This paper summarized Professor ZHANG Zhiwen's clinical experience in treating pulmonary nodules. Professor ZHANG proposed that the pathogenesis of pulmonary nodules is impairment of qi and body fluid distribution， sweating pores constraint and block， binding of phlegm and stasis， and long-term accumulation transforming into toxin， with abnormal circulation of qi， blood and body fluid as the root， and phlegm， stasis and toxin as the branch. According to the evolution of pathogenesis， a dynamic diagnosis and treatment idea of "regulating qi and body fluid， opening sweating pores， penetrating kenang （窠囊）， and preventing cancer toxins" is proposed， including the methods of regulating qi and body fluid， and calming the five zang （脏） organs with the modified self-prescribed Tiaoqi Huatan Decoction （调气化痰汤）， opening sweating pores and unblocking qi and blood with the modified self-prescribed Kaixuan Tongyu Decoction （开玄通郁汤）， penetrating kenang and dissipating masses and stagnation with the modified self-prescribed Tounang Sanjie Decoction （透囊散结汤）， rectifying the healthy qi and preventing cancer toxins with the modified self-prescribed Shenqi Fuzheng Jiedu Decoction （参芪扶正解毒汤）. These four methods can be used alone， in combination， or in sequence， and can provide ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary nodules with traditional Chinese medicine.

OBJECTIVE To optimize the formulation for sustained-release particles of matrine(MAT) and paeonol(PAE) and to primarily evaluate their quality. METHODS The sustained-release particles were fabricated by the extrusion-spheronization method. Single factor analysis was conducted on the main sustained-release materials and their dosage, auxiliary sustained-release materials, and the total amount and proportion of mixed sustained-release materials, using the cumulative release rates of MAT and PAE in vitro as evaluation indicators. By combining central composition design-response surface methodology, the formulation of sustained-release materials was optimized, and the effects of the total amount and mass ratio of ethyl cellulose(EC) and chitosan(CS) on the cumulative release rate and release synchronization of MAT and PAE were investigated. The formulation characteristics, in vitro release, and preliminary stability tests of MAT-PAE-SRPs were evaluated, and the release process kinetic equation was fitted. RESULTS The optimized formulation contained 23.5% EC and 17.1% CS as sustained-release materials. The yield, repose angle, bulk density and friability of final particles were 97.23%, 38.1°, 0.74 g·mL−1 and 0.74%, respectively. The particles showed sustained release pattern in various media and released faster in acidic media with its release percentage >90% at 12 h. The release profile of MAT was fitted best with first order equation, and that of paeonol with Higuchi equation. The formation of SRPs improved the stability of both drugs. CONCLUSION The sustained-release effect of MAT-PAE-SRPs prepared by sustained-release materials EC and CS is significant, and the cumulative release rate and release synchronization of MAT and PAE are good, which can provide reference for the research of dual loaded sustained-release formulations.

Objective To study the changes in peripheral blood T lymphocytes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and their correlation with the disease's severity and prognosis.Methods We selected 120 patients with ankylosing spondylitis treated between January 2020 and March 2023 as the research group and 120 healthy people who had medical examinations in the same period as the health group.We detected the changes in CD4+,CD8+and CD4+/CD8+values of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets with flow cytometry,compared the differences in T lymphocyte subsets between the two groups,and analyzed the correlation with the disease severity of the patients.All the 120 patients with ankylosing spondylitis were followed up for 6 months after treatment to assess their prognosis.General information and T lymphocyte sub-groups CD4+,CD8+level,CD4+/CD8+value changes were compared among patients with different prognosis.We analyzed the value of T lymphocyte sub-groups in predicting the prognosis of patients with ankylosing spondylitis.Results In the research group CD4+and CD4+/CD8+were lower but CD8 1 was higher than those in the healthy group(P＜0.05).CD4+and CD4+/CD8 were lower but CD8+was higher in patients with advanced ankylosing spondylitis than in early and mid-term patients(P＜0.05).The ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of CD4+,CD8+,and CD4+/CD8+combined diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis patients was 0.878,with higher diagnostic sensitivity than that of the single diagnosis(P＜0.05).In the poor prognosis group,CD8+was higher than that in the excellent prognosis group,but CD4+and CD4+/CD8 value were lower than the latter(P＜0.05).The results of Pearson test showed that CD4+and CD4+/CD8+were negatively correlated with the prognosis of patients with ankylosing spondylitis(r=-0.568,-0.656,P＜0.001).CD8+was positively correlated with the prognosis of patients with ankylosing spondylitis(r=0.623,P＜0.001).ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of the combined diagnosis of CD4+,CD8+and CD4+/CD8+for ankylosing spondylitis patients was 0.910,and the diagnostic sensitivity was higher than that of single diagnosis(P＜0.05).Conclusion The abnormal levels of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets in patients with ankylosing spondylitis are closely related to the severity and prognosis of the disease,and can be used as a reference indicator for diagnosing the severity and prognosis of ankylosing spondylitis.

Objective To explore the short-term surgical outcomes of the modified surgical procedure for uniportal thoracoscopic right middle lobectomy (RML). Methods In this modified approach, the incision was created at sixth or seventh intercostal space inferior to the subscapular angle. The surgeon stood on the opposite side of the operating table. The surgery was performed by serial division of the anterior oblique fissure, the vein, bronchus, artery, and horizontal fissure following the single-direction strategy. As for patients with malignant lesions, hilar and mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed. Clinical characteristics and early surgical outcomes were collected and analyzed. Results Fifty two patients were included in this study in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University between January 2021 and June 2023. There were 20 males and 32 females at an average age of 48.0±10.5 years. No conversion or perioperative mortality was occurred. Mean surgical time was 68.1±16.8 min, mean blood loss was 16.5±4.9 mL, median chest tube duration was 2 (2-22) d and median postoperative hospital stay was 3 (3-24) d. There was no intraoperative or postoperative complication but one patient developed postoperative prolonged air leak (>5 d). Mean postoperative visual-analog scale on postoperative day 1, day 2 and day 3 was 1.5±0.8, 1.7±0.4, 0.8±0.7, respectively. Conclusion Trans-posterior-approach uniportal thoracoscopic single-direction RML is a safe, feasible, and effective procedure, which provides an appropriate direction and angle for dissection and stapling, solving the challenge of conventional uniportal RML lobectomy.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of a clinical imaging model based on multi-slice helical computer tomography (MSCT) examination in predicting prognosis of advanced gastric adenocarcinoma.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopatho-logical data of 88 patients with advanced gastric adenocarcinoma who were admitted to the Ningbo Yinzhou No.2 Hospital from January 2019 to January 2021 were collected. There were 62 males and 26 females, aged (60±15)years. All patients underwent preoperative MSCT examination. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were expressed as absolute numbers. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using the Logistic regression model. The receiver opera-ting characteristic curve was used to analyze the predictive efficacy of prognosis, and the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were calculated. Results:(1) Surgical situations and follow-up. All 88 patients underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer and were diagnosed with advanced gastric adenocarcinoma through postoperative pathological examination. All 88 patients were followed up after surgery for 41(range, 36?48)months, with a 3-year overall survival rate of 69.32%. (2) Analysis of factors affecting the prognosis of advanced gastric adenocarcinoma after radical surgery. Results of multivariate analysis showed that preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and extramural venous invasion (EMVI) were independent factors affecting the prognosis of advanced gastric adenocarcinoma after radical surgery ( odds ratio=1.10, 7.72, 95% confidence interval as 1.01?3.82, 1.42?15.42, P<0.05). (3) Construction and evaluation of predictive model. The AUC of predictive efficacy of prognosis for advanced gastric adenocarcinoma of preoperative CEA and EMVI were 0.90 (95% confidence interval as 0.82?0.97) and 0.80 (95% confidence intervalas 0.71?0.89), respectively, with sensitivity of 85.25% and 78.69% and specificity of 100.00% and 81.48%, respec-tively. A predictive model was constructed by combining preoperative CEA and EMVI based on the results of multivariate analysis, and the AUC of the predictive model was 0.93 (95% confidence interval as 0.87?0.98), with sensitivity and specificity of 86.89% and 96.30%. Conclusions:CEA and EMVI are independent factors affecting the prognosis of advanced gastric adenocarcinoma after radical surgery. The predictive model constructed by combining preoperative CEA and EMVI has good predictive efficacy for patient prognosis.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of rituximab combined with immunosuppressive pulse therapy for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy(TAO)and analyze its influence on clinical activity score(CAS)and prognosis.Meth-ods A total of 136 patients(272 eyes)with TAO who were admitted to Huanggang Central Hospital from March 2020 to October 2022 were selected and divided into an observation group(68 patients)and a control group(68 patients)using a random number table method.Patients in the control group were given immunosuppressive pulse therapy,while patients in the observation group were given rituximab plus immunosuppressive pulse therapy.Both groups were treated for 4 courses(7 days per course).The clinical efficacy,eye signs,CAS score,thyroid conditions[thyrotropin receptor antibody(TRAb),thyroid peroxidase antibody(TPOAb),thyroid volume],T lymphocyte subsets,and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.After a follow-up period of six months,the prognosis of patients in the two groups was compared.Results After 4 courses of treatment,the total effective rate of patients in the observation group was 94.12％(64/68),which was higher than that in the control group(82.35％,56/68)(P＜0.05).After 2 and 4 courses of treat-ment,the degree of exophthalmos,intraocular pressure,average palpebral fissure width,retrobulbar soft tissue volume,distance from the bulbus oculi,CAS score,TPOAb,TRAb,and thyroid volume of patients in the observation group were smaller than those in the control group,and all decreased compared to before treatment(all P＜0.05);the thickness of the tear film lipid layer was greater than that in the control group,and both increased compared to before treatment(all P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in the said indicators between the two groups before treatment(all P＞0.05).The CD3+,CD4+,and CD8+T lymphocyte levels of patients showed no significant difference between the two groups before treatment(all P＞0.05).After 2 and 4 courses of treatment,the levels of CD3+and CD4+T lymphocyte in both groups were higher than those before treatment.Except that the CD4+T lymphocyte level in the observation group was lower than that in the control group after 2 courses of treatment,the levels of CD3+and CD4+T lymphocyte in the obser-vation group were higher than those in the control group at other time points(all P＜0.05).After 2 and 4 courses of treat-ment,the level of CD8+T lymphocyte in both groups decreased compared to before treatment,and it was lower in the ob-servation group than the control group(all P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reac-tions such as low fever,nausea,and hypokalemia between the two groups(all P＜0.05).After the 6-month follow-up,the improvement rate of patients in the observation group was 95.59％(65/68),which was higher than that in the control group(79.41％,54/68)(P＜0.05).Conclusion Rituximab combined with immunosuppressive pulse therapy is effec-tive for TAO.It can alleviate eye signs and thyroid conditions,reduce clinical activity,and promote prognosis.

Objective To explore esomeprazole(EMZ)on acetaminophen(APAP)pharmacokinetics and intestinal microbial balance.Methods A total of 14 rats were randomly allocated into two groups,with 7 rats in each group:acetaminophen group(APAP group),and acetaminophen+esomeprazole combination group(APAP+EMZ group),respectively.Rats in the combination group were fed in the metabolic cage.Equivalent 3.6 mg·kg-1·d-1 esomeprazole was administered intragastrically to the combination group for 14 days;Similarly,an equal volume of 0.9％sodium chloride soution(NaCl)was fed to the APAP group for 14 days.During this period,fecal samples were collected from the rats before and after 14 days of EMZ administration for microbial 16S rRNA sequencing.On the 15th day,both the APAP group and APAP+EMZ groups were administratered an equivalent of 44.82 mg·kg-1 APAP by the same method after the regular EMZ administration.The concentrations of APAP in rat plasma were determined by the UPLC-MS/MS method.Main pharmacokinetic parameters were processed and compared using the software DAS 3.0.1 and SPSS 24.0.Results The pharmacokinetic parameter Cmax of APAP was significantly different between APAP group and APAP+EMZ group(P＜0.05).Compared with APAP group,Cmax increased by 120.38％in the APAP+EMZ group.The pharmacokinetic parameters(AUC(0-∞)、CL、t 1/2、tmax)of APAP showed no statistical differences between APAP group and APAP+EMZ group(P＞0.05).The results of 16SrRNA of intestinal flora showed that the abundance of Lactobacillus,Bacteroides,Clostridium,and Escherichia decreased compared with that before drug administration,while the abundance of Bifidobacterium increased.However,the relative abundance of the above flora showed no prominent differences before and after the EMZ intervention(P＞0.05).Conclusions This study showed that when combining EMZ with APAP,the relative abundance of those related flora,which may influence the β-Glucuronidase,all changed to some extent,but made no difference in statistics.The effect of EMZ on the Cmax of APAP was statistically significant.However,the use of EMZ for two weeks did not alter the other pharmacokinetics of APAP by affecting the gut microbiota.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of CT-guided needle puncture biopsy of pancreatic lesions through gastrointestinal space.Methods Data of 96 patients with single pancreatic lesion who underwent CT-guided needle puncture biopsy through gastrointestinal space were retrospectively analyzed,and the success rate of puncture biopsy was recorded.The diagnostic efficacy of biopsy pathology was evaluated based on surgical pathology and follow-up results,and the relative complications were observed.Results Puncture biopsy was successfully completed in all 96 cases(96/96,100%).The sensitivity of biopsy pathology diagnosis was 97.75%(87/89),with specificity of 100%(7/7),positive predictive value of 100%(87/87),negative predictive value of 77.78%(7/9)and accuracy of 97.92%(94/96).Complications were noticed in 6 cases,including small amount of peripancreatic effusion in 3 cases,small amount of abdominal effusion in 1 case and intermittent fever in 2 cases,which were all improved.No other complication occurred.Conclusion CT-guided needle puncture biopsy of pancreatic lesions through gastrointestinal space was safe and effective.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases worldwide, causing a significant number of deaths. Traditional diagnostic methods have limitations, while the application of molecular biology techniques has opened new avenues for TB diagnosis and treatment. This article focuses on the introduction and discussion of the application status of four molecular biological methods, including Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) technology, Line Probe Assay (LPA) technology, GeneXpert, and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) technology. These novel techniques offer notable advantages over traditional TB diagnostic methods, such as high sensitivity and specificity for identifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis and detecting drug resistance. Furthermore, these technologies facilitate automated and rapid TB diagnosis and drug resistance testing, providing insights into the species and drug resistance information of M. tuberculosis, thereby supporting personalized treatment. In conclusion, the application of molecular biological methods in TB diagnosis and treatment has shown tremendous potential for improving diagnostic accuracy and personalized therapeutic efficacy, thus holding paramount importance for the control and prevention of TB.

Objective By employing surgically induced varicocele(VC)in SD rats and an apomorphine(APO)test,we screened rats with erectile dysfunction(ED)after VC and explored method to establish VC and ED models.Methods Sixty rats were randomly divided into Control,Sham,and Model groups with 20 rats in each group.Using the Turner method,we partially ligated the left renal vein to induce left VC three times.APO tests were conducted to screen rats with ED after inducing VC.The numbers of erections,genital grooming,and yawning were observed and recorded.The diameter of bilateral spermatic veins were measured.Both testises and kidneys were weighed.HE staining was used to observe pathological changes of penis and left testis.The success rate of modeling was calculated in the Model group.Results A VC and ED model was successfully established in 15 out of 20 rats in the Model group with a success rate of 75％.After modeling,the diameter of the left spermatic vein in the model group was increased significantly(P＜0.01)and was significantly larger than that before modeling(P＜0.01).The diameter of the right spermatic vein in the Model group was increased(P＜0.05)and higher(P＜0.05)than that before modeling.The weight of the left testis in the Model group was significantly decreased(P＜0.01)compared with that of the right testis.No significant difference in the bilateral kidney weights were observed between or within groups(P＜0.05).In the Model group,the numbers of erections,yawning,and genital grooming decreased significantly(P＜0.01)with the time of modeling.Pathological changes of the left testis and penis were significant in the Model group.Conclusions The Turner method increases the diameter of the spermatic vein in rats,causing testis injury and weight loss,and APO tests can be used to screen rats with ED after VC induction.The combination of the two method is suitable to establish an animal model of VC with an ED status similar to humans.