-a-Judge with expert review. Qualitative analysis was conducted across four simulated clinical scenarios: symptom analysis, disease treatment, herb inquiry, and failure cases. Baseline models included GLM-4-9B-Chat, DeepSeek-V2, HuatuoGPT-II (7B), and GLM-4-9B-Chat (freeze-tuning). Results: QingNangTCM achieved the highest scores in BLEU-1/2/3/4 (0.425/0.298/0.137/0.064), ROUGE-1/2 (0.368/0.157), and METEOR (0.218), demonstrating a balanced and superior normalized performance profile of 0.900 across the dimensions of accuracy, coverage, and consistency. Although its ROUGE-L score (0.299) was lower than that of HuatuoGPT-II (7B) (0.351), it significantly outperformed domain-specific models in expert-validated win rates for professionalism (86%) and safety (73%). Qualitative analysis confirmed that the model strictly adheres to the “symptom-syndrome-pathogenesis-treatment” reasoning chain, though occasional misclassifications and hallucinations persisted when dealing with rare medicinal materials and uncommon syndromes. Conclusion Combining domain-specific corpus construction with parameter-efficient prompt tuning enhances the reasoning behavior and domain adaptation of LLMs for TCM-related tasks. This work provides a technical framework for the digital organization and intelligent utilization of TCM knowledge, with potential value for supporting diagnostic reasoning and medical education.

Using conventional broth microdilution assays,the synthetic phenolic antioxidant 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol(butylated hydroxytoluene,BHT)was screened for synergistic antimi-crobial activity with β-lactam antibiotics.Further validation through checkerboard assays,growth curve analysis,and time-kill curve experiments confirmed the synergistic effect of BHT and β-lac-tams against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA)(FICI≤0.5).To elucidate the underlying mechanism of synergy,this study evaluated changes in membrane permeability and pro-ton transmembrane gradients-key factors in biofilm functionality-along with critical indicators of bacterial energy metabolism,including ATP levels and the NAD+/NADH ratio.The results dem-onstrated that BHT disrupts the proton motive force(PMF),impairs membrane potential,and perturbs bacterial energy homeostasis,thereby significantly enhancing the antibacterial efficacy ofβ-lactams.Furthermore,a murine pneumonia infection model was established to assess the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of BHT combined with amoxicillin.The combination therapy alleviated pulmo-nary tissue damage,reduced bacterial loads in target organs(liver,spleen,and lungs),and decreased systemic inflammatory responses.This study elucidates the synergistic antimicrobial action and mechanistic basis of BHT combined with amoxicillin,offering a novel combinatorial therapeutic strategy to address MRSA resistance.The findings hold significant clinical potential and research value for overcoming antibiotic resistance in MRSA infections.

Salmonellosis represents a global epidemic, and the emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Salmonella and its sustained transmission worldwide constitutes a significant public health concern. Flagellum-mediated motility serves as a crucial virulence trait of Salmonella that guides the pathogen toward the epithelial surface, enhancing gut colonization. Artemisia argyit essential oil, a traditional herb extract, demonstrates efficacy in treating inflammation-related symptoms and diseases; however, its effects on flagellum assembly and expression mechanisms in anti-Salmonella activity remain inadequately explored. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which Artemisia argyit essential oil addresses Salmonella infections. Network pharmacological analysis revealed that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Artemisia argyit exhibited anti-Salmonella infection potential and inhibited flagellum-dependent motility. The application of Artemisia argyit essential oil induced notable motility defects through the downregulation of flagellar and fimbriae expression. Moreover, it significantly reduced Salmonella-infected cell damage by interfering with flagellum-mediated Salmonella colonization. In vivo studies demonstrated that Artemisia argyit essential oil administration effectively alleviated Salmonella infection symptoms by reducing bacterial loads, inhibiting interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) production, and diminishing pathological injury. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified forty-three compounds in Artemisia argyit essential oil, with their corresponding targets and active ingredients predicted. Investigation of an in vivo model of Salmonella infection using the active ingredient demonstrated that alpha-cedrene ameliorated Salmonella infection. These findings suggest the potential application of Artemisia argyit essential oil in controlling Salmonella, the predominant food-borne pathogen.
Artemisia/chemistry* ; Oils, Volatile/chemistry* ; Animals ; Flagella/drug effects* ; Salmonella Infections/microbiology* ; Humans ; Mice ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Salmonella/pathogenicity*

Using conventional broth microdilution assays,the synthetic phenolic antioxidant 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol(butylated hydroxytoluene,BHT)was screened for synergistic antimi-crobial activity with β-lactam antibiotics.Further validation through checkerboard assays,growth curve analysis,and time-kill curve experiments confirmed the synergistic effect of BHT and β-lac-tams against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA)(FICI≤0.5).To elucidate the underlying mechanism of synergy,this study evaluated changes in membrane permeability and pro-ton transmembrane gradients-key factors in biofilm functionality-along with critical indicators of bacterial energy metabolism,including ATP levels and the NAD+/NADH ratio.The results dem-onstrated that BHT disrupts the proton motive force(PMF),impairs membrane potential,and perturbs bacterial energy homeostasis,thereby significantly enhancing the antibacterial efficacy ofβ-lactams.Furthermore,a murine pneumonia infection model was established to assess the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of BHT combined with amoxicillin.The combination therapy alleviated pulmo-nary tissue damage,reduced bacterial loads in target organs(liver,spleen,and lungs),and decreased systemic inflammatory responses.This study elucidates the synergistic antimicrobial action and mechanistic basis of BHT combined with amoxicillin,offering a novel combinatorial therapeutic strategy to address MRSA resistance.The findings hold significant clinical potential and research value for overcoming antibiotic resistance in MRSA infections.

Objective To summarize the experience in surgical treatment of primary cardiac tumors in children .Meth-ods Retrospective analysis of 13 children with primary cardiac tumors which were surgically treated in our department from June 1994 to March 2016.Among the 13 patients, 8 were boys and 5 were girls.The mean and standard deviation(range) of age was(4.85 ±4.61) years(5 days -13 years).The diagnosis was identified by echocardiography and computed tomography before operation and by pathological diagnosis after operation .All patients were followed up after discharge .Results A num-ber of 13 patients underwent surgical treatment.One patient died from cardiac failure after surgery.Histologic examination re-vealed rhabdomyoma in 8 patients, myxoma in 2 patients, fibroma in 2 patients, and rhabdomyosarcoma in 1 patient.All the remaining 12 patients followed up for(85.71 ±17.04) months(3-247 months), one patient with benign tumor was relapsed without tumor-related symptoms, the other patient with malignant tumor was relapsed and died from abandoning treatment .Oth-ers had good cardiac function and symptom improvement .Conclusion Primary cardiac tumors in children are mostly primarily benign.Tumors with different characteristics get different clinical symptoms and prognosis .Personalized therapy strategies need to be performed to achieve better outcomes .

Objective To investigate the role of rheumatoid factor(RF) ,C‐reactive protein(CRP) ,erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) .Methods 74 RA patients and 90 patients with symptoms similar to RA were recruited in the study randomly .Blood samples were detected for the levels of RF ,CRP ,ESR .The results were compared between two groups .Receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) was used to access the diagnostic efficiency .Results The levels of RF , CRP ,ESR of RA group were (271 .4 ± 560 .9)IU/mL ,(28 .7 ± 35 .6)mg/L ,(60 .9 ± 40 .1)mm/h ,respectively ,and were higher than those of control group which were (56 .8 ± 189 .3)IU/mL ,(15 .4 ± 24 .7)mg/L ,(45 .1 ± 33 .1)mm/h respectively .ROC analysis re‐vealed that the AUC of RF ,CRP ,ESR and combined detection of the 3 factors were 0 .784 ,0 .666 ,0 .615 ,0 .757 ,respectively with statistical significance(P<0 .05) .Conclusion RF ,CRP ,ESR are useful in the diagnosis of RA ,and RF has the highest diagnostic ef f iciency .

Objective To observe the expression changes of 12 ischemia-related microRNAs (miRNA) in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury after deep hypothermic low flow (DHLF) in mice.Methods A total of 80 3-w eek-old healthy and clean grade C57BL/6 male mice w ere randomly divided into either a DHLF model group or a sham operation group. Each group w as redivided into 4 subgroups according to the time points of 2, 6, 12, and 24 h (10 in each group). The bilateral carotid arteries of the DHLF model group w ere clipped and a DHLF model w as established, w hile the carotid arteries of the sham operation group w ere not clipped. The mice w ere sacrified at each time point and the brain tissue w as removed. The total RNA w as extracted. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction w as used to detect miRNA expression. Results Compared w ith the sham operation group, the expression levels of 9 miRNAs w ere upregulated, 2 w ere dow n-regulated, and 1 did not have any significant change in the DHLF model group. Conclusions The expression levels of 11 miRNAs changed significantly after DHLF. It might have a regulatory role in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury after DHLF.

A three-dimensional (3D) transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) imaging system is presented in this paper. The 3D imaging system is used for diagnosing diseases of prostate. The 3D image is reconstructed by a series of two-dimensional image data which is obtained through rectum. It can be a guide to prostate needle biopsies. The system is built by two parts: hardware and software. In the hardware, the mechanical device, stepper motor, control circuit, B Mode TRUS and personal computer (PC) workshop are presented. The software includes the firmware of micro control unit and software of the PC workshop. In order to evaluate the performance of the 3D imaging system, we did experiments with water and agar phantoms, and the results demonstrated the system's ability of 3D imaging with high-precision.
Biopsy, Needle ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; instrumentation ; Male ; Phantoms, Imaging ; Prostate ; diagnostic imaging ; Rectum ; Software ; Ultrasonography

Objective To sum up the clinical information and outcomes of one-stage surgical repairs for interrupted aortic arch (IAA) associated with cardiac defects through median stemotomy in infant.Methods From August 2005 to January 2012,23 IAA patients,aged 18 days to 3 years [mean age (8.61 ± 11.81) months],body weight 3.3-13.0 kg [mean (6.61 ± 3.26) kg] were reviewed underwent one-stage repair.There were 12 male and 11 female.The anatomic subtype ineluded type A 20 (87.0％),type B 3 (13.0％),and no type C in the records.All cases included ventricular septal defect and patent ductus artefious,some also with artirical-pulmonary window,aterical septal defect,bicuspid or unicuspid aortic valve,and subvalvular aortic stenosis.Diagnosis was determined in of the patients and suspected in by echocardiography.Also,64 layers helico-CT was employed to make a definite diagnosis for 18 patients and cardiac catheterization was used for 4 patients.All patients with cardiac anomalies underwent one-stage repair through median sternotomy.The aortic continuity was reestablished by anastomosis between the descending aortic segment and aortic arch.Results In all 23 cases,21 were successful.There was 2 (8.69％) postoperative death:one was due to surgical hemorrhage and severe low cardiac output during perioperative stage and the other was 2-month old due to crisis of pulmonary hypertension.CPB time was ranged from 53-215 min [(129.76 ± 38.98) min],and aortic crossclamp time was 34-125 min[(74.47 ± 24.30) min].The length of stay in ICU postoperatively was 96h averagely.The postoperative complications included severe low cardiac output syndrome in 3 patients,hypoxemia in 13,pneumonia in 7,and supraventricular tachycardia in 12.21 patients were followed up from 2 months to 6 years and were in good condition without recoactation.Conclusion The outcomes of early and medium term for one-stage repair of IAA and associated cardiac anomalies through median stemotomy is excellent.Technique of extended anastomosis between the descending aortic segment and aortic arch may reduce the incidence of recoarctation.It is simplified the procedure and improved life quality of patients.

Objective To summarize the technique and clinical experience of hybrid procedure under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in children with muscular ventricular septal defect (mVSD). Methods From January 2006 to June 2010, 45 cases of mVSD underwent hybrid procedure with CPB. mVSDs were closed with devices under direct vision in 45 cases. Of them, there were 20 males and 25 females. They ranged from 52 days to 12 years [mean (2.05 ±2.48) year] in age and from 3 to 30 kg [(11.93 ±7.70)kg] in body weight. Preoperatively, most of children were highly susceptible to respiratory tract infections. The hybrid approach was used in all patients with CPB under the guidance of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). The diameter of mVSDs ranged from 2 to 7 mm under TEE. Of 45 cases, 40 patients had increased rates of pulmonary blood flow. 29 patients had left axis deviation and 12 cases had sinus arrhythmia on electrocardiography (ECG). 19 had other congenital heart lesions, including transposition of great arteries in 1 case, tetralogy of Fallot in 2, pulmonary artery stenosis in 3, patent ductus arteriosus in 6, atrial septal defects in 6) and aorta coactation in 1. The quantity of VSDs were from 1 to 7 (single, in 7; two, in 24 case; three, in 8 case; four, in 5 case and seven, in lease. 37 patients were combined with pulmonary hypertension in our cohort. 38 patients with another large VSD and 19 with other congenital heart lesions were required surgical repair at sometime. Results The hybrid procedures were undertaken in all 45 cases of this cohort. All cases were successful and no deaths occurred during operation. A total of 48 devices were implanted in 45 patients, including single devices in 42 cases (device size ranged from 4 to 10 mm) and two devices in 3 cases (device size ranged from 4 -7 mm). The average time on CPB was (58.28 ±20.70) min , while aortic crossclamp time was(34. 94 ± 14.75) min. In addition, the time on mechanical ventilation postoperatively ranged from 2 hours to 6 days. Compared to the older children, 20 infante aged less than 8 monhad a significant difference in cardiac function in the early postoperative period. One infant was given up treatment because of serious infection. Anather cases recovered with the use of supportive treatment, such as using vasoactive agents, digoxin, inhaling nitric oxide, diuresis, and so on. The enteric-coated aspirin was given at dose of 5 mg ? kg -1. day -1 for a period of 3 to 6 months as usual postoperatively. All patients attended follow-up at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years post-procedure. No major complications were encountered during this period. All cases were no instance of migration of any of the devices, residual shunt, aortic regurgitation, atrioventricular valve dysfunction, Ⅲo atrial-ventricular conduction block, new arrhythmia, and so on. There are no death in long-term follow-up. Conclusion Hybrid procedure is safe and effective for the closure of congenital heart defects in children.