ObjectiveTo study the pharmacological substances and mechanisms through which sesquiterpene ZH-13 from Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum improves neuroinflammation. MethodsBV-2 microglial cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide （LPS） to induce neuroinflammation. The cells were divided into the normal group， the model group， and the ZH-13 low- and high-dose treatment groups （10， 20 μmol·L^-1）. The model group was treated with 1 μmol·L^-1 LPS. Cell viability was assessed using the cell proliferation and activity assay （CCK-8 kit）. Nitric oxide （NO） release in the cell supernatant was measured using a nitric oxide kit （Griess method）. The mRNA expression levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） pathway proteins was assessed by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the model group， ZH-13 dose-dependently reduced NO release from BV-2 cells under LPS stimulation （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the 20 μmol·L^-1 ZH-13 treatment group， the mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， TNF-α， iNOS， and IL-6 were significantly reduced compared to the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In both the low- and high-dose ZH-13 groups， the expression of the inflammatory factor TNF-α and the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK） in the upstream MAPK pathway were significantly reduced （P<0.05）. After stimulation with the JNK agonist anisomycin （Ani）， both low- and high-dose ZH-13 treatment groups showed reduced phosphorylation of JNK proteins compared to the Ani-treated group （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe sesquiterpene compound ZH-13 from Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum significantly ameliorates LPS-induced neuroinflammatory responses in BV-2 cells by inhibiting excessive JNK phosphorylation and reducing TNF-α expression. These findings elucidate the pharmacological substances and mechanisms underlying the sedative and calming effects of Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum.

Objective To summarize the clinicopathological features,immunohistochemical characteristics,HOX transcript antisense RNA(HOTAIR)in situ hybridization status,treatment,and prognosis of myxopapillary ependymoma(MPE). Methods A total of 17 patients diagnosed with MPE based on pathological evidence in the Department of Pathology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from November 2006 to July 2023 were selected,and the clinicopathological data of these patients were collected.Immunohistochemical staining for trimethylation at lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3),glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP),and epithelial membrane antigen(EMA)and alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff(AB-PAS)staining were performed in all the patients.Sixteen patients with spinal ependymomas were selected as the control group.Tissue microarrays were prepared from 17 MPE patients and the control group.HOTAIR ISH was performed and semi-quantitatively scored,and the scores of the two groups were compared by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results The 17 MPE patients aged 14-64 years,with the mean age of(37.48±16.10)years and the male-to-female ratio of 0.7∶1.Their clinical manifestations mainly included lumbosacral and lower limb pains.Microscopically,tumor cells were arranged in a papillary pattern around fibrovascular axis,with abundant myxoid materials,and tumor cells were arranged in a loose meshwork in some patients.The immunohistochemical staining results showed that 17(100%),10(58.82%),and 8(47.06%)patients expressed GFAP,EMA,and D2-40,respectively,and 2(11.76%)patients lacked expression of H3K27me3.AB-PAS staining showed blue myxoid materials in all the 17(100%)patients.HOTAIR was expressed in both MPE and control groups,with higher semi-quantitative score in the MPE group than in the control group(P=0.004).Twelve patients were followed up,with a median follow-up period of 65.50 months,during which three patients showed recurrence.Conclusions MPE exhibits typical pathological features,and the combination with immunohistochemical staining for GFAP and EMA as well as AB-PAS staining facilitates diagnosis of this disease.A small number of patients loss the expression of H3K27me3.HOTAIR is highly expressed in MPE but lacks specificity,which limits its auxiliary diagnostic value.The overall prognosis of MPE is favorable,with a few patients experiencing recurrence.
Humans ; Ependymoma/metabolism* ; Male ; Adult ; Female ; Adolescent ; Middle Aged ; In Situ Hybridization ; Young Adult ; RNA, Antisense/genetics* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Prognosis

Objective To investigate an automated pretreatment technology for detecting levels of free silica in workplace dust. Methods An fully automated pretreatment workstation for detecting free silica levels in workplace dust was developed by integrating graphite-controlled digestion temperature, online-controlled dilution of digestion solutions, and filtration endpoint recognition based on monitoring technology, combined with multi-channel synchronous measurements. Results The fully automatic pretreatment workstation was used to digest and filter 14 standard samples of free silica produced by three institutions, and then detected by pyrophosphate method. The result range of high-, medium-, and low-level free silica standard samples detection was 66.5%-84.8%, 40.0%-44.5%, and 2.1%-24.8%, respectively. The mean relative standard deviations were 3.9%, 1.4% and 1.5%. Conclusion The fully automated pretreatment workstation produced results that met relevant requirements. It can effectively replace the manual digestion and filtration steps of the pyrophosphate method to measure free silica levels in workplace dust and enable rapid detection of free silica in dust samples.

In recent years, research on the quality and safety detection of bear bile powder has mainly involved three aspects. First, the identification of active components and substitutes. Quantitative analysis of bile acids and other components is performed using HPLC, HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry, and other techniques, combined with near-infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and polymerase chain reaction to identify adulteration. Isotope fingerprint analysis and glycosylation modification detection are used to distinguish natural products from biosynthetic substitutes, revealing significant differences in δ13C values and the proportion of specific glycosylation modifications between natural bear bile powder and synthetic products. Second, the detection of veterinary drug residues, mainly based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, which can screen over 100 types of residues, but targeted purification strategies are needed to address interference from the bile acid matrix. Thirdly, heavy metal detection, mainly using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry, has revealed that contamination is associated with the breeding environment, with significant regional differences. Related detection technologies are gradually evolving from single-target analysis to multi-modal and intelligent approaches. Existing research faces issues, such as matrix effect interference, lack of international standards, and ethical controversies. It is suggested that future efforts should focus on the interdisciplinary application of detection technologies, develop rapid detection methods such as non-invasive monitoring and microfluidic chips, promote the standardization and equivalence evaluation of synthetic alternatives, and establish a full-chain quality control system integrating spatially resolved mass spectrometry imaging, artificial intelligence, and big data.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of Shangke Huangshui medicated gauze in the treatment of small-area deep second-degree burn wounds with fire-heat injuring fluid type.Methods Sixty patients who were diagnosed as small-area deep second-degree burn wounds of fire-heat injuring fluid type in Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2024 to July 2024,were selected as the research objects.The patients were randomly divided into trial group and control group by random number table method,with 30 cases in each group.The trial group was treated with external application of Shangke Huangshui medicated gauze,and the control group was treated with external application of Silver Sulfadiazine Cream.The treatment lasted for 21 days,and then the patients were followed up for 7 days.The changes of Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)score of wound pain,and serum levels of C-reactive protein(CRP),interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in the two groups were observed before and after treatment.The wound healing rate,wound healing time,bacterial infection of the wound,and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Results(1)During the treatment,there was no fell-off case in the trial group while there was one patient falling off from the control group.Eventually,a total of 59 patients were included in the statistical analysis,including 30 in the trial group and 29 in the control group.(2)On day 14 and 21 of treatment,the wound healing rates of the two groups were significantly higher than those on day 7 of treatment(P＜0.05),and wound healing rates in the trial group on the day 14 and 21 of treatment were significantly superior to those of the control group(P＜0.05).(3)The time for the complete healing of wound in the trial group was(22.07±2.30)days,which was significantly shorter than that of the control group[(27.07±4.10)days],and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(4)After 7,14 and 21 days of treatment,the VAS scores of wound pain in the two groups were lowered compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the VAS scores in the trial group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05).(5)On day 7 of treatment,the levels of serum CRP,IL-6 and TNF-α in the two groups were lowered compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the levels in the trial group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05).(6)On day 7 of treatment,the positive rate of bacterial culture for wound discharge in the trial group was 6.67%(2/30),which was significantly lower than 27.59%(8/29)in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(7)There were no serious adverse events or adverse reactions occurring in the two groups during the trial.Conclusion Shangke Huangshui medicated gauze can accelerate the healing of burn wounds,shorten the wound healing time,reduce the wound infection rate and the level of serum inflammatory factors,and has fewer adverse reactions with high safety.

Allergic comorbidity is a common allergic-related disease in the department of pediatrics,which is called atopic triad in modern medicine.Professor Xu Youjia believes that the children with allergic comorbidity have a more distinctive constitution of insufficiency of immature yang.Children with allergic comorbidity initially have the spleen-qi deficiency pathogenesis,and then the kidney yang will be further involved if the children fail in timely regulation and supplementation,which will result in kidney yang deficiency.In the view of spleen-kidney deficiency-cold pathogenesis of children with allergic comorbidity,Professor Xu Youjia suggested that,during the treatment,attention should be paid to the protection of the spleen(earth)of the middle energizer,thus to ensure the postnatal fire warm congenital kidney yang,and then the efficacy of raising qi and reinforcing yang can be achieved.The core medicines used for the treatment of deficiency-cold snineling nose include seven herbs,and they were Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma,Angelicae Dahuricae Radix,Saposhnikoviae Radix,Xanthii Fructus,Magnoliae Flos,and Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus.For children with severe deficiency-cold,the treatment needs to start from supplementing kidney-qi and protecting the root of yang,and the medicinals such as Psoraleae Fructus,Cimicifugae Rhizoma,Eucommiae Cortex,and Cinnamomi Cortex can be used.Professor Xu stressed the importance of adjusting the children's dietary structure and habits for protecting the spleen and stomach.The application of therapy of mediating the middle earth,raising qi and strengthening yang should accord with the growth and development of children,and the therapy is suitable for guiding the clinical treatment of diseases related to deficiency-cold syndrome.The selection of prescriptions should be based on the identification of the pathogenesis of deficiency-cold and its severity.

Objective To investigate the association of digit ratio with single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)at three loci(rs17576,rs3918249,rs9509)of matrix metallopeptidase 9(MMP-9)gene.Methods A total of 804 Ningxia Han youths(399 males and 405 females)were used as the study subjects.A digital camera was used to take frontal photographs of the hands,and image analysis software was used to mark the anatomical points and measure the lengths of each finger of both hands(2D,3D,4D,5D);Multiplexed PCR was used to detect the three polymorphic sites of the MMP-9 gene,SPSS 25.0 and R Studio software were used for data analysis and plotting.Results The 2D/3D(P＜0.05)and 2D/4D(left,P＜0.01,right,P＜0.05)of both hands,2D/5D(P＜0.01),3D/5D,4D/5D(P＜0.05)of the right hand,and 3D/4D(P＜0.05)of the left hand in female youths of Ningxia Han were significantly higher than those in males,Differences in genotypes and allele frequencies at all 3 loci of the MMP-9 gene were not statistically significant between genders(P＞0.05).Right hand 2D/4D was significantly associated with genotypes at the rs17576 and rs3918249 loci in male youths(P＜0.05).Conclusion MMP-9 gene SNPs(rs17576 and rs3918249)may be associated with the formation of 2D/4D of Ningxia Han male youths.

This review summarizes the progress of significant clinical studies in the field of coronary heart disease in 2023.The authors search from top-class medical journals on the Web of Science website,using'heart''cardi*''myocardi*''coronary''arrhythmi*''valv*''hypertension'as keywords.Various original researches that are highly quoted and have much value for clinical guidance are finally screened out,mainly focusing on intravascular imaging,strategy of percutaneous coronary revascularization,in-stent restenosis,antiplatelet therapy,and lipid management.From optimizing technologies of diagnosis and treatment to developing new types of drugs,we hope the achievements could effectively reduce the global burden of coronary heart disease.

Objective To investigate the association between the index finger and ring finger length ratio (2D ∶ 4D) and of four loci (rs6461992‚ rs6968828‚ rs7801581‚ rs17427875) polymorphism of homeobox (HOX) A11 gene among Ningxia college students. Methods Digit camera was used to collect frontal hand photos of 667 Han college students (348 males and 319 females) from Ningxia province; Image analysis software was used to mark the anatomical points and measure finger lengths of the index and ring fingers of both hands; multiplex PCR was used to detect each locus polymorphisms of HOXA11 gene; statistical software was used to compare and analyze the differences and associations of 2D ∶4D and gene polymorphisms between different genders. Results Among Ningxia Han college students‚ both left hand and right hand 2D ∶ 4D were significantly higher in females than those of in males (all P< 0. 05)‚ and there were no significant sex differences in right-left hand 2D ∶4D; the genotypes and allele frequencies of rs7801581 locus of HOXA11 gene differed significantly between genders (all P < 0. 05)‚ and none of the other locus polymorphisms showed any significant sex differences; only female left hand 2D ∶4D was significantly associated with rs6461992 locus genotype in the relationship between 2D ∶4D and HOXA11 polymorphisms (P<0. 05). Conclusion There were significant sex differences in 2D ∶ 4D among Han college students in Ningxia‚ and the rs6461992 locus polymorphism of HOXA11 gene may be associated with the formation of 2D ∶4D in females.

Objective To investigate the association of 13 single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)sites in 6 phalange-bone development related genes[fibroblast growth factor receptor 2(FGFR2),indian hedgehog signaling molecule(IHH),Msh homeobox 1(MSX1),Runx family transcription factor 2(RUNX2),SRY-box transcription factor 9(SOX9),Wnt family member 5A(WNT5A)]with human index-ring finger length ratio(2D∶4D).Methods Digital cameras were used to take frontal photographs of the hands of 731 college students(358 males and 373 females)in Ningxia,and image analysis software was used to mark anatomical points and measure finger lengths of index(2th)and ring(4th);genotyping of 13 SNP sites(rs1047057,rs755793,rs41258305,rs3731881,rs3100776,rs12532,rs3821949,rs45585135,rs3749863,rs1042667,rs12601701,rs1829556,rs3732750)for 6 genes by multiplex PCR;One-Way ANOVA or independent sample t-test indirectly assessed the association between 2D∶4D and 13 SNP sites.Results Both left and right hand 2D∶4D were significantly higher in females than males in Ningxia college students(all P<0.01);no statistically significant differences in genotype and allele frequencies of the 13 SNP sites among different sexes(all P>0.05);among different sexes,male left hand 2D∶4D was significantly associated with the genotype of SOX9 gene rs12601701 site(P<0.05)and right hand 2D∶4D was significantly associated with the genotype of WNT5A gene rs1829556 site(P<0.05);the female right hand 2D∶4D was significantly associated with the MSX1 gene rs12532(P<0.01)and rs3821949(P<0.05)sites genotypes.Conclusion SOX9(rs12601701),WNT5A(rs1829556)and MSX1(rs12532 and rs3821949)gene polymorphisms may be associated with the formation of 2D∶4D in Ningxia population.