ObjectiveBased on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we investigated the brain activity characteristics of gross motor tasks in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and motor dysfunctions (MDs) to provide a theoretical basis for further understanding the mechanism of MDs in children with ASD and designing targeted intervention programs from a central perspective. MethodsAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 48 children with ASD accompanied by MDs were recruited into the ASD group and 40 children with typically developing (TD) into the TD group. The fNIRS device was used to collect the information of blood oxygen changes in the cortical motor-related brain regions during single-handed bag throwing and tiptoe walking, and the differences in brain activation and functional connectivity between the two groups of children were analyzed from the perspective of brain activation and functional connectivity. ResultsCompared to the TD group, in the object manipulative motor task (one-handed bag throwing), the ASD group showed significantly reduced activation in both left sensorimotor cortex (SMC) and right secondary visual cortex (V2) (P<0.05), whereas the right pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex (PMC&SMA) had significantly higher activation (P<0.01) and showed bilateral brain region activity; in terms of brain functional integration, there was a significant decrease in the strength of brain functional connectivity (P<0.05) and was mainly associated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and V2. In the body stability motor task (tiptoe walking), the ASD group had significantly higher activation in motor-related brain regions such as the DLPFC, SMC, and PMC&SMA (P<0.05) and showed bilateral brain region activity; in terms of brain functional integration, the ASD group had lower strength of brain functional connectivity (P<0.05) and was mainly associated with PMC&SMA and V2. ConclusionChildren with ASD exhibit abnormal brain functional activity characteristics specific to different gross motor tasks in object manipulative and body stability, reflecting insufficient or excessive compensatory activation of local brain regions and impaired cross-regions integration, which may be a potential reason for the poorer gross motor performance of children with ASD, and meanwhile provides data support for further unraveling the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of MDs in the context of ASD and designing targeted intervention programs from a central perspective.

ObjectiveEarly blight is a common destructive disease in the growth process of Solanaceae crops, which can lead to crop failure and serious losses. Traditional crop disease detection methods are difficult to detect disease characteristics in a timely manner during the incubation period of disease, and thus take scientific and effective prevention and control measures. This study obtained hyperspectral images of early blight of peppers at different infection stages through continuous monitoring with a hyperspectral imager. The earliest identifiable time during the incubation period of early blight in peppers (the earliest identifiable time during the incubation period in this experiment was 24 h after inoculation) was determined using the spectral angle cosine-correlation coefficient and Chebyshev distance. MethodsTaking the symptoms of the latent period of early blight in peppers as the research object, 13 characteristic wavelengths were selected using a genetic algorithm. An identification model of crop disease latent period symptoms based on spectral features was established through optimized combinations of characteristic wavelengths combined with a logistic regression model. Simultaneously, a recognition model of the latent period of early blight in peppers based on image texture features was established using local binary patterns. ResultsThe experiment was tested with 120 samples. The accuracy of the identification model of crop disease latent period symptoms based on spectral features reached over 93% in both the training set and the test set. The accuracy of the identification model of crop disease latent period symptoms based on texture features reached 98.96% and 100% in the training set and test set, respectively. ConclusionBoth spectral features and texture features can be used to detect and identify crop disease latent period symptoms. Texture features more significantly revealed the characteristics of the latent period of the disease compared to spectral features, effectively improving the detection performance of the model. The research results in this article can provide theoretical references for monitoring and identifying other crop disease latent period symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture therapies are known for their effectiveness in treating a variety of gastric diseases, although the mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. This study tested the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints Zhongwan (RN12) and Weishu (BL21) for managing gastric motility disorder (GMD) and investigated the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: A GMD model was used to evaluate the impact of EA on various aspects of gastric function including the amplitude of gastric motility, electrogastrogram, food intake, and the rate of gastric emptying. Immunofluorescence techniques were used to explore the activation of spinal neurons by EA, specifically examining the presence of cholera toxin B subunit (CTB)-positive neurons and fibers emanating from acupoints RN12 and BL21. The stimulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn, the inhibition of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, and their collective effects on the activity of sympathetic nerves were examined. RESULTS: EA at RN12 and BL21 significantly improved gastric motility compromised by GMD. Notably, EA activated spinal neurons, with CTB-positive neurons and fibers from RN12 and BL21 being detectable in both the dorsal root ganglia and the spinal dorsal horn. Further analysis revealed that EA at these acupoints not only stimulated GABAergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn but also suppressed sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, effectively reducing excessive activity of sympathetic nerves triggered by GMD. CONCLUSION EA treatment at RN12 and BL21 effectively enhances gastric motility in a GMD model. The therapeutic efficacy of this approach is attributed to the activation of spinal neurons and the modulation of the spinal GABAergic-sympathetic pathway, providing a neurobiological foundation for the role of acupuncture in treating gastric disorders. Please cite this article as: Zhang MT, Liang YF, Dai Q, Gao HR, Wang H, Chen L, Huang S, Wang XY, Shen GM. A spinal neural circuit for electroacupuncture that regulates gastric functional disorders. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 56-65.
Electroacupuncture ; Animals ; Male ; Acupuncture Points ; Stomach Diseases/physiopathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Rats ; Gastric Emptying ; Neurons ; Spinal Cord ; Stomach/physiopathology*

OBJECTIVE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is sensitive to ferroptosis, a new form of programmed cell death that occurs in most tumor types. However, the mechanism through which ferroptosis modulates HCC remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the oncogenic role and prognostic value of FANCD2 and provide novel insights into the prognostic assessment and prediction of immunotherapy. METHODS: Using clinicopathological parameters and bioinformatic techniques, we comprehensively examined the expression of FANCD2 macroscopically and microcosmically. We conducted univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify the prognostic value of FANCD2 in HCC and elucidated the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the involvement of FANCD2 in oncogenesis by promoting iron-related death. RESULTS: FANCD2 was significantly upregulated in digestive system cancers with abundant immune infiltration. As an independent risk factor for HCC, a high FANCD2 expression level was associated with poor clinical outcomes and response to immune checkpoint blockade. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that FANCD2 was mainly involved in the cell cycle and CYP450 metabolism. CONCLUSION To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively elucidate the oncogenic role of FANCD2. FANCD2 has a tumor-promoting aspect in the digestive system and acts as an independent risk factor in HCC; hence, it has recognized value for predicting tumor aggressiveness and prognosis and may be a potential biomarker for poor responsiveness to immunotherapy.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnosis* ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Immunotherapy ; Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group D2 Protein/metabolism* ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the dosimetric effect of a biological optimization approach combining physical optimization with generalized equivalent uniform dose(gEUD)on hippocampus avoidance whole-brain radiotherapy(HA-WBRT).Methods A retrospective review was conducted of 20 patients with multiple brain metastases who underwent whole-brain radiotherapy at a certain hospital between May 2021 and December 2022.Two radiotherapy plans including plan_DV and plan_gEUD were designed for each patient by using Eclipse V15.6 planning system.Plan_DB used conven-tional dose-volume(DV)physical optimization,and plan_gEUD went through re-optimization with an Upper gEUD function applied to hippocampal region and hippocampal protection zone.Evaluation was carried out in accordance with RTOG 0933 guidance for the absolute values D2%,D98%and D50%received by 2%,98%,and 50%of the target volume in the planning target volume,conformity index(CI),homogeneity index(HI),gradient index(GI)and the dosimetric indexes of hippocampal region,hippocampal protection zone and other organs at risk(OARs).SPSS 26.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results The two kinds of plans both had the target volume coverage meet the requirements of RTOG 0933 guidance.Plan_gEUD had the D98%,D2%and V105 of the planning target volume lower than those of plan_DV,with the differences being statistically significant(all P<0.05).The two kinds of plans had no significant differences in monitor unit,D50%and Dmax of PTV,HI,CI and GI(all P>0.05).Plan_gEUD had the Dmax and Dmean of hippocampal region and them of hippocampal pro-tection zone lower than those of plan_DV,and the optic nerve Dmax of plan_gEUD was higher than that of plan_DV,with the differences being statistically significant(all P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences between the two kinds of plans in the Dmax of inner ear,optic chiasm,lens,and eyeball(all P>0.05).Conclusion Physical optimization in the HA-WBRT plan combined with gEUD optimization results in a greater dose reduction to the hippocampus while maintaining target coverage.

Objective To investigate the dosimetric effect of a biological optimization approach combining physical optimization with generalized equivalent uniform dose(gEUD)on hippocampus avoidance whole-brain radiotherapy(HA-WBRT).Methods A retrospective review was conducted of 20 patients with multiple brain metastases who underwent whole-brain radiotherapy at a certain hospital between May 2021 and December 2022.Two radiotherapy plans including plan_DV and plan_gEUD were designed for each patient by using Eclipse V15.6 planning system.Plan_DB used conven-tional dose-volume(DV)physical optimization,and plan_gEUD went through re-optimization with an Upper gEUD function applied to hippocampal region and hippocampal protection zone.Evaluation was carried out in accordance with RTOG 0933 guidance for the absolute values D2%,D98%and D50%received by 2%,98%,and 50%of the target volume in the planning target volume,conformity index(CI),homogeneity index(HI),gradient index(GI)and the dosimetric indexes of hippocampal region,hippocampal protection zone and other organs at risk(OARs).SPSS 26.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results The two kinds of plans both had the target volume coverage meet the requirements of RTOG 0933 guidance.Plan_gEUD had the D98%,D2%and V105 of the planning target volume lower than those of plan_DV,with the differences being statistically significant(all P<0.05).The two kinds of plans had no significant differences in monitor unit,D50%and Dmax of PTV,HI,CI and GI(all P>0.05).Plan_gEUD had the Dmax and Dmean of hippocampal region and them of hippocampal pro-tection zone lower than those of plan_DV,and the optic nerve Dmax of plan_gEUD was higher than that of plan_DV,with the differences being statistically significant(all P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences between the two kinds of plans in the Dmax of inner ear,optic chiasm,lens,and eyeball(all P>0.05).Conclusion Physical optimization in the HA-WBRT plan combined with gEUD optimization results in a greater dose reduction to the hippocampus while maintaining target coverage.

The study aims to investigate and compare the effects of probiotics and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with the Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapeutic drug donepezil on the learning cognition and brain damage related indexes in AD mice, and to provide experimental basis for its treatment of AD. All animal experiments were approved by the Ethics Committee of the Henan University of Chinese Medicine (ethics number DWLL2018080003). Fifty male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to one of five groups: sham-operated, model, donepezil (10 mg·kg^-1), probiotic (2.7×10⁹ CFU·d^-1), and DHA (0.104 g·kg^-1). Except for the sham-operated group, the AD animal model was established by injecting Aβ_25-35 (200 μmol·L^-1) in the lateral ventricle, followed by gavage administration for 4 weeks. In all mouse groups, learning memory ability, neuronal morphology in the hippocampus, apoptosis of primary hippocampal cells, and immune cell levels were detected. The levels of Aβ_1-42, Aβ_1-40, p-Tau, AchE, Ach, oxidative stress, glial cell activation, and the inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-10, and TNF-α in the brain tissue of mice were also detected. 16S rDNA sequencing was used to further investigate the effects of donepezil and probiotics on AD. Donepezil, probiotics and DHA improved cognitive deficits and enhanced learning memory in Aβ_25-35-induced mice by increasing locomotion time, locomotion distance, autonomic alternation rate, and shortening the time to reach the plateau; it significantly attenuated Aβ_25-35-induced brain injury and neuroinflammation in mice by decreasing Aβ_1-42, Aβ_1-40, p-Tau, AchE, IL-1β, TNF-α, and MDA and increasing the levels of Ach, IL-10, GSH-Px, and T-SOD in brain tissues, as well as decreasing the activation of glial cells, and had a modulatory effect on immune cells. 16S rDNA sequencing shows that both donepezil and probiotics restore flora homeostasis and that differential bacteria are strongly associated with cognition, AD pathology, and neuroinflammation. Combining all indicators, donepezil and probiotics were more effective than DHA. All in all, donepezil, probiotics and DHA ameliorate Aβ_25-35-induced cognitive dysfunction and brain damage in mice by modulating immune cells, reducing the number of apoptotic cells and glial cell activation in the brain, and decreasing the levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory factor expression, among which the effects of donepezil and probiotics were better than those of DHA, and the therapeutic effects of donepezil and probiotics on AD were closely related to the modulation of gut microbiome.

Objective To explore characteristics of clinical parameters and cytokines in patients with drug-induced liver injury(DILI)caused by different drugs and their correlation with clinical indicators. Method The study was conducted on patients who were up to Review of Uncertainties in Confidence Assessment for Medical Tests(RUCAM)scoring criteria and clinically diagnosed with DILI.Based on Chinese herbal medicine,cardiovascular drugs,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs),anti-infective drugs,and other drugs,patients were divided into five groups.Cytokines were measured by Luminex technology.Baseline characteristics of clinical biochemical indicators and cytokines in DILI patients and their correlation were analyzed. Results 73 patients were enrolled.Age among five groups was statistically different(P=0.032).Alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(P=0.033)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(P=0.007)in NSAIDs group were higher than those in chinese herbal medicine group.Interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)in patients with Chinese herbal medicine(IL-6:P<0.001;TNF-α:P<0.001)and cardiovascular medicine(IL-6:P=0.020;TNF-α:P=0.001)were lower than those in NSAIDs group.There was a positive correlation between ALT(r=0.697,P=0.025),AST(r=0.721,P=0.019),and IL-6 in NSAIDs group. Conclusion Older age may be more prone to DILI.Patients with NSAIDs have more severe liver damage in early stages of DILI,TNF-α and IL-6 may partake the inflammatory process of DILI.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease. At present, levodopa and other drugs are mainly used for dopamine supplementation therapy. However, the absorption of levodopa in the gastrointestinal tract is unstable and its half-life is short, and long-term use of levodopa will lead to the end-of-dose deterioration, dyskinesia, the "ON-OFF" phenomenon and other symptoms. Therefore, new preparations need to be developed to improve drug efficacy, reduce side effects or improve compliance of patients. Based on the above clinical needs, this review briefly introduced the preparation modification strategies for the treatment of PD through case analysis, in order to provide references for the research and development of related preparations.