Taste is a sensation produced by the reaction of substances in the mouth with taste receptor cells， and a normal taste function is essential for our daily life and health. As receivers of taste molecules， taste receptors include sour， bitter， sweet， salty， and umami receptors， which are mainly distributed in the oral cavity， gastrointestinal tract， respiratory tract epithelium and other organs and play a physiological role. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has five flavors （sour， bitter， sweet， pungent， and salty）， which are closely related to the efficacy. Except the pungent flavor and umami taste receptors， the other five taste receptors correspond to the five flavors in the TCM theory， while the correlations between them have not been studied， such as those between bitter receptors and bitter TCM and between sweet receptors and sweet TCM. This article reviews the research reports on taste receptors in recent years. By analyzing the relationships of taste receptors with five flavors of TCM， signaling mechanisms， and diseases based on "receptor-TCM" correlations， this article puts forward the possibility of combining the TCM theory of five flavors with modern biomedical research， providing a reference for the research on "flavors" in TCM and the correlations between TCM and taste receptors.

Taste is a sensation produced by the reaction of substances in the mouth with taste receptor cells， and a normal taste function is essential for our daily life and health. As receivers of taste molecules， taste receptors include sour， bitter， sweet， salty， and umami receptors， which are mainly distributed in the oral cavity， gastrointestinal tract， respiratory tract epithelium and other organs and play a physiological role. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has five flavors （sour， bitter， sweet， pungent， and salty）， which are closely related to the efficacy. Except the pungent flavor and umami taste receptors， the other five taste receptors correspond to the five flavors in the TCM theory， while the correlations between them have not been studied， such as those between bitter receptors and bitter TCM and between sweet receptors and sweet TCM. This article reviews the research reports on taste receptors in recent years. By analyzing the relationships of taste receptors with five flavors of TCM， signaling mechanisms， and diseases based on "receptor-TCM" correlations， this article puts forward the possibility of combining the TCM theory of five flavors with modern biomedical research， providing a reference for the research on "flavors" in TCM and the correlations between TCM and taste receptors.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the advantages and effectiveness of the independently developed intelligent orthopedic robot-assisted distal locking of femoral intramedullary nails. METHODS: Thirty-two adult cadaveric femur specimens were randomly divided into two groups, with 16 specimens in each group. The experimental group used the intelligent orthopedic robot to assist in the distal locking of femoral intramedullary nail holes, while the control group used the traditional method of manual locking under X-ray fluoroscopy. The locking time, fluoroscopy times, and the success rate of first locking were recorded and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The locking time of the experimental group was (273.94±38.67) seconds, which was shorter than that of the control group [(378.38±152.72) seconds], and number of fluoroscopies was (4.56±0.81) times, which was less than that of the control group [(8.00±3.98) times]. The differences were significant [ MD=73.054 (-37.187, 85.813), P=0.049; MD=1.969 (-1.437, 2.563), P=0.002]. The first locking success rate of the experimental group was 100% (16/16), which was significantly higher than that of the control group (68.75%, 11/16) ( P=0.043). CONCLUSION The efficiency of distal locking of femoral intramedullary nails assisted by the intelligent orthopedic robot is significantly higher than that of the traditional manual locking method under fluoroscopy, as it can markedly reduce the time required for distal locking of femoral intramedullary nails, decrease intraoperative radiation exposure, and increase the success rate of locking.
Humans ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary/instrumentation* ; Bone Nails ; Fluoroscopy ; Femur/diagnostic imaging* ; Femoral Fractures/surgery* ; Robotic Surgical Procedures/instrumentation* ; Cadaver ; Adult ; Robotics ; Male

Objective To establish baseline radiation dose data for computed tomography (CT) examinations in Shaanxi Province, China and to provide scientific evidence for optimizing medical radiation protection. Methods From 2020 to 2023, a multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted using 16 CT scanners across 9 hospitals (2 specialized pediatric hospitals and 7 general hospitals). Standardized registration forms were used to collect basic information (e.g., age and examination site), scanning parameters (e.g., tube voltage, tube current-time product, and scan length), and dosimetric parameters (volume CT dose index [CTDI_vol] and dose-length product [DLP]). Non-parametric tests were employed for intergroup comparisons. Results A significant positive correlation was observed between age and major CT scanning parameters. Both CTDI_vol and DLP increased significantly with age across all examination sites (P < 0.001). Abdominal CTDI_vol was significantly lower in specialized pediatric hospitals than in general hospitals (8.0 vs. 15.5 mGy, P < 0.001). The < 1-year age group showed higher abdominal CTDI_vol (13.2 vs. 8.6 mGy) but lower DLP (243.5 vs. 261.9 mGy·cm) compared to the 1- < 5-year group. Conclusion This study established the first baseline radiation dose database for CT examinations in Shaanxi Province, providing critical scientific support for developing regional diagnostic reference levels and optimizing radiological protection practices.

From June 16 to 30, 2023, men who have sex with men (MSM) who had visited Voluntary Counseling Testing (VCT) clinics in the Luohu, Futian and Nanshan districts of Shenzhen were included in this study to analyze their awareness of Mpox and the influencing factors. The mean age of the 262 MSM was (34.78±8.94) years, with the majority being unmarried (75.2%) and 79.0% confirmed to be infected with HIV. The awareness rates for five primary indicators, current status of Mpox, pathogen and source of infection, mode of transmission, population susceptibility, clinical manifestations and treatment were 68.4%, 84.7%, 60.3%, 87.8%, and 52.5%, respectively. The awareness rates for five secondary indicators, earliest transmission location (44.7%), main mode of transmission (54.2%), role of masks (46.9%), drug accessibility (46.6%), and self-limiting nature (38.2%) were all below 60%. The MSM population in Shenzhen perceived their likelihood of being infected (2.76±1.32) and discriminated against (3.87±1.26) as relatively low. The logistic analysis showed that the high school or vocational school education ( OR:3.094, 95 %CI:1.180-9.299), college or above education ( OR:5.360, 95% CI:2.159-15.501), and higher scores on questions affecting learning or work ( OR:2.196, 95% CI:1.409-3.599) were promoting factors for Mpox awareness, while higher scores on questions concerning the possibility of Mpox mortality ( OR:0.591, 95% CI:0.432-0.791) was the hindering factor for Mpox awareness.

From June 16 to 30, 2023, men who have sex with men (MSM) who had visited Voluntary Counseling Testing (VCT) clinics in the Luohu, Futian and Nanshan districts of Shenzhen were included in this study to analyze their awareness of Mpox and the influencing factors. The mean age of the 262 MSM was (34.78±8.94) years, with the majority being unmarried (75.2%) and 79.0% confirmed to be infected with HIV. The awareness rates for five primary indicators, current status of Mpox, pathogen and source of infection, mode of transmission, population susceptibility, clinical manifestations and treatment were 68.4%, 84.7%, 60.3%, 87.8%, and 52.5%, respectively. The awareness rates for five secondary indicators, earliest transmission location (44.7%), main mode of transmission (54.2%), role of masks (46.9%), drug accessibility (46.6%), and self-limiting nature (38.2%) were all below 60%. The MSM population in Shenzhen perceived their likelihood of being infected (2.76±1.32) and discriminated against (3.87±1.26) as relatively low. The logistic analysis showed that the high school or vocational school education ( OR:3.094, 95 %CI:1.180-9.299), college or above education ( OR:5.360, 95% CI:2.159-15.501), and higher scores on questions affecting learning or work ( OR:2.196, 95% CI:1.409-3.599) were promoting factors for Mpox awareness, while higher scores on questions concerning the possibility of Mpox mortality ( OR:0.591, 95% CI:0.432-0.791) was the hindering factor for Mpox awareness.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the variations in taste， aroma and volatile organic compounds of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma decoction pieces derived from different sources， and to identify their origins. METHODS The flavor， odor and volatile organic compounds of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma decoction pieces from different sources were compared and analyzed by using electronic tongue， electronic nose， and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry （GC-IMS）. Principal component analysis （PCA）， partial least squares-discriminant analysis （PLS-DA）， orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA） and Fisher discriminant analysis were employed to identify the origins of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma decoction pieces and establish the basis discrimination criteria. RESULTS The differences in taste of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma decoction pieces from 3 origins were primarily characterized by bitterness， astringency， and bitter-astringent aftertaste. In terms of smell， variations were mainly observed in inorganic sulfides， organic sulfides containing aromatic components， methane and other short-chain alkanes， alcohols， ethers， aldehydes and ketones， as well as nitrogen oxides. Differentially volatile organic compounds mainly consisted of alcohols， aldehydes and ketones. Furthermore， the samples from 8 batches could be effectively classified into 3 categories.Three types of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma decoction pieces can be effectivily identified based on the peak intensity ratio between volatile substances. For example， when the peak intensity of 2-acetylfuran was 3-19 times that of isobutyric acid [dimer]， it was considered as Rheum officinale Baill. CONCLUSIONS The discriminant models established in this study， along with the criteria for determining the origins based on the peak intensity ofcharacteristic volatile compounds， can be utilized for the identification of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma decoction pieces.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological features of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in Beijing, and monitor the sequence variations in RSV glycoprotein (G) gene and clinical features of infected children.Methods:Respiratory tract specimens were collected from children with acute respiratory infection in the Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023. RSV-positive specimens screened by multiple nucleic acid testing were subjected to PCR to amplify the full-length RSV G gene. A phylogenetic tree was constructed after gene sequencing to analyze RSV subtypes and trace G gene variants. Clinical data were retrieved from the medical record system to analyze the clinical features of children with RSV infection in Beijing.Results:A total of 5 489 respiratory specimens were collected from 3 046 male patients and 2 443 female patients. The average age of the patients was 4.36 years. A total of 589 RSV-positive specimens (10.7%, 589/5 489) were detected with 349 from male patients and 240 from female patients. The average age of children with RSV infection was (2.51±2.78) years and the median age was 0.48 years. RSV had been circulating among children in Beijing since March 2023 with two epidemic peaks in May (24.6%, 122/496) and December (18.2%, 126/693). The predominant subtype of RSV in the first half of 2023 was subtype A, but it was replaced by subtype B from November 2023. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a novel G gene of RSV subtype B (RSV-B-BA9-954bp) with a length of 954 bp, which belonged to a new cluster in the phylogenetic tree. The percentage of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was higher in children with new variant of RSV subtype B infection than in those with common RSV subtype B infection [44.1% (15/34) vs 25.2% (31/123), χ 2=4.600, P=0.032], while the counts of white blood cells and the levels of C-reactive protein were lower in the children with new variant infection ( P<0.05). Conclusions:RSV has been prevalent among children in Beijing since March 2023 with two epidemic peaks. The predominant A subtype is gradually replaced by to B subtype. A new variant of RSV B G gene (RSV-B-BA9-954bp) is detected among the children.

OBJECTIVE To explore the changes in chemical compositions and the characteristics of “fried charcoal and saving properties” based on the carbon-frying process of Sophora japonica and its bud. METHODS The slightly， moderately and heavily carbon-fried samples of S. japonica and its bud were prepared. The fingerprints of S. japonica， its bud and carbon-fried samples were established， and common peaks were identified. HPLC method was used to determine the contents of identified components and differential analysis was also performed； the differential components were screened by using chemometric methods， and their content ratios were used to characterize the “fried charcoal and saving properties” of S. japonica and its bud. RESULTS There were 9 common peaks in the fingerprints of S. japonica and its carbon-fried samples， 8 common peaks in those of S. japonica bud and its carbon-fried samples. In the fingerprints of S. japonica and its bud， and their different fried products， 6 components were identified， such as rutin， kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside， isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside， quercetin， kaempferol，isorhamnetin. Among them， the contents of rutin， kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside and isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside were the highest in slightly carbon-fried samples of S. japonica bud， and the contents of quercetin and isorhamnetin were the highest in moderately carbon-fried samples of S. japonica bud， and the contents of kaempferol were higher in moderately and healily carbon-fried samples of S. japonica bud. The chemometric results showed that the variable importance projection values of rutin and quercetin were both greater than 1. The range of rutin-quercetin content ratio between 9.00-14.00 and 3.00-6.00 respectively could characterize “fried charcoal and saving properties” of S. japonica and its bud. CONCLUSIONS There are significant differences in the chemical compositions of raw and fried products of S. japonica and its bud. Rutin and quercetin may be the differential components that affect their quality， and the ratio range of the two can be used to characterize the “fried charcoal and saving properties” of S. japonica and its bud in the future.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of oblique vaginal septum syndrome (OVSS).Methods:The clinical data of 80 patients with OVSS admitted to The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from July 2005 to July 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the classification system of OVSS proposed by Female Genital Anomalies Study Group, Chinese Obstetricians and Gynecologists Association in 2021, the patients were divided into four groups. The clinical manifestations, accompanied urinary system abnormalities, diagnosis and treatment methods and treatment outcomes were observed.Results:According to the above classification system, among the 80 patients with OVSS, 35 patients (44%, 35/80) were categorized as type Ⅰ, 33 patients (41%, 33/80) were categorized as type Ⅱ, 2 patients (3%, 2/80) were categorized as type Ⅲ and 10 patients (13%, 10/80) were categorized as type Ⅳ. The main onset symptom of patients was periodic abdominal pain (70%, 56/80), vaginal bleeding (20%, 16/80), dysuria or fecal impaction (15%, 12/80), vaginal mucopurulent discharge (10%, 8/80). The morbidity of combined urinary system abnormalities was 88% (70/80), and the most common urinary system abnormality was ipsilateral renal agenesis (81%, 65/80). Bilateral kidneys were normal in 13% (10/80) patients, and 6% (5/80) were combined with other urinary system abnormalities. A total of 74 patients underwent vaginal oblique septectomy or septum excision. Five of the 10 patients with type Ⅳ underwent hysterectomy on the cervical atresia side, 4 patients received hysteroscopy combined with cervicoplasty+oblique septotomy or septum excision, and one patient selected delayed menstruation. Two patients underwent laparoscopic resection of the dysplasia kidney and ectopic ureter which opening to the vagina. Eleven patients with endometriosis cyst, hydrosalpinx or empyema underwent laparoscopic surgery.Conclusions:The main symptom of type Ⅰ and Ⅳ patients is abdominal pain, while the main symptom of type Ⅱ and Ⅲ patients is bleeding. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has advantages in the evaluation of complex OVSS, and MRI is recommended before operation to exclude other axial reproductive tract dysplasia and complex urinary system dysplasia. If there is leakage of urine, vaginal discharge or complex deformity, it is necessary to multidisciplinary discussion and formulate a reasonable surgical plan. The first treatment is related to the prognosis of patients especially children, and should be highly valued.