ObjectiveTo characterize the quality differences among different germplasm and introduced varieties of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium roots（BSR）， and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms， providing a basis for high-quality production and quality control. MethodsWild BSR from Yulin（YLW） served as the quality reference， we conducted comparative analysis among YLW， locally domesticated wild germplasm in Yulin（YLC3）， Daqing germplasm introduced and cultivated in Yulin（YLDQC3）， and locally cultivated germplasm in Daqing（DQC3）. A combination of traditional pharmacognostic methods and modern multi-omics analyses was employed， including macroscopic traits（appearance， odor）， microscopic features（proportions of cork， phloem， xylem）， cell wall component contents（hemicellulose， cellulose， lignin）， carbohydrate contents（starch， water-soluble polysaccharides）， marker compound contents（ethanol-soluble extracts， total saponins， liposoluble extracts， and saikosaponins A， B₂， C， D）， metabolomics， and transcriptomics， in order to systematically characterize quality differences and investigate molecular mechanisms among these samples. ResultsMacroscopically， Yulin-produced BSR（YLW， YLC3， YLDQC3） exhibited significantly greater weight， length， and upper and middle diameters than Daqing-produced BSR（DQC3）. Odor-wise， YLW and YLC3 had a a fragrance taste， YLDQC3 had a rancid oil odor， and DQC3 had a sweet and fragrant taste. Microscopically， Yulin germplasm（YLW， YLC3） and Daqing germplasm（YLDQC3， DQC3） shared similar structural features， respectively. However， Yulin germplasm showed significantly higher proportions of cork and phloem， as well as stronger xylem vessel staining intensity compared to Daqing germplasm. Regarding various component contents， Yulin germplasm contained significantly higher levels of ethanol-soluble extracts， total saponins， and saikosaponins A， B₂， C， D， while Daqing germplasm had significantly higher levels of hemicellulose， starch， and liposoluble extracts. After introduction to Yulin， the Daqing germplasm（YLDQC3） showed increased starch， water-soluble polysaccharides and liposoluble extracts contents， decreased cell wall component content， but no significant difference in other component contents. Metabolomics revealed that saponins and terpenes accumulated significantly in Yulin germplasm， while alcohols and aldehydes accumulated predominantly in Daqing germplasm. Transcriptomics indicated similar gene expression patterns within the same germplasm but specificity between different germplasms. Integrative metabolomic-transcriptomic analysis identified 145 potential key genes associated with the saikosaponin biosynthesis pathway， including one acetyl-coenzyme A（CoA） acetyltransferase gene（ACAT）， one 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase gene（HMGS）， two hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA（HMG-CoA） reductase genes（HMG）， one phosphomevalonate kinase gene（PMK）， one 1-deoxy-D-xylose-5-phosphate synthase gene（CLA）， one hydroxymethylbuten-1-aldol synthase gene（HDR）， two farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase genes（FPPS）， one squalene synthase gene（SQS）， one β-amyrin synthase gene（BAS）， 102 cytochrome P450（CYP450） gene family members， and 32 uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase（UGT） gene family members. ConclusionAmong the three cultivated types， YLC3 most closely resembles YLW in appearance， microscopic features， contents of major bioactive constituents， metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles. Yulin germplasm exhibits superior saponin synthesis capability compared to Daqing germplasm， and Yulin region is more suitable for the growth of B. scorzonerifolium. Based on these findings， it is recommended that artificial cultivation in northern Shaanxi and similar regions utilize the local Yulin germplasm source cultivated for at least three years.

ObjectiveBased on the traditional quality evaluation methods summarized in previous dynasties， this paper systematically contrasted the quality differences between wild Polygalae Radix（WPR） and cultivated Polygalae Radix（CPR） from the aspects of character， microscope and chemical composition by modern scientific and technological means， providing a basis for high-quality production and quality control. MethodsCPR and local WPR in Yulin city， Shaanxi province from 1 to 6 years were collected， and a systematic comparative analysis was conducted using traditional pharmacognosy research methods combined with modern multi-omics analysis techniques， including character traits（length， weight， diameter）， cross-sectional microscopic features（proportions of cork， phloem， xylem， etc）， cell wall component content（hemicellulose， cellulose， lignin）， extracts content（water-soluble extract and alcohol-soluble extract）， carbohydrate content（starch， water-soluble polysaccharides）， contents of total flavonoids， total saponins and specific marker compounds（3，6′-disinapoyl sucrose， polygalaxanthone Ⅲ， tenuifoliside A， tenuifoliside C， sibiricose A₅ and A₆） and other indexes. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） was employed to conduct comparative analysis of secondary metabolites in WPR and CPR， and multivariate statistical analysis such as principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were combined to screen the key differential components of them. ResultsIn terms of appearance， there were significant differences between WPR and CPR. The characteristics of WPR conformed to the "thick wrinkles on the epidermis" recorded in ancient books， featuring a wrinkled surface and grayish-brown appearance. However， CPR had a finer texture and a yellowish white appearance， with weight， length， and diameter increasing with longer cultivation periods. In terms of microscopy， WPR exhibited a thick cork layer with fissures in the phloem， whereas CPR had a thinner cork layer with uniformly arranged cork cells. Younger PR specimens showed numerous phloem fissures in cross-sections， while older specimens display progressively denser arrangements of phloem parenchyma cells. In terms of the contents of various major components， the contents of water-soluble extract， starch and total saponins in WPR were inversely proportional to the root diameter， while the contents of water-soluble extract， water-soluble polysaccharides and total saponins in CPR decreased with the increase of planting years. The content of xanthones in WPR was significantly higher than that of CPR， while the contents of other major components showed no significant change pattern. Among the six indicator components， the average content of sibiricose A₅ in WPR was significantly higher than that of CPR， followed by slightly higher content of tenuifoliside A. In CPR， the relative content of 3，6′-disinapoyl sucrose and tenuifoliside A was the highest. The former showed an increase in volatility with increasing cultivation years， while the latter showed a decrease in volatility. The results of differential compound analysis based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS showed that there were significant differences in metabolites between WPR and CPR samples. Among them， the seven compounds with the largest differences among WPR samples of different thicknesses were polygalasaponins， and for CPR with different planting years， the main differential compounds were oligosaccharide esters. ConclusionThere are differences between WPR and CPR in character， microscopic structure and chemical composition， and some components are inversely proportional with the increase of diameter and cultivation duration due to the distribution characteristics. However， the longer the cultivation years of PR， the closer it is to the "thick wrinkles on the epidermis" of WPR， which has been respected by generations. It is suggested that this traditional character combined with modern component contents should be used as the index of artificial cultivation and quality control of PR.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided acupuncture at myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) on treating post-stroke foot drop. METHODS: Sixty patients with post-stroke foot drop were randomly assigned to an observation group 1 (20 cases, 1 case dropped out), an observation group 2 (20 cases, 2 casses dropped out), and a control group (20 cases). The control group received conventional acupuncture at Yanglingquan (GB34), Jiexi (ST41), Taichong (LR3), Zusanli (ST36), Xuanzhong (GB39), and Qiuxu (GB40) on the affected side, once daily. In addition to the treatment of the control group , the observation group 1 received acupuncture at the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius MTrPs, once every other day, while the observation group 2 received ultrasound-guided acupuncture at the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius MTrPs, once every other day. All groups were treated for two weeks. Three-dimensional gait analysis was performed using an infrared motion capture system, and the Holden walking scale was used to evaluate walking ability before and after treatment in the three groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the patients in the observation groups 1 and 2 showed increased walking speed (P<0.05, P<0.01), and improved Holden walking scale grades (P<0.05, P<0.01) after treatment; the patients in the observation group 2 also showed increased ankle dorsiflexion angles (P<0.05). The walking speeds of the observation groups 1 and 2 were faster than those of the control group after treatment (P<0.05), the Holden walking scale grade in the observation group 2 was superior to that in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The ultrasound-guided acupuncture at MTrPs could effectively improve gait function in post-stroke foot drop patients.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Stroke/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Trigger Points/physiopathology* ; Gait ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Ultrasonography ; Treatment Outcome ; Gait Disorders, Neurologic/etiology*

Objective To assess the technical levels of computed tomography (CT) quality control testing capabilities among radiological health technology service institutions in Hubei Province, China. Methods Ten radiological health technology service institutions in Hubei Province were organized to participate in an inter-institutional capability comparison of selected indicators in CT quality control testing with reference to the Specification for testing of quality control in X-ray computed tomography (WS 519—2019). The robust Z-score method was employed to evaluate the results of the capability comparison data from the ten institutions. Results Six institutions achieved a "satisfactory" rating in all assessed indicators, with a satisfaction rate of 60%. Indicators rated as "unsatisfactory" or "questionable" included "positioning light accuracy", "uniformity", "noise", and "high-contrast resolution". Conclusion The CT quality control testing capabilities of some radiological health technology service institutions in Hubei Province require further enhancement. Improved training and education for testing personnel are recommended.

Objective To summarize our experience and the early and midterm outcomes of stented elephant trunk procedure for right-sided aortic arch (RAA) with Kommerell's diverticulum (KD). Methods From April 2013 to July 2020, patients with RAA and KD who underwent stented elephant trunk procedure at our center were collected. Surgery was performed under moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest combined with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion via median sternotomy. Results A total of 8 patients were included, including 7 males and 1 female with a mean age of 51.88±9.61 years. All patients had an aneurysmal KD and aberrant left subclavian artery. Preoperative comorbidities included acute Stanford type B aortic dissection in 1 patient, aortic arch pseudoaneurysm in 1 patient, acute type B intramural hematoma in 2 patients, and coronary artery disease in 1 patient. Concomitant procedures included reconstruction of the left subclavian artery in all patients and coronary artery bypass grafting in 1 patient. The mean time of operation, cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic cross-clamping, and selective cerebral perfusion was 6.25±1.16 h, 157.75±40.07 min, 77.75±33.10 min, and 28.50±5.55 min, respectively. No intraoperative death occurred. There was 1 in-hospital death. Follow-up was completed in all patients with a mean period of 3.58±2.08 years. No late death occurred. A persistent anastomotic leak of the proximal arch was detected in 1 patient, but reintervention was not performed because neither aortic dilatation nor symptoms of tracheal and esophageal compression were observed during the follow-up. The remaining 6 patients showed positive aortic remodeling with complete thrombosis of the aneurysmal KD, and neither aortic event nor tracheal and esophageal compression occurred. Conclusion Stented elephant trunk procedure is a safe and feasible technique for selected patients with RAA and KD, which can achieve favorable early and midterm outcomes.

This experiment aims to investigate the effects of a dietary supplement of herbal tea resi-due on white feather broilers in the prospectives of growth performance,serum indexes and intesti-nal immune indexes.A total of 280 1-day-old white feather broilers with similar body mass and good health were randomly divided into 4 groups with 5 replicates per group and 14 birds per repli-cate.Group Ⅰ(control group)was fed a basal diet.Groups Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ were fed a diet supple-mented with 2％,4％and 6％herbal tea residue powder,respectively.The feeding lasted for 49 days,and was divided into 2 phases from 1 to 21 days of age and 22 to 49 days of age.Blood,tissue and mucosa of the duodenum and jejunum were collected on 21 d and 49 d.Total cholesterol(T-CHO),triglyceride(TG),high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and the activities of aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and alanine amin-otransferase(ALT)in the serum were examined.The villus height and crypt depth of the jejunum were observed and measured by morphology.The mRNA expression levels of intestinal interleukin-1β(IL-1β),interleukin-2(IL-2),interleukin-4(IL-4),interleukin-10(IL-10)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)were determined by qPCR.The results showed that compared with group Ⅰ,the mass of group Ⅲ on 21 d and 49 d significantly increased(P＜0.05).The average daily feed intake of 22-49 d and 1-49 d significantly increased(P＜0.05).The average daily mass gain of 1-21 d,22-49 d and 1-49 d significantly increased(P＜0.05).In the serum of 21 d,compared with group Ⅰ,T-CHO in group Ⅱ significantly decreased(P＜0.05).TG in groups Ⅱ,m and Ⅳ significantly de-creased(P＜0.05).LDL-C and AST activity in group Ⅳ significantly decreased(P＜0.05).In the serum of 49 d,T-CHO in group Ⅲ,LDL-C in group Ⅳ,HDL-C of groups Ⅲ and Ⅳ significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the ALT activity of these two groups decreased(P＜0.05).AST activity in group Ⅱ significantly decreased(P＜0.05).In the duodenum of 21 d,compared with group Ⅰ,the expressions of TNF-α in group Ⅱ was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).In the duodenum of 49 d,the expression of IL-10 in group Ⅱ was significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the expression of IL-2 in groups Ⅲ and Ⅳ was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).In the jejunum of 49 d,the ex-pression of IL-10 in group Ⅱ was increased(P＜0.05),and the expression of IL-2 in groups Ⅲand Ⅳ was significantly decreased(P＜0.05).In conclusion,dietary herbal tea residue can regulate circulating lipid level and enhance intestinal immunity of white feather broilers without affecting their normal growth performance.This experiment also suggested that the a 2％-4％supplementa-tion of herbal tea residues to white feather broilers was of good effect.

Objective To identify meaningful objective examination methods by analyzing the results of vari-ous objective examinations of children with recurrent vertigo(RVC).Methods Fifty children with RVC(29 in ver-tigo attacking group,21 in vertigo non-attacking group)and 20 children without RVC were selected.All partici-pants underwent a series of relevant objective examinations,the results of each examination were statistically ana-lyzed and the characteristic differences of each examination between the RVC group and the control group were ob-tained.Results ① The abnormal rate of sleep SpO2,high stimulation rate ABR and AHI in the RVC group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).② The abnormal rate of sleep SpO2 and high stimu-lation rate ABR in the vertigo attacking group were higher than those in the vertigo non-attacking group.There was a statistical difference between the two groups(P＜0.05).③ Pure tone audiometry(or conditioned play audiome-try),acoustic immittance,cranial MRI,positional test and vHIT were normal in both RVC group and normal con-trol group.Conclusion Continuous sleep SpO2 and high stimulation rate ABR are correlated with RVC,especially RVC during vertigo attacking.AHI is correlated with RVC,but not with the onset of vertigo.Clinically,continu-ous sleep SpO2 monitoring,PSG and high stimulation rate ABR can be used as auxiliary examinations for the diagno-sis of RVC.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of the inflammation scoring system based on the blood routine for complicated acute pancreatitis(CAP).Methods The clinical data of 630 patients with a-cute pancreatitis(AP)receiving the treatment in the People's Hospital of Chongqing Liang Jiang New Area from January 2021 to January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into the mild a-cute pancreatitis(MAP)group and CAP group according to the disease severity degree.The propensity score matching was used to balance the baseline characteristics of the cases in the two groups,the differences be-tween the inflammatory scoring system based on the blood routine[neutrophile granulocyte/lymphocyte ratio(NLR),derived neutrophile granulocyte/lymphocyte ratio(dNLR),platelet/lymphocyte ratio(PLR),system-ic immune inflammatory index(SII)and systemic inflammatory response index(SIRI)]and the clinical out-come indexes within 24 h of admission were analyzed,and the logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of CAP.Results A total of 404 patients were included in the study by the propensity score matching,each 202 cases in the two groups.In the CAP group,there were 35 cases(16.7％)receiving intensive care unit(ICU)treatment and 4 cases(1.9％)of death.Compared with the MAP group,WBC,neutrophile granulo-cyte,CRP,BUN,amylase and lipase levels and NLR,dNLR,SII and SIRI scores in the CAP group were high-er,serum calcium and albumin levels were lower,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The stepwise logistics regression analysis showed that CRP,albumin,lipase,serum calcium and SIRI were the independent influencing factors of CAP occurrence(P＜0.05).Conclusion The inflammation scoring system based on the blood routine could predict the CAP occurrence.

Abstract: Objective To analyze and compare the differences in serum lipid metabolomics between patients with moderate to severe acne and healthy controls to understand the characteristics of serum lipid metabolism in acne patients. Methods Serum samples were collected from 30 patients with moderate to severe acne and 30 healthy controls matched for age, gender and body mass index in the Department of Dermatology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from May 2019 to Apr. 2020. Serum lipid metabolomics was analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used for multivariate statistical analysis of differentially expressed lipid metabolites. The metabolic pathways with significant differences between the two groups were screened by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Using Mann-Whitney U test to calculate differential metabolites. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between serum PC (18: 2e/20: 2) concentration and acne severity. Results The PLS-DA results showed that the composition of serum lipid metabolites in acne patients was significantly separated from that in healthy controls. Of the top 30 lipid metabolites with the most significant differences, four kinds of triglycerides (TG), two kinds of diglycerides (DG), six kinds of phosphatidylcholine (PC), one kind of MePC, two kinds of sphingomyelin (SM), two kinds of phosphatidylinositol (PI), two kinds of ceramide (monohexosyl ceramide, Hex1Cer;dihexosyl ceramide, Hex2Cer), two cardiolipin (CL) were found to be increased in the acne group (P<0.05). The levels of one kind of DG, two kinds of lysophosphatidyl ethanolamines (LPE), one kind of dimethylphosphatidyl ethanolamine (dMePE), one kind of bismethyl phosphatidic acid (BisMePA), three kinds of phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) and one kind of ceramide were found to be decreased in the acne group (P<0.05), and most of them belonged to phospholipid metabolites. Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum PC (18:2e/20:2) concentration was positively correlated with acne severity (r=0.456, P=0.004). KEGG enrichment function analysis revealed that the differential lipid metabolites were primarily enriched in metabolic pathways such as sphingolipid signaling pathway, cholesterol metabolism, insulin resistance, glycerophospholipid metabolism, among which the sphingolipid signaling pathway may play an important role. Conclusion There are significant differences in serum lipid metabolism between acne patients and healthy controls. Lipid metabolism disorders may be related to the pathogenesis of acne, but it’s molecular mechanism still needs further experimental exploration.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of renal function progression in patients with acute renal injury (AKI) after moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest surgery in acute aortic dissection (AD).Methods:Retrospective analysis was made base on the data of 290 patients with acute AD who underwent surgical treatment from January 2014 to August 2022 in the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University. According to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) AKI diagnostic criteria in 2015, patients with AKI after surgery were selected as the study objects. Patients with progressive deterioration of renal function or required continuous renal replacement therapy after AD operation were defined as the progression group of AKI, the other patients with gradual improvement of renal function after AD operation were defined as the improvement group of AKI. The clinical data of the two groups were compared, and the risk factors for the progression of AKI after AD were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression.Results:A total of 290 AD surgeries were completed, of which 143 cases developed AKI after surgery, including 81 cases in AKI progression group and 62 cases in AKI improvement group. In the progression group of AKI, before surgery the proportion of patients with coronary heart disease: 24.7% (20/81) vs.11.3% (7/62), serum creatinine (Scr) >133 μmol/L: 24.7% (20/81) vs. 3.2% (2/62), pericardial tamponade: 22.2% (18/81) vs. 8.1% (5/62), lower limb ischemia: 25.9% (21/81) vs. 3.2% (2/62) were significantly increased. Postoperative acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE) score: 14.00 (9.00, 19.75) scores vs. 10.00 (7.00, 12.00) scores, ICU hospitalization days: 8 (5, 13) d vs. 5 (3, 7) d, postoperative mortality: 24.7%(20/81) vs. 1.6%(1/62), the proportion of KDIGO phase 3 ratio: 46.9%(38/81) vs. 3.2%(2/62), postoperative infection: 61.7%(50/81) vs. 38.7% (24/62), low cardiac output syndrome: 29.6% (24/81) vs. 6.5% (4/62), cerebral infarction complications: 38.2%(31/81) vs. 16.1%(10/62), and mortality after surgery were also higher. Compared with improvement group of AKI, all differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative lower limb ischemia ( OR = 9.430, 95% CI 1.975 to 45.032, P = 0.005), postoperative low cardiac output syndrome ( OR = 5.288, 95% CI 1.543 to 18.126, P = 0.008), and postoperative infection ( OR = 2.273, 95% CI 1.022 to 5.057, P = 0.044) were independent risk factors for the progression of AKI after AD surgery. Conclusions:The independent risk factors of renal function progression in patients with AKI after hypothermic circulatory arrest surgery in acute AD include preoperative lower limb ischemia, postoperative low cardiac output syndrome, and postoperative infection.