The early symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)are insidious,and its occurrence and development are a gradual accumulation of pathogenic factors.Clinically,it exhibits symptoms of yang deficiency and yin injury,and its pathogenic characteristics are consistent with the insidious,accumulative and injury positive characteristics of the latent cold."Latent cold"runs through the entire course of COPD.Qi-yang deficiency is the basis for the production of latent cold,external cold triggers the onset of latent cold and the cohesion of latent cold is the key to its onset.The clinical practice advocates for staged treatment based on clinical manifestations and the characteristics of changes in latent cold.During the acute phase of the attack,external cold invasion occurs and there is excessive movement due to the presence of cold.Treatment is based on warming and promoting the spread of pathogenic factors;during chronic stable period,warming and supplementing qi yang should be adopted;during the gradual aggravation period,the patients are prone to prolong chilliness and stagnation with phlegm and blood stasis forming.The treatment is based on a combination of warming and cooling.

The paper discusses the scientific connotation of"heart and brain co-dominating the mind",including the connotation of"heart and brain co-dominating the mind"in traditional Chinese medicine and the physiological and pathological relationship be-tween heart and brain in modern medicine.Based on the understanding of"heart and brain co-dominating the mind",this paper be-lieves that"restlessness of mind"is the core pathogenesis of insomnia,and regulating mind is the key to the acupuncture and moxibus-tion treatment of insomnia.The autonomic nervous system(ANS)is a bridge connecting the heart and brain,and is closely related to the central anatomy,neurotransmitters and physiological rhythms of sleep.The imbalance of ANS is highly consistent with the patho-genesis of"heart and brain restlessness"in traditional Chinese medicine.The Governor Vessel runs through the brain and the heart,and the"Governor Vessel regulating spirit acupuncture"can communicate the heart and brain,regulate ANS function,and thus im-prove sleep quality.

Background The widespread use of herbicides has led to environmental contamination and has implications for human health. The liver is an important organ for the detoxification of environmental pollutants; however, studies on the association between herbicide exposure and liver function are limited. Objectives To investigate the association between baseline serum herbicide levels and changes in liver enzyme levels and liver enzyme abnormalities over a 5-year period in middle-aged and older adults. Methods This study was based on a nested case-control population of type 2 diabetes established in the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort, with a total of 1388 subjects included in this study and followed up for 5 years. Epidemiological data were collected through questionnaires, and baseline serum concentrations of three herbicides (metolachlor, propham, and acetochlor) were measured by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were detected at baseline and follow-up visits. The associations between baseline serum herbicide levels and changes in AST and ALT over 5 years were assessed using linear regression models with herbicide levels categorized into quartiles, adjusting for age, sex, education level, smoking status, drinking status, physical activity, body mass index, and new-onset type 2 diabetes occurred during follow-up. The relationship between baseline serum herbicide levels and the risk of liver enzyme abnormalities during follow-up was further analyzed using logistic regression models. Results The positive rates of metolachlor, propham, and acetochlor were all higher than 80%, and their spiked rates of recovery ranged from 73.46% to 106.77%. The mean ± standard deviation of the age of subjects at baseline was (62.7±7.6) years, with 34.1% being male. The median serum levels of metolachlor, propham, and acetochlor at baseline were 0.05, 0.16, and 0.03 ng·mL⁻¹, respectively. There was no significant difference in baseline serum herbicide levels between the normal and abnormal liver enzyme groups at follow-up (P >0.05). The baseline liver enzyme levels and the changes in AST and ALT over 5 years in those who developed abnormal liver enzymes were significantly higher than those in the normal liver enzyme group (P <0.05). The linear regression analysis showed that the changes in AST increased progressively over 5 years in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of propham compared to the lowest quartile group (the second quartile: b=1.49, 95%CI: 0.10, 2.87; the third quartile: b=1.52, 95%CI: 0.14, 2.90; the fourth quartile: b=1.69, 95%CI: 0.31, 3.08; P <0.05). The associations of serum metolachlor and acetochlor with changes in AST were not significant. Additionally, no significant relationships were found between the three serum herbicides and the changes in ALT over 5 years or the risk of liver enzyme abnormalities. Conclusion Serum propham levels in middle-aged and older adults are positively associated with changes in liver enzyme AST, which may have an effect on liver function. More studies are needed to provide scientific evidence for the association between herbicide exposure and liver function.

Objective To explore the expression and clinical significance of thymidine kinase 1(TK1)in prostate cancer using bioinformatic approaches.Methods Prostate cancer transcriptomic data from TCGA database were used to evaluate the prognostic value and biological relevance of TK1 in prostate cancer.Patients were stratified into high-and low-TK1 expression groups based on the me-dian expression level of TK1.Differentially expressed genes between the two groups were identified,followed by functional enrichment analysis.The association between TK1 expression and tumor-infil-trating immune cells as well as response to immunotherapy was also assessed.Results The overall survival(OS)in the high-TK1 expression group was(2.77±0.19)years,which was significantly lower than that in the low-TK1 expression group[(3.20±0.24)years;P=0.017].Similarly,pro-gression-free survival(PFS)was shorter in the high-TK1 group[(2.65±0.17)years]compared with the low-TK1 group[(3.13±0.27)years;P＜0.001].Genes associated with TK1 were primarily enriched in pathways related to chromosome segregation,mitosis,and the cell cycle.Infiltration lev-els of activated memory CD4+T cells and M1 macrophages were significantly higher in the high-TK1 group than in the low-TK1 group(P＜0.05).Patients with high TK1 expression exhibited lower im-munophenotype scores(IPS).Conclusion TK1 may influence the progression of prostate cancer by modulating the tumor microenvironment.TK1 may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for the prognosis of prostate cancer.

The dysregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 12(CDK12),which may result from genomic alterations or modulation by upstream effectors,is implicated in cancer oncogenesis and progression.CDK12 over-expression or activation is sufficient to induce tumor initiation,recurrence,and therapeutic resistance.However,CDK12 may also exert tumor-suppressive functions in a context-dependent manner.Therefore,caution is warranted when targeting CDK12 in future clinical trials.A comprehensive elucidation of the dual roles and underlying mechanisms of CDK12 in carcinogenesis is urgently needed to advance pre-cision oncology.This review provides an overview of the current understanding of the dysregulation and biological roles of CDK12 in cancer.Subsequently,we systematically summarize the functions and mechanisms of the oncogenic and tumor-suppressive roles of CDK12 in different contexts.Finally,we discuss the potential of CDK12 as a novel therapeutic target and its implications in clinical oncology,offering insights into future directions for innovative cancer treatment strategies.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the characteristics of immune cell infiltration in tumor samples from Chinese patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and the correlation of immune cell infiltration with tumor stage and response to immunotherapy. METHODS: Tumor samples and clinicopathological data were collected from 154 ccRCC patients treated in Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University from October, 2020 to October, 2023. The immune cell types infiltrating the tumor tissues were identified using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining, and their correlations with the patients' clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. Patient-derived tumor tissue fragment models (PDTF) models, constructed using tumor tissues from 22 patients, were treated with PD-1 monoclonal antibody, and T cell activation was detected using flow cytometry to assess the patients' responses to immunotherapy. RESULTS: In Chinese ccRCC patients included in this study, CD8⁺ T cells, CD4⁺ T cells, and CD3⁺ T cells were the most abundant in the tumor tissues. Higher infiltration levels of CD3⁺ T cells (P=0.004), PD-1⁺ T cells (P=0.020), CD68⁺ T cells (P=0.049), CD79⁺ T cells (P=0.049), and Tryptase⁺ cells (P=0.049) were all positively correlated with a larger tumor size (≥5 cm). A higher infiltration level of CD4⁺ T cells was associated with a lower tumor stage. Patients with higher International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grades had higher infiltration levels of CD3⁺ T cells (P=0.023), CD8⁺ T cells (P=0.045), PD-1⁺ T cells (P=0.014), CD20⁺ B cells (P=0.020) and CD79⁺ B cells (P=0.049), and lower levels of Tryptase⁺ cells (P=0.001). Patients with abundant infiltrating immune cells tended to have better responses to immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS The infiltrating immune cells are heterogeneous in Chinese ccRCC patients, and immune cell infiltration characteristics are closely correlated with clinicopathological parameters of the patients.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology* ; Kidney Neoplasms/pathology* ; Immunotherapy ; Male ; Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/immunology* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology* ; Aged ; T-Lymphocytes/immunology* ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/immunology* ; Adult ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology* ; Neoplasm Staging

The dysregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12), which may result from genomic alterations or modulation by upstream effectors, is implicated in cancer oncogenesis and progression. CDK12 overexpression or activation is sufficient to induce tumor initiation, recurrence, and therapeutic resistance. However, CDK12 may also exert tumor-suppressive functions in a context-dependent manner. Therefore, caution is warranted when targeting CDK12 in future clinical trials. A comprehensive elucidation of the dual roles and underlying mechanisms of CDK12 in carcinogenesis is urgently needed to advance precision oncology. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of the dysregulation and biological roles of CDK12 in cancer. Subsequently, we systematically summarize the functions and mechanisms of the oncogenic and tumor-suppressive roles of CDK12 in different contexts. Finally, we discuss the potential of CDK12 as a novel therapeutic target and its implications in clinical oncology, offering insights into future directions for innovative cancer treatment strategies.

The early symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)are insidious,and its occurrence and development are a gradual accumulation of pathogenic factors.Clinically,it exhibits symptoms of yang deficiency and yin injury,and its pathogenic characteristics are consistent with the insidious,accumulative and injury positive characteristics of the latent cold."Latent cold"runs through the entire course of COPD.Qi-yang deficiency is the basis for the production of latent cold,external cold triggers the onset of latent cold and the cohesion of latent cold is the key to its onset.The clinical practice advocates for staged treatment based on clinical manifestations and the characteristics of changes in latent cold.During the acute phase of the attack,external cold invasion occurs and there is excessive movement due to the presence of cold.Treatment is based on warming and promoting the spread of pathogenic factors;during chronic stable period,warming and supplementing qi yang should be adopted;during the gradual aggravation period,the patients are prone to prolong chilliness and stagnation with phlegm and blood stasis forming.The treatment is based on a combination of warming and cooling.

The paper discusses the scientific connotation of"heart and brain co-dominating the mind",including the connotation of"heart and brain co-dominating the mind"in traditional Chinese medicine and the physiological and pathological relationship be-tween heart and brain in modern medicine.Based on the understanding of"heart and brain co-dominating the mind",this paper be-lieves that"restlessness of mind"is the core pathogenesis of insomnia,and regulating mind is the key to the acupuncture and moxibus-tion treatment of insomnia.The autonomic nervous system(ANS)is a bridge connecting the heart and brain,and is closely related to the central anatomy,neurotransmitters and physiological rhythms of sleep.The imbalance of ANS is highly consistent with the patho-genesis of"heart and brain restlessness"in traditional Chinese medicine.The Governor Vessel runs through the brain and the heart,and the"Governor Vessel regulating spirit acupuncture"can communicate the heart and brain,regulate ANS function,and thus im-prove sleep quality.

Objective:To explore the curative efficacy of Dingke Decoction in the treatment of post infectious cough based on the the real-world clinical data.Methods:Retrospective cohort study was conducted. 245 patients with cough after infection in the hospital of Jingan Chinese Medical Hospital from July 2021 to July 2022 were set as study objects. The fact that whether the patients with Dingke Decoction or not were divided into control group (90 cases, without Dingke Decoction) and treatment group (155 cases, with Dingke Decoction). By using propensity nearest neighbor 1:1 matching to balance the confounding factors before treatment, 56 cases were successfully matched in both groups. The control group was treated symptomatically according to the actual clinical situation, while the treatment group was treated with modified Dingke Decoction on the basis of symptomatic treatment in the control group. The treatment for both groups lasted for 2 weeks. TCM symptom scores and cough severity score were evaluated using the Leicester Cough Quality of Life Questionnaire (LCQ) before and after treatment. Levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were detected through ELISA; adverse reactions during the treatment were recorded, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated.Results:The total effective rate of the treatment group was 91.07% (51/56), while that of the control group was 76.79% (43/56), with a statistically significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=4.24, P=0.040). The daytime cough symptom score (1.03 ± 0.67 vs. 1.20 ± 0.66, t=7.40) and nighttime cough symptom score (0.74 ± 0.62 vs. 1.26 ± 0.54, t=6.27) in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group after treatment ( P<0.001). After treatment, the LCQ physiological (5.30 ± 0.79 vs. 4.78 ± 1.09, t=-2.44), psychological (5.33 ± 0.92 vs. 4.70 ± 1.12, t=-2.39), and social (5.23 ± 0.94 vs. 4.60 ± 0.81, t=-2.86) scores in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05). After treatment, he treatment group serum IL-6 [(14.29 ± 3.94) ng/L vs. (19.99 ± 5.17) ng/L, t=4.80] and TNF-α [(36.23 ± 7.83) ng/L vs. (42.44 ± 7.63) ng/L, t=3.11] were lower than those in the control group ( P<0.01). The incidence of adverse reactions in the control group was 8.92% (5/56) and 5.36% (3/56), respectively, without statistical significance ( χ2=0.54, P=0.716). Conclusion:Based on the real-world research method, medicine Dingke Decoction can improve the clinical efficacy and the quality life of post infectious cough patients, and the mechanism may be related to reducing airway inflammation response.