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.

Objective: To explore the impact of donor reentry experience, specifically among those with a single reactive serological result who completed the reentry process, on their willingness to return for future blood donation, and to examine the mediating roles of blood donation knowledge and trait anxiety. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November and December 2025. A total of 386 blood donors from the Changsha Blood Center were categorized into a reentry group (n=123) and a control group (n=263). Data on demographic characteristics, blood donation knowledge (BDKQ), trait anxiety (STAI-T), and blood donation return intention (BDRIS) were collected via questionnaires. SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 28.0 were used for statistical analyses, including independent-samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, multiple linear regression, and path analysis for mediating effect testing. Results: There were statistically significant differences in age, occupation, education level, monthly income and donation frequency between the reentry group and the control group (all P<0.05). The reentry group scored significantly higher in blood donation knowledge and blood donation return intention than the control group (both P<0.05). The mean BDRIS score was 11.51±3.62, indicating a relatively high intention to return. Blood donation knowledge was significantly negatively correlated with trait anxiety (r=-0.15, P<0.05) and positively correlated with blood donation return intention (r=0.19, P<0.05); trait anxiety was significantly negatively correlated with blood donation return intention (r=-0.33, P<0.05). Significant differences in BDRIS scores were found based on group (reentry vs control), age, and number of previous donations (all P<0.05). Multiple linear regression showed that BDKQ positively predicted BDRIS (β=0.11, P<0.05), while STAI-T negatively predicted BDRIS (β=-0.27, P<0.05). Path analysis further revealed that the reentry experience had no direct effect on the intention to return. However, it exerted a positive influence through two indirect pathways: 1) a simple mediating effect via increased blood donation knowledge (β=0.17, accounting for 25.0% of the total effect), and 2) a chain mediating effect through "increased blood donation knowledge → decreased trait anxiety" (β=0.05, accounting for 8.1% of the total effect). The model fit indices reached the ideal fitting criteria. Conclusion: The donor reentry experience does not directly enhance the intention to return for blood donation. Rather, it may exert an indirect positive influence by increasing blood donation knowledge and through the sequential pathway of "increased knowledge → decreased trait anxiety". Blood collection institutions should leverage the reentry process as an opportunity for education and psychological support to improve donor retention rate.

Objective To analyze the infection status and epidemic trends of soil-borne nematode infections in Yubei, Chongqing City, in 2010,2021, and 2022. Methods The local populations from four survey sites of four towns in 2010 and five sites of five towns in 2021 and 2022 were surveyed regarding their basic information using a unified form. Fecal samples of the participants were collected and tested for soil-borne nematode infections using the modified Kato-Katz thick smear method. Results In 2010, 2 049 participants were surveyed, followed by 1 000 participants in 2021 and 2022. The overall prevalence of parasitic infections declined significantly from 3.86% to 0.20%. In 2010, soil-transmitted nematode included hookworms(3.81%) and roundworms(0.29%). In 2021, the infection rates of roundworms and hookworms were 1.70% and 0.10% respectively. Notably, only Ascaris was identified in 2022(0.20%). The≥60 age group consistently exhibited the highest infection rates across all surveys, followed by the 40-59 age group. The infection rates of males in the three surveys were 3.31%,1.92%, and 0.20% respectively, and those of females were 4.37%, 1.46%, and 0.20% respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the infection rates between males and females. Educational attainment was inversely associated with infection; in 2010, the highest prevalence was observed among those with primary education or below, whereas in 2021, illiterate or semi-literate individuals showed the highest susceptibility. The occupational distribution of infections in 2010 indicated that retirees (8.33%), farmers(4.86%), and homemakers or unemployed individuals(3.45%)were the most affected. However, in 2021 and 2022, farmers emerged as the predominant occupational group with soil-transmitted nematode infections. Conclusions The infection rate of soil-borne nematodes showed a decreasing trend in Yubei, and the infection species changed from hookworms in 2010 to Ascaris in 2022. Farmers, the elderly, and people with low education levels should continue to be the focus of preventive and control efforts.

The auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) gene family is an important regulator for plant growth hormone signaling, involved in plant growth, development, as well as response to environmental stresses. In the present study, we identified SmIAA7 which is potentially associated with Salvia miltiorrhiza leaf development through comparatively analyzed the transcriptome data from different pinnate leaves. SmIAA7 was successfully isolated from S. miltiorrhiza using the specific primers. Then subsequent bioinformatic analysis, prokaryotic expression and purification, subcellular localization, and induction expression analysis under auxin and abiotic stress were performed. The full-length of SmIAA7 contained an ORF of 684 bp encoding a protein of 227 amino acid with a molecular weight of 25.3 kD. Conserved domain analysis showed that SmIAA7 contains the conserved Aux_IAA domain (pfam02309). Sequence analysis and phylogenetic tree analysis results indicated SmIAA7 was phylogenetically close to IAA7 and IAA14 from other plants, suggesting SmIAA7 involved in plant growth and development as well as response to environmental stresses. The prokaryotic expression vector pET28a-SmIAA7 was constructed and SmIAA7 recombinant protein was successfully expressed in E. coli Rosetta (DE3) strain. Subcellular localization experiment demonstrated that SmIAA7 localized in the nucleus of plant cells. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR results showed that the expression level of SmIAA7 was upregulated in response to auxin. Drought, low temperature, and salt stress significantly increased the transcript level of SmIAA7 gene. This study lays a foundation for further elucidating the role of SmIAA7 in leaf development, signal transduction, and stress defense in S. miltiorrhiza.

Objective To compare the clinical outcomes of the clomiphene citrate(CC)dual stimulation protocol and the luteal phase ovarian stimulation protocol after natural cycle oocytes retrieved in POSEIDON patients with low expected prognosis.Methods The clinical data from patients who underwent in vitro fertilization(IVF)or intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI)at the Reproductive Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from May 2016 to December 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.According to the POSEI-DON criteria,including POSEIDON group 3 and group 4,which were treated with the CC dual stimulation protocol(the CC group)and the luteal-phase ovarian stimulation protocol after the natural cycle oocytes retrieval(the natural cycle group).The basic data and clinical outcomes of the two ovulation protocols were analyzed,and the main observations included the number of oocytes retrieved,the cumulative clinical pregnancy rate and the cumulative live birth rate,and explored the impact of ovulation promotion regimens on clinical outcomes through binary logis-tic regression.Results On the whole,there was no significant difference in the total number of oocytes retrieved,cumulative clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate between the CC group and the natural cycle group(all P>0.05),And in POSEIDON group 4,the numbers of oocytes retrieved in the follicular phase of the CC group were higher than those in the natural cycle group,whereas the number of oocytes retrieved in the luteal phase of natural cycle group were higher,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).After logistic regression analysis,the ovulation stimulation protocols did not affect the cumulative clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate of POSEI-DON 3 and 4 group(P>0.05).Conclusions For the POSEIDON patients with a low expected prognosis,the clinical effectiveness of the luteal phase ovarian stimulation protocol after natural cycle oocytes retrieved is not inferior to that of the CC dual stimulation protocol.In POSEIDON group 4,on the premise that the AMH levels of patients in the natural cycle group were lower than those in the CC group,who underwent natural cycle ovulation followed by luteal phase induction achieved similar clinical outcomes to those of the CC dual stimulation protocol group.Therefore,the luteal phase ovarian stimulation protocol after natural cycle oocytes retrieved should be more clinically recommended for POSEIDON group 4 patients.

Objective·To investigate the association of insulin resistance with left ventricular(LV)remodeling after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)in patients without a history of diabetes mellitus.Methods·This study consecutively enrolled STEMI patients without a history of diabetes mellitus who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention in the Department of Cardiology of Ruijin Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine,from January 2014 to December 2022.The patients were followed up for 6 months.Age,gender,smoking status,blood pressure,body mass index,biochemical indexes(liver function,kidney function,lipid profiles,glycemic levels and peak troponin levels,etc.)and pharmacological treatment were recorded.Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)was used to evaluate insulin resistance and mean values of visit-to-visit HOMA-IR were calculated.Patients were divided into 4 groups(low-level group,low-to-medium-level group,medium-to-high-level group,and high-level group)according to the quartiles of mean HOMA-IR levels.Echocardiography was performed at baseline and during follow-up.Then the association between mean values of insulin resistance and post-infarction LV remodeling was analyzed.Results·A total of 219 patients were finally included,with an average age of(62.7±11.9)years,and male patients accounted for 85.4％(187 cases).The average follow-up time was(6.4±1.8)months.During follow-up,the average number of HOMA-IR measurements was(4.32±2.18),and the mean value of visit-to-visit HOMA-IR was 2.41(1.58,3.98),which was higher than normal range.The results showed that post-infarction LV end-diastolic diameter(P=0.027)and LV end-diastolic volume index(P=0.013)generally showed a trend for dilation with increasing mean HOMA-IR levels.Pearson correlation analysis revealed the mean values of visit-to-visit HOMA-IR were positively correlated to changes in LV dimensions(△ LV end-diastolic volume index:r=0.20,P=0.003;△ LV end-diastolic diameter:r=0.21,P=0.002).Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that higher HOMA-IR was independently associated with greater LV dilation after STEMI,even after adjusting for age,gender,traditional risk factors(history of hypertension,body mass index,smoking status,renal function and lipid profiles),pharmacological treatment,baseline LV ejection fraction and peak troponin levels.Compared with patients with the lowest quartile of HOMA-IR,those with the highest HOMA-IR quartile exhibited a 7.727 mL/m2 increase in LV end-diastolic volume index(P＜0.001).Conclusion·This study reveals that insulin resistance is prevalent in STEMI patients without a history of diabetes mellitus.Insulin resistance is an independent predictor of adverse LV remodeling in this population.

OBJECTIVE To establish HPLC fingerprints of three drying processes(Atmospheric pressure drying,Decompression drying,Freeze-drying)of Danggui Buxue granules,and combine them with antioxidant tests to determine the optimal drying process and main active components of Danggui Buxue granules.METHODS The fingerprints of multiple batches of Danggui Buxue granules were established by HPLC;the"Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System of Traditional Chinese Medicine Chromatogram"was used to evaluate the similarity;Hierarchical Cluster Analysis(HCA)and Principal Component Analysis(PCA)were used to characterize the different drying processes of Danggui Buxue granules;evaluate the antioxidant activity of Danggui Buxue granules in different drying processes using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazy(DPPH)and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)diammonium salt(ABTS)free radical scavenging method;the spectrum-effect relationship between Danggui Buxue granules fingerprint and antioxi-dant activity was analyzed by grey correlation degree and Pearson,Spearman,Kendall's tau-b correlation analysis methods.RE-SULTS The results of fingerprint showed that there were 16 common peaks in 30 batches of Danggui Buxue granules,and 6 of them were identified by comparison.The results of Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis showed that 30 batches of Danggui buxue granules were divided into 3 categories,and the difference between the groups of atmospheric pressure drying was the least.The results of oxidation test showed that different drying processes of Danggui Buxue granules had good antioxidant activity,and the atmos-pheric pressure drying had the lowest IC50 and the strongest antioxidant activity.Finally,combining the results of gray correlation anal-ysis and correlation analysis,the compounds F2,F10,F13(calycosin),F15(formononetin),F16 might be important characteristic peaks reflecting the antioxidant activity of Danggui Buxue granules.CONCLUSION Compared with other drying processes,atmos-pheric pressure drying has higher batch consistency and stronger antioxidant activity,and can be used as the preferred drying process for Danggui Buxue granules,and components 2,10,13,15 and 16 are the main active ingredients for Danggui Buxue granules to exert antioxidant effects.

Ischemia-reperfusion injury(IRI)of the donor liver is inevitable during procurement,preservation and transplantation,directly affecting the outcome of liver transplantation.It is the main cause of early allograft dysfunction and acute/chronic graft rejection after liver transplantation.It is also the main risk factor that affects the use of marginal grafts and exacerbates donor shortage.With the rapid development of biomedical technology,continuous improvements have been made in donor liver preconditioning,preservation perfusion techniques,and pharmacological treatments.Particularly significant progress and breakthroughs have been achieved in the areas of machine perfusion technology,ischaemia-free liver transplantation,anti-oxidation,anti-apoptosis and anti-inflammatory treatments.These advances have significantly reduced or prevented IRI in donor livers,extended the preservation time of donor livers ex vivo,reduced a series of severe complications after liver transplantation,and also significantly increased the utilization rate of marginal donor livers.This article discusses the progress in mechanisms related to liver IRI and liver preservation methods,and explores existing issues,cutting-edge explorations,and future challenges in effective organ preservation and optimization.

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors and perinatal outcomes associated with monozygotic twins (MZT) following elective single embryo transfer (eSET) via in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET). Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 12 079 patients who achieved pregnancy after undergoing IVF/ICSI-eSET at Reproductive Health Hospital of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between January 2015 and September 2023. Patients were stratified into two groups based on ultrasound findings 30 d post-transfer: singleton pregnancy group and MZT pregnancy group. Finally, 300 MZT and 1 500 single pregnancies, which were randomly matched according to 1∶5 were included by study period. General patients' characteristics, embryo-related factors, and perinatal outcomes were compared between the two groups. A multivariate logistic regression model was employed to identify risk factors for MZT after single embryo transfer, adjusting for potential confounding variables.Results:The incidence of twin pregnancy following single embryo transfer was 2.48% (300/12 079), which was higher than that of naturally conceived monozygotic twin pregnancy. No significant difference was found in baseline characteristics between the two groups (all P>0.05). The blastocyst transfer rate was higher in the MZT pregnancy group [93.3% (280/300)] than in the singleton pregnancy group [88.8% (1 332/1 500), P=0.022]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis also showed that blastocyst transfer was associated with an increased risk of MZT ( OR=0.552, P=0.016, 95% CI: 0.341-0.894). Analysis of blastocyst cycles showed that the risk of MZT was higher when transferring high-quality blastocysts [79.6% (223/280) vs. 67.8% (903/1 332), P<0.001], where as a trophectoderm (TE) grading of C [20.4% (57/280) vs. 32.2% (429/1 332), P<0.001] had a lower risk of MZT. After adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of MZT was found to increase with the transfer of blastocysts with a B-grade inner cell mass (ICM) ( OR=0.601, P=0.001, 95% CI: 0.442-0.819) and A/B grade TE (grade A: OR=2.951, P<0.001, 95% CI: 1.980-4.399; grade B: OR=1.840, P<0.001, 95% CI: 1.315-2.576). The risk of complications during pregnancy [47.7% (143/300) vs. 19.3% (289/1 500), P<0.001], preterm labor [55.1% (140/254) vs. 7.4% (101/1 368), P<0.001], and the risk of stillbirth [3.7% (11/300) vs. 1.5% (22/1 500), P=0.016] were significantly higher in the MZT pregnancy group than in the singleton pregnancy group. Conclusion:Assisted reproductive technology may contribute to the risk of MZT. Transfer of blastocysts, particularly those with loose ICM arrangement and dense TE arrangement, appears to increase the risk of MZT in patients undergoing eSET.

Objective:To investigate the association between homocysteine (Hcy) and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), as well as its impact on clinical pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET). Methods:This retrospective cohort study collected clinical data from patients undergoing IVF/ICSI-ET at the Reproductive Health Hospital of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between December 2020 and March 2024. Patients were divided into no history of pregnancy loss group (named control group, n=1 027) and RPL group ( n=743) based on history of pregnancy loss. Peripheral blood Hcy levels were compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to adjust for confounding factors and determine whether Hcy is an independent risk factor for RPL. RPL patients were divided into four subgroups based on Hcy quartiles, named Q1 subgroup (Hcy<7.03 μmol/L), Q2 subgroup (7.03 μmol/L≤Hcy<8.63 μmol/L), Q3 subgroup (8.63 μmol/L≤Hcy<10.44 μmol/L), and Q4 subgroup (Hcy≥10.44 μmol/L), to further analyze the impact of Hcy level on pregnancy outcomes after IVF/ICSI-ET in these patients. Results:1) Baseline characteristics between control and RPL groups: statistically significant differences were observed in female age, male age, female body mass index (BMI), duration of infertility, cause of infertility, and peripheral blood Hcy levels (all P<0.05). 2) After adjusting for female age, male age, female BMI, duration of infertility, and cause of infertility via multivariate logistic regression, elevated Hcy levels was identified as an independent risk factor for RPL (a OR=1.366, 95% CI: 1.298-1.438, P<0.001). 3) Baseline characteristics of the four RPL subgroups: antral follicle count (AFC) differed significantly among Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 subgroups [17.00 (11.00, 24.00), 15.00 (10.00, 24.00), 14.00 (7.00, 22.25), 15.50 (8.00, 22.00), P=0.043]. No statistically significant differences were observed in other baseline characteristics (all P>0.05). 4) Pregnancy outcomes across the four RPL subgroups: miscarriage rates in the Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 subgroups were 18.18% (18/99), 30.61% (30/98), 33.70% (31/92), and 35.96% (32/89), respectively, live birth rates were 44.26% (81/183), 36.17% (68/188), 32.80% (61/186), and 30.65% (57/186), respectively. Intergroup differences in miscarriage rate and live birth rate were statistically significant ( P=0.033, P=0.036). Specifically, miscarriage rate in the Q3 and Q4 subgroups, and live birth rate in the Q4 subgroup were significantly higher than those in the Q1 subgroup (all q<0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in clinical pregnancy rate or early miscarriage rate among the four groups (all P>0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors using multivariate logistic regression, taking the Q1 subgroup as the control, there were no statistically significant differences in the clinical pregnancy rate between the remaining groups and the Q1 subgroup (all P>0.05). The early miscarriage rate in the Q3 subgroup (a OR=2.184, 95% CI: 1.077-4.426, P=0.030) and the early miscarriage rate in the Q4 subgroup (a OR=2.290, 95% CI: 1.116-4.697, P=0.024) were significantly higher than those in the Q1 subgroup; the miscarriage rate in the Q3 subgroup (a OR=2.207, 95% CI: 1.125-4.330, P=0.021) and the miscarriage rate in the Q4 subgroup (a OR=2.377, 95% CI: 1.209-4.674, P=0.012) were significantly higher than those in the Q1 subgroup; the live birth rate in the Q3 subgroup (a OR=0.615, 95% CI: 0.401-0.944, P=0.026) and the live birth rate in the Q4 subgroup (a OR=0.560, 95% CI: 0.364-0.863, P=0.009) were significantly lower than those in the Q1 subgroup. Conclusion:Elevated Hcy is a high-risk factor for RPL in IVF/ICSI-ET patients and may adversely affect pregnancy outcomes.