Background: Sex-based differences often influence the therapeutic efficacy and safety of medications. Semen Cuscutae is a traditional tonic botanical drug with sex-specific characteristics, traditionally indicated for conditions such as impotence (exclusive to males) and restless fetus (exclusive to pregnant females). However, most existing studies have focused on a single sex. Objective: To evaluate the sex-specific biological effects of Semen Cuscutae in rats and explore its molecular mechanisms, with the aim of uncovering its pharmacological characteristics through a multiomics approach. Methods: A traditional aqueous extract of Semen Cuscutae (SCA) was used as the experimental material. Forty adult Sprague-Dawley rats (equal numbers of males and females) were randomly divided into 4 groups: male control, male SCA treatment (240 mg/kg), female control, and female SCA treatment (240 mg/kg), with 10 rats in each group. The biological effects were comprehensively evaluated using a combination of open field test, biochemical analyses, proteomics, and gut microbiota profiling. Results: As a tonic botanical drug, SCA appeared to directly affect the mental and behavioral state of rats. It significantly altered the time spent by rats in the center area during the open field test, showing a sex-dependent reversal of behaviors. Proteomic analysis of brain tissue identified 624 differentially expressed proteins across the groups, with 10 key differentially expressed proteins related to sex differences, including fibroblast growth factor receptor 3, transcription elongation factor A protein-like 1, 40S ribosomal protein S25, neural cell adhesion molecule, and anion exchange protein 2 (SLC4A2). Enrichment analysis revealed that in male rats, SCA upregulated proteins involved in biological processes such as ribosome function and energy derivation, supporting protein synthesis and enhancing energy supply, showing an overall gain effect. In contrast, in female rats, SCA downregulated proteins associated with processes such as positive regulation of target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling and vesicle transport, suggesting suppression of neuronal signaling and material transport, indicative of a shift toward a more restrained physiological state. Furthermore, SCA reduced gut microbiota diversity in female rats but increased it in males, including the abundance of Akkermansia, which may serve as a crucial mediator. Conclusion: Overall, the biological effects of SCA differ significantly between male and female rats, with evidence suggesting greater health benefits in males. These findings help elucidate the scientific basis of its traditional applications and provide guidance for the precise application of SCA as a functional health food.

Intraoperative cell salvage (IOCS) has been widely applied as an important blood conservation measure in surgical operations. However, there is currently a lack of clinical practice guidelines for the implementation of IOCS in patients with malignant tumors. This report aims to provide clinicians with recommendations on the use of IOCS in patients with malignant tumors based on the review and assessment of the existed evidence. Data were derived from databases such as PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and Wanfang. The guideline development team formulated recommendations based on the quality of evidence, balance of benefits and harms, patient preferences, and health economic assessments. This study constructed seven major clinical questions. The main conclusions of this guideline are as follows: 1) Compared with no perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion (NPABT), perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion (PABT) leads to a more unfavorable prognosis in cancer patients (Recommended); 2) Compared with the transfusion of allogeneic blood or no transfusion, IOCS does not lead to a more unfavorable prognosis in cancer patients (Recommended); 3) The implementation of IOCS in cancer patients is economically feasible (Recommended); 4) Leukocyte depletion filters (LDF) should be used when implementing IOCS in cancer patients (Strongly Recommended); 5) Irradiation treatment of autologous blood to be reinfused can be used when implementing IOCS in cancer patients (Recommended); 6) A careful assessment of the condition of cancer patients (meeting indications and excluding contraindications) should be conducted before implementing IOCS (Strongly Recommended); 7) Informed consent from cancer patients should be obtained when implementing IOCS, with a thorough pre-assessment of the patient's condition and the likelihood of blood loss, adherence to standardized internally audited management procedures, meeting corresponding conditions, and obtaining corresponding qualifications (Recommended). In brief, current evidence indicates that IOCS can be implemented for some malignant tumor patients who need allogeneic blood transfusion after physician full evaluation, and LDF or irradiation should be used during the implementation process.

BACKGROUND:Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a key risk factor for non-traumatic femoral head necrosis,and the incidence of it has gradually increased in recent years,but its specific pathogenesis is still unclear,and finding a reasonable animal model is essential for disease research and treatment.OBJECTIVE:To review the commonly used animal models of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head in recent years,and to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of different modeling methods and evaluation criteria,so as to provide a reference for follow-up research. METHODS:The articles published from 2013 to 2023 were searched in CNKI,WanFang Data,and PubMed with the keywords "femoral head necrosis,osteonecrosis of the femoral head,steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head,animal model." Finally,61 articles were involved for comprehensive analysis according to the inclusion criteria,including 38 English articles and 23 Chinese articles.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Rabbits,rats,and chickens are the animals that are widely used in the study of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head models. (2) Hormone combined with lipopolysaccharide or horse serum modeling has low mortality,high success rate,and strong stability. (3) Histopathology is the gold standard for the evaluation model,but the experiment needs to be terminated,which is not conducive to subsequent experimental research,so finding a non-invasive alternative method is still the direction of future efforts. (4) An ideal model of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head has not yet been explored,and future researchers need to continue to strive to achieve breakthroughs in this field as soon as possible.

Objective:To investigate the radioactivity levels and variation trends of 90Sr in drinking water and food around the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in operation. Methods:From 2012 to 2022, the source, factory, and tap water was collected within 30 km around the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant during the wet and dry seasons (i.e., May and October, respectively) each year to determine the 90Sr concentration in water. According to the dietary habits of local residents, four kinds of food, including rice, cabbage, mullet, and crucian carp, were collected to determine and analyze the 90Sr radioactivity concentration in food using the bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid extraction chromatographic method. Results:From 2012 to 2022, the 90Sr radioactivity concentrations in the source, factory, and tap water around the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant ranged from 3.73 to 11.89 mBq/L, 2.95 to 9.83 mBq/L, and 3.12 to 8.70 mBq/L, respectively, showing nonsignificant fluctuations over the years. The 90Sr radioactivity concentrations in rice, cabbage, mullet, and crucian carp ranged from 0.02 to 0.46 Bq/kg (dry weight), 0.26 to 1.07 Bq/kg (fresh weight), 0.38 to 1.05 Bq/kg (fresh weight), and 0.08 to 1.32 Bq/kg (fresh weight), respectively, all below the national standard limits. Conclusions:From 2012 to 2022, the 90Sr radioactivity levels in drinking water and food around the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant were at the background level and remained stable.

Melanoma is characterized by high malignancy, ranking the third among skin malignancies, and is associated with lack of specific treatment options and poor prognosis. Therefore, the development of effective therapies for melanoma is imperative. A critical challenge in addressing subcutaneous disease lies in overcoming the skin barrier. In this study, we engineered a microneedle (MN) system that integrates chemotherapy, photothermal therapy (PTT), and targeted therapy to enhance anti-tumor efficacy while effectively penetrating the skin barrier. In vitro studies have demonstrated that the MN drug delivery system (DDS) can effectively penetrate the stratum corneum of the skin, deliver therapeutics to subcutaneous tumor sites, and establish a drug reservoir at these locations to exert anti-tumor effects. Cellular experiments indicated that the engineered PTT chemotherapy-targeted MNs can be internalized by tumor cells, exhibiting enhanced cytotoxicity against them. In vivo pharmacological investigations revealed that the combination of PTT and chemotherapy delivered via this MN DDS produced synergistic anti-tumor effects, achieving a tumor inhibition rate of up to 98.15%. This in situ DDS minimizes involvement with other organs, significantly reducing chemotherapy-related side effects. In summary, the PTT chemotherapy-targeted MNs developed in this study demonstrate promising application potential by enhancing anti-tumor efficacy while minimizing adverse effects.

In order to establish a serological method for the detection of bovine respiratory syncytial virus,the prokaryotic expression of four proteins of BRSV,G,F,P,and M was carried out,and the most suitable coating antigen was screened to establish an indirect ELISA detection method.The results showed that the four recombinant proteins of BRSV,rG,rF,rP and rM were successfully expressed.The results of checkerboard screening showed that the P/N value of rG protein was the largest,which was determined to be the best coating antigen established by indirect ELISA meth-od.The optimal reaction conditions for indirect ELISA were as follows:the mass concentration of rG protein coating was 1 mg/L,37℃ for 2 h;3％BSA 37℃ block for 1 h;Serum was diluted 1∶50 and incubated at 37℃ for 1h;Secondary antibody 1∶5 000 dilution,37℃ for 30min;The color development conditions of the substrate were 37℃ for 15 min;Thirty negative sera were selected,and the cut-off value was determined to be 0.63 by the established indirect ELISA method.The re-sults of the specificity test showed that the indirect ELISA method established in this test only recognized BRSV-positive serum,and did not react with IBRV,BCoV,and BPIV3-positive serum.The results of repeatability test showed that the method had good repeatability,and the coefficient of variation within and between batches was less than 10％.The results of the sensitivity test showed that the BRSV-positive serum was still positive when diluted to 1∶8 192.The indirect ELISA method established in this experiment was used to detect 100 clinical serum samples at the same time,and the total coincidence rate of the two reached 90.48％,the positive coincidence rate was 93.42％,and the negative coincidence rate was 82.75％.The indirect ELISA established in this test can be used for the detection of bovine respiratory syncytial virus in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND:Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a key risk factor for non-traumatic femoral head necrosis,and the incidence of it has gradually increased in recent years,but its specific pathogenesis is still unclear,and finding a reasonable animal model is essential for disease research and treatment.OBJECTIVE:To review the commonly used animal models of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head in recent years,and to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of different modeling methods and evaluation criteria,so as to provide a reference for follow-up research. METHODS:The articles published from 2013 to 2023 were searched in CNKI,WanFang Data,and PubMed with the keywords "femoral head necrosis,osteonecrosis of the femoral head,steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head,animal model." Finally,61 articles were involved for comprehensive analysis according to the inclusion criteria,including 38 English articles and 23 Chinese articles.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Rabbits,rats,and chickens are the animals that are widely used in the study of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head models. (2) Hormone combined with lipopolysaccharide or horse serum modeling has low mortality,high success rate,and strong stability. (3) Histopathology is the gold standard for the evaluation model,but the experiment needs to be terminated,which is not conducive to subsequent experimental research,so finding a non-invasive alternative method is still the direction of future efforts. (4) An ideal model of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head has not yet been explored,and future researchers need to continue to strive to achieve breakthroughs in this field as soon as possible.

In order to establish a serological method for the detection of bovine respiratory syncytial virus,the prokaryotic expression of four proteins of BRSV,G,F,P,and M was carried out,and the most suitable coating antigen was screened to establish an indirect ELISA detection method.The results showed that the four recombinant proteins of BRSV,rG,rF,rP and rM were successfully expressed.The results of checkerboard screening showed that the P/N value of rG protein was the largest,which was determined to be the best coating antigen established by indirect ELISA meth-od.The optimal reaction conditions for indirect ELISA were as follows:the mass concentration of rG protein coating was 1 mg/L,37℃ for 2 h;3％BSA 37℃ block for 1 h;Serum was diluted 1∶50 and incubated at 37℃ for 1h;Secondary antibody 1∶5 000 dilution,37℃ for 30min;The color development conditions of the substrate were 37℃ for 15 min;Thirty negative sera were selected,and the cut-off value was determined to be 0.63 by the established indirect ELISA method.The re-sults of the specificity test showed that the indirect ELISA method established in this test only recognized BRSV-positive serum,and did not react with IBRV,BCoV,and BPIV3-positive serum.The results of repeatability test showed that the method had good repeatability,and the coefficient of variation within and between batches was less than 10％.The results of the sensitivity test showed that the BRSV-positive serum was still positive when diluted to 1∶8 192.The indirect ELISA method established in this experiment was used to detect 100 clinical serum samples at the same time,and the total coincidence rate of the two reached 90.48％,the positive coincidence rate was 93.42％,and the negative coincidence rate was 82.75％.The indirect ELISA established in this test can be used for the detection of bovine respiratory syncytial virus in clinical practice.

Objective:To investigate the radioactivity levels and variation trends of 90Sr in drinking water and food around the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in operation. Methods:From 2012 to 2022, the source, factory, and tap water was collected within 30 km around the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant during the wet and dry seasons (i.e., May and October, respectively) each year to determine the 90Sr concentration in water. According to the dietary habits of local residents, four kinds of food, including rice, cabbage, mullet, and crucian carp, were collected to determine and analyze the 90Sr radioactivity concentration in food using the bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid extraction chromatographic method. Results:From 2012 to 2022, the 90Sr radioactivity concentrations in the source, factory, and tap water around the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant ranged from 3.73 to 11.89 mBq/L, 2.95 to 9.83 mBq/L, and 3.12 to 8.70 mBq/L, respectively, showing nonsignificant fluctuations over the years. The 90Sr radioactivity concentrations in rice, cabbage, mullet, and crucian carp ranged from 0.02 to 0.46 Bq/kg (dry weight), 0.26 to 1.07 Bq/kg (fresh weight), 0.38 to 1.05 Bq/kg (fresh weight), and 0.08 to 1.32 Bq/kg (fresh weight), respectively, all below the national standard limits. Conclusions:From 2012 to 2022, the 90Sr radioactivity levels in drinking water and food around the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant were at the background level and remained stable.

Objective To investigate whether the gastric juice volume(GV)of obese women who took carbohydrate 2 hours before operation was equal to or less than that of those who are not routine drinking.Methods Obese patients undergoing elective laparoscopic gynecological surgery under general anesthesia with BMI of 28-32 kg/m2 and ASA grade of Ⅰ-Ⅱ,aged 18-65 years old were selected.The patients were divid-ed into the carbohydrate group(CHO group)and the fasting group(Control group)by random number table method,with 51 cases in each group.The Control group was fasted from 11 pm before surgery,while the CHO group was given 300 mL of carbohydrate orally 2 hours before anesthesia.The main outcome measure was compared with a non-inferiority limit(△)of 17 mL and the mean difference in gastric juice volume between the two groups in the right lateral decubitus position(RLDP)examined by gastric ultrasound.The secondary outcome measures included CSA in right lateral position under gastric ultrasound,Perlas classification,GV/kg,gastric juice pH value,patient satisfaction and gastric emptying time.Results The mean difference of gas-tric juice volume was 7.18 mL(95％CI:-0.06 to 14.43),and the upper limit of 95％CI was lower than the preset non-inferiority limit(△=17.05 mL).There was no statistically significant difference in the mean(standard deviation)gastric juice volume between the control group and the CHO group[40(26,66)mL vs.58(34,65)mL;P=0.43].The gastric volume GV/kg was similar in the two groups(P=0.66),and there was no significant difference in the number distribution of Perlas grades between the two groups(P＞0.05).There was significant difference in patient satisfaction between the two groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion Ac-cording to the evaluation of gastric ultrasound,compared with fasting at midnight,300ml carbohydrate intake at 2 hours before surgery is not inferior to fasting at midnight in terms of gastric fluid volume in obese women as assessed by gastric ultrasound.