Hepatitis D virus （HDV）， as a defective virus， relies on the envelope protein of hepatitis B virus （HBV） to complete replication and transmission. Chronic hepatitis B （CHB） patients comorbid with HDV infection may experience significant acceleration of liver disease progression and a significantly higher risk of serious complications such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） compared with the patients with CHB alone， which poses a serious threat to the life and health of patients. At present， the coverage rate of HDV screening needs to be improved， and some patients with HBV/HDV co-infection have not been found in time. Therefore， strengthening the understanding of HDV among clinicians， expanding the scope of HDV screening， identifying patients with infection in a timely manner， and performing standardized antiviral therapy and long-term follow-up management are of great significance for improving the prognosis of patients， reducing disease burden， improving the quality of life of patients， and achieving the global goal of “eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030”.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between color parameters (L^*, a^*, b^*, Eab^*) and the contents of reducing sugars, total polysaccharides, total oligosaccharides, as well as four saccharides (fructose, glucose, sucrose, and kestose) during the nine cycles of steaming and sun-drying processing of Polygonatum kingianum, and to preliminarily explore the optimal processing duration.
Methods: The color changes were objectively evaluated using a colorimeter. The anthrone-sulfuric acid method was employed to determine total polysaccharides and oligosaccharides. The 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) colorimetric method was used to measure total reducing sugar content. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with charged aerosol detection (HPLC-CAD) was applied for quantitative analysis of fructose, glucose, sucrose, and kestose. Multivariate statistical analysis was conducted to assess samples from different processing stages.
Results: Significant variations in color and component contents were observed across processing stages. The herbal pieces progressively darkened with increased processing cycles: brightness (L^*) and total color difference (Eab^*) initially decreased then stabilized, while a^* (red-green) and b^* (yellow-blue) values first increased then declined. Total polysaccharides and oligosaccharides showed overall decreasing trends, whereas reducing sugars initially increased before stabilizing. Fructose and glucose levels rose continuously, while sucrose and kestose decreased progressively, becoming undetectable after five cycles.
Conclusion: The chromatic alteration and saccharide composition of P. kingianum showed significant correlation with processing duration. Both total color difference (Eab^*) and reducing sugar content stabilized after four processing cycles (12 hours), suggesting that four cycles of steaming and sun-drying may represent the optimal processing duration.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between the color parameters (L^*, a^*, b^*, Eab^* values) of Polygoni Multiflori Radix Praeparata powder prepared by different processing techniques and the contents of 2,3,5,4’-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, emodin, physcion, emodin-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, physcion-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside.
Methods: The L^*, a^*, b^* and Eab^* values of Polygoni Multiflori Radix Praeparata powder prepared by different processing techniques were determined by spectrophotometer, and the contents of the five components were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Secondly, SPSS 26.0 software and Simca 14.1 software were used to analyze the correlation.
Results: Through the hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), it was found that the steamed samples and black bean steamed samples could be obviously divided into two categories: raw products and processed products. The processed products could be further divided into 2-8 h and 12-48 h. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the content of stilbene glycoside was significantly positively correlated with L^*, a^* and b^* values (P<0.01). The a^* value was significantly positively correlated with the content of emodin and physcion (P<0.01). Emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside was positively correlated with L^* value and b^* value, while physcion-8-O-β-D-glucoside was negatively correlated with a^* value. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS) showed that 2,3,5,4’-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside (VIP=1.69) and emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside (VIP=1.06) were the key variables affecting chromaticity characteristics (P<0.01).
Conclusion: The three processes of steaming, black bean steaming and black bean stewing are consistent in composition transformation and chromaticity variation, and stilbene glycoside can be used as a specific index component to characterize the processed color. Chromatic parameters can effectively reflect the processing progression and serve as quality monitoring indicators during production.

Objective To explore the effects of Emotional Freedom Techniques combined with PERMA model intervention on fear of disease progression and quality of life in postoperative liver cancer patients.Methods A total of 58 liver cancer patients admitted from September 2023 to February 2024 were randomly divided into the experimental group(n=29)and the control group(n=29)using a random number table method.The experimental group received Emotional Freedom Techniques combined with PERMA-based positive psychological intervention,while the control group received the holistic nursing and routine psychological guidance.Both groups underwent the continuous intervention for 8 weeks.Outcomes were assessed using the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form(FoP-Q-SF),Distress Thermometer(DT),Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS),Self-Rating Depression Scale(SDS),Cancer Fatigue Scale(CFS),Athens Insomnia Scale(AIS)and Index of Well-Being(IWB).Results After the intervention,the experimental group showed the significantly lower scores than those in the control group in FoP-Q-SF(24.97±2.34/34.10±8.46),DT(2.24±0.95/2.93±1.33),SAS(49.55±1.35/58.55±4.60),SDS(51.86±1.58/61.79±4.00),CFS(4.03±0.94/5.10±1.18),and AIS(2.45±1.12/4.07±0.96)(all P<0.05),while the IWB score(10.56±1.74/7.39±2.05)was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion The combination of Emotional Freedom Techniques and PERMA model intervention can effectively alleviate the disease-related fears,improve the negative emotions,reduce the physical symptoms and enhance the subjective well-being in postoperative liver cancer patients,and it has a significant clinical application value.

Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia are two types of parasites that can cause intestinal infections in humans. Patients can be transmitted through the ingestion of food and drinking water contaminated with cysts, and present symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea after infection. If Entamoeba histolytica infection is not actively and effectively treated, patients may also present with clinical manifestations such as purulent and bloody stools and colonic ulcers. This study reports a diarrhea case with concurrent infection of Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia. During the diagnostic process, the parasites were rapidly detected using the direct saline smear method. Subsequently, iodine staining and iron hematoxylin staining techniques were employed to meticulously observe the internal structures and morphological features of the parasites under a microscope, enabling successful identification of the parasite species. The diagnostic process in this case suggests that laboratory personnel should further enhance their ability to recognize the morphological characteristics of cysts and trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia, providing an effective basis for the clinical differential diagnosis between Entamoeba histolytica infection and ulcerative colitis.

Objective To detect the characteristics of whole-brain functional changes in patients with subjective tinnitus(ST)after"frontal-temporal"dual-site repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI).Methods A total of 45 ST patients were enrolled,and assessments of tinnitus severity and rs-fMRI scans were performed before and 2 weeks after treatment with"frontal-temporal"dual-site rTMS.Regional homogeneity(ReHo),fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations(fALFF),degree centrality(DC)and seed-based functional connectivity(FC)were analyzed before and after treatment in ST patients.Results Tinnitus handicap inventory(THI)score of ST patients 2 weeks after treatment was significantly decreased compared with that before treatment(P<0.001).ReHo values of the right inferior parietal lobule decreased,fALFF values of the right temporal pole increased,fALFF values of the right superior temporal gyrus decreased,and DC(weighted)and DC(Binarized)values of the right medial temporal gyrus all decreased in ST patients 2 weeks after treatment compared with those before treatment(P<0.05,GRF correction).Using the above differential brain regions as seed points for FC analysis,FC values between right superior temporal gyrus(fALFF)and right middle temporal gyrus reduced,FC values between right middle temporal gyrus[(DC(weighted)]and right superior occipital gyrus reduced,and FC values between right middle temporal gyrus[DC(Binarized)]and right superior occipital gyrus reduced 2 weeks after treatment compared with those before treatment(P<0.05,GRF correction).Conclusion"Frontal-temporal"dual-site rTMS is initially effective for ST patients,and the auditory and non-auditory brain regions of ST patients showed different degrees of regional and interbrain function changes,mainly involving default mode network and visual-auditory network.

Objective To investigate the clinical and metabolic factors associated with the development and regression of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)in the physical examination population.Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted on 6 809 individuals who underwent physical examination in a physical examination institution in Beijing from December 2013 to December 2019,with a mean follow-up time of 52.1±13.5 months.According to the new diagnostic criteria for MAFLD,these individuals were divided into MAFLD group and non-MAFLD group,and the two groups were compared in terms of demographic indicators,body measurement indicators,and laboratory indicators at the first(baseline)and last physical examinations.The two-independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups,and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups;the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data.A Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the impact of various observation indicators on the development and regression of MAFLD.Results In this study,there were 4 533 individuals(66.6%)in the non-MAFLD group at baseline,among whom 15.6%developed MAFLD at the last physical examination.Compared with the non-MAFLD population,the MAFLD population had significantly higher age(Z=-6.739),number of male patients(χ2=178.534),body weight(Z=-22.302),body mass index(BMI)(Z=-22.818),waist circumference(Z=-23.117),hip circumference(Z=-18.446),systolic blood pressure(SBP)(Z=-13.301),diastolic blood pressure(DBP)(Z=-13.491),fasting blood glucose(FBG)(Z=-11.787),triglyceride(TG)(Z=-16.623),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)(Z=-10.256),alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(Z=-14.250),aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(Z=-7.481),and proportion of patients with metabolic syndrome(MetS)at baseline(χ2=185.283),and there were more patients with increases in body weight,waist circumference,hip circumference,TG,TC,ALT,and AST at the final physical examination(all P<0.05);these patients had a lower level of HDL-C at baseline(Z=15.416),and there were more patients with a reduction at the last physical examination(P<0.05).There were 2 276 individuals(33.4%)in the MAFLD group at baseline,among whom 23.8%showed regression of MAFLD at the last physical examination.Compared with the population without regression of MAFLD,the population with regression of MAFLD had a significantly younger age(Z=2.185),a significantly higher number of female patients(χ2=0.340),significantly lower levels of body weight(Z=-8.909),BMI(Z=-10.205),waist circumference(Z=-11.183),hip circumference(Z=-7.178),SBP(Z=-3.627),DBP(Z=-3.443),TG(Z=-5.945),ALT(Z=-9.664),and AST(Z=-5.904),and a significantly lower proportion of patients with MetS(χ2=42.082),and there were more patients with reductions in body weight,waist circumference,hip circumference,blood pressure,TG,TC,ALT,and AST at the final physical examination(all P<0.05);these patients had a higher level of HDL-C at baseline(Z=6.778),and there were more patients with an increase at the last physical examination(P<0.05).The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that sex and changes in body weight and HDL-C during physical examination were independently associated with the development and regression of MAFLD(all P<0.05).Conclusion There is a relatively high prevalence rate of MAFLD among the physical examination population in Beijing,with a higher proportion of male patients.There are significant metabolic disorders and liver function abnormalities,and changes in body weight and HDL-C are the most important predictive indicators for the development and regression of MAFLD.

BACKGROUND: Based on the China-VHD database, this study sought to develop and validate a Valvular Heart Disease- specific Age-adjusted Comorbidity Index (VHD-ACI) for predicting mortality risk in patients with VHD. METHODS & RESULTS: The China-VHD study was a nationwide, multi-centre multi-centre cohort study enrolling 13,917 patients with moderate or severe VHD across 46 medical centres in China between April-June 2018. After excluding cases with missing key variables, 11,459 patients were retained for final analysis. The primary endpoint was 2-year all-cause mortality, with 941 deaths (10.0%) observed during follow-up. The VHD-ACI was derived after identifying 13 independent mortality predictors: cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary artery hypertension, low body weight, anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, renal insufficiency, moderate/severe hepatic dysfunction, heart failure, cancer, NYHA functional class and age. The index exhibited good discrimination (AUC, 0.79) and calibration (Brier score, 0.062) in the total cohort, outperforming both EuroSCORE II and ACCI (P < 0.001 for comparison). Internal validation through 100 bootstrap iterations yielded a C statistic of 0.694 (95% CI: 0.665-0.723) for 2-year mortality prediction. VHD-ACI scores, as a continuous variable (VHD-ACI score: adjusted HR (95% CI): 1.263 (1.245-1.282), P < 0.001) or categorized using thresholds determined by the Yoden index (VHD-ACI ≥ 9 vs. < 9, adjusted HR (95% CI): 6.216 (5.378-7.184), P < 0.001), were independently associated with mortality. The prognostic performance remained consistent across all VHD subtypes (aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, tricuspid valve disease, mixed aortic/mitral valve disease and multiple VHD), and clinical subgroups stratified by therapeutic strategy, LVEF status (preserved vs. reduced), disease severity and etiology. CONCLUSION The VHD-ACI is a simple 13-comorbidity algorithm for the prediction of mortality in VHD patients and providing a simple and rapid tool for risk stratification.

The elevated polyamines, amine-rich molecules with diverse functions in pathophysiology processes, are implicated in contributing to tumorigenesis and progression. Whether and how they affect the efficacy of chemotherapy is incompletely understood. Our screening assays reveal that the supplement with a low dose of spermidine (Spd), one of the polyamines, enhances ferroptosis in prostate cancer cells as evidenced by increased lipid peroxidation and intracellular Fe²⁺ levels in vitro. Combination treatment with Spd and a low dose of ferroptosis inducer erastin synergistically augments anti-tumor efficacy with undetectable toxicity in mice. Analysis of RNA-seq data indicates that heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), an enzyme that catalyzes the cleavage of heme to release Fe²⁺, is significantly upregulated in response to Spd and erastin cotreatment. Spd mediated the hypusine modification of the eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (EIF5A) promotes the translation of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), subsequently leading to elevation of HMOX1. Moreover, Spd and erastin significantly inhibit proteasome activity which results in a decrease in proteasomal degradation of NRF2, although many proteasome-related genes are induced either by Spd or Spd plus erastin. Thus, in addition to its pro-oncogenic activity, the supplement of Spd improves antitumor activity in combination with ferroptosis inducers and offers an optional approach to cancer treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of amentoflavone (AF) for alleviating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice and inhibiting NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 axis-mediated pyroptosis. METHODS: Female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control group, LPS group, and AF treatment groups at low, moderate and high doses (n=12). ALI models were established by tracheal LPS instillation, and in AF treatment groups, AF was administered by gavage 30 min before LPS instillation. Six hours after LPS instillation, the mice were euthanized for examining lung tissue histopathological changes, protein levels in BALF, and MPO levels in the lung tissue. In the in vitro experiment, RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with AF, AC (a pyroptosis inhibitor), or their combination for 2 h before stimulation with LPS and ATP. The changes in cell proliferation and viability were detected using CCK-8 assay, and IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α levels were determined with ELISA. Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence assay, and immunoblotting were used to detect the protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, cleaved caspase-1, and GSDMD N in rat lung tissues and the treated cells. RESULTS: In mice with LPS exposure, AF treatment significantly improved lung pathologies and edema, reduced protein levels in BALF and pulmonary MPO level, inhibited the high expression of NLRP3/ASC/Aspase-1 axis, reduced the expression of GSDMD N, and lowered the release of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF‑α. In RAW264.7 cells with LPS and ATP stimulation, AF pretreatment effectively reduced cell death, inhibited activation of the NLRP3/ASC/Aspase-1 axis, and reduced GSDMD N expression and the inflammatory factors. The pyroptosis inhibitor showed a similar effect to AF, and their combination produced more pronounced effects in RAW264.7 cells. CONCLUSIONS Amentoflavone can alleviate ALI in mice possibly by inhibiting NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 axis-mediated cell pyroptosis.
Animals ; Pyroptosis/drug effects* ; Acute Lung Injury/pathology* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Female ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Biflavonoids/pharmacology* ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein ; Caspase 1/metabolism* ; Lung