Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and genetic alterations of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL).Methods:Three cases of UESL diagnosed in the Department of Pathology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from 2020 to 2023 were retrospectively collected. The clinical, histomorphological, immunohistochemical, and genetic profiles were reviewed and analyzed.Results:The cohort comprised of three patients, including one male and two females, aged 7, 9, and 15 years, respectively. Tumor locations were in the right lobe of the liver in two cases, and in both the right and left lobes in one case. One case exhibited tumor rupture with hemorrhage. Gross examination revealed solid tumors in gray-red fleshy appearance, with areas of hemorrhage and necrosis. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of irregularly shaped spindle and polygonal cells arranged in bundles or sheets with varying density, scattered within a myxoid matrix containing giant tumor cells and eosinophilic globules. The tumor cells were positive for Vimentin, CD56, CD68, and bcl-2, with a Ki-67 index of 30%-80%. INI1 expression was retained, while p53 exhibited a mutant pattern. CKpan, CK7, CK19, EMA, HepPar-1, Arginase-1, AFP, CD34, S-100, Myogenin, and MyoD1 were negative. All three cases harbored TP53 missense mutations. Case 1 also showed MDM2 copy number amplification (class Ⅰ mutation), and case 2 exhibited a frameshift mutation in exon 10 of TSC2 (class Ⅱ mutation). Additionally, several class Ⅲ mutations were identified in all three cases. Germline testing for tumor-related genetic variants in case 2 revealed a missense mutation in exon 12 of DICER1, an in-frame insertion mutation in exon 8 of MSH2, and a missense mutation in exon 30 of TSC2.Conclusion:UESL is a rare malignant mesenchymal tumor of the liver, predominantly affecting children, with distinctive clinicopathological features and genetic alterations. TP53 mutations may play a key role in the pathogenesis of this tumor.

Background::Statins are the first line of treatment for dyslipidemia, but their side effects often reduce medication compliance. Natto and red yeast rice are natural ingredients with lipid-lowering effects. However, the efficacy of Natto Red Yeast Rice (NRYR) supplement in combination with statins in regulating blood lipid levels has not been fully evaluated.Methods::A multicenter, double-blinded, randomized-controlled trial was conducted among individuals with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of 3.4 to 5.0 mmol/L at six sites in China, of those at moderate risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are prioritized. Participants are enrolled and randomly assigned into four groups by a combination of NRYR (or its placebo) and Simvastatin (or its placebo) in a ratio of 1:1:1:1. After examination at baseline, all participants underwent intervention for 3 months and two follow-up visits at 1 month and 3 months after the intervention. The primary outcome is the change in LDL-C level at 3 months, and secondary outcomes include changes in levels of other lipid profiles and biomarkers, as well as calculated 10-year CVD risk. A total of 1136 participants were randomly assigned, of whom 1110 received the intervention.Discussion::This study may provide new evidence for the efficacy of NRYR supplement in combination with statins to regulate lipid levels and optimize lipid management.Trial Registration::Chinese Clinical Trial Registry database: registration nos. ChiCTR2200064214, ChiCTR2200064215.

Background::Statins are the first line of treatment for dyslipidemia, but their side effects often reduce medication compliance. Natto and red yeast rice are natural ingredients with lipid-lowering effects. However, the efficacy of Natto Red Yeast Rice (NRYR) supplement in combination with statins in regulating blood lipid levels has not been fully evaluated.Methods::A multicenter, double-blinded, randomized-controlled trial was conducted among individuals with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of 3.4 to 5.0 mmol/L at six sites in China, of those at moderate risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are prioritized. Participants are enrolled and randomly assigned into four groups by a combination of NRYR (or its placebo) and Simvastatin (or its placebo) in a ratio of 1:1:1:1. After examination at baseline, all participants underwent intervention for 3 months and two follow-up visits at 1 month and 3 months after the intervention. The primary outcome is the change in LDL-C level at 3 months, and secondary outcomes include changes in levels of other lipid profiles and biomarkers, as well as calculated 10-year CVD risk. A total of 1136 participants were randomly assigned, of whom 1110 received the intervention.Discussion::This study may provide new evidence for the efficacy of NRYR supplement in combination with statins to regulate lipid levels and optimize lipid management.Trial Registration::Chinese Clinical Trial Registry database: registration nos. ChiCTR2200064214, ChiCTR2200064215.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and genetic alterations of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL).Methods:Three cases of UESL diagnosed in the Department of Pathology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from 2020 to 2023 were retrospectively collected. The clinical, histomorphological, immunohistochemical, and genetic profiles were reviewed and analyzed.Results:The cohort comprised of three patients, including one male and two females, aged 7, 9, and 15 years, respectively. Tumor locations were in the right lobe of the liver in two cases, and in both the right and left lobes in one case. One case exhibited tumor rupture with hemorrhage. Gross examination revealed solid tumors in gray-red fleshy appearance, with areas of hemorrhage and necrosis. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of irregularly shaped spindle and polygonal cells arranged in bundles or sheets with varying density, scattered within a myxoid matrix containing giant tumor cells and eosinophilic globules. The tumor cells were positive for Vimentin, CD56, CD68, and bcl-2, with a Ki-67 index of 30%-80%. INI1 expression was retained, while p53 exhibited a mutant pattern. CKpan, CK7, CK19, EMA, HepPar-1, Arginase-1, AFP, CD34, S-100, Myogenin, and MyoD1 were negative. All three cases harbored TP53 missense mutations. Case 1 also showed MDM2 copy number amplification (class Ⅰ mutation), and case 2 exhibited a frameshift mutation in exon 10 of TSC2 (class Ⅱ mutation). Additionally, several class Ⅲ mutations were identified in all three cases. Germline testing for tumor-related genetic variants in case 2 revealed a missense mutation in exon 12 of DICER1, an in-frame insertion mutation in exon 8 of MSH2, and a missense mutation in exon 30 of TSC2.Conclusion:UESL is a rare malignant mesenchymal tumor of the liver, predominantly affecting children, with distinctive clinicopathological features and genetic alterations. TP53 mutations may play a key role in the pathogenesis of this tumor.

Marine fungi are important members of the marine microbiome, which have been paid growing attention by scientists in recent years. The secondary metabolites of marine fungi have been reported to contain rich and diverse compounds with novel structures (Chen et al., 2019). Aspergillus terreus, the higher level marine fungus of the Aspergillus genus (family of Trichocomaceae, order of Eurotiales, class of Eurotiomycetes, phylum of Ascomycota), is widely distributed in both sea and land. In our previous study, the coral-derived A. terreus strain C23-3 exhibited potential in producing other biologically active (with antioxidant, acetylcholinesterase inhibition, and anti-inflammatory activity) compounds like arylbutyrolactones, territrems, and isoflavones, and high sensitivity to the chemical regulation of secondary metabolism (Yang et al., 2019, 2020; Nie et al., 2020; Ma et al., 2021). Moreover, we have isolated two different benzaldehydes, including a benzaldehyde with a novel structure, from A. terreus C23-3 which was derived from Pectinia paeonia of Xuwen, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China.
Acetylcholinesterase/metabolism* ; Animals ; Anthozoa/microbiology* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology* ; Aspergillus/chemistry* ; Benzaldehydes/pharmacology* ; Mice ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Signal Transduction

To unravel the genetic mechanisms of disease and physiological traits, it requires comprehensive sequencing analysis of large sample size in Chinese populations. Here, we report the primary results of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Precision Medicine Initiative (CASPMI) project launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, including the de novo assembly of a northern Han reference genome (NH1.0) and whole genome analyses of 597 healthy people coming from most areas in China. Given the two existing reference genomes for Han Chinese (YH and HX1) were both from the south, we constructed NH1.0, a new reference genome from a northern individual, by combining the sequencing strategies of PacBio, 10× Genomics, and Bionano mapping. Using this integrated approach, we obtained an N50 scaffold size of 46.63 Mb for the NH1.0 genome and performed a comparative genome analysis of NH1.0 with YH and HX1. In order to generate a genomic variation map of Chinese populations, we performed the whole-genome sequencing of 597 participants and identified 24.85 million (M) single nucleotide variants (SNVs), 3.85 M small indels, and 106,382 structural variations. In the association analysis with collected phenotypes, we found that the T allele of rs1549293 in KAT8 significantly correlated with the waist circumference in northern Han males. Moreover, significant genetic diversity in MTHFR, TCN2, FADS1, and FADS2, which associate with circulating folate, vitamin B12, or lipid metabolism, was observed between northerners and southerners. Especially, for the homocysteine-increasing allele of rs1801133 (MTHFR 677T), we hypothesize that there exists a "comfort" zone for a high frequency of 677T between latitudes of 35-45 degree North. Taken together, our results provide a high-quality northern Han reference genome and novel population-specific data sets of genetic variants for use in the personalized and precision medicine.

This article reports one hepatic echinococcosis patient complicated with systemic sclerosis. His clinical manifesta?tions were the progressive fibrosis of the skin,sour regurgitation,and belching. The blood examination showed that eosinophils was reduced,and antinuclear antibody(ANA)was positive at 1∶100 in cytoplasm particle type. He was given prednisone ace?tate 25 mg,q. d.,aspirin 100 mg,q. d.,centella triterpenes cream 12 mg t. i. d.,esomeprazole 40 mg q. d.,and domperidone 10 mg t. i. d. After one week,the Rodnan skin score reduced from 27 to 17. The liver hydatid cyst resection was performed,and the follow?up showed that his clinical manifestations improved and the Rodnan skin score reduced further.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the chemical constituents of the flowers of Chrysanthemum indicum.

METHODThe chemical constituents were isolated by various column chromatographic methods. The structures were identified by spectral data.

RESULTTwelve compounds were isolated and identified as acacetin (1), tricin (2), 2',4'-dihydroxychalcone(3), 5-hydroxy-4',7-dimethoxyflavon(4),7hydroxyflavonone (5), isorhamnetin (6),5,6,7-trihydroxy- 3',4', 5'-trimethoxyflanon (7 ), quercetin (8) , (3 beta, 5 alpha, 6 beta, 7 beta, 14 beta)-eudesmen-3,5,6,11-tetrol (9), syringaresinol (10), liriodendrin (11), and genkwanin (12).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 3-7, 10-12 were isolated from this species for the first time, and compounds 3, 5, 7, 10, 11 were obtained from genus Chrysanthemum for the first time.

Chalcones ; analysis ; Chrysanthemum ; chemistry ; Flavones ; analysis ; Flavonoids ; analysis ; Flavonols ; analysis ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Furans ; analysis ; Glucosides ; analysis ; Lignans ; analysis ; Quercetin ; analogs & derivatives

Objective To study the imaging characteristics of the ligaments in craniocervical junction (CCJ), and to optimize the examination methods and scanning sequences of the ligaments in this region. Methods Two groups of 51 healthy volunteers in each were selected to undergo CT and MRI examination respectively. The CT and MRI features of the ligaments in CCJ were assessed. Two senior imaging doctors compared the results of showing the ligaments in CCJ by several MRI sequences, including T1 WI ,T2 WI, proton density weighted imaging (PDWI), T2 * WI and short time inversion recovery (STIR) ,and proton density fat saturate (PDFSAT). Standard normal rank transformation was done according to the primary data,and then analysis of variance of repeated measurement was applied. Results CT and MRI could both demonstrate the ligaments (except the anterior atlantooccipital membrane only seen on MRI) and their adjoins in CCJ, while MRI had more advantages than CT. The display ratio of the anterior atlantooccipital membrane was 100% (51/51) by MRI. The display ratio of the apical ligament was 29.4%(15/51) by CT and 43.1% (22/51) by MRI. The posterior atlantooccipital membrane-dura complex,tectorial ligament-dura complex, transverse ligament, and alar ligament could be demonstrated clearly by CT and MRI, the display ratio was 100% respectively (51/51). The results of PDWi scored by two doctors were both 5.0, there were no significant differences between them (F = 0.000, P > 0.05), which were significantly higher than T, WI (M = 3.0), T2Wi (M = 3.0), T2 * WI (M = 1.0), STIR (M = 1.0), and PDFSAT(M = 3.0)(P < 0.01). Conclusion MRI was superior to CT in demonstrating the ligaments in CCJ. PDWI was the optimal MRI sequence. Imaging research of normal ligamentous structures in CCJ could provide valuable diagnostic and therapeutic information for evaluating the ligamentous diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To study the photostability of the levofloxacin hydrochloride injection. METHODS: The content of levofloxacin hydrochloride was determined and its UV spectra changes were observed after being lighted by three different light sources-the UV light, the sunlight and the natural light for different periods of time. Whether there is any decomposed product or not was determined by TLC. RESULTS: There were decompositions of levofloxacin hydrochloride injection subjected to illumination from three light resources, with that under the sunlight decomposed faster; Rf value under TLC of the decomposed product was found to be 0.72. CONCLUSION: Levofloxacin hydrochloride injection should be kept away from UV light, the sunlight and the natural light.