Objective:To explore the impact of the Yiqi Huoxue formula combined with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) antiviral therapy on the serum N-glycan abundance in patients with hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis so as to clarify the application value of the oligosaccharide chain test (GT) for dynamic monitoring of the liver fibrosis progression.Methods:Sixty-two cases diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B at the Department of Hepatology, the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, between January 2020 and December 2022 were enrolled and divided into a Yiqi Huoxue Formula (YQHX) combined with NAs group and an NAs monotherapy group ( n=31), with 31 cases in each group for a total of 96 weeks of follow-up. Patient's basic clinical characteristics and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) were collected. GT was used simultaneously to detect the serum N-glycan profile and abundance changes. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences between the two groups. Enumeration data were expressed as number of cases and percentages (%). The χ2 test was used to compare constituent ratios between two or more groups. Correlation analysis was performed using the Spearman method, with P<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results:The proportion of patients was significantly higher in the YQHX combined with NAs group than the NAs monotherapy group [61.29% (19/31) vs. 9.68% (3/31), P<0.05] with no progression in liver fibrosis staging following 96 weeks of follow-up. The abundance of the N-glycan marker peak 8 [triantennary N-glycan (NA3)] had resulted in significant change for liver fibrosis improvements ( P<0.05), which predicts liver fibrosis progression and reversal in populations sensitive to traditional Chinese medicine. Conclusion:The combined application of Yiqi Huoxue formula and NAs can significantly promote the improvement rate of hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis. Serum N-glycan peak 8 may serve as a potential biomarker for monitoring the reversal of hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis.

Objective:To explore the impact of the Yiqi Huoxue formula combined with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) antiviral therapy on the serum N-glycan abundance in patients with hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis so as to clarify the application value of the oligosaccharide chain test (GT) for dynamic monitoring of the liver fibrosis progression.Methods:Sixty-two cases diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B at the Department of Hepatology, the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, between January 2020 and December 2022 were enrolled and divided into a Yiqi Huoxue Formula (YQHX) combined with NAs group and an NAs monotherapy group ( n=31), with 31 cases in each group for a total of 96 weeks of follow-up. Patient's basic clinical characteristics and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) were collected. GT was used simultaneously to detect the serum N-glycan profile and abundance changes. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences between the two groups. Enumeration data were expressed as number of cases and percentages (%). The χ2 test was used to compare constituent ratios between two or more groups. Correlation analysis was performed using the Spearman method, with P<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results:The proportion of patients was significantly higher in the YQHX combined with NAs group than the NAs monotherapy group [61.29% (19/31) vs. 9.68% (3/31), P<0.05] with no progression in liver fibrosis staging following 96 weeks of follow-up. The abundance of the N-glycan marker peak 8 [triantennary N-glycan (NA3)] had resulted in significant change for liver fibrosis improvements ( P<0.05), which predicts liver fibrosis progression and reversal in populations sensitive to traditional Chinese medicine. Conclusion:The combined application of Yiqi Huoxue formula and NAs can significantly promote the improvement rate of hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis. Serum N-glycan peak 8 may serve as a potential biomarker for monitoring the reversal of hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Tissue engineering is increasingly viewed as a promising avenue for functional cartilage reconstruction.However, chondrocyte dedifferentiation during in vitro culture remains an obstacle for clinical translation of tissue engineered cartilage. Re-differentiated induction have been employed to induce dedifferentiated chondrocytes back to their original phenotype. Regrettably, these strategies have been proven to be only moderately effective. METHODS: To explore underlying mechanism, RNA transcriptome sequencing was conducted on primary chondrocytes (P0), dedifferentiated chondrocytes (P5), and redifferentiated chondrocytes (redifferentiation-induction of P5, P5.R). Based on multiple bioinformatics analysis, LGR5 was identified as a target gene. Subsequently, stable cell lines with LGR5 knocking-down and overexpression were established using P0 chondrocytes. The phenotypic changes in P1 and P5 chondrocytes with either LGR5 knockdown or overexpression were assessed to ascertain the potential influence of LGR5 dysregulation on chondrocyte phenotypes. Regulatory mechanism was then investigated using bioinformatic analysis, protein–protein docking, immunofluorescence co-localization and immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: The current study found that dysregulation of LGR5 can significantly impact the dedifferentiated phenotypes of chondrocytes (P5). Upregulation of LGR5 appears to activate the PI3K/AKT signal via increasing the phosphorylation levels of AKT (p-AKT1). Moreover, the increase of p-AKT1 may stabilize b-catenin and enhance the intensity of Wnt/b-catenin signal, and help to restore the dedifferentated phenotype of chondrocytes. CONCLUSION LGR5 can modulate the phenotypes of chondrocytes in P5 passage through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Deformable image registration plays a crucial role in medical image analysis. Despite various advanced registration models having been proposed, achieving accurate and efficient deformable registration remains challenging. Leveraging the recent outstanding performance of Mamba in computer vision, we introduced a novel model called MCRDP-Net. MCRDP-Net adapted a dual-stream network architecture that combined Mamba blocks and convolutional blocks to simultaneously extract global and local information from fixed and moving images. In the decoding stage, we employed a pyramid network structure to obtain high-resolution deformation fields, achieving efficient and precise registration. The effectiveness of MCRDP-Net was validated on public brain registration datasets, OASIS and IXI. Experimental results demonstrated significant advantages of MCRDP-Net in medical image registration, with DSC, HD95, and ASD reaching 0.815, 8.123, and 0.521 on the OASIS dataset and 0.773, 7.786, and 0.871 on the IXI dataset. In summary, MCRDP-Net demonstrates superior performance in deformable image registration, proving its potential in medical image analysis. It effectively enhances the accuracy and efficiency of registration, providing strong support for subsequent medical research and applications.
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Algorithms

Objective:To explore the feasibility and reliability of reconstructing mimetic muscles by using 5.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology.Methods:Imaging data were obtained from a 32-year-old healthy male volunteer who voluntarily underwent a 5.0 T MRI head scan at Institute of Brain-like Intelligence Science and Technology of Fudan University on February 1, 2024. The mimetic muscles were segmented and reconstructed in three dimensions using 3D Slicer software. The result were compared with the detailed anatomical findings of the mimetic muscles from a cadaveric male head specimen (provided by the Anatomy Department of Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital of Fudan University). The research subjects did not have facial deformities, traumas, or systemic diseases affecting muscle integrity.Results:The 5.0 T MRI clearly demonstrated the location, size, and anatomical relationships of the mimetic muscles. Among the three planes, the coronal plane provided the best overall view of the facial expression muscles, while thin-layer axial images were beneficial for ensuring continuity and accurating three-dimensional localization. The sagittal plane offered superior information on the layers and attachment points of the muscles. The three-dimensional reconstructions of muscles such as the orbicularis oculi, corrugator supercilii, levator labii superioris, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, levator anguli oris, orbicularis oris, mentalis, risorius, zygomaticus major and minor, depressor labii inferioris, procerus, depressor supercilii, depressor anguli oris, and nasalis showed good correspondence with the actual anatomical findings of the mimetic muscles in the head specimen.Conclusion:High-field strength MRI can clearly display facial expression muscles, offering potential value for plastic surgery education and virtual surgical planning.

Objective:To explore the feasibility and reliability of reconstructing mimetic muscles by using 5.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology.Methods:Imaging data were obtained from a 32-year-old healthy male volunteer who voluntarily underwent a 5.0 T MRI head scan at Institute of Brain-like Intelligence Science and Technology of Fudan University on February 1, 2024. The mimetic muscles were segmented and reconstructed in three dimensions using 3D Slicer software. The result were compared with the detailed anatomical findings of the mimetic muscles from a cadaveric male head specimen (provided by the Anatomy Department of Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital of Fudan University). The research subjects did not have facial deformities, traumas, or systemic diseases affecting muscle integrity.Results:The 5.0 T MRI clearly demonstrated the location, size, and anatomical relationships of the mimetic muscles. Among the three planes, the coronal plane provided the best overall view of the facial expression muscles, while thin-layer axial images were beneficial for ensuring continuity and accurating three-dimensional localization. The sagittal plane offered superior information on the layers and attachment points of the muscles. The three-dimensional reconstructions of muscles such as the orbicularis oculi, corrugator supercilii, levator labii superioris, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, levator anguli oris, orbicularis oris, mentalis, risorius, zygomaticus major and minor, depressor labii inferioris, procerus, depressor supercilii, depressor anguli oris, and nasalis showed good correspondence with the actual anatomical findings of the mimetic muscles in the head specimen.Conclusion:High-field strength MRI can clearly display facial expression muscles, offering potential value for plastic surgery education and virtual surgical planning.

Objective:To investigate the indication, effectiveness, tolerance, and safety of levosimendan in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) in 20 hospitals in Beijing, China.Methods:This prospective, observational, and multicenter study consecutively enrolled AHF patients who were treated with levosimendan at 20 hospitals in Beijing from April 2020 to March 2022. Baseline demographics, laboratory parameters, clinical presentation, concomitant diseases and medications were collected. After initiation of levosimendan, levosimendan administration, laboratory parameter pre- and post-administration, symptoms improvement, and adverse events were also collected.Results:Totally 800 AHF patients were included, 67% of whom were male, aged (65 ±17) years, 50% of whom had ischemic heart disease, and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was (36±11)%. The dose of levosimendan was (11.84 ±2.11) mg and the mean infusion time was (1 450±307) min. Dyspnea was improved in 83.4% of AHF patients at 24 h after treatment. The level of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) significantly decreased from 689 (406-1509) pg/mL to 410 (156-697) pg/mL in all patients at 24-72 h after treatment ( P<0.001), and the level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP) decreased from 6910 (3 715-13 914) pg/mL to 2 851 (1 288-6 191) pg/mL ( P<0.001). Meanwhile, LVEF level also improved significantly [(40±11)% vs. (36±11)%, P<0.001]. During levosimendan administration, adverse events occurred in 74 (9.3%) patients, including hypotension (5.9%), arrhythmia (1.9%), and other symptoms (1.1%). Among them, 7 patients ( 2 patients with hypotension and 5 patients with ventricular tachycardia) interrupted levosimendan administration. Conclusions:The use of levosimendan is safe, and can improve symptoms reduce BNP or NT-pro BNP levels and increase LVEF level in AHF patients.

Objective:To develop a rapid, simple and cost-effective quantitative TaqMan RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) that could be used as an alternative to sequencing for the detection of Omicron variants and to evaluate its performance.Methods:Primers and TaqMan probes targeting the conserved domains of SARS-CoV-2 ORF1ab and the high-frequency mutation sites in the S gene of Omicron variants were designed. Then a RT-qPCR for the detection of Omicron variants was established. The consistency of the method was verified using samples identified by whole-genome sequencing. The specificity and sensitivity of the method were also evaluated.Results:The established RT-qPCR could distinguish Omicron variants from early epidemic A strains and Alpha and Delta variants of SARS-CoV-2, and the results were consistent with those of whole-genome sequencing with a coincidence rate of 100% (28/28). There was no cross-reactivity with other six respiratory viruses or coxsackievirus group A16. For RNA standards, this method showed good linearity in the range of 10 9-10 3 copies/μl with a correlation coefficient ( R2) greater than 0.99 and detection sensitivity of 10 3 copies/μl. Conclusions:The RT-qPCR designed in this study for Omicron variant detection had good sensitivity and specificity and could be easily performed in laboratories, which would greatly facilitate the monitoring of Omicron variants.

Objective:To understand the viral spectrum changes of respiratory tract infections in Kunming city from 2018 to 2021.Methods:Throat swab samples were collected from influenza-like cases in 2 general hospitals and 1 children’s hospital in Kunming city from 2018 to 2021. Real-time RT-PCR was used to detect 14 common respiratory viruses (including influenza virus, human adenovirus, human respiratory syncytial virus, human rhinovirus, human bocavirus, human metapneumovirus, human parainfluenza virus, human coronavirus), and the detection data before and during the epidemic were analyzed.Results:From 2018 to 2021, a total of 12 302 specimens were collected and tested, and 2 600 positive specimens were detected, with a total positive rate of 21.13%. The positive detection rate before the epidemic was 25.91%, which was significantly higher than 16.18% during the epidemic ( χ2=174.35, P<0.05), and the detection rates of Flu and HAdV decreased by 75.36% and 45.31% respectively, while the detection rates of HRV and 229E increased by 72.22% and 350% respectively. During the epidemic, the total virus detection rate of male and female cases and all age groups under 50 years old were lower than before the epidemic. Conclusions:The epidemic of SARS-CoV-2 and the implementation of corresponding prevention and control measures have an impact on the epidemic trend of common respiratory viruses in Kunming, and the monitoring of multiple respiratory viruses is of great significance.

The clinical application of triptolide (TPL) in tumor therapy has been greatly limited by its toxicity and inefficient delivery. Herein, a localized and sustained-release thermo-sensitive hydrogel was developed for the intra-tumor administration of TPL. Based on the amphiphilic structure of poly (