Autoimmune hepatitis （AIH） is a chronic inflammatory liver disease. The pathogenesis of AIH remains unclear， but it is mainly autoimmune injury caused by the breakdown of autoimmune tolerance due to the abnormal activation of the immune system， while the specific molecular mechanism remains unknown. Recent studies have shown that abnormal amino acid metabolism plays an important role in the development and progression of AIH. This article reviews the research advances in amino acid metabolic reprogramming in AIH， in order to provide a theoretical basis for amino acid metabolism as a new target for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of AIH.

Objective To investigate the species of ticks in Suizhou City, Hubei Province, so as to provide insights into management of ticks and tick-borne diseases. Methods During the period between May 2023 and June 2024, livestock breeding farms and vegetation neighboring the place of residence of confirmed and suspected patients with tick-borne disease were selected as sampling points in rural areas from Yindian Township, Gaocheng Township, Wanhe Township, Wushan Township, Xiaolin Township, Xihe Township, Hedian Township and Beijiao Street in Suizhou City, Hubei Province, where confirmed and suspected cases with tick-borne diseases had been reported. The parasitic ticks on the body surface of free-range livestock were captured with tweezers in livestock breeding farms, and free ticks on the vegetation surface were captured with the flagging method. Morphological identification of tick samples was performed under a microscope, and the gender and developmental stage of ticks were determined. One engorged adult tick, 2 to 3 blood-feeding but non-engorged adult ticks, 10 to 15 unfed female ticks, 15 to 20 unfed male ticks, and 30 to 40 tick nymphs or larvae were assigned into a group, respectively. Genomic DNA was extracted from tick samples in each group, and mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene was amplified. Sequence analysis was performed with the DNASTAR software, and phylogenetic analysis was performed using the software MEGA 7.0. In addition, the phylogenetic tree was generated using the maximum likelihood method based on the Kimura 2 parameter model. Results A total of 2 438 ticks were captured from Suizhou City, Hubei Province during the period between May 2023 and June 2024, including 595 free ticks and 1 483 parasitic ticks. Three developmental stages of ticks were captured, including larvae, nymphs, and adults, and 75.18% (1 899/2 438) of captured ticks were adult, in which 79.04% (1 501/1 899) were female. Morphological and molecular biological assays identified one family, three genera and four species of captured ticks, including 2 425 Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks (99.47%) and one H. flava tick (0.04%) of the genus Haemaphysalis, 11 Rhipicephalus microplus ticks (0.45%) of the genus Rhipicephalus, and one Ixodes sinensis tick (0.04%) of the genus Ixodes in the family Ixodidae. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the H. longicornis sequence (SZ49) in this study was clustered with sequences from Yunnan Province (GenBank accession number: MH024510.1), Hebei Province (GenBank accession number: MK450606.1) and Henan Province (GenBank accession number: MZ230645.1) into a clade, and the H. flava sequence (SZ19) in this study was clustered with sequences from Japan (GenBank accession number: MW064044.1), South Korea (GenBank accession number: ON629585.1), and Jiangsu Province (GenBank accession number: PP494741.1) and Hebei Province of China (GenBank accession number: MH520685.1) into a clade, while the R. microplus sequence (SZ8) in this study was clustered with the sequences from India (GenBank accession number: MK621328.1), and Henan Province (GenBank accession number: MT555307.1) and Guizhou Province of China (GenBank accession number: PP446801.1) into a clade. The sequence of I. sinensis (SZ23) in this study had 99.51% homology with that (GenBank accession number: OM368265.1) of ticks sampled from Wuhan City, Hubei Province. Conclusion There are four tick species of H. longicornis, H. flava, R. microplus and I. sinensis in Suizhou City, Hubei Province, and H. longicornis is the dominant species. H. flava is firstly recorded in Suizhou City.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the efficacy and safety of tirofiban for early neurological deterioration in patients with acute ischemic stroke. METHODS A total of 126 patients with early neurological deterioration of acute ischemic stroke who were admitted to the Department of Neurology， Heji Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College from January 2022 to December 2023 were selected and divided into observation group and control group according to random number table method， with 63 cases in each group. All patients received standardized treatment such as lipid-lowering and blood pressure-lowering therapy. Based on the standard treatment， patients in the control group additionally took Aspirin enteric-coated tablets 100 mg+Clopidogrel bisulfate tablets 75 mg orally （once a day， for 14 consecutive days）. The patients in the observation group received Tirofiban hydrochloride and sodium chloride injection based on the standardized treatment [first intravenous infusion of 0.40 μg/（kg·min） for 30 min， and then continuous intravenous infusion of 0.10 μg/（kg·min） for 47.5 h]； subsequently， patients were given Aspirin enteric-coated tablets （100 mg） and Clopidogrel bisulfate tablets （75 mg） once a day for 14 consecutive days. The clinical efficacy， the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale （NIHSS） score， modified Rankin Scale （mRS） score， and hemorheological indexes before and after treatment were compared between the two groups， and the adverse reactions were recorded. RESULTS The total effective rate （87.30%） of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group （71.43%） （P＜0.05）. NIHSS scores of the two groups at 1st， 7th and 14th day after treatment， the mRS score at 90th day after treatment， and the platelet aggregation rate， whole blood viscosity， plasma viscosity and fibrinogen at 14th day after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment in the same group， and the observation group was significantly lower than the control group at the same period （P＜0.05）. The total incidences of adverse reactions such as nausea， headache， fever， gastrointestinal bleeding， oral and nasal mucosal bleeding and thrombocytopenia in both groups of patients were 28.57% respectively， with no statistically significant difference （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS For patients with early neurological deterioration in acute ischemic stroke， the addition of tirofiban can accelerate the recovery of neurological function， improve blood hyperviscosity and platelet aggregation， and improve the prognosis of patients with good safety.

OBJECTIVE To investigate ameliorative effects and mechanisms of two probiotics （Bacillus subtilis， Lactobacillus acidophilus） combined with Aurantii Fructus Immaturus （AFI） on functional dyspepsia （FD） in rats. METHODS Rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， positive control group （domperidone group， 2.7 mg/kg）， AFI group （9 g/kg）， L. acidophilus group （5×107 cfu/kg）， B. subtilis group （5×107 cfu/kg）， L. acidophilus+ AFI group （L. acidophilus 5×107 cfu/kg+ AFI 9 g/kg）， and B. subtilis+AFI group （B. subtilis 5×107 cfu/kg+AFI 9 g/kg）， with 8 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， FD model was established by tail-clamping stimulation+hunger and satiety disorder+swimming exhaustion in other groups. After modeling， each group was given the corresponding drug/probiotic suspensions/physiological saline intragastrically， once a day， for 14 consecutive days. After the last medication， gastric emptying rate and the rate of propulsion of the small intestine in rats were measured； the levels of brain-gut peptide-related indicators [gastrin （GAS）， substance P （SP）， vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP）， somatostatin （SS） and cholecystokinin （CCK）] in the serum of rats were measured. The pathological morphology of the gastric antrum tissue and duodenal tissue was observed. Cecal contents from the rats were collected for gut microbiota sequencing analysis. The protein expression levels of tyrosine kinase receptor c-Kit and stem cell factor （SCF） in the gastric antrum tissue， as well as Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）， and nuclear factor κB （NF-κB） in the duodenal tissue of the rats were detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， model group showed significantly lower gastric emptying rate， small intestinal propulsion rate， serum levels of GAS and SP， relative abundance of Firmicutes， Ace， Chao and Sobs indexes of the gut microbiota， and protein levels of SCF and c-Kit in gastric antrum （P＜0.05）， while serum levels of VIP， SS and CCK， relative abundance of Bacteroidetes， as well as protein expressions of TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB， were significantly higher （P＜0.05）. The histological structure JZYC23S53） of the gastric antrum tissue appeared basically normal； however， abnormalities were observed in the duodenal structure， with a significant infiltration of inflammatory cells visible. Compared with the model group， all treatment groups significantly modulated most of the above indexes （P＜0.05）. The histological structure of the gastric antrum tissue was normal. Except for the B. subtilis group and the B. subtilis+AFI group， the pathological states of the duodenum in the remaining rats gradually recovered. Compared with each single drug group， most of above indexes in rats from each combination group showed further improvement （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS The combination of AFI with two probiotics can improve gastrointestinal motility in FD rats， and the effect is superior to that of using the drugs alone. The specific underlying mechanisms may be related to the activation of the SCF/c-Kit signaling pathway and the inhibition of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To assess mid- and long-term outcomes of ascending aortic wrapping (AAW) in adult patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR). Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of adult patients who underwent AVR and AAW in Fuwai Hospital from January 2010 to August 2019. Ascending aorta diameter (AAD) was measured by echocardiography or CT scan preoperatively and postoperatively. Results A total of 33 patients were enrolled, including 23 males and 10 females aged 22-73 (51.06±12.61) years. There was no perioperative death. The mean preoperative, postoperative and follow-up AAD of the patients were (46.06±3.54) mm, (34.55±5.17) mm, and (37.12±5.64) mm, respectively. The differences in the AAD between pre-operation and post-operation, and between pre-operation and the last follow-up were both statistically significant (P<0.05). The median follow-up time was 38.20 (18.80-140.30) months. The median increase rate of diameter was 0.63 (−0.11, 1.36) mm per year after the surgery. The increase rate was >5 mm per year in 1 patient, and >3 mm in another one. Conclusion The mid- and long-term outcomes of AAW in adult patients undergoing AVR are satisfactory and encouraging.

By consulting the ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Pharbitidis Semen has been conducted to clarify the name， origin， distribution of production areas， quality specification， harvesting， processing and so on， so as to provide reference for the development and utilization of the relevant famous classical formulas. Through textual research， it can be seen that Pharbitidis Semen was first published in Mingyi Bielu（《名医别录》）， and all dynasties have taken Qianniuzi as the correct name. Based on the original research， the main source of Pharbitidis Semen used in previous dynasties is the dried mature seeds of Pharbitis nil， which is consistent in ancient and modern times. The white Pharbitidis Semen appearing in Compendium of Materia Medica（《本草纲目》） from Ming dynasty is similar to the present P. purpurea. It is produced all over the country， and the quality is better if the particles are full and free of impurities. In ancient times， the harvesting time was mostly in the September. Now it is autumn. The fruits are ripe and harvested， dried to remove impurities for standby. In ancient times， the processing methods of Pharbitidis Semen were mainly wine steaming， steaming and frying until half cooked and grinding the head and end. In modern times， they have been simplified to stir-frying method. The nature， taste， meridian tropism and their effects also change supplements with the deepening of practice. Before the Ming dynasty， they were all bitter， cold and toxic. In the Ming dynasty， there appeared the characteristics of pungent， hot and small poisonous. The efficacy has evolved from controlling low Qi， curing foot edema， removing wind toxin， and facilitating urination to facilitating water and defecation， eliminating phlegm and drinking， and eliminating accumulated insects. The main clinical contraindications are those with weak spleen and kidney， those with weak spleen and stomach， pregnant women， and should not be used with croton and croton cream. Based on the textual research， it is suggested that when developing the classic famous formula with Pharbitidis Semen as the main raw material in the future， it is clear that the source should be the dried mature seeds of Pharbitis nil（black product is its black-brown seeds， white product is its beige seeds）. The processing requirements indicated in the original formula are all processed according to the requirements， and the raw product is recommended to be used as medicine if not specified.

Background Silicosis is an occupational disease mainly characterized by pulmonary progressive fibrosis induced by the accumulation of free silica (SiO₂) in the lungs due to long-term exposure to SiO₂ dust. It has been shown that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are increased in the lung tissues of silicotic mice after 28 d SiO₂ exposure, but it is unclear how the levels of NETs change throughout entire progression of silicosis in mice. Objective To observe the levels of NETs and pathological changes in the lungs of silicotic mice after different duration of SiO₂ exposure, and to confirm the possible role and significance of NETsin the development of SiO₂-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Methods A total of 28 SPF male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group, and a model group, and the model group was subdivided into, a 2 d model group, a 7 d model group, and a 28 d model group, with 7 mice in each group. The mice in the model groups were given intratracheal instillation with 10 mg SiO₂ suspension (50 μL), and the mice in the control group were received same volume of saline. Mice were sacrificed and samples were collected at designed time points. The pathological changes of lung tissues of mice were observed after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Van Gieson (VG) staining. Immunofluorescence was used to observe the NETs markers citrullination histone H3 (CitH3) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and the percentage of NETs-positive cells was calculated. PicoGreen fluorescent dye kit was used to detect the content of extracelluar DNA (ex-DNA) in mouse BALF, and the expression levels of fibrosis-related proteins α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibronectin (FN) and NETs marker CitH3 in lung tissues of mice were detected by Western blot (WB). Results Compared with the control group, inflammatory cells accumulation, alveolar wall thickening, and collagen deposition were obviously observed in the lungs of the silicosis model groups, and a large number of silicone nodules were recorded in the lung tissues in the 28 d group. Compared with the control group, the expressions of α-SMA and FN in the lung tissue of the 28 d group were significantly increased (P<0.05). The percentages of NETs in BALF increased significantly in the 2 d and the 7 d model group, then decreased in the 28 d model group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group (7.434±0.258) ng·mL⁻¹, the ex-DNA levels in BALF of mice in the 2 d [(35.110±6.331) ng·mL⁻¹], the 7 d [(39.491±6.948) ng·mL⁻¹], and the 28 d [(23.360±4.809) ng·mL⁻¹] model groups were increased (P<0.05), and the increase of ex-DNA in the 2 d and the 7 d model groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). In comparison with the control group, the protein level of CitH3 was significantly increased in the lung tissues of mice in the 7 d model group (P<0.05). Conclusion The content of NETs increases significantly and reaches a peak in the early inflammatory stage of silicosis, and decreases as the disease progresses to the fibrotic stage, suggesting that NETs may play a role in early stage of silicosis.

ObjectiveTo support intelligent clinical decision-making in traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）， this study utilized ontology and knowledge graph construction techniques to achieve the IT application of clinical practice guidelines. MethodBased on the principles of findability， accessibility， interoperability， and reusability （FAIR principles）， this study employed ontology techniques to construct an ontology for TCM clinical practice guidelines and built a knowledge graph using coronary heart disease as an example. Based on the Checklist for Reporting Practice Guidelines in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Recommendation Grading in TCM Clinical Guidelines/Consensus （T/CAS 530—2021），the ontology of TCM clinical practice guidelines was constructed using the seven-step ontology construction method. On this basis，the TCM diagnosis and treatment data from the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Stable Angina Pectoris in Coronary Heart Disease were stored in Neo4j in the form of triples through knowledge extraction，integration，and storage. ResultThe information in the clinical practice guidelines was divided into three categories： onset and prevention information， diagnosis information， and treatment information， and the TCM clinical practice guideline ontology was constructed. A total of 27 concepts related to TCM clinical diagnosis and treatment and 14 data attributes were obtained， and 12 conceptual relationships including hierarchical relationships and object attributes were established. By taking coronary heart disease as an example and the TCM clinical practice guideline ontology as the model layer， the knowledge map of TCM diagnosis and treatment guidelines for stable angina pectoris in coronary heart disease with 276 nodes and 336 relationships was constructed， realizing the visual display and query of the guideline content. ConclusionThe ontology of TCM clinical practice guidelines and the knowledge graph of stable angina pectoris in coronary heart disease constructed by combining the seven-step ontology construction method and Neo4j graph database technology are efficient and flexible，providing an intelligent TCM diagnosis and treatment scheme and promoting the standardization and objectification of TCM diagnosis and treatment.

Objective: To understand the nutritional literacy level and associated factors of primary and secondary school students in Beijing, so as to provide a scientific basis for improving student nutrition. Methods: From October 2022 to May 2023, a multi stage cluster random sampling method was employed to select a total of 14 568 primary, junior and senior high school students from 16 districts (ecluding the Economic Technological Development area) in Beijing. Through a survey questionnaire on nutritional literacy and dietary hehavior of school age children, basic information as well as data on nutritional literacy levels across four dimensions:nutrition related knowledge concepts, food selection, food preparation, and food intake dimensions were obtained. The Wilcoxon rank sum test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman correlation analysis, Chi square test and binary Logistic regression were used for the analysis. Results: The median total score of nutritional literacy among primary and secondary school students in Beijing was 68.8. Approximately 26.0% of primary and secondary school students achieved nutritional literacy standards. The median scores and rates of meeting the standards for nutrition related knowledge concepts, food selection, food preparation and food intake dimensions were 23.0, 42.1%; 17.0, 27.4%; 6.5, 33.5%; 23.0, 33.3%, respectively. There were positive correlations between all pairs of the four dimensions ( r=0.33-0.49, P <0.05). The results of multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that primary school students, junior high school students, female students, suburban students, caregivers with a college education level and a bachelor s degree or above were the positive arrelation factors that promoted the achievement of nutritional literacy standards ( OR =2.21, 1.39, 1.18, 1.27, 1.42, 1.66, P <0.05). Conclusion The literacy level of primary and secondary school students in Beijing needs to be significantly improved. School stage, gender, region and caregiver s education level are associated factors.

Objective To predict the potential suitable growth areas of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.under current climate conditions in China;To provide basis for the sustainable utilization of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.resources and production planning.Methods Based on 267 screened species distribution data of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.and 8 environmental factors,the MaxEnt parameters were optimized by the R language kuenm package.The main environmental factors that affect the distribution of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.was analyzed and its potential distribution range was predicted.Results The omission rate of the optimal model operation results was 0.044 8,AICc=6 409.884 5,AUC=0.986,indicating a high accuracy of the model.Based on the contribution rate of environmental factors and the knife cut method,it was indicated that the key environmental factors affecting the current distribution of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.were mainly the average precipitation in July,the average highest temperature in February,the average precipitation in September,the coldest season precipitation,the coefficient of variation of precipitation,the standard deviation of seasonal temperature changes,and the warmest season precipitation.The simulation results showed that the total suitable area for Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.in China under current climate conditions was approximately 221.14×104 km2,concentrated in the central and central southern regions of China.The area of the high suitability zone was approximately 23.13×104 km2;the area of the suitable growth zone was approximately 73.78×104 km2;the area of low suitability zone was approximately 124.22×104 km2.Conclusion This study provides a basis and reference for the artificial cultivation planning and sustainable utilization of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.resources.