Objective: To systematically compare the types and contents of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in purplish-brown and yellow-brown Ziziphi Spinosae Semen, and to provide a scientific basis for their rapid identification and quality evaluation.
Methods: Headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) was employed to determine the VOCs in two colored samples. GC-IMS spectra and fingerprint profiles were established, and chemometric methods including principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were applied to visualize the differences in volatile components.
Results: A total of 44 VOCs were identified, including 1 aldehyde, 9 esters, 10 ketones, 2 enals, 14 alcohols, 3 acids, 2 furans, 1 disulfide, and 2 hydrocarbons. Alcohols and esters were the main volatile components. The fingerprint profiles showed high consistency within groups but significant differences between groups. Both PCA and PLS-DA effectively distinguished the two sample types. Compounds such as pentanol, methyl butyrate, 2-ethylfuran, 2-hexanol, and 2-methylpropenal were identified as key markers for differentiation.
Conclusion: HS-GC-IMS combined with chemometrics accurately distinguishes the volatile compounds of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen with different colors. This method is rapid, sensitive, and suitable for quality control and rapid authentication of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen.

Background: With the aging population and advancements in medical care worldwide, the number of older patients with end-stage kidney disease continues to rise. This study aimed to identify factors associated with osteoporosis and osteopenia in older patients undergoing incident hemodialysis and assess their impact on mortality. Methods: We analyzed a large multicenter retrospective cohort of patients aged ≥70 years undergoing incident hemodialysis to identify factors associated with osteoporosis using logistic regression analysis and to assess the association of death with osteoporosis and osteopenia using Cox multivariable analysis. Results: Among 710 patients, 39.0% and 19.6% had osteoporosis and osteopenia, respectively. Osteoporosis was significantly associated with female sex, a history of fractures, and the absence of phosphate binder use. During a median follow-up of 36.8 months, 348 participants (58.8%) died. Mortality rates were the highest in the osteoporosis group (79.8%), followed by the osteopenia (77.2%) and normal bone mineral density (BMD) groups (35.2%). Cox regression analysis revealed that even after adjusting for covariates, the osteoporosis group was significantly associated with a higher mortality risk than the normal BMD group. Osteoporosis at the start of hemodialysis was significantly associated with higher mortality. Conclusion We should consider the importance of bone health in patients undergoing incident hemodialysis and pay attention to the use of phosphate binders and fracture prevention.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify suicide risk factors among adolescents with a migration background. Methods: A descriptive, secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the 2024 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which included 1,782 adolescents with a migration background. Data analysis utilized a complex sample design, incorporating frequencies, descriptive statistics, x2 tests, t-tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression, performed with SPSS 26.0. Results: Logistic regression identified significant predictors of suicide risk, including age, feelings of sadness and hopelessness, stress, anxiety, perceived health status, history of injury, and use of liquid e-cigarettes. Together, these factors explained 33.5% of the variance in suicide risk. Conclusion The findings underscore the necessity for targeted mental health interventions for adolescents with a migration background, focusing on emotional regulation, stress management, and the prevention of risky behaviors. Early screening and culturally sensitive strategies are crucial for reducing suicide risk in this vulnerable population.

ObjectiveTo analyze the influencing factors of hepatic fibrosis in patients with Wilson's disease （WD） and to develop and validate a predictive model for hepatic fibrosis in WD that integrates traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes and modern biomarkers， thus providing a basis for early identification of high-risk populations and medical intervention. MethodsThe clinical data of 220 WD patients diagnosed in the Department of Encephalopathy， The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine between January 2010 and December 2024 were retrospectively collected. Through a random number table， patients were assigned into a training set （154 patients） and a validation set （66 patients） in a 7∶3 ratio. Univariate COX regression， LASSO regression analysis， and multivariate COX regression analysis were performed to identify independent influencing factors for hepatic fibrosis in WD patients， and a clinical prediction model was established based on these factors. The discrimination， calibration， and clinical utility of the model were evaluated based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve （AUC）， calibration curves， and decision curve analysis （DCA）， respectively. ResultsA total of 220 patients were included. The syndrome of combined phlegm and stasis， triglycerides （TG）， laminin （LN）， and male gender were identified as independent risk factors for hepatic fibrosis in WD patients， while TCM intervention and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） were protective factors. The C-index indicated excellent discriminative ability （training set： 3-year AUC=0.908， 5-year AUC=0.869， 7-year AUC=0.829； validation set： 3-year AUC= 0.898， 5-year AUC=0.780， 7-year AUC=0.743）. Calibration curves showed good consistency. DCA demonstrated the clinical net benefit probabilities across different risk thresholds at various time points. ConclusionThe predictive model established in this study has high accuracy and can be conveniently used for the early identification and risk prediction of hepatic fibrosis in patients with WD.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

BACKGROUND:In recent years,numerous studies have found that long non-coding RNA is involved in the occurrence and development of osteoporosis.p38MAPK signaling pathway is involved in the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,osteoblasts and osteoclasts,and participates in the development of osteoporosis.LncRNA can directly or indirectly participate in the occurrence and development of osteoporosis by affecting the p38MAPK signaling pathway. OBJECTIVE:To review the effect of long non-coding RNA directly or indirectly on the progression of osteoporosis through the p38MAPK signaling pathway,and to provide a new idea for long non-coding RNA in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. METHODS:PubMed,CNKI,and Wanfang databases were searched with"long non-coding RNA,osteoporosis,mesenchymal stem cells,osteoblasts,osteoclasts,p38 signaling pathway"as the Chinese and English search terms.Old,repeated and low-credibility views were excluded.The retrieved literature was summarized,summed up,and analyzed.Seventy-six representative articles were selected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Long non-coding RNA participates in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis through a variety of ways,including promoting the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,promoting the differentiation and secretion activity of osteoblasts,inhibiting the proliferation and bone resorption of osteoclasts,and regulating the activation or inhibition of osteoblast-related cellular pathways.Activation of p38MAPK signaling pathway can delay the progression of osteoporosis,and inhibition of p38MAPK signaling pathway can inhibit the absorption of osteoclasts,thereby affecting the occurrence and development of osteoporosis.(2)The overexpression or low expression of the corresponding long non-coding RNA can affect the proliferation or differentiation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts through the p38MAPK signaling pathway,regulate the process of bone remodeling,and then affect the occurrence and development of osteoporosis.A large number of basic research results show that long non-coding RNA and p38MAPK signaling pathway may be potential application and clinical translation value in the treatment of osteoporosis.Moreover,the corresponding long non-coding RNA overexpression or low expression lentivirus,transfection plasmid,and the corresponding p38MAPK signaling pathway inhibitor have been confirmed to have targeted regulatory effects in vitro cell experiments and animal models.(3)Therefore,targeting long non-coding RNA and p38MAPK signaling pathways to regulate the differentiation and function of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells or inhibiting the proliferation and differentiation of osteoclasts may provide an innovative therapeutic strategy to delay the progression of osteoporosis.

Objective:To explore the prognostic value of artificial intelligence-based P53 and Ki67 detection in stage I non-mucinous adenocarcinoma(INMA)of lung.Methods:A retrospective analysis was made of patients treated by radical surgical resection for INMA of lung in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Peking University First Hospital from Jan.2015 to Dec.2016,with complete clinicopathological and 5-year follow-up data.Immunohistochemical staining for P53 and Ki67 was performed on all cases and the index of P53 and Ki67 was calculated with the assistance of artificial intelligence(AI).The optimal cut-off values for P53 and Ki67 were determined using X-Tile software,and based on these values,the patients were divided into low-expression and high-expression groups.Pearson chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare the differences in clinicopathological characteristics between the different groups.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the impact of various indicators on 5-year overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival (DFS)for stage I INMA.The time-dependent receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves and the area under the curve(AUC)was used to analyze the predictive performance of P53 and Ki67 for the prognosis of stage I INMA.Results:Among the 191 patients, the median follow-up time was 60(54, 60) months. The index of P53 and Ki67 were 0%-100% and 1.0%-78.0%,respectively. The X-Tile software revealed optimal cut-off values of 62% for P53 and 20% for Ki67.Then the patients were divided into P53 low-expression group (<62%), P53 high-expression (≥62%) group and Ki67 low-expression (<20%)group,Ki67 high-expression group (≥20%). High expression of P53 was associated with male ( χ2=12.45, P<0.001), smoking ( χ2=12.24, P<0.001), pTNM stage ( χ2=16.28, P<0.001), and histological grade ( P<0.001). High expression of Ki67 was associated with male ( χ2=17.33, P<0.01), smoking ( χ2=21.67, P<0.01), and histological grade ( P<0.001). Male ( HR=2.612, 95% CI: 1.173-5.815, P=0.019), smoking ( HR=2.651, 95% CI: 1.246-5.642, P=0.011), high pTNM stage ( HR=3.815, 95% CI: 1.792-8.122, P<0.001), high histological grade ( HR=5.277, 95% CI: 2.400-11.606, P<0.001), high P53 expression ( HR=5.950, 95% CI: 2.792-12.680, P<0.001), and high Ki67 expression ( HR=3.349, 95% CI: 1.554-7.221, P=0.002) were associated with poorer disease-free survival (DFS). Male ( HR=9.050, 95% CI: 1.113-73.586, P=0.039), smoking ( HR=8.428, 95% CI: 1.701-41.765, P=0.009), high histological grade ( HR=6.865, 95% CI: 1.756-26.834, P=0.006), high P53 expression ( HR=16.699, 95% CI: 3.369-82.761, P<0.001), and high Ki67 expression ( HR=7.558, 95% CI: 1.806-31.632, P=0.006) were associated with poorer overall survival. P53 high-expression was identified as an independent risk factor for both DFS ( HR=2.843, 95% CI: 1.192-6.778, P=0.018) and OS( HR=6.909, 95% CI: 1.202-39.720, P=0.030) in stage I INMA patients. The area under the time-dependent ROC curves for predicting 5-year overall survival after surgery were 0.738 for p53, 0.674 for Ki67, 0.638 for pTNM staging, and 0.587 for histological grade. Among these, p53 demonstrated the highest predictive efficacy. Conclusions:AI-assisted interpretation of P53 and Ki67 indices improves test result repeatability. With critical values of 62% and 20%, high P53 and Ki67 expression indicates poor prognosis, while high P53 expression is an independent risk factor for lower OS and DFS, serving as a reference for postoperative adjuvant therapy screening.

PURPOSE: To investigate the pathological changes of the synovium in mice with post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) treated with 4-octyl itaconate (4-OI) and evaluate the therapeutic effects of 4-OI. METHODS: In the phenotypic validation experiment, the mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: wild-type (WT) group, sham group, and destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) group. Through MRI, micro-CT, and histological analysis, it was determined that the DMM surgery induced a mouse PTOA model with significant signs of synovitis. At 12 weeks post-DMM surgery, synovial tissues from the DMM group and WT group mice were collected for ribonucleic acid sequencing analysis. In the 4-OI treatment experiment, mice were randomly divided into the sham group, DMM group, DMM + 4-OI (50 mg/kg) group, and DMM + 4-OI (100 mg/kg) group. Von Frey tests and open field tests were conducted at intervals during the 12 weeks following the DMM surgery. After 12 weeks of surgery, the efficacy of 4-OI treatment on PTOA in mice was evaluated using MRI, micro-CT, histological analysis, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Finally, we utilized network pharmacology analysis to predict the mechanism of 4-OI in treating PTOA synovitis and conducted preliminary validation. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Difference was considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The DMM surgery effectively induced a PTOA mouse model, which displayed significant symptoms of synovitis. These symptoms included a notable increase in both the number of calcified tissues and osteophytes (p < 0.001), an enlargement of the calcified meniscus and synovial tissue volume (p < 0.001), and thickening of the synovial lining layer attributable to M1 macrophage accumulation (p = 0.035). Additionally, we observed elevated histological scores for synovitis (p < 0.001). Treatment with 4-OI inhibited the thickening of M1 macrophages in the synovial lining layer of PTOA mice (p < 0.001) and reduced fibrosis in the synovial stroma (p = 0.004). Furthermore, it reduced the histological scores of knee synovitis in PTOA mice (p = 0.006) and improved the inflammatory microenvironment associated with synovitis. Consequently, this treatment alleviated pain in PTOA mice (p < 0.001) and reduced spontaneous activity (p = 0.003). Bioinformatics and network pharmacology analyses indicated that 4-OI may exert its therapeutic effects by inhibiting the differentiation of synovial Th17 cells. Specifically, compared to the lipopolysaccharide stimulation group, 4-OI reduced the levels of positive regulatory factors of Th17 cell differentiation (IL-1: p < 0.001, IL-6: p < 0.001), key effector molecules (IL-17A: p < 0.001, IL-17F: p = 0.004), and downstream effector molecules in the IL-17 signaling pathway (CCL2: p < 0.001, MMP13: p < 0.001). CONCLUSION 4-OI is effective in inhibiting synovitis in PTOA, thereby alleviating the associated painful symptoms.
Animals ; Synovitis/etiology* ; Mice ; Osteoarthritis/etiology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Succinates/pharmacology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; X-Ray Microtomography