italic>Cynanchum wallichii and Cynanchum otophyllum belong to the genus Cynanchum in the family Apocynaceae, and are important medicinal plants. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the chloroplast genomes of C. wallichii and C. otophyllum, and performed a phylogenetic analysis of the structural characteristics of their chloroplast genomes and their phylogenetic positions. The results showed that the chloroplast genomes of both C. wallichii and C. otophyllum had a typical tetrad structure, with 133 genes annotated, and the total GC contents of both were similar. Codon preference analysis showed that the relative synonymous codon usage in the chloroplast genomes of C. wallichii and C. otophyllum differed slightly, but the differences were not significant, and there was a strong A or U preference at the third codon position. In both chloroplast genomes, 91 and 103 simple sequence repeats were detected respectively, and the largest proportion of A/T type repeats. Nucleotide polymorphism analysis showed that the nucleotide diversity of the intergenic sequences in the chloroplast genome of genus Cynanchum were generally higher than those of the common gene sequences. A pair of primers was designed based on the high variation region of the chloroplast genome to identify C. wallichii and C. otophyllum. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the C. wallichii and Cynanchum thesioides were the closest relatives, while the C. otophyllum, Cynanchum bungei and Cynanchum wilfordii formed a stable monophyletic clade within the genus Cynanchum, and the three species were closely related. The comparative analysis of the chloroplast genomic characteristics and phylogeny of C. wallichii and C. otophyllum will provide a theoretical basis for the species identification of the two plants and for the study of genetic diversity and phylogeny of the genus Cynanchum.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, especially non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With the popularization of low-dose CT and the improvement of people’s awareness of physical examinations, the number of detected pulmonary nodules is gradually increasing, and there is a greater demand for standardized diagnostic and treatment guidelines. On April 23, 2024, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network updated its clinical practice guidelines for NSCLC to the version 5. Compared with the version 5 in 2023, the version 5 in 2024 updates focus on diagnostic evaluation, perioperative systemic therapy, treatment of advanced NSCLC, and molecular marker testing, which will be interpreted in this article with the aim of providing the latest guidance and reference for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in China.

Palmatine, the main effective ingredient of Fibraurea recisa, is a typical berberine isoquinoline alkaloid with extensive anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. In this work, the studies of metabolomics and transcriptomics were utilized to detect differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that are significantly associated with the synthesis of palmatine. In addition, eight of these DEGs were verified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). A total of 106 alkaloids were detected in the metabolomics study, including 23 isoquinoline alkaloids. Palmatine ranked in the top ten of differential metabolites in the group of root vs leaf, and its relative content in root was about 47.5 times higher than that in leaf. In the transcriptomics study, a total of 188 genes were annotated to the pathway of isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis. Among them, there were 36 DEGs were significantly different. In the comparison group of root and leaf, a total of 33 DEGs were significantly different, and 30 DEGs were annotated on the biosynthetic pathway of palmatine. Finally, the results of the correlation analysis between metabolomics and transcriptomics showed that the expression patterns of four gene sequences were screened to be significantly correlated with palmatine. The results of qRT-PCR experiments showed that the expression trends of eight DEGs were consistent with the results of transcriptomic. This study not only enriched the omics data of F. recisa, but also established the foundation for the study of the synthetic biology of palmatine. It further provided a reference for the analysis of the key enzyme genes on the biosynthetic pathway of other isoquinoline alkaloids.

Dry eye is a multifactorial disease caused by abnormal tear film and ocular surface.The clinical manifesta-tions include photophobia,pruritus,burning sensation,visual fatigue,vision fluctuation,and other eye discomfort.If not treated in time,severe dry eye may cause eye inflammation,corneal ulcers,visual impairment,and other complications.Topical drug therapy is currently the simplest and most commonly used treatment for dry eye.With the further exploration of dye eye's pathogenesis,many new topical drugs have been used in clinical practice.This article reviews the advances in the topical drug therapy for dry eye.

Objective To compare the dosimetric effects of volume modulated arc therapy(VMAT)and intensity modulated radiation therapy(I M RT)on the anal sphincter(AS)and its sub-structures in neoadjuvant radiotherapy for rectal cancer to facilitate the selection of radiotherapy techniques.Methods Fifty rectal cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant radiotherapy were selected,and 2 types of radiotherapy plans,including coplanar double full-arc VMAT and coplanar seven-field homo-geneous IMRT,were designed based on the CT images of the patients,respectively.Under the premise of ensuring that the irradiated doses to the target area and the major organs at risk reached the standard and met the clinical requirements,AS and its substructures were added as the organs at risk for dosimetric evaluation.The absolute dose parameters and relative dose parameters of AS and its substructures were counted by dose-volume histograms.Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 22.0 software.Results The VMAT plan had the relative dose parameters V20,V30,and V40 of AS and its substructures lower those of the IMRT plan,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05),while the differences in V5 and V 10 were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The VMAT plan had the absolute dose parameterDmeanlower while the D2％slightly higher than those of the IMRT plan,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The difference in D98％between the two plans was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion During rectal cancer radiotherapy VMAT generally behaves better than IMRT in protecting AS and its sub-structures and decreasing injuries of AS and its sub-structures dosimetrically.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(8):63-67]

Objective To establish a finite element model of the hallux valgus foot and study the stress and displacement changes in the first and second rays of the hallux valgus under different tensile forces.Methods Foot CT images of a patient with hallux valgus were imported into Mimics to reconstruct a three-dimensional(3D)skeletal model of the foot.The 3-matic software was used to mesh the reconstructed model and generate the volume mesh.The optimized model was imported into ANSYS for finite element analysis.The relationship between the tensile forces and the stress/displacement of the first and second rays of the hallux valgus was verified by changing the size and direction of the tensile forces.Results Tensile forces of different magnitudes and directions were applied to the first proximal phalanx.When the force was less than 12 N,with an increase in tension,the displacement of the first phalange changed more significantly.For every 2 N increase in tension,the displacement increased by approximately 1 mm.When the force was greater than 12 N,with an increase in tension,the stress on the first phalange increased,whereas the displacement only changed slightly.In addition,when the magnitude of the force remained unchanged at 12 N and the direction of the force changed at intervals of 15°,the stress and stress distributions of the first and second rays changed with direction,and the displacement also changed accordingly.When the direction of the force was perpendicular to that of the second phalanx,the displacement of the first phalanx increased.Conclusions Finite element analysis technology can vividly and accurately analyze the stress and displacement changes of the first and second rays of hallux valgus under different tensile forces,and it lays a foundation for the design of hallux valgus orthoses.

Objective:To investigate the value of early tight junction protein Claudin-5 levels in predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP).Methods:A prospective observational study was conducted, including patients diagnosed with AP and admitted to the Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital from December 1, 2021 to November 30, 2022. Eligible healthy volunteers were randomly selected to serve as healthy controls during the same period. Patients were classified into mild acute pancreatitis (MAP) group, moderate-severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP) group, and severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group based on the 2012 Atlanta classification criteria. Patients with SAP were then divided into three subgroups of 1, 3, and 7 days based on the duration of hospitalization. Baseline data, such as gender, age, underlying disease, and probable etiology, was collected from all enrolled individuals. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to detect serum Claudin-5 levels in each cohort of enrollees. Data on additional serologic indicators, including hematocrit (HCT), albumin (Alb), serum Ca 2+, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) levels, were obtained via the in-hospital test query system in each group of patients with AP. The modified Marshall score (mMarshall), modified CT severity index (mCTSI) score, bedside severity index of severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP) score, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ) were recorded for each group of patients with AP. Differences in the above indicators between groups were analyzed and compared. Spearman's correlation method was employed to examine the relationship between Claudin-5 levels and each influential factor. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted to analyze the predictive value of each influencing factor on SAP. Ridge regression was used to screen for independent risk factors for SAP. Results:A total of 109 patients with AP were enrolled, comprising 66 in the MAP group, 15 in the MSAP group, and 28 in the SAP group. Additionally, 27 healthy volunteers were enrolled as the healthy control group. No statistically significant differences were observed in gender and age among the enrolled groups, and no statistically significant differences were identified among the three groups of patients with AP in terms of underlying disease and etiologic composition. As the disease progressed, serum Claudin-5 levels exhibited a notable increase across all AP patient groups, and they were all significantly higher than those in the healthy control group [ng/L: 888.58 (574.52, 1 141.59), 3 749.02 (2 784.93, 5 789.92), 4 667.81 (3 935.21, 7 315.66) vs. 291.13 (250.19, 314.75), all P < 0.05]. Subgroup analyses showed that as the disease duration prolonged, patients in the SAP group exhibited a notable decline in Claudin-5 levels at 3 days post-admission, compared with those at 1 day post-admission [ng/L: 2 052.59 (1 089.43, 4 006.47) vs. 4 667.81 (3 935.21, 7 315.66), P < 0.05]. Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum Claudin-5 levels in patients with AP were significantly positively correlated with CRP, PCT, HCT, and mMarshall, mCTSI, and BISAP scores ( r values were 0.570, 0.525, 0.323, 0.774, 0.670, 0.652, all P < 0.001), and significantly negatively correlated with Alb ( r = -0.394, P < 0.001). A significant trend was observed in patients with AP, with an increase of HCT levels and a decrease of Alb levels as the disease progressed (both P < 0.05). An improvement of aforementioned phenomena was observed in patients with SAP following treatment, indirectly indicating that serum Claudin-5 level was a positive indicator of vascular leakage. ROC curve analysis showed that serum Claudin-5 levels in patients with AP exhibited the highest accuracy for early prediction of SAP, with the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.948. When serum Claudin-5 levels ≥2 997 ng/L, the sensitivity for early screening for SAP was 100% and the specificity was 88.89%. Multifactorial ridge regression analysis showed that serum Claudin-5 level, PCT and APACHEⅡscore could be used as independent risk factors for early prediction of SAP (all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Serum Claudin-5 levels facilitate early prediction of SAP and are strongly associated with inflammatory response and vascular leakage.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.

Objective:To construct a random forest prediction model for non-invasive identification of perineural invasion in gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) based on preoperative enhanced CT imaging features.Methods:The clinical data of 180 patients who underwent curative-intent resection for gallbladder carcinoma at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from January 2022 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, including 61 males and 119 females with the age of (65.3±10.2) years old. The 180 patients were divided into a training set ( n=126) and a testing set ( n=54), and based on perineural invasion, the 126 patients in the training set were divided into the perineural invasion group ( n=33) and the non-perineural invasion group ( n=93), and the other 54 patients in the testing set, there were 15 patients with perineural invasion and 39 patients without perineural invasion. Clinical data such as gender, age, perineural invasion, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level and tumor stage were collected from patients. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors of perineural invasion in gallbladder carcinoma patients. The correlation between clinical variables and perineural invasion was ranked in order of importance using the "feature_importance" package in Python software. Then, we developed a random forest prediction model for perineural invasion in gallbladder carcinoma patients, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and confusion matrix were used to assess the predictive ability of the model. Results:Multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that patients with CA19-9 >39.0 U/ml ( OR=5.165, 95% CI: 1.650-16.174), T3 stage ( OR=6.037, 95% CI: 1.571-23.197), T4 stage ( OR=9.996, 95% CI: 2.177-45.898), and lymph node metastasis ( OR=7.829, 95% CI: 2.705-22.627) were with a high risk of perineural invasion occurrence (all P<0.05). The top three variables in the order of the importance ranking were CA19-9, lymph node metastasis, and T stage. Combining the results of multivariate analysis and importance ranking, CA19-9, lymph node metastasis, and T stage were used to develop a random forest prediction model for perineural invasion in gallbladder carcinoma patients. The results of ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under curves of the random forest model in the training and testing sets were 0.8250 and 0.7667, respectively. The confusion matrix results showed that the sensitivity were 75.76% and 73.33%, the specificity were 80.65% and 76.92%, and the accuracy were 79.36% and 75.93% in the training and testing sets, respectively. Conclusion:Random forest prediction model based on preoperative enhanced CT image features can be used as a noninvasive means of identifying perineural invasion in patients with gallbladder carcinoma.