Objective: To analyze the school tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks and preventive treatment in Hefei from 2022 to 2024, so as to provide reference for TB prevention and control in schools. Methods: Data were collected on all school based TB outbreaks occurring during 2022-2024 in Hefei, defined as ≥2 epidemiologically linked TB cases within the same school during a single semester. Statistical analyses were performed using the Chi square test. Results: Close contacts exhibited significantly higher TB incidence (2.88%) and latent mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI) rates (13.80%) in the school TB outbreaks, compared to non close contacts (0.12% and 2.63%, respectively). Among close contacts, secondary school students showed lower TB incidence (0.48%) and LTBI prevalence (3.42%) than both primary school or younger children (0.68%, 6.95%) and college students ( 0.78% , 6.50%), with statistically significant differences ( χ 2=360.91, 6.37; 791.71, 102.03, all P <0.05). The proportion of LTBI individuals recommended for preventive therapy was higher in primary school or younger groups (98.59%) than in secondary (95.25%) or college students (86.34%) ( χ 2=25.86, P <0.01). However, among those recommended, close contacts had higher uptake (85.82%) and completion rates (87.25%) of preventive therapy than non close contacts (69.63% and 70.57%); similarly, secondary school students demonstrated higher uptake (91.21%) and completion rates (86.45%) compared to primary school or younger (88.57%, 83.87%) and college students (57.28%, 64.08%) ( χ 2=30.52, 26.72; 125.17, 38.84, all P <0.01). Subsequent TB incidence among LTBI close contacts (13.30%) and among those who did not complete preventive therapy (22.73%) were significantly higher than among non close contacts (2.80%, 2.41%), respectively ( χ 2=32.19, 13.87, both P <0.05). Conclusions In school TB outbreaks, close contacts face higher LTBI prevalence and subsequent TB risk than non close contacts. College students show notably low adherence to preventive therapy. It is necessary to take targeted measures to improve the compliance of preventive measures among students.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal cancer with high morbidity rates worldwide. It is a major threat to public health in China, due to the combination of known and new risk factors, such as endemic hepatitis B virus (HBV), dietary aflatoxin exposure, and the occurrence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Although many methods for surveillance and multimodal therapies, such as surgery, local ablation, transarterial therapy, and new systemic agents, have been available, the survival rates of HCC remains poor. They have very limited durable responses, long post-treatment recurrence rates, and high resistance to treatment. This reflects an imperfect picture of the biological cause of the disease and a need for new mechanistic or targeted techniques. A significant characteristic of HCC, in common with other aggressive cancers, is the presence of reprogrammed, hyperactive cell metabolism. Tumor cells hijack metabolic pathways to promote their uncontrolled growth, stress survival, invasion and metastasis. While classical mechanisms such as the Warburg effect, lipid metabolism and glutamine utilization have been understood, the lysosome, which was once viewed as a static “waste disposal unit” to remove old organelles and proteins, is instead a dynamic signaling and metabolic core. The lysosomes incorporate nutrients, energy and stress signals by master regulators such as mTORC1 (activated on its surface) that balance anabolic growth and catabolic recycling to the cellular demands. In HCC, lysosomes are not passive, but are highly active and dysregulated. HCC cells upregulate lysosomes, which scavenge intracellular components via enhanced autophagy and engulf extracellular proteins via macropinocytosis, crucial for survival in the nutrient-poor, hypoxic tumor microenvironment. In addition to metabolism, lysosomes exhibit pro-invasive functions by secreting hydrolases to remodel the extracellular matrix, promote angiogenesis, and suppress stromal immune cells to foster a pro-tumor microenvironment. In a clinical context, lysosomes play an important role in therapeutic resistance: they sequester and inactivate chemotherapeutics via lysosomal sequestration, and enhanced autophagic flux protects the cell from therapy-induced damage, contributing to relapse, as lysosomal dysfunction is a key cause of treatment failure. This makes lysosomes promising yet challenging therapeutic targets in HCC. Recent preclinical and early clinical studies investigate multiple strategies to exploit the susceptibility of lysosomes: lysosome-specific agents, alkalinizing the lysosome lumen or inducing membrane permeabilization and lysosome-dependent cell death; pharmacological inhibition of key lysosomal enzymes or autophagy to impair nutrient recycling and stress adaptation; smart nanotherapeutic agents or antibody-drug conjugates, specifically activated in the acidic lysosomal environment or utilizing lysosomal pathways for efficient intracellular drug release; and combination strategies of lysosome-targeting agents with tyrosine kinase inhibitors or immunotherapy to overcome resistance and achieve synergistic antitumor effects. In summary, our review systematically presents the role of lysosomes in HCC, from metabolic reprogramming and microenvironmental adaptation to therapeutic resistance. By synthesizing the latest mechanistic insights and preclinical advances, this review highlights the indispensable role of lysosomes in the complex HCC biological network, emphasizing that an in-depth understanding of this dynamic organelle holds great promise for developing innovative, targeted therapies, offering new hope for improving the poor prognosis of global HCC patients.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and safety of Tiaowei Jiannao acupuncture (acupuncture for regulating defensive qi and nourishing brain) for post-ischemic stroke insomnia (PISI). METHODS: A total of 96 patients with PISI were randomized into an acupuncture group (32 cases, 1 case was excluded), a medication group (32 cases, 1 case dropped out, 1 case was excluded) and a sham-acupuncture group (32 cases, 1 case dropped out, 1 case was excluded). In the acupuncture group, Tiaowei Jiannao acupuncture was applied at bilateral Shenmai (BL62), Zhaohai (KI6), Hegu (LI4), Taichong (LR3), and Baihui (GV20), Sishencong (EX-HN1), Yintang (GV24⁺), Shenting (GV24), once a day, 1-day interval was taken after 6-day treatment, for 3 weeks totally. In the medication group, eszopiclone tablet was given orally, 1-3 mg a time, once a day for 3 weeks. In the sham-acupuncture group, non-invasive sham acupuncture was applied, the acupoint selection, frequency and course of treatment were the same as the acupuncture group. Before treatment, after 2,3 weeks of treatment, the scores of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), self-rating sleep scale (SRSS), National Institutes of Health Stroke scale (NIHSS), Hamilton depression scale-17 (HAMD-17) were observed; before and after treatment, the sleep parameters were recorded using polysomnography (PSG); and the efficacy and safety were evaluated after treatment in the 3 groups. RESULTS: After 2,3 weeks of treatment, the scores of PSQI, HAMD-17 and SRSS in the acupuncture group and the medication group, as well as the SRSS scores in the sham-acupuncture group were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05); after 2 weeks of treatment, the NIHSS score in the acupuncture group was decreased compared with that before treatment (P<0.05); after 3 weeks of treatment, the NIHSS scores in the acupuncture group, the medication group and the sham-acupuncture group were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). After 3 weeks of treatment, the scores of PSQI, SRSS, HAMD-17 and NIHSS in the acupuncture group and the medication group, as well as the NIHSS score in the sham-acupuncture group were decreased compared with those after 2 weeks of treatment (P<0.05). After 2,3 weeks of treatment, the scores of PSQI, SRSS and HAMD-17 in the acupuncture group and the medication group were lower than those in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05), the NIHSS scores in the acupuncture group were lower than those in the medication group and the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05); after 3 weeks of treatment, HAMD-17 score in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the medication group (P<0.05), the NIHSS score in the medication group was lower than that in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, after treatment, the total sleep time was prolonged (P<0.05), the wake after sleep onset, sleep latency, and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep latency were shortened (P<0.05), the sleep efficiency was improved (P<0.05), the number of awakenings was reduced (P<0.05), the percentage of rapid eye movement (REM%) and the percentage of NREM stage 1 (N1%) were decreased (P<0.05), the percentage of NREM stage 2 (N2%) and the percentage of NREM stage 3 (N3%) were increased (P<0.05) in the acupuncture group and the medication group; the sleep latency was shortened in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, the PSG indexes in the acupuncture group and the medication group were superior to those in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05); in the acupuncture group, the number of awakenings was less than that in the medication group (P<0.05), the REM% and N1% were lower than those in the medication group (P<0.05), the N2% and N3% were higher than those in the medication group (P<0.05). The total effective rate were 93.5% (29/31) and 90.0% (27/30) in the acupuncture group and the medication group respectively, which were higher than 10.0% (3/30) in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). There was no serious adverse events in any of the 3 groups. CONCLUSION Tiaowei Jiannao acupuncture improves the insomnia symptoms in patients with ischemic stroke, improves the quality of sleep, increases the deep sleep, promotes the recovery of neurological function, and relieves the depression. It is effective and safe for the treatment of PISI.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Male ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/physiopathology* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome ; Adult ; Ischemic Stroke/complications* ; Stroke/complications* ; Sleep

AIM To investigate the effects of Gan Jiang-Huang Qin-Huang Lian-Ren Shen Decoction(GJHQHLRSD)on the pyroptosis,pathway of colonic epithelial cells in mouse models of ulcerative colitis(UC).METHODS Among the 63 C57BL/6J mice,13 were randomly selected and assigned to the model group,and the others were divided into the control group,the positive Sulfasalazine Enteric-Coated Tablets group(0.6 g/kg),and low,medium,and high dose GJHQHLRSD groups(3.9,7.8,15.6 g/kg),with 10 mice in each group.The UC mouse model was established using DSS,and the corresponding drugs were administered by gavage.The mice had their general condition observed;their disease activity index(DAI)score assessed;their colon length measured;their histopathological damage of the colon analyzed using HE staining;their colonic IL-1β,IL-8,and TNF-α levels measured by ELISA method;their colonic NLRP3,GSDMD,pro-IL-1β,pro-caspase-1,and IL-1βprotein expression detected by Western blot method;and their cell pyroptosis detected by TUNEL and GSDMD fluorescence double staining.RESULTS Compared with the control group,the model group exhibited significant decrease in body weight and a shortened colon length(P＜0.01);increases in DAI score,levels of IL-1β,IL-8,TNF-α,as well as the protein expressions of NLRP3,GSDMD,and active-caspase-1(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);significant increase of colonic GSDMD and TUNEL positivity;indicating increased tissue damage and inflammatory response.Compared with the model group,the groups intervened with GJHQHLRSD showed a significant increase in body weight and colonic elongation(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);decreases in DAI score,levels of IL-1β,IL-8,TNF-α,as well as the protein expressions of NLRP3,GSDMD,and active-caspase-1(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);a gradient decrease in positivity of GSDMD and TUNEL;indicating a significantly reduced colonic pathological damage.CONCLUSION GJHQHLRSD can improve the DSS-induced inflammatory reaction of colonic mucosa in UC mice,and its mechanism mainly involves the NLRP3/caspase-1,thereby the regulation of the cell pyroptosis process.

Objective To evaluate the reliability,validity,and feasibility of the diagnostic scale for toxic pathogen syndrome in heart failure(HF),and to verify its reliability and effectiveness in clinical diagnosis.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted.Patients with HF who visited four hospitals,including Dongzhimen Hospital,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,from March 1st to September 30th,2024 were selected.General information of the patients,including gender,age,smoking history,drinking history,and comorbidities,was collected.Cronbach's α coefficient,split-half reliability,and test-retest reliability were used to evaluate the reliability of the scale.Surface validity,discriminant validity,and structural validity were used to assess the validity of the scale.Acceptance rate,completion rate,and completion time were used to evaluate the feasibility.Results A total of 600 patients with HF meeting the research criteria were included,including 290 males and 310 females,with a median(IQR)age of 66.50(58.00,70.00)years.Internal consistency reliability:the Cronbach's α coefficients of the total scale and the four dimensions were all greater than 0.6,indicating a good consistency among the items of the scale.The Spearman-Brown coefficients of the total scale and the four dimensions were all greater than 0.7,indicating good stability and homogeneity within the scale.External consistency reliability:the Kappa coefficients of the total scale and the four dimensions were all greater than 0.7,indicating good external consistency of the scale.Discriminant validity evaluation:patients were divided into the toxic pathogen syndrome group(n=180)and the non-toxic pathogen syndrome group(n=420).There were no statistically significant differences in gender,age,smoking history,drinking history,and comorbidities between the two groups(P>0.05).The scores of the two groups were evaluated using the diagnostic scale for the toxic pathogen syndrome in HF.The toxic pathogen syndrome group had higher scores in all four dimensions and the total scale than the non-toxic pathogen syndrome group(P<0.01),indicating good discriminant validity of the scale.Structural validity assessment:principal component analysis was used to extract 28 factors,and a total of 7 common factors were extracted,with a total variance contribution rate of 60.554%.The absolute values of the loadings of each item were basically greater than 0.5,and the commonalities of the corresponding dimensions ranged from 52.1%to 96.5%,indicating good structural validity of the scale.The acceptance rate of the scale in this evaluation was 100%,the completion rate was 100%,and the average completion time was between 6 and 8 minutes,indicating good feasibility of the scale.Conclusion The diagnostic scale for the toxic pathogen syndrome in HF has good reliability,validity,and feasibility.

Objective To evaluate the reliability,validity,and feasibility of the diagnostic scale for toxic pathogen syndrome in heart failure(HF),and to verify its reliability and effectiveness in clinical diagnosis.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted.Patients with HF who visited four hospitals,including Dongzhimen Hospital,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,from March 1st to September 30th,2024 were selected.General information of the patients,including gender,age,smoking history,drinking history,and comorbidities,was collected.Cronbach's α coefficient,split-half reliability,and test-retest reliability were used to evaluate the reliability of the scale.Surface validity,discriminant validity,and structural validity were used to assess the validity of the scale.Acceptance rate,completion rate,and completion time were used to evaluate the feasibility.Results A total of 600 patients with HF meeting the research criteria were included,including 290 males and 310 females,with a median(IQR)age of 66.50(58.00,70.00)years.Internal consistency reliability:the Cronbach's α coefficients of the total scale and the four dimensions were all greater than 0.6,indicating a good consistency among the items of the scale.The Spearman-Brown coefficients of the total scale and the four dimensions were all greater than 0.7,indicating good stability and homogeneity within the scale.External consistency reliability:the Kappa coefficients of the total scale and the four dimensions were all greater than 0.7,indicating good external consistency of the scale.Discriminant validity evaluation:patients were divided into the toxic pathogen syndrome group(n=180)and the non-toxic pathogen syndrome group(n=420).There were no statistically significant differences in gender,age,smoking history,drinking history,and comorbidities between the two groups(P>0.05).The scores of the two groups were evaluated using the diagnostic scale for the toxic pathogen syndrome in HF.The toxic pathogen syndrome group had higher scores in all four dimensions and the total scale than the non-toxic pathogen syndrome group(P<0.01),indicating good discriminant validity of the scale.Structural validity assessment:principal component analysis was used to extract 28 factors,and a total of 7 common factors were extracted,with a total variance contribution rate of 60.554%.The absolute values of the loadings of each item were basically greater than 0.5,and the commonalities of the corresponding dimensions ranged from 52.1%to 96.5%,indicating good structural validity of the scale.The acceptance rate of the scale in this evaluation was 100%,the completion rate was 100%,and the average completion time was between 6 and 8 minutes,indicating good feasibility of the scale.Conclusion The diagnostic scale for the toxic pathogen syndrome in HF has good reliability,validity,and feasibility.

Objective To explore the effect of hyperbaric oxygen combined with synchronous brain bionic electrical stimulation on patients with stroke-related sleep disorders.Methods From November,2023 to November,2024,a total of 68 stroke patients with stroke-related sleep disorders ad-mitted to Huashan Hospital,Fudan University were selected.They were randomly divided into control group(n=34)and experimental group(n=34).The control group received routine hyperbaric oxygen therapy,while the ex-perimental group received routine hyperbaric oxygen therapy combined with synchronous brain bionic electrical stimulation inside the chamber,for four weeks.Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI),sleep-monitoring wrist-bands,Self-rating Anxiety Scale(SAS)and Self-rating Depression Scale(SDS)were used to assess the outcomes before and after treatment..Results Four patients in the control group and one in the experimental group dropped out.After treatment,the scores of each factors of PSQI decreased in both groups(t>2.693,P<0.05),and were lower in the experimental group than in the control group(t>2.699,P<0.01),expect hypnotic drug use(P>0.05);the total sleep time,deep sleep time and rapid eye movement sleep time became longer in both groups(|t|>7.270,P<0.001),and they were longer in the experimental group than in the control group(|t|>5.712,P<0.001);the scores of SAS and SDS decreased in both groups(t>9.530,P<0.001),and they were less in the experimental group than in the control group(t>4.740,P<0.001).Conclusion Synchronous brain bionic electrical stimulation in hyperbaric oxygen chamber could effectively prolong the total sleep time,deep sleep time and rapid eye movement time of patients with stroke-related sleep disorders,re-lieve anxiety and depression after stroke,and improve sleep quality.

AIM To investigate the effects of Gan Jiang-Huang Qin-Huang Lian-Ren Shen Decoction(GJHQHLRSD)on the pyroptosis,pathway of colonic epithelial cells in mouse models of ulcerative colitis(UC).METHODS Among the 63 C57BL/6J mice,13 were randomly selected and assigned to the model group,and the others were divided into the control group,the positive Sulfasalazine Enteric-Coated Tablets group(0.6 g/kg),and low,medium,and high dose GJHQHLRSD groups(3.9,7.8,15.6 g/kg),with 10 mice in each group.The UC mouse model was established using DSS,and the corresponding drugs were administered by gavage.The mice had their general condition observed;their disease activity index(DAI)score assessed;their colon length measured;their histopathological damage of the colon analyzed using HE staining;their colonic IL-1β,IL-8,and TNF-α levels measured by ELISA method;their colonic NLRP3,GSDMD,pro-IL-1β,pro-caspase-1,and IL-1βprotein expression detected by Western blot method;and their cell pyroptosis detected by TUNEL and GSDMD fluorescence double staining.RESULTS Compared with the control group,the model group exhibited significant decrease in body weight and a shortened colon length(P＜0.01);increases in DAI score,levels of IL-1β,IL-8,TNF-α,as well as the protein expressions of NLRP3,GSDMD,and active-caspase-1(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);significant increase of colonic GSDMD and TUNEL positivity;indicating increased tissue damage and inflammatory response.Compared with the model group,the groups intervened with GJHQHLRSD showed a significant increase in body weight and colonic elongation(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);decreases in DAI score,levels of IL-1β,IL-8,TNF-α,as well as the protein expressions of NLRP3,GSDMD,and active-caspase-1(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);a gradient decrease in positivity of GSDMD and TUNEL;indicating a significantly reduced colonic pathological damage.CONCLUSION GJHQHLRSD can improve the DSS-induced inflammatory reaction of colonic mucosa in UC mice,and its mechanism mainly involves the NLRP3/caspase-1,thereby the regulation of the cell pyroptosis process.

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI (GenAI), has already brought, and will continue to bring, revolutionary changes to our daily production and life, as well as create new opportunities and challenges for diagnostic and therapeutic practices in the medical field. Haihe Hospital of Tianjin University collaborates with the National Supercomputer Center in Tianjin, Tianjin University, and other institutions to carry out research in areas such as smart healthcare, smart services, and smart management. We have conducted research and development of a full-process disease diagnosis and treatment assistance system based on GenAI in the field of smart healthcare. The development of this project is of great significance. The first goal is to upgrade and transform the hospital's information center, organically integrate it with existing information systems, and provide the necessary computing power storage support for intelligent services within the hospital. We have implemented the localized deployment of three models: Tianhe "Tianyuan", WiNGPT, and DeepSeek. The second is to create a digital avatar of the chief physician/chief physician's voice and image by integrating multimodal intelligent interaction technology. With generative intelligence as the core, this solution provides patients with a visual medical interaction solution. The third is to achieve deep adaptation between generative intelligence and the entire process of patient medical treatment. In this project, we have developed assistant tools such as intelligent inquiry, intelligent diagnosis and recognition, intelligent treatment plan generation, and intelligent assisted medical record generation to improve the safety, quality, and efficiency of the diagnosis and treatment process. This study introduces the content of a full-process disease diagnosis and treatment assistance system, aiming to provide references and insights for the digital transformation of the healthcare industry.
Artificial Intelligence ; Humans ; Delivery of Health Care ; Generative Artificial Intelligence

Objective:To investigate the correlation of intracranial arterial calcification (IAC) and its different subtypes with the severity of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD).Methods:Consecutive CSVD patients admitted to the Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2018 to March 2022 were enrolled. Baseline demographic, laboratory, and imaging data were collected. Based on a developed and validated IAC grading scale using head CT, IAC was classified into intimal and medial types, and further categorized as focal or diffuse based on the extent of involvement. The severity of WMHs on magnetic resonance imaging was assessed using the Fazekas Scale, with patients divided into those with moderate-to-severe (total score>2) and non-moderate-to-severe WMHs (total score≤2). Subgroups were stratified based on baseline characteristics (patients′ sex, age, hypertension history, stroke history, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and alcohol consumption). Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between IAC′s subtypes and the severity of WMHs, with forest plots illustrating the interaction between medial IAC and subgroup variables.Results:A total of 490 patients with CSVD who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were ultimately included, with a age of (60.88±10.99) years, including 162 females (33.1%). Moderate-to-severe WMHs were present in 245 patients (50.0%). Among the 490 CSVD patients, 395 (80.6%) had IAC, including 335 (68.4%) with intimal IAC and 207 (42.2%) with medial IAC. Diffuse IAC was observed in 126 patients (25.7%), all of whom had medial IAC. Intracranial arterial stenosis was present in 271 patients (55.3%). Multivariate Logistic regression showed that IAC ( OR=2.073, 95% CI 1.142-3.761, P=0.016) was significantly associated with moderate-to-severe WMHs and medial IAC ( OR=3.230, 95% CI 1.800-5.797, P<0.001) and advanced age ( OR=1.046, 95% CI 1.019-1.074, P=0.001) were significantly associated with moderate-to-severe WMHs. Subgroup analysis revealed medial IAC had no significant interaction with patients′ gender, age, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, alcohol or smoking consumption except for stroke history. Conclusion:In the CSVD patients, IAC, especially medial IAC, is significantly associated with the severity of WMHs.