Tetrodotoxin（TTX）is a potent neurotoxin known for its specific sodium channel blocking effects, widely used in biomedical research. While TTX has been identified in various marine organisms, its true origin remains unclear, and the specific biosynthetic pathways are yet to be elucidated. The reported sources of TTX and the progress in research on TTX biosynthesis were summarized, with a focus on potential microbial sources of TTX, which could provide scientific reference for the production and biosynthesis studies of TTX.

ObjectiveTo decipher the mechanism by which Zuoguiwan （ZGW） treat hyperthyroidism in rats with kidney-Yin deficiency based on the dopamine receptor D4 （DRD4）/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate （NADPH） oxidase 4 （NOX4） signaling pathway. MethodsThe rat model of kidney-Yin deficiency was induced by unilateral intramuscular injection of dexamethasone （0.35 mg·kg^-1）. After successful modeling， the rats were randomized into model， methimazole （positive control， 5 mg·kg^-1）， low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.85， 3.70， 7.40 g·kg^-1， respectively） ZGW， and normal control groups. After 21 days of continuous gavage， the behavioral indexes and body weight changes of rats were evaluated. The pathological changes of the renal tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The serum levels of thyroid hormones ［triiodothyronine （T₃）， thyroxine （T₄）， thyroid-stimulating hormone （TSH）］， renal function indexes ［serum creatine （Scr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）］， energy metabolism markers ［cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP） and cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP）］， and oxidative stress-related factors ［superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and NADPH）］ were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was employed to analyze the expression of DRD4， NOX4， mitochondrial respiratory chain complex proteins ［NADH：ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit S4 （NDUFS4） and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 4 （COX4）］， and inflammation-related protein ［tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）］ pathway in the renal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed mental malaise， body weight decreases （P<0.01）， inflammatory cell infiltration in the renal tissue， a few residual parotid glands in the thyroid， elevations in serum levels of T₃， T₄， Scr， BUN， cAMP， cAMP/cGMP， MDA， and NADPH （P<0.01）， down-regulation in protein levels of TSH， SOD， and DRD4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulation in expression of NOX4， p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK， and inflammatory factors （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， ZGW increased the body weight （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced the infiltration of renal interstitial inflammatory cells， restored the thyroid structure and follicle size， lowered the serum levels of T₃， T₄， Scr， BUN， cAMP， cAMP/cGMP， MDA and NADPH （P<0.05， P<0.01）， up-regulated the expression of TSH， SOD and DRD4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated the expression of NOX4， p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK， and inflammatory factors （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， high-dose ZGW outperformed methimazole （P<0.05）. ConclusionBy activating DRD4， ZGW can inhibit the expression of NOX4 mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway， reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory response， thereby ameliorating the pathological state of hyperthyroidism due to kidney-Yin deficiency. This study provides new molecular mechanism support for the clinical application of ZGW.

Objective To explore the relationship between circadian rhythm genes and the occurrence, development, prognosis, and tumor microenvironment (TME) of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas data were used to evaluate the expression, copy number variation, and somatic mutation frequency of circadian gene sets in LUAD. Gene ontology, Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes, and gene set enrichment analysis were used to explore the potential mechanisms by which circadian rhythm genes affected LUAD progression. Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, support vector machine recursive feature elimination, and random forest screened circadian genes and established prognostic models, and on this basis constructed nomogram to predict patients’ 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and time-dependent ROC curves were drawn to evaluate the predictive ability of the model, and the external dataset of GEO further verified the prognostic value of the prediction model. In addition, we evaluated the association of the prognostic model with immune cells and immune checkpoint genes. Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis was used to explore the molecular characteristics between prognostically relevant circadian genes and different immune cell populations in TME. Results Differentially expressed circadian rhythm genes were mainly enriched in biological processes related to cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, lipid and atherosclerosis, and JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Seven circadian rhythm genes: LGR4, CDK1, KLF10, ARNTL2, RORA, NPAS2, PTGDS were screened out, and a RiskScore model was established. According to the median RiskScore, samples were divided into a high-risk group and a low-risk group. Compared with patients in the low-risk group, patients in the high-risk group showed a poorer prognosis (P<0.001). Immunological characterization analysis showed that there were differences in the infiltration of multiple immune cells between the low-risk group and high-risk group. Most immune checkpoint genes had higher expression levels in the high-risk group than those in the low-risk group, and RiskScore was positively correlated with the expression of CD276, TNFSF4, PDCD1LG2, CD274, and TNFRSF9, and negatively correlated with the expression of CD40LG and TNFSF15. The scRNA-seq analysis showed that RORA and KLF10 were mainly expressed in natural killer cells. Conclusion The prognostic model based on seven feature circadian rhythm genes has certain predictive value for predicting survival of LUAD patients. Dysregulated expression of circadian genes may regulate the occurrence, progression as well as prognosis of LUAD through affecting TME, which provides a possible direction for finding potential strategies for treating LUAD from the perspective of mechanism by which circadian disorder affects immune cells.

Neurological diseases have high morbidity and disability rates， posing a severe threat to human health. Cli nical manifestations include motor， sensory， cognitive and conscious disorders. Chaihu jia longgu muli decoction is derived from Treatise on Febrile Diseases ， with the effects of harmonizing Shaoyang， activating Yang and clearing heat， and tranquilizing the mind. This paper systematically reviews the research progress in clinical application and mechanism of Chaihu jia longgu muli decoction in the field of neurological diseases. It has been found that the decoction shows favorable efficacy in various neurological diseases such as insomnia， depression， epilepsy， vertigo， migraine and vascular dementia. The specific mechanisms are related to regulating neurotransmitter levels， repairing neuronal function， alleviating neuroinflammation， improving mitochondrial dysfunction and regulating intestinal flora. In the future， standardized prospective follow-up cohorts should be established， and core outcome indicators should be clearly defined to strengthen the evidence base. Furthermore， multidisciplinary research should be leveraged to expand the therapeutic value of Chaihu jia longgu muli decoction in the management of neurological diseases.

OBJECTIVE To explore the value of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)metagenomic next generation sequencing(mNGS)technique in diagnosis of the pulmonary cryptococcosis patients with different clinical features so as to raise the clinicians' awareness of the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis with BALF-mNGS.METHODS Totally 73 patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis and 73 non-pulmonary cryptococcosis patients who were treated in Wenzhou People's Hospital from Jan.2021 to May 2024 were recruited as the research subjects.The clinical data including baseline data,complications,clinical manifestations,clinical laboratory test data,ima-ging findings and serological test data were collected from the patients.The sensitivity and specificity of BALF-mNGS in diagnosis of the pulmonary cryptococcosis were observed,and the difference in the sensitivity in diagno-sis of the patients with various clinical features was analyzed.RESULTS A total of 73 patients with pulmonary cryp-tococcosis were enrolled in the study,44 of whom were male,and 29 were female;62 were positive for BALF-mNGS,11 were negative;all of the 73 non-pulmonary cryptococcosis patients were tested negative for BALF-mNGS,the sensi-tivity of the BALF-mNGS test was 84.93％,with the specificity 100.00％,the positive predictive value 100.00％,the negative predictive value 86.95％.Totally 45 patients had the symptoms of cough and expectoration,42 of whom were positive for BALF-mNGS,the test sensitivity of the patients with the symptoms of cough and expectoration was 93.33％,higher than that of the patients without the symptoms of cough and expectoration(P＜0.05).Totally 31 pa-tients had the lesion site of right lung,30 of whom were positive for BALF-mNGS,and the test sensitivity of the patients with lesion site of right lung was 96.77％,higher than that of the patients with the lesion site of left lung or both lungs(P＜0.05).Totally 44 patients had multiple lesions,41 of whom were positive for BALF-mNGS,the test sensitivity of the patients with multiple lesions was 93.18％,higher than that of the patients with single lesion(P＜0.05).CONCLUSIONS The sensitivity of the BALF-mNGS is high in diagnosis of the patients with pulmonary cryptococ-cosis,especially for the patients with symptoms of cough and expectoration,lesion site of right lung and multiple lesions.It can be used for the early diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis.

To formulate an expert consensus on the principles of preoperative hair removal and provide scientific guidance for standardized removal of hair before surgical procedures so as to reduce the incidence of surgical site infections.METHODS Led by the Hospital Management Institute of National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China,this consensus was reached with the joint efforts from the expects of relevant fields such as surgeries,interventional therapies,nursing,and infection prevention and control.The consensus facilitates the classification and evaluation of literatures by following the evidence grade formulated by Oxford Evidence-based Medicine Center and focuses on the association of preoperative hair removal with surgical site infection,it reaches the evidence grade of expert consensus and recommendation intensity by integrating with discussions on meetings and clinical experience of the expects from relevant fields.RESULTS A total of 6 items of consensus were reached by summarizing the latest evidence on the aspects including the indications for preoperative hair removal,tools,range,timing and places.CONCLUSION The consensus,to some extent,make supplements to and complete the exiting regulations and standards.It provides guidance for the medical institutions to carry out the preoperative hair removal.

Objective To investigate the influencing factors of the course of perioperative prophylactic antibiotics in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty,and explore management strategies for enhancing perioperative prophylactic medication administration.Methods The clinical data for patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty at Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University from January,2020 to September,2024 were retrospectively collected.Patients were divided into a 24 h group and a 48-72 h group based on the duration of prophylactic antibacterial therapy.The general characteristics,surgical-related indicators,preoperative and postoperative laboratory test results,and surgical outcome measures between the two groups of patients were compared.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify influencing factors associated with prolonged duration of prophylactic antibacterial therapy.Results A total of 126 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty were enrolled,including 74 cases in the 24 h group and 52 cases in the 48-72 h group.Univariate analysis results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the following indicators between the two groups:surgical cause,surgical duration,intraoperative blood loss,drainage duration of plasma drainage tubes,preoperative white blood cell count,and preoperative neutrophil count(P<0.05).The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the reason for surgery and the duration of plasma drain tube drainage were the influencing factors of antimicrobial treatment course for total hip arthroplasty(P<0.05).The results of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the prediction model(constructed based on the drainage time of plasma drainage tube)for prophylactic antimicrobial treatment course to 48-72 h was 0.721.When the drainage time of plasma drainage tubes was≥40.56 h,the risk of requiring prophylactic antimicrobial therapy for an extended course of 48-72 h increased significantly.Conclusion The patient's surgical reason and the duration of plasma drain drainage may be related to the prophylactic antimicrobial course of more than 24 hours.Clinical pharmacists may utilize this parameter as a patient-specific characteristic,with the support of information systems,the hierarchical patient management can be implemented,thereby enhancing the effectiveness of medication surveillance and progressively elevating the 24 h discontinuation rate of perioperative prophylactic antibiotics.

To explore the cultivation path of excellent physicians in regional medical universities, a horizontal integration of clinical courses was performed to construct a curriculum centered on systemic diseases. Clinical courses adopted bedside rotation teaching with small class (30-40 students, 3-4 students/group). A comprehensive approach was designed and implemented, covering overall framework, organizational guarantee, teaching arrangement, teaching method, and assessment system. The effectiveness of the reform was evaluated through the comprehensive exams during the basic stage and national clinical medicine proficiency test. Despite no significant differences in the basic stage, the national clinical medicine proficiency test scores of the C2E class with teaching reform increased continuously from 2017 to 2020. The theoretical examination score of the C2E class was higher than that of regular classes 1 in 2017, 2019, and 2020. With continuous optimization, the skill examination score of the C2E class was significantly higher than that of regular class 1 in 2020. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the teaching reform and provide a foundation for the teaching reform of large class in five-year clinical medicine programs.

The treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) faces major challenges characterized by acquired resistance to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and consequent aggressive tumor progression. In this context, ubiquitination and deubiquitination modifications, as key protein post-translational modifications, play a crucial role in prostate tumourigenesis and progression. In recent years, the regulation of ubiquitination and deubiquitination in CRPC by the androgen receptor signalling pathway and the tumour microenvironment has received extensive attention, and these dynamic regulatory processes have become important molecular events driving CRPC progression by affecting the proliferation, metastasis, and immune escape ability of tumour cells. Therefore, in-depth analysis of the mechanisms of ubiquitination and deubiquitination in CRPC will help develop new therapeutic targets and provide more therapeutic options for patients.

OBJECTIVE To explore the value of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)metagenomic next generation sequencing(mNGS)technique in diagnosis of the pulmonary cryptococcosis patients with different clinical features so as to raise the clinicians' awareness of the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis with BALF-mNGS.METHODS Totally 73 patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis and 73 non-pulmonary cryptococcosis patients who were treated in Wenzhou People's Hospital from Jan.2021 to May 2024 were recruited as the research subjects.The clinical data including baseline data,complications,clinical manifestations,clinical laboratory test data,ima-ging findings and serological test data were collected from the patients.The sensitivity and specificity of BALF-mNGS in diagnosis of the pulmonary cryptococcosis were observed,and the difference in the sensitivity in diagno-sis of the patients with various clinical features was analyzed.RESULTS A total of 73 patients with pulmonary cryp-tococcosis were enrolled in the study,44 of whom were male,and 29 were female;62 were positive for BALF-mNGS,11 were negative;all of the 73 non-pulmonary cryptococcosis patients were tested negative for BALF-mNGS,the sensi-tivity of the BALF-mNGS test was 84.93％,with the specificity 100.00％,the positive predictive value 100.00％,the negative predictive value 86.95％.Totally 45 patients had the symptoms of cough and expectoration,42 of whom were positive for BALF-mNGS,the test sensitivity of the patients with the symptoms of cough and expectoration was 93.33％,higher than that of the patients without the symptoms of cough and expectoration(P＜0.05).Totally 31 pa-tients had the lesion site of right lung,30 of whom were positive for BALF-mNGS,and the test sensitivity of the patients with lesion site of right lung was 96.77％,higher than that of the patients with the lesion site of left lung or both lungs(P＜0.05).Totally 44 patients had multiple lesions,41 of whom were positive for BALF-mNGS,the test sensitivity of the patients with multiple lesions was 93.18％,higher than that of the patients with single lesion(P＜0.05).CONCLUSIONS The sensitivity of the BALF-mNGS is high in diagnosis of the patients with pulmonary cryptococ-cosis,especially for the patients with symptoms of cough and expectoration,lesion site of right lung and multiple lesions.It can be used for the early diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis.