Kui was first recorded in The Rites of Zhou and is the earliest domesticated wild vegetable in China. In the Qi Min Yao Shu, Kui was called “the master of all vegetables” and has a long history of application in China. As a medicine, Kuizi was first recorded in Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic, which has a history of more than 2 000 years of medicinal use and a long history of clinical application. By researching the ancient and modern herbal literature, the first herbs texts of Kui were examined, various recorded texts, confused products and the history of the original medicinal use were clarified. It was concluded that the ancient herbal texts recorded the base plant of Kui as Malva verticillata L. belonging to family Malvaceae, which provided scientific basis for the development and utilization of Kui.

ObjectiveAs a common lifestyle habit, alcohol consumption has a controversial association with the onset of Parkinson’s disease (PD). To demonstrate the correlation between alcohol consumption and PD and to identify associated genes, we integrated findings from clinical surveys, genomics, transcriptomics, and animal experiments. MethodsWe investigated the alcohol consumption rates (including both before and after disease onset) among 244 PD patients in China and 177 PD patients from the U.S. NHANES database. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed using genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for three alcohol-related traits and seven PD-related datasets from the MRC IEU OpenGWAS database. Transcriptomic data from the substantia nigra of PD patients were obtained from three GEO datasets (GSE7621, GSE20141, and GSE49036) to analyze RIT2 gene transcription. Finally, three groups of animal experiments (water/20% ethanol/20% liquor, with 4 C57BL/6J mice per group) were conducted to examine changes in brain RIT2 gene expression and transcriptomic profiles following alcohol consumption. ResultsThe alcohol consumption rates among PD patients in China and the U.S. (9%-18.87%) were significantly lower than the general population rates of 15%-45% in their respective regions (P<0.001), suggesting a possible negative association between alcohol consumption and PD. Subsequently, in 21 bidirectional MR analyses using 3 alcohol-related GWAS datasets and 7 PD-related GWAS datasets, the forward MR analyses (alcohol intake as exposure, PD as outcome) yielded 12 negative associations (OR_IVW<1) and 9 positive associations (OR_IVW>1). Among these, only two negative associations reached statistical significance: alcohol intake frequency (OR_IVW=0.75, 95% CI: 0.60-0.93, P=0.010) and alcohol consumption (OR_IVW=0.20, 95% CI: 0.05-0.83, P=0.026). The forward MR analysis (alcohol intake→PD) identified 235 SNPs, annotated to 316 genes, while the reverse MR analyses (PD→alcohol intake) identified 37 SNPs, annotated to 53 genes. Notably, only the RIT2 gene appeared in both the forward and reverse MR analyses (alcohol intake→PD: rs28597806, rs8083110; PD→alcohol intake: rs4588066). RIT2 is selectively expressed in the human brain (FPKM: 5.259±2.103), with low or no expression in peripheral tissues (FPKM: <1). Analysis of three human substantia nigra transcriptomic datasets revealed a decreasing trend in RIT2 gene expression in PD patients (GSE20141 array signal: 3.49±1.23 vs. 2.33±0.87, P=0.044). Animal experiments demonstrated that administration of 20% ethanol or 20% liquor (approximately 8% ethanol) stimulated a >2-fold upregulation of RIT2 gene expression in the mouse brain. Furthermore, transcriptomic sequencing revealed that the two alcohol-treated groups exhibited 96 (20% ethanol vs. water control) and 4 (20% liquor vs. water control) differentially expressed genes, respectively, indicating that low-dose alcohol consumption can achieve RIT2 upregulation while minimizing impact on other brain genes. In addition to its anti-infective effects, low-dose alcohol consumption primarily influences signaling pathways related to neurodegenerative diseases such as PD and Prion diseases. ConclusionAlcohol consumption is generally considered as a harmful lifestyle habit. However, some studies have also shown a lower risk of mortality among individuals who consume low doses of alcohol (100 g/week of ethanol) or drink occasionally. Currently, one of the research focuses on alcohol consumption is whether the human body can benefit from low-dose alcohol intake. This study provides new evidence supporting a negative association between alcohol consumption and PD, and for the first time, through MR analysis, identifies the RIT2 gene as a potential mediator of the effect of alcohol consumption on PD. RIT2 is selectively expressed in the human brain. Building upon existing evidence indicating downregulated RIT2 gene expression in PD pathogenesis, our experiments confirm that low-dose alcohol consumption can upregulate RIT2 expression in the brain. In brief, alcohol consumption may suppress the pathogenesis of PD by upregulating RIT2 expression in the substantia nigra. China is facing a serious problem of population aging. This study offers important insights for long-term PD prevention and treatment strategies, with the aim of benefiting more potential PD patients through lifestyle modifications, thereby improving the quality of life of the aging population and reducing the economic burden on healthcare.

With the aging of the global population， osteoporosis （OP） is becoming a major public health concern worldwide. Currently， the commonly used anti-osteoporosis drugs in clinical practice have limited application due to many side effects. Therefore， developing more effective and safer strategies for the prevention and treatment of OP has become a research focus in this field. In recent years， the clinical efficacy and advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in treating OP have been gradually recognized. With the deepening pharmacological research on TCM for OP prevention and treatment， it is found that the active ingredients of Scutellaria baicalensis can promote bone formation or inhibit bone resorption by regulating signaling pathways， including Wnt/β-catenin， osteoprotegerin （OB）/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand （RANKL）/RANK （OPG/RANKL/RANK）， and bone morphogenetic protein 2 （BMP-2）/Smad， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， and mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）. However， existing research on active ingredients of S. baicalensis for OP treatment is scattered， making it difficult for scholars to gain a systematic understanding of its research and application. This review summarized the literature on the active ingredients of S. baicalensis in OP treatment worldwide， clarified their mechanisms of action， and explored some issues， providing references for the integration of TCM in OP prevention and treatment.

With the aging of the global population， osteoporosis （OP） is becoming a major public health concern worldwide. Currently， the commonly used anti-osteoporosis drugs in clinical practice have limited application due to many side effects. Therefore， developing more effective and safer strategies for the prevention and treatment of OP has become a research focus in this field. In recent years， the clinical efficacy and advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in treating OP have been gradually recognized. With the deepening pharmacological research on TCM for OP prevention and treatment， it is found that the active ingredients of Scutellaria baicalensis can promote bone formation or inhibit bone resorption by regulating signaling pathways， including Wnt/β-catenin， osteoprotegerin （OB）/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand （RANKL）/RANK （OPG/RANKL/RANK）， and bone morphogenetic protein 2 （BMP-2）/Smad， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， and mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）. However， existing research on active ingredients of S. baicalensis for OP treatment is scattered， making it difficult for scholars to gain a systematic understanding of its research and application. This review summarized the literature on the active ingredients of S. baicalensis in OP treatment worldwide， clarified their mechanisms of action， and explored some issues， providing references for the integration of TCM in OP prevention and treatment.

ObjectiveMagnetoencephalography (MEG), a non-invasive neuroimaging technique, meticulously captures the magnetic fields emanating from brain electrical activity. Compared with MEG based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID), MEG based on optically pump magnetometer (OPM) has the advantages of higher sensitivity, better spatial resolution and lower cost. However, most of the current studies are clinical studies, and there is a lack of animal studies on MEG based on OPM technology. Pain, a multifaceted sensory and emotional phenomenon, induces intricate alterations in brain activity, exhibiting notable sex differences. Despite clinical revelations of pain-related neuronal activity through MEG, specific properties remain elusive, and comprehensive laboratory studies on pain-associated brain activity alterations are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inflammatory pain (induced by Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA)) on brain activity in a rat model using the MEG technique, to analysis changes in brain activity during pain perception, and to explore sex differences in pain-related MEG signaling. MethodsThis study utilized adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Inflammatory pain was induced via intraplantar injection of CFA (100 μl, 50% in saline) in the left hind paw, with control groups receiving saline. Pain behavior was assessed using von Frey filaments at baseline and 1 h post-injection. For MEG recording, anesthetized rats had an OPM positioned on their head within a magnetic shield, undergoing two 15-minute sessions: a 5-minute baseline followed by a 10-minute mechanical stimulation phase. Data analysis included artifact removal and time-frequency analysis of spontaneous brain activity using accumulated spectrograms, generating spectrograms focused on the 4-30 Hz frequency range. ResultsMEG recordings in anesthetized rats during resting states and hind paw mechanical stimulation were compared, before and after saline/CFA injections. Mechanical stimulation elevated alpha activity in both male and female rats pre- and post-saline/CFA injections. Saline/CFA injections augmented average power in both sexes compared to pre-injection states. Remarkably, female rats exhibited higher average spectral power 1 h after CFA injection than after saline injection during resting states. Furthermore, despite comparable pain thresholds measured by classical pain behavioral tests post-CFA treatment, female rats displayed higher average power than males in the resting state after CFA injection. ConclusionThese results imply an enhanced perception of inflammatory pain in female rats compared to their male counterparts. Our study exhibits sex differences in alpha activities following CFA injection, highlighting heightened brain alpha activity in female rats during acute inflammatory pain in the resting state. Our study provides a method for OPM-based MEG recordings to be used to study brain activity in anaesthetized animals. In addition, the findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of pain-related neural activity and pain sex differences.

Functional gastrointestinal disease(FGID)and inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)are two common gastrointestinal diseases in clinical practice.FGID refers to non-structural changes in gastrointestinal function,with irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)and functional dyspepsia(FD)being the common types.On the other hand,IBD is a group of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases with well-defined pathological features,mainly including Crohn's disease(CD)and ulcerative colitis(UC).Over the past decades,the incidence rates of both FG1D and IBD have increased with years,accompanied by high recurrence rates,and the clinical outcomes remain unsatisfactory,which seriously affect the physical and mental health of patients.Further research has revealed that neuropsychiatric abnormalities,including mental and psychological disorders,play important roles in the occurrence and development of FGID and IBD.The comorbidity of gastrointestinal and psychiatric diseases shares a common pathophysiological basis,that is,the abnormalities in the bidirectional communication between the gut and the central nervous system,and the theory of brain-gut axis has emerged as a research hotspot in this field.Better therapeutic outcomes can be achieved by screening and identifying key brain regions closely related to FGID and IBD through quantifiable assessments,and implementing combined pharmacotherapy on both the digestive system and the nervous system based on the theory of brain-gut axis.Current neuroimaging studies have provided the preliminary results for understanding the changes in the nervous system in FGID and IBD patients,but there is still a lack of systematic evaluation of the application of neuroimaging studies based on the brain-gut axis in gastrointestinal diseases.This paper reviewed the changes in brain structure and function associated with FGID and IBD,and the neuroimaging-based analysis of the brain-gut axis theory in the occurrence and development of these diseases,in order to provide theoretical basis for future personalized precision medicine of FGID and IBD based on the brain-gut axis.

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of free electromyography(fEMG)monitoring as-sisted unilateral biportal endoscopy(UBE)in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation.Methods Forty pa-tients with lumbar disc herniation were included.The UBE lumbar nucleus pulposus resection under general anesthesia was performed.The operation whole process was completed under the fEMG monitor.The recorded potential was displayed on the monitor screen and the myoelectrical activity was played through speaker.The treatment effect was evaluated by the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)score and Oswestry Disability Index(ODI).Results All 40 patients completed the surgery successfully,and the postoperative symptoms were im-proved significantly.The VAS scores before operation and in postoperative 3 months were 7(6,8)points and 0(0,1)points respectively,and the difference between the two time points was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The ODI before operation and in postoperative 3 months were(58.30±11.58)and(13.28±5.20)re-spectively,and the difference between the two time points also was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The VAS score and ODI in postoperative 1 year were 1(0,1)points and(13.13±0.40)respectively,showing sta-tistically significant difference compared with before surgery(P＜0.05),but there was no statistically signifi-cant difference compared with postoperative 3 months(P＞0.05).There were 8 cases developing the abnor-mal EMG changes such as spike,burst or tonic fEMG during surgery,with an incidence rate of 20％.After surgery in 8 cases,7 cases had burning radiculalgia and paresthesia of lower extremity,and 1 case had no obvi-ous neuralgia,with a false positive rate of 12.5％.The patients without abnormal fEMG reaction during sur-gery had no significant postoperative neuralgia,and the false negative rate was zero.Conclusion fEMG moni-toring assisted UBE under general anesthesia is a safe and easy method for the treatment of lumbar disc herni-ation.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the predictive value of the advanced lung cancer inflammation index(ALI)for postoperative pharyngocutaneous fistula,recurrence,metastasis,and prognosis in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma(LSCC).METHODS This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of 114 LSCC patients treated at Huangshi Central Hospital between January 2014 and December 2023.The data included tumor staging,ALI scores,age,gender,smoking history,alcohol history,diabetes,hypertension,hyperlipidemia,coronary heart disease,tumor differentiation,HPV infection,and tumor location.Based on the occurrence of pharyngocutaneous fistula,the patients were divided into the fistula group(10 cases)and the non-fistula group(104 cases).Single-factor and multi-factor logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify independent factors associated with postoperative pharyngocutaneous fistula.Patients were also classified into recurrence and metastasis groups(22 cases)and non-recurrence groups(92 cases),and further into poor prognosis(25 cases)and good prognosis groups(89 cases)based on follow-up results.Cox regression analysis was performed to identify factors influencing recurrence,metastasis,and prognosis.RESULTS Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that tumor stage(stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ)[HR:0.040(95％CI:0.004-0.392)]and ALI score[HR:0.885(95％CI:0.805-0.972)]were independent protective factors for the occurrence of pharyngeal fistula(P<0.05).Multivariate Cox regression analysis further confirmed that tumor stage(stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ)[OR:0.180(95％CI:0.063-0.518)]and ALI score[OR:0.970(95％CI:0.939-0.992)]were independent protective factors for recurrence,metastasis,and poor prognosis(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis revealed that the AUC for ALI in predicting pharyngeal fistula was 0.910(95％CI:0.849-0.970),with a cutoffvalue of 29.877,sensitivity of 0.827,and specificity of 1.000.The AUC for ALI in predicting recurrence and metastasis was 0.804(95％CI:0.698-0.910),with a cutoffvalue of 34.398,sensitivity of 0.920,and specificity of 0.618.CONCLUSION The ALI score is an independent protective factor for the occurrence of postoperative pharyngocutaneous fistula,recurrence,metastasis,and poor prognosis in LSCC patients.It is a valuable predictor for early warning of postoperative complications,recurrence,metastasis,and prognosis,with potential clinical utility in guiding personalized treatment strategies.

In analytical techniques such as ion mobility spectrometry(IMS)and mass spectrometry(MS),the ionization efficiency of target analytes is primarily constrained by the type of ionization source and factors such as the species and number density of the reactant ions.Systematic investigation into the reactivity differences of various reactant ions under varying conditions can not only significantly enhance the detection sensitivity of target compound product ions but also provide a theoretical foundation for establishing efficient detection methods based on ion-molecule reaction mechanisms.In this study,the pressure of a pressure-tunable photoionization tandem ion mobility spectrometry(PI-tandem-IMS)was reduced from ambient pressure(100 kPa)to low pressure(20 kPa)to systematically examine the reactivity differences between two negative reactant ions,CO3-and CO4-,and methyl salicylate(MeSA)under varying pressures.When the pressure decreased,the increased relative signal intensity of CO4-significantly influenced the detection sensitivity of the characteristic product ion[MeSA·O2]-.Based on differences in ion mobility(k0),the delay time for the opening of TPG2 was adjusted to selectively inject CO-3 and CO-4 in the drift region 2.Independent characterization of the reactivity of these reactant ions with MeSA in the reaction region confirmed that CO4-exhibited superior reactivity toward MeSA.The theoretical model revealed an Arrhenius plot for the ion-molecule reaction between CO4-and MeSA,showing a positive correlation between the reaction rate coefficient(k)and temperature,the activation energy Ea was 62.45 kJ/mol.Furthermore,controlling parameters such as pressure or temperature significantly influenced the progression of this ion-molecule reaction,demonstrating the technical advantages of PI-tandem-IMS in mechanistic studies and regulation of ion-molecule reactions.

The resolving power and sensitivity are critical for on-site detection of hazardous chemicals using stand-alone ion mobility spectrometry(IMS).However,improving the sensitivity and resolving power of IMS has long been a prominent research hot spot.In the commonly used IMS based on the Bradbury-Nielsen gate(BNG),the gating voltage difference(GVD)applied between the two sets of grid wires affects the electric field distribution in the ionization region and the drift region.This,in turn,influences the spatial distribution and temporal width of the injected ion swarm,and has an impact on the ion mobility discrimination,sensitivity,and resolving power of the instrument.This study showed that increasing the GVD could induce an ion converging effect,boosting the ion number density in front of the BNG by nearly 300％.To simultaneously utilize temporal compression and ion converging effects,a novel BNG controlling mode was proposed by adding a chopping state to the conventional controlling mode.This chopping state reduced the mobility discrimination effects between ions with mobility differences up to about 0.90 cm2/(V·s)to 1/22 of their original value.When analyzing hazardous chemical mixtures using the novel BNG controlling mode,compared with conventional mode,the signal intensity of low-mobility methyl salicylate ions(MS·O2)-increased by 18-fold while the resolving power maintained around 100,and the detection limit for MS was improved from 3.75 μg/L to 97 ng/L.This novel BNG controlling mode only added a potential wave to the low voltage wires,with no requirement of changing the structure of the drift tube,and was easy to apply to existing commercial instruments.