ObjectiveTo investigate the immunomodulatory effect of polysaccharides from Astragali Radix-Angelicae Sinensis Radix herb pair（Qi-gui polysaccharides） on lipopolysaccharide（LPS）-induced RAW264.7 macrophages and to characterize the structure of the active component Qi-gui homogeneous polysaccharide（AAPS-4a）， and evaluate its protective effect on ulcerative colitis（UC）. MethodsThe effects of six Qi-gui polysaccharides（0.01-100 mg·L^-1） on the proliferation of RAW264.7 cells were assessed by cell proliferation and activity assay（CCK-8）， and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） was used to investigate the effects of the six polysaccharides（3， 10 mg·L^-1） on the secretion levels of tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， interferon（IFN）-β， and nitric oxide（NO） in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. After screening for active polysaccharides， high-performance size-exclusion chromatography（HPSEC） was used to determine its homogeneity and relative molecular weight， then its characteristic functional groups were identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR）， monosaccharide composition was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）， methylation analysis combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（GC-MS） was performed to determine the types and linkage modes of sugar residues， and one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance（NMR） were used to identify the sugar residue composition and configuration of the active polysaccharide. Finally， experimental animals were divided into the normal group， model group， AAPS-4a low-dose group（50 mg·kg^-1）， AAPS-4a high-dose group（100 mg·kg^-1）， and sulfasalazine（SASP） group （75 mg·kg^-1）. Except for the normal group， the acute UC mouse model was induced using 3.5% dextran sulfate sodium salt（DSS）. Each treatment group was administered the corresponding dose via oral gavage for 7 days， and changes in body weight were recorded. After treatment， the spleen index and disease activity index（DAI） score were calculated， TNF-α and interleukin-6（IL-6） levels in the serum were detected by ELISA， and histopathological changes in colon tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining. ResultsAt the cellular level， AAPS-4a exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition of LPS-induced increases in TNF-α， IFN-β， and NO levels（P<0.01）. Structural characterization of AAPS-4a revealed that it was a homogeneous polysaccharide with a relative molecular weight of 7.6×10³ Da， consisting of mannose（Man）， glucose（Glc）， and galactose（Gal） in a molar ratio of 1.3∶23.9∶1.0. It was primarily composed of five sugar residues of 1，6-α-D-Glcp， T-α-D-Glcp， 1，3-β-D-Galp， 1，4-α-D-Manp， and 1，2-α-D-Galp. In vivo experiments showed that compared with the normal group， the model group demonstrated markedly increased DAI score and spleen index， significantly reduced colon length， and significantly elevated levels of TNF-α and IL-6（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the AAPS-4a high-dose group significantly reduced the DAI score and spleen index， as well as TNF-α and IL-6 levels， and improved colonic atrophy（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Pathological observations showed that AAPS-4a significantly inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration in colon tissue and alleviated pathological damage. ConclusionAAPS-4a， a neutral homogeneous polysaccharide composed of 1，6-α-D-Glcp， T-α-D-Glcp， 1，3-β-D-Galp， 1，4-α-D-Manp and 1，2-α-D-Galp， is identified as a key bioactive component contributing to the anti-UC effect of the Qi-gui herb pair. Its immunoregulatory and anti-UC properties suggest its potential as a therapeutic agent for UC.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the stability of 5-fluorouracil （5-FU） in human blood and to establish a standardized clinical sampling and delivery procedure for therapeutic drug monitoring （TDM） of 5-FU. METHODS The EDTA-anticoagulated whole blood was used as the matrix to prepare stability assessment samples of 5-FU at both low （200 ng/mL） and high （5 000 ng/mL） concentrations （with groups without stabilizer and with 1% volume ratio of stabilizer）. The stability assessment samples were placed under room temperature （[ 25±2） ℃] and refrigerated （2-8 ℃） conditions， with sampling at 0， 0.5， 1， 2， 4， 7， and 24 h. After vortexing and centrifugation， the upper plasma layer was collected； proteins were precipitated using methanol， and the concentration of 5-FU in plasma was determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Based on the whole blood stability results， clinical sampling and delivery procedures were established. RESULTS The concentration of 5-FU in blank whole blood samples without stabilizers was significantly lower than that in samples with stabilizers （P＜0.05）. However， varying volumes （10， 25， 50 μL） of stabilizers had no significant effect on the measured concentrations of 5-FU in stability assessment samples with low and high concentrations （P＞0.05）. Without the addition of a stabilizer， low- and high-concentration 5-FU whole blood samples remained stable at room temperature for 0.5 h and 1 h， respectively， and under refrigeration for 2 h and 7 h， respectively. After the addition of a 1% stabilizer， the whole blood samples remained stable for up to 24 h under both room temperature and refrigerated conditions. Based on these findings， the following procedure was established： after collection， whole blood samples could be temporarily stored at room temperature （≤0.5 h） or at 4　℃ （≤2 h）， and transported at 2-8　℃. Upon delivery to the laboratory， a 1% volume ratio of stabilizer must be added immediately， followed by centrifugation within 24 h. The resulting plasma should be stored at －20 ℃ . CONCLUSIONS 5-FU in whole blood exhibits poor stability at room temperature. Refrigeration at 2-8　℃ slightly improves stability ， but degradation still occurs rapidly. Adding a stabilizer at a 1% volume ratio significantly prolongs the refrigerated storage time. The established sampling and transport procedure for 5-FU TDM innovatively introduces the stabilizer addition step at the laboratory sample reception stage （rather than immediately after blood draw）. This approach ensures analytical quality while offering greater adaptability to real-world clinical sampling conditions， significantly improving practical feasibility.

To screen and identify a chitosanase with high stability, we cloned the chitosanase gene from Bacillus atrophaeus with a high protease yield from the barren saline-alkali soil and expressed this gene in Escherichia coli. The expressed chitosanase of B. atrophaeus (BA-CSN) was purified by nickel-affinity column chromatography. The properties including optimal temperature, optimal pH, substrate specificity, and kinetic parameters of BA-CSN were characterized. The results showed that BA-CSN had the molecular weight of 31.13 kDa, the optimal temperature of 55 ℃, the optimal pH 5.5, and good stability at temperatures below 45 ℃ and pH 4.0-9.0. BA-CSN also had good stability within 4 h of pH 3.0 and 10.0, be activated by K⁺, Na⁺, Mn²⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Co²⁺, (especially by Mn²⁺), and be inhibited by Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺, and Ag⁺. BA-CSN showcased the highest relative activity in the hydrolysis of colloidal chitosan, and it had good hydrolysis ability for colloidal chitin. Under the optimal catalytic conditions, BA-CSN demonstrated the Michaelis constant K_m and maximum reaction rate V_max of 9.94 mg/mL and 26.624 μmoL/(mL·min), respectively, for colloidal chitosan. In short, BA-CSN has strong tolerance to acids and alkali, possessing broad industrial application prospects.
Bacillus/genetics* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Escherichia coli/metabolism* ; Glycoside Hydrolases/biosynthesis* ; Substrate Specificity ; Enzyme Stability ; Chitosan/metabolism* ; Temperature ; Kinetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Bacterial Proteins/biosynthesis* ; Recombinant Proteins/genetics*

Acute-on-chronic liver failure （ACLF） refers to severe liver dysfunction that occurs on the basis of chronic liver diseases， and it is characterized by rapid disease progression， poor prognosis， and high mortality rate. In recent years， inflammatory markers have become a research hotspot due to their significant role in assessing the prognosis of ACLF. This article reviews the advances in the application of inflammatory markers in assessing the prognosis of ACLF， such as systemic immune inflammatory index， lymphocyte-white blood cell ratio， neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio， and C-reactive protein， and discusses their clinical value and future research directions， in order to provide a theoretical basis for the early intervention and prognosis management of ACLF patients.

Objective To evaluate the stability and aesthetic effect of a xenogeneic collagen matrix(mucograft)on achieving an adequate keratinized mucosa width(KMW)around implants and to provide a reference basis for the clini-cal application of xenogeneic collagen matrix materials.Methods The hospital ethics committee approved the study protocol,and the patients provided informed consent.Twenty patients with a KMW＜2 mm at the buccal implant site who were treated in Binzhou Medical University Affiliated Yantai Stomatological Hospital from July 2020 to September 2022 were included,and a total of 36 implants were included.The mean age of the patients was(52.0±10.4)years,of which 18 were females and 2 were males.They were divided into a free gingival graft group(FGG,control group)and a xenogeneic collagen matrix group(test group)according to different graft materials.The incremental effect of the KMW on the buccal side of the implant and the mucosal shrinkage rate was measured at 1 month and 3 months after the opera-tion.The mucosal scar index(MSI)was evaluated after the operation.Results At 3 months postoperatively,the KMW was(3.67±1.06)mm in the control group and(2.96±0.98)mm in the test group,and the difference was statistically significant(t=2.076,P＜0.05).The KMW shrinkage rate was(33.34±16.30)％in the test group and(22.05± 15.47)％in the control group at 1 month postoperatively and(51.95±12.60)％in the test group and(37.44±16.30)％in the control group at 3 months postoperatively,with statistically significant differences between the two groups at the same time points(P＜0.05).Three months after surgery,the test group showed significantly better outcomes than the control group in terms of the five scar indicators(scar width,scar convexity,scar color,scar trace,and overall appear-ance),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion Xenogeneic collagen matrix can increase the peri-implant KMW and achieve a more natural and coordinated soft tissue aesthetic effect but with a higher shrink-age rate.

Digital intraoral scanning is a hot topic in the field of oral digital technology.In recent years,digital intra-oral scanning has gradually become the mainstream technology in orthodontics,prosthodontics,and implant dentistry.The precision of digital intraoral scanning and the accuracy and stitching of data collection are the keys to the success of the impression.However,the operators are less familiar with the intraoral scanning characteristics,imaging process-ing,operator scanning method,oral tissue specificity of the scanned object,and restoration design.Thus far,no unified standard and consensus on digital intraoral scanning technology has been achieved at home or abroad.To deal with the problems encountered in oral scanning and improve the quality of digital scanning,we collected common expert opin-ions and sought to expound the causes of scanning errors and countermeasures by summarizing the existing evidence.We also describe the scanning strategies under different oral impression requirements.The expert consensus is that due to various factors affecting the accuracy of digital intraoral scanning and the reproducibility of scanned images,adopting the correct scanning trajectory can shorten clinical operation time and improve scanning accuracy.The scanning trajec-tories mainly include the E-shaped,segmented,and S-shaped methods.When performing fixed denture restoration,it is recommended to first scan the abutment and adjacent teeth.When performing fixed denture restoration,it is recommend-ed to scan the abutment and adjacent teeth first.Then the cavity in the abutment area is excavated.Lastly,the cavity gap was scanned after completing the abutment preparation.This method not only meets clinical needs but also achieves the most reliable accuracy.When performing full denture restoration in edentulous jaws,setting markers on the mucosal tissue at the bottom of the alveolar ridge,simultaneously capturing images of the vestibular area,using different types of scanning paths such as Z-shaped,S-shaped,buccal-palatal and palatal-buccal pathways,segmented scanning of dental arches,and other strategies can reduce scanning errors and improve image stitching and overlap.For implant restora-tion,when a single crown restoration is supported by implants and a small span upper structure restoration,it is recom-mended to first pre-scan the required dental arch.Then the cavity in the abutment area is excavated.Lastly,scanning the cavity gap after installing the implant scanning rod.When repairing a bone level implant crown,an improved indi-rect scanning method can be used.The scanning process includes three steps:First,the temporary restoration,adjacent teeth,and gingival tissue in the mouth are scanned;second,the entire dental arch is scanned after installing a standard scanning rod on the implant;and third,the temporary restoration outside the mouth is scanned to obtain the three-di-mensional shape of the gingival contour of the implant neck,thereby increasing the stability of soft tissue scanning around the implant and improving scanning restoration.For dental implant fixed bridge repair with missing teeth,the mobility of the mucosa increases the difficulty of scanning,making it difficult for scanners to distinguish scanning rods of the same shape and size,which can easily cause image stacking errors.Higher accuracy of digital implant impres-sions can be achieved by changing the geometric shape of the scanning rods to change the optical curvature radius.The consensus confirms that as the range of scanned dental arches and the number of data concatenations increases,the scanning accuracy decreases accordingly,especially when performing full mouth implant restoration impressions.The difficulty of image stitching processing can easily be increased by the presence of unstable and uneven mucosal mor-phology inside the mouth and the lack of relatively obvious and fixed reference objects,which results in insufficient ac-curacy.When designing restorations of this type,it is advisable to carefully choose digital intraoral scanning methods to obtain model data.It is not recommended to use digital impressions when there are more than five missing teeth.

Objective:To analyze the expression of FAT1 gene in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and its relationship with clinicopathological features, prognosis, and immunotherapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.Methods:(1) Bioinformatics analysis: based on FAT1 mRNA expression and clinical data of 179 cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in the TCGA database, and FAT1 mRNA expression data of 328 cases of normal pancreatic tissues in the GTEx database. We analyzed the differences in FAT1 mRNA expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and normal pancreatic tissues and the relationship between FAT1 mRNA expression and the degree of differentiation, clinical stage, prognosis, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint-associated genes in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. FAT1-related differentially expressed genes were analyzed by applying Limma 3.40.2 software package, and GO and KEGG enrichment analysis was performed on the differentially expressed genes. Immunohistochemical (IHC) of FAT1 in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and normal pancreatic tissues was analyzed by HPA database. (2) Validation of own tissue samples: tissue samples and clinical and prognostic data of 192 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma admitted to Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from March 8, 2010 to September 30, 2020 were collected. IHC was performed on the tissue samples to verify the protein expression of FAT1 in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and its relationship with immune-related proteins, the degree of differentiation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, clinical staging, and prognosis.Results:(1) Bioinformatics analysis: the FAT1 mRNA expression of 179 pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues from the TCGA database was 5.55±1.04, which was higher than that of 328 normal pancreatic tissues with FAT1 mRNA from the GTEx database (2.95±0.53, P＜0.001). FAT1-specific IHC images showed that FAT1 expression was generally high in pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues, and FAT1 expression shifted from the cell membrane to the cytoplasm. The FAT1 mRNA expression in the highly differentiated group (31 cases), the moderately differentiated group (96 cases), and the lowly differentiated group (52 cases) were 4.99±1.46, 5.51±0.80, and 5.68±1.08, the expression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues were all higher than that of normal pancreatic tissues (all P＜0.001), and the FAT1 mRNA expression of the moderately differentiated group and the poorly differentiated group were all higher than that of the highly differentiated group (all P＜0.001). The median progression-free survival time (PFS) and median overall survival time (OS) of the 90 patients in the FAT1 mRNA low-expression group were 16.5 and 24 months, respectively, which were longer than those of the 89 patients in the FAT1 mRNA high-expression group (median PFS and OS were 13 and 18 months, respectively; P-values were 0.011 and 0.005, respectively). Multifactorial Cox regression analysis showed that FAT1 mRNA expression level was an independent influencing factor for OS in pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients ( HR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.09-1.99). Correlation analysis showed that FAT1 mRNA expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma was positively correlated with B-cell infiltration, CD8+ T-cell infiltration, neutrophil infiltration, macrophage infiltration, and myeloid dendritic cell infiltration ( ρ=0.27, P＜0.001; ρ=0.28, P＜0.001; ρ=0.32, P＜0.001; ρ=0.21, P=0.004; ρ=0.32, P＜0.001), and also positively correlated with mRNA expression of CD274, HAVCR2, and PDCD1LG2 ( r=0.327, P＜0.001; r=0.231, P=0.002; r=0.258, P＜0.001). GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that FAT1 mRNA expression levels were associated with activation of the Wnt signaling pathway ( P=0.029), the PI3K/Akt pathway ( P<0.001), and other tumor microenvironment-related pathways. (2) Validation of own tissue samples: among 192 pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues, FAT1 was highly expressed in 58 cases (30.21%), and the proportion of FAT1-expressing positive tumor cells was positively correlated with the combined positive score of PD-L1 and the number of CD3+ T-cells infiltration ( r=0.154, P=0.032; r=0.287, P＜0.001), and the protein expression of FAT1 had no correlation with the differentiation degree of pancreatic adenocarcinoma ( ρ=0.082, P=0.254). The median OS of 58 patients in the FAT1 high-expression group and 134 patients in the FAT1 low-expression group were 18.89 and 25.84 months, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (χ2=1.93, P=0.165). Conclusion:FAT1 gene is highly expressed in pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues, may play an oncogenic role in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, may be an adverse influence on overall survival and progression-free survival of patients; FAT1 gene may be involved in multiple immune-related pathways and promote tumor immune escape.

Objective To comprehensively analyze the effectiveness of exercise training-based respiratory rehabilitation therapy on patients with occupational pneumoconiosis (hereinafter referred to as "pneumoconiosis"). MethodsLiterature on randomized controlled trials of exercise training-based respiratory rehabilitation therapy for pneumoconiosis patients published from the establishment of the database to July 2023 was retrieved from academic systems such as the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, VIP Database, and China Biology Medicine using bibliometrics method. The RevMan 5.4 software was used for meta-analysis of the selected literatures. Subgroup analysis was conducted to explore the source of study heterogeneity. The funnel plot method was used to test publication bias. Results A total of 55 articles were included, involving 2 436 pneumoconiosis patients in the experimental group and 2 405 pneumoconiosis patients in the control group. The result of random or fixed effect model showed that the six minutes walking distance, the total score of Short from Health Survey-36, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁), FEV₁/FVC, arterial partial pressure of oxygen of pneumoconiosis patients increased after respiratory rehabilitation therapy (all P<0.05), while the total score of the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire and arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide decreased compared with the conventional treatment (all P<0.05). The result of subgroup analysis showed that the total score of the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire, FEV₁, and the index of arterial partial pressure of oxygen of pneumoconiosis patients was better in the rehabilitation treatment for ≥six months compared with those

Objective:To analyze the expression of FAT1 gene in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and its relationship with clinicopathological features, prognosis, and immunotherapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.Methods:(1) Bioinformatics analysis: based on FAT1 mRNA expression and clinical data of 179 cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in the TCGA database, and FAT1 mRNA expression data of 328 cases of normal pancreatic tissues in the GTEx database. We analyzed the differences in FAT1 mRNA expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and normal pancreatic tissues and the relationship between FAT1 mRNA expression and the degree of differentiation, clinical stage, prognosis, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint-associated genes in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. FAT1-related differentially expressed genes were analyzed by applying Limma 3.40.2 software package, and GO and KEGG enrichment analysis was performed on the differentially expressed genes. Immunohistochemical (IHC) of FAT1 in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and normal pancreatic tissues was analyzed by HPA database. (2) Validation of own tissue samples: tissue samples and clinical and prognostic data of 192 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma admitted to Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from March 8, 2010 to September 30, 2020 were collected. IHC was performed on the tissue samples to verify the protein expression of FAT1 in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and its relationship with immune-related proteins, the degree of differentiation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, clinical staging, and prognosis.Results:(1) Bioinformatics analysis: the FAT1 mRNA expression of 179 pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues from the TCGA database was 5.55±1.04, which was higher than that of 328 normal pancreatic tissues with FAT1 mRNA from the GTEx database (2.95±0.53, P＜0.001). FAT1-specific IHC images showed that FAT1 expression was generally high in pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues, and FAT1 expression shifted from the cell membrane to the cytoplasm. The FAT1 mRNA expression in the highly differentiated group (31 cases), the moderately differentiated group (96 cases), and the lowly differentiated group (52 cases) were 4.99±1.46, 5.51±0.80, and 5.68±1.08, the expression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues were all higher than that of normal pancreatic tissues (all P＜0.001), and the FAT1 mRNA expression of the moderately differentiated group and the poorly differentiated group were all higher than that of the highly differentiated group (all P＜0.001). The median progression-free survival time (PFS) and median overall survival time (OS) of the 90 patients in the FAT1 mRNA low-expression group were 16.5 and 24 months, respectively, which were longer than those of the 89 patients in the FAT1 mRNA high-expression group (median PFS and OS were 13 and 18 months, respectively; P-values were 0.011 and 0.005, respectively). Multifactorial Cox regression analysis showed that FAT1 mRNA expression level was an independent influencing factor for OS in pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients ( HR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.09-1.99). Correlation analysis showed that FAT1 mRNA expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma was positively correlated with B-cell infiltration, CD8+ T-cell infiltration, neutrophil infiltration, macrophage infiltration, and myeloid dendritic cell infiltration ( ρ=0.27, P＜0.001; ρ=0.28, P＜0.001; ρ=0.32, P＜0.001; ρ=0.21, P=0.004; ρ=0.32, P＜0.001), and also positively correlated with mRNA expression of CD274, HAVCR2, and PDCD1LG2 ( r=0.327, P＜0.001; r=0.231, P=0.002; r=0.258, P＜0.001). GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that FAT1 mRNA expression levels were associated with activation of the Wnt signaling pathway ( P=0.029), the PI3K/Akt pathway ( P<0.001), and other tumor microenvironment-related pathways. (2) Validation of own tissue samples: among 192 pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues, FAT1 was highly expressed in 58 cases (30.21%), and the proportion of FAT1-expressing positive tumor cells was positively correlated with the combined positive score of PD-L1 and the number of CD3+ T-cells infiltration ( r=0.154, P=0.032; r=0.287, P＜0.001), and the protein expression of FAT1 had no correlation with the differentiation degree of pancreatic adenocarcinoma ( ρ=0.082, P=0.254). The median OS of 58 patients in the FAT1 high-expression group and 134 patients in the FAT1 low-expression group were 18.89 and 25.84 months, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (χ2=1.93, P=0.165). Conclusion:FAT1 gene is highly expressed in pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues, may play an oncogenic role in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, may be an adverse influence on overall survival and progression-free survival of patients; FAT1 gene may be involved in multiple immune-related pathways and promote tumor immune escape.

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women in our country.Conventional ultrasound has become a common imaging method for breast cancer screening.New technologies such as elastography,contrast-enhanced ultrasound,automatic breast ultrasound system,S-detect technology and ultrasound-guided needle biopsy are developing rapidly and gradually applied in clinical practice,providing more valuable information for the diagnosis of breast cancer.This article reviews the clinical application progress of various ultrasound imaging techniques in the diagnosis of breast cancer.