ObjectiveBased on fluorescence lifetime imaging technology, a novel method for viscosity detection is proposed and the capability of different weighting of fluorescence lifetimes in distinguishing the viscosity of glycerol-water mixtures is evaluated, aiming to enhance the accuracy and reliability of viscosity differentiation. MethodsThis approach incorporates the principles of electronic weighting, introducing both amplitude-weighted average fluorescence lifetime (τ_m) and intensity-weighted average fluorescence lifetime (τ_i). Viscosity changes in glycerol-water mixtures are detected through τ_m and τ_i. τ_m Reflects the relationship between fluorescence signal amplitude and time, while τ_i focuses on the time-varying characteristics of fluorescence signal intensity. ResultsThe results of both τ_m and τ_i mutually corroborate each other, not only enhancing the reliability in detecting viscosity changes in glycerol-water mixtures but also revealing their unique roles in the detection process. Although τ_m plays a crucial role in capturing changes in fluorescence signal amplitude, τ_i exhibits higher accuracy in viscosity detection when considering the time-varying characteristics of fluorescence signal intensity. It is particularly noteworthy that, due to τ_i’s greater sensitivity, microenvironment viscosity detection can be directly analyzed using τ_i. This provides a more convenient approach for real-time, highly sensitive microfluidic viscosity monitoring. Therefore, through the comprehensive utilization of τ_m and τ_i, a more thorough and accurate understanding of the viscosity information in glycerol-water mixtures can be obtained, and specific parameters can be selected for in-depth analysis based on specific needs. ConclusionThe combination of amplitude weighting and intensity weighting allows for a more sensitive identification of subtle changes in viscosity under different conditions. The innovation of this method lies in its simultaneous consideration of multiple parameters, enhancing sensitivity and distinguishability to variations in viscosity. Therefore, this weighted-dependent fluorescence lifetime imaging technique not only introduces a novel approach for viscosity detection in glycerol-water mixtures but also provides a powerful analytical tool for various fields, including microfluidics, rheology, and research on novel functional materials.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of patients with alcoholic liver disease(ALD)of various traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome types.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted in 129 patients with alcoholic liver disease who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria in Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from 2018 to 2022.The general data of the patients as well as their TCM syndrome types and clinical information of liver and kidney function,blood lipid,liver transient elastography during the hospital visit were collected.The distribution of TCM syndrome types in ALD patients was analyzed,and the clinical characteristics of the ALD patients with various TCM syndrome types were explored.Results(1)Of the 129 patients,128(99.22%)were male and only one(0.78%)was female,the average age was(48.71±11.50)years old,and the average body mass index(BMI)was(23.82±3.98)kg·m-2.(2)Damp-heat accumulation syndrome was most common syndrome type in ALD patients,with a total of 70 cases(54.26%),and then came liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome(24 cases,18.60%),internal obstruction of phlegm-damp syndrome(22 cases,17.05%),liver-kidney sufficiency syndrome(7 cases,5.43%),phlegm interweaved with blood stasis syndrome(3 cases,2.33%),and internal accumulation of blood stasis syndrome(3 cases,2.33%).(3)The analysis of clinical characteristics by non-parametric rank sum test showed that there were no statistically significant differences in BMI,alcohol consumption,aspartate aminotransferase(AST),gamma-glutamyltransferase(GGT),total bilirubin(TBIL),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),triglyceride(TG),liver stiffness measurement(LSM),and controlled attenuation parameter(CAP)which reflects the fat content of liver in ALD patients with various TCM syndrome types(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The prominent features were as follows:patients with the 4 types of liver depression and spleen deficiency,internal obstruction of phlegm-damp,phlegm interweaved with blood stasis,and internal accumulation of blood stasis had a BMI exceeding the standard(＞24 kg·m-2),whereas patients with damp-heat accumulation syndrome and liver-kidney deficiency syndrome,which accounted for 54.26%of the sample size,had a BMI within the normal range(23.03 kg·m-2 and 21.42 kg·m-2,respectively),and the BMI of these two types differed from that(26.44 kg·m-2)of the internal obstruction of phlegm-damp syndrome(P＜0.01),suggesting that more than half of the ALD patients had the normal BMI;moreover,the patients with internal obstruction of phlegm-damp also had the highest values of serum TG(2.69 mmol/L)and CAP(292 db/m)except for the highest BMI,indicating that patients with internal obstruction of phlegm-damp syndrome had a more serious degree of obesity and hepatic fat infiltration than those with other syndrome types;the levels of AST and GGT,which separately reflect the chronic inflammatory injury of liver and bile duct cell injury,were significantly increased in the patients with damp-heat accumulation syndrome and liver-kidney deficiency syndrome,and the LSM value of these two types of patients was also the highest in all of the syndrome types,the differences being all statistically significant(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Conclusion Damp-heat accumulation syndrome is the main TCM syndrome type of ALD patients,the degree of fatty infiltration of the liver and overweight of ALD patients are not corresponded to the severity of illness,and there are some differences in the clinical indicators of ALD patients with various TCM syndrome types.However,with cross reference to the data of the four diagnostic examinations of TCM and the clinical indicators,the accuracy of the TCM diagnosis of ALD is expected to be increased.

Background/Aims: Cholestatic liver diseases including primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) are associated with active hepatic fibrogenesis, which ultimately progresses to cirrhosis. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the main fibrogenic effectors in response to cholangiocyte damage. JCAD regulates cell proliferation and malignant transformation in nonalcoholic steatoheaptitis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (NASH-HCC). However, its participation in cholestatic fibrosis has not been explored yet. Methods: Serial sections of liver tissue of PBC patients were stained with immunofluorescence. Hepatic fibrosis was induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) in wild-type (WT), global JCAD knockout mice (JCAD-KO) and HSC-specific JCAD knockout mice (HSC-JCAD-KO), and evaluated by histopathology and biochemical tests. In situ-activated HSCs isolated from BDL mice were used to determine effects of JCAD on HSC activation. Results: In consistence with staining of liver sections from PBC patients, immunofluorescent staining revealed that JCAD expression was identified in smooth muscle α-actin (α-SMA)-positive fibroblast-like cells and was significantly up-regulated in WT mice with BDL. JCAD deficiency remarkably ameliorated BDL-induced hepatic injury and fibrosis, as documented by liver hydroxyproline content, when compared to WT mice with BDL. Histopathologically, collagen deposition was dramatically reduced in both JCAD-KO and HSC-JCAD-KO mice compared to WT mice, as visualized by Trichrome staining and semi-quantitative scores. Moreover, JCAD deprivation significantly attenuated in situ HSC activation and reduced expression of fibrotic genes after BDL. Conclusions JCAD deficiency effectively suppressed hepatic fibrosis induced by BDL in mice, and the underlying mechanisms are largely through suppressed Hippo-YAP signaling activity in HSCs.

Acupuncture-moxibustion is remarkably effective on encephalopathy, but its mechanism is unclear. With the continuous development of imaging technology, the in vivo brain imaging technology has been used increasingly in life science research and it also becomes a more effective tool for the basic research of acupuncture-moxibustion in treatment of encephalopathy. The paper summarizes the application of its technology in the basic research of acupuncture-moxibustion for encephalopathy and the characteristics of imaging, as well as the advantages and shortcomings. It is anticipated that the references may be provided for the basic research of acupuncture-moxibustion in treatment of encephalopathy and be conductive to the modernization of acupuncture-moxibustion.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture ; Brain Diseases/therapy* ; Neuroimaging

Humans ; Consensus ; Hypersensitivity ; Desensitization, Immunologic/adverse effects* ; Immunotherapy/adverse effects* ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Allergens

Baby Boom(BBM) gene is a key regulatory factor in embryonic development and regeneration, cell proliferation, callus growth, and differentiation promotion. Since the genetic transformation system of Panax quinquefolius is unstable with low efficiency and long period, this study attempted to transfer BBM gene of Zea mays to P. quinquefolius callus by gene gunship to investigate its effect on the callus growth and ginsenoside content, laying a foundation for establishing efficient genetic transformation system of P. quinquefolius. Four transgenic callus of P. quinquefolius with different transformation events were obtained by screening for glufosinate ammonium resistance and molecular identification by PCR. The growth state and growth rate of wild-type and transgenic callus were compared in the same growth period. The content of ginsenoside in transgenic callus was determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS). The results showed that transgenic callus growth rate was significantly higher than that of wild-type callus. In addition, the content of ginsenoside Rb_1, Rg_1, Ro, and Re was significantly higher than that in wild-type callus. The paper preliminarily proved the function of BBM gene in promoting growth rate and increasing ginsenoside content, which provided a scientific basis to establish a stable and efficient genetic transformation system for Panax plants in the future.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Ginsenosides ; Panax/genetics* ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Cell Proliferation

OBJECTIVE: To derive the Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome classification and subgroup syndrome characteristics of ischemic stroke patients. METHODS: By extracting the CM clinical electronic medical records (EMRs) of 7,170 hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke from 2016 to 2018 at Weifang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong Province, China, a patient similarity network (PSN) was constructed based on the symptomatic phenotype of the patients. Thereafter the efficient community detection method BGLL was used to identify subgroups of patients. Finally, subgroups with a large number of cases were selected to analyze the specific manifestations of clinical symptoms and CM syndromes in each subgroup. RESULTS: Seven main subgroups of patients with specific symptom characteristics were identified, including M3, M2, M1, M5, M0, M29 and M4. M3 and M0 subgroups had prominent posterior circulatory symptoms, while M3 was associated with autonomic disorders, and M4 manifested as anxiety; M2 and M4 had motor and motor coordination disorders; M1 had sensory disorders; M5 had more obvious lung infections; M29 had a disorder of consciousness. The specificity of CM syndromes of each subgroup was as follows. M3, M2, M1, M0, M29 and M4 all had the same syndrome as wind phlegm pattern; M3 and M0 both showed hyperactivity of Gan (Liver) yang pattern; M2 and M29 had similar syndromes, which corresponded to intertwined phlegm and blood stasis pattern and phlegm-stasis obstructing meridians pattern, respectively. The manifestations of CM syndromes often appeared in a combination of 2 or more syndrome elements. The most common combination of these 7 subgroups was wind-phlegm. The 7 subgroups of CM syndrome elements were specifically manifested as pathogenic wind, pathogenic phlegm, and deficiency pathogens. CONCLUSIONS There were 7 main symptom similarity-based subgroups in ischemic stroke patients, and their specific characteristics were obvious. The main syndromes were wind phlegm pattern and hyperactivity of Gan yang pattern.
Humans ; Syndrome ; Ischemic Stroke ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Liver ; Phenotype

Inflammation, abnormal cholesterol metabolism, and macrophage infiltration are involved in the destruction of the extracellular matrix of the nucleus pulposus (NP), culminating in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Whether nimbolide (Nim), a natural extract, can alleviate IDD is unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that Nim promotes cholesterol efflux and inhibits the activation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways by activating sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) during inflammation. Thus, Nim balanced matrix anabolism and catabolism of NPCs. However, the inhibition of SIRT1 significantly attenuated the effects of Nim. We also found that Nim promoted the expression of SIRT1 in RAW 264.7, which enhanced the proportion of M2 macrophages by facilitating cholesterol homeostasis reprogramming and impeded M1-like macrophages polarization by blocking the activation of inflammatory signaling. Based on these results, Nim can improve the microenvironment and facilitate matrix metabolism equilibrium in NPCs. Furthermore, in vivo treatment with Nim delayed IDD progression by boosting SIRT1 expression, modulating macrophage polarization and preserving the extracellular matrix. In conclusion, Nim may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for treating IDD.

OBJECTIVES: To diagnose coronary artery stenosis by using the postmortem computed tomography angiography (PMCTA), and to explore the diagnostic value of PMCTA in sudden cardiac death. METHODS: Six death cases were selected, and the contrast medium iohexol was injected under high pressure through femoral artery approach with 5F pigtail catheter to obtain coronary image data and then the data was analyzed. The results of targeted coronary imaging and coronary artery calcium score (CaS) were compared with the results of conventional autopsy and histopathological examination. RESULTS: The autopsy and histopathological examination of cases with coronary artery stenosis obtained similar results in targeted coronary angiography, with a diagnostic concordance rate of 83.3%. Targeted coronary angiography could effectively show coronary artery diseases, and the CaS was consistent with the results of conventional autopsy and histopathological examination. CONCLUSIONS Targeted coronary angiography can be used as an effective auxiliary method for conventional autopsy in cases of sudden cardiac death.
Humans ; Computed Tomography Angiography/methods* ; Coronary Angiography/methods* ; Coronary Artery Disease/diagnostic imaging* ; Coronary Stenosis/diagnostic imaging* ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac/pathology*

ObjectiveTo optimize the existing genetic transformation system of Armillaria gallica to improve the transformation efficiency and lay a foundation for the follow-up research on Armillaria molecular marker-assisted breeding and gene function. MethodThe genetically transformed plasmid pH101-PAgGPD-GFP-TrpC was constructed，transformed into Escherichia coli，amplified， and cultured，and the plasmid was extracted. The extracted plasmid was transformed into four different agrobacteria LBA4404，EHA105，GV3101，and AGL-1，respectively. The transformed agrobacteria were used for impregnating A. gallica，and the agrobacteria with the highest conversion rate were screened out. Then the agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation system of A. gallica was optimized from the type and concentration of antibiotics，co-culture time，concentration of bacterial solution， and impregnation method. The phenotype profiles of A. gallica under different conditions were observed using Synbiosis ProtoCol 3. ResultThe optimized genetic transformation conditions of A. gallica were as follows： the Agrobacterium strain of EHA105 at absorbance A_{600 nm}=0.6， the co-culture time of 2 d， the infection mode of negative pressure impregnation for 10 min， the primary screening medium of PDA medium containing 400 mg·L^-1 cefotaxime sodium and 10 mg·L^-1 hygromycin，and the secondary screening medium of PDA medium containing 12 mg·L^-1 hygromycin. ConclusionIn this study，the existing genetic transformation system of A. gallica was optimized，and there was a significant difference in the transformation rate before and after optimization （P<0.05）. After optimization，the transformation efficiency of A. gallica was about 4.33%，which was about eight times higher than that before optimization.