ObjectiveTo investigate the association of the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome types of primary liver cancer （PLC） with clinical features and multimodal quantitative radiological features on computed tomography （CT） and magnetic resonance imaging （MRI）， and to provide a reference for the objectification of TCM syndrome differentiation and precise diagnosis and treatment. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 312 patients who were diagnosed with PLC in The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine from March 2020 to June 2025， and according to the TCM syndrome type， they were divided into stagnation of liver Qi group with 40 patients， stagnation of liver Qi and spleen deficiency group with 109 patients， Qi stagnation and blood stasis group with 62 patients， dampness-heat toxin amassment group with 81 patients， and liver-kidney Yin deficiency group with 20 patients. Clinical features and multimodal quantitative radiological features were compared between the patients with different TCM syndrome types. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups； the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups， and the Dunn’s multiple test was used for further comparison between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups， and the Bonferroni method was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsThere were significant differences between the patients with different TCM syndrome types in China liver cancer staging （CNLC）， Child-Pugh class， alanine aminotransferase， aspartate aminotransferase， albumin， direct bilirubin， total bilirubin， prothrombin time， neutrophil， and albumin-bilirubin score （all P<0.05）. In the stagnation of liver Qi group， the patients with Child-Pugh class A accounted for 75.00%； among the patients with CNLC stage I PLC， the patients with stagnation of liver Qi accounted for 60.00%， and those with Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome accounted for 59.68%， while among the patients with CNLC stage IV PLC， the distribution proportion of dampness-heat toxin amassment （27.16%） and liver-kidney Yin deficiency （30.00%） was significantly higher than that of stagnation of liver Qi （2.50%） （all P<0.05）. Radiological examination showed that there were significant differences between the patients with different TCM syndrome types in the number of tumors， ascites， venous tumor thrombus， maximum tumor diameter， intrahepatic metastasis， and lymph node metastasis in the hepatic hilar and retroperitoneal regions （all P<0.05）. Compared with the patients with stagnation of liver Qi， the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency or liver-kidney Yin deficiency were more likely to develop intrahepatic metastasis； the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency， dampness-heat toxin amassment， or liver-kidney Yin deficiency were more likely to develop lymph node metastasis in the hepatic hilar and retroperitoneal regions； the patients with liver-kidney Yin deficiency were more likely to experience multiple tumors； the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency or dampness-heat toxin amassment were more likely to develop ascites （all P<0.05）. Compared with the patients with Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome， the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency had a significantly longer maximum tumor diameter and a significantly higher proportion of patients with venous tumor thrombus （both P<0.05）. Furthermore， among the 184 patients with MRI diffusion-weighted imaging sequences， the patients with dampness-heat toxin amassment or Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome had significantly higher ADC values and relative ADC values than those with stagnation of liver Qi （all P<0.05）. ConclusionThere are significant differences in CT/MRI radiological features and clinical features between PLC patients with different TCM syndrome types， among whom the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency， dampness-heat toxin amassment， and liver-kidney Yin deficiency tend to exhibit progressive radiological features， and those with dampness-heat toxin amassment or Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome tend to have higher ADC values. These findings provide an objective basis for TCM syndrome differentiation in PLC.

Background With the progression of industrialization, an increasing number of emerging contaminants are entering aquatic environments, posing significant threats to the safety of drinking water. Therefore, establishing a system for identifying unknown hazardous factors and implementing safety warning mechanisms for drinking water is of paramount importance. Among these efforts, non-target screening plays a critical role, but its effectiveness is largely constrained by the scope of coverage of sample pre-treatment methods. Objective To integrate modern chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques with advanced data mining methods to develop a non-discriminatory sample pre-treatment method for comprehensive enrichment of unknown contaminants in drinking water, laying a technical foundation for the discovery and identification of unknown organic hazardous factors in drinking water. Methods A non-discriminatory pre-treatment method based on supramolecular and solid-phase extraction was developed. The final target compounds including 333 pesticides, 194 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), and 59 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were used for optimizing the pre-treatment method, confirming its coverage. The impacts of different eluents on the absolute recovery rates of target compounds were compared to select the conditions with the highest recovery for sample pre-treatment. The effects of different supramolecular solvents and salt concentrations on target compound recovery were also evaluated to determine the most suitable solvent and salt concentration. Results The solid-phase extraction elution solvents, supramolecular extraction solvents, and salt concentrations were optimized based on the target compound recovery rates. The optimal recovery conditions were achieved using 2 mL methanol, 2 mL methanol (containing 1% formic acid), 2 mL ethyl acetate, 2 mL dichloromethane, hexanediol supramolecular solvent, and 426 mg salt. The detection method developed based on these conditions showed a good linear relationship for all target compounds in the range of 0.1-100.0 ng·mL⁻¹, with R² > 0.99. The method’s limit of detection ranged from 0.01 ng⁻¹ to 0.95 ng⁻¹, and 95% of target compounds were recovered in the range of 20%-120%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 30%, indicating good precision. Conclusion The combined pre-treatment method of solid-phase extraction and supramolecular solvent extraction can effectively enrich contaminants in drinking water across low, medium, and high polarities, enabling broad-spectrum enrichment of diverse trace contaminants in drinking water. It provides technical support for broad-spectrum, high-throughput screening and identification of organic pollutants in drinking water, and also serves as a reference for establishing urban drinking water public safety warning systems.

This case report describes a 68-year-old male patient diagnosed with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). After receiving Yttrium-90 microsphere selective internal radiation therapy (⁹⁰Y-SIRT), the tumor significantly reduced in size, and tumor markers alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and abnormal prothrombin (PIVKA-Ⅱ) decreased. Postoperative pathological results showed minimal residual tumor cells, indicating that ⁹⁰Y-SIRT has good efficacy and safety in downstaging and conversion of HCC, thereby facilitating subsequent surgical resection.

Background Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of persistent organic pollutants that pose potential health risks to humans. Infants and young children have higher requirements for food safety due to the underdeveloped detoxification and immune systems. Therefore, developing a comprehensive method for determination of PFASs and their novel alternatives in infant complementary food is of great significance. Objective To develop an analytical method using liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry technology for determination of 55 PFASs in plant- and animal-derived infant complementary fruit purees. Methods Oasis WAX (200 mg, 6 CC) solid-phase extraction columns were used for sample enrichment and purification. The pH of the acetonitrile extract was adjusted using 0%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% formic acid aqueous solutions to evaluate its impact on the recovery rate of target compounds. Additionally, the impact of a 2 mL methanol wash during the purification process on the recovery of target compounds was assessed to determine the optimal pretreatment conditions. Three types of chromatographic columns—Agilent Poroshell 120 EC-C₁₈, Thermo InfinityLab Poroshell 120 Aq-C₁₈, Acquity Waters BEH-C₁₈, and changes in mobile phase, were compared for their effects on retention time, peak shape, and response of target compounds. The method was validated in terms of selectivity, linear range, detection limit, and precision. The established method was applied to 49 commercial samples of infant complementary fruit purees. Results Adjusting the sample pH using 1.5% formic acid water and incorporating a 2 mL methanol wash during purification achieved satisfactory recovery rates. The target compounds were chromatographically separated using an Agilent Poroshell 120 EC-C₁₈ column with a gradient elution system. The mobile phase consisted of methanol-water (methanol/water: 2/98, v/v) containing 5 mmol·L⁻¹ ammonium formate as mobile phase A, and methanol as mobile phase B. Good separation was achieved within 15 min, resulting in optimal chromatographic peak shapes. The 55 target compounds exhibited good linearity across the standard curve range, with correlation coefficients (R²) greater than 0.99. The method detection limits ranged from 0.02 to 0.05 µg·L⁻¹. In the plant- and animal-based fruit puree samples, the spiked recovery rates ranged from 60% to 112% and 57% to 119%, respectively, with relative standard deviations (RSD) ≤ 30%. A total of 9 traditional PFASs and 5 novel PFASs were positive in 49 samples of infant complementary fruit purees. Conclusion This method enables comprehensive detection of 55 traditional and emerging PFASs, offering wide coverage, high accuracy, and excellent sensitivity. It provides technical support for characterizing contamination by traditional and emerging PFASs in food matrices.

Objective:To optimize the image quality of PET/CT following 90Y-selective internal radiation therapy ( 90Y-SIRT) using block-sequential regularized expectation maximization (BSREM) reconstruction algorithm, and to evaluate its impact of different β values on image quality and quantitative analysis. Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 8 male patients with hepatic tumors (age: 62(52, 71) years) treated at Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua Medicine Tsinghua University, between June 2024 and January 2025. All patients were treated with 90Y resin microspheres (2.6(0.9, 3.6)GBq) and underwent post-treatment 90Y PET/CT liver imaging. Imaging data were reconstructed using BSREM with different noise penalty weighting factors ( β values: 0, 300, 1000, 1500, 2500, 3500, 4000, 6000, 8000, 10000). Visual assessment was independently performed by two nuclear medicine physicians, using a 4-point scale (1=worst, 4=best). The mean score was considered as the final score. The consistency of the 2 reviewers was calculated and analyzed by Kappa test. Visual scores of different β value groups were compared by Friedman test. The β value demonstrating highest mean score and optimal consistency was selected as the optimal. Quantitative analysis was performed using MIM software to calculate the maximum absorbed dose ( Dmax) and the mean absorbed dose ( Dmean) for tumor, normal liver, and whole liver regions, and the CV was used to evaluate the impact of β values. Results:The visual assessment consistency of reviewers in 3 β value groups (0, 3500, 6000) were the highest (7/8) (all kappa=0.88, all P<0.05). Visual scores of the 10 β value groups were significantly different ( χ2=28.74, P<0.001), and the visual scores of 2 β value groups (3500, 4000) were the highest, both of which were 4.0(4.0, 4.0). Overall, visual assessment identified β=3500 as the optimal. Quantitative analysis revealed that, (1) Dmax in all regions (tumor, normal liver, whole liver) decreased with the increasing β values, stabilizing when β>1000 ( CV 56%-67%); (2) Dmean remained stable across different β values ( CV 0.04%-5.00%). Conclusions:In BSREM reconstruction, β=3500 is the optimal parameter for improving 90Y-PET image quality. β values significantly affect Dmax (stabilizing at β > 1000), but have no significant impact on Dmean, suggesting that reconstruction parameters primarily influence dose distribution morphology rather than average dose assessments.

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness of combined teaching method integrating case-based teaching method(CBL),problem-based teaching method(PBL),and team-based teaching method(TBL)in clinical nursing teaching in pediatric intensive care unit(PICU).Methods:A total of 60 nursing students who trained in our PICU from Jan 2021 to Jun 2022 were selected as the control group,and 60 nursing students who trained in our PICU from Jul 2022 to Jun 2024 were selected as the research group.The control group received conventional nursing teaching mode,while the research group received combined teaching mode of CBL,PBL,and TBL.The scores of academic performance,logical thinking ability,self-learning ability,and clinical nursing comprehensive ability between the two groups were compared.Result:The scores of theoretical knowledge,operational skills,post-teaching Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version(CTDI-CV)scale,self-directed learning readiness scale for nursing,and Mini-clinical evaluation exercise scale(Mini-CEX)in the research group were higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The combined teaching method of CBL,PBL,and TBL can effectively improve clinical nursing teaching results and comprehensive abilities of nursing students.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Zhuyun Yangmo Formula(composed of Dioscoreae Rhizoma,Corni Fructus,Cinnamomi Cortex,Cuscutae Semen,Chuanxiong Rhizoma,Angelicae Sinensis Radix,Lycii Fructus,Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata,Polygonati Rhizoma,Asini Corii Colla,Rubi Fructus,etc.)combined with Letrozole for the treatment of patients with infertility caused by follicular maldevelopment(FM)of kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome type.Methods Sixty patients with FM-caused infertility of kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome type treated at the Reproductive Medicine Department of Qingyuan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2024 to August 2024 were randomized into a control group(30 cases,treated with Letrozole alone)and an observation group(30 cases,treated with Zhuyun Yangmo Formula plus Letrozole)for three menstrual cycles.Primary outcomes of maximum diameter of preovulatory follicles and serum levels of estradiol(E2),luteinizing hormone(LH),and follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)in the two groups were observed before and after treatment.After treatment,the pregnancy rates in the two groups were compared.Results After treatment,serum E2,LH and FSH levels in both groups were significantly increased compared to those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the observation group showed significantly greater increase than the control group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.01).(2)After treatment,both groups showed improvement in the maximum diameter of preovulatory follicles compared to that before treatment(P＜0.05),and the observation group demonstrated significantly better improvement than the control group,with a statistically significant difference(P＜0.01).(3)After 3 menstrual cycles of treatment,the pregnancy rate in the observation group was 40.00%(12/30),significantly higher than 16.67%(5/30)in the control group,with a statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).Conclusion Zhuyun Yangmo Formula combined with Letrozole demonstrates superior efficacy in improving follicular development,elevating serum E2,LH and FSH levels,and increasing pregnancy rates in patients with FM-caused infertility of kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome type when compared to Letrozole monotherapy alone.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Yishen Pojian Formula(YSPJF)combined with Letrozole in treating infertility due to ovulatory dysfunction in polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)patients of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type.Methods Sixty PCOS patients diagnosed as ovulatory-dysfunction-induced infertility(kidney deficiency and blood stasis type)at the Reproductive Medicine Department of Qingyuan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from February 2024 to December 2024 were randomized into an observation group and a control group using a random number table,with 30 cases in each group.The control group received Letrozole alone,while the observation group received YSPJF combined with Letrozole.Both groups were treated for three menstrual cycles and followed up for three months.The changes in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,serum levels of sex hormones[follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH),luteinizing hormone(LH),testosterone(T),and anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH)],ovarian function parameters[antral follicle count(AFC),maximum follicle diameter(FD),and endometrial thickness(EM)]in the two groups were observed.Moreover,the ovulation rate and pregnancy rate were compared.Results(1)After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores of the two groups were lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the serum FSH of the two groups was higher than that before treatment(P＜0.05),and the levels of serum LH,T,and AMH were lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the increase of the serum FSH level and the decrease of the levels of serum LH,T,and AMH in the observation group were significantly superior to those in the control group,the differences being all statistically significant(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,AFC was reduced(P＜0.05)and FD and EM were elevated(P＜0.05)in both groups compared with those before treatment,and the reduction of AFC and the elevation of FD and EM in the observation group were significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the ovulation rate and pregnancy rate of the observation group were 90.00%(27/30)and 50.00%(15/30),respectively,which were higher than those of the control group[70.00%(21/30)and 30.00%(9/30)],and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion YSPJF combined with Letrozole exerts significant clinical efficacy for PCOS patients with infertility due to ovulatory dysfunction of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type,and the combined therapy is effective on alleviating TCM syndromes,modulating sex hormone levels,improving ovarian function,and elevating ovulation rate and pregnancy rate.

Objective To analyze the prescription patterns of Professor Huang Feng,a nationally renowned traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)practitioner,in treating osteomyelitis using data mining methods.Methods Prescription data from effective medical records of osteomyelitis treated by Professor Huang Feng between January 2018 and December 2022 were collected and screened.Microsoft Excel,SPSS Modeler 18.0,and SPSS Statistics 25 were used to analyze the frequency and the distribution of properties,flavors,and meridian tropism of prescribed medications,along with association rule analysis and cluster analysis of high-frequency drugs.Results A total of 137 prescriptions involving 86 Chinese medicinals were included.Eighteen high-frequency medicinals(frequency＞30 times)were identified,namely Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Astragali Radix,Coicis Semen,Angelicae Sinensis Radix,Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma,Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix,Bletillae Rhizoma,Rehmanniae Radix,Paeoniae Radix Alba,Dendrobii Caulis,Polygalae Radix,Lablab Semen Album,Corydalis Rhizoma,Angelicae Dahuricae Radix,Drynariae Rhizoma,Sanguisorbae Radix,Poria,and Mume Fructus.Most of the prescribed medicinals were neutral in nature,sweet,bitter,and pungent in flavor,and had the meridian tropism of liver,spleen,and lung meridians.Association rule analysis yielded 67 drug association rules,and the high-support combinations were the drug combinations of Astragali Radix respectively with Coicis Semen,Angelicae Sinensis Radix,Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma and Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix,reflecting the compatibility principles of supplementing and invigorating qi-blood,activating blood circulation to resolve stasis,and draining dampness to remove toxins.Cluster analysis revealed three core clusters:Cluster 1 consisted of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Astragali Radix,Coicis Semen,Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma,Angelicae Sinensis Radix,Bletillae Rhizoma,Paeoniae Radix Alba,Angelicae Dahuricae Radix,Mume Fructus,Polygalae Radix and Sanguisorbae Radix;Cluster 2 consisted of Rehmanniae Radix and Dendrobii Caulis;Cluster 3 consisted of Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix,Lablab Semen Album,Corydalis Rhizoma and Poria.Conclusion For the treatment of osteomyelitis,Professor Huang Feng follows the principle of combining supporting healthy qi with eliminating pathogens,focuses on clearing damp-heat and pathogenic toxins accompanied by activating blood circulation to resolve stasis,and lays stress on adaptation to local condition and activating spleen-stomach to reinforce vital qi.

Objective To analyze the disease burden of hip osteoarthritis(HOA)and its changing trends in China from 1990 to 2021.Methods Utilizing the Global Burden of Disease(GBD)2021 database,age-standardized incidence rate(ASIR),age-standardized prevalence rate(ASPR),and age-standardized disability adjusted life years(DALY)rate(ASDR)of HOA were compared and analyzed in China,globally,and in regions with high sociodemographic index(SDI)from 1990 to 2021.Joinpoint regression model was used to analyze the temporal trend of disease burden,and age and gender were combined to deeply analyze the disease burden of HOA in China.Meanwhile,the age-period-cohort model was used to analyze the influencing factors and the Bayesian age-period-cohort model to predict the trend of China's HOA disease burden in the next 10 years.Results The ASIR,ASPR,and ASDR of HOA in China showed an increasing trend from 1990 to 2021[average annual percentage change(AAPC)were 0.87％,0.82％,and 0.81％,respectively,P＜0.001],and their AAPCs were higher than those of the global and high SDI regions,but in 2021,the ASIR,ASPR,and ASDR of China were lower than those of the global and high SDI regions.Crude incidence,crude prevalence,and crude DALY rate in Chinese HOA increased with age,with the highest number of incidence in the 55-59 age group and the highest number of prevalence,DALY,in the 65-69 age group.In 2021,the ASIR,ASPR and ASDR of HOA in Chinese males were 1.25,1.24 and 1.25 times higher than those in females.Changes in the incidence of HOA in China from 1990 to 2021 were influenced by age,period,and birth cohort.Compared with 2021,new cases of HOA are expected to increase by 37.78％by 2035,and the number of incidence cases in people aged 60 years and above will increase significantly.Conclusion The disease burden of HOA in China continued to rise from 1990 to 2021,and prevention and control need to be strengthened,with a focus on men,high BMI,and middle-aged and older populations.