ObjectiveThe study aims to investigate the intervention effect of modified Xiangsha Liujunzitang （M-XSLJZ） on intestinal-derived lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-activated Kupffer cell inflammation in rats with hyperlipidemia spleen deficiency syndrome. MethodsSeventy male SD rats were randomly divided into seven groups （n=10）： blank control （CON）， high-fat diet without spleen deficiency （HFD）， high-fat diet with spleen deficiency （SD-HFD）， M-XSLJZ low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （XS-L， XS-M， XS-H）， and western medicine control （R）. Spleen deficiency was induced in SD-HFD， XS-L， XS-M， XS-H， and R groups via irregular diet combined with exhaustive swimming for 15 days. The CON group received a standard diet， while other groups were fed a high-fat diet for 10 weeks to establish the hyperlipidemia model. After successful modeling， rats were treated for 8 weeks： M-XSLJZ was administered at 3.51， 7.02， 14.04 g·kg^-1 in XS-L， XS-M， and XS-H groups， respectively. The R group received 9×10^-4 g·kg^-1 of a reference drug. D-xylose excretion rate was measured by the phloroglucinol method. Blood lipids were assessed using an automated biochemical analyzer. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to evaluate the pathological conditions of the liver， and oil red O staining was used to observe the lipid deposition in the liver. The levels of LPS， portal vein serum LPS， LPS-binding protein （LBP）， serum interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-1β， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Immunofluorescence was used to evaluate CD86 expression and CD68/TLR4 co-localization in the liver. Protein levels of TLR4， MyD88， NF-κB p65， and p-NF-κB p65 in Kupffer cells were analyzed via Western blot automated protein analysis. Hepatic IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-1β mRNA and protein levels were measured using Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot. ResultsCompared with the CON group， the SD-HFD group showed a decrease in D-xylose excretion （P<0.01）. TC， TG， HDL-C， and LDL-C increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. A large number of hepatic lipid vacuoles and orange-red lipid droplet deposition appeared in the liver. Ileal LPS， portal LPS， and LBP increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The levels of serum IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-1β increased （P<0.01）. The expression of CD86 was upregulated （P<0.01）， and the co-expression of CD68 and TLR4 was enhanced. The protein levels of TLR4， MyD88， and p-p65 in Kupffer cells increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein levels of IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-1β increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the HFD group， the SD-HFD group exhibited decreased D-xylose excretion （P<0.01）， higher HDL-C， LDL-C （P<0.05）， increased portal LBP and LPS （P<0.05）， increased serum IL-6 and TNF-α （P<0.01）， upregulated CD86 （P<0.01）， enhanced CD68/TLR4 co-expression， and higher TNF-α mRNA/protein （P<0.05）. Compared with the SD-HFD group， all M-XSLJZ treatment groups showed reduced TC， TG， and LDL-C （P<0.05， P<0.01）. XS-H and R groups displayed improved hepatic lipid deposition. XS-H and R groups had lower ileal LPS， portal LPS， and LBP levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）. All M-XSLJZ treatment groups exhibited reduced serum IL-6， IL-1β， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. The XS-H group showed downregulated CD86 （P<0.01） and weakened CD68/TLR4 co-expression. The XS-H group had reduced TLR4， MyD88， and p-NF-κB p65 in Kupffer cells （P<0.01）. XS-H and R groups showed lower IL-6， TNF-α， and IL-1β mRNA/protein （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionM-XSLJZ may exert its lipid-lowering effects by inhibiting intestinal-derived LPS and alleviating Kupffer cell inflammation in the liver.

Treatment based on meridian differentiation is a characteristic method in clinical acupuncture diagnosis and treatment. Accurately defining and explaining its main content and core concepts is essential for effective clinical guidance. This paper reviews the historical and contemporary understanding, concepts, and primary content of treatment based on meridian differentiation. It proposes a four-step process for clinical application: meridian examination, treatment based on meridian differentiation, acupoint selection, and appropriate treatment methods, with TCM syndrome differentiation applied throughout. Constructing a diagnostic and treatment system which is based on meridian differentiation and suited to clinical acupuncture is significant for enhancing therapeutic efficacy and maximizing the benefits of acupuncture in disease treatment.
Humans ; Meridians ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Acupuncture Points ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Attempts have been made to modulate motor sequence learning (MSL) through repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, targeting different sites within the sensorimotor network. However, the target with the optimum modulatory effect on neural plasticity associated with MSL remains unclarified. This study was therefore designed to compare the role of the left primary motor cortex and the left supplementary motor area proper (SMAp) in modulating MSL across different complexity levels and for both hands, as well as the associated neuroplasticity by applying intermittent theta burst stimulation together with the electroencephalogram and concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation. Our data demonstrated the role of SMAp stimulation in modulating neural communication to support MSL, which is achieved by facilitating regional activation and orchestrating neural coupling across distributed brain regions, particularly in interhemispheric connections. These findings may have important clinical implications, particularly for motor rehabilitation in populations such as post-stroke patients.
Humans ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; Motor Cortex/physiology* ; Male ; Electroencephalography ; Neuronal Plasticity/physiology* ; Female ; Adult ; Evoked Potentials, Motor/physiology* ; Young Adult ; Learning/physiology*

Objective:To explore the effect of esketamine on inflammatory cytokines and myocardial injury markers in children undergoing living-donor liver transplantation (LT).Methods:Considering the inclusion criteria, 50 children with biliary atresia were selected for living donor LT. They were equally randomized into two groups of control (C) and esketamine (E) (25 cases each). Esketamine 0.5 mg/kg was administered to group E during induction and continued at a dose of 0.5 mg·kg –1·h -1 after an induction of anesthesia. Group C provided the same dose of 0.9% sodium chloride injection during induction and then continued to pumping until the end of the procedure. Basic profiles of two groups were recorded. Hemodynamic parameters, such as heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and central venous pressure (CVP), were monitored at 5 min of anesthesia induction (T 0), 30 min of anhepatic phase (T 1), immediately after repercussion (T 2), 30 min of neohepatic phase (T 3) and end of surgery (T 4) in both groups. Central venous blood samples were collected at T 0, T 1, T 3 and T 4. Serum levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB (CK-MB) ,tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured. The incidence of adverse cardiac events, postoperative mechanical ventilation time, ICU stay and hospitalization length were compared. Results:As compared with T 0, mean arterial pressure (MAP) at T 2 declined markedly in group E [(48.6±12.7) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) vs (55.6±10.7) mmHg, P<0.001] and C [(39.3±8.0) mmHg vs (53.2±9.4) mmHg, P<0.001 ] ;As compared with T 0, the TNF-α and IL-6 spiked at T 3 in group C [169.0 (207.1) ng/L vs 43.8 (26.4) ng/L, (132.63±51.75) ng/L vs (51.79±17.83) ng/L, P<0.001] and E [78.5 (138.8) ng/L vs 43.8 (26.4) ng/L, (87.44±32.17) ng/L vs (51.79±17.83) ng/L, P<0.001 ] ; In group C, the concentration of myocardial injury markers CK-MB and cTnI rose at T 3/T 4 compared with T 0[T 3 vs T 0: 5.7 (5.4) μg/L vs 4.0 (3.5) μg/L, 0.09 (0.08) μg/L vs 0.02 (0.02) μg/L; T 4 vs T 0: 5.3 (5.0) μg/L vs 4.0 (3.5) μg/L, 0.07 (0.08) μg/L vs 0.02 (0.02) μg/L, P<0.001 ]. In group E, the levels of CK-MB and cTnI were higher at T 3/T 4 than those at T 0[T 3 vs T 0: 7.0 (5.0) μg/L vs 4.6 (2.1) μg/L, 0.06 (0.09) μg/L vs 0.03 (0.04) μg/L; T 4 vs T 0: 5.4 (4.9) μg/L vs 4.6 (2.1) μg/L, 0.03 (0.06) μg/L vs 0.03 (0.04) μg/L; P<0.001]. Compared with group C, the MAP of E rose at T 1/T 2/T 3 [(58.8±10.3) mmHg vs (53.3±8.6) mmHg, P=0.048; (48.6±12.7) mmHg vs (39.3± 8.0) mmHg, P=0.003; (55.8±7.4) mmHg vs (51.5±7.3) mmHg, P=0.044]. Compared with group C, TNF-α and IL-6 decreased in E at T 3/T 4[T 3: 78.5 (138.8) ng/L vs 169.0 (207.1) ng/L, P=0.010; (87.44±32.17) ng/L vs (132.63±51.75) ng/L, P=0.017. T 4: 62.3 (118.3) ng/L vs 141.3 (129.2) ng/L, P=0.001; (74.34±26.38) ng/L vs (100.59±30.40) ng/L, P=0.002]. Compared with group C, cTnI decreased in E at T 3/T 4[0.06 (0.09) μg/L vs 0.09 (0.08) μg/L, P=0.014; 0.03 (0.06) μg/L vs 0.07 (0.08) μg/L, P=0.003]. Compared with group C, the mechanical ventilation time in group E decreased [195 (120) min vs 315 (239) min, P<0.001]. Compared with group C, the incidence of severe hypotension [16%(4/25) vs 48% (12/25), P=0.015 ], bradycardia [12% (3/25) vs 36 % (9/25), P=0.047 ], myocardial ischemia [4 % (1 /25) vs 24 % (6/25), P=0.042 ] and premature ventricular contractions [0 vs 4 %(1/25), P=0.312 ] decreased in group E. Conclusion:Intraoperative dosing of esketamine may suppress inflammatory reactions and alleviate perioperative myocardial injury in children undergoing living-donor LT.

Objective:To investigate the effects of Ziyin Liangxue formula combined with prednisone on immune function and the ST2/IL-33 pathway in mice with immune thrombocytopenia.Methods:In 40 BALB/c mice,32 were constructed as immune thrombocytopenia mouse models by antiplatelet serum injection.After successful modeling,the mice were randomly divided into model group,Ziyin Liangxue formula group(0.2 ml/10 g),prednisone group(0.2 ml/10 g),and Ziyin Liangxue formula+prednisone group(0.2 ml/10 g),8 mice in each group,and the other 8 mice were set as control group.The drugs were administered by gavage at the dose,and the model group and control group were given equal amounts of saline by gavage once a day for 2 weeks of continuous intervention.Blood samples and spleen tissues were collected,the peripheral platelet count was measured by automatic hematology analyzer,the pathological changes in spleen tissue was observed by HE staining,the levels of serum transforming growth factor(TGF)-β,interleukin(IL)-17,and peripheral blood thrombopoietin(TPO)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),the expression of IL-33,sST2,and ST2 in spleen tissue was detected by Western blot,and the cell counts of peripheral blood Th17 and Treg were detected by flow cytometry.Results:Compared with the control group,the number of platelets,the level of TPO,TGF-β,and Treg cells were significantly decreased(P＜().05),while the level of IL-17,Thl7 cells,and the expression of IL-33,sST2,and ST2 protein were significantly increased in the model group(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the number of platelets,the level of TPO,TGF-β,and Treg cells were significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the level of IL-17,Th17 cells,and the expression of IL-33,sST2,and ST2 protein were significantly decreased in the Ziyin Liangxue formula+prednisone group(P＜0.01).Conclusion:Ziyin Liangxue formula+prednisone can effectively regulate Th17/Treg balance,thus effectively improve immune thrombocytopenia,and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of ST2/IL-33 signaling pathway.

Objective:To study the diagnostic value of artificial intelligence B-ultrasound image computer-aided diagnosis system (hereinafter referred to as intelligent ultrasound system) in adult goiter.Methods:In June 2022 and March 2023, two phases of thyroid disease survey were carried out in 4 cities in Anhui Province. One village was selected in each city, and 250 adults were selected as survey subjects in each village. Adult bilateral thyroid area was scanned by both intelligent ultrasound system and conventional ultrasound scanning equipment, and the effectiveness of intelligent ultrasound system in the diagnosis of goiter was analyzed based on the results of conventional ultrasound examination. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn, and Kappa test was used to analyze the consistency between intelligent ultrasound system and conventional ultrasound examination in the diagnosis of goiter. At the same time, Spearman correlation analysis and Bland-Altman method were used to evaluate the consistency of the two methods in measuring thyroid volume.Results:After screening and removing outliers and missing values, a total of 910 adults were included, including 253 males (27.80%) and 657 females (72.20%). The age was (45.92 ± 10.20) years old, ranging from 18 to 60 years old. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the intelligent ultrasound system for diagnosing adult goiter were 80.00%, 99.67%, and 99.56%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.996, which was consistent with the results of conventional ultrasound examination for diagnosing goiter ( κ = 0.67, P < 0.001). After controlling for variables such as gender, thyroid function, and thyroid nodules, the intelligent ultrasound system showed good consistency with conventional ultrasound examination in the diagnosis of goiter in females, adults with thyroid dysfunction, and adults without thyroid nodules ( κ = 0.66, 0.80, 0.80, P < 0.001). The consistency in the diagnosis of goiter in adults with thyroid nodules was moderate ( κ = 0.56, P < 0.001). Spearman correlation analysis showed a highly positive correlation between the measurement results of adult thyroid volume by intelligent ultrasound system and conventional ultrasound examination ( r = 0.88, P < 0.001). The Bland-Altman method results showed that only 4.62% (42/910) of points in adults were outside the 95% consistency limit, indicating good consistency between intelligent ultrasound system and conventional ultrasound examination in measuring thyroid volume (< 5%). The proportion of points outside the 95% consistency limit in males, adults with thyroid dysfunction, and adults with thyroid nodules was 6.72% (17/253), 5.83% (12/206), and 6.45% (12/186), respectively. Conclusions:The intelligent ultrasound system has certain diagnostic value for adult goiter and has good consistency with conventional ultrasound examination for thyroid volume measurement. However, the accuracy of diagnosis for males and adults with thyroid nodules still needs to be improved.

Objective:To analyze the distribution and drug resistance of pathogens of bacterial bloodstream infection in patients with hematological diseases in the Department of Hematology of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, and to provide etiological data for clinical empirical anti-infection treatment.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the general clinical information, pathogenic bacteria and drug susceptibility test results of patients with hematological diseases diagnosed with bacterial bloodstream infection by menstrual blood culture in our center from January 2016 to December 2022.Results:Patients included 498 inpatients, with a total of 639 bacterial strains. Among the patients, 86.9% patients had malignancies, and 76.7% had agranulocytosis. Symptoms of concurrent infections, including those of the respiratory tract, oral mucosa, skin and soft tissues, and abdominal sources were observed in 68.3% patients. Gram-negative bacteria (G -) accounted for 79.0% of the isolated bacteria, and gram-positive bacteria (G +) accounted for 21.0%. The top five isolated pathogens were Klebsiella pneumoniae (22.5%), Escherichia coli (20.8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.0%), Enterococcus faecium (5.5%), and Stenotrophomonas maltophilum (5.0%). Escherichia coli exhibited a decreasing trend of resistance to quinolones, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibited increasing rates of resistance to quinolones and cephalosporins between 2016 and 2018, but the rated decreased after 2019. The resistance rate to carbapenems exhibited by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was approximately 20%. Carbapenem-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were first detected in 2017, with a peak resistance rate of 35.7%, detected in 2019. A 60.0% resistance rate to methicillin was observed in methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCNS), and one case of linezolid-resistant MRCNS was detected. Conclusions:Pathogenic bacteria of bacterial bloodstream infections were widely distributed in our center, and precautions are warranted against carbapenem resistant P. aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Objective:To construct a core muscle strength training plan for patients with lumbar degenerative diseases based on the concept of pre-rehabilitation, and provide a theoretical basis for core muscle strength training for patients with lumbar degenerative diseases.Methods:From January 2022 to June 2023 based on literature search and group discussion, develop a primary item pool for core muscle strength training plan for patients with lumbar degenerative diseases under the concept of pre-rehabilitation. Through two rounds of Delphi expert consultation, revise and establish the core muscle strength training plan for patients with lumbar degenerative diseases under the concept of pre-rehabilitation.Results:A total of 15 experts were consulted by letter, including 3 males and 12 females, aged 35-58 (41.38 ± 5.44) years old. The positive coefficients of two rounds of correspondence with experts were 1.00 and 0.93, the expert judgment coefficients were 0.78 and 0.90, the familiarity coefficients were 0.84 and 0.92, and the authority coefficients were 0.81 and 0.91. The Kendall coordination coefficients of two rounds of inquiry had statistical significance in terms of indicator rationality (0.378, 0.384), indicator importance (0.283, 0.291), and indicator operability (0.263, 0.375) (all P<0.05). The constructed perioperative nursing quality sensitive indicator system for minimally invasive spinal surgery patients included 3 primary indicators, 9 secondary indicators, and 17 tertiary indicators. Conclusions:The core muscle strength training plan for patients with lumbar degenerative diseases based on the concept of pre- rehabilitation is scientific, reliable, practical, and feasible, and can provide a theoretical basis for core muscle strength training for patients with lumbar degenerative diseases.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and is characterized by alternating periods of inflammation and remission. Although UC incidence is lower in Taiwan than in Western countries, its impact remains considerable, demanding updated guidelines for addressing local healthcare challenges and patient needs. The revised guidelines employ international standards and recent research, emphasizing practical implementation within the Taiwanese healthcare system. Since the inception of the guidelines in 2017, the Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease has acknowledged the need for ongoing revisions to incorporate emerging therapeutic options and evolving disease management practices. This updated guideline aims to align UC management with local contexts, ensuring comprehensive and context-specific recommendations, thereby raising the standard of care for UC patients in Taiwan. By adapting and optimizing international protocols for local relevance, these efforts seek to enhance health outcomes for patients with UC.