This paper has summarized current studies on retinitis pigmentosa （RP） from two perspectives， which were disease mechanism insights from western medicine， and etiology， pathogenesis and therapeutic principles in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. From the perspective of western medicine， the understanding of RP has evolved from an early single-factor explanation focusing on pathogenic gene mutations to a more comprehensive， multifactorial model involving genetic abnormalities， photoreceptor cell degeneration， retinal pigment epithelium dysfunction， oxidative stress， inflammatory responses， microenvironmental imbalance， and vascular insufficiency. In TCM， RP is considered to be a disorder manifested in the eyes but rooted in dysfunction of the zang-fu （脏腑） organs. Its pathogenesis is primarily associated with congenital insufficiency， liver-kidney depletion， impaired spleen function of transportation and transformation， and stasis obstructing the meridians. The core pathological mechanism can be summarized as "deficiency complicated by stasis"， emphasizing holistic imbalance， dynamic disease progression， and syndrome differentiation and treatment. The differences and complementarities between the two medical systems in understanding disease progression are further discussed. RP is proposed to be more appropriately regarded as a complex disease characterized by long-term progression， stage-dependent evolution， and persistent decompensation. Western medicine contributes to elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying RP and provides the foundation for targeted therapeutic interventions， whereas TCM offers a holistic perspective for understanding disease evolution through the assessment of overall functional status， disease-stage stratification， and long-term syndrome-based regulation.

This paper has summarized current studies on retinitis pigmentosa （RP） from two perspectives， which were disease mechanism insights from western medicine， and etiology， pathogenesis and therapeutic principles in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. From the perspective of western medicine， the understanding of RP has evolved from an early single-factor explanation focusing on pathogenic gene mutations to a more comprehensive， multifactorial model involving genetic abnormalities， photoreceptor cell degeneration， retinal pigment epithelium dysfunction， oxidative stress， inflammatory responses， microenvironmental imbalance， and vascular insufficiency. In TCM， RP is considered to be a disorder manifested in the eyes but rooted in dysfunction of the zang-fu （脏腑） organs. Its pathogenesis is primarily associated with congenital insufficiency， liver-kidney depletion， impaired spleen function of transportation and transformation， and stasis obstructing the meridians. The core pathological mechanism can be summarized as "deficiency complicated by stasis"， emphasizing holistic imbalance， dynamic disease progression， and syndrome differentiation and treatment. The differences and complementarities between the two medical systems in understanding disease progression are further discussed. RP is proposed to be more appropriately regarded as a complex disease characterized by long-term progression， stage-dependent evolution， and persistent decompensation. Western medicine contributes to elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying RP and provides the foundation for targeted therapeutic interventions， whereas TCM offers a holistic perspective for understanding disease evolution through the assessment of overall functional status， disease-stage stratification， and long-term syndrome-based regulation.

The mental health management of laboratory animals is a critical factor in ensuring the reliability of scientific research data. However, due to the subtle nature of mental state alterations and the limitations of current assessment methods, the mental health of laboratory animals is often overlooked by researchers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore a new, objective, simple, and practical method for evaluating mental health. Stress, as a primary factor inducing alterations in the mental state of animals, can influence experimental results across multiple research fields through the neuroendocrine-immune network. This paper first elucidates the necessity of mental health management in laboratory animals from three perspectives: factors contributing to stress, neural mechanisms of stress, and research areas affected by stress. It highlights that excluding animals with abnormal mental states before experiments can enhance the efficiency and reproducibility of biomedical studies. Second, this paper briefly summarizes existing methods for assessing the health of laboratory animals, pointing out that approaches such as behavioral tests and metabolomics have many limitations in evaluating stress responses. Existing methods struggle to meet the demand for simple, objective, and non-invasive assessment methods in animal management. Therefore, this paper focuses on hair, a biological sample with the advantages of cumulative information and non-invasive collection, and systematically describes the theoretical basis and technological advances in using hair characteristics as indicators of stress responses from three perspectives: hair traits, the levels of substances in hair, and artificial intelligence (AI). It proposes and supports an innovative technical pathway that combines hair traits with AI-based image analysis, with the aim of offering an improved solution for non-invasive and objective stress assessment, while providing theoretical support for improving the health management system of laboratory animals.

Prescription optimization is a crucial aspect in the study of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） compounds. In recent years， the introduction of mathematical methods， data mining techniques， and artificial neural networks has provided new tools for elucidating the compatibility rules of TCM compounds. The study of TCM compounds involves numerous variables， including the proportions of different herbs， the specific extraction parts of each ingredient， and the interactions among multiple components. These factors together create a complex nonlinear dose-effect relationship. In this context， it is essential to identify methods that suit the characteristics of TCM compounds and can leverage their advantages for effective application in new drug development. This paper provided a comprehensive review of the cutting-edge optimization experimental design methods applied in recent studies of TCM compound compatibilities. The key technical issues， such as the optimization of source material selection， dosage optimization of compatible herbs， and multi-objective optimization indicators， were discussed. Furthermore， the evaluation methods for component effects were summarized during the optimization process， so as to provide scientific and practical foundations for innovative research in TCM and the development of new drugs based on TCM compounds.

Progressive family intrahepatic cholestasis （PFIC） is a rare group of autosomal recessive disorders. In recent years， with the development of molecular biology， new pathogenic genes have been constantly identified， and PFIC is currently categorized into 12 genotypes based on the OMIM database. The main manifestations of PFIC include jaundice， pruritus， growth retardation， and malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins， and some variants can rapidly progress to liver fibrosis， liver cirrhosis， liver failure， and even liver cancer. Different types of PFIC have different clinical manifestations and treatment strategies， and genetic testing can help to achieve early identification and diagnosis. This article reviews the latest advances in the genotyping， clinical features， and treatment of PFIC.

Objective To explore the molecular mechanism by which curcumin enhances the anti-tuberculosis function of macrophages through immune metabolic regulation mediated by liver X receptor α(LXRα)/ABCA1.Methods A model was established by infecting THP-1-derived macrophages with attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis(M.bovis).The control group,curcumin group,M.pavis group,M.pavis+LXRα agonist(T0901317)group,M.pavis+LXRα inhibitor(GSK2033)group,M.pavis+curcumin group,M.pavis+curcumin+GSK2033 group and M.pavis+curcumin+T0901317 group were set up.The protein and gene expressions of LXRα/ABCA1 were detected by Western blotting and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR).The accumulation of lipid droplets was analyzed by Oil Red O staining and micro-assay.The lipid content of the supernatant was determined by a biochemical analyzer,and cell proliferation was assessed by the MTT method.Bacterial clearance capacity was evaluated by measuring intracellular bacterial load.Results Curcumin significantly upregulated the protein and gene expression of LXRα/ABCA1 in M.Bovis-infected macrophages,reduced intracellular lipid accumulation and promoted lipid efflux,while enhancing cell proliferation and reducing intracellular bacterial load(P<0.05,P<0.01).LXRα inhibitors could reverse the effect of curcumin,while agonists synergistically enhanced its effect.Correlation analysis showed that the expression of LXRα/ABCA1 in cells was negatively correlated with the intracellular bacterial load,while the lipid level was positively correlated with the intracellular bacterial load(P<0.01).Conclusion Curcumin activates the LXRα/ABCA1 pathway,coordinates the metabolic remodeling of macrophages and the enhancement of immune function,and forms a synergistic effect against tuberculosis,providing an experimental basis for the development of a novel host-directed treatment strategy for tuberculosis based on immune-metabolic regulation.

Objective:To summarize the clinical phenotype and analyze genetic variant characteristics of hereditary pancreatitis (HP) in children.Methods:Eight families of children diagnosed with HP and admitted to the Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from August 2022 to May 2024 were selected as the research subjects. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical characteristics, pathogenic gene carrying status, and follow-up of the children. Whole exome sequencing was applied to conduct genetic testing on the 8 children and their relatives. Suspected variations were verified by Sanger sequencing and subjected to bioinformatics analysis.Results:This population was made up of 2 boys and 6 girls with the median onset age of 1.2(0.5-3.4) years. The median age at diagnosis was 2.9(1.5-5.7) years. The clinical symptoms and signs were abdominal pain (8/8), abnormal crying (6/8), vomiting (4/8), and bloating (2/8). None of them had jaundice, fever, hydrothorax or ascites. Pancreatitis generally occurred 4-6 times, and occurred 1-3 times before HP was diagnosed. 6 patients had family history of pancreatitis. Blood amylase and lipase in all 8 patients spiked by over 3 folds. Abdominal imaging showed enlarged pancreas with or without peripheral exudation (8/8), and pancreatic pseudocyst (1/8). The whole exome sequencing detected 2 splicing variant of SPINK1 gene c.194+2T>C(p.IVS3+2T>C), and 6 missense variations of PRSS1 gene c.86A>T(p.N29I) ( n=4) and c.365G>A(p.R122H) ( n=2). Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), all variants were assessed as pathogenic, including 6 inherited from father and 2 from mother. The predicted splicing model indicated that the splice site mutation c.194+2T>C can cause exon skipping, resulting in an unstable truncated protein. Analysis with PyMOL software suggested that the variants c.86A>T (p.N29I) and c.365G>A (p.R122H) may affect the structure of the encoded protein. Conventional conservative measures, including fasting, trypsin secretion inhibition by octreotide, were offered. One child underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram plus pancreatic duct lithotomy and pancreatic duct stenting. Conclusions:For recurrent childhood pancreatitis, especially with family history, genetic testing is helpful for early diagnosis of HP.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia(HAAA)in pediatric patients.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 212 children with aplastic anemia(AA)who were hospitalized at Henan Children's Hospital from September 2014 to February 2023.The patients were categorized into two groups based on etiology:the HAAA group and the non-HAAA group.The study group consisted of 23 patients in the HAAA group,while a control group of 115 children without HAAA was matched in a 1∶5 ratio based on age,sex,and severity of aplastic anemia.The clinical characteristics,treatment regimens,and outcomes of the 23 patients with HAAA were analyzed and compared with those of the control group comprising 115 patients.Results Among the 23 children with HAAA,there were 11 males and 12 females,with a median age of 6 years and 3 months(ranging from 1 year and 4 months to 12 years old).The onset of aplastic anemia in all HAAA children occurred after the initial presentation of acute hepatitis.Following gradual improvement in liver function,peripheral blood images showed a progressive decline by two or three lines,including platelets.Among these cases,very severe aplastic anemia was observed in 14 patients(60.9%),severe aplastic anemia in 7 patients(30.4%),and non-severe aplastic anemia in 2 patients(8.7%).The median interval between hepatitis onset and diagnosis of aplastic anemia was found to be 56 days(range:10～157 days).All 23 pediatric patients with HAAA presented with acute icteric hepatitis,accounting for 100%of the cohort.One patient(4.3%)was genetically diagnosed with X-linked lymphoproliferative disease type 2,while liver biopsy revealed drug-induced hepatitis/chemical liver injury in five patients(21.7%).Compared to the control group,HAAA patients exhibited significantly lower levels of CD4+cells[(1.2±0.3)vs.(1.5±0.1)]and CD4+/CD8+ratios[(-0.2±0.4)vs.(0.1±0.2)](P<0.05).Three patients received immunosuppressive therapy(IST),18 underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT),and two non-severe cases were treated with methylprednisolone sodium succinate and compound Zapoan pill;all patients survived.Conclusions Children with HAAA present a critical condition and exhibit a poor prognosis,predominantly manifesting as severe or extremely severe aplastic anemia during the recovery phase of hepatitis.Reduction in CD4+cell count and inversion of CD4+/CD8+ratio may serve as early warning indicators for HAAA.Effective improvement in prognosis can be achieved through immunosuppressive therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of ultra-low dose (ULD) CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) combined with deep learning reconstruction (DLR) in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE).Methods:This cross-sectional study prospectively enrolled 100 patients with suspected PE who underwent CTPA examination in Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, and Shanghai Geriatric Medical Center from April to July 2024, and were randomly divided into the routine dose (RD) group and ULD group according to block randomization. Effective dose (ED) were calculated. The noise index of RD group and ULD group was set to 10 and 20, respectively. Other scanning parameters and contrast agent injection protocol were the same. The CT images of RD group were reconstructed using hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR), while ULD images were reconstructed with HIR and DLR (ULD-HIR subgroup and ULD-DLR subgroup). The image quality of the three groups of images was subjectively evaluated (overall image noise, pulmonary artery display) and objectively evaluated [signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the images] respectively. Finally, the diagnostic results of PE by the expert committee composed of three chief physicians were taken as the gold standard, and one physician with lower qualifications independently evaluated the diagnostic rate of PE in the three groups of images. Objective image quality parameters across the three groups were compared using ANOVA, with LSD post hoc test was used for multiple comparisons. Subjective scores among the three groups were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis H test, with Bonferroni corrected pairwise post hoc test was applied for multiple pairwise comparisons. Results:The ED in the RD group and ULD group were (2.7±0.5) mSv and (0.7±0.2) mSv, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=26.42, P<0.001). The overall differences in CT values of pulmonary arteries at all levels in the images of the RD group, the ULD-HIR subgroup, and the ULD-DLR subgroup were not statistically significant ( P>0.05).The RD group, ULD-HIR subgroup and ULD-DLR subgroup overall differences in SNR and CNR at all levels pulmonary arteries were statistically significant ( P<0.001), in which except for the differences in CNR and SNR values of the left pulmonary arterial trunk in the RD group and the ULD-HIR subgroup, and SNR values of basal segment pulmonary artery of the lower lobe of the left lung, which were not statistically significant ( P>0.05), the differences of the rest of the indexes in the pairwise comparisons between the groups were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The overall differences in the subjective scores of image pulmonary vascular display and image noise in the RD group, ULD-HIR subgroup and ULD-DLR subgroup were statistically significant ( P<0.001), except that the differences in the subjective scores of image pulmonary vascular display in the ULD-DLR subgroup were not statistically significant when compared with that of the RD group ( P>0.05) and that of the rest of the metrics in the between-groups two-by-two comparisons were all statistically significant ( P<0.05). The difference in diagnostic rates of PE in the pulmonary artery trunk, lobe and segmental levels in the images of the RD group, ULD-HIR subgroup and ULD-DLR subgroup was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). Conclusions:DLR can significantly reduce the radiation dose of CTPA examination. Even at ultra-low radiation dose, its image quality is still better than HIR reconstruction at conventional doses and preserve diagnostic accuracy of PE at the lobe level and segment level.

Objective The aim of this study is to examine the Chinese version of Visual Prostate Symptom Score(CVPSS)and the International Prostate Symptom Score(IPSS)in the assessment of lower urinary tract symptoms in BPH pa-tients.Methods By using convenient sampling,inpatients in the urology department of a tertiary grade A hospital in Shanghai were selected as the survey subjects from March 2023 to March 2024.The lower urinary tract symptoms of the patients were eval-uated using the self-designed general information questionnaire.And the CVPSS and IPSS with their urine flow rate were meas-ured.A comparative analysis was conducted from aspects such as internal consistency,correlation of item scores,completion time of the scale,and assistance rate.Results A total of 246 patients with BPH were recruited.The total score and life quality score were 13.93±3.55 and 4.23±1.02 by CVPSS.And the total score and life quality by IPSS was 18.33±7.55 and 4.36±1.02,respectively.The Cronbach's α coefficient were 0.761 and 0.787,respectively.The time taken on CVPSS was less than that on IPSS(P＜0.01).And the rate of needing assistance was 23.58％for CVPSS,which was significantly lower than that(65.24％)for IPSS.Conclusion CVPSS is significantly correlated with the corresponding items and total scores of IPSS,as well as the quality of life.Moreover,it takes less time and can be used as a simple and effective self-assessment tool for lower urinary tract symptoms in elderly BPH patients with lower education levels.It reduces the burden of medical staffs as well.