Objective To re-evaluate systematic reviews on the application of virtual reality(VR)technology in limb rehabilitation for stroke patients,providing evidence to support the implementation of VR.Methods Systematic searches were conducted in Web of Science,PubMed,CINAHL,Cochrane Library,Embase,CNKI,CBM,WanFang,and VIP databases from their inception until March 2025,identifying systematic reviews/meta-analyses investigating VR for limb rehabilitation in stroke patients.2 researchers independently screened the literature.Methodological quality was evaluated using the Assessment of Mutiple System Reviews 2(AMSTAR 2)tool;reporting quality was evaluated according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA)guidelines;evidence quality was graded using the Grades of Recommendations Assessment,Development,and Evaluation(GRADE)system;literature overlap was assessed using the Corrected Covered Area(CCA)method.Results A total of 15 articles were included.According to AMSTAR 2,totally 3 reviews were of moderate quality,while the remainder were rated as low or very low quality.PRISMA scores ranged from 19.5 to 27.0 points.Based on GRADE,a review was classified as high quality,6 as moderate quality,and the remainder as low or very low quality.The CCA was 5.3％,indicating slight overlap.Conclusion VR contributes to the improvement of indicators such as upper limb motor function/mobility and lower limb balance in stroke patients.However,methodological limitations,including weak control of bias and inadequate handling of heterogeneity among included studies,restrict the overall quality of evidence.Further standardized,high-quality studies are needed to provide more reliable evidence to support clinical decision-making.

Objective To re-evaluate systematic reviews on the application of virtual reality(VR)technology in limb rehabilitation for stroke patients,providing evidence to support the implementation of VR.Methods Systematic searches were conducted in Web of Science,PubMed,CINAHL,Cochrane Library,Embase,CNKI,CBM,WanFang,and VIP databases from their inception until March 2025,identifying systematic reviews/meta-analyses investigating VR for limb rehabilitation in stroke patients.2 researchers independently screened the literature.Methodological quality was evaluated using the Assessment of Mutiple System Reviews 2(AMSTAR 2)tool;reporting quality was evaluated according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA)guidelines;evidence quality was graded using the Grades of Recommendations Assessment,Development,and Evaluation(GRADE)system;literature overlap was assessed using the Corrected Covered Area(CCA)method.Results A total of 15 articles were included.According to AMSTAR 2,totally 3 reviews were of moderate quality,while the remainder were rated as low or very low quality.PRISMA scores ranged from 19.5 to 27.0 points.Based on GRADE,a review was classified as high quality,6 as moderate quality,and the remainder as low or very low quality.The CCA was 5.3％,indicating slight overlap.Conclusion VR contributes to the improvement of indicators such as upper limb motor function/mobility and lower limb balance in stroke patients.However,methodological limitations,including weak control of bias and inadequate handling of heterogeneity among included studies,restrict the overall quality of evidence.Further standardized,high-quality studies are needed to provide more reliable evidence to support clinical decision-making.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of composite surgery in the treatment of chronic common carotid artery occlusion(CCAO).Methods:A retrospective descriptive study was conducted. The clinical data of 7 patients with CCAO admitted to Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from October 2020 to December 2023 were collected retrospectively. There were 6 males and 1 female. The age was (66.7±10.9) years, ranging from 52 to 83 years. Outpatient or telephone follow-up were conducted after surgery, carotid artery ultrasound or computed tomography angiography were performed at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively to determine vascular patency. The selection of surgical methods and clinical effect were analyzed. Normally distributed measurement data were expressed as mean±standard deviation ( ± s). The measurement data of skewed distribution were expressed by M ( Q1, Q3). Count data were expressed as frequency. Results:All 7 patients were diagnosed with chronic CCAO before operation, 6 on the left and 1 on the right. 3 cases affected the middle and distal segments of the common carotid artery, 1 case affected the proximal segment, and 1 case each affected the middle and distal segments, the remaining case involves the entire common carotid artery. All the procedures were successfully performed, among which 4 cases underwent carotid endarterectomy combined with stent placement, and 3 cases did not receive stent placement after carotid endarterectomy. 1 patient developed neck hematoma after surgery and the remaining patients recovered well after surgery without any complications or deaths. The follow-up time was 13.5(4.0, 20.5) months; 1 patient was lost to follow-up, and 6 patients received effective follow-up. the common carotid artery remained unobstructed in all 6 patients, and there were no transient ischemic attacks or strokes during the follow-up period.Conclusion:Composite surgery is a safe and feasible method that can be used to treat chronic CCAO lesions, and has satisfactory short-term results.

AIM:To investigate the role of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1(PCK1)in the proliferation and migration of mouse vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)and the underlying mechanism.METHODS:The prolif-eration and migration of mouse VSMCs were induced by platelet-derived growth factor(PDGF)-BB.The cells were divided into a vehicle group and a PDGF-BB group.The expression of PCK1 was detected by Western blot and immunofluores-cence staining.The mouse Pck1 siRNA(si Pck1)were transfected into mouse VSMCs to silence PCK1.The cells were di-vided into the vehicle,si Pck1+vehicle,PDGF-BB and si Pck1+PDGF-BB groups.The protein level of PCK1 was detected by Western blot.The proliferation was explored by Ki-67 immunofluorescence staining and the viability was detected by CCK-8 assay.The migration was determined by a scratch test.Mitochondrial dynamics were observed via transmission electron microscopy.A lentivirus carrying dynamin-related protein 1(Drp1)gene(lenti-Drp1)was transfected into VSMCs to induce them to overexpress DRP1.The cells were divided into the PDGF-BB,si Pck1+PDGF-BB,lenti-Drp1+PDGF-BB and lenti-Drp1+si Pck1+PDGF-BB groups.Proliferation,migration and mitochondrial dynamics were measured as described above.RESULTS:PDGF-BB increased the protein expression of PCK1 and DRP1,cell viability,the per-centage of Ki-67-positive cells,the wound healing rate and mitochondrial division in VSMCs.These effects were sup-pressed when PCK1 protein expression was silenced.After DRP1 was overexpressed,the inhibitory effects of PCK1 silenc-ing on cell viability,the percentage of Ki-67-positive cells,the wound healing rate and mitochondrial division were signifi-cantly reversed.CONCLUSION:PCK1 promotes the mitochondrial division,proliferation and migration of VSMCs in mice by upregulating the expression of DRP1.

Objective:To explore the characteristics and mechanism of Chinese herbs with fertility toxicity.Methods:Chinese herbs with reproductive toxicity, developmental toxicity and genetic toxicity were retrieved from Traditional Chinese Medicine System Toxicology Database. The property, taste, meridian tropism, toxicity classification and performance, and the toxic component and action target of each medicinal material were collected and descriptive statistical analysis was performed.Results:A total of 55 kinds of Chinese herbs with fertility toxicity were screened out. They were mostly warm [20 (36.4%)] or cold [15 (27.3%)] in property, and mostly bitter and pungent in taste [bitter-pungent, bitter, and pungent accounted for 30.9% (17/55), 23.6% (13/55) and 18.2% (10/55)]. The channel tropisms were mainly liver, lung, spleen, and kidney [58.2% (32/55), 38.2% (21/55), 38.2% (21/55) and 34.5% (19/55)], and the main manifestations of its reproductive toxicity were reproductive function damage in males and females, abnormal embryonic growth and development and genetic/cytotoxicity, which might lead to reduced pregnancy rate, miscarriage, abnormal fetal growth and development, etc. There were 29 kinds of Chinese herbs with 35 known fertility toxic components. Among them, 30 toxic components had 11 known toxic targets. The more common toxic targets included thyroid hormone receptor beta, cytochrome P450 1A1, sex hormone-binding globulin and interleukin-1 beta.Conclusions:Chinese herbs with fertility toxicity are mostly warm or cold in property, and bitter and pungent in taste; their channel tropisms are mainly liver, lung, spleen and kidney; they mainly affect fertility and embryonic development by changing the body′s endocrine and interfering with sex hormone metabolism.

Objective:To explore the characteristics and mechanism of Chinese herbs with fertility toxicity.Methods:Chinese herbs with reproductive toxicity, developmental toxicity and genetic toxicity were retrieved from Traditional Chinese Medicine System Toxicology Database. The property, taste, meridian tropism, toxicity classification and performance, and the toxic component and action target of each medicinal material were collected and descriptive statistical analysis was performed.Results:A total of 55 kinds of Chinese herbs with fertility toxicity were screened out. They were mostly warm [20 (36.4%)] or cold [15 (27.3%)] in property, and mostly bitter and pungent in taste [bitter-pungent, bitter, and pungent accounted for 30.9% (17/55), 23.6% (13/55) and 18.2% (10/55)]. The channel tropisms were mainly liver, lung, spleen, and kidney [58.2% (32/55), 38.2% (21/55), 38.2% (21/55) and 34.5% (19/55)], and the main manifestations of its reproductive toxicity were reproductive function damage in males and females, abnormal embryonic growth and development and genetic/cytotoxicity, which might lead to reduced pregnancy rate, miscarriage, abnormal fetal growth and development, etc. There were 29 kinds of Chinese herbs with 35 known fertility toxic components. Among them, 30 toxic components had 11 known toxic targets. The more common toxic targets included thyroid hormone receptor beta, cytochrome P450 1A1, sex hormone-binding globulin and interleukin-1 beta.Conclusions:Chinese herbs with fertility toxicity are mostly warm or cold in property, and bitter and pungent in taste; their channel tropisms are mainly liver, lung, spleen and kidney; they mainly affect fertility and embryonic development by changing the body′s endocrine and interfering with sex hormone metabolism.

Diabetic foot ulcer is a serious and destructive complication of diabetes， with the rates of disability and mortality increasing year by year， which poses a serious threat to human physical and mental health. In the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer with traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， the combination of syndrome differentiation and overall concept can not only alleviate TCM syndrome but also accelerate wound healing， reduce wound recurrence， delay the further deterioration of diabetic foot ulcer， and decrease the rates of disability and mortality. Modern studies have demonstrated that the difficult healing of diabetic foot ulcer is closely associated with the abnormal distribution of cytokines such as inflammatory cytokines， growth factors， and chemokines. With the deepening of modern medical research on TCM， the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer via regulation of cytokines by Chinese medicinal monomers and prescriptions has become a research focus. This paper summarizes the current research status at home and abroad and draws the following conclusions. ① Sesamol， geniposide， Danggui Buxuetang， and Zizhu ointment can regulate tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin （IL）-1， IL-6， IL-10 and other inflammatory cytokines to inhibit wound inflammation. ② Angelicae Dahuricae Radix， salvianolic acid B， Sixiao powder， Badu Shengji ointment （Zhuang medicine）， etc.， regulate vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， platelet-derived growth factor （PDGF）， transforming growth factor （TGF）， epidermal growth factor （EGF） and other growth factors to promote collagen deposition and angiogenesis on wound surface. ③ Paeoniflorin， cryptanshinone， bee venom， and Huiyang Shengji decoction regulate CXC chemokine ligand （CXCL） 1， CXCL2， C-C chemokine ligand （CCL） 2， CCL3， stromal cell-derived factor-1α （SDF-1α）， monocyte chemoattract protein-1 （MCP-1） and other chemokines to reduce inflammatory response and promote neovascularization and wound granulation tissue formation. ④ In the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer， Chinese medicinal monomers and prescriptions have different and complicated mechanisms. The multi-target treatment manner determines that Chinese medicines can act on a variety of cytokines to participate in various stages of wound healing and thus play a therapeutic role. The conclusion above aims to provide ideas for the experimental research and clinical treatment of diabetic foot ulcer with TCM in the future.

CT image based organ segmentation is essential for radiotherapy treatment planning, and it is laborious and time consuming to outline the endangered organs and target areas before making radiation treatment plans. This study proposes a fully automated segmentation method based on fusion convolutional neural network to improve the efficiency of physicians in outlining the endangered organs and target areas. The CT images of 170 postoperative cervical cancer stage IB and IIA patients were selected for network training and automatic outlining of bladder, rectum, femoral head and CTV, and the neural network was used to localize easily distinguishable vessels around the target area to achieve more accurate outlining of CTV.
Female ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Organs at Risk ; Pelvis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/surgery*

Drug-induced hyperglycemia/diabetes is a global issue. Some drugs induce hyperglycemia by activating the pregnane X receptor (PXR), but the mechanism is unclear. Here, we report that PXR activation induces hyperglycemia by impairing hepatic glucose metabolism due to inhibition of the hepatocyte nuclear factor 4-alpha (HNF4α)‒glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) pathway. The PXR agonists atorvastatin and rifampicin significantly downregulated GLUT2 and HNF4α expression, and impaired glucose uptake and utilization in HepG2 cells. Overexpression of PXR downregulated GLUT2 and HNF4α expression, while silencing PXR upregulated HNF4α and GLUT2 expression. Silencing HNF4α decreased GLUT2 expression, while overexpressing HNF4α increased GLUT2 expression and glucose uptake. Silencing PXR or overexpressing HNF4α reversed the atorvastatin-induced decrease in GLUT2 expression and glucose uptake. In human primary hepatocytes, atorvastatin downregulated GLUT2 and HNF4α mRNA expression, which could be attenuated by silencing PXR. Silencing HNF4α downregulated GLUT2 mRNA expression. These findings were reproduced with mouse primary hepatocytes. Hnf4α plasmid increased Slc2a2 promoter activity. Hnf4α silencing or pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile (PCN) suppressed the Slc2a2 promoter activity by decreasing HNF4α recruitment to the Slc2a2 promoter. Liver-specific Hnf4α deletion and PCN impaired glucose tolerance and hepatic glucose uptake, and decreased the expression of hepatic HNF4α and GLUT2. In conclusion, PXR activation impaired hepatic glucose metabolism partly by inhibiting the HNF4α‒GLUT2 pathway. These results highlight the molecular mechanisms by which PXR activators induce hyperglycemia/diabetes.

When applying deep learning to the automatic segmentation of organs at risk in medical images, we combine two network models of Dense Net and V-Net to develop a Dense V-network for automatic segmentation of three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) images, in order to solve the problems of degradation and gradient disappearance of three-dimensional convolutional neural networks optimization as training samples are insufficient. This algorithm is applied to the delineation of pelvic endangered organs and we take three representative evaluation parameters to quantitatively evaluate the segmentation effect. The clinical result showed that the Dice similarity coefficient values of the bladder, small intestine, rectum, femoral head and spinal cord were all above 0.87 (average was 0.9); Jaccard distance of these were within 2.3 (average was 0.18). Except for the small intestine, the Hausdorff distance of other organs were less than 0.9 cm (average was 0.62 cm). The Dense V-Network has been proven to achieve the accurate segmentation of pelvic endangered organs.
Algorithms ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Organs at Risk ; Pelvis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed