Optical imaging is highly valued for its superior temporal and spatial resolution. This is particularly important in near-infrared II (NIR-II, 1 000-3 000 nm) imaging, which offers advantages such as reduced tissue absorption, minimal scattering, and low autofluorescence. These characteristics make NIR-II imaging especially suitable for deep tissue visualization, where high contrast and minimal background interference are critical for accurate diagnosis and monitoring. Currently, inorganic fluorescent probes—such as carbon nanotubes, rare earth nanoparticles, and quantum dots—offer high brightness and stability. However, they are hindered by ambiguous structures, larger sizes, and potential accumulation toxicity in vivo. In contrast, organic fluorescent probes, including small molecules and polymers, demonstrate higher biocompatibility but are limited by shorter emission wavelengths, lower quantum yields, and reduced stability. Recently, gold clusters have emerged as a promising class of nanomaterials with potential applications in biocatalysis, fluorescence sensing, biological imaging, and more. Water-soluble gold clusters are particularly attractive as fluorescent probes due to their remarkable optical properties, including strong photoluminescence, large Stokes shifts, and excellent photostability. Furthermore, their outstanding biocompatibility—attributed to good aqueous stability, ultra-small hydrodynamic size, and high renal clearance efficiency—makes them especially suitable for biomedical applications. Gold clusters hold significant potential for NIR-II fluorescence imaging. Atomic-precision gold clusters, typically composed of tens to hundreds of gold atoms and measuring only a few nanometers in diameter, possess well-defined three-dimensional structures and clear spatial coordination. This atomic-level precision enables fine-tuned structural regulation, further enhancing their fluorescence properties. Variations in cluster size, surface ligands, and alloying elements can result in distinct physicochemical characteristics. The incorporation of different atoms can modulate the atomic and electronic structures of gold clusters, while diverse ligands can influence surface polarity and steric hindrance. As such, strategies like alloying and ligand engineering are effective in enhancing both fluorescence and catalytic performance, thereby meeting a broader range of clinical needs. In recent years, gold clusters have attracted growing attention in the biomedical field. Their application in NIR-II imaging has led to significant progress in vascular, organ, and tumor imaging. The resulting high-resolution, high signal-to-noise imaging provides powerful tools for clinical diagnostics. Moreover, biologically active gold clusters can aid in drug delivery and disease diagnosis and treatment, offering new opportunities for clinical therapeutics. Despite the notable achievements in fundamental research and clinical translation, further studies are required to address challenges related to the standardized synthesis and complex metabolic behavior of gold clusters. Resolving these issues will help accelerate their clinical adoption and broaden their biomedical applications.

ObjectiveTobacco-related diseases remain one of the leading preventable public health challenges worldwide and are among the primary causes of premature death. In recent years, accumulating evidence has supported the classification of nicotine addiction as a chronic brain disease, profoundly affecting both brain structure and function. Despite the urgency, effective diagnostic methods for smoking addiction remain lacking, posing significant challenges for early intervention and treatment. To address this issue and gain deeper insights into the neural mechanisms underlying nicotine dependence, this study proposes a novel graph neural network framework, termed TI-GNN. This model leverages functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to identify complex and subtle abnormalities in brain connectivity patterns associated with smoking addiction. MethodsThe study utilizes fMRI data to construct functional connectivity matrices that represent interaction patterns among brain regions. These matrices are interpreted as graphs, where brain regions are nodes and the strength of functional connectivity between them serves as edges. The proposed TI-GNN model integrates a Transformer module to effectively capture global interactions across the entire brain network, enabling a comprehensive understanding of high-level connectivity patterns. Additionally, a spatial attention mechanism is employed to selectively focus on informative inter-regional connections while filtering out irrelevant or noisy features. This design enhances the model’s ability to learn meaningful neural representations crucial for classification tasks. A key innovation of TI-GNN lies in its built-in causal interpretation module, which aims to infer directional and potentially causal relationships among brain regions. This not only improves predictive performance but also enhances model interpretability—an essential attribute for clinical applications. The identification of causal links provides valuable insights into the neuropathological basis of addiction and contributes to the development of biologically plausible and trustworthy diagnostic tools. ResultsExperimental results demonstrate that the TI-GNN model achieves superior classification performance on the smoking addiction dataset, outperforming several state-of-the-art baseline models. Specifically, TI-GNN attains an accuracy of 0.91, an F1-score of 0.91, and a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.83, indicating strong robustness and reliability. Beyond performance metrics, TI-GNN identifies critical abnormal connectivity patterns in several brain regions implicated in addiction. Notably, it highlights dysregulations in the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex, consistent with prior clinical and neuroimaging findings. These regions are well known for their roles in emotional regulation, reward processing, and impulse control—functions that are frequently disrupted in nicotine dependence. ConclusionThe TI-GNN framework offers a powerful and interpretable tool for the objective diagnosis of smoking addiction. By integrating advanced graph learning techniques with causal inference capabilities, the model not only achieves high diagnostic accuracy but also elucidates the neurobiological underpinnings of addiction. The identification of specific abnormal brain networks and their causal interactions deepens our understanding of addiction pathophysiology and lays the groundwork for developing targeted intervention strategies and personalized treatment approaches in the future.

Aim To investigate the mechanism of py-roptosis mediated by the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway and the intervention effect of Radix Angelica Sinensis and Radix Astragalus ultrafiltration extract(RAS-RA)in radiation-induced pulmonary fi-brosis.Methods Fifty Wistar rats were randomly di-vided into five groups,with ten rats in each group.Ex-cept for the blank control group,all other groups of rats were anesthetized and received a single dose of 40 Gy X-ray local chest radiation to establish a radiation-in-duced pulmonary fibrosis rat model.After radiation,the rats in the RAS-RA intervention groups were orally administered doses of 0.12,0.24 and 0.48 g·kg-1 once a day for 30 days.The average weight and lung index of the rats were observed after 30 days of contin-uous administration.Hydroxyproline(HYP)content in lung tissue was determined by hydrolysis method.The levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β in serum were detected by ELISA.Lung tissue pathological changes were ob-served by HE and Masson staining.Ultrastructural changes in lung tissue were observed by transmission e-lectron microscopy.The expression levels of NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway-related proteins and fibrosis-related proteins in lung tissue were detec-ted by Western blot.Results Compared with the blank group,the HYP content in lung tissue and the levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β in serum significantly in-creased in the model group(P＜0.01).HE and Mas-son staining showed inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition.Transmission electron mi-croscopy revealed increased damaged mitochondria,disordered arrangement,irregular morphology,shallow matrix,outer membrane rupture,mostly fractured and shortened cristae,mild expansion,increased electron density of individual mitochondrial matrix,mild sparse structure of lamellar bodies,partial disorder,unclear organelles,and characteristic changes of pyroptosis.Western blot analysis showed increased expression of caspase-1,GSDMD,NLRP3,CoL-Ⅰ,α-SMA,and CoL-Ⅲ proteins(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the RAS-RA intervention group showed signifi-cant improvement in body mass index and lung index of rats,decreased levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β inflammatory factors(P＜0.01),improved mitochondrial structure,reduced degree of fibrosis,and decreased expression of caspase-1,GSDMD,NLRP3,COL-Ⅰ,COL-Ⅲ,and α-SMA proteins in lung tissue(P＜0.01).Conclusion RAS-RA has an inhibitory effect on radiation-in-duced pulmonary fibrosis,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of pyroptosis through the regu-lation of the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.

Aim To investigate the impact of Cinobu-facini on the proliferation,invasion,and apoptosis of HepG2 cells and the underlying mechanism.Methods The proliferation of HepG2 cells was assessed using the CCK-8 method following treatment with Cinobufaci-ni.The invasion capability of HepG2 cells was evalua-ted through Transwell assay after exposure to Cinobufa-cini.The apoptosis rates of HepG2 cells post Cinobufa-cini intervention were measured using flow cytometry,and the expression levels of VEGF in the culture medi-um of HepG2 cells were determined using enzyme-linked immunoassay.Furthermore,qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses were conducted to assess the im-pact of Cinobufacini on mRNA and protein expression levels related to the CXCL5/FOXD1/VEGF pathway.The interaction between CXCL5 and FOXD1 was inves-tigated via co-immunoprecipitation.Results Cinobufa-cini treatment led to a gradual decrease in HepG2 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner compared to the control group(P＜0.05).Moreover,Cinobufacini sig-nificantly suppressed HepG2 cell invasion(P＜0.05)while enhancing cell apoptosis(P＜0.05).Notably,Cinobufacini exhibited inhibitory effects on the CX-CL5/FOXD1/VEGF pathway,as evidenced by re-duced expression of related mRNA and proteins(P＜0.05).FOXD1 was identified as the binding site of CXCL5.Overexpression of CXCL5 resulted in in-creased proliferation and VEGF secretion by HepG2 cells(P＜0.05),and increased expression of FOXD1 and VEGF(P＜0.05).However,Cinobufacini inter-vention effectively inhibited liver cancer cell prolifera-tion and invasion(P＜0.05),promoted apoptosis(P＜0.05),reduced VEGF secretion by HepG2 cells(P＜0.05),and downregulated the expression of CXCL5 and FOXD1 in HepG2 cells(P＜0.05);but com-pared with the unexpressed group of Cinobufacini,its ability to inhibit cell activity was weakened(P＜0.05),and its ability to inhibit the expression of CX-CL5,FOXD1,and VEGF was weakened(P＜0.05).Conclusion Cinobufacini may inhibit HepG2 cell pro-liferation and invasion and promote HepG2 cell apopto-sis by regulating the CXCL5/FOXD1/VEGF pathway.

Objective To explore the risk factors related to afterload mismatch(AM)after transcatheter mitral valve repair(MitraClip).Methods This was a retrospective cohort study.48 patients hospitalized in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine,the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from December 2021 to December 2023,who underwent MitraClip due to severe mitral regurgitation(MR)were included.Preoperative clinical data,laboratory tests,and preoperative and postoperative color Doppler echocardiographic examination results of surgical patients were collected.AM was defined as the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)decreased by 15％or more after surgery compared with the one before(dLVEF≤-15％).Patients were divided into AM group and non-AM group according to whether afterload mismatch occurred.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the risk factors of postoperative AM.Results Among 48 patients who underwent MitraClip,14 of them(29.2％)developed afterload-mismatched.For those without AM,their overall LVEF was improved after the operation;for patients in both AM group and non-AM group,their overall left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDd),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter volume index(LVEDVi)was reduced compared with the preoperative ones.Univariate regression analysis showed that C-reactive protein levels(OR 1.98,95％CI 1.02-3.83),platelets(OR 2.22,95％CI 1.08-4.53),systemic immune inflammation index(OR 1.96,95％CI 1.03-3.71)were associated with an increased risk of AM in patients undergoing MitraClip(all P＜0.05),while those with larger right atrial diameter(OR 0.35,95％CI 0.13-0.93)or moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation(OR 0.19,95％CI 0.05-0.81)were less likely to develop into AM(both P＜0.05),which is still satisfied after adjustment.Conclusions For patients who underwent MitraClip,C-reactive protein levels,platelets and systemic immune inflammation index(SII)are associated with an increased risk of afterload mismatched,while those with larger right atrial diameter or moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation were less likely to develop into AM.

Objective:To explore and analyze the clinical features and prognostic factors of secondary intestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(SI-DLBCL),in order to provide reference for the basic research and clinical diagnosis and treatment of secondary lymphoma of rare sites in the field of hematology.Methods:The clinical data of 138 patients with SI-DLBCL admitted to Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from June 2011 to June 2022 were collected and sorted,the clinical and pathological features,diagnosis,treatment and prognosis were analyzed.Cox regression risk model was used to conduct univariate and multivariate analysis on the prognostic risk factors.Results:Among the 138 patients with SI-DLBCL included in this study,85(61.59％)were male,53(38.41％)were female,the median age of onset was 59.5(16-84)years,the clinical manifestations lacked specificity,the first-line treatment regimen was mainly chemotherapy(67.39％),94 cases(68.12％)received chemotherapy alone,40 cases(28.98％)were treated with chemotherapy combined with surgery,and 4 cases(2.90％)were treated with surgery alone.The median follow-up time was 72(1-148)months.Among the 138 patients with SI-DLBCL,79(57.25％)survived,34(24.64％)died,25 cases(18.12％)lost to follow-up,the PFS rates of 1-year,3-year and 5-year were 57.97％,49.28％and 32.61％,and the OS rates of 1-year,3-year and 5-year were 60.14％,54.35％and 34.06％,respectively.The results of univariate Cox regression analysis showed that age,Lugano stage and IPI score were the influencing factors of OS in SI-DLBCL patients,and age,Lugano stage and IPI score were the influencing factors of PFS in SI-DLBCL patients.The results of multivariate Cox analysis showed that Lugano stage was an independent prognostic factor affecting OS and PFS in SI-DLBCL patients.Conclusion:Patients with SI-DLBCL are more common in middle-aged and elderly men,and the early clinical manifestations lack specificity,and the first-line treatment regimen is mainly R-CHOP chemotherapy,and Lugano stage is an independent prognostic factor affecting OS and PFS in SI-DLBCL patients.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from n-butanol fraction of Corydalis impatiens(Pall.)Fisch.and their antioxidant activities.METHODS The n-butanol fraction was isolated and purified by silica gel,MCI,ODS,Sephadex LH-20 and semi-preparative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.The antioxidant activities were determined by DPPH method and tyrosinase method.RESULTS Fourteen compounds were isolated and identified as nicotinamide(1),methyl L-pyroglutamate(2),bungeanoline F(3),monomethyl fumarate(4),5-hydroxymethylfurfural(5),4-hydroxybenzoic acid(6),hydroxybenzoate(7),methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate(8),methyl ferulate(9),dimethylcaffeic acid(10),dimethyl feruloyl malate(11),(-)-4-O-feruloylquinic acid(12),syringaresinol(13)and(-)-loliolide(14).Compounds 1,8,11 and 13 showed strong antioxidant activites on DPPH free radicals,with IC50 values ranging from 54.47 to 97.4 μmol/L.Compound 13 had potential inhibitory effect on tyrosinase.CONCLUSION Compounds 4-14 are first isolated from Corydalis genus,and 3 is isolated from this plant for the first time.Compounds 1,8,11 and 13 have strong antioxidant activities.

One patient was admitted to a hospital due to"sepsis,chronic kidney disease,type 2 diabetes,shock,and cerebral infarction".Patient's blood specimen was taken for clinical examination.Aerobic and anaerobic culture results of catheter blood and venous blood were both positive.The pathogen was identified as Staphylococcus pas-teuri by VITEK MS,and the patient was diagnosed as catheter-related bloodstream infection caused by Staphylo-coccus pasteuri.Clinical empirical use of piperacillin for anti-infection treatment was ineffective,and vancomycin was eventually used for treatment based on in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing.Patient's condition improved after removing the venous catheter.There are currently no reported cases of Staphylococcus pasteuri in China.Ear-ly identification of pathogen and adjustment of treatment plans based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing results are crucial for effective treatment of this case.

Objective:To summarize the imaging features of severe unilateral transverse sinus and sigmoid sinus thromboses, and evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravascular interventional therapy in them.Methods:Thirty-seven patients with severe unilateral transverse sinus and sigmoid sinus thromboses clinically mainly manifested as intracranial hypertension and accepted endovascular intervention in Department of Interventional Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from June 2012 to September 2022 were chosen; their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed and imaging features were summarized. Short-term efficacy was evaluated according to blood flow restoration degrees and pressure gradient reduction in the occlusive sinus and modified neurological symptoms before and after endovascular intervention. Hospitalized complications were observed; safety and long-term efficacy were evaluated according to postoperative clinical follow-up and imaging results 6-12 months after endovascular intervention.Results:(1) Preoperative brain MRI and (or) CT showed different degrees of swelling of the brain tissues, with the affected side as the target; mixed signals/density shadow could be seen in the blocked transverse sinus and sigmoid sinus; venous cerebral infarction or post-infarction cerebral hemorrhage could be combined in some patients. MRV, CTV and DSA showed poor or completely occluded transverse sinus and sigmoid sinus while normal in the contralateral side; obvious thrombus filling-defect was observed in the occluded venous sinus after mechanical thrombolysis. (2) Occlusive sinus blood flow was restored in all patients after endovascular intervention, and pressure gradient of the occlusive segment decreased from (16.6±3.3) mmHg before to (2.8±0.8) mmHg after endovascular intervention. Before discharge, clinical symptoms of all patients were significantly improved (modified Rankin scale [mRS] scores of 0 in 30 patients, 1 in 5 patients, 2 in 1 patient and 3 in 1 patient), and 2 patients had unilateral limb movement disorder (muscle strength grading III and IV, respectively). All patients received clinical follow-up for (9.6±3.0) months. At the last follow-up, neurological function obviously improved compared with that before endovascular intervention, without new neurosystem-related symptoms (mRS scores of 0 in 30 patients, 1 in 6, and 2 in 1 patient). In 34 patients received MRV or DSA follow-up, 28 had complete recanalization of occlusive sinus and 6 had partial recanalization, without obvious stenosis or recurrent occlusion.Conclusions:Severe unilateral transverse sinus and sigmoid sinus thrombosis can cause local intracranial venous blood stasis, and then cause "increased regional venous sinus pressure", which is manifested as unilateral brain tissue swelling and even venous cerebral infarction or post-infarction cerebral hemorrhage. Early diagnosis and endovascular intervention can obviously improve the prognosis of these patients, enjoying good safety.

Objective: To explore the balance of peripheral blood T helper 17 cells/regulatory T cell (Th17/Treg) ratio and the polarization ratio of M1 and M2 macrophages in lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO). Methods: A rat model of lower extremity ASO was established, and blood samples from patients with lower extremity ASO before and after surgery were obtained. ELISA was used to detect interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-10, and IL-17. Real-time RCR and Western blot analyses were used to detect Foxp3, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17 expression. Moreover, flow cytometry was applied to detect the Th17/Treg ratio and M1/M2 ratio. Results: Compared with the control group, the iliac artery wall of ASO rats showed significant hyperplasia, and the concentrations of cholesterol and triglyceride were significantly increased (P<0.01), indicating the successful establishment of ASO. Moreover, the levels of IL-6 and IL-17 in ASO rats were pronouncedly increased (P<0.05), while the IL-10 level was significantly decreased (P<0.05). In addition to increased IL-6 and IL-17 levels, the mRNA and protein levels of Foxp3 and IL-10 in ASO rats were significantly decreased compared with the control group. The Th17/Treg and M1/M2 ratios in the ASO group were markedly increased (P<0.05). These alternations were also observed in ASO patients. After endovascular surgery (such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and arterial stenting), all these changes were significantly improved (P<0.05). Conclusions: The Th17/Treg and M1/M2 ratios were significantly increased in ASO, and surgery can effectively improve the balance of Th17/Treg, and reduce the ratio of M1/M2, and the expression of inflammatory factors.