ObjectiveTo investigate vitamin D level in children with cholestatic liver disease， and to provide a theoretical basis for vitamin D supplementation therapy in children with this disease. MethodsA total of 116 children with cholestatic liver disease who attended Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine， Beijing Children’s Hospital， Capital Medical University， for the first time from January 2022 to January 2024 were enrolled and divided into groups for comparison based on sex， age， vitamin D supplementation dose， course of the disease， and etiology. The data on the serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D （25-OH-D） and related biochemical parameters were collected to assess the correlation between vitamin D level and biochemical parameters. The chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups， and the Spearman rank correlation test was used for correlation analysis. ResultsAmong the 116 children， 76 （65.5%） had vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. The children with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency accounted for 65.7% （46/70） among boys and 65.2% （30/46） among girls， with no significant difference between boys and girls （χ²=0.003， P=0.956）. The children with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency accounted for 83.3% （25/30） among the children who had never received vitamin D supplementation， 58.7% （27/46） among the children with a daily supplementation dose of 500 IU， 64.3% （18/28） among the children with a daily supplementation dose of 700 IU， and 50.0% （6/12） among the children with a daily supplementation dose of>700 IU， and there was no significant difference between these groups （χ²=6.460， P=0.091）. Comparison between the groups with different etiologies showed that the children with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency accounted for 57.7% （15/26） in the infectious disease group， 66.7% （10/15） in the inherited metabolic disease group， 66.7% （6/9） in the drug-induced liver injury group， 100.0% （8/8） in the group with abnormal structure of the biliary system， and 63.8% （37/58） in the group with unknown etiology， and there was no significant difference between these groups （χ²=5.304， P=0.252）. Comparison between the groups with different courses of the disease showed that the children with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency accounted for 78.4% （29/37） in the<1 month group， 54.3% （25/46） in the 1‍ — ‍3 months group， 53.3% （8/15） in the 3‍ — ‍6 months group， and 77.8% （14/18） in the>6 months group， with no significant difference between these groups （χ²=7.432， P=0.059）. Comparison between different age groups showed that compared with the infant group， the children group had a significantly higher proportion of children with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency （χ²=9.504， P=0.018）. The correlation analysis showed that serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase had no significant correlation with 25-OH-D （P>0.05）； serum alkaline phosphatase （ALP） （r=-0.286， P=0.002）， gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase （GGT） （r=-0.248， P=0.007）， total bilirubin （TBil） （r=-0.353， P<0.001）， direct bilirubin （DBil） （r=-0.299， P=0.001）， and total bile acid （r=-0.236， P=0.011） were negatively correlated with 25-OH-D， while serum calcium （r=0.263， P=0.004） and phosphorus （r=0.385， P<0.001） were positively correlated with 25-OH-D. ConclusionMost children with cholestatic liver disease have vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency， and the increase in serum ALP， GGT， TBil， DBil or total bile acid and the reduction in calcium or phosphorus may suggest vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency.

Objective:To develop a deep learning-based automated analysis system for precise segmentation of the optic cup and disc in fundus images and automatic measurement of the vertical cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) for early risk assessment and screening of chronic glaucoma.Methods:The proposed automated system comprised three modules: a dual coding-attention U-net (DCoAtUNet) segmentation network for optic cup and disc segmentation, a conditional random field (CRF) post-processing module, and a CDR measurement and glaucoma screening module based on the segmentation results.The system was designed to enhance boundary detection accuracy and measurement stability and its performance was evaluated on the publicly available Drishti-GS dataset.The dataset was divided into a training set and a test set in a 1∶1 ratio.Dice coefficient and intersection over union (IoU) were used to quantify segmentation accuracy and regional consistency, while accaracy, precision, recall, and F1-score were employed to assess glaucoma screening performance.Results:The DCoAtUNet combined with CRF post-processing achieved Dice coefficients of 0.976 0 for the optic disc and 0.908 1 for the optic cup, with corresponding IoU values of 0.953 4 and 0.837 9, demonstrating high segmentation precision and stability in boundary identification and region overlap.In glaucoma screening, the system achieved an accuracy of 0.843 1, precision of 0.840 9, recall of 0.973 7, and F1-score of 0.902 4, indicating good diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy.Conclusions:By integrating high-precision segmentation and automated measurement strategies, the DCoAtUNet+ CRF model significantly improves the accuracy and stability of CDR evaluation.It effectively assists in identifying high-risk individuals during early glaucoma screening and shows strong potential for clinical application in computer-aided diagnosis workflows.

Objective:To systematically review the progress in the method development and application of distributed learning in the estimation of epidemiological effect and provide methodological reference for multi-center studies.Methods:We conducted a literature retrieval for English papers published up to December 31, 2023 by using keywords of "health/medical big data" and "distributed/federated learning". After consulting experts, we set criteria of paper inclusion and exclusion and created a framework for data extraction. We collected information about basic study details, including method, application, and evaluation. Two researchers independently screened the papers and extracted information. We used EndNote 20 for the management of literatures and EpiData for the management of data.Results:A total of 3 444 papers were collected, and 29 papers were included in the final analysis. Most of the papers (25, 86.2%) were published in or after 2019, and the papers were mainly from the United States (21/29, 72.4%). For the estimation of epidemiological effects, 22 distributed learning methods had been developed, including methods for logistic regression (8), Cox regression (8), Poisson regression (2), and generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) (4), as well as three platforms for distributed analysis (VLP, Vantage6, AusCAT). The 29 papers described 45 applications, with 20 (44.4%) focusing on the establishment of prediction model and 25 (55.6%) on association analysis. Importantly, except for GLMM, current distributed learning methods can estimate effects with little bias in 1-3 rounds of communication. These methods show less bias compared with meta-analysis, especially in the address of data heterogeneity and rare outcomes. However, less studies examined how differences in data structure and sparse data affect results, an area that requires further research.Conclusion:While distributed learning shows promise in epidemiological effect estimation, it is still in early development, requiring further research on data heterogeneity handling and communication efficiency improvement.

Objective To analyze the current status and hotspots of domestic research on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in treating chronic refractory wounds(CRW)over the past 10 years using bibliometric and visualized analysis methods.Methods Articles about TCM therapy for CRW issued by the core periodicals in recent 10 years were retrieved from CNKI,Wanfang and VIP databases.The parameters of annual issued papers,authors,institutions and keywords of the articles were counted with the bibliometric methods.And then the statistical results were presented as visualized graphs by using VOSviewer and CiteSpace software.Results A total of 404 articles were included in the study,and 313 institutions and 1 340 scholars participated in the research on the treatment of CRW with TCM.However,there was limited collaboration between the authors and institutions.Research hotspots mainly focused on the efficacy of TCM external therapies for diabetic foot and pressure ulcers,and discussions on syndrome differentiation,treatment principles and methods about internal treatment by various medical experts.The development and application of Chinese patent medicines,exploration of TCM medication patterns,and the evidence-based medical research on TCM are future research trends in the treatment of CRW with TCM.Conclusion Research on TCM treatment of CRW has attracted significant attention in recent years,but academic barriers exist between the authors and institutions.In the future,it is necessary to promote multicenter research collaboration,strengthen the exploration of experiences in acupoint selection,and conduct higher-level research,thus to provide more compelling evidence and enhance the efficacy of TCM in treating CRW.

Objective To identify mechanisms regulating disease progression in rat models of pulmonary arterial hy-pertension(PAH).Methods Rat PAH models were established using subcutaneous monocrotaline(MCT)injec-tion and the SU5416/hypoxia(SU/Hx)method.Transcriptomic sequencing of lung tissues was performed to identify gene expression and pathway alterations in PAH rats,followed by a comparative analysis with transcriptomic data of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension(IPAH)in NCBI database.Results Inflammatory-related genes such as CXCL9,CCL24,and SECTM1 were upregulated in both PAH rat models and IPAH patient lungs,while genes such as DGKG and DOCK9 were downregulated(P＜0.05).Pathways related to endothelial cell proliferation regulation and extracellular matrix(ECM)remodeling were significantly upregulated(P＜0.05).Conclusions The imbalance in endothelial cell proliferation and abnormal ECM remodeling may collectively contribute to PAH pathogenesis.Further exploration of these signaling pathways may provide deep in-sights for early diagnosis and targeted therapy of PAH.

Objective To investigate and compare the effects of electroacupuncture and dexamethasone on lung function and histomorphology and behavior in the offspring of perinatal nicotine exposure(PNE)rats.Methods Twenty-four pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control,model,electroacupuncture shallow needling,and dexamethasone groups using the random number table method(n=6 rats per group).A pulmonary dysplasia model in offspring rats with PNE was prepared by cervicodorsal subcutaneous injection with nicotine,and successful establishment of the model was confirmed by demonstrating statistically significant differences in growth parameters,lung function,and lung morphology compared to the control group.From the sixth day of maternal conception,the control group received cervicodorsal subcutaneous injection with 0.9%sodium chloride solution(1 mg/kg once per day),and the remaining groups were similarly injected with nicotine(1 mg/kg once per day).Concurrent with the nicotine injections,the electroacupuncture shallow needling group received electroacupuncture interventions at the"Zusanli"(ST 36)acupoint on both sides once a day for 20 min.In contrast,the offspring rats in the dexamethasone group received intraperitoneal dexamethasone injections from postnatal day 8(1.5 mg/kg once per day for 3 days),with a later dose of 0.75 mg/kg once per day for 4 days.Following successful model establishment,four offspring per rat were retained in each group using the random number table method.Until the 21st day after the birth of the offspring,using the random number table method,one offspring randomly selected from the four retained offspring per rat in each group was assigned to growth parameter assessment including body weight,lung weight,and lung index;simultaneously,one offspring was randomly selected for pulmonary function which was detected by a small animal pulmonary function machine,with the parameters of forced vital capacity(FVC),functional residual capacity(FRC),dynamic lung compliance(Cdyn),peak expiratory flow(PEF),peak inspiratory flow(PIF),and airway resistance(RL);concurrently,one offspring was randomly selected for hematoxylin and eosin staining to observe the histomorphology of the lung tissue,alveolar numbers,and mean alveolar septal thickness;additionally,one offspring was randomly selected for Morris water maze testing to evaluate the effects of the two intervention methods on learning and memory capabilities in offspring rats with PNE.Results Compared with the control group,the body weight,lung weight,lung index,FVC,PEF,FRC,Cdyn,alveolar number,platform crossing times,target quadrant time percentage,and target quadrant path percentage in the Morris water maze experiment were significantly decreased in the offspring rats of the model group(P<0.01).In contrast,PIF,RL,average thickness of alveolar septa,and latency of the Morris water maze experiment were significantly increased in the offspring rats of the model group(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,both electroacupuncture shallow needling group and dexamethasone group exhibited significant increases in body weight,lung weight,lung index,FVC,PEF,FRC,Cdyn,and alveolar numbers(P<0.05,P<0.01),along with significant decreases in PIF,RL values,and mean alveolar septal thickness(P<0.01).However,in the Morris water maze experiment,compared with the model group,the electroacupuncture shallow needling group demonstrated significantly more platform crossing times and a higher target quadrant time percentage and target quadrant path percentage(P<0.01),coupled with reduced latency period(P<0.01),whereas the dexamethasone group showed no significant differences compared to the model group.Compared to the electroacupuncture shallow needling group,the dexamethasone group showed significantly less platform crossing times and a lower target quadrant time percentage and target quadrant path percentage,coupled with increased latency period(P<0.01).Conclusion Both electroacupuncture and dexamethasone demonstrated protective effects on lung development in PNE offspring rats by ameliorating lung histomorphology and pulmonary function.However,offspring receiving late,small-dose,short-course dexamethasone exhibited inferior learning and memory capabilities,whereas the electroacupuncture group showed significantly superior cognitive performance compared to the dexamethasone group.

Objective To explore the syndrome differentiation rules of the Yin Dan and Yang Dan method,and summarize Professor Yang Zhimin's valuable experience in the treatment of insomnia.Methods The case data of 11390 insomnia patients treated by Professor Yang Zhimin was retrospectively analyzed,and the distribution of symptoms,signs,pathogenesis and syndrome differentiation rules of insomnia patients was examined based on latent structure analysis.Result A total of 44 symptoms and signs can explain the overall situation of insomnia patients,showing the characteristics of both excess and deficiency,cold and heat.A total of 36 hidden categories(symptom clusters and pathogenesis)was composed.Symptoms and signs such as fear of wind and cold can explain the overall situation of insomnia patients with cold syndrome due to weakness of Wei Qi,symptoms and signs such as pale eyelid can explain the overall situation of insomnia patients with heat syndrome due to weakness of Ying Xve,and established diagnostic criteria for insomnia patients with cold syndrome due to weakness of Wei Qi and heat syndrome due to weakness of Ying Xve.Conclusion Based on the Yang Dan and Yin Dan method to distinguish and treat insomnia from the perspective of disharmony between Ying and Wei,it is in line with the basic understanding of the pathogenesis of insomnia in the classics of traditional Chinese medicine.The pattern differentiation rules obtained through the latent structure analysis method are helpful to summarize valuable clinical experience and provide a certain reference and basis for clinical practice.

Objective:To systematically review the progress in the method development and application of distributed learning in the estimation of epidemiological effect and provide methodological reference for multi-center studies.Methods:We conducted a literature retrieval for English papers published up to December 31, 2023 by using keywords of "health/medical big data" and "distributed/federated learning". After consulting experts, we set criteria of paper inclusion and exclusion and created a framework for data extraction. We collected information about basic study details, including method, application, and evaluation. Two researchers independently screened the papers and extracted information. We used EndNote 20 for the management of literatures and EpiData for the management of data.Results:A total of 3 444 papers were collected, and 29 papers were included in the final analysis. Most of the papers (25, 86.2%) were published in or after 2019, and the papers were mainly from the United States (21/29, 72.4%). For the estimation of epidemiological effects, 22 distributed learning methods had been developed, including methods for logistic regression (8), Cox regression (8), Poisson regression (2), and generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) (4), as well as three platforms for distributed analysis (VLP, Vantage6, AusCAT). The 29 papers described 45 applications, with 20 (44.4%) focusing on the establishment of prediction model and 25 (55.6%) on association analysis. Importantly, except for GLMM, current distributed learning methods can estimate effects with little bias in 1-3 rounds of communication. These methods show less bias compared with meta-analysis, especially in the address of data heterogeneity and rare outcomes. However, less studies examined how differences in data structure and sparse data affect results, an area that requires further research.Conclusion:While distributed learning shows promise in epidemiological effect estimation, it is still in early development, requiring further research on data heterogeneity handling and communication efficiency improvement.

ObjectiveThis study explores the methods of lung tissue extraction and fixation required for pathological studies of fetal rats, based on the unique physiological structure of fetal rat lung tissue and existing lung tissue fixation techniques for adult rats. MethodsSix pregnant adult SD rats at 20.5 days of gestation were subjected to cesarean section to obtain fetal rats. Four healthy fetal rats with similar body weight, vital signs, and respiratory status were selected from each pregnant rat, and they were randomly divided into the following groups using a random number table: direct lung infiltration group, lung infiltration group after intratracheal infusion, whole-body infiltration group of fetal rats, and whole-body infiltration group after intratracheal infusion of fetal rats. To systematically compare and analyze the anatomical morphology under different fixation methods, lung tissues from four groups of fetal rats were harvested, perfused, and fixed, and the gross morphology of lung tissues in each group was observed. Paraffin sections were prepared and stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin (H&E). The histological morphology of the whole lung, alveoli, and bronchi was further examined under optical microscopy. ResultsIn the direct lung infiltration group, the hilar structures were unclear, lung lobation was indistinct, the shape was irregular, lung cavities were small, and alveoli and bronchi were shrunken. In the lung infiltration group after intratracheal infusion, the hilar structures were clear, lobation was pronounced, the shape was regular, lung cavities were large, and alveoli and bronchi were full. Both the whole-body infiltration group and whole-body infiltration group after intratracheal infusion of fetal rats exhibited visible lungs, hearts, skins, and other organs. The lung tissues of both groups showed obvious lobulation, irregular shape, and damage at the margins of lung lobes. In the whole-body infiltration group, the thoracic cavities of the fetus were flattened, lung cavities were small, and alveoli and bronchi were shrunken. In the whole-body infiltration group after intratracheal infusion of fetal rats, the fetal thoracic cavities were full, lung cavities were large, and alveoli and bronchi were relatively full. ConclusionThe lung infiltration after intratracheal infusion method for fetal rat lung tissue fixation outperforms direct lung infiltration, whole-body infiltration of fetal rats, and whole-body infiltration after intratracheal infusion of fetal rats in terms of preservation of the lung tissue's original morphology, paraffin sectioning, staining, and pathological observation and analysis. The embedding, sectioning, and staining processes are also simple and save consumables. Therefore, intratracheal infusion followed by lung infiltration method is recommended for fixation in histopathological observation of fetal rat lung tissue.

BACKGROUND:Currently,there have been studies on three-dimensional digitalization and visualization systems for adult acupoints,but there are not many reports on the visualization of pediatric acupoints based on real pediatric digital sectional anatomical datasets. OBJECTIVE:To design and develop a digital three-dimensional visualization system for children's neck acupoints,to provide a basis for acupuncture and moxibustion,meridian and acupoint science teaching,clinical practice,acupuncture manipulation practice,and acupuncture safety research,and to provide a basis for the development of children's acupoint simulation system. METHODS:Based on a real cross-sectional anatomical dataset of pre-school boys,a three-dimensional digital virtual anatomical model of the neck region of children and internal multi-organ three-dimensional reconstruction were completed using PhotoShop 2021 and Digihuman Reconstruction System software.A database of 11 acupoints was compiled,including Fengfu and Fengchi,using the Unity database language.A three-dimensional model of children's neck anatomy,acupoint database,and writing acupuncture operation codes were integrated in Unity3D software.A three-dimensional digital visualization system for children's neck acupoints was successfully created,which integrated simulation acupoint positioning,three-dimensional acupoint anatomy,acupuncture training,clinical teaching,and acupuncture safety research. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)This study was based on real child specimens.Manual layer by layer segmentation of cross-sectional images was used to ensure the accuracy of the three-dimensional model to the greatest extent possible.The 3D software Digihuman Reconstruction System was utilized to extract and save independent segmentation data.PhotoShop 2021 software was collaborated with to complete dozens of three-dimensional reconstruction anatomical models of the outer skin of the neck and its internal bone structure,cervical spinal cord,blood vessels and nerves,muscles,and ligaments in children.The basic morphology and overall contour integrity verification of each independent structure were completed in MeshLab software.The 3-material research 13.0 software was applied for final fine tuning and anatomical position confirmation,successfully simulating and restoring the true anatomical morphology of the neck of preschool children.(2)Based on and referring to the national standards of the People's Republic of China,a database of commonly used acupoints in children's neck region was collected and organized,including their names,meridians,positioning,local anatomy,needle insertion levels,acupuncture methods,acupuncture accidents and prevention,acupoint indications,and two-dimensional anatomical sectional images.(3)Unity3D software was employed to integrate the three-dimensional model of children's neck,acupuncture simulation operation,and acupoint database,and a three-dimensional digital children's neck acupoint acupuncture visualization system was successfully constructed.The system displayed information on children's neck acupoints,two-dimensional and three-dimensional anatomical structures,and achieved two-dimensional and three-dimensional acupuncture simulation functions and acupuncture safety research functions for children's neck acupoints.Based on the ultra-thin sectional anatomical dataset of real child specimens,the first three-dimensional digital and visualization system for acupoints in the neck region of children had been constructed.Compared with previous acupoint acupuncture systems,it is more in line with the anatomical and morphological development characteristics of Asian children and has high application value in the fields of acupuncture safety research,clinical teaching,and acupuncture simulation training.