Objective: To analyze the school tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks and preventive treatment in Hefei from 2022 to 2024, so as to provide reference for TB prevention and control in schools. Methods: Data were collected on all school based TB outbreaks occurring during 2022-2024 in Hefei, defined as ≥2 epidemiologically linked TB cases within the same school during a single semester. Statistical analyses were performed using the Chi square test. Results: Close contacts exhibited significantly higher TB incidence (2.88%) and latent mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI) rates (13.80%) in the school TB outbreaks, compared to non close contacts (0.12% and 2.63%, respectively). Among close contacts, secondary school students showed lower TB incidence (0.48%) and LTBI prevalence (3.42%) than both primary school or younger children (0.68%, 6.95%) and college students ( 0.78% , 6.50%), with statistically significant differences ( χ 2=360.91, 6.37; 791.71, 102.03, all P <0.05). The proportion of LTBI individuals recommended for preventive therapy was higher in primary school or younger groups (98.59%) than in secondary (95.25%) or college students (86.34%) ( χ 2=25.86, P <0.01). However, among those recommended, close contacts had higher uptake (85.82%) and completion rates (87.25%) of preventive therapy than non close contacts (69.63% and 70.57%); similarly, secondary school students demonstrated higher uptake (91.21%) and completion rates (86.45%) compared to primary school or younger (88.57%, 83.87%) and college students (57.28%, 64.08%) ( χ 2=30.52, 26.72; 125.17, 38.84, all P <0.01). Subsequent TB incidence among LTBI close contacts (13.30%) and among those who did not complete preventive therapy (22.73%) were significantly higher than among non close contacts (2.80%, 2.41%), respectively ( χ 2=32.19, 13.87, both P <0.05). Conclusions In school TB outbreaks, close contacts face higher LTBI prevalence and subsequent TB risk than non close contacts. College students show notably low adherence to preventive therapy. It is necessary to take targeted measures to improve the compliance of preventive measures among students.

ObjectiveTo investigate the functional role and underlying molecular mechanisms of fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase （FAH） in the progression of glioblastoma （GBM）. MethodsDifferential expression analysis was performed on the TCGA-GBM， GSE4290， and GSE116520 datasets. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis （WGCNA） was used to identify key modules， and Cox regression and risk modeling were used to screen prognostic genes. Immune infiltration analysis of prognostic genes was carried out by using single-cell RNA sequencing panels. The clinical expression signature of FAH in GBM was analyzed in the TCGA and HPA databases. The functional role of FAH was validated by in vitro and in vivo experiments， and pathway analysis was performed to explore the underlying mechanisms. ResultsA total of 152 overlapping genes were identified across the three GBM datasets （P<0.05）. WGCNA revealed that the turquoise module was most strongly associated with tumor purity， stromal score， immune score， and ESTIMATE score （P<0.001）. Compared with normal tissues， three prognostic genes （CTSD， FAH， and THBD） were upregulated in GBM and correlated with immune infiltration （P<0.05）. FAH mRNA and protein levels were elevated in GBM tissues relative to normal tissues， and its expression was significantly associated with age stratification and TP53 mutation （P<0.05）. CCK-8 assay results showed that， compared with the shNC group， the proliferative activity of GBM cells in the shFAH group was reduced （P<0.001）. Transwell migration and invasion assays demonstrated that， relative to the shNC group， the numbers of migrated and invaded cells in the shFAH group decreased （P<0.05）. Western blot analysis revealed that the protein expression levels of PI3K， p-AKT， and p-mTOR in the shFAH group decreased compared with those in the shNC group （P<0.05）. In vivo subcutaneous xenograft experiments further confirmed that tumor volume and weight significantly decreased in the shFAH group compared with the shNC group （P<0.001）. ConclusionFAH promotes GBM progression by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for GBM.

Atherosclerosis (AS) remains the core pathological basis underlying the high incidence and high rates of mortality and disability associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) worldwide. Its essence is not merely lipid deposition, but rather an immune-mediated disease of the vascular wall characterized by an interplay of lipid metabolism disorders and chronic inflammation, with damage to vascular endothelial cells serving as the initiating event. As the disease progresses, it involves complex synergistic interactions among various cellular components, including endothelial cells, macrophages, and inflammatory cells, ultimately leading to plaque formation, instability, and even fatal thrombotic events. In recent years, the central driving role of lipid metabolic reprogramming in the progression of AS has garnered increasing attention from the scientific community. Among the vast array of lipid molecules, long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) have become a primary focus of research due to their exceptional physiological functions. Traditional views have primarily emphasized the basic physiological functions of LCFAs: serving as highly efficient energy substrates through mitochondrial β-oxidation and acting as key structural components of cellular phospholipid membranes. However, emerging evidence clearly indicates that the functions of LCFAs extend far beyond those of mere metabolic fuel. They also act as potent bioactive signaling molecules, playing an indispensable multidimensional role in the pathogenesis of AS. Equally noteworthy and representing a paradigm shift in cardiovascular research is the emerging theory of the “gut-heart axis”. This theoretical framework views the human gut microbiota—comprising trillions of microorganisms—as a critical and metabolically active “bioreactor”. A wealth of clinical and multi-cohort epidemiological studies have conclusively demonstrated that imbalances in the composition and function of the gut microbiota are highly correlated with the clinical risk and severity of AS. Within this axis, the gut microbiota serves as the primary processing hub for dietary lipids. It actively participates in the digestion and biochemical remodeling of LCFAs, thereby altering their saturation and chemical structure and generating a wide variety of gut microbial metabolites. The effects of these gut-derived lipid metabolites extend far beyond the local intestinal microenvironment. Upon entering the bloodstream, these circulating microbiota metabolites act as endocrine signals. Given the extreme complexity of the underlying mechanisms, a comprehensive elucidation of the synergistic and bidirectional interactions between LCFAs and the gut microbiota in vascular pathology is particularly urgent. Therefore, this article aims to provide a systematic review of the multidimensional regulatory mechanisms of LCFAs and their associated gut microbiota metabolites in the onset, progression, and clinical manifestations of AS. By thoroughly exploring the interaction patterns within the “LCFAs-gut microbiota-AS” triad, this review seeks to fundamentally expand our understanding of the pathogenesis of CVDs. More importantly, translating these mechanistic insights into clinical practice holds tremendous promise. We hope to provide a solid theoretical foundation for the future development of novel AS prevention and treatment strategies based on non-traditional approaches. These include precision nutritional interventions (i.e., dietary lipid intake plans tailored to an individual’s unique microbiome profile) and targeted microbiome modulation therapies (such as next-generation probiotics, prebiotics, or specific metabolite supplements). Targeting the gut as a “reactor” to treat vascular wall lesions represents a promising direction for future cardiovascular medicine.

The pathogenesis of recurrent acute exacerbations of bronchiectasis is considered to be "yang floating and yin weakness". Yin weakness refers to the depletion of the water and fire of true yin in the lower jiao （焦）， which is the root of the disease. Yang floating refers to the ministerial fire floating upward and scorching the lung metal due to the failure of true yin to nourish and constrain yang， which is the manifestation of acute exacerbations. Yin weakness and yang floating interact with each other， forming a vicious cycle of "yin depletion leading to fire floating， and floating fire in turn injuring yin"， which leads to recurrent， prolonged， and refractory acute exacerbations of bronchiectasis. Based on the pathogenesis of yang floating and yin weakness， therapeutic formulas are proposed. Yinhuo Decoction （引火汤） can be used to nourish true yin and anchor floating fire， while a combination of Qianyang Pill （潜阳丹） and Fengsui Pill （封髓丹） is applied to warm the kidneys， subdue yang， and secure true fire， and Quanzhen Yiqi Decoction （全真一气汤） is utilized to drastically supplement the primal origin and rescue both yin and yang simultaneously.

ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a prediction model for the compatibility of Chinese medicinal pairs based on Graph Convolutional Networks （GCN）， named HC-GCN. The model integrates the properties of herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms to predict pairs with specific therapeutic effects. It serves as a demonstration by applying the model to predict and validate the efficacy of blood-activating herb pairs. MethodsThe training dataset for herb pair prediction was constructed by systematically collecting commonly used herb pairs along with their characteristic data， including Qi， flavor， meridian tropism， and target genes. Integrating traditional characteristics of herb with modern bioinformatics， we developed an efficacy-oriented herb pair compatibility prediction model （HC-GCN） using graph convolutional networks （GCN）. This model leverages machine learning to capture the complex relationships in herb pair compatibility， weighted by efficacy features. The performance of the HC-GCN model was evaluated using accuracy （ACC）， recall， precision， F1 score （F1）， and area under the ROC curve （AUC）. Its predictive effectiveness was then compared to five other machine learning models： eXtreme Gradient Boosting （XGBoost）， logistic regression （LR）， Naive Bayes， K-nearest neighbor （KNN）， and support vector machine （SVM）. ResultsUsing herb pairs with blood-activating effects as a demonstration， a prediction model was constructed based on a foundational dataset of 46 blood-activating herb pairs， incorporating their Qi， flavor， meridian tropism， and target gene characteristics. The HC-GCN model outperforms other commonly used machine learning models in key performance metrics， including ACC， recall， precision， F1 score， and AUC. Through the predictive analysis of the HC-GCN model， 60 herb pairs with blood-activating effects were successfully identified. Among of these potential herb pairs， 44 include at least one herb with blood-activating effects. ConclusionIn this study， we established an efficacy-oriented compatibility prediction model for herb pairs based on GCN by integrating the unique characteristics of traditional herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms. This model demonstrated high predictive performance， offering a novel approach for the intelligent screening and optimization of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions， as well as their clinical applications.

Nine compounds were isolated and purified from 90% ethanol extract of Alstonia mairei Lévl by using various chromatographic methods, including silica gel, SephadexLH-20, MCI Gel and ODS column chromatography, combined with semi-preparative liquid phase separation methods. Modern spectroscopic methods (1D and 2D NMR, UV, IR, MS, etc.) were used to identify the structures of the isolated compounds. They were identified as mairoside A (1), 3′,6-di-O-sinaloylsucrose (2), myristic acid (3), methyl myristate (4), ethyl myristate (5), 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid (6), 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid (7), vinoline (8), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (9), among which compound 1 is a new glycoside, compounds 4 and 5 are new natural products, and the nuclear magnetic data of compound 4 were reported for the first time.

In today's society， depression is a kind of highly prevalent chronic mental illness. It leads to a high disability rate and a heavy economic burden. Depression is defined by fundamental symptoms of low mood and diminished pleasure. Its causes and mechanisms remain unclear， and it presents a broad spectrum of symptoms and a persistent nature that significantly impacts both physical and mental well-being. Treatment in Western medicine primarily focuses on alleviating symptoms， yet it entails numerous adverse effects and contraindications. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） treatment is based on resolving depression， which is often accompanied by soothing liver， and the key medicine is Bupleuri Radix. Bupleuri Radix associated prescriptions refer to a class of prescriptions using Bupleuri Radix as the sovereign medicinal or having a high dose of Bupleuri Radix， which are widely used in the field of anti-depression. Previous studies from animal experiments， clinical research， and modern pharmacological research have confirmed that Bupleuri Radix associated prescriptions have precise anti-depression efficacy in multiple ways and at multiple levels， but lack a comprehensive and systematic summarization. This paper summarized and analyzed the literature related to the clinical application and mechanism of action of Bupleuri Radix associated prescriptions in anti-depression treatment. The results showed that the anti-depression mechanism of the Bupleuri Radix associated prescriptions （such as Xiaochaihu Tang， Xiaoyao San， Sini San， Chaihu Shugan San， and Chaihu jia Longgu Muli San） was associated with the effects of regulating monoamine neurotransmitters， the brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF）， intestinal flora， and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis， inhibiting inflammatory responses， and modulating related signaling pathways. Applying them in clinical practice can effectively alleviate patient symptoms， lower the TCM syndrome score and the severity of depression， and also reduce adverse reactions. This underscores advantages of TCM in depression treatment， which offers patients a secure， effective， and more individualized alternative treatment regimen. On this basis， the shortcomings of current studies and the future trend were analyzed. This study aimed to provide an evidence-based medicine basis for the research and development of novel antidepressant medications.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of lumbar lateral interbody fusion (LLIF) versus posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) in the treatment of severe lumbar spinal stenosis.Methods:The data of patients with severe lumbar spinal stenosis who underwent LLIF or PLIF from February 2019 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 30 patients in the LLIF group, 10 males and 20 females, aged 62.7±5.6 years (range, 53-74 years), including 21 cases of single segment and 9 cases of double segment. There were 46 patients in the PLIF group, including 20 males and 26 females, aged 63.2±8.4 years (range, 43-75 years), 40 cases of single segment and 6 cases of double segment. The visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), intervertebral space height, intervertebral foramen height and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups.Results:All patients were followed up for an average of 21.3±6.4 months (range, 12-32 months). The intraoperative blood loss in the LLIF group was 112.2±76.9 ml, which was significantly lower than 193.9±88.2 ml in the PLIF group ( P<0.05). The VAS scores of back pain and leg pain after operation were significantly lower than those before operation in the two groups ( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between groups in back pain VAS scores at preoperative, 6 months postoperative, and final follow-up ( P>0.05); the back pain VAS score at 1 month postoperatively in the LLIF group was 1.6±1.2, which was less than 2.8±0.7 in the PLIF group ( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between groups in leg pain VAS scores at preoperative, 1 month postoperative, and 6 months postoperative ( P>0.05); the leg pain VAS score at the final follow-up in the LLIF group was 1.2±1.5, which was smaller than 1.8±1.0 in the PLIF group ( P<0.05). The postoperative ODI was smaller than the preoperative one in both groups, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05); the preoperative, 1-month postoperative, 6-month postoperative, and final follow-up ODIs in the LLIF group were 45.7%±16.0%, 17.9%±12.0%, 16.2%±11.6%, and 15.7%±11.7%, and those in the PLIF group were 47.9%±15.4%, 20.1%±9.3%, 16.9%±10.6%, and 14.6%±11.0% in the PLIF group, and the difference between the groups was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The preoperative intervertebral space height in the LLIF group was 10.6±2.0 mm, which was smaller than that in the PLIF group 11.8±2.2 mm ( P<0.05). The intervertebral space heights in the immediate postoperative period and at the final follow-up were 13.3±2.3 mm and 12.3±2.2 mm in the LLIF group and 13.7±1.7 mm and 13.0±1.9 mm in the PLIF group ( P>0.05). The preoperative intervertebral foraminal height in the LLIF group was 18.0±3.2 mm, which was smaller than that of 19.7±2.4 mm in the PLIF group ( P<0.05); the intervertebral foraminal heights in the immediate postoperative period and at the final follow-up were 21.4±2.5 mm and 20.2±2.4 mm in the LLIF group, and in the PLIF group were 20.7±2.4 mm and 19.7±2.6 mm in the PLIF group ( P>0.05). In the LLIF group, 2 cases had femoral nerve injury and 2 cases had transient back pain after operation. There were 2 cases of cerebrospinal fluid leakage, 1 case of screw loosening, and 2 cases of deep vein thrombosis in the PLIF group. In the PLIF group, 2 patients underwent revision, including 1 case due to cage displacement and 1 case due to screw malposition. The fusion settling rate was 21% (8/39) in the LLIF group and 12% (6/52) in the PLIF group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Both LLIF and PLIF can effectively restore the intervertebral height, improve the lumbar function and the symptoms of back and leg pain in the treatment of severe lumbar spinal stenosis.

Objective:To understand the composition of infectious pathogens and the changes in the epidemic characteristics of inpatients with acute respiratory tract infections in Pudong New Area of Shanghai, from 2018 to 2023.Methods:Specimens of inpatients with acute respiratory infection cases were collected from 14 healthcare institutions in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, from 2018-2023 and tested for eight respiratory pathogens: influenza virus, adenovirus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, common coronavirus, metapneumovirus, and bocavirus. The groups were divided into three periods,2018-2019, 2020-2022 and 2023, and the chi-square or Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test was used to compare the group differences. The SPSS 22.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results:Among the 3 023 inpatients with acute respiratory infection, the positive rate of any virus was 24.25% (733/3 023). The positive rates of any virus in 2018-2019, 2020-2022, and 2023 were 33.40% (336/1 006), 12.01% (116/966), and 26.74% (281/1 051), respectively, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=128.20, P<0.001). Among the age groups, in 2018-2019 and 2020-2022, the positive rate of any virus was the highest in the <5 years age group (46.20% and 14.64%), while in 2023, the 15-59 years age group had the highest positive rate (32.97%). The positive rate of any virus in winter was the highest in 2018-2019 (53.21%) and 2020-2022 (17.58%), and the highest in autumn was in 2023 (31.53%). The peak positive rate of respiratory syncytial virus was in winter of 2018-2019 and 2020-2022, as well as the summer of 2023.The positive rates of influenza virus in 2018-2019, 2020-2022 and 2023 were 9.84%, 1.55% and 9.71%, respectively. Conclusions:The pathogen epidemic characteristics of inpatients with acute respiratory infection in Pudong New Area from 2018 to 2023 have shown certain changes. It is necessary to strengthen monitoring. Targeted prevention and control strategies should be developed and implemented in a timely manner.

Body weight abnormalities, including overweight, obesity, and underweight, have become a dual public health challenge in Chinese adults: overweight and obesity lead to a variety of chronic complications, while underweight increases the risks of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and organ dysfunction. To systematically address these issues, multidisciplinary experts in endocrinology, sports science, nutrition, and psychiatry from various regions have held multiple weight management seminars. Based on the latest epidemiological data and clinical evidence, they expanded the guideline to include assessment and intervention strategies for underweight, in addition to the core content of obesity management. This guideline outlines the etiological mechanisms, evaluation methods, and multidimensional management strategies for overweight and obesity, covering key areas such as diagnosis and assessment, medical nutrition therapy, exercise prescription, pharmacological intervention, and psychological support. It is intended to provide a scientific and standardized approach to weight management across the adult population, aiming to curb the rising prevalence of obesity, mitigate complications associated with abnormal body weight, and improve nutritional status and overall quality of life.