ObjectiveTo compare female C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice models of ulcerative colitis (UC) induced by dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS), providing a reference for selecting female animal models in studies of innovative drugs for UC treatment. MethodsA total of 48 female mice aged 6–8 weeks, including 24 C57BL/6J and 24 BALB/c mice, were divided into four groups: control group, UC-3d group (2.5% DSS drinking for 3 days), UC-7d group (2.5% DSS drinking for 7 days), and UC-withdrawal group (2.5% DSS drinking for 7 days followed by 3 days of pure water replacement), with 6 mice in each group. Body weight, fecal occult blood, and stool characteristics were recorded daily, and disease activity index (DAI) scores were calculated. At the end of DSS induction, mice were gavaged with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled dextran solution before tissue collection. Four hours later, under deep anesthesia induced by inhalation of 4% isoflurane, blood samples were collected from the retro-orbital venous plexus, and euthanasia was performed by cervical dislocation. The colon was then separated immediately, and its length from the anus to the ileocecal junction was measured. Colon tissues were fixed, embedded, and sectioned, and they were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff (AB-PAS) staining to comprehensively assess the degree of colonic inflammation. The spleen was also collected and weighed, and the spleen coefficient was calculated. Serum FITC fluorescence intensity and D-lactic acid concentration were measured to evaluate intestinal permeability and barrier injury. The grooming duration, the number of buried marbles, the time spent in the center of the open field, and the total distance traveled were measured to evaluate anxiety/depression-like behaviors in mice. ResultsFecal occult blood appeared in both C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice after 3 days of ad libitum access to DSS. Compared with the control group, there was no significant change in the weight loss rate of female BALB/c mice in the UC-7d and UC-withdrawal groups (P > 0.05), but the DAI score increased (P < 0.01). Conversely, both the weight loss rate and DAI score increased for female C57BL/6J mice in the UC-7d and UC-withdrawal groups (P < 0.01). In female C57BL/6J mice, both the UC-7d and UC-withdrawal groups had higher spleen coefficients than the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, in these groups, colon length was significantly reduced (P < 0.01), FITC fluorescence intensity in serum was markedly increased (P < 0.01), obvious inflammatory reaction areas appeared in the colon, and the goblet cells and acidic mucus layer were damaged. In contrast, in female BALB/c mice, no significant differences were observed in colon length, serum FITC fluorescence intensity, or D-lactic acid concentration between the UC-7d and UC-withdrawal groups compared with the control group (P > 0.05). Only a few inflammatory cells and damaged goblet cells were observed in the colonic mucosal layer, and no other obvious pathological changes were detected. In addition, female C57BL/6J mice in the UC-7d group showed a significantly reduced total distance in the open field and fewer buried marbles (P < 0.05), indicating depression-like behavior, as well as prolonged grooming duration (P < 0.05), indicating anxiety-like behavior. ConclusionFemale BALB/c mice are not sensitive to 2.5% DSS and do not show typical colonic pathological changes of UC. In contrast, ad libitum access to 2.5% DSS for 7 days successfully induces typical UC pathological symptoms and colonic pathological changes in female C57BL/6J mice. These changes persist for 3 days after DSS withdrawal, and the mice also exhibit symptoms of anxiety/depression. The results suggest that this model can be used for research on the pathogenesis and therapeutic drugs of UC.

ObjectiveThe present study aimed to investigate alterations in white matter microstructure and spontaneous neural activity in male college smokers, and to further explore their associations with nicotine dependence. Given that adolescence and early adulthood represent critical periods for brain maturation, particularly for white matter development, understanding the neural correlates of smoking behavior during this stage is of substantial importance for both neuroscience and public health. MethodsA total of 115 male undergraduate students were initially recruited for this study. After quality control and exclusion procedures, 52 male college smokers and 42 demographically matched healthy non-smokers were included in the final analysis. All participants underwent multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). White matter fiber tracts were reconstructed using the automated fiber quantification (AFQ) method, which enables precise identification and quantification of major fiber bundles. Eighteen major white matter tracts were segmented for each participant. Along the core trajectory of each tract, 100 equidistant nodes were sampled. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was calculated at each node to assess white matter microstructural integrity, while amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was computed to evaluate spontaneous neural activity within white matter tracts. Between-group differences in FA and ALFF were assessed using two-sample t-tests, with appropriate corrections applied for multiple comparisons. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between imaging-derived metrics (FA and ALFF values in regions showing significant group differences) and nicotine dependence severity, as measured by the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND). ResultsCompared with healthy non-smokers, male college smokers exhibited significantly increased FA values in several white matter tracts, including the left thalamic radiation, right corticospinal tract, forceps major of the corpus callosum, left uncinate fasciculus, and right arcuate fasciculus. These findings suggest altered microstructural organization or increased directional coherence within these pathways. In addition, smokers demonstrated significantly elevated ALFF values in the forceps major, right uncinate fasciculus, and left arcuate fasciculus, indicating enhanced spontaneous neural activity in these white matter regions. Correlation analyses revealed that FA values in the left thalamic radiation and right corticospinal tract were negatively correlated with FTND scores, suggesting that higher levels of nicotine dependence were associated with reduced microstructural integrity or altered fiber organization in these regions. In contrast, ALFF values in the forceps major and right uncinate fasciculus were positively correlated with FTND scores, indicating that greater nicotine dependence was associated with increased spontaneous neural activity in specific white matter pathways. ConclusionThe present study provides evidence that male college smokers exhibit distinct alterations in both white matter microstructure and functional activity. These abnormalities are not uniformly distributed but rather localized to specific fiber tracts implicated in sensorimotor processing, interhemispheric communication, and higher-order cognitive and emotional regulation. Importantly, the observed associations between imaging metrics and nicotine dependence severity suggest that these structural and functional alterations may reflect neurobiological mechanisms underlying addiction. The combination of AFQ-based tract profiling and multimodal MRI offers a sensitive approach for detecting subtle changes along white matter pathways, highlighting its potential utility in identifying neuroimaging biomarkers of nicotine dependence. Overall, these findings indicate that smoking during early adulthood may disrupt ongoing white matter maturation, potentially leading to long-term consequences for brain function. This study provides novel insights into the neural basis of nicotine dependence and underscores the importance of early intervention and prevention strategies targeting young smokers.

This paper introduces a real-world cohort research model for community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Dominant Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Data Platform. Firstly， data cleaning is performed by standardizing diagnosis， symptoms， treatment and imaging， intelligently extracting unstructured information， and cleaning and constructing a standardized database. Secondly， for cohort establishment， CAP patients across the province are screened in accordance with CAP diagnostic criteria to build a high-quality disease-specific cohort. Lastly， in terms of protocol design， the characteristics of TCM research and the CAP disease profile are considered to determine appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria， estimate sample size， define interventions， outcomes and economic evaluations， providing a reference for real-world TCM research on CAP.

This paper introduces a real-world cohort research model for community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Dominant Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Data Platform. Firstly， data cleaning is performed by standardizing diagnosis， symptoms， treatment and imaging， intelligently extracting unstructured information， and cleaning and constructing a standardized database. Secondly， for cohort establishment， CAP patients across the province are screened in accordance with CAP diagnostic criteria to build a high-quality disease-specific cohort. Lastly， in terms of protocol design， the characteristics of TCM research and the CAP disease profile are considered to determine appropriate inclusion and exclusion criteria， estimate sample size， define interventions， outcomes and economic evaluations， providing a reference for real-world TCM research on CAP.

Objective To explore the differences in heartbeat-evoked response (HER) under drug-related cues and neutral cues in individuals with heroin use disorder (HUD), and analyze the correlation between HER potentials and immediate cue-induced craving scores. Methods Fifty HUD participants were recruited from the Chang’an Compulsory Isolation Drug Rehabilitation Center in Shaanxi Province from June to September 2024. Simultaneous acquisition of 64-channel electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiogram signals was performed. Twenty alternating segments of drug-related and neutral cue videos were presented, and participants rated their subjective craving after each segment using visual analogue scale (VAS) scores. Scalp EEG data were source analyzed to obtain cortical EEG signals and corresponding HER. Short-time Fourier transform was used to calculate the power spectral density (PSD) of EEG within a time window from 100 ms before the R-peak to 500 ms after it, using the R-peak as the time zero point. Cluster-based permutation testing was used to analyze PSD differences between drug-related and neutral cues in the HUD individuals. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation between HER potentials and VAS scores. Results In the 350–420 ms time window, HER potentials in the left posterior parietal, temporal, and posterior cingulate cortices were significantly lower under drug-related cues compared to neutral cues (P＜0.01); in the 140–210 ms time window, HER potentials in the right prefrontal cortex were significantly higher under drug-related cues compared to neutral cues (P＜0.01). Correlation analysis showed that HER potentials in the left temporal and left posterior cingulate cortices were significantly negatively correlated with VAS scores (P＜0.05). Drug-related cues enhanced PSD of γ power (30–100 Hz) in salience network (fronto-insular), parietal and occipital regions (P＜0.05). PSD integrations of low-γ power (40–60 Hz) in parietal region (350–400 ms) and high-γ power (70–100 Hz) in left salience network (fronto-parietal) and occipital regions (300–350 ms) were positively correlated with VAS scores (P＜0.05). Conclusions Drug-related cues may modulate cortical activity related to heartbeat perception in HUD individuals, and such dynamic changes in both time and frequency domains are stably associated with subjective craving.

This article systematically reviews and verifies the name， origin， production area， quality evaluation， harvesting， processing and other aspects of Cynanchi Atrati Radix et Rhizoma（CARR） by consulting relevant ancient and modern literature， in order to provide a basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. Through textual research， Baiwei has been the official name for CARR， though it also bears alternative names such as Chuncao， Popo Zhenxianbao， Longdan Baiwei. The mainstream base is the roots and rhizomes of Cynanchum atratum. Historical records indicate primary producing areas include Shandong， Anhui， Jiangsu， Shaanxi and Shanxi. Since the late Ming dynasty， varieties from Juxian， Yishui and Rizhao in Shandong have been highly regarded as authentic， commonly known as eastern Baiwei. Since modern times， its quality has been summarized as fine， slender， and straight fibrous roots， pale yellow exterior， whiter interior， and dryness with easy breakability are considered superior. The harvesting time before the Song dynasty was on the third day of the third lunar month， but after the Song dynasty， harvesting was possible in both spring and autumn. The initial processing methods of CARR in ancient times included drying in the shade， removing Lu（the little rhizomes which are on tap of roots）， and removing mustaches， modern methods involve washing and sun-drying. During the Northern and Southern dynasties， processing methods included steaming. In the Song dynasty， drying and light stir-frying were predominant， while wine washing emerged in the Ming dynasty. Modern practices primarily involve using raw， stir-frying or honey processing. Regarding the medicinal properties of CARR， both ancient and modern texts agree it has a bitter and salty taste and is non-toxic. Records prior to the Qing dynasty predominantly describe its nature as extremely cold， while mainstream herbal texts after the Qing dynasty generally characterize it as cold. Before the Ming dynasty， there were no records of its meridian tropism. It was not until the Qing dynasty that it was recorded in the lung meridian. Modern records mainly refer to the stomach， liver， and kidney meridians. Throughout history， its main functions have been to clear heat， diuresis， nourish Yin， and replenish essence， primarily treating Yin deficiency and fever syndrome. Based on the research results， it is suggested that when developing famous classical formulas containing CARR， the dried roots and rhizomes of C. atratum can be selected as its medicinal source. If there are no specific processing requirements， raw products can be selected as medicine. If the processing requirements are specified， corresponding processed products can be selected as medicine according to the original formula requirements.

Neurocritical care involves complex pathophysiological mechanisms, and its incidence is higher, injuries are more severe, and treatment is more challenging in high-altitude environments. This consensus, based on the latest domestic and international evidence-based medical data, establishes a standardized, goal-oriented framework for neurocritical care management applicable in high-altitude regions and nationwide. The consensus was developed following international standards for evidence quality assessment and underwent two rounds of Delphi expert consultation, resulting in 32 recommendation statements covering three parts: management systems, monitoring and assessment, and core strategies. Key updates include: advocating for the establishment of independent neurocritical care units and implementing precise tiered diagnosis and treatment based on the "Five Differences in Critical Care" concept; constructing a "trinity" multimodal brain monitoring system centered on cerebral blood flow, cerebral oxygenation, and brain function, emphasizing routine bedside transcranial Doppler ultrasound, cerebral oximetry, and continuous electroencephalography monitoring; shifting management strategies from mild hypothermia therapy to targeted temperature management, and defining the "446" target management pathway for the supercritical stage; emphasizing the assessment of static and dynamic cerebrovascular autoregulation functions through multimodal methods to achieve individualized optimal mean arterial pressure management; elevating cerebrospinal fluid management goals to the level of "glymphatic system" function maintenance; implementing a multidisciplinary collaborative, whole-process management model focusing on patients' long-term neurological functional outcomes; de-escalation criteria include multidimensional indicators such as recovery of brain structure, restoration of cerebrovascular autoregulation, improvement in cerebrospinal fluid dynamics, and reduction in biomarker levels; and integrating cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence into post-critical care management and rehabilitation planning. This consensus systematically integrates the entire process of neurocritical care management, reflecting the modern connotation of goal-oriented, dynamic, and multimodal integration in neurocritical care medicine. It aims to adapt to new trends such as deepening understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms, the integration of medicine and engineering, and the empowerment of artificial intelligence, thereby further advancing the discipline of critical care medicine.

Objective To introduce the causes of accidents and the diagnosis and treatment of two patients with radiation-induced skin injury admitted to our hospital in 2023, and to provide a reference for the clinical treatment of subsequent radiation-induced skin injury. Methods The clinical treatment process of two patients with acute skin injury caused by external radiation exposure were summarized and analyzed. Results The exposure history of the two patients was reconstructed, the flaw detection scenario was simulated, the biological dose and hand skin exposure dose were estimated, and the infrared thermal imaging device was used for dynamic monitoring. A comprehensive analysis was conducted based on clinical manifestations and other data. The diagnosis of “Xie” was excessive exposure combined with acute radiation-induced skin injury on both hands (Grade IV for the right hand palm, index finger, and middle finger and Grade II for the left hand little finger). The diagnosis of “Hao” was acute radiation-induced skin injury on both hands (Grade I). The two patients received different clinical treatment measures: “Xie” was treated with both local and systemic therapies, while “Hao” was mainly treated with systemic therapy. Conclusion After systematic and effective treatment, the radiation-induced skin injuries healed in both patients.

This article systematically analyzes the historical evolution of the name， origin， medicinal parts， producing area， harvesting and processing， nature， flavor and efficacy of Piperis Longi Fructus by referring to the materia medica， medical books， and prescription books of past dynasties， combined with the relevant modern literature， in order to provide a basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. According to the herbal textual research， the name of Piper longum first appeared in Nanfang Caomuzhuang， and it also has other aliases such as Biboli， Halou， and Hujiaohua. Historically， the origin of Piperis Longi Fructus has been P. longum of the Piperaceae family. In ancient times， both the fruit and root were used as medicine， and since the Republic of China， the fruit has been mainly used as medicine. The medicinal part is the dried， nearly ripe or ripe fruit spikes. Piperis Longi Fructus is native to India and has been introduced into China since the Tang dynasty. In the Ming dynasty， Bencao Pinhui Jingyao clearly stated that the genuine producing area was "Duanzhou"， present-day Zhaoqing in Guangdong province. Nowadays， it is planted in Guangdong， Guangxi， Hainan， Yunnan and other regions. Historically and currently， harvesting occurs in autumn. The ancient processing method uniformly involved removing the stems， soaking in the sourest vinegar overnight， baking， and scraping off the peels and grains with a knife until clean. In modern times， impurities are removed， and it is dried in the sun and crushed when used. The properties， functions and applications of P. longum are basically the same in ancient and modern times. It tastes pungent， is warm in nature， and non-toxic. It has the effects of warming the middle-jiao to dispel cold， lowering Qi and relieving pain， and is used for cold pain in the epigastrium and abdomen， vomiting， diarrhea， chest pain， headache， and toothache. Based on the research results， it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing Piperis Longi Fructus， the dried nearly ripe or ripe fruit spikes of P. longum should be used. If there are no clear processing requirements， it is recommended to use the raw products for medicinal use， and the specific processing methods can refer to the relevant requirements under Piperis Longi Fructus in the 2025 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. If processing requirements such as soaking in vinegar and peeling are clearly specified， it is recommended to follow the ancient methods.

This article systematically analyzes the historical evolution of the name， origin， medicinal parts， producing area， harvesting and processing， nature， flavor and efficacy of Piperis Longi Fructus by referring to the materia medica， medical books， and prescription books of past dynasties， combined with the relevant modern literature， in order to provide a basis for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this herb. According to the herbal textual research， the name of Piper longum first appeared in Nanfang Caomuzhuang， and it also has other aliases such as Biboli， Halou， and Hujiaohua. Historically， the origin of Piperis Longi Fructus has been P. longum of the Piperaceae family. In ancient times， both the fruit and root were used as medicine， and since the Republic of China， the fruit has been mainly used as medicine. The medicinal part is the dried， nearly ripe or ripe fruit spikes. Piperis Longi Fructus is native to India and has been introduced into China since the Tang dynasty. In the Ming dynasty， Bencao Pinhui Jingyao clearly stated that the genuine producing area was "Duanzhou"， present-day Zhaoqing in Guangdong province. Nowadays， it is planted in Guangdong， Guangxi， Hainan， Yunnan and other regions. Historically and currently， harvesting occurs in autumn. The ancient processing method uniformly involved removing the stems， soaking in the sourest vinegar overnight， baking， and scraping off the peels and grains with a knife until clean. In modern times， impurities are removed， and it is dried in the sun and crushed when used. The properties， functions and applications of P. longum are basically the same in ancient and modern times. It tastes pungent， is warm in nature， and non-toxic. It has the effects of warming the middle-jiao to dispel cold， lowering Qi and relieving pain， and is used for cold pain in the epigastrium and abdomen， vomiting， diarrhea， chest pain， headache， and toothache. Based on the research results， it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing Piperis Longi Fructus， the dried nearly ripe or ripe fruit spikes of P. longum should be used. If there are no clear processing requirements， it is recommended to use the raw products for medicinal use， and the specific processing methods can refer to the relevant requirements under Piperis Longi Fructus in the 2025 edition of the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. If processing requirements such as soaking in vinegar and peeling are clearly specified， it is recommended to follow the ancient methods.