Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease caused by abnormal synchronous discharge of the brain, which is characterized by recurrent and transient neurological abnormalities, mainly manifested as loss of consciousness and limb convulsions, and can occur in people of all ages. At present, anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are still the main means of treatment, but their efficacy is limited by the problem of drug resistance, and long-term use can cause serious side effects, such as cognitive dysfunction and vital organ damage. Although surgical resection of epileptic lesions has achieved certain results in some patients, the high cost and potential risk of neurological damage limit its scope of application. Therefore, the development of safe, accurate and personalized non-invasive treatment strategies has become one of the key directions of epilepsy research. In recent years, photobiomodulation (PBM) has gained significant attention as a promising non-invasive therapeutic approach. PBM uses light of specific wavelengths to penetrate tissues and interact with photosensitive molecules within cells, thereby modulating cellular metabolic processes. Research has shown that PBM can enhance mitochondrial function, promote ATP production, improve meningeal lymphatic drainage, reduce neuroinflammation, and stimulate the growth of neurons and synapses. These biological effects suggest that PBM not only holds the potential to reduce the frequency of seizures but also to improve the metabolic state and network function of neurons, providing a novel therapeutic avenue for epilepsy treatment. Compared to traditional treatment methods, PBM is non-invasive and avoids the risks associated with surgical interventions. Its low risk of significant side effects makes it particularly suitable for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, offering new therapeutic options for those who have not responded to conventional treatments. Furthermore, PBM’s multi-target mechanism enables it to address a variety of complex etiologies of epilepsy, demonstrating its potential in precision medicine. In contrast to therapies targeting a single pathological mechanism, PBM’s multifaceted approach makes it highly adaptable to different types of epilepsy, positioning it as a promising supplementary or alternative treatment. Although animal studies and preliminary clinical trials have shown positive outcomes with PBM, its clinical application remains in the exploratory phase. Future research should aim to elucidate the precise mechanisms of PBM, optimize light parameters, such as wavelength, dose, and frequency, and investigate potential synergistic effects with other therapeutic modalities. These efforts will be crucial for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of PBM and ensuring its safety and consistency in clinical settings. This review summarizes the types of epilepsy, diagnostic biomarkers, the advantages of PBM, and its mechanisms and potential applications in epilepsy treatment. The unique value of PBM lies not only in its multi-target therapeutic effects but also in its adaptability to the diverse etiologies of epilepsy. The combination of PBM with traditional treatments, such as pharmacotherapy and neuroregulatory techniques, holds promise for developing a more comprehensive and multidimensional treatment strategy, ultimately alleviating the treatment burden on patients. PBM has also shown beneficial effects on neural network plasticity in various neurodegenerative diseases. The dynamic remodeling of neural networks plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and treatment of epilepsy, and PBM’s multi-target mechanism may promote brain function recovery by facilitating neural network remodeling. In this context, optimizing optical parameters remains a key area of research. By adjusting parameters such as wavelength, dose, and frequency, researchers aim to further enhance the therapeutic effects of PBM while maintaining its safety and stability. Looking forward, interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly in the fields of neuroscience, optical engineering, and clinical medicine, will drive the development of PBM technology and facilitate its transition from laboratory research to clinical application. With the advancement of portable devices, PBM is expected to provide safer and more effective treatments for epilepsy patients and make a significant contribution to personalized medicine, positioning it as a critical component of precision therapeutic strategies.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of "Internet plus" continuous intervention on psychological status and nursing satisfaction of patients with depression after hospital discharge, so as to provide the reference for reducing the recurrence risk of patients with depression and improving the quality of life. Methods: From January to December 2024, patients with mild to moderate depression who were hospitalized in a tertiary grade-a mental health specialized hospital in Wenzhou City and met the discharge criteria were selected as the research objects. The patients were divided into the control group and the intervention group according to a ratio of 1∶1 by the random number table method. Hamilton Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and Nursing Satisfaction Questionnaire were used to evaluate depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and nursing satisfaction before and after intervention. Covariance analysis was used to compare the differences between the two groups before and after the intervention. Results: A total of 62 patients with mild to moderate depression were enrolled, with 31 patients in the intervention group and 31 patients in the control group. Before the intervention, there were no statistically significant differences in gender, age, course of disease, educational level, marital status, depression symptoms score, anxiety symptoms score, and nursing satisfaction score between the two groups (all P>0.05). After the intervention, the scores of depression and anxiety symptoms in the intervention group decreased by 8.87 and 5.01 points, respectively, compared with those before the intervention, and the scores of depression and anxiety symptoms in the control group decreased by 2.52 and 1.16 points, respectively (all P<0.05). After the intervention, the scores of depression and anxiety symptoms in the intervention group decreased more than those in the control group (both P<0.05). The nursing satisfaction score of the intervention group increased by 6.57 points on average compared with that before the intervention, and that of the control group increased by 4.23 points on average (both P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the increase of nursing satisfaction scores between the two groups before and after intervention (P>0.05). Conclusion The "Internet plus" continuous intervention has a good effect on improving the depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms of patients with depression after haspital discharge, which can consolidate the treatment effect and improve nursing satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is still challenging to prevent or treat. Enhanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and increased pyroptosis in chondrocytes may be responsible for cartilage degeneration. This study aims to investigate the effect of ER stress on chondrocyte pyroptosis and the upstream regulatory mechanisms, which have rarely been reported. METHODS: The expression of the histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), microRNA-142-3p (miR-142-3p), and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and the levels of ER stress, pyroptosis, and metabolic markers in normal and OA chondrocytes were investigated by western blotting, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, fluorescein amidite-tyrosine-valine-alanine-aspartic acid-fluoromethyl ketone (FAM-YVAD-FMK)/Hoechst 33342/propidium iodide (PI) staining, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays, and cell viability assessments. The effects of EZH2, miR-142-3p, and HMGB1 on ER stress and pyroptosis and the hierarchical regulatory relationship between them were analyzed by chromatin immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporters, gain/loss-of-function assays, and rescue assays in interleukin (IL)-1β-induced OA chondrocytes. The mechanistic contribution of EZH2, miR-142-3p, and HMGB1 to chondrocyte ER stress and pyroptosis and therapeutic prospects were validated radiologically, histologically, and immunohistochemically in surgically induced OA rats. RESULTS: Increased EZH2 and HMGB1, decreased miR-142-3p, enhanced ER stress, and activated pyroptosis in chondrocytes were associated with OA occurrence and progression. EZH2 and HMGB1 exacerbated and miR-142-3p alleviated ER stress and pyroptosis in OA chondrocytes. EZH2 transcriptionally silenced miR-142-3p via H3K27 trimethylation, and miR-142-3p posttranscriptionally silenced HMGB1 by targeting the 3'-UTR of the HMGB1 gene. Moreover, ER stress mediated the effects of EZH2, miR-142-3p, and HMGB1 on chondrocyte pyroptosis. In vivo experiments mechanistically validated the hierarchical regulatory relationship between EZH2, miR-142-3p, and HMGB1 and their effects on chondrocyte ER stress and pyroptosis. CONCLUSIONS A novel EZH2/miR-142-3p/HMGB1 axis mediates chondrocyte pyroptosis and cartilage degeneration by regulating ER stress in OA, contributing novel mechanistic insights into OA pathogenesis and providing potential targets for future therapeutic research.
Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein/genetics* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/pathology* ; Chondrocytes/metabolism* ; Pyroptosis/physiology* ; HMGB1 Protein/genetics* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/genetics* ; Humans ; Animals ; Rats ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Middle Aged

Tujia ethnic group medicine Xuetong is derived from Kadsura heteroclita, the stem of which has the medicinal value for anti-rheumatoid arthritis, liver protection, anti-tumor, anti-oxidation effects, and has been widely used in Hunan and Guangdong in China. The selection of reliable and stable reference genes is the basis for subsequent molecular research on K. heteroclita. In this study, GAPDH, TUA, Actin, UBQ, EF-1α, 18S-rRNA, CYP, UBC, TUB, H2A, and RPL were selected as candidate reference genes in Kadsura heteroclita. The gene expression levels of the 11 candidate reference genes of K. heteroclita in its 6 different parts(stem-inside of the cambium, stem-outside of the cambium, fruit, flower, root, and leaf) and under different intervention conditions [drought stress, salt stress, and methyl jasmonate(MeJA) treatment] were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR). The expression stability of the 11 candidate reference genes was comprehensively analyzed and evaluated by geNorm, NormFinder, ΔCT algorithm, and RefFinder software. The results showed that the expression of UBC and RPL was relatively stable in 6 different parts, and UBC and GAPDH genes were relatively stable under different intervention conditions. To verify the reliability of reference genes for K. heteroclita, this study further examined the relative expression levels of KhFPS, KhIDI, KhCAS, KhSQE, KhSQS, KhSQS-2, KhHMGS, KhHMGR, KhMVD, KhMVK, KhDXR, KhDXS, KhPMVK, and KhGGPS in different parts and under different intervention conditions, which might relate to the synthesis of the main component(Xuetongsu) of K. heteroclita. The results showed that with UBC and RPL or UBC and GAPDH as the reference genes, the expression trends of these 14 genes were basically consistent in different parts or under different intervention conditions for K. heteroclita. In conclusion, UBC can be used as a reference gene of K. heteroclita for its different parts and different intervention conditions, which lays a foundation for further research on the biosynthetic pathway of main components in K. heteroclita.
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Reference Standards ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Cardiac fibrosis(CF) is a cardiac pathological process characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix(ECM). When the heart is damaged by adverse stimuli, cardiac fibroblasts are activated and secrete a large amount of ECM, leading to changes in cardiac fibrosis, myocardial stiffness, and cardiac function declines and accelerating the development of heart failure. There is a close relationship between heart yin deficiency and cardiac fibrosis, which have similar pathogenic mechanisms. Heart Yin deficiency, characterized by insufficient Yin fluids, causes the heart to lose its nourishing function, which acts as the initiating factor for myocardial dystrophy. The deficiency of body fluids leads to stagnation of blood flow, resulting in blood stasis and water retention. Blood stasis and water retention accumulate in the heart, which aligns with the pathological manifestation of excessive deposition of ECM, as a tangible pathogenic factor. This is an inevitable stage of the disease process. The lingering of blood stasis combined with water retention eventually leads to the generation of heat and toxins, triggering inflammatory responses similar to heat toxins, which continuously stimulate the heart and cause the ultimate outcome of CF. Considering the syndrome of heart Yin deficiency, traditional Chinese medicine capable of nourishing Yin, activating blood, and promoting urination can reduce myocardial cell apoptosis, inhibit fibroblast activation, and lower the inflammation level, showing significant advantages in combating CF.
Humans ; Fibrosis/drug therapy* ; Animals ; Yin Deficiency/metabolism* ; Myocardium/metabolism* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical significance of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in response evaluation and relapse monitoring for patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL). METHODS: The clinical characteristics, efficacy and survival of 38 PMBCL patients in our hospital from January 2010 to April 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The ctDNA monitoring was conducted by targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS). RESULTS: Among the 38 patients, 26 cases were female, and 32 cases were diagnosed with Ann Arbor stage I-II. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate and progression-free survival (PFS) rate were 74.7% and 61.7%, respectively. Males and those with high aaIPI scores (3 points) had a relatively poor prognosis. The NGS results of 23 patients showed that STAT6 (65.2%), SOCS1 (56.5%), and TNFAIP3 (56.5%) were the most common mutated genes. Patients with stable disease (SD)/progressive disease (PD) exhibited enrichment in cell cycle, FoxO, and TNF signaling pathways. A total of 29 patients underwent end-of-treatment PET/CT (EOT PET/CT), and 16 of them received ctDNA monitoring with 12 negative. Among 6 patients with EOT PET/CT positive (Deauville 4), 4 underwent ctDNA monitoring, and 3 of them were negative, being still in continuous remission without any subsequent anti-tumor therapy. CONCLUSION CtDNA may be combined with PET/CT to assess efficacy, monitor relapse, and guide treatment of PMBCL.
Humans ; Circulating Tumor DNA/blood* ; Female ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Prognosis ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/genetics* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Mutation

The prevalence of Class III malocclusion varies among different countries and regions. The populations from Southeast Asian countries (Chinese and Malaysian) showed the highest prevalence rate of 15.8%, which can seriously affect oral function, facial appearance, and mental health. As anterior crossbite tends to worsen with growth, early orthodontic treatment can harness growth potential to normalize maxillofacial development or reduce skeletal malformation severity, thereby reducing the difficulty and shortening the treatment cycle of later-stage treatment. This is beneficial for the physical and mental growth of children. Therefore, early orthodontic treatment for Class III malocclusion is particularly important. Determining the optimal timing for early orthodontic treatment requires a comprehensive assessment of clinical manifestations, dental age, and skeletal age, and can lead to better results with less effort. Currently, standardized treatment guidelines for early orthodontic treatment of Class III malocclusion are lacking. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the etiology, clinical manifestations, classification, and early orthodontic techniques for Class III malocclusion, along with systematic discussions on selecting early treatment plans. The purpose of this expert consensus is to standardize clinical practices and improve the treatment outcomes of Class III malocclusion through early orthodontic treatment.
Humans ; Malocclusion, Angle Class III/classification* ; Orthodontics, Corrective/methods* ; Consensus ; Child

OBJECTIVE: Poxviruses are zoonotic pathogens that infect humans, mammals, vertebrates, and arthropods. However, the specific role of ticks in transmission and evolution of these viruses remains unclear. METHODS: Transcriptomic and metatranscriptomic raw data from 329 sampling pools of seven tick species across five continents were mined to assess the diversity and abundance of poxviruses. Chordopoxviral sequences were assembled and subjected to phylogenetic analysis to trace the origins of the unblasted fragments within these sequences. RESULTS: Fifty-eight poxvirus species, representing two subfamilies and 20 genera, were identified, with 212 poxviral sequences assembled. A substantial proportion of AT-rich fragments were detected in the assembled poxviral genomes. These genomic sequences contained fragments originating from rodents, archaea, and arthropods. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that ticks play a significant role in the transmission and evolution of poxviruses. These viruses demonstrate the capacity to modulate virulence and adaptability through horizontal gene transfer, gene recombination, and gene mutations, thereby promoting co-existence and co-evolution with their hosts. This study advances understanding of the ecological dynamics of poxvirus transmission and evolution and highlights the potential role of ticks as vectors and vessels in these processes.
Animals ; Poxviridae/physiology* ; Ticks/virology* ; Phylogeny ; Transcriptome ; Evolution, Molecular ; Poxviridae Infections/virology* ; Genome, Viral

In recent years,the development of acupuncture and moxibustion(shortened as acup-moxibustion)has flourished.With the verification of clinical efficacy of acup-moxibustion,its basic research has gradually drawn the attention of the practitioners accordingly.But how to scientifically perform the basic research of acup-moxibustion and to serve the clinic effectively has become a major problem for the contemporary Chinese medicine practitioners.By analyzing the characteristics of acup-moxibustion-related research projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,this paper outlined the current status of domestic research of acup-moxibustion,and proposed four suggestions after analyzing the problems and weaknesses of acup-moxibustion basic research in China:①the clinical evidence-based system in the current acup-moxibustion should be further constructed and the basic research should be focused on the area of advantages;② the key problems of acup-moxibustion basic research should be clarified,and the proportion of original researches should be increased;③ the integration of production,teaching and research of acup-moxibustion should be enhanced to adapt to the era of big science;④ the funding system and its polity and structure needed to be reformed.This study will help to increase the discipline ranking of acup-moxibustion,enhance its high-quality development,and promote its internationalization.

Objective:To analyze the proportion of patients with acute primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) after the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients undergoing glaucoma surgery and the factors influencing morbidity.Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed.The cluster sampling method was used to collect 141 glaucoma patients hospitalized for glaucoma surgery after the outbreak of COVID-19 in Xuzhou First People's Hospital from December 16, 2022, to January 16, 2023, and 231 glaucoma patients hospitalized for surgery in the same 1-month period from 2019 to 2020, 2020 to 2021, 2021 to 2022 through the hospital information system.Ninety-two eyes of 92 patients with acute PACG after the outbreak were selected as a study group, and 21 eyes of 21 patients with acute PACG hospitalized during the same 1-month period from 2021 to 2022 were selected as a control group.The proportion of patients with different types of glaucoma during the observation period was analyzed.The proportion of patients with acute PACG and the clinical characteristics of acute PACG were analyzed, including age, sex, visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), and anterior chamber angle status.Epidemiological data such as the use of anti-cold medications, and changes in living habits and moods (including daily water intake and anxiety) of patients after COVID-19 infection were obtained by telephone follow-up.Anxiety levels of patients in the study group were assessed using the Hospital Depression and Anxiety Scale (HADS).The triggering factors of acute PACG attack after the COVID-19 outbreak were analyzed.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Xuzhou First People's Hospital (No.xyyll[2023]114).Written informed consent was obtained from each subject.Results:The proportion of acute PACG patients in Xuzhou First People's Hospital within one month after the outbreak in 2022 to 2023 increased significantly compared with the same period in 2021 to 2022, 2020 to 2021 and 2019 to 2020, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=31.066, 33.331, 20.804; all at P<0.001).There was no statistical significance in the distribution of the number of eyes with different grades of visual acuity, IOP, the number of eyes with IOP ≥30 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), and the distribution of the number of eyes with different anterior chamber angles between the two groups (all at P>0.05).Patients in the control group had no history of COVID-19 infection or use of cold medicines at disease onset.During disease onset, all 92 (100%) patients in the study group had positive COVID-19 nucleic acid test results, of which 57 (61.96%) patients had a history of oral anti-cold medication use.During the same period, 49 (100%) hospitalized patients with other types of glaucoma had positive COVID-19 nucleic acid test results, of which 20 (40.82%) patients had a history of oral cold medication.There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients taking oral cold drugs between acute PACG and other types of glaucoma in the study group ( χ2=5.764, P=0.016).During the outbreak of COVID-19, the study group reported that the daily water intake had increased to varying degrees than before.In the study group, 76 patients had anxiety, accounting for 82.6%.Multiple linear regression analysis showed that IOP=19.052+ 0.009×daily water intake+ 0.858×HADS score ( R2=0.780), and the standardized coefficients of daily water intake and HADS score were 0.542 and 0.452, respectively.Daily water intake had a greater effect on IOP than HADS score. Conclusions:The proportion of acute PACG patients among hospitalized surgical glaucoma patients increased significantly after the COVID-19 outbreak, which is related to risk factors such as oral anti-cold medications containing vasoconstrictors or antihistamines, increased daily water intake, anxiety and other lifestyle, and mood changes.