Objective:To explore the characteristics of functional connectivity (FC) and regional spontaneous brain activity in patients in a minimally-conscious state (MCS).Methods:Resting-state functional near-infrared spectroscopy (rs-fNIRS) was used. Ten minimally-conscious patients were studied along with 12 healthy counterparts as healthy controls (HC). Five minutes of rs-fNIRS data were recorded from each subject and FC and the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFFs) of 53 channels were computed using the NIRS-KIT toolbox. The results were compared between the two groups.Results:Compared with the HC group, a significant decrease was observed in the average FC strength of seventeen channel pairs after false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Most were in the right and left frontal pole, as well as the dorsolateral prefrontal lobe. Compared with the HC group, the average fALFF values of Broca′s area (channel 2), the premotor cortex and the supplementary motor cortex (channels 4, 10, and 40), the dorsolateral prefrontal lobe (channels 6, 11, 25, 39), the eye motor area of the frontal lobe (channel 12) and the frontal pole (channels 23, 27, 36) were significantly greater in the MCS group. The fluctuations of the frontal pole (channel 19) were significantly less (after FDR correction).Conclusion:In an MCS spontaneous neural activity is over-active in the prefrontal lobe and some speech- and motor-related brain regions, and coordination of the internal prefrontal functional network is disordered.

Objective:To explore any changes in the topology of the brain′s resting-state functional networks after an ischemic stroke causing cognitive impairment (iPSCI) and their relationship with the impairment.Methods:Twenty-one patients with impaired cognition after a stroke were recruited into an iPSCI group, and 21 healthy counterparts matched in gender, age and the education level formed the control (HC) group. Three-dimensional T1-weighted anatomical images and resting state functional magnetic resonance images of all of the subjects were collected and any differences in brain network topology were analyzed using graph theory. The degree of centrality (DC), between centrality (BC) and the global topological properties of each brain region were compared using independent-sample t-tests. Spearman correlation coefficients were computed to analyze the significance of any correlation between topology differences and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) or Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) scores.Results:Compared with the HC group, a significant DC increase was observed in the orbital part of the right of middle frontal gyrus (ORBmid.R), the right hippocampus (HIP.R), and the right thalamus (THA.R). There was a significant decrease in the left Rolandic operculum (ROL.L), the left postcentral gyrus (PoCG.L), the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG.L), the left angular gyrus (ANG.L), the left and right caudate nucleus (CAU.L and CAU.R), the putamen of the left lenticular nucleus (PUT.L), the left Heschl gyrus (HES.L), the left superior temporal gyrus (STG.L), and the temporal pole of the left superior temporal gyrus (TPOsup.L). Compared with the HC group, the brain regions of the iPSCI group in which the BC had increased significantly were the orbital part of the left middle frontal gyrus (ORBmid.L), the left cuneus (CUN.L), and the right precuneus (PCUN.R). DC was significantly decreased in the left caudate nucleus (CAU.L), the left temporal pole of the superior temporal gyrus (TPOsup.L), and the left of inferior temporal gyrus (ITG.L). Compared with the HC group, the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of the shortest path length (Lp) and the normalized Lp (λ) of the iPSCI group increased significantly, and the AUC of the normalized clustering coefficient (γ) and small-worldness (σ) decreased significantly. The DCs of the ROL.L, PoCG.L, CAU.L, HES.L, STG.L and TPOsup.L regions showed moderate positive correlation with the MoCA and MMSE scores ( r>0.4), as did the BC of the CAU.L and TPOsup.L regions ( r>0.4). Conclusions:Cognitive impairment is mainly associated with decreased nodal properties in the brain regions related to language and in the caudate nucleus. The topology of the frontal lobe, hippocampus, thalamus, striatum and default networks may self-repair after an iPSCI. The brain′s functional network after an iPSCI still has small-world properties, but with low efficiency and high cost.

Objective: To analyze the situation of AIDS knowledge and discrimination among freshmen in Chengdu city, and to explore possible effects of AIDS knowledge on discrimination. Methods: A cluster random sampling was employed to investigate 1 053 college students from 11 universities in Chengdu about their HIV/AIDS knowledge and discrimination. The scores of AIDS knowledge and discrimination of students with different characteristics were analyzed, and the influence path of AIDS knowledge on AIDS discrimination were further analyzed based on different peer relationships. Results: The total scores of AIDS knowledge was negatively correlated to AIDS discrimination( r s =-0.13, P <0.01). After adjusting for confounding factors, the total score of AIDS knowledge was associated with the total score of AIDS discrimination( β =-0.12, P <0.01). AIDS knowledge played a role in AIDS discrimination in intimate, general and unfamiliar peer relationships, with standardized path coefficients of -0.20, -0.24 and -0.18 respectively( P <0.01). Conclusion AIDS knowledge are correlated with discrimination among freshmen under different peer relationships. More anti-AIDS discrimination courses should be added to AIDS education to reduce the students’ fear and stigma of HIV/AIDS patients and related risk groups.

Objective:To investigate the mechanism of Yunshi Ganmao Heji against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection based on network pharmacology and in vivo experiments. Methods:Network pharmacological prediction: Several databases including TCMSP and GeneCards were used to predict the active ingredients and targets of Yunshi Ganmao Heji in the intervention of RSV infection. Cytoscape 3.2.1 software was used to construct the traditional Chinese medicine component-disease target network diagram. The interactions between proteins were analyzed by STRING database. GO functional enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed using Metascape database. Molecular docking technology was used to verify the results of network pharmacology. Experimental verification of Yunshi Ganmao Heji for the intervention of RSV infection: A mouse model of RSV infection was established through intranasal infection. After the administration of Yunshi Ganmao Heji, blood routine test results, lung indexes and pathological changes in lung tissue were analyzed. Peripheral blood T cell subsets were detected by flow cytometry. The levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in serum were detected by ELISA. RT-PCR was used to detect the relative expression of TLR4, NF-κB and RSV-N gene at mRNA level in lung tissues.Results:A total of 41 active ingredients of Yunshi Ganmao Heji and 111 drug targets for RSV infection were obtained. Besides, 167 signaling pathways mainly including PI3K/AKT, MAPK and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways were obtained. Molecular docking results showed that the binding energies of luteotin, kaempferol and quercetin, three active ingredients of Yunshi Ganmao Heji, with RSV-G, RSV-F, PI3K, AKT1 and Bcl-2 were less than 0 kcal/mol. In vivo experiment results showed that compared with RSV group, the counts of white blood cells and lymphocytes increased and the lung index decreased in high-dose Yunshi Ganmao Heji group, with statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). HE staining showed pulmonary hyperplasia, thickened alveolar wall and inflammatory cell infiltration in interstitium in RSV group. Alveoli in ribavirin group as well as low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose Yunshi Ganmao Heji groups tended to be of uniform size, and the alveolar walls was roughly uniform in thickness. Compared with RSV group, the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose Yunshi Ganmao Heji groups showed significantly increased numbers of CD3 +, CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes, decreased CD4 + /CD8 + T cell ratio, lower levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β in serum, and reduced viral load and inhibited expression of TLR4 and NF-κB at mRNA level in lung tissues ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Yunshi Ganmao Heji can regulate RSV infection by targeting multiple targets and pathways with several active ingredients. Its main functions are to alleviate pathological injury in lung tissues and reduce inflammatory response, and the possible mechanism underlying the antiviral functions may be related to its inhibitory effect on the activation of TLR4/NF-κB pathway.