The onset of pregnancy is marked by the formation of a zygote, while the culmination of gestation is manifested by the delivery of a fetus. Meanwhile, a successful pregnancy entails a meticulously coordinated sequence of events from embryo implantation to sustained decidualization of the uterus to placental development and childbirth. The decidual reaction, a pivotal process occurring within the endometrium during pregnancy, is finely regulated by sex steroids and cytokines. Notably, fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), particularly FGF2, play a critical role in this physiological cascade. Dysregulated FGF expression may trigger inadequate decidualization, precipitating a spectrum of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preeclampsia, recurrent implantation failure, and miscarriage. Furthermore, the human decidua, distinct from most mammalian species and similar to great apes, undergoes regular cycles of formation and shedding, independent of the presence of the embryo in the endometrium. This process is also tightly controlled by various FGFs. In this review, we comprehensively compare diverse research decidualization models, delineate the trend of endometrial FGFs during the menstrual cycle, and provide a synopsis of endometrial diseases triggered by FGF dysregulation.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Decidua/physiology* ; Animals ; Endometrium/physiology* ; Fibroblast Growth Factors/metabolism* ; Embryo Implantation ; Menstrual Cycle/physiology*

Objective: To understand the pathogen spectrum composition of non-bacterial respiratory infections in Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province, so as to provide insights for the prevention and control of respiratory infectious diseases. Methods: A total of 592 throat or nasopharynx swab samples were collected from fever patients in Pinghu First People's Hospital from Jamuary 2021 to November 2022. Multiple real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the nucleic acids of rhinovirus (RhV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), adenovirus (ADV), metapneumovirus (MPV), coronavirus (CoV), Boca virus (Boca), enterovirus (EV), influenza virus (Flu), chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) and mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). The detection rates of pathogens and mixed infections in different age groups and seasons were analyzed. Results: A total of 212 samples were tested positive for at least one pathogen's nucleic acid from 592 samples, with a total detection rate of 35.81%. The detection rates of RhV (9.80%), PIV (7.26%), Flu (6.76%), RSV (4.39%) and CoV (3.72%) were relatively high. The detection rates were higher among patients at ages of 0 to 2 years and 3 to 17 years than among patients at ages of 18 to 59 years, and in autumn than in spring and winter (all P<0.05). Twenty-three samples were infected by mixed pathogens, accounting for 3.89%. The mixed infections were all detected two pathogens, with PIV, CoV, RhV, and ADV predominant. Conclusions From 2021 to November 2022, the main pathogens of non-bacterial respiratory infections in Pinghu City were RhV, PIV, FLu, RSV and CoV, and there were mixed infections. It is necessary to strengthen the prevention and control of respiratory infection in infants and children.

Objective To explore the microstructural changes in white matter(WM)fibers of patients with post-stroke depression(PSD)by using automated fiber quantification(AFQ)and the relationship between changes in fibers and the Hamilton depression scale(HAMD).Methods The HAMD and MRI data were collected from stroke patients with a single anterior circulation infarction at 1-month follow-up.AFQ was used to extract the main fibers and calculate the fractional anisotropy(FA)of each node in each fiber.The difference of node FA in each fiber between groups and correlations between altered node FA and HAMD were then evaluated.Results Data were collected from 8 patients with PSD and 18 patients without PSD(non-PSD).Compared with that in non-PSD,the node FA in the callosum,left inferior longitudinal fasciculus,and uncinate fasciculus were significantly decreased in patients with PSD(P<0.05).The altered node FA values in the corpus callosum forceps minor(r=-0.418,P=0.047)and left uncinate fasciculus(r=-0.467,P=0.029)were negatively related to HAMD in patients with PSD.Conclusions AFQ can precisely measure the segmental microstructural damage of nerve fiber bundles in patients with PSD,of which segmental microstructural damage of the corpus callosum forceps and hook tracts is associated with the severity of depression.

Objective To observe the effects of ice-water swimming on pathological changes in model gouty rats,and investigate the relevant regulatory mechanism of the purinergic P2X7R receptor.Methods Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into normal(NORM)and experimental groups including gouty control(GC),ice-water swimming(IWS),and Brilliant Blue G(BBG,a P2X7R inhibitor)groups.Rats in the experimental groups were modeled to simulate hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis by inhibiting uric acid metabolism combined with the Coderre method.Rats in the ice-water swimming group were treated with 5 min of endurance swimming in an ice-water mixture at a depth of about 0.5 m for 0 h and 12 h after modeling by the Coderre method,while rats in the BBG group were injected intraperitoneally with BBG solution once after modeling.Ankle swelling index was calculated using a formula.Serum uric acid levels were detected by uricase assay,and serum levels of the inflammatory factors interleukin(IL)-1β,1L-6,and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αwere detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The pathological status of the ankle joints was examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining.P2X7R and NLRP3 protein expression levels in synovial tissue were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry,respectively.Results Serum uric acid levels and the ankle joint swelling index were significantly higher in the experimental groups compared with the normal group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and the synovial tissues showed different degrees of inflammatory infiltration.The ankle swelling index was significantly higher in the ice-water swimming group compared with the gouty control group at 12 h(P＜0.05).Serum IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α levels(P＜0.01)and P2X7R and NLRP3 protein levels in synovial tissues were all significantly elevated(P＜0.05).Histopathology showed that the cartilage surface was broken and the synovial tissue showed severe hyperplasia and erosion,accompanied by numerous inflammatory cell aggregates.There were no significant changes in P2X7R or NLRP3 protein expression or pathology in synovial tissues in the BBG group compared with the gouty control group(P＞0.05),but serum IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α levels were all significantly suppressed(P＜0.01).Conclusions Cold stimulation and strenuous exercise simulated by ice-water swimming may exacerbate pathological damage in gouty arthritis via a mechanism related to high P2X7R expression in the joints.

Objective:To describe the current situation of mental health service utilization of community pa-tients with five mental disorders in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and provide reference for health education and formulating relevant policies.Methods:The multistage stratified sampling method with unequal probability was used to select a total of 12 315 community residents aged 18 and over in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.Using Composite International Diagnostic Interview,mood disorders,anxiety disorders,substance use disorders,intermit-tent explosive disorders,and eating disorders,and health service utilization were investigated.Descriptive statistics was completed by single factor analysis method.Results:The lifetime rates of consultation and treatment of any mental disorder were 18.7％and 10.2％,respectively.The highest proportion of patients received treatment by non-medical professionals was 31.4％,followed by psychiatrists in psychiatric hospital or psychologists in general hospitals.Among the patients,1.1％of them received medication,and 2.5％received psychotherapy.Conclusion:The utilization rate of mental health services in community patients with five mental disorders is relatively low.It is necessary to conduct health education for medical help seeking properly.

Objective:To explore the changes of large-scale functional brain networks and network topological properties in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) whose diagnosis had not changed after 5 years of follow-up.Methods:Totally 521 cases of hospitalized MDD patients were recruited from January 2012 to August 2018, and another 204 cases of gender- and age-matched healthy controls were recruited. All participants completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance scanning and clinical assessment. Their diagnosis were reviewed 5 years after discharge.A total of 258 participants whose diagnosis had not changed were counted into the MDD group for analysis. The differences in large-scale brain network connectivity between the two groups were analyzed by constructing a whole-brain functional network, on the basis of which the altered topological properties of the sensorimotor network (SMN), visual network (VN) and default mode network (DMN) were further analyzed between the two groups.The SPSS 24.0 software was used for data analysis and the independent sample t-test and χ2 test were used for the data comparison of the two groups. Results:Compared with the healthy controls, the MDD group had significantly decreased network clustering, mainly involving the SMN, VN and DMN (edge P<0.001, cluster P<0.05). The MDD group had decreased functional connectivity(FC) strength within the SMN, VN and DMN networks, the FC strength between the SMN and VN networks, between the frontoparietal network (FPN) and the DAN networks were decreased(all P<0.05, FDR corrected). Graph-theory analysis showed that local efficiency, clustering coefficient, and normalized shortest path length were decreased in the MDD group, node efficiency was decreased in the left ventral medial prefrontal cortex and the middle of the bilateral insula, node centrality was decreased in the middle of the bilateral insula and occipital lobe, and the betweenness was decreased in the middle of the right insula (all P<0.05, FDR corrected). Conclusion:MDD exhibits abnormal network functional connectivity, disruption of network topological properties, diminished optimal information processing, and to some extent reflects the severity of depressive symptoms. The decreased ability of information transfer flow in the insula plays an important role for the functional abnormality of the network.

Objective:To investigate the effects of glycopyrrolate on intestinal spasm and hemodynamics in painless colonoscopy.Methods:A total of 100 patients who were scheduled to undergo painless colonoscopy were selected as the study subjects and randomly divided into two groups by a computerized number method. Ten patients in both groups dropped out because of disruption of the study protocol, and 45 patients from each group were included in the final analysis. Before anesthesia induction, patients in group glycopyrrolate (group G) were injected with 0.2 mg glycopyrrolate, while those in congtrol group (group C) were injected with an equal amount of saline. The heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were recorded at T 0 (baseline period), T 1 (after anesthesia induction), T 2 (colonoscopy over sigmoid colon), T 3 (colonoscopy over the liver region), T 4 (after the end of examination), and T 5 (at the awakening phase), and the degree of intestinal spasm was assessed intraoperatively using the Likert′s four-point scale. The numerical rating scale (NRS) was used to assess preoperative and postoperative pain. The incidence of adverse events was recorded. Results:The general data at baseline were not statistically different between the two groups ( P>0.05). During the procedure, patients in group G had lower intraoperative intestinal spasm scores than those in group C ( P=0.028). Intraoperative hypotension and bradycardia occurrence were lower in group G than in group C ( P<0.05), and intraoperative norepinephrine use was also lower than in the group C ( P=0.034). Postoperative visual analog scale pain scores were lower in group G ( P=0.047), but patients who used glycopyrrolate had a higher proportion of dry mouth ( P=0.035). Conclusion:During painless colonoscopy, preoperative administration of glycopyrrolate significantly improved intraoperative hemodynamic fluctuations, reduced the incidence of hypotension and bradycardia, and relieved postoperative pain. However, glycopyrrolate use resulted in the risk of dry mouth.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate whether the addition of pemetrexed is effective in improving progression-free survival (PFS) in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)–mutated patients with or without concomitant alterations. Materials and Methods: This multicenter clinical trial was conducted in China from June 15, 2018, to May 31, 2019. A total of 92 non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring EGFR-sensitive mutations were included and divided into concomitant and non-concomitant groups. Patients in each group were randomly treated with EGFR–tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) monotherapy or EGFR-TKI combined with pemetrexed in a ratio of 1:1. PFS was recorded as the primary endpoint. Results: The overall median PFS of this cohort was 10.1 months. There were no significant differences in PFS between patients with and without concomitant and between patients received TKI monotherapy and TKI combined with pemetrexed (p=0.210 and p=0.085, respectively). Stratification analysis indicated that patients received TKI monotherapy had a significantly longer PFS in non-concomitant group than that in concomitant group (p=0.002). In concomitant group, patients received TKI combined with pemetrexed had a significantly longer PFS than patients received TKI monotherapy (p=0.013). Molecular dynamic analysis showed rapidly emerging EGFR T790M in patients received TKI monotherapy. EGFR mutation abundance decreased in patients received TKI combined chemotherapy, which supports better efficacy for a TKI combined chemotherapy as compared to TKI monotherapy. A good correlation between therapeutic efficacy and a change in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) status was found in 66% of patients, supporting the guiding role of ctDNA minimal residual disease (MRD) in NSCLC treatment. Conclusion EGFR-TKI monotherapy is applicable to EGFR-sensitive patients without concomitant alterations, while a TKI combined chemotherapy is applicable to EGFR-sensitive patients with concomitant alterations. CtDNA MRD may be a potential biomarker for predicting therapeutic efficacy.

Objective:Based on targeted amplicon technology combined with high-throughput sequencing technology and bioinformatic analysis technology, to understand the characteristics of the whole genome of the monkeypox virus and its variation, and to construct a method for the analysis of monkeypox virus variation and molecular traceability of the case in Qinghai province, and to provide technical support for the prevention and control of monkeypox epidemic in the future.Methods:The extracted viral DNA was used as a template, and the genome of monkeypox virus was specifically amplified by Ion AmpliSeq Monkeypox Panel with the number of amplicons 1 609 and the length of 125 bp-275 bp, and the sequencing library was constructed by Ion AmpliSeq Library Kit Plus, and sequenced by Ion Torrent GeneStudio S5. The sequencing library was constructed by Ion AmpliSeq Library Kit Plus, and the monkeypox virus genome was sequenced using Ion Torrent GeneStudio S5 sequencer. Monkeypox virus was analyzed for genomic profiling and mutation site analysis using the online analysis tool Nextclade. The genomic sequence of the case virus in this study was compared with some sequences in the GIASID monkeypox virus database and a phylogenetic tree was constructed to analyze the potential origin of the case virus.Results:The Ct values of monkeypox virus genes in the rash swab and oropharyngeal swab samples were 32.13 and 36.91, respectively. The rash swab sample had a reads number match of 99.99% and a genome coverage of 99.45% after whole-genome sequencing of monkeypox virus, and the sequences belonged to the IIb (West African branch) B. 1.3 type. The analysis of nucleotide mutation sites and phylogenetic tree showed that the sequences were in the same branch with four monkeypox virus genome sequences recently submitted by China and Japan in the GISAID monkeypox virus database, and had the closest evolutionary relationship with the sequence EPI_ISL_18059184 (sampled on 2023-07-03) submitted by Yunnan, China, which shared 82 single-nucleotide mutation sites, among which the sequence from Yunnan was only present in all of the shared 82 single-nucleotide mutation sites. The sequence in this study has 2 additional nucleotide mutation sites on top of the shared 82 single nucleotide mutation sites. The sequence submitted by Japan, EPI_ISL_17692269 (sampled on 2023-04-28), is more closely related in evolution, sharing 78 single nucleotide mutation sites, with 7 single nucleotide mutation site differences, and the Japanese sequence shares 78 single nucleotide mutation sites. The Japanese sequence shared 78 mutation sites with one additional nucleotide mutation site (G57786A), while the present sequence had six additional nucleotide mutation sites (G13563A, C21062T, G101241A, C142797T, G152866A, T169721A).Conclusions:The whole genome sequence of monkeypox virus of 197 084 bp was successfully obtained from a sample with low viral load, and the average. We constructed a method for sequencing and analyzing the whole genome of monkeypox virus.

Existing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-related databases are still insufficient in data standardization, integrity and precision, and need to be updated urgently. Herein, an Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine version 2.0 (ETCM v2.0, http://www.tcmip.cn/ETCM2/front/#/) was constructed as the latest curated database hosting 48,442 TCM formulas recorded by ancient Chinese medical books, 9872 Chinese patent drugs, 2079 Chinese medicinal materials and 38,298 ingredients. To facilitate the mechanistic research and new drug discovery, we improved the target identification method based on a two-dimensional ligand similarity search module, which provides the confirmed and/or potential targets of each ingredient, as well as their binding activities. Importantly, five TCM formulas/Chinese patent drugs/herbs/ingredients with the highest Jaccard similarity scores to the submitted drugs are offered in ETCM v2.0, which may be of significance to identify prescriptions/herbs/ingredients with similar clinical efficacy, to summarize the rules of prescription use, and to find alternative drugs for endangered Chinese medicinal materials. Moreover, ETCM v2.0 provides an enhanced JavaScript-based network visualization tool for creating, modifying and exploring multi-scale biological networks. ETCM v2.0 may be a major data warehouse for the quality marker identification of TCMs, the TCM-derived drug discovery and repurposing, and the pharmacological mechanism investigation of TCMs against various human diseases.