Aromatic Chinese medicinal essential oils are volatile oils extracted from aromatic Chinese herbs， which can prevent and treat respiratory infectious diseases through multiple synergistic mechanisms including pathogen inhibition， immune regulation， and inflammatory response regulation. Essential oils are primarily used externally on the body to prevent infections and alleviate symptoms through methods like inhalation， smearing， topical application， bathing， gargling or as a suppository. They can also be utilized in the environment for disinfection and air purification， through methods like diffusion， vaporization， or spraying. The external application of essential oils extracted from Chinese aromatic herbs has the advantages of convenience， quick absorption， and simultaneous influence on both the body and mind. However， there are still challenges and deficiencies in aspects such as the positioning of functions， indications， safety， and the research on the mechanism of action. It has been proposed to combine the theory of aromatic Chinese medicinals with the characteristics of essential oils， and formulate prescriptions of Chinese medicinal essential oils under the principles of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation， and prevent and treat respiratory infectious diseases efficiently， accurately， and safely， thereby expanding the clinical application of aromatic Chinese medicinals and the preventive theory of traditional Chinese medicine.

In managing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, which affects over 30% of the general population, effective noninvasive biomarkers for assessing disease severity, monitoring disease progression, predicting the development of liver-related complications, and assessing treatment response are crucial. The advantage of simple fibrosis scores lies in their widespread accessibility through routinely performed blood tests and extensive validation in different clinical settings. They have shown reasonable accuracy in diagnosing advanced fibrosis and good performance in excluding the majority of patients with a low risk of liver-related complications. Among patients with elevated serum fibrosis scores, a more specific fibrosis and imaging biomarker has proved useful to accurately identify patients at risk of liver-related complications. Among specific fibrosis blood biomarkers, enhanced liver fibrosis is the most widely utilized and has been approved in the United States as a prognostic biomarker. For imaging biomarkers, the availability of vibration-controlled transient elastography has been largely improved over the past years, enabling the use of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) for accurate assessment of significant and advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Combining LSM with other routinely available blood tests enhances the ability to diagnose at-risk metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and predict liver-related complications, some reaching an accuracy comparable to that of liver biopsy. Magnetic resonance imaging-based modalities provide the most accurate quantification of liver fibrosis, though the current utilization is limited to research settings. Expanding their future use in clinical practice depends on factors such as cost and facility availability.

In managing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, which affects over 30% of the general population, effective noninvasive biomarkers for assessing disease severity, monitoring disease progression, predicting the development of liver-related complications, and assessing treatment response are crucial. The advantage of simple fibrosis scores lies in their widespread accessibility through routinely performed blood tests and extensive validation in different clinical settings. They have shown reasonable accuracy in diagnosing advanced fibrosis and good performance in excluding the majority of patients with a low risk of liver-related complications. Among patients with elevated serum fibrosis scores, a more specific fibrosis and imaging biomarker has proved useful to accurately identify patients at risk of liver-related complications. Among specific fibrosis blood biomarkers, enhanced liver fibrosis is the most widely utilized and has been approved in the United States as a prognostic biomarker. For imaging biomarkers, the availability of vibration-controlled transient elastography has been largely improved over the past years, enabling the use of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) for accurate assessment of significant and advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Combining LSM with other routinely available blood tests enhances the ability to diagnose at-risk metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and predict liver-related complications, some reaching an accuracy comparable to that of liver biopsy. Magnetic resonance imaging-based modalities provide the most accurate quantification of liver fibrosis, though the current utilization is limited to research settings. Expanding their future use in clinical practice depends on factors such as cost and facility availability.

In managing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, which affects over 30% of the general population, effective noninvasive biomarkers for assessing disease severity, monitoring disease progression, predicting the development of liver-related complications, and assessing treatment response are crucial. The advantage of simple fibrosis scores lies in their widespread accessibility through routinely performed blood tests and extensive validation in different clinical settings. They have shown reasonable accuracy in diagnosing advanced fibrosis and good performance in excluding the majority of patients with a low risk of liver-related complications. Among patients with elevated serum fibrosis scores, a more specific fibrosis and imaging biomarker has proved useful to accurately identify patients at risk of liver-related complications. Among specific fibrosis blood biomarkers, enhanced liver fibrosis is the most widely utilized and has been approved in the United States as a prognostic biomarker. For imaging biomarkers, the availability of vibration-controlled transient elastography has been largely improved over the past years, enabling the use of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) for accurate assessment of significant and advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Combining LSM with other routinely available blood tests enhances the ability to diagnose at-risk metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and predict liver-related complications, some reaching an accuracy comparable to that of liver biopsy. Magnetic resonance imaging-based modalities provide the most accurate quantification of liver fibrosis, though the current utilization is limited to research settings. Expanding their future use in clinical practice depends on factors such as cost and facility availability.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between white matter injury (WMI) and cerebral perfusion in preterm infants using arterial spin labeling (ASL). METHODS: A total of 293 preterm infants (gestational age <34 weeks) hospitalized at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between June 2022 and June 2024 were included. After achieving clinical stability, the infants underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ASL. Based on MRI findings, infants were classified into WMI (n=66) and non-WMI (n=227) groups. Cerebral perfusion parameters were compared between groups, and the association between WMI and perfusion alterations was evaluated. RESULTS: The WMI group showed a higher incidence of mild intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) than the non-WMI group (P<0.05). Significantly lower cerebral perfusion was observed in the WMI group across bilateral frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes, as well as the basal ganglia and thalamus (P<0.05). After adjusting for gestational age, corrected gestational age at ASL scan, and mild IVH, WMI remained significantly associated with reduced regional perfusion (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS WMI in preterm infants correlates with localized cerebral hypoperfusion. ASL-detected perfusion abnormalities may provide novel insights into WMI pathogenesis.
Humans ; White Matter/blood supply* ; Infant, Newborn ; Spin Labels ; Infant, Premature ; Female ; Male ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical and laboratory characteristics of monoclonal gammopathy anemia and explore the risk factors associated with anemia in monoclonal gammopathy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 5 539 patients who underwent immunofixation electrophoresis at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College from January 2016 to February 2024. A total of 351 newly diagnosed M protein positive patients were selected as the study subjects, including 270 in the anemia group and 81 in the non-anemia group. Laboratory test results were compared between the two groups, and logistic regression models were used to analyze the risk factors for anemia. ROC curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of risk factors for anemia in monoclonal gammopathy. RESULTS: The proportion of non-anemic patients was 23.1% (81/351), with a median age of 67(60-75) years; the proportion of anemic patients was 76.9% (270/351), with a median age of 70(63-75) years. The total protein, globulin, urea, creatinine, uric acid, β₂-microglobulin, and ceruloplasmin levels in the anemia group were higher than those in the non-anemia group ( P < 0.05), while albumin, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, monocyte count, complement C3, complement C4, haptoglobin, and transferrin levels were lower in the non-anemia group ( P < 0.05). After adjustment, multivariate logistic regression analysis shows that elevated GLB, increased β₂-MG, decreased ANC, and reduced complement C3 were independent risk factors for anemia in monoclonal gammopathy ( P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis demonstrates that GLB, β₂-MG, ANC, and complement C3 had good predictive value for anemia associated with monoclonal gammopathy. CONCLUSION Elevated GLB, increased β₂-MG, decreased ANC, and reduced complement C3 are independent risk factors for anemia in monoclonal gammopathy (P < 0.05). The combined assessment of these four factors has good predictive value for anemia in monoclonal gammopathy.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Anemia/complications* ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Paraproteinemias/diagnosis* ; Risk Factors ; Male ; Female ; Logistic Models ; ROC Curve ; Complement C3

BACKGROUND: Meningeal metastasis (MM) is a form of malignant metastasis where tumor cells spread from the primary site to the pia mater, dura mater, arachnoid, subarachnoid space, and other cerebrospinal fluid compartments. Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumor types with MM. MM not only signifies that the lung cancer has progressed to an advanced stage but also leads to a range of severe clinical symptoms due to meningeal involvement. Currently, the risk factors associated with the development of MM are not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for MM in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) who underwent non-surgical interventions, in order to identify LUAD patients at high risk for MM. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed the clinical data of patients diagnosed with LUAD at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to July 2024. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation methods, and risk factors were identified through LASSO, univariate, and multivariate Logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 170 patients with LUAD were included in this study and divided into two groups: 87 patients with MM and 83 patients without MM. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses revealed that younger age at diagnosis (P=0.004), presence of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) L858R gene mutation (P=0.008), and concurrent liver metastasis at baseline (P=0.004) were independent risk factors for developing MM in LUAD patients who did not undergo surgical intervention. Conversely, higher baseline globulin levels (P=0.039) and the presence of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene mutation (P=0.040) were associated with a reduced risk of MM development. CONCLUSIONS Age at diagnosis, EGFR L858R mutation status, ALK gene mutation status, concurrent liver metastasis, globulin levels at baseline were significantly associated with the risk of developing MM in patients with LUAD patients who did not undergo surgical intervention. For patients diagnosed at a younger age, carrying the EGFR L858R mutation, or presenting with baseline liver metastasis, early implementation of tertiary prevention strategies for MM is crucial. Regular monitoring of MM status should be conducted in these high-risk groups.
Humans ; Male ; Adenocarcinoma of Lung/therapy* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Lung Neoplasms/therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Meningeal Neoplasms/genetics* ; Adult