This paper summarizes Professor WANG Yaoxian's experience in treating diabetic kidney disease （DKD） from the perspective of spleen and stomach based on the "internal heat leading to concretions" theory. It is considered that internal heat leading to concretions constitutes the core pathogenesis of DKD， with the spleen and stomach serving as the source of internal heat； therefore， treatment should be based on regulating the spleen and stomach. In the early stage of DKD， dysfunction of the spleen and stomach leads to the initial generation of internal heat. Common syndrome patterns include gastrointestinal heat accumulation and constrained heat in the liver and stomach， for which modified Gegen Qinlian Decoction （葛根芩连汤） can be used to clear heat bind while modified Dachaihu Decoction （大柴胡汤） is used to clear stomach and soothe liver， respectively. In the middle stage of DKD， weakness of the spleen and stomach results in the initial formation of concretions and conglomerations. Common patterns include spleen deficiency with prevalence of dampness and deficiency of both the spleen and kidney. Treatment emphasizes strengthening the spleen and resolving dampness， raising yang and boosting the stomach with modified Shengyang Yiwei Decoction （升阳益胃汤）， or supplementing spleen and boosting kidney， dissipating bind and dispe-ring concretions with modified Shenqi Dihuang Decoction （参芪地黄汤）， respectively. In the late stage of DKD， it is characterized by spleen and stomach depletion， and rampant accumulation of turbidity and toxin， and the common syndrome patterns are damp-turbidity obstruction in the middle jiao （焦） and spleen-kidney yang deficiency. Treatment aims to remove turbidity and harmonize the stomach， or to warm the kidney and strengthen the spleen while elimina-ting turbidity， using modified Dahuang Gancao Decoction（大黄甘草汤） and Jupi Zhuru Decoction （橘皮竹茹汤） or modified Baoyuan Decoction （保元汤） and Lizhong Decoction （理中汤）， respectively. In clinical practice， appropriate formulas and medications are flexibly selected according to specific syndromes.

Objective:To investigate the imaging characteristics of small intestinal epithe-lioid angiosarcoma.Methods:The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinical data of 5 male patients with small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma who were admitted to 3 medical centers, including Yantaishan Hospital of Yantai et al, from January 2013 to December 2023 were collected. The age of 5 patients was 54 (range, 36-73)years. All 5 patients underwent computer tomography (CT) plain scan and dynamic contrast-enhanced scan, with 1 patient also undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plain scan. Observation indicators: (1) results of CT and MRI examination; (2) surgical conditions and postoperative pathological examination; (3) follow-up. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range), and count data were described as absolute numbers. Results:(1) Results of CT and MRI examination. Of the 5 patients with small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma, two cases were primary small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma and the other three cases were metastatic small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma. None of the five patients exhibited metastasis to other solid organs, and no significant ascites or peritoneal metastases. ① In two cases of primary small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma, three tumors were identified, appearing as round soft tissue nodules on CT plain scan, primarily growing intraluminally. The CT value for tumors of those two cases on plain scan were 30, 35, 32 HU, respec-tively. During the arterial phase of enhanced CT scan, moderate enhancement was observed for tumors of those two cases, with CT value of 57, 72, 65 HU, respectively. During the venous phase of enhanced CT scan, significant enhancement was observed for tumors of those two cases, with CT value of 76, 86, 88 HU, respectively. During the delayed phase of enhanced CT scan, slightly decreased enhancement was observed for tumors of those two cases, with CT value of 74, 79, 72 HU, showing no significant necrosis or cystic changes within the tumors. ② In three cases of metastatic small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma, four tumors were identified with uneven thickening of the intestinal wall appeared on CT plain scan. The CT value for tumors of those three cases on plain scan were 39, 37, 38, 28 HU, respectively. During the arterial phase of enhanced CT scan, mild to moderate enhancement was observed for tumors of those three cases, with CT value of 57, 56, 52, 45 HU, respectively. During the venous phase of enhanced CT scan, significant enhancement was observed for tumors of those three cases, with CT value of 84, 88, 82, 77 HU, respectively. During the delayed phase of enhanced CT scan, further changes of increased or decreased enhancement was observed for tumors of those three cases, with CT value of 95, 78, 72, 70 HU. One case of those three patients had thickened intestinal wall with low signal on T1-weighted imaging, heterogeneous high signal on fat-suppressed T2-weighted imaging, significant high signal on diffusion-weighted imaging and low signal on apparent diffusion coefficient imaging on MRI scan. (2) Surgical conditions and post-operative pathological examination. All five cases underwent complete tumor resection. In two cases of primary epithelioid angiosarcoma with three small intestinal tumor foci, there were two tumors invading the serosa and one tumor invading the submucosa. All three metastatic epithelioid angio-sarcoma cases showed four tumors invasion through the serosa, with one case exhibiting mesenteric lymph node metastasis. Microscopic examination revealed hemorrhagic necrosis on the tumor mucosal surface, with tumor cells located in the submucosa or throughout the intestinal wall, displaying infiltrative growth patterns. The distribution was diffuse, with local networks forming irregularly sized vascular-like structures, containing red blood cells and forming blood sinuses and vascular networks. Tumor cells were arranged in solid sheets, strands, and nests, exhibiting spindle-shaped or epithelioid characteristics, with marked atypia, large nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and mitotic figures. Immunohistochemical analysis showed diffuse strong positivity for CD31, Fli-1, and Vim in all five patients. (3) Follow-up. All five patients were followed up postoperatively for 6(range, 3?48)months. During the follow-up period, four patients succumbed to widespread metastasis. One patient with metastatic small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma underwent six cycles of chemotherapy and remained in good condition four years post-surgery.Conclusion:The imaging characteristics of small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma include abnormal thickening or masses of the intestinal wall.

Objective To explore the effects of graphene quantum dots(GQDs)on the reprogramming of Müller cells.Methods Müller cells were randomly divided into the control,dedifferentiation,dedifferentiation+GQD,and GQD groups.The cells in the dedifferentiation group and the dedifferentiation+GQD group were dedifferentiated using the serum-free medium containing DMEM/F12(1∶1),20 μg·L-1 EGF,10 μg·L-1 bFGF,2 × B27,and 1 × N2 for 5 d.Then,the cells in the dedifferentiation+GQD group and the GQD group were treated with 50 mg·L-1 GQDs for 72 h.The Müller cells in the control group were subjected to normal cell culture.Immunofluorescence staining was used to identify the ex-pression of Müller cell markers,including glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP),glutamate-aspartate transporter(GLAST),and glutamine synthetase(GS).Phalloidin staining was performed to observe whether Müller cells could take up GQDs.The effect of different concentrations of GQDs on the proliferation of Müller cells was assessed using the cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay.The effect of GQDs on the expression of neural progenitor/stem cell markers(SRY-box transcription factor 2[SOX-2]and Nestin)and the astrocyte marker GFAP in normal and dedifferentiated Müller cells was examined using im-munofluorescence staining and Western blotting.Results The immunofluorescence staining results showed that the fluo-rescence of GFAP was extremely weak and almost invisible in Müller cells,while the fluorescence of GLAST and GS was extremely strong and predominantly appeared in the cytoplasm of Müller cells.After 24 h of GQD treatment,trace amounts of GQD fluorescence were visible in Müller cells.The amount of GQD fluorescence in the cytoplasm of Müller cells gradual-ly increased with time.The CCK-8 assay results showed that the activity of Müller cells tended to decrease with an increase in the treatment time and concentration of GQD.The statistical analysis results showed that the mean fluorescence intensity of GFAP,Nestin,and SOX-2 in Müller cells of the dedifferentiation,dedifferentiation+GQD,and GQD groups was higher than that of the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The mean fluorescence inten-sity of GFAP in the dedifferentiation+GQD group was higher than that in the dedifferentiation group,the mean fluores-cence intensity of Nestin and SOX-2 was lower than that in the dedifferentiation group,and the differences were all statisti-cally significant(P＜0.05).The relative protein expression of GFAP,Nestin,and SOX-2 in Müller cells in the dedifferentia-tion,dedifferentiation+GQD,and GQD groups was higher than that in the control group,and the differences were statis-tically significant(all P＜0.05).The relative protein expression of GFAP in the dedifferentiation+GQD group was higher than that in the dedifferentiation group,the relative protein expression of Nestin and SOX-2 was lower than that in the dedi-fferentiation group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion GQDs facilitate the re-programming of Müller cells into astrocytes.

Objective:To investigate the imaging characteristics of small intestinal epithe-lioid angiosarcoma.Methods:The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinical data of 5 male patients with small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma who were admitted to 3 medical centers, including Yantaishan Hospital of Yantai et al, from January 2013 to December 2023 were collected. The age of 5 patients was 54 (range, 36-73)years. All 5 patients underwent computer tomography (CT) plain scan and dynamic contrast-enhanced scan, with 1 patient also undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plain scan. Observation indicators: (1) results of CT and MRI examination; (2) surgical conditions and postoperative pathological examination; (3) follow-up. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range), and count data were described as absolute numbers. Results:(1) Results of CT and MRI examination. Of the 5 patients with small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma, two cases were primary small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma and the other three cases were metastatic small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma. None of the five patients exhibited metastasis to other solid organs, and no significant ascites or peritoneal metastases. ① In two cases of primary small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma, three tumors were identified, appearing as round soft tissue nodules on CT plain scan, primarily growing intraluminally. The CT value for tumors of those two cases on plain scan were 30, 35, 32 HU, respec-tively. During the arterial phase of enhanced CT scan, moderate enhancement was observed for tumors of those two cases, with CT value of 57, 72, 65 HU, respectively. During the venous phase of enhanced CT scan, significant enhancement was observed for tumors of those two cases, with CT value of 76, 86, 88 HU, respectively. During the delayed phase of enhanced CT scan, slightly decreased enhancement was observed for tumors of those two cases, with CT value of 74, 79, 72 HU, showing no significant necrosis or cystic changes within the tumors. ② In three cases of metastatic small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma, four tumors were identified with uneven thickening of the intestinal wall appeared on CT plain scan. The CT value for tumors of those three cases on plain scan were 39, 37, 38, 28 HU, respectively. During the arterial phase of enhanced CT scan, mild to moderate enhancement was observed for tumors of those three cases, with CT value of 57, 56, 52, 45 HU, respectively. During the venous phase of enhanced CT scan, significant enhancement was observed for tumors of those three cases, with CT value of 84, 88, 82, 77 HU, respectively. During the delayed phase of enhanced CT scan, further changes of increased or decreased enhancement was observed for tumors of those three cases, with CT value of 95, 78, 72, 70 HU. One case of those three patients had thickened intestinal wall with low signal on T1-weighted imaging, heterogeneous high signal on fat-suppressed T2-weighted imaging, significant high signal on diffusion-weighted imaging and low signal on apparent diffusion coefficient imaging on MRI scan. (2) Surgical conditions and post-operative pathological examination. All five cases underwent complete tumor resection. In two cases of primary epithelioid angiosarcoma with three small intestinal tumor foci, there were two tumors invading the serosa and one tumor invading the submucosa. All three metastatic epithelioid angio-sarcoma cases showed four tumors invasion through the serosa, with one case exhibiting mesenteric lymph node metastasis. Microscopic examination revealed hemorrhagic necrosis on the tumor mucosal surface, with tumor cells located in the submucosa or throughout the intestinal wall, displaying infiltrative growth patterns. The distribution was diffuse, with local networks forming irregularly sized vascular-like structures, containing red blood cells and forming blood sinuses and vascular networks. Tumor cells were arranged in solid sheets, strands, and nests, exhibiting spindle-shaped or epithelioid characteristics, with marked atypia, large nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and mitotic figures. Immunohistochemical analysis showed diffuse strong positivity for CD31, Fli-1, and Vim in all five patients. (3) Follow-up. All five patients were followed up postoperatively for 6(range, 3?48)months. During the follow-up period, four patients succumbed to widespread metastasis. One patient with metastatic small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma underwent six cycles of chemotherapy and remained in good condition four years post-surgery.Conclusion:The imaging characteristics of small intestinal epithelioid angiosarcoma include abnormal thickening or masses of the intestinal wall.

Objective To explore the effects of graphene quantum dots(GQDs)on the reprogramming of Müller cells.Methods Müller cells were randomly divided into the control,dedifferentiation,dedifferentiation+GQD,and GQD groups.The cells in the dedifferentiation group and the dedifferentiation+GQD group were dedifferentiated using the serum-free medium containing DMEM/F12(1∶1),20 μg·L-1 EGF,10 μg·L-1 bFGF,2 × B27,and 1 × N2 for 5 d.Then,the cells in the dedifferentiation+GQD group and the GQD group were treated with 50 mg·L-1 GQDs for 72 h.The Müller cells in the control group were subjected to normal cell culture.Immunofluorescence staining was used to identify the ex-pression of Müller cell markers,including glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP),glutamate-aspartate transporter(GLAST),and glutamine synthetase(GS).Phalloidin staining was performed to observe whether Müller cells could take up GQDs.The effect of different concentrations of GQDs on the proliferation of Müller cells was assessed using the cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay.The effect of GQDs on the expression of neural progenitor/stem cell markers(SRY-box transcription factor 2[SOX-2]and Nestin)and the astrocyte marker GFAP in normal and dedifferentiated Müller cells was examined using im-munofluorescence staining and Western blotting.Results The immunofluorescence staining results showed that the fluo-rescence of GFAP was extremely weak and almost invisible in Müller cells,while the fluorescence of GLAST and GS was extremely strong and predominantly appeared in the cytoplasm of Müller cells.After 24 h of GQD treatment,trace amounts of GQD fluorescence were visible in Müller cells.The amount of GQD fluorescence in the cytoplasm of Müller cells gradual-ly increased with time.The CCK-8 assay results showed that the activity of Müller cells tended to decrease with an increase in the treatment time and concentration of GQD.The statistical analysis results showed that the mean fluorescence intensity of GFAP,Nestin,and SOX-2 in Müller cells of the dedifferentiation,dedifferentiation+GQD,and GQD groups was higher than that of the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The mean fluorescence inten-sity of GFAP in the dedifferentiation+GQD group was higher than that in the dedifferentiation group,the mean fluores-cence intensity of Nestin and SOX-2 was lower than that in the dedifferentiation group,and the differences were all statisti-cally significant(P＜0.05).The relative protein expression of GFAP,Nestin,and SOX-2 in Müller cells in the dedifferentia-tion,dedifferentiation+GQD,and GQD groups was higher than that in the control group,and the differences were statis-tically significant(all P＜0.05).The relative protein expression of GFAP in the dedifferentiation+GQD group was higher than that in the dedifferentiation group,the relative protein expression of Nestin and SOX-2 was lower than that in the dedi-fferentiation group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion GQDs facilitate the re-programming of Müller cells into astrocytes.

A 36-year-old male developed unconsciousness and no response to voice stimuli after taking approximately 2 050 mg felodipine (the specific time was unknown). Two hours later, he was sent to the department of emergency by his family and admitted to the hospital. His vital signs showed body temperature 35.1 ℃, pulse 148 times/min, respiration 32 times/min, and blood pressure 65/34 mmHg. Acute drug poisoning, acute toxic cardiomyopathy, acute toxic shock, acute type Ⅱ respiratory failure, acute toxic encephalopathy, and acute renal failure were diagnosed based on the patient′s clinical manifestations combined with laboratory tests results, cardiac ultrasound, chest and abdominal CT scans. Endotracheal intubation connected to a ventilator for invasive assisted ventilation, pressure boosting, and fluid resuscitation were given. At the same time, repeated gastric lavage and enema were performed to remove toxins. Blood perfusion was intermittently and repeatedly administered, and continuous renal replacement therapy was used. The blood concentration of felodipine was 1 298 μg/L at 2 hours after admission, and cardiac arrest occurred at 4 hours. Venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) treatment was administered immediately. After 48 hours of ECMO operation, sedatives were discontinued and the patient′s consciousness was improved after 4 hours. On the 5th day of ECMO treatment, his heart rate was 72 beats per minute, and blood pressure was 127/65 mmHg. The blood concentration of felodipine decreased to 2 μg/L. The patient′s vital signs were significantly improved and ECMO supportive treatment was withdrawn. After 26 days of hospitalization, the patient recovered and was discharged.

BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

The Huangdi Neijing proposes the " using bitter herbs to nourish or purge" theory to guide clinical prescription and formulation of herbal remedies based on the physiological characteristics and functions of the five zang viscera, along with the properties and flavors of medicinal herbs. This study explored diabetic kidney disease pathogenesis and treatment based on the " using bitter herbs to nourish or purge" theory. Kidney dryness is a key pathological factor in diabetic kidney disease, and the disharmony of kidney dryness is an essential aspect of its pathogenesis. Strengthening is the primary therapeutic principle, and kidney dryness is a persistent factor throughout the occurrence and progression of diabetic kidney disease. In the early stage, the pathogenesis involves heat-consuming qi and injuring yin, leading to kidney dryness. In the middle stage, the pathogenesis manifests as qi deficiency and blood stasis in the collaterals, resulting in turbidity owing to kidney dryness. In the late stage, the pathogenesis involves yin and yang deficiency, with kidney dryness and disharmony. This study proposes the staging-based treatment based on the " need for firmness" characteristic of the kidney. The aim is to provide new insights for clinical diagnosis and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine by rationally using pungent, bitter, and salty medicinal herbs to nourish and moisturize the kidney. This approach seeks to promote precise syndrome differentiation and personalized treatment for different stages of diabetic kidney disease, thereby enhancing clinical efficacy.

BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.