Objective: This prospective study evaluated the feasibility of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI for assessing disease activity in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Materials and Methods: A total of 88 patients with active TAO, 76 with inactive TAO, and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. CEST MRI-derived magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and MTR asymmetry (MTRasym) at 1 ppm, 2 ppm, and 3.5 ppm were calculated. Clinical data, MTR, and MTRasym values for the extraocular muscles (one representative muscle per eye, yielding two measurements per participant) were compared among the groups. Spearman’s correlation was used to examine associations between imaging parameters and the clinical activity score (CAS) in patients with TAO. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent associations between imaging parameters and disease activity in patients with TAO (active vs. inactive). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance for discriminating active from inactive TAO. Results: Patients with active TAO showed lower MTR values (P < 0.001) and higher MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) (all P < 0.001) compared with those with inactive TAO. MTR was negatively correlated with CAS (r = -0.402; P < 0.001), while MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) were positively correlated with CAS (r = 0.369, 0.350, and 0.349, respectively;all P < 0.001). MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) in discriminating active from inactive TAO were 0.772 and 0.730, respectively. Combining MTR with MTRasym (1 ppm) significantly improved diagnostic performance compared with either parameter alone, achieving an AUC of 0.805 (P = 0.029 and 0.001). Conclusion MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. Their combination further enhanced diagnostic performance in distinguishing active from inactive TAO, suggesting their potential as quantitative imaging biomarkers to guide treatment in patients with TAO.

The digitization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has generated vast amounts of data. However, these data are characterized by significant heterogeneity and complex semantic structures, posing substantial challenges for systematic integration and intelligent analysis, and limiting its potential for modern clinical and computational research. To address the challenges posed by the high heterogeneity and complex structure in TCM data, we designed and developed the TCM Data Hub platform, which is powered by the YiYuan large language models (LLMs). This platform aims to enhance intelligent data processing capabilities and unlock the potential for clinical application of TCM data through systematic integration and efficient utilization, thereby bridging the gap between traditional knowledge and modern computational research. This study first analyzed the heterogeneity and complexity of TCM information with respect to data types, structures, and semantics. A standardized data framework was constructed to enhance data integration and interoperability. Based on the TCM Intelligent Computing Platform of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, we trained the YiYuan LLMs to acquire domain-specific semantic understanding of TCM, thereby improving the platform’s comprehension of specialized terminology and knowledge systems. Leveraging the natural language processing capabilities of the LLMs, we developed a human-in-the-loop data processing system to enable efficient extraction, cleansing, and structured organization of TCM data. In addition, utilizing Vue and Java technologies, we developed multiple LLM-powered intelligent agents and systems, including a human-in-the-loop data processing system, as well as automated prescription mining and network pharmacology analysis agents. Task-specific agents tailored to TCM data processing were developed to enhance the model’s effectiveness in clinical knowledge discovery. System functionality and platform infrastructure were implemented using Java and Vue technologies.The TCM Data Hub platform has completed system construction and core functionality implementation. It supported integrated management and efficient access to 8 key types of TCM data: prescriptions, materia medica, ingredients, targets, diseases (Western medicine), diseases (TCM), syndromes, and therapeutic methods. The human-in-the-loop data processing system achieved an accuracy of 95.34% in structuring TCM data and supported annotation for data requiring manual labeling. The intelligent agent-driven big-data analytics module enabled 1-click, end-to-end workflows for TCM prescription mining, herb-syndrome association analysis, network pharmacology, and molecular biology research, completing a full data mining task in approximately 30 minutes. Users can interact with and manipulate data through a visual front-end interface. The system demonstrated stable performance, strong scalability, and a user-friendly experience. Empowered by the YiYuan LLMs, the TCM Data Hub platform significantly improves the accessibility, usability, and intelligence of TCM data. It effectively bridges traditional TCM knowledge with modern intelligent technologies, providing robust data support and intelligent tools for TCM research and clinical applications.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of adjuvant intervention of Fuyuan Fuheng Decoction for chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer(CRC)of spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome,and to observe its effects on cellular immune function,adverse reactions and the prognosis of CRC treated by chemotherapy.Methods From January 2021 to January 2023,a retrospective study was conducted on 120 patients with CRC of spleen-kidney deficiency syndrome admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine.The patients were divided into a study group and a control group according to the treatment protocols,with 60 patients in each group.The patients of the two groups were treated by radical resection of CRC,and then the control group was given mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy(5-Fluorouracil+Oxaliplatin+Calcium Folinate)while the study group was given Fuyuan Fuheng Decoction together with mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy after operation.Fourteen days constituted a cycle of treatment,and the two groups were given 12 consecutive cycles of treatment.Before and after treatment,the two groups were observed in the changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,cellular immune function indicators[T-lymphocyte subsets CD3+,CD4+,CD4+/CD8+and natural killer(NK)cells],European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30(EORTC QLQ-C30)scores,Piper's Fatigue Scale(PFS)scores of cancer-related fatigue,Karnofsky Performance Status(KPS)scores,and prognosis-related markers[carbohydrate antigen 199(CA199),carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)].After treatment,the therapeutic efficacy,the incidence of adverse reactions,and the one-year survival rate of the two groups were compared.Results(1)After 12 cycles of treatment,the overall response rate of the study group was 75.00％(45/60),which was significantly higher than that of the control group[53.33％(32/60)],the difference being statistically significant(x2=6.125,P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the scores of TCM symptoms of fatigue and weakness,soreness and weakness in the waist and knee,poor appetite,vertigo and dizziness,and loose stools in the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the levels of cellular immune function indicators of peripheral T-lymphocyte subset CD3+,CD4+,CD4+/CD8+,and NK cells of the two groups were all decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),but the decrease in the study group was significantly milder than that in the control group(P＜0.01).(4)After treatment,the EORTC QLQ-C30 score and KPS score in the two groups were increased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the PFS score was decreased compared with that before treatment(P＜0.05).The increase of the EORTC QLQ-C30 score and KPS score as well as the decrease of the PFS score in the study group were significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(5)After treatment,the serum levels of prognosis-related markers of CA199,CEA,VEGF,and LDH in the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(6)The incidence of adverse reactions such as nausea/vomiting,gastrointestinal reactions,thrombocytopenia,leukopenia,and erythrocytopenia in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(7)One year of follow-up after the completion of treatment showed that three cases in the study group and five cases in the control group fell off during the follow-up period.Among the patients who completed the follow-up,the survival rate of the study group was 96.49％(55/57),which was significantly higher than that of the control group[83.64％(46/55)],the difference being statistically significant(x2=5.223,P=0.022).Conclusion Adjuvant intervention of Fuyuan Fuheng Decoction can enhance the overall response rate of the patients with CRC treated by mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy,and is effective on improving clinical symptoms,immune function,and performance status of the patients,enhancing the quality of life,alleviating cancer-related fatigue,increasing the survival rate,reducing the incidence of adverse reactions,and then improving the prognosis of the patients.

Leukemia is a critical disease with a high incidence and extremely high fatality rate.Immune escape by leukemia stem cells(LSC)is the main factor for recurrence and progression after remission.Clinical diagnosis and treatment by Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)have distinct advantages of syndrome differentiation and treatment.Based on the purpose of diagnosis and treatment,leukemia treatment by TCM emphasizes the harmony of yin and yang to restore human functions,which is conducive to improve autoimmunity and conforms to the mechanism of intervention for tumor cell immune escape.This article discusses the mechanism and research progress of TCM interventions in LSC immune escape based on literature and TCM theory.

Objective:To observe the therapeutic effect of intraocular lens (IOL) protected phacoemulsification (PHACO) in patients with hard nucleus cataract.Methods:A randomized controlled clinical study was conducted.A total of consecutive 120 patients (120 eyes) with hard nucleus cataract of Emery grade Ⅳ or Ⅴ were enrolled from January 2019 to May 2022.The patients were randomly divided into PHACO group receiving routine PHACO, IOL protected PHACO group receiving PHACO under IOL protection, and extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) group receiving ECCE, with 40 cases (40 eyes) in each group.Finally, 99 patients completed the follow-up, including 30 cases (30 eyes) in PHACO group, 35 cases (35 eyes) in IOL protected PHACO group, and 34 cases (34 eyes) in ECCE group.The total operation time, intraoperative PHACO time and cumulative energy release of each patient were recorded.The corneal endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation in endothelial cell area (CV), hexagonal endothelial cell ratio (6A), corneal astigmatism and the number of eyes with different grades of uncorrected visual acuity were measured and compared after 3-month follow-up.The intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Yanbian University Hospital (NO.2023002).Patients were informed of study content and purpose and signed a consent form before treatment.Results:There was no significant difference in ultrasonic energy and time between PHACO group and IOL protected PHACO group ( P=0.691, 0.982).The total operation time was (38.81±2.73) and (36.45±3.45) minutes in PHACO group and IOL protected PHACO group, significantly shorter than (69.60±4.35) minutes in ECCE group (both at P<0.001).There was no significant difference in age, sex, lens nucleus hardness and other baseline data among the three groups before operation (all at P>0.05).Three months after operation, the number of patients with higher uncorrected visual acuity in PHACO group and IOL protected PHACO group was larger than that in ECCE group ( P=0.006, 0.007).The ECD and 6A in IOL protected PHACO group were (2 155.57±177.88)/mm 2 and (41.31±5.18)%, respectively, which were significantly higher than (1 912.64±224.11)/mm 2 and (36.18±3.27)% in PHACO group, and the CV in IOL protected PHACO group was (50.34±5.90)%, which was lower than (55.67±3.30)% in PHACO group, showing statistically significant differences ( P=0.007, 0.003, 0.005).At 1 week and 3 months after the operation, the corneal astigmatism was significantly lower in IOL-protected PHACO group than in ECCE group, but higher than in PHACO group, and the difference were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with conventional PHACO, IOL-protected PHACO can effectively reduce the damage of corneal endothelium caused by ultrasonic energy, shorten the operation time and reduce postoperative inflammatory reaction compared with ECCE, and does not significantly increase postoperative corneal astigmatism.IOL-protected PHACO is an effective improved surgical method for patients with hard nucleus cataract.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at rs1801516 and rs1800054 and sporadic breast cancer (SBC) in Inner Mongolia.Methods:A total of 102 patients with SBC (72 Han and 30 Mongolian) who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from January 2018 to September 2019 were prospectively collected as case group and 102 healthy women (72 Han and 30 Mongolian) during the same period as control group. 2 ml of venous blood was collected to extract DNA. According to the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Database (dbSNP), the highly polymorphic sites rs1801516 and rs1800054 of ATM gene were selected. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing were used to detect the polymorphism of the two sites, and the correlation between the single nucleotide polymorphism of the two sites and the susceptibility of SBC in Inner Mongolia was analyzed. The potential association between clinicopathological factors and ATM gene polymorphism in patients with SBC in Inner Mongolia were explored.Results:GG, GA and AA genotypes were detected in rs1801516 locus of ATM gene. Only CC genotype was detected in the rs1800054 locus of ATM gene. There was no significant difference in the distribution of genotype frequency and allele frequency between Mongolian breast cancer group and Han breast cancer group, Mongolian control group and Han control group, Mongolian breast cancer group and Mongolian control group, Han breast cancer group and Han control group (all P>0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that allele G was the susceptibility gene of SBC in Inner Mongolia ( OR: 1.775, 95% CI: 1.04-3.03, P=0.04). ATM rs1801516 polymorphism may be associated with increased risk of breast cancer in patients with mass diameter ≤2 cm and/or without lymph node metastasis (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The polymorphism of ATM gene rs1801516 and rs1800054 may not be significantly correlated with the risk of SBC in Inner Mongolia. The rs1801516 locus may be associated with increased risk of breast cancer in patients with mass diameter ≤2 cm and/or without lymph node metastasis. Gene G may be one of the susceptible genes of SBC in Inner Mongolia.

Superchilling is an emerging technology for meat preservation; however, the temperature changes during the process have been commonly ignored. Thus, the effects of temperature fluctuations on meat quality during superchilling are yet to be evaluated. In our study, pork loins and salmon fillets were stored for several days (0, 8, 15, 23, and 30 d) under different temperature fluctuations based on -3.5 ℃ as the target temperature. The results showed that after 15 d of superchilling storage, the values of total volatile basic nitrogen, total viable count, and lipid oxidation were significantly (P<0.05) altered in the ±2.0 ℃ fluctuation group compared with the constant temperature group. On the contrary, there was no significant difference in these parameters between the ±1.0 ℃ fluctuation group and the constant temperature group after 30 d of storage. In addition, irregular temperature changes significantly accelerated the modulation of various indicators. In brief, temperature fluctuations and irregular temperature changes accelerated the destruction of muscle structural integrity, increased the water loss, gradually widened the water loss channels, and thereby reduced the edibility by accelerating the spoilage of meat.
Animals ; Lipid Metabolism ; Pork Meat ; Red Meat ; Salmon ; Swine ; Temperature

The oral microbial community is widely regarded as a latent reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes. This study assessed the molecular epidemiology, susceptibility profile, and resistance mechanisms of 35 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) strains isolated from the dental plaque of a healthy human population. Broth microdilution minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) revealed that all the isolates were nonsusceptible to oxacillin and penicillin G. Most of them were also resistant to trimethoprim (65.7%) and erythromycin (54.3%). The resistance to multiple antibiotics was found to be largely due to the acquisition of plasmid-borne genes. The mecA and dfrA genes were found in all the isolates, mostly dfrG (80%), aacA-aphD (20%), aadD (28.6%), aphA3 (22.9%), msrA (5.7%), and the ermC gene (14.3%). Classical mutational mechanisms found in these isolates were mainly efflux pumps such as qacA (31.4%), qacC (25.7%), tetK (17.1%), and norA (8.6%). Multilocus sequence type analysis revealed that sequence type 59 (ST59) strains comprised 71.43% of the typed isolates, and the eBURST algorithm clustered STs into the clonal complex 2-II(CC2-II). The staphyloccoccal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type results showed that 25 (71.43%) were assigned to type IV. Moreover, 88.66% of the isolates were found to harbor six or more biofilm-associated genes. The aap, atlE, embp, sdrF, and IS256 genes were detected in all 35 isolates. This research demonstrates that biofilm-positive multiple-antibiotic-resistant ST59-SCCmec IV S. epidermidis strains exist in the dental plaque of healthy people and may be a potential risk for the transmission of antibiotic resistance.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Dental Plaque ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Methicillin ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; isolation & purification ; Staphylococcal Infections ; diagnosis ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; isolation & purification

Objective:To analyze the prognosis factors of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spread after surgery in glioblastoma (GBM) patients when tumors progressed and the effect factors on prognosis.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 124 patients who were pathologically diagnosed as glioblastoma after surgery, and found tumor progressed during regularly follow-up at Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University between January 2009 and August 2017.There were 82 males and 42 females, aged 47.9 years(range: 19 to 75 years) .Patients were divided into local recurrence group(96 cases) and CSF spread group (28 cases) .Clinical data were recorded in detail and compared by independent sample t test or χ 2 test.Kaplan-Meier survival curves was used to demonstrated the distribution of progression free survival (PFS) overall survival (OS) and post progression survival (PPS), and differences between local recurrence and CSF spread groups were assessed by Log-rank test.Cox proportion hazard regression analysis was used to identify independent prognostic factors. Results:Logistics regression analysis showed ventricle entry was the only prognosis factor of CSF spread ( OR=2.667, 95 % CI: 1.128 to 6.304, P=0.025).No significant distinction was observed in PFS between CSF spread group and local recurrence group(7.0 months vs.9.3 months, P=0.066).However, OS and PPS were substantially shortened in CSF spread group (13.0 months vs.23.0 months, P=0.011; 6.0 months vs.11.0 months, P=0.022, respectively).Mutations of isocitrate dehydrogenase gene, distant spread, gross-total resection, Ki-67 index>30% were independent prognostic factors of GBM patients. Conclusions:Ventricle entry is a prognosis factor for CSF spread, after which the median OS and PPS are markedly diminished.However, ventricle entry is not independent prognosis factor shortening survival.

Objective:To analyze the prognosis factors of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spread after surgery in glioblastoma (GBM) patients when tumors progressed and the effect factors on prognosis.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 124 patients who were pathologically diagnosed as glioblastoma after surgery, and found tumor progressed during regularly follow-up at Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University between January 2009 and August 2017.There were 82 males and 42 females, aged 47.9 years(range: 19 to 75 years) .Patients were divided into local recurrence group(96 cases) and CSF spread group (28 cases) .Clinical data were recorded in detail and compared by independent sample t test or χ 2 test.Kaplan-Meier survival curves was used to demonstrated the distribution of progression free survival (PFS) overall survival (OS) and post progression survival (PPS), and differences between local recurrence and CSF spread groups were assessed by Log-rank test.Cox proportion hazard regression analysis was used to identify independent prognostic factors. Results:Logistics regression analysis showed ventricle entry was the only prognosis factor of CSF spread ( OR=2.667, 95 % CI: 1.128 to 6.304, P=0.025).No significant distinction was observed in PFS between CSF spread group and local recurrence group(7.0 months vs.9.3 months, P=0.066).However, OS and PPS were substantially shortened in CSF spread group (13.0 months vs.23.0 months, P=0.011; 6.0 months vs.11.0 months, P=0.022, respectively).Mutations of isocitrate dehydrogenase gene, distant spread, gross-total resection, Ki-67 index>30% were independent prognostic factors of GBM patients. Conclusions:Ventricle entry is a prognosis factor for CSF spread, after which the median OS and PPS are markedly diminished.However, ventricle entry is not independent prognosis factor shortening survival.