Objective:To investigate the optimization of inferior vena cava imaging using dual-layer spectral detector CT (DLCT) virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) combined with multiphase scanning.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the imaging data of 184 patients who underwent inferior vena cava imaging using dual-layer detector spectral CT at Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, from January 2021 to October 2024. Each patient underwent multiphase scanning (60, 80, and 120 s after contrast injection were referred to as the first, second, and third phases, respectively). The images were reconstructed into conventional 120 kVp polyenergetic image (PI) and VMIs at 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 keV. Image quality of 120 kVp PI and VMI for each phase was evaluated. The objective image quality indicators included CT value, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and noise. Comparisons of the above indictors within the same phase were performed using repeated measures ANOVA or the Friedman test, while comparisons between different phases were conducted using one-way ANOVA or the Kruskal-Wallis test.Results:At the same phase, the CT value, SNR, and CNR of the 40 keV VMI were higher than those of other energy level VMIs and PI (all P<0.001). The SNR of the 40 keV VMI in the third phase was significantly higher than in the first phase ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the first and second phases ( P>0.05). The standard deviation (SD) of the 40 keV VMI in the third phase was significantly lower than that in the first and second phases (all P<0.05). The subjective scores for the 40 keV VMI were higher than those for other energy level VMIs and PI at the same phase ( P<0.001). The subjective scores for the 40 keV VMI in the third phase were higher than those in the second and first phases ( P<0.001). The percentage of scores≥4 in the third phase (77.17%,142/184) was significantly higher than those in the first phase (28.26%,52/184) and second phase (61.96%,114/184) ( P<0.001). Conclusion:In inferior vena cava imaging, the 40 keV VMI, combined with the optimal phase (120 s delay), effectively optimizes image quality.

Lipid metabolism plays a key role in tumorigenesis and progression and has a significant impact on the efficacy of radiotherapy. This article reviews the current research progress in the role of lipid metabolism in tumor radiotherapy, focusing on the central role of lipid metabolism in tumorigenesis, progression and metastasis, and how radiotherapy affects and regulates lipid metabolism. In addition, this article also investigates the intrinsic link between lipid metabolism and tumor radiosensitivity, and reviews how lipid metabolism can be used as a therapeutic strategy to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy. In-depth study of the role of lipid metabolism in tumor radiotherapy may offer assistance for clinical trials and mechanistic studies of tumor radiotherapy based on the modulation of lipid metabolism.

BACKGROUND:With aging,the regenerative capacity and differentiation function of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells progressively decline,reducing bone tissue repair efficacy.Thus,identifying bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell subpopulations with enhanced osteogenic potential is of significant importance for advancing bone tissue engineering.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the osteogenic differentiation potential differences between STRO-1 positive and negative bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells under osteogenic induction conditions.METHODS:SD rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured.The expression of CD29,CD45,CD90,and STRO-1 was identified via flow cytometry and immunofluorescence.Immunomagnetic cell sorting was used to separate STRO-1 positive and negative bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.The cells of two groups were subjected to osteogenic induction for 7 and 14 days.qRT-PCR and western blotting were performed to analyze differences in osteogenesis-related gene expression(Collagen I,Runt-related transcription factor 2,osteoprotegerin,and osteocalcin)and protein levels.Alizarin red staining and alkaline phosphatase staining were used to observe calcium nodule formation.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Flow cytometry showed high expression levels of CD29 and CD90 and low expression of CD45,with a positive STRO-1 expression rate of 12.8％.Immunofluorescence results were consistent with those of flow cytometry.After magnetic cell sorting,STRO-1 positive cells demonstrated a higher colony formation rate than STRO-1 negative cells.On day 14,STRO-1 positive cells showed significantly higher osteogenic differentiation potential than on day 7,with significantly elevated osteogenesis-related marker levels compared to STRO-1 negative cells(P＜0.01).The findings indicate that STRO-1 positive bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells exhibit significant advantages in osteogenic potential,providing a theoretical basis for their selection as ideal seed cells in bone tissue engineering.In future applications,they may represent a promising therapeutic approach for bone defect repair.

Salvia miltiorrhiza is a perennial herb of the genus Salvia(Lamiaceae). As one of the earliest medicinal plants to undergo molecular biology research, it has gradually become a model plant for molecular biology of medicinal plants. With the gradual analysis of the genome of S. miltiorrhiza and the biosynthetic pathways of its main active components tanshinone and salvianolic acids, the transcriptional regulation mediated by transcription factors and related regulatory proteins has gradually become a new research focus. Due to the lack of scientific and unified naming of transcription factors and different research indexes in different literature, this paper systematically sorted out the transcription factors in different literature with the genomes of DSS3 from selfing for three generations and bh2-7 from selfing for six generations as reference. In total, 73 transcription factors and related regulatory proteins belonging to 13 gene families were identified. The effects of overexpression or gene silencing experiments on tanshinone and salvianolic acids were also analyzed. This study unified the identified transcription factors, which laid a foundation for further constructing the regulatory networks of secondary metabolites and insect or stress resistance and improving the quality of medicinal materials by using global transcriptional regulation engineering.
Salvia miltiorrhiza/chemistry* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Abietanes/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the relationship of mindful attention awareness with sleep quality and occupational stress of soldiers.Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted on 1 100 soldiers by using the mindful attention awareness scale(MAAS),occupational stress scale(OSS),and Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI).Results The PSQI of the soldiers was negatively correlated with mindful attention awareness(r=-0.446,P<0.01),and positively correlated with occupational stress(r=0.569,P<0.01).Mindful attention awareness and occupational stress were effective predictors for sleep quality,accounting for 34.7%of variance.And the mediating effect of occupational stress between mindful attention awareness and sleep quality accounted for 58.86%.Conclusion The mindful attention awareness in soldiers can not only directly affect the sleep quality,but also indirectly affect the sleep quality through their occupational stress.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and mechanism of Jingangteng capsules in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD）. METHODS Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into normal group and modeling group. The modeling group was fed a high-fat diet to establish a NAFLD model. The successfully modeled rats were then randomly divided into model group， atorvastatin group[positive control， 2 mg/（kg·d）]， and Jingangteng capsules low- and high-dose groups [0.63 and 2.52 mg/（kg·d）]， with 6 rats in each group. The pathological changes of the liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and oil red O staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to determine the serum levels of triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， alanine transaminase （ALT）， aspartate transaminase （AST）， tumour necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-6， IL-18. 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing and metabolomics techniques were applied to explore the effects of Jingangteng capsules on gut microbiota and metabolisms in NAFLD rats. Based on the E-mail：591146765@qq.com metabolomics results， Western blot analysis was performed to detect proteins related to the nuclear factor kappa-B （NF-κB）/NOD-like receptor family protein 3 （NLRP3） signaling pathway in the livers of NAFLD rats. RESULTS The experimental results showed that Jingangteng capsules could significantly reduce the serum levels of TG， TC， LDL-C， AST， ALT， TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-6， IL-18， while increased the level of HDL-C， and alleviated the hepatic cellular steatosis and inflammatory infiltration in NAFLD rats. They could regulate the gut microbiota disorders in NAFLD rats， significantly increased the relative abundance of Romboutsia and Oscillospira， and significantly decreased the relative abundance of Blautia （P＜0.05）. They also regulated metabolic disorders primarily by affecting secondary bile acid biosynthesis， fatty acid degradation， O-antigen nucleotide sugar biosynthesis， etc. Results of Western blot assay showed that they significantly reduced the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and NF-κB inhibitor α， and the protein expression levels of NLRP3， caspase-1 and ASC （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Jingangteng capsules could improve inflammation， lipid accumulation and liver injury in NAFLD rats， regulate the disorders of gut microbiota and metabolisms， and inhibit NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. Their therapeutic effects against NAFLD are mediated through the inhibition of the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） compound Chaiqin Xiaoyong Decoction （柴芩消痈饮， CXD） combined with Jinhuang Ointment （金黄膏， JO） in treating the nodular stage of acne mastitis of liver meridian heat accumulation type. MethodsA randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted. A total of 108 patients with liver meridian heat accumulation type acne mastitis in the nodular stage were randomly assigned to a treatment group and a control group， with 54 patients in each group. Both groups received topical application of JO once daily at a thickness of 3~5 mm for 8 hours， along with standard nursing care. On this basis， the treatment group received oral CXD granules， while the control group received placebo granules， administered twice daily， 3 sachets per dose， for 14 consecutive days. Clinical efficacy， TCM symptom scores， nodule size， visual analogue scale （VAS） pain scores， white blood cell （WBC） count， C-reactive protein （CRP） level， and systemic immune-inflammation index （SII） were compared. At the end of treatment， efficacy and safety indicators were evaluated. A 6-month follow-up was conducted to compare the proportion of patients undergoing surgical treatment. ResultsThe total clinical efficacy rate in the treatment group was 90.38% （47/52）， significantly higher than 32.00% （16/50） in the control group （P＜0.01）. The treatment group also showed significantly lower TCM symptom scores， VAS scores， nodule size， WBC count， CRP level， and SII （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. During follow-up， the surgical intervention rate in the treatment group was 5.77% （3/52）， lower than 14.00% （7/50） in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P＜0.01）. No significant abnormalities were observed in safety indicators before and after treatment in either group. ConclusionCXD effectively reduces nodule size and alleviates symptoms such as redness and pain in patients with acne mastitis of liver meridian heat accumulation type， improves TCM symptom scores， enhances overall clinical efficacy， and demonstrates good safety.

BACKGROUND:With aging,the regenerative capacity and differentiation function of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells progressively decline,reducing bone tissue repair efficacy.Thus,identifying bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell subpopulations with enhanced osteogenic potential is of significant importance for advancing bone tissue engineering.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the osteogenic differentiation potential differences between STRO-1 positive and negative bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells under osteogenic induction conditions.METHODS:SD rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured.The expression of CD29,CD45,CD90,and STRO-1 was identified via flow cytometry and immunofluorescence.Immunomagnetic cell sorting was used to separate STRO-1 positive and negative bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.The cells of two groups were subjected to osteogenic induction for 7 and 14 days.qRT-PCR and western blotting were performed to analyze differences in osteogenesis-related gene expression(Collagen I,Runt-related transcription factor 2,osteoprotegerin,and osteocalcin)and protein levels.Alizarin red staining and alkaline phosphatase staining were used to observe calcium nodule formation.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Flow cytometry showed high expression levels of CD29 and CD90 and low expression of CD45,with a positive STRO-1 expression rate of 12.8％.Immunofluorescence results were consistent with those of flow cytometry.After magnetic cell sorting,STRO-1 positive cells demonstrated a higher colony formation rate than STRO-1 negative cells.On day 14,STRO-1 positive cells showed significantly higher osteogenic differentiation potential than on day 7,with significantly elevated osteogenesis-related marker levels compared to STRO-1 negative cells(P＜0.01).The findings indicate that STRO-1 positive bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells exhibit significant advantages in osteogenic potential,providing a theoretical basis for their selection as ideal seed cells in bone tissue engineering.In future applications,they may represent a promising therapeutic approach for bone defect repair.

Objective:To investigate the optimization of inferior vena cava imaging using dual-layer spectral detector CT (DLCT) virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) combined with multiphase scanning.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the imaging data of 184 patients who underwent inferior vena cava imaging using dual-layer detector spectral CT at Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, from January 2021 to October 2024. Each patient underwent multiphase scanning (60, 80, and 120 s after contrast injection were referred to as the first, second, and third phases, respectively). The images were reconstructed into conventional 120 kVp polyenergetic image (PI) and VMIs at 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 keV. Image quality of 120 kVp PI and VMI for each phase was evaluated. The objective image quality indicators included CT value, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and noise. Comparisons of the above indictors within the same phase were performed using repeated measures ANOVA or the Friedman test, while comparisons between different phases were conducted using one-way ANOVA or the Kruskal-Wallis test.Results:At the same phase, the CT value, SNR, and CNR of the 40 keV VMI were higher than those of other energy level VMIs and PI (all P<0.001). The SNR of the 40 keV VMI in the third phase was significantly higher than in the first phase ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the first and second phases ( P>0.05). The standard deviation (SD) of the 40 keV VMI in the third phase was significantly lower than that in the first and second phases (all P<0.05). The subjective scores for the 40 keV VMI were higher than those for other energy level VMIs and PI at the same phase ( P<0.001). The subjective scores for the 40 keV VMI in the third phase were higher than those in the second and first phases ( P<0.001). The percentage of scores≥4 in the third phase (77.17%,142/184) was significantly higher than those in the first phase (28.26%,52/184) and second phase (61.96%,114/184) ( P<0.001). Conclusion:In inferior vena cava imaging, the 40 keV VMI, combined with the optimal phase (120 s delay), effectively optimizes image quality.

Lipid metabolism plays a key role in tumorigenesis and progression and has a significant impact on the efficacy of radiotherapy. This article reviews the current research progress in the role of lipid metabolism in tumor radiotherapy, focusing on the central role of lipid metabolism in tumorigenesis, progression and metastasis, and how radiotherapy affects and regulates lipid metabolism. In addition, this article also investigates the intrinsic link between lipid metabolism and tumor radiosensitivity, and reviews how lipid metabolism can be used as a therapeutic strategy to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy. In-depth study of the role of lipid metabolism in tumor radiotherapy may offer assistance for clinical trials and mechanistic studies of tumor radiotherapy based on the modulation of lipid metabolism.