ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Maxing Loushi decoction in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD） with phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome， and to investigate its effects on inflammatory factors， immune function， and the programmed death-1（PD-1）/programmed death-ligand 1 （PD-L1） signaling pathway. MethodsA randomized controlled study was conducted， enrolling 90 hospitalized patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome in the Respiratory and Emergency Departments of Dongzhimen Hospital， Beijing University of Chinese Medicine， from April 2024 to December 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an observation group using a random number table， with 45 patients in each group. The control group received conventional Western medical treatment， while the observation group received additional Maxing Loushi decoction for 14 days. Clinical efficacy， COPD Assessment Test （CAT） score， modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale （mMRC）， 6-minute walk test （6MWT）， serum inflammatory factors， T lymphocyte subsets， and serum PD-1/PD-L1 levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsThe total clinical effective rate was 78.57% （33/42） in the control group and 95.35% （41/43） in the observation group， with the observation group showing significantly higher efficacy than that of the control group. The difference was statistically significant （χ² = 5.136， P<0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant reductions in CAT and mMRC scores （P<0.05， P<0.01） and significant increases in 6MWT compared to baseline （P<0.01）. The observation group demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group in this regard. Levels of inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， monocyte chemoattractant protein-1（MCP-1）， and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α （MIP-1α） were significantly reduced in both groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with greater reductions in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. CD8⁺ levels were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ levels were significantly increased in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more significant improvements observed in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum PD-1 levels were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and PD-L1 levels were increased significantly in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more pronounced changes in the observation group （P<0.05）. ConclusionMaxing Loushi decoction demonstrates definite therapeutic efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome. It contributes to reducing serum inflammatory factors， improving immune function， and regulating the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Maxing Loushi decoction in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD） with phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome， and to investigate its effects on inflammatory factors， immune function， and the programmed death-1（PD-1）/programmed death-ligand 1 （PD-L1） signaling pathway. MethodsA randomized controlled study was conducted， enrolling 90 hospitalized patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome in the Respiratory and Emergency Departments of Dongzhimen Hospital， Beijing University of Chinese Medicine， from April 2024 to December 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an observation group using a random number table， with 45 patients in each group. The control group received conventional Western medical treatment， while the observation group received additional Maxing Loushi decoction for 14 days. Clinical efficacy， COPD Assessment Test （CAT） score， modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale （mMRC）， 6-minute walk test （6MWT）， serum inflammatory factors， T lymphocyte subsets， and serum PD-1/PD-L1 levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultsThe total clinical effective rate was 78.57% （33/42） in the control group and 95.35% （41/43） in the observation group， with the observation group showing significantly higher efficacy than that of the control group. The difference was statistically significant （χ² = 5.136， P<0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant reductions in CAT and mMRC scores （P<0.05， P<0.01） and significant increases in 6MWT compared to baseline （P<0.01）. The observation group demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group in this regard. Levels of inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein （CRP）， procalcitonin （PCT）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， monocyte chemoattractant protein-1（MCP-1）， and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α （MIP-1α） were significantly reduced in both groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with greater reductions in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. CD8⁺ levels were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ levels were significantly increased in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more significant improvements observed in the observation group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum PD-1 levels were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and PD-L1 levels were increased significantly in both groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with more pronounced changes in the observation group （P<0.05）. ConclusionMaxing Loushi decoction demonstrates definite therapeutic efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for patients with AECOPD and phlegm turbidity obstructing lung syndrome. It contributes to reducing serum inflammatory factors， improving immune function， and regulating the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the value of histological evaluation in predicting endoscopic relapse among patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who were in endoscopic remission, and to compare the usefulness of various histological scoring systems.Methods:Histological sections from 61 patients with UC who were in endoscopic remission were retrospectively analyzed, at Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China from January 2015 to June 2021. They were subdivided into endoscopic persistent remission group (remission group, n=31, Mayo endoscopic score 0) and endoscopic relapse group (relapse group, n=30, Mayo endoscopic score≥1) according to the results of the first endoscopic reexamination after the biopsy. Histological evaluation was performed using the Geboes score (GS) and its simplified version (SGS), the Nancy index (NI) and the Robarts histopathological index (RHI). The median and maximum histological scores for each case in all biopsies were recorded. Univariate comparisons were performed using chi-squares and multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression. The values of four histological evaluation systems for predicting endoscopic relapse among UC patients in endoscopic remission were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results:Significant differences were observed between the remission and relapse groups. The differences were more pronounced in the maximum histological scores; the mean and highest results of area under the ROC curve scores (AUC) for GS, SGS, NI, and RHI were 0.657, 0.668, 0.682, 0.691, and 0.866, 0.863, 0.864, 0.869, respectively. The differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The corresponding best cut-offs were GS≥2B.1, SGS≥2B.1, NI≥2, and RHI≥2.5, respectively, which meant mild active inflammation histologically, while there was no statistical difference of AUC among the four histological scoring indices ( P>0.05). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed statistically significant differences in the number of neutrophils in the epithelium and lamina propria ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Biopsies from UC patients in endoscopic remission may still have histological active inflammation which appears to correlate with endoscopic relapse. Four commonly used histological scoring systems can be used to assess the risk of endoscopic relapse among UC patients in endoscopic remission. The patients who more likely have endoscopic relapse seem to have a histological score greater than the cut-off value (i.e., mild histological activity). The maximum histological scores can accurately predict the risk of endoscopic relapse, while the presence of epithelial and laminar propria neutrophil infiltrates can independently predict the endoscopic relapse in these patients. Considering the utility and convenience in routine practice, NI is recommended for evaluating histological inflammatory activity.

The Piezo protein is a non-selective mechanosensitive cation channel that exhibits sensitivity to mechanical stimuli such as pressure and shear stress. It converts mechanical signals into bioelectric activity within cells, thus triggering specific biological responses. In the digestive system, Piezo protein plays a crucial role in maintaining normal physiological activities, including digestion, absorption, metabolic regulation, and immune modulation. However, dysregulation in Piezo protein expression may lead to the occurrence of several pathological conditions, including visceral hypersensitivity, impairment of intestinal mucosal barrier function, and immune inflammation.Therefore, conducting a comprehensive review of the physiological functions and pathological roles of Piezo protein in the digestive system is of paramount importance. In this review, we systematically summarize the structural and dynamic characteristics of Piezo protein, its expression patterns, and physiological functions in the digestive system. We particularly focus on elucidating the mechanisms of action of Piezo protein in digestive system tumor diseases, inflammatory diseases, fibrotic diseases, and functional disorders. Through the integration of the latest research findings, we have observed that Piezo protein plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of various digestive system diseases. There exist intricate interactions between Piezo protein and multiple phenotypes of digestive system tumors such as proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis. In inflammatory diseases, Piezo protein promotes intestinal immune responses and pancreatic trypsinogen activation, contributing to the development of ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and pancreatitis. Additionally, Piezo1, through pathways involving co-action with the TRPV4 ion channel, facilitates neutrophil recruitment and suppresses HIF-1α ubiquitination, thereby mediating organ fibrosis in organs like the liver and pancreas. Moreover, Piezo protein regulation by gut microbiota or factors like age and gender can result in increased or decreased visceral sensitivity, and alterations in intestinal mucosal barrier structure and permeability, which are closely associated with functional disorders like irritable bowel sydrome (IBS) and functional consitipaction (FC). A thorough exploration of Piezo protein as a potential therapeutic target in digestive system diseases can provide a scientific basis and theoretical support for future clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of sequential therapy with parathyroid hormone analogues and bisphosphonates for osteoporosis. METHODS PubMed， Embase， the Cochrane Library， Web of Science， China National Knowledge Infrastructure， VIP， Wanfang data， and SinoMed were searched in both English and Chinese databases from their inception to March 25， 2024. Two researchers independently conducted literature searches， screening， and data extraction. Review Manager 5.4 software was used for the meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed based on different medication sequences in the treatment group to account for potential sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS A total of 7 randomized controlled trials involving 2 461 participants were included， with 1 215 in the treatment group and 1 246 in the control group. The meta-analysis results showed that the treatment group using sequential therapy with parathyroid hormone analogues and bisphosphonates had superior effects on improving bone mineral density at the lumbar spine [SMD＝0.90， 95%CI （0.44， 1.35）， P＜0.001]， total hip [SMD=0.68， 95%CI （0.14， 1.21）， P＝0.01]， and femoral neck [SMD＝0.45， 95%CI （0.04， 0.86）， P＝0.03] compared to the control group. It also significantly outperformed the control group in reducing the incidence of fractures post- treatment [OR＝0.72， 95%CI （0.54， 0.97）， P＝0.03].significant difference was noted in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups [OR＝1.21， 95%CI （0.99， 1.46）， P＝0.06]. Subgroup analysis based on intervention measures in the treatment group showed that switching from bisphosphonates to parathyroid hormone analogues [SMD＝0.56， 95%CI （0.09， 1.03）， P＝0.02] or switching from parathyroid hormone analogues to bisphosphonates [SMD＝0.97， 95%CI （0.49， 1.46）， P＜0.001] both significantly potentiated lumbar spine bone mineral density compared to the control group. Switching from bisphosphonates to parathyroid hormone analogues also significantly promoted total hip bone mineral density compared to the control group [SMD＝0.66， 95%CI （0.18， 1.13）， P＝0.007]. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the results of this study were robust. CONCLUSIONS Sequential therapy with parathyroid hormone analogues and bisphosphonates can be recommended as an effective treatment for patients with osteoporosis， with good safety profiles. The medication sequences should be individually adjusted based on the patient’s particular situation and the different responses of various skeletal sites.

To address the key challenges in multivariate statistical modeling,a higher-order derivative approach combined with vector space angle multiplicative error correction was proposed for establishing an acid value prediction ordinary least squares(OLS)regression model based on attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared(ATR-FTIR)spectroscopy.By using acid values measured by potentiometric titration as reference,ATR-FTIR spectroscopy was utilized for direct calibration and prediction of acid values on 96 kinds of lubricating oil samples from a wind turbine.Firstly,the simulated hyperbolic(SH)method was employed to obtain accurate fourth derivative spectrum,resolving overlapping bands and enhancing spectral selectivity.Then,from the calibration set(48 samples),informative spectral regions were identified based on correlation coefficients.Next,the sample with the highest acid value was selected as the reference and1/(1+tan(θ/2))was used as the metric relation of the spectrum to suppress the multiplicity error caused by factors such as the change of effective optical path in ATR-FTIR spectroscopy.After pretreatment of the spectrum by the method of fourth-order derivative combined with angular quantity,the number of variables decreased from 1737 to 8,and the matrix condition number decreased from 1.85×1015 to 56.34,which effectively eliminated the collinearity issue for OLS regression.Direct OLS modeling on spectral preprocessed data achieved a determination coefficient of 0.981 for 47 validation samples,with a relative error range of-8.38%-8.22%,outperforming the commonly used partial least squares(PLS)method(Determination coefficient of 0.865,relative error of-27.82%-22.38%).It was proved that effective data preprocessing significantly improved the prediction accuracy of the model.Furthermore,when the number of calibration set was compressed to 25 and the number of validation set was expanded to 70,the model retained 8 variables with a condition number of 42.60,the determination coefficient of validation set was 0.972,and the relative error ranged from-10.80%to 12.31%.Comparing with the PLS method(Determination coefficient of 0.724,relative error of-34.26%-53.84%),the improvement was more obvious,which showed that the method could still have high prediction accuracy even with fewer modeling samples as well as robustness against multiplicative error interference.

Objective To compare the application value of three image post-processing techniques volume rendering(VR),multiplanar reformation(MPR)and curved planar reformation(CPR)in the identifi-cation of rib fracture malunion.Methods The types and numbers of rib fracture malunion in 75 pa-tients were recorded,and the sensitivity,specificity,accuracy and Youden index of VR,MPR and CPR in the diagnosis of rib fracture malunion were compared.Receiver operator characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn and area under the curve(AUC)was calculated,and the detection rates of three image post-processing techniques for different types of rib fracture malunion were compared.Results A total of 243 rib fractures were malunion in 75 patients.The diagnostic sensitivity of VR,MPR and CPR for rib fracture malunion was 52.67%,79.84%and 91.36%,the specificity was 99.58%,97.89%and 99.15%,the accuracy was 83.66%,91.76%and 96.51%,the Youden index was 0.52,0.78 and 0.91,the AUC was 0.761,0.889 and 0.953,respectively.Compared with VR,there were statistically signifi-cant differences in the number of broken rib end misalignment over 1/3,broken rib end overlap,bro-ken rib end angulation and intercostal bridge detected in MPR(P<0.05).Compared with VR,there was a statistically significant difference in the number of different types of rib fracture malunion de-tected by CPR(P<0.05).Compared with MPR,there were statistically significant differences in the number of broken rib end misalignment over 1/3,broken rib end separation and intercostal bridge de-tected in CPR(P<0.05).Conclusion The three image post-processing techniques are of great signifi-cance for the identification of rib fracture malunion.Especially CPR is highly effective in the diagno-sis of rib fracture malunion,and can be used as the main post-processing technique for forensic clini-cal identification of rib fracture malunion.

Purpose: Molecular residual disease (MRD) is a promising biomarker in colorectal cancer (CRC) for prognosis and guiding treatment, while the whole-exome sequencing (WES) based tumor-informed assay is standard for evaluating MRD based on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). In this study, we assessed the feasibility of a fixed-panel for evaluating MRD in CRC. Materials and Methods: Seventy-five patients with resectable stage I-III CRC were enrolled. Tumor tissues obtained by surgery, and preoperative and postoperative day 7 blood samples were collected. The ctDNA was evaluated using the tumor-agnostic and tumor-informed fixed assays, as well as the WES-based and panel-based personalized assays in randomly selected patients. Results: The tumor-informed fixed assay had a higher preoperative positive rate than the tumor-agnostic assay (73.3% vs. 57.3%). The preoperative ctDNA status failed to predict disease-free survival (DFS) in either of the fixed assays, while the tumor-informed fixed assay-determined postoperative ctDNA positivity was significantly associated with worse DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 20.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.19 to 59.83; p < 0.001), which was an independent predictor by multivariable analysis (HR, 28.57; 95% CI, 7.10 to 114.9; p < 0.001). Sub-cohort analysis indicated the WES-based personalized assay had the highest preoperative positive rate (95.1%). The two personalized assays and the tumor-informed fixed assay demonstrated same results in postoperative landmark (HR, 26.34; 95% CI, 6.01 to 115.57; p < 0.001), outperforming the tumor-agnostic fixed panel (HR, 3.04; 95% CI, 0.94 to 9.89; p=0.052). Conclusion Our study confirmed the prognostic value of the ctDNA positivity at postoperative day 7 by the tumor-informed fixed panel. The tumor-informed fixed panel may be a cost-effective method to evaluate MRD, which warrants further studies in future.

Objective:To investigate the clinical application of 68Ga-cyclo( L-arginylglycyl- L-α-aspartyl- D-tyrosyl-N6-(((4, 7-bis(carboxymethyl)-1, 4, 7-triazonan-1-yl)acetyl))- L-lysyl) (NODAGA-RGD) PET/CT to evaluate short-term efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in distant metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (dmDTC). Methods:From October 2019 to March 2023, 13 dmDTC patients (5 males, 8 females; age: 68(65, 69) years) from Nanjing First Hospital were retrospectively enrolled, of which 9 were clinically confirmed as radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC) and 4 were dmDTC without radioactive iodine treatment. All patients underwent 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET/CT to assess neovascularization of the target lesions (TL), and the SUV max and target background ratio (T/B) were recorded. After 3 months of TKI treatment (anrotinib ( n=9) or apatinib ( n=4)), change rates of the maximum diameter of TL and thyroglobulin (Tg) were measured. The correlation of SUV max, T/B and the change rate of the maximum diameter of TL were analyzed by Spearman rank correlation analysis. ROC curve analysis was performed for the effectiveness of the T/B and TKI therapy, and the difference of the remission rate of lesions was analyzed by Fisher exact test. Results:In 13 patients, 36 TL were measured by 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET/CT with SUV max of 5.44(3.43, 7.56) and T/B of 5.25(4.50, 7.23). The change rate of the maximum diameter of TL was -30%(-39%, -21%) and the change rate of Tg was -68%(-96%, -52%). T/B was negatively correlated with the change rate of the maximum diameter of TL after TKI therapy ( rs=-0.46, P=0.005), while SUV max was not correlated with the change rate of the maximum diameter of TL ( rs=0.03, P=0.883). ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value for T/B was 4.95, with the AUC of 0.698, the sensitivity of 87.5%, and the specificity of 60.0%. Compared to lesions with T/B<4.95, those with T/B≥4.95 showed higher remission rate (2/14 vs 63.6%(14/22); P=0.006). After 3 months of TKI treatment, the disease control rate was 12/13. Conclusion:68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET/CT can effectively reflect tumor neovascularization, predict efficacy of TKI therapy, and provide powerful imaging evidence for TKI therapy in dmDTC.

Ajania belonging to the subtribe Artemisiinae of Anthemideae(Asteraceae) is a genus of semi-shrubs closely related to Chrysanthemum. There are 24 species of Ajania in northwestern China, most of which are folk herbal medicines with strong stress tolerance. Modern medical studies have demonstrated that the chemical constituents of Ajania mainly include terpenoids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, alkynes, and essential oils. These compounds endow the plants with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antimalarial, antioxidant, and insecticide effects. In this study, we reviewed the research progress in the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Ajania, aiming to provide reference for the further research and development of Ajania.
Asteraceae ; Chrysanthemum ; Alkynes ; Antimalarials ; Antioxidants/pharmacology*