OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effects and mechanism of astragaloside Ⅳ （AS- Ⅳ ） on lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-induced neuroinflammation. METHODS BV2 cells were divided into control group， LPS group， AS-Ⅳ groups at concentrations of 20 and 40 μmol/L， and dexamethasone group （2 μmol/L）. Except for control group， neuroinflammation model was established with LPS （1 μg/mL） in other groups after medication. The levels of inflammatory factors [interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and nitric oxide （NO）] in cell supernatant were measured in each group. Mice were randomly divided into normal group， model group， positive control group （Aspirin enteric-coated tablet， 20 mg/kg）， AS-Ⅳ low- and high-dose groups （10， 20 mg/kg）， with 6 mice in each group. Mice in each group were administered the corresponding drug/normal saline via gavage/intraperitoneal injection， once a day， for 14 consecutive days. Except for normal group， other groups were intraperitoneally injected with LPS （250 μg/kg） 1 hour after daily administration of the drug/normal saline to establish neuroinflammation model. Serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were measured 2 h after the last medication； histopathological morphology of cerebral tissue in mice were observed； the co-localization of inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）/ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1 （Iba1） and CD206/Iba1 in the cerebral cortex region of mice was observed； the expressions of proteins related to the nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）/mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway in brain tissue of mice were also determined， including NF-κB p65， phosphorylated NF-κB p65（p-NF-κB p65）， p38 MAPK， phosphorylated p38 MAPK （p-p38 MAPK）， extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK）， and phosphorylated ERK （p-ERK）. RESULTS In the cell experiments， compared with control group， the levels of IL-6， TNF- α and NO in the cell supernatant of the LPS group were increased significantly （P＜0.05）； compared with LPS group， the levels of IL-6， TNF-α and NO were decreased significantly in the administration groups （P＜0.05）. In the animal experiments， compared with the normal group， the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF- α， the number of iNOS/Iba1 co-localization positive cells in the cerebral cortex， and the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK， NF- κB p65 and ERK proteins in brain tissue were all significantly increased/elevated in model group （P＜0.05）； the number of CD206/ Iba1 co-localization positive cells in the cerebral cortex region significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. The neurons in the cerebral cortex and the CA3 region of the hippocampus displayed a disordered arrangement. Compared with model group， above quantitative indexes of mice were all reversed significantly in administration groups （P＜0.05）； the neuronal cells in the cerebral cortex and the CA3 region of the hippocampus exhibited a relatively orderly arrangement. CONCLUSIONS AS-Ⅳ may inhibit the activation of the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway， promote the M2-type polarization of microglia， and thereby suppress neuroinflammatory responses.

ObjectiveTo characterize the quality differences among different germplasm and introduced varieties of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium roots（BSR）， and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms， providing a basis for high-quality production and quality control. MethodsWild BSR from Yulin（YLW） served as the quality reference， we conducted comparative analysis among YLW， locally domesticated wild germplasm in Yulin（YLC3）， Daqing germplasm introduced and cultivated in Yulin（YLDQC3）， and locally cultivated germplasm in Daqing（DQC3）. A combination of traditional pharmacognostic methods and modern multi-omics analyses was employed， including macroscopic traits（appearance， odor）， microscopic features（proportions of cork， phloem， xylem）， cell wall component contents（hemicellulose， cellulose， lignin）， carbohydrate contents（starch， water-soluble polysaccharides）， marker compound contents（ethanol-soluble extracts， total saponins， liposoluble extracts， and saikosaponins A， B₂， C， D）， metabolomics， and transcriptomics， in order to systematically characterize quality differences and investigate molecular mechanisms among these samples. ResultsMacroscopically， Yulin-produced BSR（YLW， YLC3， YLDQC3） exhibited significantly greater weight， length， and upper and middle diameters than Daqing-produced BSR（DQC3）. Odor-wise， YLW and YLC3 had a a fragrance taste， YLDQC3 had a rancid oil odor， and DQC3 had a sweet and fragrant taste. Microscopically， Yulin germplasm（YLW， YLC3） and Daqing germplasm（YLDQC3， DQC3） shared similar structural features， respectively. However， Yulin germplasm showed significantly higher proportions of cork and phloem， as well as stronger xylem vessel staining intensity compared to Daqing germplasm. Regarding various component contents， Yulin germplasm contained significantly higher levels of ethanol-soluble extracts， total saponins， and saikosaponins A， B₂， C， D， while Daqing germplasm had significantly higher levels of hemicellulose， starch， and liposoluble extracts. After introduction to Yulin， the Daqing germplasm（YLDQC3） showed increased starch， water-soluble polysaccharides and liposoluble extracts contents， decreased cell wall component content， but no significant difference in other component contents. Metabolomics revealed that saponins and terpenes accumulated significantly in Yulin germplasm， while alcohols and aldehydes accumulated predominantly in Daqing germplasm. Transcriptomics indicated similar gene expression patterns within the same germplasm but specificity between different germplasms. Integrative metabolomic-transcriptomic analysis identified 145 potential key genes associated with the saikosaponin biosynthesis pathway， including one acetyl-coenzyme A（CoA） acetyltransferase gene（ACAT）， one 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase gene（HMGS）， two hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA（HMG-CoA） reductase genes（HMG）， one phosphomevalonate kinase gene（PMK）， one 1-deoxy-D-xylose-5-phosphate synthase gene（CLA）， one hydroxymethylbuten-1-aldol synthase gene（HDR）， two farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase genes（FPPS）， one squalene synthase gene（SQS）， one β-amyrin synthase gene（BAS）， 102 cytochrome P450（CYP450） gene family members， and 32 uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase（UGT） gene family members. ConclusionAmong the three cultivated types， YLC3 most closely resembles YLW in appearance， microscopic features， contents of major bioactive constituents， metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles. Yulin germplasm exhibits superior saponin synthesis capability compared to Daqing germplasm， and Yulin region is more suitable for the growth of B. scorzonerifolium. Based on these findings， it is recommended that artificial cultivation in northern Shaanxi and similar regions utilize the local Yulin germplasm source cultivated for at least three years.

Background: and Purpose Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) following endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a severe complication associated with adverse functional outcomes and increased mortality rates. Currently, a reliable predictive model for sICH risk after EVT is lacking. Methods: This study used data from patients aged ≥20 years who underwent EVT for anterior circulation stroke from the nationwide Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke (TREAT-AIS). A predictive model including factors associated with an increased risk of sICH after EVT was developed to differentiate between patients with and without sICH. This model was compared existing predictive models using nationwide registry data to evaluate its relative performance. Results: Of the 2,507 identified patients, 158 developed sICH after EVT. Factors such as diastolic blood pressure, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, platelet count, glucose level, collateral score, and successful reperfusion were associated with the risk of sICH after EVT. The TREAT-AIS score demonstrated acceptable predictive accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]=0.694), with higher scores being associated with an increased risk of sICH (odds ratio=2.01 per score increase, 95% confidence interval=1.64–2.45, P<0.001). The discriminatory capacity of the score was similar in patients with symptom onset beyond 6 hours (AUC=0.705). Compared to existing models, the TREAT-AIS score consistently exhibited superior predictive accuracy, although this difference was marginal. Conclusions The TREAT-AIS score outperformed existing models, and demonstrated an acceptable discriminatory capacity for distinguishing patients according to sICH risk levels. However, the differences between models were only marginal. Further research incorporating periprocedural and postprocedural factors is required to improve the predictive accuracy.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the influencing factors for repeated implantation failure (RIF) after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in China, so as to provide the evidence for prevention of RIF. Methods: Literature on influencing factors for RIF in China were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, China Medical Literature Service System, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Embase from inception to September, 2024. A meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 14.0 softwares. Literature were excluded one by one for sensitivity analysis. Publication bias was evaluated using Egger's test. Results: Initially 4 836 relevant articles were retrieved, and 12 of them were finally included, with a total sample size of 11 554 individuals. There were 10 case-control studies, 1 cohort study, and 1 cross-sectional study; and 10 high-quality studies and 2 medium-quality studies. The meta-analysis showed that factors including advanced age (OR=1.121, 95%CI: 1.035-1.215), prolonged infertility duration (OR=1.237, 95%CI: 1.091-1.403), abnormal hysteroscopy findings (OR=2.205, 95%CI: 1.119-4.348), positive anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) (OR=2.393, 95%CI: 1.473-3.886), and positive anti-beta2 glycoprotein Ⅰ antibody (β2-GPⅠ-Ab) (OR=2.824, 95%CI: 1.987-4.013) were associated with an increased risk of RIF; while factors including the large number of embryos transferred (OR=0.309, 95%CI: 0.098-0.973), thicker endometrium (OR=0.601, 95%CI: 0.556-0.650), and higher granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) levels (OR=0.657, 95%CI: 0.511-0.845) were associated with a reduced risk of RIF. Conclusion IVF-ET RIF is associated with age, infertility duration, number of embryos transferred, endometrial thickness, hysteroscopy findings, G-CSF levels, ANA and β2-GPⅠ-Ab.

Background: and Purpose Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) following endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a severe complication associated with adverse functional outcomes and increased mortality rates. Currently, a reliable predictive model for sICH risk after EVT is lacking. Methods: This study used data from patients aged ≥20 years who underwent EVT for anterior circulation stroke from the nationwide Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke (TREAT-AIS). A predictive model including factors associated with an increased risk of sICH after EVT was developed to differentiate between patients with and without sICH. This model was compared existing predictive models using nationwide registry data to evaluate its relative performance. Results: Of the 2,507 identified patients, 158 developed sICH after EVT. Factors such as diastolic blood pressure, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, platelet count, glucose level, collateral score, and successful reperfusion were associated with the risk of sICH after EVT. The TREAT-AIS score demonstrated acceptable predictive accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]=0.694), with higher scores being associated with an increased risk of sICH (odds ratio=2.01 per score increase, 95% confidence interval=1.64–2.45, P<0.001). The discriminatory capacity of the score was similar in patients with symptom onset beyond 6 hours (AUC=0.705). Compared to existing models, the TREAT-AIS score consistently exhibited superior predictive accuracy, although this difference was marginal. Conclusions The TREAT-AIS score outperformed existing models, and demonstrated an acceptable discriminatory capacity for distinguishing patients according to sICH risk levels. However, the differences between models were only marginal. Further research incorporating periprocedural and postprocedural factors is required to improve the predictive accuracy.

Objective To explore the effect of rituximab on cellular immunity and cytokines in children with new-onset steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome(SSNS).Methods Clinical data of 60 children with new-onset SSNS treated at Xuzhou Children's Hospital from December 2021 to March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Children were allocated according to rituximab use into a control group(no rituximab)and an observation group(rituximab).The relapse rate,T-lymphocyte subsets and cytokines before and after treatment,and the incidence of adverse reactions were compared between groups.Results The relapse rate was lower in the observation group than in the control group(27%vs 73%,P<0.05).After treatment,CD3+and CD4+T-lymphocyte counts,the CD4+/CD8+ratio,and serum interleukin-2 increased in the observation group and were higher than in the control group(P<0.05).Interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels decreased after treatment in the observation group and were lower than in the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,CD8+T-lymphocyte counts decreased,interferon-γ increased,and interleukin-10 decreased in both groups,with no significant differences between the two groups(P>0.05).The incidence of adverse reactions did not differ significantly between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusions Rituximab can reduce the relapse rate in children with new-onset nephrotic syndrome and shows good safety.Its therapeutic effect is achieved by regulating the number and function of T cells and by modulating the anti-inflammatory effects of cytokines.

Objective:To explore the value of quantitative parameters of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) combined with dynamic enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in predicting the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) .Methods:A total of 97 patients with LABC admitted to the hospital from Mar. 2020 to Mar. 2023 were studied and received neoadjuvant chemotherapy to evaluate the therapeutic effect, and DWI and DCE-MRI scans were performed before and after treatment. The difference of DWI and DCE-MRI quantitative parameters before treatment in patients with different therapeutic effects was compared, and the correlation between the difference of DWI and DCE-MRI quantitative parameters and therapeutic effect was analyzed. The predictive value of quantitative parameters of DWI and DCE-MRI before treatment was analyzed. The quantitative parameters of DWI and DCE-MRI in patients with different pathological reactions were compared before treatment, and the quantitative parameters of DWI and DCE-MRI were compared before and after treatment.Results:The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of patients with effective chemotherapy before treatment was higher, but transport constant (Ktrans) , extracellular space volume percentage (Ve) and rate constant (Kep) were lower ( t=5.0, 3.27, 3.55, 3.89, P < 0.05) ; Spearman correlation analysis showed that ADC was positively correlated with chemotherapy efficacy before treatment (r=0.66; P < 0.05) , while Kep, Ve, Ktrans were negatively correlated with it (r=-0.58, -0.47, -0.60; P < 0.05) ; ROC curves showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values of ADC, Kep, Ve and Ktrans in predicting chemotherapy efficacy before treatment were 0.771, 0.797, 0.664 and 0.715, respectively, while the combined AUC value of each indicator was 0.832; Compared with patients with non-significant pathological response, ADC before treatment was higher in patients with significant pathological response, Kep, Ve and Ktrans were lower ( t=4.46, 3.32, 3.60, 3.95, P < 0.05) ; Compared with before treatment, ADC value increased after treatment, while Kep, Ve and Ktrans decreased ( t=8.77, 6.22, 9.34, 10.26, P < 0.05) . Conclusion:Quantitative parameters of DWI and DCE-MRI can reflect the changes in the condition of patients with locally advanced neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and the combination of the two can help to improve the predictive value of chemotherapy efficacy in patients.

Objective To explore the differences in coronary-based and lesion-based fat attenuation index(FAI)in patients with coronary artery disease(CAD)across different risk stratifications,and to compare the diagnostic efficiency of coronary-based and lesion-based FAI in stable CAD patients with myocardial ischemia.Methods The patients with CAD,who underwent preoperative coronary CT angiography(CCTA)and invasive coronary angiography(ICA)with coronary fractional flow reserve(FFR)measurement between Apr 2019 and Oct 2022 in Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University,were retrospectively collected.There were 57 cases of acute coronary syndrome(ACS)patients and 206 cases of stable CAD patients included following inclusion criteria.The coronary-based and lesion-based FAI were measured,and the differences in these indices were recorded and analyzed among ACS patients,ischemic and non-ischemic groups of stable CAD patients(FFR=0.8 as the threshold).ROC curves were utilized to assess the diagnostic efficiency of coronary-based and lesion-based FAI for myocardial ischemia in stable CAD patients.Results The coronary-based FAI and lesion-based FAI in ACS patients were significantly higher than those in stable CAD patients[coronary-based FAI:(-72.40±6.83)HU vs.(-76.82±9.01)HU,P<0.001;lesion-based FAI:(-65.65±4.79)HU vs.(-77.48±8.64)HU,P<0.001].Among stable CAD patients,the lesion-based FAI in the ischemic group was significantly higher than that in the non-ischemic group[(-69.28±5.65)HU vs.(-80.10±7.75)HU,P<0.001].The diagnostic efficiency of lesion-based FAI for predicting myocardial ischemia in stable CAD patients was superior to coronary-based FAI(AUC:0.892 vs.0.525,Z=9.803,P<0.001).Conclusion Coronary-based and lesion-based FAI tended to be higher in ACS patients than in stable CAD patients,suggesting a potential for stratifying CAD patients with different risks.Lesion-based FAI showed some promise in evaluating myocardial ischemia among stable CAD patients.

Objective The digital transformation of healthcare has made data-driven approaches critical for improving the quality and efficiency of medical services.This study aims to improve the quality of critical value management by a data-driv-en intervention.Methods This study built an advanced digital platform to precisely record the time-stamp of each step,from de-tection to solution.This platform also delivered real-time notifications of patient critical value information to doctors' mobile de-vices,thereby optimizing the critical value management.Data were collected via this platform.A cohort study was designed:March 2024 data(pre-go-live)served as the control group and May 2024 data(post-go-live)as the intervention group.Comple-tion rate,processing time,and the proportion of in-patient critical values which were entered into the electronic progress were compared.Results The critical-value completion rate rose from 97.1％to 100.0％,and the proportion of values processed within 30 min increased from 80.91％to 83.42％.Among alerts that required ≥30 min,median(IQR)processing time fell from 100.27(230.09)min in March 2024 to 91.07(169.73)min in May 2024.Median processing time shortened for both e-mergency and out-patient alerts,with the out-patient reduction being statistically significant(median-45 min,P=0.042).Conclusion The data-driven platform not only improved the critical-value management,but also enhanced the transparency and traceability,providing clinical decision support and enhancing patient safety.

The working principle of the flat panel detector of Siemens Mammomat Inspiration breast machine was explained.The failures of the flat panel detector and its power source were analyzed in terms of the cause and elimination method.References were provided for medical engineers to treat similar failures.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(7):117-120]