Objective:To explore the effect of combining repeated peripheral (rPMS) and central transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in treating upper limb motor dysfunction after a stroke.Methods:Seventy-eight patients with upper limb motor dysfunction after a stroke were randomly divided into a control group, an rTMS group and a combined magnetic stimulation group, each of 26. All three groups underwent routine rehabilitation, while the rTMS group was repeatedly given low frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation of the M1 region on the unaffected side, and the combined group also received repeated peripheral magnetic stimulation at Erb′s point on the affected upper limb. There was one treatment session a day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks. Before and after the treatment, everyone′s upper limb motor function was quantified using the Fugl-Meyer upper extremity assessment (FMA-UE) and the Wolf motor function test (WMFT). Skill in the activities of daily living was quantified in terms of a Barthel index (BI). Motor recovery of the upper limbs and hands was assessed using Brunnstrom staging. The latency and amplitude of the motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the subjects′ affected abductor pollicis brevis muscles were also recorded before and after the treatment. Pearson correlation coefficients quantified the correlation between the changes in FMA-UE scores and MEP amplitudes before and after the treatment in the three groups.Results:There were no significant differences among the three groups before the treatment. Afterward, however, the average FMA-UE, WMFT and BI scores, as well as the upper limb and hand Brunnstrom stages and the average MEP latencies and amplitudes of all the three groups had improved significantly. The combined group′s average results were then significantly better than the other two groups′ averages, except for the upper limb Brunnstrom stages. The increases in MEP amplitude were positively correlated with the increases in FMA-UE scores among the rTMS and the combined group, but there was no significant correlation between them in the control group.Conclusions:The combined application of rPMS and contralateral low frequency rTMS can effectively relieve motor dysfunction in the upper limbs in the early stages after a stroke.

Ovarian immature teratoma is a relatively rare malignant ovarian tumor that predominantly occurs in children, adolescents, and young adults. In clinical diagnosis and treatment, tumor marker detection and imaging examinations serve as crucial bases for differentiating mature and immature terotomas. A comprehensive preoperative evaluation followed by the selection of an appropriate surgical approach and extent is key to improving prognosis. Some studies have indicated that for stage Ⅰ ovarian immature teratoma, avoiding adjuvant chemotherapy under close follow-up does not increase the risk of recurrence or affect long-term survival of patients; however, for advanced-stage ovarian immature teratoma, standardized postoperative chemotherapy is still recommended. Some patients may experience benign-malignant transformation of malignant germ cell components after surgery, such as growing teratoma syndrome or squamous cell carcinoma transformation. Due to the rarity of ovarian immature teratoma, current understanding of its pathogenesis and clinical management remains limited. This paper provides a review focusing on key clinical issues related to ovarian immature teratoma and proposes corresponding diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations, aiming to offer references for promoting multidisciplinary collaboration and individualized treatment.

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the microbiological characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of Nocardia isolates in Hebei Province during the 9-year period.Methods The medical records of all hospitalized patients from whom Nocardia was isolated from 2015 to 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.The isolates were identified to the species level by amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA,secA1 and ropB genes of Nocardia.Antimicrobial susceptibility of Nocardia isolates were tested by microbroth dilution method.Results Of the 162 strains of Nocardia,128(79.0％)were isolated from respiratory tract specimens,followed by skin and soft tissue infection(25/162,15.4％).Most of the patients with respiratory tract infection were elderly(＞65 years old).Most of the patients with skin and soft tissue infection were middle-aged and elderly(＞45 years old).Twelve species were identified among the 162 isolates.The most common species were N.cyriacigeorgica(36.4％,59/162),N.farcinica(25.3％,41/162),and N.otitidiscaviarum(9.9％,16/162).The most common Nocardia species isolated from the respiratory tract was N.cyriacigeorgica,followed by N.farcinica.The most common species causing skin and soft tissue infection were N.cyriacigeorgica,N.farcinica and N.brasiliensis.All Nocardia strains were susceptible to linezolid,followed by 98.8％susceptible to amikacin and 98.1％susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(TMP-SMZ).Conclusions Nocardia is mainly isolated from respiratory tract,skin and soft tissues.N.cyriacigeorgica and N.farcinica are the most prevalent species.TMP-SMZ is the first choice for treatment of nocardiosis.Combination therapy may be appropriate for moderate and severe infections according to the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Objective:To explore the effect of combining repeated peripheral (rPMS) and central transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in treating upper limb motor dysfunction after a stroke.Methods:Seventy-eight patients with upper limb motor dysfunction after a stroke were randomly divided into a control group, an rTMS group and a combined magnetic stimulation group, each of 26. All three groups underwent routine rehabilitation, while the rTMS group was repeatedly given low frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation of the M1 region on the unaffected side, and the combined group also received repeated peripheral magnetic stimulation at Erb′s point on the affected upper limb. There was one treatment session a day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks. Before and after the treatment, everyone′s upper limb motor function was quantified using the Fugl-Meyer upper extremity assessment (FMA-UE) and the Wolf motor function test (WMFT). Skill in the activities of daily living was quantified in terms of a Barthel index (BI). Motor recovery of the upper limbs and hands was assessed using Brunnstrom staging. The latency and amplitude of the motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the subjects′ affected abductor pollicis brevis muscles were also recorded before and after the treatment. Pearson correlation coefficients quantified the correlation between the changes in FMA-UE scores and MEP amplitudes before and after the treatment in the three groups.Results:There were no significant differences among the three groups before the treatment. Afterward, however, the average FMA-UE, WMFT and BI scores, as well as the upper limb and hand Brunnstrom stages and the average MEP latencies and amplitudes of all the three groups had improved significantly. The combined group′s average results were then significantly better than the other two groups′ averages, except for the upper limb Brunnstrom stages. The increases in MEP amplitude were positively correlated with the increases in FMA-UE scores among the rTMS and the combined group, but there was no significant correlation between them in the control group.Conclusions:The combined application of rPMS and contralateral low frequency rTMS can effectively relieve motor dysfunction in the upper limbs in the early stages after a stroke.

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the microbiological characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of Nocardia isolates in Hebei Province during the 9-year period.Methods The medical records of all hospitalized patients from whom Nocardia was isolated from 2015 to 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.The isolates were identified to the species level by amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA,secA1 and ropB genes of Nocardia.Antimicrobial susceptibility of Nocardia isolates were tested by microbroth dilution method.Results Of the 162 strains of Nocardia,128(79.0％)were isolated from respiratory tract specimens,followed by skin and soft tissue infection(25/162,15.4％).Most of the patients with respiratory tract infection were elderly(＞65 years old).Most of the patients with skin and soft tissue infection were middle-aged and elderly(＞45 years old).Twelve species were identified among the 162 isolates.The most common species were N.cyriacigeorgica(36.4％,59/162),N.farcinica(25.3％,41/162),and N.otitidiscaviarum(9.9％,16/162).The most common Nocardia species isolated from the respiratory tract was N.cyriacigeorgica,followed by N.farcinica.The most common species causing skin and soft tissue infection were N.cyriacigeorgica,N.farcinica and N.brasiliensis.All Nocardia strains were susceptible to linezolid,followed by 98.8％susceptible to amikacin and 98.1％susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(TMP-SMZ).Conclusions Nocardia is mainly isolated from respiratory tract,skin and soft tissues.N.cyriacigeorgica and N.farcinica are the most prevalent species.TMP-SMZ is the first choice for treatment of nocardiosis.Combination therapy may be appropriate for moderate and severe infections according to the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

OBJECTIVE To confirm the therapeutic effect of Jintiange capsules on osteoarthritis(OA) and the potential mechanism of synovial mesenchymal stem cell exosomes(SMSC-Exos) and articular chondrocytes(ACs) in the treatment of OA based on high-throughput sequencing technology. METHODS Type Ⅱ collagenase-induced OA rats were used for efficacy verification through general behavioral observation, bipedal balance difference experiment, mechanical foot reflex threshold, Micro-CT observation, and Safranin O-Fast Green staining. SMSCs and ACs were cultured in suitable concentration of drug-containing serum, and mRNA sequencing was performed on ACs in the control, model, and Jintiange capsules groups, as well as miRNA sequencing on SMSC-Exos. Differential expressed mRNAs and miRNAs were screened and target genes were predicted. The common differential expressed genes between SMSC and ACs were obtained by intersecting the differential expressed genes, and a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed using Cytoscape software. The expression trend analysis of common differential expressed genes was conducted, as well as the correlation analysis between differential expressed gene mRNA and miRNA, Micro-CT efficacy indicators, and differential expressed gene mRNA. RESULTS Under the pathological state of OA, the expression of miRNA-23a-3p, miRNA-342-3p, miRNA-146b-5p, miRNA-501-3p, and miRNA-214-3p were down-regulated, while miRNA-222-3p, miRNA-30e-3p, miRNA-676-3p, and miRNA-192-5p were up-regulated (P<0.05). The expressions of these miRNAs were significantly reversed after intervention with drug-containing serum of Jintiange capsules. There was a certain correlation between Micro-CT efficacy indicators, mRNA and miRNA. CONCLUSION Jintiange capsule has obvious efficacy in the treatment of OA, and its mechanism may be related to the promotion of SMSC-Exos targeting ACs to transport miRNA and then regulate Serpinb10, Ntn1, Il1b, Tgm2, Megf10, Il11, Cd40, Slc15a3, Pou2f2 and other genes.

Background::Exercise, as the cornerstone of pulmonary rehabilitation, is recommended to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The underlying molecular basis and metabolic process were not fully elucidated.Methods::Sprague-Dawley rats were classified into five groups: non-COPD/rest ( n = 8), non-COPD/exercise ( n = 7), COPD/rest ( n = 7), COPD/medium exercise ( n = 10), and COPD/intensive exercise ( n = 10). COPD animals were exposed to cigarette smoke and lipopolysaccharide instillation for 90 days, while the non-COPD control animals were exposed to room air. Non-COPD/exercise and COPD/medium exercise animals were trained on a treadmill at a decline of 5° and a speed of 15 m/min while animals in the COPD/intensive exercise group were trained at a decline of 5° and a speed of 18 m/min. After eight weeks of exercise/rest, we used ultrasonography, immunohistochemistry, transmission electron microscopy, oxidative capacity of mitochondria, airflow-assisted desorption electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (AFADESI-MSI), and transcriptomics analyses to assess rectal femoris (RF). Results::At the end of 90 days, COPD rats’ weight gain was smaller than control by 59.48 ± 15.33 g ( P = 0.0005). The oxidative muscle fibers proportion was lower ( P < 0.0001). At the end of additional eight weeks of exercise/rest, compared to COPD/rest, COPD/medium exercise group showed advantages in weight gain, femoral artery peak flow velocity (Δ58.22 mm/s, 95% CI: 13.85-102.60 mm/s, P = 0.0104), RF diameters (Δ0.16 mm, 95% CI: 0.04-0.28 mm, P = 0.0093), myofibrils diameter (Δ0.06 μm, 95% CI: 0.02-0.10 μm, P = 0.006), oxidative muscle fiber percentage (Δ4.84%, 95% CI: 0.15-9.53%, P = 0.0434), mitochondria oxidative phosphorylate capacity ( P < 0.0001). Biomolecules spatial distribution in situ and bioinformatic analyses of transcriptomics suggested COPD-related alteration in metabolites and gene expression, which can be impacted by exercise. Conclusion::COPD rat model had multi-level structure and function impairment, which can be mitigated by exercise.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the potential molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effect of curcumin on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by network pharmacology and experimental in vitro validation. METHODS: The predictive targets of curcumin or HCC were collected from several databases. the identified overlapping targets were crossed with Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) platform. Two of the candidate pathways were selected to conduct an experimental verification. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide tetrazolium (MTT) assay was used to determine the effect of curcumin on the viability of HepG2 and LO2 cells. The apoptosis and autophagy of HepG2 cells were respectively detected by flow cytometry and transmission electron microscopy. Besides, western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were employed to verify the p53 apoptotic pathway and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)‍-activated protein kinase (AMPK) autophagy pathway. HepG2 cells were pretreated with pifithrin-‍α (PFT-‍α) and GSK690693 for further investigation. RESULTS: The 167 pathways analyzed by KEGG included apoptosis, autophagy, p53, and AMPK pathways. The GO enrichment analysis demonstrated that curcumin was involved in cellular response to drug, regulation of apoptotic pathway, and so on. The in vitro experiments also confirmed that curcumin can inhibit the growth of HepG2 cells by promoting the apoptosis of p53 pathway and autophagy through the AMPK pathway. Furthermore, the protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) of the two pathways were downregulated in the inhibitor-pretreated group compared with the experimental group. The damage-regulated autophagy modulator (DRAM) in the PFT-‍α-pretreated group was downregulated, and p62 in the GSK690693-pretreated group was upregulated. CONCLUSIONS Curcumin can treat HCC through the p53 apoptotic pathway and the AMPK/Unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1) autophagy pathway, in which the mutual transformation of autophagy and apoptosis may occur through DRAM and p62.
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/pharmacology* ; Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology* ; Curcumin/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology* ; Network Pharmacology ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE To establish a quality standard for rice-fired Glehnia littoralis . METHODS Appearance observation ， powder microscopic identification and thin-layer chromatography （TLC）identification were performed for the samples of rice-fired G. littoralis decoction piece. According to the relevant methods stated in 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia （part Ⅳ），the contents of moisture ，total ash ，acid-insoluble ash ，water-soluble extract and acid-soluble extract were determined. The contents of psoralen，zanthoxylin，bergapten，imperatorin and isoimperatorin were determined by high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）. RESULTS The rice-fired G. littoralis decoction pieces were round-like small segments ，slightly rough ，yellow（peeled） or dark yellowish brown （with peel ），special gas and slightly sweet taste. The powder was yellowish white. Under the microscope ， secretions and secretory cells ，ducts，gelatinized starch granules ，ray cells ，parenchyma cells ，etc. could be seen. TLC showed the spots developed clearly. In the chromatogram of the test sample ，there was the same blue fluorescent spot at the corresponding position of the chromatogram of isoimperatorin control sample. The moisture ，total ash ，acid-insoluble ash ，water-soluble extract and ethanol-soluble extract from 9 batches of samples were 5.82％-6.27％，3.19％-3.59％，0.21％-0.27％，24.91％-30.30％ and 20.66％ -25.83％ ，respectively. The linear range of psoralen ，zanthotoxin，bergapten，imperatorin and isoimperatorin were 0.240-2.400，0.320-3.200，0.224-2.240，0.292-2.920，0.208-2.080 µg/mL（all r＞0.999 0）. Limits of quantitation were 0.032 0， 0.030 0，0325 0，0.032 0，0.045 0 µg，respectively. Limits of detection were 0.100 8，0.089 6，0.071 5，0.090 0，0.132 0 µg， respectively. RSDs of prescision ，stability（24 h）and reprodu- cibility tests were less than 3％. Average recoveries were 100.56％ （RSD＝1.36％ ，n＝6），100.73％（RSD＝2.25％ ，n＝6）， 100.36％（RSD＝0.98％，n＝6），98.24％（RSD＝0.40％，n＝6） E-mail：853063968@qq.com and 99.40％（RSD＝0.35％，n＝6），respectively. The contents of above five components were 5.85-13.31，8.63-33.38，6.23- E-mail：shixiaofeng2005@sina.com 15.25，6.12-12.98，5.52-10.77 µg/g，respectively. The total contents were 34.20-83.47 µg/g. CONCLUSIONS It is preliminarily proposed that the moisture ，total ash and acid-insoluble ash should not exceed 7.30％，4.10％，0.30％. The water-soluble extract and ethanol-soluble extract are no less than 21.00％ and 18.00％，respectively. The total content of coumarin should not be less than 52.03 µg/g（with peel ）and 26.34 μg/g（peeled）. Established quality standard can be used for the quality control of rice-fired G. littoralis .

Immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy can benefit the survival of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Atezolizumab combined with bevacizumab has achieved remarkable efficacy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, but the efficacy of conversion therapy in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma still needs more evidences. The authors report the clinical efficacy of a case of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma with hepatitis B virus related liver cirrhosis who was treated with immunotherapy plus targeted therapy combined with local treatment. Results show a good effect in patient without tumor recurrence after postoperative 9 months.