Objective To study the mini-character and microscopic features of Plantago asiatica from different populations and summarize the exclusive features to provide a reference for the effective identification of Plantago asiatica. Methods Stereomicroscope and optical microscope were used to identify 30 batches of Plantago asiatica from different populations.The similarities and differences in mini-character and microscopic features of Plantago asiatica among different populations were identified. Results The differences in mini character between the Plantago asiatica from different populations were mainly reflected in whether there was fluff on the surface of leaves, inflorescence peduncles, and persistent sepals, as well as whether the epidermis of fibrous roots was flaky. The differences in microscopic characteristics between the Plantago asiatica from different populations were mainly reflected in the number of non-glandular hairs on the leaf surface, the shape of the petiole endothelial layer cells, and the number of large vascular bundles, and the number of layers of mesophyll palisade tissue cells, etc. Conclusion Plantago asiatica from different populations can be identified through mini-character and microscopic; by comparing the relevant identification features, which can provide a basis for revising and improving the standards of Plantago asiatica.

Background/Aims: Lenvatinib resistance remains a critical barrier in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy. However, the underlying mechanisms and strategies for reversing resistance remain incompletely understood. Methods: Integrated transcriptomics of lenvatinib-resistant patient tumors and an acquired-resistance murine model identified a novel macrophage subpopulation. Functional validation employed CRISPR-SAM screening, conditioned medium (CM) assays, subcutaneous/orthotopic xenografts, patient-derived organoids (PDOs), and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Mechanistic studies included ChIP-qPCR, co-immunoprecipitation, and pharmacologic targeting. Clinical relevance was assessed in a retrospective cohort. Results: Resistant HCC exhibited significant enrichment of a COLEC12high TAM subset , which correlated with poor survival and treatment response. These TAMs secreted neuregulin-1 (NRG1) , activating HER2/HER3-AKT signaling in tumor cells to drive cancer stemness and lenvatinib resistance. Mechanistically, in TAMs COLEC12 sequestered STAT1 in the cytoplasm, preventing its phosphorylation, and thereby derepressing STAT3-mediated NRG1 transcription. Depletion of NRG1 reversed the stemness phenotypes and resensitized tumors to lenvatinib both in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, high NRG1 expression predicted an inferior lenvatinib response and shorter survival. Crucially, the bispecific anti-HER2/HER3 antibody zenocutuzumab restored lenvatinib efficacy in PDOs, PDXs, and murine models. Conclusions Our work establishes the COLEC12high TAM/NRG1 axis as a master regulator of therapeutic resistance and identifies NRG1 as a predictive biomarker, providing a clinically actionable strategy to overcome lenvatinib resistance in HCC.

Objectives:To analyze whether there is a causal relationship between plasma proteins and the risk of coronary atherosclerosis(CAS)based on a two-sample Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis and to identify potential therapeutic targets for CAS.Methods:Single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP)associated with plasma proteins from the UK Biobank Pharmacoproteomics Program(UKB-PPP)database were used as instrumental variables and outcome data were obtained from genome-wide association study databases.The Wald ratio method and inverse variance weighted(IVW)method in two-sample MR were employed as the primary approaches to assess the causal relationship between plasma proteins and CAS.Colocalization analysis was conducted as a sensitivity analysis to ensure the robustness of the MR findings.Results:A total of 132 plasma proteins were found to have causal associations with an increased risk of CAS.Colocalization analysis revealed that 12 plasma proteins shared genetic variants with CAS.Among them,Proprotein convertase subtilise/kexin type 9(PCSK9)(OR=1.23,95%CI:1.15-1.32,P<0.01)and neurocan(NCAN)(OR=1.35,95%CI:1.21-1.52,P<0.01)exhibited posterior probability of hypothesis4(PPH4)values<0.80 in the colocalization analysis,indicating strong support for colocalization and suggesting their potential as primary plasma protein drug targets for CAS.Conclusions:PCSK9 is associated with an increased risk of CAS and is confirmed as a therapeutic target for CAS.NCAN emerges as another potential therapeutic target for CAS.

Objective To analyze the composition and function of residual cells in pre-transplantation human thymic slices by single-cell transcriptomics sequencing(scRNA-seq),and established a quality assessment method for thymic slices based on the expression levels of molecular markers in the culture supernatant.Methods The discarded thymus from 18 patients with congenital heart disease undergoing surgical treatment in Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University from May 2023 to January 2024 were collected and prepared into thymic slices.After the slices were cultured in vitro for 14 d,scRNA-seq was employed to identify the residual cell types,and gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis was performed to analyze the biological function of the residual cells.Then based on the literature concerning thymic slice culture,the molecular markers indicating thymocyte function were screened out.ELISA was applied to detect the changes in protein levels of molecular markers in the supernatant.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted and assess the value of the molecular markers in the supernatant in evaluating the quality of thymic slices with area under the curve(AUC).Then,the qualified and unqualified thymic slices determined by our obtained molecular markers were transplanted subcutaneously into male nude mice(6～8 weeks old,weighing 14～17 g),respectively,and the male nude mice without transplantation of the thymic slices served as control group.Flow cytometry and histologic analysis were utilized to observe the immune reconstitution after transplantation.Results ① scRNA-seq identified 11 cell types in thymic slices,dominated with epithelial cells,fibroblasts,and T cells.GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that epithelial cells were involved in enrichment entries related to chemotaxis,epithelial cell development,cell matrix adhesion and tight junction;fibroblasts were involved in enrichment entries related to extracellular matrix,epithelial cell proliferation,negative regulation of cell migration,and regulation of actin cytoskeleton;T cells were mainly related to T cell differentiation,regulation of T cell activation,T cell apoptosis,and T cell receptor signaling.② Molecular markers,CCL19,CCL21,CXCL12,CXCL16,IL16 and SELL were identified to indicate thymocyte function.Compared with the levels of the first day,the protein secretions of CCL19,CCL21,CXCL12 and CXCL16 were significantly increased during in vitro culture(P<0.05),while the protein secretions of IL16 and L-selectin(protein form of SELL)were significantly decreased(P<0.05).The combined predictor Pre1 from subset of cytokines(IL16 and L-selectin)had the highest value in the quality assessment of thymic slices after 1 d of culture(AUC=0.883),and the combined predictor Pre2 from subset of cytokines(CCL19,CCL21,CXCL12 and CXCL16)had the highest value in the quality assessment after 14 d of culture(AUC=0.948).③ Transplantation in nude mice indicated that the qualified thymic slices could develop to thymus structure in vivo,and effectively increase the proportion of T cells in peripheral blood(P<0.01),while the unqualified thymic slices could not obtain the reconstitution of T cell development.Conclusion The main residual component cells in thymic slices are epithelial cells,fibroblasts and T cells.IL16 and L-selectin can be used as potential indicators to determine the quality of donor thymic samples.CCL19,CCL21,CXCL12 and CXCL16 can effectively evaluate the quality of thymic slices before transplantation.

Objectives:To analyze whether there is a causal relationship between plasma proteins and the risk of coronary atherosclerosis(CAS)based on a two-sample Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis and to identify potential therapeutic targets for CAS.Methods:Single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP)associated with plasma proteins from the UK Biobank Pharmacoproteomics Program(UKB-PPP)database were used as instrumental variables and outcome data were obtained from genome-wide association study databases.The Wald ratio method and inverse variance weighted(IVW)method in two-sample MR were employed as the primary approaches to assess the causal relationship between plasma proteins and CAS.Colocalization analysis was conducted as a sensitivity analysis to ensure the robustness of the MR findings.Results:A total of 132 plasma proteins were found to have causal associations with an increased risk of CAS.Colocalization analysis revealed that 12 plasma proteins shared genetic variants with CAS.Among them,Proprotein convertase subtilise/kexin type 9(PCSK9)(OR=1.23,95%CI:1.15-1.32,P<0.01)and neurocan(NCAN)(OR=1.35,95%CI:1.21-1.52,P<0.01)exhibited posterior probability of hypothesis4(PPH4)values<0.80 in the colocalization analysis,indicating strong support for colocalization and suggesting their potential as primary plasma protein drug targets for CAS.Conclusions:PCSK9 is associated with an increased risk of CAS and is confirmed as a therapeutic target for CAS.NCAN emerges as another potential therapeutic target for CAS.

Objective To assess the validity and utility of the four-column concept by comparing the imaging results and clinical efficacy of the four-column concept with the Schatzker typing concept in the treatment of type Ⅰ-Ⅳ tibial plateau fractures.Methods A total of 70 tibial plateau fracture patients selected from Dongguan Hospital,Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from September 1,2022 to April 30,2023,who were divided into treatment group and control group,with 35 patients in each group.All patients underwent complete X-ray and CT three-dimensional reconstruction examination,and regular postoperative review of orthopantomograms of the knee was performed.Data were collected at 1 month and 1 year postoperatively,including measurements of posterior tibial slope(PTSA),tibial plateau anterior(TPA),and secondary displacement of the articular surfaces,as well as the visual analogue scale(VAS),range of motion(ROM),and Lysholm knee score scale(LKSS).Results The operation duration and bleeding volume in treatment group were less than that in control group,and the difference were statistically significant(P＜0.05).There were significant differentes at 1 month after postoperatively in knee ROM and Lysholm scores between two groups(P＜0.05).There were significant differences in PTSA and articular surface collapse at 1 month and 1 year postoperatively(P＜0.05).Conclusion Surgical treatment of Schatzker type Ⅰ-Ⅳ tibial plateau fracture under the guidance of the four-column concept can effectively restore the alignment of fracture ends and fixation strength,and improve the mobility of the knee joint,which is worthy of popularization and application in the clinic.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical features of dystonia in patients with different types of atypical Parkinson syndrome (APS).Methods:A total of 104 patients with APS admitted in the Department of Neurology, Beijing Hospital from January 2015 to June 2023 were enrolled in the study, including 57 cases of multiple system atrophy (MSA), 38 cases of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and 9 cases of corticobasal degeneration (CBD). Among 104 cases there were 63 males (60.6%), the mean age of patients was (62.3±8.9) years (54 to 73 years). The sex, age at onset, disease duration, first symptom, clinical features of dystonia and other neurological signs, response to levodopa therapy, numbers of Hoehn & Yahr scale≥3 after 3 years of disease, and MRI findings were documented in patients with different type APS.Results:The overall frequency of dystonia in this series was 45.2%(47/104), and 33.3% (19/57) for MSA group, 50.0% (19/38) for PSP group, 9/9 for CBD group. The types of dystonia were anterocollis, retrocollis, blepharospasm, oromandibular, foot/limb dystonia, Pisa syndrome and myoclonus. In all 47 cases presenting dydtonia, dystonia was not the first complaint and it did not respond to levodopa therapy.Conclusion:In this series of atypical Parkinson syndrome, dystonia is a common feature of the disease, while it is not the first symptom at disease onset, and usually does not respond to levodopa therapy.

Among tumor microenvironment (TME), the entire metabolic characteristics of tumor-resident cells are reprogrammed to benefit the expansion of tumor cells, which count on glutamine in large part to fuel the tricarboxylic acid cycle for energy generation and anabolic metabolism support. Endothelial cells that are abducted by tumor cells to form a pathological tumor vascular network for constructing the hypoxic immunosuppressive TME, also rely on glutaminolysis as the "engine" of angiogenesis. Additionally, the glutamine metabolic preference benefits the polarization of TAMs towards pro-tumoral M2 phenotype as well. Herein, we developed a type of siRNA micelleplexes (MH@siGLS1) to reverse immunosuppressive TME by targeting glutaminolysis within tumor-resident cells for tumor vasculature normalization- and TAMs repolarization-enhanced photo-immunotherapy. Tumor cell starvation and antioxidant system destruction achieved by MH@siGLS1-mediated glutaminolysis inhibition could promote photodynamic therapy efficacy, which was available to trigger immunogenic cell death for adaptive antitumor immune responses. Meanwhile, glutaminolysis inhibition of tumor endothelial cells and TAMs could realize tumor vascular normalization and TAMs repolarization for antitumor immunity amplification. This study provides a unique perspective on cancer treatments by focusing on the interrelations of metabolic characteristics and the biofunctions of various cell types within TME.

Objective:To investigate the differences in clinical characteristics and antibiotic resistance of neonatal sepsis（NS）caused by different Gram-staining pathogens.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on confirmed NS cases admitted to the Neonatal Ward of the Pediatric Department at The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University，from June 1，2014，to May 31，2024.Patients were divided into Gram-positive and Gram-negative groups based on blood or cerebrospinal fluid（CSF）culture results.Clinical characteristics，pathogen distribution，and antibiotic resistance were compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 98 cases were included，with 81 in the Gram-positive group and 17 in the Gram-negative group.Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that NS cases with a high neutrophil percentage（ OR=0.933，95% CI：0.899-0.969）or hemorrhagic symptoms/signs（ OR=0.059，95% CI：0.008-0.458）were less likely to have Gram-positive pathogens detected in blood or CSF cultures（ P<0.05）.Common Gram-positive pathogens included Staphylococcus epidermidis with 35 strains（33.65%）and Staphylococcus hominis with 22 strains（21.15%）.The predominant Gram-negative pathogen was Escherichia coli with 14 strains（13.46%）.Gram-positive pathogens exhibited high resistance to oxacillin（91.30%），erythromycin（90.91%），and penicillin G（90.00%），but low resistance to tigecycline（0），linezolid（0），and vancomycin（0）.Gram-negative pathogens showed high resistance to ampicillin（92.31%），cefazolin（90.00%），and ampicillin/sulbactam（75.00%），but low resistance to amikacin（6.25%），latamoxef（0），and ertapenem（0）.The incidence of concurrent purulent meningitis was lower in the Gram-positive group than in the Gram-negative group（9.88% vs.47.06%， χ2=11.628， P<0.05），and there was significant difference. Conclusion:NS cases with high neutrophil percentages or hemorrhagic symptoms/signs are less likely to be caused by Gram-positive pathogens.Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus hominis are common Gram-positive pathogens，while Escherichia coli is the predominant Gram-negative pathogen in NS.Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens exhibit resistance to specific antibiotics.NS caused by Gram-positive pathogens is less likely to be complicated by purulent meningitis compared to those caused by Gram-negative pathogens.

Objective To assess the validity and utility of the four-column concept by comparing the imaging results and clinical efficacy of the four-column concept with the Schatzker typing concept in the treatment of type Ⅰ-Ⅳ tibial plateau fractures.Methods A total of 70 tibial plateau fracture patients selected from Dongguan Hospital,Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from September 1,2022 to April 30,2023,who were divided into treatment group and control group,with 35 patients in each group.All patients underwent complete X-ray and CT three-dimensional reconstruction examination,and regular postoperative review of orthopantomograms of the knee was performed.Data were collected at 1 month and 1 year postoperatively,including measurements of posterior tibial slope(PTSA),tibial plateau anterior(TPA),and secondary displacement of the articular surfaces,as well as the visual analogue scale(VAS),range of motion(ROM),and Lysholm knee score scale(LKSS).Results The operation duration and bleeding volume in treatment group were less than that in control group,and the difference were statistically significant(P＜0.05).There were significant differentes at 1 month after postoperatively in knee ROM and Lysholm scores between two groups(P＜0.05).There were significant differences in PTSA and articular surface collapse at 1 month and 1 year postoperatively(P＜0.05).Conclusion Surgical treatment of Schatzker type Ⅰ-Ⅳ tibial plateau fracture under the guidance of the four-column concept can effectively restore the alignment of fracture ends and fixation strength,and improve the mobility of the knee joint,which is worthy of popularization and application in the clinic.