ObjectiveDonkey hide is the sole legally designated raw material for the preparation of the traditional Chinese medicine Ejiao. The quality stability of donkey hide during preservation directly determines the efficacy and safety of Ejiao. This study focuses on the dynamic succession of microbial communities during the preservation of donkey hides from different origins, aiming to clarify the correlation between microbial biodiversity difference and the degradation profiles of hide collagen and critical biochemical components, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for developing targeted preservation strategies based on microbial regulation. MethodsDonkey hides originating from four different regions were subjected to an accelerated microbial aging assay to simulate the spoilage process. The microbial community succession was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. Microstructure changes and pore structure characteristics were assessed by scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry, respectively. Additionally, the content of major components, including lipids, proteins, and sugars were determined by biochemical methods. ResultsAfter 96 h of aging, the collagen fiber structure in Africa donkey hides (ADH) exhibited significant degradation and collapse, followed by Xinjiang donkey hides (XDH). Instead, the microstructure of Dong’e black donkey hides (DDH) and Peru donkey hides (PDH) remained relatively intact. The porosities of DDH, XDH, PDH, and ADH increased from 27.9%, 15.7%, 30.3%, and 46.2% to 36.5%, 52.6%, 42.8%, and 57.7%, respectively, during the aging process, which suggested that the originally compact fiber structure was disrupted by microbial aging. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer analysis revealed the amide bands in XDH exhibited relatively weak intensity, and no collagen amide I band was observed in ADH. Meanwhile, the lipid and protein contents decreased in all four types of donkey hides, indicating that these components served as the primary nutrient sources for the growth of microorganism. Notably, the most severe collagen degradation was observed in XDH and ADH. A substantial increase was detected in the total soluble sugar in PDH aging solution and hydroxyproline in the ADH aging solution, respectively. These results indicated that donkey hides exhibit distinct patterns of structural degradation and nutrient utilization. Furthermore, the viable cells number of donkey hides increased sharply after 48 h of aging. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the relative abundance of Euryarchaeota in ADH, PDH and XDH declining from initial 93.19%, 97.73% and 30.08% to 0.79%, 1.43% and 0.02% after 96 h, respectively. Conversely, a significantly increase was observed in the abundance of Bacillota, with a marked increase in ADH, peaking at 92.75%. Additionally, the abundance of Pseudomonadota in PDH increased from 0.10% to 87.84%, suggesting that Bacillota and Pseudomonadota may be key factors exacerbating donkey hide spoilage. Unlike the other three types of donkey hides, the dominant bacterial phylum in DDH shifted from Pseudomonadota to Bacteroidota, characterized by a substantial abundance increase of Bacteroidota from 0.13% to 44.22%. ConclusionRegional variation in origin significantly influence the microbial aging of donkey hides, leading to distinct patterns of structural deterioration and differential nutrient utilization. Therefore, implementing origin-specific preservation strategies, through the precisely controlling environmental factors to suppress harmful phyla such as Bacillota and Pseudomonadota, is crucial for enhancing the storage quality of donkey hides.

Objective:An integrated automatic quality control system(automatic quality control instrument)for high dose rate(HDR)afterloader was independently developed.This system was used to measure the placement accuracy,residence time and activity of the radioactive source,so as to assess the accuracy and stability of this system in quality assurance.Methods:The automatic quality control system was connected to the Flexitron type of HDR afterloader through a connecting tube.Quality assurance(QA)plans with different resident positions,clearances,and times were designed for measurement and verification.The measurement length was 1079-1119 mm,and the measurement time was 2-10 s,and the measurement activity was 14,326-28,653 μGy·m2·h-1.The measurements were repeated once per one week in three months,so as to determine the consistency of the measurement parameters in a longer period of time.The measurement results of the placement accuracy,resident time and activity of radioactive source of the HDR 192Ir radioactive source were analyzed.Results:The plate ionization chamber was used to measure the activity of radioactive source.In three months,the measurement deviation of the activity of radioactive source was 1.17%,and the fitted activity decay curve was consistent with the expected decay curve of radioactive source.The measurement accuracies of the positioning of radioactive source were respectively 0.46,0.18,0.23,0.25,and 0.15 mm when the interval step sizes of resident times were respectively 2,3,5,8,and 10 mm,all of them were<1 mm.The measurement accuracy of time was(4.90±0.04)s when the resident time was 5 s.In the measurement accuracy of different resident times(1,2,3,5 and 10s)of same step size,the deviation of them was less than 0.5s.When the resident time was the shortest,the deviation between the read-out value of the automatic system software of quality control and the actually resident time was(0.09±0.04)s.The measurement accuracy gradually stabilized with the increasing of resident times.Conclusion:The automatic quality control instrument can complete the measurements for the positioning accuracy,the accuracy of resident time and the activity of radioactive source,and achieve rapidly and accurately periodic quality assurance.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from Radix Puerariae Lobatae from Anhui province and their in vitro lipid-lowering activity.METHODS D101 macroporous resin,silica gel,MCI,and semi-preparative HPLC were used for isolation and purification,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.The lipid accumulation model was established by palmitic acid-induced hepatocyte AML12,and the in vitro lipid-lowering activity was evaluated.RESULTS Twenty-one compounds were isolated and identified as carboxymethyl isoferulate(1),methyl(E)feruloylglycolate(2),ariscucurbin-A(3),trans-p-coumaroygly colic acid(4),indole-3-carboxaldehyde(5),β-sitosterol(6),puerol A(7),pueroside C(8),cumoestrol(9),dihydrofurocoumarin(10),decuroside V(11),psoralen dimer(12),bergapten dimer(13),isoliquiritigenin(14),neoliquiritin(15),calycosin(16),daidzein(17),3,4,7-trihydroxyisoflavone(18),ononin(19),genistein(20),genistin(21).Compounds 1-4、7-10、13 and 17-19 significantly inhibited lipid accumulation in AML12 cells,and compound 9 inhibited PPAR-γ expression.CONCLUSION Compounds 1-6,10-13 are isolated from Pueraria genus for the first time.Compounds 1-4,7-10,13 and 17-19 have good lipid-lowering activity.

Aim To evaluate the toxicity and mecha-nism of Epimedium sagittatum(Sieb.et Zucc.)Maxim aqueous extract(ESMAE)on HepaRG cells based on serum toxicology.Methods MTT assay was used to detect the activity of HepaRG cells after treatment with the serum containing ESMAE from SD rats.Western blot was used to detect the effects of the serum contai-ning drug on the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins(PERK,eIF-2α,ATF-4,GRP78,CHOP)and pyroptosis related proteins(NL-RP1,caspase-1,cleaved caspase-1,GSDMD,GSDMD-N).MTT assay was used to detect the activity of Hep-aRG cells after treatment with the liver homogenate containing ESMAE from SD rats.Results Twenty percent serum containing drug significantly decreased the viability of HepaRG cells,with the cells exhibiting swelling,rupture,and vesicle-like pyroptosis.The ex-pression levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins PERK,eIF-2α,ATF-4,GRP78,and CHOP significantly increased.The expression levels of pro-teins involved in the NLRP1-mediated classical pyrop-tosis pathway were significantly increased.Finally the liver homogenate containing drug decreased the cell ac-tivity,and cells exhibited swelling,rupture,and vesicle-like pyroptosis.Conclusions After administration of ESMAE,the serum containing drug and the liver ho-mogenate containing drug of rats show toxicity to Hep-aRG cells,and can induce endoplasmic reticulum stress and activate the NLRP1/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway in HepaRG cells.

Objective:To present a set of clinically representative quality assurance (QA) test cases for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRT) plans of multiple intracranial metastases, in order to assess the plan quality and machine execution capabilities.Methods:Based on the clinical characteristics of multiple brain metastases, four groups of test cases with three target volumes (TVs), six TVs, nine TVs, and TVs near organs at risk (OARs) were designed. For these cases, SRT plans were developed, and plan quality was assessed using metrics including the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group conformality index (RTOG CI), gradient index (GI), homogeneity index (HI), and the volume of normal brain tissue receiving a dose of 24 Gy ( V24 Gy), which was defined as the volume enclosed by the 24 Gy isodose line around the Brain-PTV ( V24 Gy of Brain-PTV). Verification plans were generated for each test case, including the verification of point doses, planar doses (PD), and SRS MapCHECK (SMC) semiconductor matrix planar doses. Compared with the calculated result of the treatment planning system (TPS), the criteria for the γ analysis of planar doses were set at 1 mm/2% and 2 mm/2%. Results:For the four groups of test cases, the mean CI, GI, HI, and V24 Gy of Brain-PTV were 1.04±0.03, 3.79±0.40, 0.73±0.01 and (7.46±3.80) cm 3, respectively. The mean deviations of the point doses were 0.88%±0.98%, 1.47%±0.79%, 1.52%± 0.76%, and 1.17% ± 0.38%, respectively. The mean γ passing rates of the single fields for PDs were greater than 98% at 2 mm/2% and exceeding 96% at 1 mm/2%, and the mean γ pass rates of the SMC semiconductor matrix for PDs were 97.75% ± 2.31% and 99.33% ± 0.62%, at 1 mm/2% and 2 mm/2% respectively. Conclusions:The proposed QA test cases for SRT of multiple intracranial metastases allow for the effective assessments of the plan quality and machine execution capabilities and, thus, can assist various centers in clinical applications.

Spectral computed tomography (CT) has triggered a technological revolution in radiodiagnosis while demonstrating its increasing application value in radiotherapy. Employing dual-energy techniques for material decomposition, spectral CT provides optimized solutions for several critical aspects of radiotherapy. Based on a review of the application situation of spectral CT in radiotherapy, this study delved into spectral CT′s significant advantages in image quality improvement, precise dose calculation, and comprehensive quantitative assessment. Furthermore, this study envisioned the development orientations and application prospects of spectral CT.

Objective:To compare the immobilization effect of two different immobilization methods in treatment with CyberKnife for intracranial tumors.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 48 patients with intracranial tumors who received treatment with CyberKnife in the Department of Radiotherapy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from June 2023 to July 2024.Based on the different immobilization method,patients were divided into two groups:the Double Shell Positioning System(DSPS)group(n=22)and the Qfix group(n=26).The DSPS group was immobilized using an American full-body integrated positioning frame combined with a carbon fiber bracket and DSPS film,while the Qfix group was immobilized using an Encompass board and Qfix film.All patients were treated with 6 dimensions(6D)-skull tracking technique.During treatment,images were acquired as one times per 60 seconds,which were registered with digitally reconstructed radiograph(DRR)to record and compare the overall relative errors.The data of relative displacement error during treatment was calculated as|dx|=d1-d0,and differences between the two groups were compared.The maximum displacement(|d|=dmax-dmin)was also calculated,and difference in maximum displacement between the two kinds of immobilization methods was analyzed.Results:In the comparison of the overall relative errors between the two kinds of immobilization methods,the median values in the errors of superior-inferior(SI),anterior-posterior(AP),Roll,Pitch,and Yaw directions in the Qfix group were respectively 0.174,0.309,0.150,0.147,and 0.477,which were significantly less than those(0.224,0.316,0.175,0.221,and 0.584)of DSPS group,and the differences were statistically significant(Z=-4.358,-1.698,-2.595,-6.833,-5.371,P<0.05).The difference of the relative displacement errors between two kinds of immobilization methods was not significant(P>0.05),while the median values in all directions were not zero.The comparison of the maximum displacement value between the two kinds of immobilization methods indicated the displacement amounts of Qfix group was less than those of DSPS group on SI,left-right(LR),AP,roll,pitch,and yaw directions,and the differences of them were significant(Z=-3.373,-2.525,-2.488,-3.169,-5.130,-5.166,P<0.05).Conclusion:Both immobilization methods can meet the requirements of clinical treatment.The results of comparison indicate the immobilization effect of Qfix group is best,and the combination of Encompass board and Qfix film is recommended as the immobilization method of CyberKnife-based radiotherapy for intracranial tumors.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of vericiguat tablets combined with sacubitril valsartan sodium(Sac/Val)tablets in the treatment of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF).Methods The HFrEF patients were divided into control group and treatment group according to the cohort method.The control group was treated with Sac/Val tablets 200 mg per time,bid,orally.On the basis of control group,the treatment group was treated with vericiguat tablets 2.5 mg per time,qd,taken with meal.Two groups were treated for 3 months.The clinical efficacy,left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular end-diastolic dimension(LVEDD)and end-systolic diameter(LVESD),levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),interleukin-6(IL-6),nitric oxide(NO),N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),blood urea nitrogen(BUN)and serum creatinine(SCr),and safety were compared between the two groups.During follow-up,the heart failure rehospitalization rates and major adverse cardiovascular events were compared between the two groups.Results Treatment group was enrolled 53 patients,control group was enrolled 53 patients.After treatment,the total effective rates of treatment and control groups were 94.34％(50 cases/53 cases)and 81.13％(43 cases/53 cases)with statistical significant difference(P＜0.05).After treatment,the LVEF of treatment and control groups were(48.02±5.20)％and(43.02±4.33)％,the LVEDDs were(52.85±6.30)and(55.63±6.88)mm,the LVESDs were(41.64±6.40)and(44.22±5.85)mm,the levels of hs-CRP were(10.22±2.63)and(14.60±2.98)mg L-1,the levels of IL-6 were(14.48±2.40)and(17.36±2.52)pg·mL-1,the levels of NO were(102.60±20.16)and(92.16±16.33)μmol·L-1,the levels of NT-proBNP were(898.74±102.20)and(1315.60±182.64)ng·L-1,the levels of BUN were(12.02±2.28)and(13.45±2.33)mmol·L-1,the levels of SCr were(82.22±5.89)and(85.64±6.03)μmol·L-1,the heart failure rehospitalization rates were 5.66％and 13.21％,respectively;the differences were statistical significant between two groups(all P＜0.05).The adverse drug reactions of treatment group were hyperkalemia,hypotension,renal dysfunction,dizziness and headache,while those in control group were renal dysfunction,hyperkalemia,and hypotension.The major adverse cardiovascular events of treatment group were angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction,while those in control group were angina pectoris,acute myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation.The incidences of total adverse drug reactions in treatment and control groups were 13.21％and 7.55％,the incidences of major adverse cardiovascular events were 5.66％and 13.21％,respectively,without statistically significant differences(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Vericiguat tablets combined with Sac/Val tablets have a definitive clinical efficacy in the treatment of HFrEF patients,which can improve cardiac and endothelial function,reduce inflammatory response and readmission times,without increasing the incidences of adverse drug reactions.

Objective:To investigate the effect of anterior and posterior selective fusion strategy on evolution of coronal pattern in patients with Lenke 5C adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and whether upper end vertebra (UEV)-1 strategy in anterior surgery would have an effect on postoperative coronal balance.Methods:A total of 108 Lenke 5C AIS patients with at least 2 years follow-up who underwent anterior or posterior selective thoracolumbar fusion surgery from January 2005 to December 2020 were enrolled, with 51 patients in the anterior group and 57 patients in the posterior group. The patients were categorized into three groups (type A, C 7PL-CSVL<20 mm; type B, C 7PL-CSVL ≥20 mm with C 7PL toward the concave side of the main curve; and type C, C 7PL-CSVL≥20 mm with C 7PL toward the convex side of the main curve) to investigate the evolution of coronal balance of each preoperative coronal pattern at the anterior and posterior groups. Parameters such as thoracolumbar Cobb angle, rate of coronal imbalance, and SRS-22 score were recorded at preoperative, 1 week postoperatively, and final follow-up in both groups. Results:The differences of basic date between the two groups were not statistically significant except for the fusion level (5.2±0.7 vs. 5.6±0.9, t=2.497, P=0.014). In the anterior group, a total of 27 patients with preoperative type A, 23 patients with preoperative type A maintained type A at the 1 week postoperatively, and 2 of them were converted to type C at the final follow-up. Four patients with preoperative type A converted to type C at the 1 week postoperatively, and all of them returned to type A at the final follow-up. A total of 23 patients with preoperative type C, four patients with preoperative type C maintained type C at the 1 week postoperatively, and one of them maintained type C at the final follow-up. Nineteen patients with preoperative type C converted to type A at the 1 week postoperatively, and all of them maintained type A at the final follow-up. In the posterior group, a total of 26 patients with preoperative type A, 22 patients with preoperative type A maintained type A at the 1 week postoperatively, and only 2 of these patients converted to type C at the final follow-up. Four of the preoperative type A patients converted to type C at the 1 week postoperatively, and all of them returned to type A at the final follow-up. A total of 29 patients with preoperative type C, thirteen patients with preoperative type C maintained type C at the 1 week postoperatively, and 7 of them maintained type C at the last follow-up. Sixteen patients with preoperative type C converted to type A at the 1 week postoperatively, of whom two converted to type C at the final follow-up. For patients with preoperative type C the rate of coronal imbalance was significantly lower in the anterior group than in the posterior group both in the immediate postoperative period (17% vs. 45%, P<0.05) and at the final follow-up (4% vs. 31%, P=0.038). The rate of coronal imbalance at final follow-up was significantly lower in the UEV-1 group than in the UEV group in the posterior approach (3% vs. 38%, P<0.05), and there was no difference between the two groups in the anterior approach. There were no significant differences in radiographic parameters and SRS-22 scores between the two groups, except for the thoracic Cobb angle at the final follow-up, which was greater in the anterior group than in the posterior group at the final follow-up (19.5±7.3 vs.16.4±5.6, t=2.427, P=0.017). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that anterior surgery and Risser were risk factors for postoperative CIB of preoperative type C ( OR=21.138, P=0.030 and OR=0.406, P=0.048 respectively). Conclusion:For patients with preoperative type A, both anterior and posterior procedures lead to a satisfactory reconstruction of coronal balance. In patients with preoperative type C, anterior surgery acquire a better reconstruction of coronal balance. The strategy of proximal UEV-1 was similar to the strategy of UEV in terms of restoring coronary balance in anterior approach and it was unable to lower the rate of postoperative coronal imbalance. In contrast, UEV-1 strategy in posterior surgery was effective in reducing the rate of postoperative coronal imbalance.

Abuse of amphetamine-based stimulants is a primary public health concern. Recent studies have underscored a troubling escalation in the inappropriate use of prescription amphetamine-based stimulants. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the impact of acute methamphetamine exposure (AME) on sleep homeostasis remain to be explored. This study employed non-human primates and electroencephalogram (EEG) sleep staging to evaluate the influence of AME on neural oscillations. The primary focus was on alterations in spindles, delta oscillations, and slow oscillations (SOs) and their interactions as conduits through which AME influences sleep stability. AME predominantly diminishes sleep-spindle waves in the non-rapid eye movement 2 (NREM2) stage, and impacts SOs and delta waves differentially. Furthermore, the competitive relationships between SO/delta waves nesting with sleep spindles were selectively strengthened by methamphetamine. Complexity analysis also revealed that the SO-nested spindles had lost their ability to maintain sleep depth and stability. In summary, this finding could be one of the intrinsic electrophysiological mechanisms by which AME disrupted sleep homeostasis.
Animals ; Methamphetamine ; Electroencephalography ; Male ; Sleep/drug effects* ; Central Nervous System Stimulants ; Delta Rhythm/drug effects* ; Sleep Stages/drug effects*