The adulteration and counterfeiting of herbal ingredients in medicinal and food homology (MFH) have a serious impact on the quality of herbal materials, thereby endangering human health. Compared to pharmaceutical drugs, health products derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are more easily accessible and closely integrated into consumers' daily life. However, the authentication of the authenticity of TCM ingredients in MFH has not received sufficient attention. The lack of clear standards emphasizes the necessity of conducting systematic research in this area. This study utilized DNA barcoding technology, combining ITS2, psbA-trnH, matK as universal barcode sequences, and DX, HH, JYH as specific barcode sequences, to identify the authenticity of commercial medicinal and food homology scented herbal teas. The aim was to investigate the authenticity of scented herbal tea products circulating in the market. The research results revealed that among 180 scented herbal tea samples, DNA barcodes were successfully obtained from 164 samples, while the remaining samples either lacked the target components or suffered severe DNA degradation, resulting in failed amplification. Combined with morphological identification studies, it was found that out of the 180 samples, 141 were authentic, accounting for 78.33% of the total samples, while 31 samples showed adulteration and 8 samples lacked the target components, accounting for 21.67% of the total samples. Additionally, water testing revealed that 5 samples of Carthamus tinctorius herbal tea exhibited the phenomenon of weight adulteration. This study exposed the presence of adulteration and weight adulteration in scented herbal tea products, highlighting the need for regulatory authorities to expedite the establishment of quality standards in scented herbal tea industry. These findings provide valuable insights for the rapid development of the scented herbal tea industry.

ObjectiveExisting artificial vision devices can be divided into two types: implanted devices and extracorporeal devices, both of which have some disadvantages. The former requires surgical implantation, which may lead to irreversible trauma, while the latter has some defects such as relatively simple instructions, limited application scenarios and relying too much on the judgment of artificial intelligence (AI) to provide enough security. Here we propose a system that has voice interaction and can convert surrounding environment information into tactile commands on head and neck. Compared with existing extracorporeal devices, our device can provide a larger capacity of information and has advantages such as lower cost, lower risk, suitable for a variety of life and work scenarios. MethodsWith the latest remote wireless communication and chip technologies, microelectronic devices, cameras and sensors worn by the user, as well as the huge database and computing power in the cloud, the backend staff can get a full insight into the scenario, environmental parameters and status of the user remotely (for example, across the city) in real time. In the meanwhile, by comparing the cloud database and in-memory database and with the help of AI-assisted recognition and manual analysis, they can quickly develop the most reasonable action plan and send instructions to the user. In addition, the backend staff can provide humanistic care and emotional sustenance through voice dialogs. ResultsThis study originally proposes the concept of “remote virtual companion” and demonstrates the related hardware and software as well as test results. The system can not only achieve basic guide functions, for example, helping a person with visual impairment to shop in supermarkets, find seats at cafes, walk on the streets, construct complex puzzles, and play cards, but also can meet the demand for fast-paced daily tasks such as cycling. ConclusionExperimental results show that this “remote virtual companion” is applicable for various scenarios and demands. It can help blind people with their travels, shopping and entertainment, or accompany the elderlies with their trips, wilderness explorations, and travels.

AIM: To investigate the role and mechanism of N6-methyladenosine(m6A)methyltransferase 3(METTL3)in the pathogenesis of diabetic cataract.METHODS: We cultured SRA01/04 cells in low and high sugar media for 24h and measured changes in epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)indicators(E-Cadherin, N-Cadherin, ZO-1 and α-SMA)using RT-qPCR and Western blot assays. Cell migration was also assessed using transwell and scratch assays. To investigate the expression level and localization of METTL3 in human lens anterior capsules tissues. Additionally, we used m6A dot blot assay to detect the m6A methylation level of cells cultured in low and high glucose media for 24h, and employed RT-qPCR and Western blot experiments to detect RNA and protein expression of METTL3 in cells. We then treated the cells with METTL3 inhibitor and measured changes in EMT markers by RT-qPCR and Western blot; m6A methylation level was detected by m6A dot blot test; cell migration was detected by Transwell. Finally, the expression of transforming growth factor-β(TGFβ1)in cultured cells was assessed by immunofluorescence staining and the expression levels of TGFβ1 and SNAIL in cells were determined using RT-qPCR and Western blot.RESULTS: Under high glucose conditions, the expression of EMT markers, METTL3, and m6A methylation levels were significantly increased in cells(P<0.05). Furthermore, the migratory ability of cells was higher in high-sugar medium than in low-sugar medium. In human lens anterior capsules, METTL3 expression was higher in patients with diabetic cataract compared to those with age-related cataract. Importantly, treatment with the METTL3 inhibitor STM2457 inhibited EMT in cells, the expression of TGFβ1 and SNAIL, as well as m6A methylation levels in cells(all P<0.05)compared to high-sugar + dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)group. Moreover, the migratory capacity of cells was reduced after the addition of STM2457 compared to the high-sugar + DMSO group.CONCLUSION:METTL3 promotes the EMT in human lens epithelial cells under high glucose conditions by activating the TGFβ1/SNAIL pathway, thus contributing to the development of diabetic cataracts.

AIM: To investigate the role and mechanism of methyltransferase-like 3(METTL3)-mediated N6-methyladenosine(m6A)methylation modification in regulating biological activity of vascular endothelial cells in the pathogenesis of choroidal neovascularization.METHODS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)cultured in vitro were divided into the following groups: control group(normal culture), low density lipoprotein(LDL)group, fluorescence-labelled LDL(Dil-LDL)group, 12.5μg/mL and 25μg/mL oxidized LDL(ox-LDL)groups, 12.5μg/mL and 25μg/mL fluorescence-labelled ox-LDL(Dil-ox-LDL)groups, DMSO group, STM2457(METTL3 inhibitor)group, DAPT group; and monkey retina-choroidal endothelial cells(RF/6A)cultured in vitro were divided into control group, DMSO group, 12.5 μg/mL ox-LDL group, and DAPT group. Endocytosed lipoprotein level was examined through fluorescence microscopy. RNA m6A methylation level was detected through a dot blot assay. Protein and RNA levels of METTL3 or angiogenesis-related markers were measured through Western blot assays and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR), respectively. METTL3 expression and localization were investigated through immunofluorescence. Cell migratory and tube formation capacities were assessed through transwell migration and tube formation assays, respectively.RESULTS: Endocytosed lipoprotein levels in HUVECs exposed to Dil-LDL, 12.5μg/mL and 25μg/mL Dil-ox-LDL groups were significantly higher than those in the control group. 12.5μg/mL and 25μg/mL ox-LDL groups significantly increased m6A methylation(all P<0.05), METTL3 protein expression(all P<0.01), and cell migration and angiogenesis capacities(all P<0.01). METTL3 mRNA level was significantly unregulated in the 12.5μg/mL ox-LDL group(P<0.05). In comparison to the DMSO group, the addition of STM2457 caused significant decrease in m6A methylation level(P<0.05), expression of VEGF and other angiogenesis-related markers(all P<0.05), cell migration and angiogenesis capacities(all P<0.01)and the expression of NICD(P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in METTL3 protein and mRNA levels(all P>0.05). The expression of VEGF and NICD(all P<0.05), as well as the ability of cell migration and angiogenesis of RF/6A, was all significantly decreased in the DAPT group compared to the DMSO group(all P<0.01).CONCLUSION: METTL3-mediated m6A methylation modification promotes angiogenesis in vascular endothelial cells via the Notch signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of choroidal neovascularization.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a few-shot learning (FSL) approach for classifying optical coherence tomography (OCT) images in patients with inherited retinal disorders (IRDs). METHODS: In this study, an FSL model based on a student-teacher learning framework was designed to classify images. 2,317 images from 189 participants were included. Of these, 1,126 images revealed IRDs, 533 were normal samples, and 658 were control samples. RESULTS: The FSL model achieved a total accuracy of 0.974-0.983, total sensitivity of 0.934-0.957, total specificity of 0.984-0.990, and total F1 score of 0.935-0.957, which were superior to the total accuracy of the baseline model of 0.943-0.954, total sensitivity of 0.866-0.886, total specificity of 0.962-0.971, and total F1 score of 0.859-0.885. The performance of most subclassifications also exhibited advantages. Moreover, the FSL model had a higher area under curves (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves in most subclassifications. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates the effective use of the FSL model for the classification of OCT images from patients with IRDs, normal, and control participants with a smaller volume of data. The general principle and similar network architectures can also be applied to other retinal diseases with a low prevalence.
Humans ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Deep Learning ; Retinal Diseases/diagnostic imaging* ; Retina/diagnostic imaging* ; ROC Curve

Novel drug discovery from the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine is the most distinctive feature and advantageous field of China, which has provided an unprecedented opportunity. However, there are still problems such as unclear functional substance basis, action targets and mechanism, which greatly hinder the clinical transformation of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine. Based on the analysis of the current status and progress of innovative drug research and development in China, this paper aimed to explore the prospect and difficulties of the development of natural active ingredients from traditional Chinese medicine, and to explore the efficient discovery of trace active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine, and obtain drug candidates with novel chemical structure, unique target/mechanism and independent intellectual property rights, in order to provide a new strategy and a new model for the development of natural medicine with Chinese characteristics.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Research ; Drug Discovery ; China

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection in the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) in a real-world setting.Methods:This was a real-world ambispective cohort study (MOMENT study) (Chinese clinical trial registry number: ChiCTR2200062067). Clinical data were collected from 198 patients who received mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection as monotherapy or combination therapy at 37 hospitals from January 2022 to January 2023, including 166 patients in the retrospective cohort and 32 patients in the prospective cohort; 10 patients in the treatment-na?ve group and 188 patients in the relapsed/refractory group. Clinical characteristics, efficacy and adverse events were summarized, and the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed.Results:All 198 patients were treated with mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection for a median of 3 cycles (range 1-7 cycles); 28 cases were treated with mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection as monotherapy, and 170 cases were treated with the combination regimen. Among 188 relapsed/refractory patients, 45 cases (23.9%) were in complete remission (CR), 82 cases (43.6%) were in partial remission (PR), and 28 cases (14.9%) were in disease stabilization (SD), and 33 cases (17.6%) were in disease progression (PD), with an objective remission rate (ORR) of 67.6% (127/188). Among 10 treatment-na?ve patients, 4 cases (40.0%) were in CR, 5 cases (50.0%) were in PR, and 1 case (10.0%) was in PD, with an ORR of 90.0% (9/10). The median follow-up time was 2.9 months (95% CI 2.4-3.7 months), and the median PFS and OS of patients in relapsed/refractory and treatment-na?ve groups were not reached. In relapsed/refractory patients, the difference in ORR between patients with different number of treatment lines of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection [ORR of the second-line, the third-line and &ge;the forth-line treatment was 74.4% (67/90), 73.9% (34/46) and 50.0% (26/52)] was statistically significant ( P = 0.008). Of the 198 PTCL patients, 182 cases (91.9%) experienced at least 1 time of treatment-related adverse events, and the incidence rate of &ge;grade 3 adverse events was 66.7% (132/198), which was mainly characterized by hematologic adverse events. The &ge; grade 3 hematologic adverse events mainly included decreased lymphocyte count, decreased neutrophil count, decreased white blood cell count, and anemia; non-hematologic adverse events were mostly grade 1-2, mainly including pigmentation disorders and upper respiratory tract infection. Conclusions:The use of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection-containing regimen in the treatment of PTCL has definite efficacy and is well tolerated, and it is a new therapeutic option for PTCL patients.

Axillary arch is the most common type of axillary muscle fiber variation, with about 10.8% incidence in the Chinese population. Its natural forms are varied and fluid, with different starting points and terminations, and clinicians frequently lack recognition. Under commonly applicated sentinel lymph node biopsy, the axillary arch has been endowed with more clinical significance. The fabric of axillary arch will not only block lymphatic drainage in axilla and unclear anatomical level of axillary dissection, but also compress the axillary neurovascular bundle, causing upper limb venous thrombosis, lymphedema and nerve entrapment. The intumescent axillary arch may also show abnormal axillary bulge. In addition to finding axillary arch during cadaveric study and operation, several of imaging methods availably diagnose axillary arch preoperative, which can create new way for detection of axillary arch and extension of the surgical plan of sentinel lymph node biopsy. Although embryology and comparative anatomy have been used to explain the origin of the axillary arch, most of the ideas are still hypotheses and need further study.
Humans ; Axilla ; Clinical Relevance ; Asian People ; Drainage ; Lymph Node Excision

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics and treatment of COVID-19 infection in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma before and after receiving chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, and study the influencing factors of severe COVID-19 infection in these patients. Methods: The data of 59 patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma who received chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy at the Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Department of Hematology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University between December 2017 and February 2023, and who were infected with novel coronavirus between December 2022 and February 2023 were retrospectively studied. Patients were divided into light, medium, severe, and critical groups, and the differences between the groups were analyzed using the chi-square test. A univariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the contribution of each variable and its relationship with severe infection. The chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to analyze the differences between the B-cell aplasia and B-cell recovery (BCR) groups. Results: Of the 59 pre- and post-infusion infections, 39 (66.1%) led to mild COVID-19, 9 (15.3%) resulted in moderate COVID-19, 10 (16.9%) resulted in severe COVID-19, and 1 (1.7%) led to critical COVID-19. Moroever, age greater than 55 years, having received autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, progressive disease status, and B-cell aplasia at the time of diagnosis of COVID-19 infection are factors affecting severe infection. Patients with B-cell aplasia had a more severe infection with COVID-19 (P<0.001), a longer duration (P=0.015), a longer antiviral therapy course (P<0.001), and a higher hospitalization rate (P<0.001) than the BCR group. Conclusion: Active prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infection remains a crucial issue requiring urgent attention in managing patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.
Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Receptors, Chimeric Antigen ; Retrospective Studies ; COVID-19/therapy* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Lymphoma, B-Cell/therapy* ; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy

The plateau environment is characterized by low oxygen, low air pressure, low temperature, and strong ultraviolet rays, etc. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable chronic lung disease. High altitude environment increases COPD prevalence, clinical manifestation and mortality. The therapeutic window of theophylline drugs for COPD is narrow, and the high altitude environment has an influence on the pharmacokinetics of the drugs. This review summarizes the differences in the prevalence, mortality, clinical manifestation and clinical symptoms of COPD in the plateau and plain, providing a basis for identifying the risk factors of COPD in the plateau areas. The effects of plateau hypoxic environment on the pharmacokinetics of COPD drugs were also discussed. It can provide a rationale for more effective prevention and treatment of COPD at high altitude.
Humans ; Altitude ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy* ; Oxygen ; Hypoxia