ObjectiveTo identify the pathogen species responsible for the wilt disease of Tetradium ruticarpum in Chongqing， investigate there biological characteristics， and screen effective fungicides， so as to provide a theoretical basis for disease control in production. MethodsThe pathogen was isolated via the tissue culture method. Pathogenicity was verified according to Koch's postulates. The pathogen was identified based on morphological characteristics and multi-gene phylogenetic analysis. The mycelial growth rate method was used for biological characterization of the pathogen and fungicide screening. ResultsThe pathogen colonies were nearly circular with irregular edges， white， short， velvety aerial hyphae， and pale purple undersides. Macroconidia were colorless， sickle-shaped， with 3-5 septa， while microconidia were transparent， elliptical， aseptate or with 1-2 septa. Multi-gene phylogenetic analysis showed that the pathogen clustered in the same clade as Fusarium fujikuroi with 100% support， which， combined with morphological characteristics， identified the pathogen causing wilt of T. ruticarpum in Chongqing as F. fujikuroi. The optimal conditions for the mycelial growth of F. fujikuroi were mung bean agar （MBA） with glucose as the carbon source， beef extract and yeast powder as nitrogen sources， 28 ℃， pH 7.0， and alternating light/dark conditions. The optimal conditions for sporulation were potato dextrose agar （PDA） with glucose as the carbon source， beef extract as the nitrogen source， 28 ℃， pH 7.0， and complete darkness. Among chemical fungicides， phenazine-1-carboxylic acid exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect on F. fujikuroi. Shenqinmycin and tetramycin were the most effective bio-fungicides. ConclusionThis study is the first to report F. fujikuroi as the causal agent of wilt disease in T. rutaecarpa. The chemical fungicide phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and the bio-fungicides shenqinmycin and tetramycin showed strong inhibitory effects against F. fujikuroi.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that severely affects the health of the elderly, marked by its incurability, high prevalence, and extended latency period. The current approach to AD prevention and treatment emphasizes early detection and intervention, particularly during the pre-AD stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which provides an optimal “window of opportunity” for intervention. Clinical detection methods for MCI, such as cerebrospinal fluid monitoring, genetic testing, and imaging diagnostics, are invasive and costly, limiting their broad clinical application. Speech, as a vital cognitive output, offers a new perspective and tool for computer-assisted analysis and screening of cognitive decline. This is because elderly individuals with cognitive decline exhibit distinct characteristics in semantic and audio information, such as reduced lexical richness, decreased speech coherence and conciseness, and declines in speech rate, voice rhythm, and hesitation rates. The objective presence of these semantic and audio characteristics lays the groundwork for computer-based screening of cognitive decline. Speech information is primarily sourced from databases or collected through tasks involving spontaneous speech, semantic fluency, and reading, followed by analysis using computer models. Spontaneous language tasks include dialogues/interviews, event descriptions, narrative recall, and picture descriptions. Semantic fluency tasks assess controlled retrieval of vocabulary items, requiring participants to extract information at the word level during lexical search. Reading tasks involve participants reading a passage aloud. Summarizing past research, the speech characteristics of the elderly can be divided into two major categories: semantic information and audio information. Semantic information focuses on the meaning of speech across different tasks, highlighting differences in vocabulary and text content in cognitive impairment. Overall, discourse pragmatic disorders in AD can be studied along three dimensions: cohesion, coherence, and conciseness. Cohesion mainly examines the use of vocabulary by participants, with a reduction in the use of nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives in AD patients. Coherence assesses the ability of participants to maintain topics, with a decrease in the number of subordinate clauses in AD patients. Conciseness evaluates the information density of participants, with AD patients producing shorter texts with less information compared to normal elderly individuals. Audio information focuses on acoustic features that are difficult for the human ear to detect. There is a significant degradation in temporal parameters in the later stages of cognitive impairment; AD patients require more time to read the same paragraph, have longer vocalization times, and produce more pauses or silent parts in their spontaneous speech signals compared to normal individuals. Researchers have extracted audio and speech features, developing independent systems for each set of features, achieving an accuracy rate of 82% for both, which increases to 86% when both types of features are combined, demonstrating the advantage of integrating audio and speech information. Currently, deep learning and machine learning are the main methods used for information analysis. The overall diagnostic accuracy rate for AD exceeds 80%, and the diagnostic accuracy rate for MCI also exceeds 80%, indicating significant potential. Deep learning techniques require substantial data support, necessitating future expansion of database scale and continuous algorithm upgrades to transition from laboratory research to practical product implementation.

Network pharmacology and molecular docking were employed to predict the mechanism of Zhizhu Decoction in regulating macrophage polarization to reduce adipose tissue inflammation in obese children, and animal experiments were then carried out to validate the prediction results. The active ingredients and targets of Zhizhu Decoction were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP). The inflammation related targets in the adipose tissue of obese children were searched against GeneCards, OMIM, and DisGeNET, and a drug-disease-target network was established. STRING was used to construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network and screen for core targets. R language was used to carry out Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. AutoDock was used for the molecular docking between core targets and active ingredients. 24 SPF grade 6-week C57B/6J male mice were adaptively fed for 1 week, and 8 mice were randomly selected as the blank group. The remaining 16 mice were fed with high-fat diet for 8 weeks to onstruct a high-fat diet induced mouse obesity model. After successful modeling, the 16 mice were randomly divided into model group and Zhizhu Decoction group, with 8 mice in each group. Zhizhu Decoction group was intervened by gavage for 14 days, once a day. Blank group and model group were given an equal amount of sterile double distilled water(ddH_2O) by gavage daily. After the last gavage, serum and inguinal adipose tissue were collected from mice for testing. The morphology of inguinal adipose tissue was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, the levels of inflammatory factors interleukin-6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and the protein expression of macrophage marker molecule nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) and epidermal growth factor like hormone receptor 1(F4/80) was detected by immunofluorescence staining. Network pharmacology predicted luteolin, naringenin, and nobiletin as the main active ingredients in Zhizhu Decoction and 15 core targets. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed involvement in the key signaling pathway of nuclear factor κB(NF-κB). Molecular docking showed that the active ingredients of Zhizhu Decoction bound well to the core targets. Animal experiment showed that compared with the model group, Zhizhu Decoction reduced the distribution of inflammatory cytokines in the inguinal adipose tissue of mice, lowered the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the serum(P<0.05, P<0.01), and down-regulated the expression of iNOS and F4/80(P<0.05). The results showed that the active ingredients in Zhizhu Decoction, such as luteolin, naringenin, and nobiletin, inhibit the aggregation of macrophages in adipose tissue, downregulate their classic activated macrophage(M1) polarization, reduce the expression of inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α, and thus improve adipose tissue inflammation in obese mice.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Adipose Tissue/immunology* ; Mice ; Male ; Humans ; Network Pharmacology ; Macrophages/immunology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Child ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects* ; Obesity/genetics* ; Inflammation/drug therapy*

This study aimed to characterize and identify the non-volatile components in aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the stems and leaves of Rhododendron tomentosum by using sensitive and efficient ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined with a self-built information database. By comparing with reference compounds, analyzing fragment ion information, searching relevant literature, and using a self-built information database, 118 compounds were identified from the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of R. tomentosum, including 35 flavonoid glycosides, 15 phenolic glycosides, 12 flavonoids, 7 phenolic acids, 7 phenylethanol glycosides, 6 tannins, 6 phospholipids, 5 coumarins, 5 monoterpene glycosides, 6 triterpenes, 3 fatty acids, and 11 other types of compounds. Among them, 102 compounds were reported in R. tomentosum for the first time, and 36 compounds were identified by comparing them with reference compounds. The chemical components in the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of R. tomentosum leaves and stems showed slight differences, with 84 common chemical components accounting for 71.2% of the total 118 compounds. This study systematically characterized and identified the non-volatile chemical components in the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of R. tomentosum for the first time. The findings provide a reference for active ingredient research, quality control, and product development of R. tomentosum.
Rhododendron/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry*

We report a case involving an 85-year-old man who underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer in 2011. During follow-up, he required long-term use of a penile clamp to manage urination due to permanent severe stress incontinence. In February 2023, he presented with a painless cystic mass in the scrotum. Upon pressing the mass with hand, fluid drained from the external urethral orifice, causing the mass to shrink in size, although it returned to its original size a few hours later. Urography and cystoscopy showed a globular urethral diverticulum located anteriorly. The patient underwent surgical excision of the diverticulum along with urethroplasty. Postoperatively, the urinary stress incontinence persisted, but he declined any further surgical intervention. An artificial urinary sphincter is currently the first-line treatment for male urinary incontinence. However, devices such as penile clamps can serve as an alternative when considering surgical suitability or cost. It is important to note that these devices can lead to serious complications such as urethral erosion, stricture, or diverticulum. Therefore, caution is advised when using such devices, and they should be removed periodically at short intervals.
Humans ; Male ; Diverticulum/surgery* ; Prostatectomy/adverse effects* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Urethral Diseases/surgery* ; Urinary Incontinence/surgery* ; Urinary Incontinence, Stress/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To preliminarily investigate the effects and mechanism of action of Yishen Yangsui Formula (, YSYSF)on the recovery of neurological function in rats with degenerative cervical myelopathy. METHODS: Fifty adult SD female rats were randomly divided into control group, sham group, model group, YSYSF group and positive drug group by using randomized numerical table method. In the model group, YSYSF group and positive drug group, polyvinyl alcohol acrylamide interpenetrating network hydrogel(water-absorbent swelling material) was used to construct a rat spinal cord chronic compression model. The sham group was implanted with the water-absorbent swelling material and then removed without causing spinal cord compression. The control group, the sham group and the model group were given equal amounts of saline by gavage, the group of YSYSF was given Chinese herbal medicine soup by gavage 9.1 g·kg^-1 once a day, and the positive drug group was given tetrahexylsalicylglucoside sodium monosialate ganglioside by intraperitoneal injection 4.2 mg·kg^-1 once a day. The motor function of the rats was assessed by the BBB method after 1, 3, 7, and 14 d of drug administration. The spinal cord tissues were taken from rats executed 14 d after drug administration, and the morphological changes of the spinal cord compression site were observed by HE staining, and the expression levels of Caspase-1, GSDMD, NLRP3, PYCARD, IL-1β, and IL-18 were detected in the area of spinal cord injury by Western blot method. RESULTS: The BBB scores of the control group and the sham group were normal at all time points after modeling, which were higher than the BBB scores of the model group, the YSYSF, and the positive drug group (P<0.05). From the 3rd day after gavage, at all time points, the BBB scores of rats in the YSYSF group and the positive drug group were higher than those of rats in the model group (P<0.05). The staining pattern of HE spinal cord tissue was normal in the control group and the sham group, and the HE spinal cord in the model group was severely damaged with a large number of neuron deaths, whereas the damage to the spinal cord and neuron cells was reduced in the YSYSF group and the positive drug group. The expression levels of caspase-1, GSDMD, NLRP3, PYCARD, IL-1β and IL-18 in the spinal cord of the model group were significantly higher than those of the sham group (P<0.0001), and the expression levels of caspase-1, GSDMD, NLRP3, PYCARD, IL-1β, and IL-18 in the YSYSF group and the drug group were significantly lower than those in the model group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION YSYSF can improve the motor function of rats with degenerative cervical spinal cord disease, alleviate the pathological changes, and promote the recovery of spinal cord neurological function. The specific mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the activation of inflammatory vesicles NLRP3 and PYCARD, the reduction of the release of inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-18, the reduction of the expression of caspase-1 and GSDMD, the reduction of cellular death, and the inhibition of inflammatory response.
Animals ; Female ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Pyroptosis/drug effects* ; Spinal Cord/pathology* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein ; Spinal Cord Diseases/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism*

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between white matter injury (WMI) and cerebral perfusion in preterm infants using arterial spin labeling (ASL). METHODS: A total of 293 preterm infants (gestational age <34 weeks) hospitalized at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between June 2022 and June 2024 were included. After achieving clinical stability, the infants underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ASL. Based on MRI findings, infants were classified into WMI (n=66) and non-WMI (n=227) groups. Cerebral perfusion parameters were compared between groups, and the association between WMI and perfusion alterations was evaluated. RESULTS: The WMI group showed a higher incidence of mild intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) than the non-WMI group (P<0.05). Significantly lower cerebral perfusion was observed in the WMI group across bilateral frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes, as well as the basal ganglia and thalamus (P<0.05). After adjusting for gestational age, corrected gestational age at ASL scan, and mild IVH, WMI remained significantly associated with reduced regional perfusion (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS WMI in preterm infants correlates with localized cerebral hypoperfusion. ASL-detected perfusion abnormalities may provide novel insights into WMI pathogenesis.
Humans ; White Matter/blood supply* ; Infant, Newborn ; Spin Labels ; Infant, Premature ; Female ; Male ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper (Cu), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) and grip strength. Methods We used linear regression models, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength.Results In the multimetal linear regression, Cu (β=-2.119), As (β=-1.318), Sr (β=-2.480), Ba (β=0.781), Fe (β= 1.130) and Mn (β=-0.404) were significantly correlated with grip strength (P < 0.05). The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was -1.007 (95％ confidence interval:-1.362, -0.652; P < 0.001) when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased. Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength, with Cu, As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels. In the total population, potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn (Pinteractions of 0.003 and 0.018, respectively).Conclusion In summary, this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength. Cu, Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels, and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for unplanned readmission within 30 days after discharge in cirrhotic patients with esophagogastric variceal bleeding undergoing transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS),and to construct a nomogram predictive model.Methods A total of 241 cirrhotic patients who underwent TIPS due to esophagogastric variceal bleeding in Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from January 2020 to June 2023 were enrolled as subjects,and unplanned readmission within 30 days was analyzed.According to the presence or absence of unplanned readmission,they were divided into readmission group with 36 patients and non-readmission group with 198 patients,and related clinical data were collected from all patients.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups,and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups;the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups.A logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for unplanned readmission.A nomogram prediction model was constructed,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted to assess its discriminatory ability for unplanned readmission;the calibration curve was plotted to evaluate the consistency of the nomogram model in predicting unplanned readmission;the ResourceSelection package of R language was used for the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test to evaluate the degree of fitting of the mode;the decision curve analysis was used to investigate the practicality of the model.Results Age(odds ratio[OR]=2.664,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.139-6.233,P<0.05),CTP score(OR=1.655,95%CI:1.098-2.495,P<0.05),and blood ammonia(OR=1.032,95%CI:1.016-1.048,P<0.05)were independent risk factors for unplanned readmission within 30 days after discharge in the patients undergoing TIPS.The multivariate analysis showed that for the nomogram predictive model constructed in this study,repeated sampling for 1 000 times using the Bootstrap method was performed for internal validation,and the area under the ROC curve was 0.773,which was significantly higher than that of age(0.582),CTP score(0.675),and blood ammonia(0.641).The calibration curve showed good consistency between the probability of unplanned readmission predicted by the nomogram model and the actual probability,and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed good degree of fitting(c2=5.647 3,P=0.686 7).Conclusion Age,CTP score,and blood ammonia are independent risk factors for unplanned readmission within 30 days after TIPS,and the nomogram prediction model constructed based on these factors can help to predict the risk of unplanned readmission in TIPS patients and provide an accurate decision-making basis for early prevention.

Objective To investigate the regulatory effect of Xuebijing injection on inflammatory reaction during the preservation of isolated empty beating pig hearts with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.Methods Twelve healthy Guangxi Bama miniature pigs were randomly divided into the Xuebijing group(n=6)and normal saline group(n=6).After the models were established in the Xuebijing group,Xuebijing injection was given at a dose of 5 mL/h through micropump in membrane oxygenator.In the normal saline group,an equivalent amount of 0.9％sodium chloride injection was pumped.Continuous pumping was performed for 8 h in both groups.The time of cardiac resuscitation and perfusion pressure,heart rate,perfusion flow rate after 8 h preservation were recorded in two groups.Pathological and ultrastructural changes of myocardial tissues in the left ventricular wall of hearts with cardiac arrest were observed after 8 h preservation.Serum levels of myocardial injury markers and inflammatory cytokines were detected in two groups at the beginning(T0),2 h(T2),4 h(T4),6 h(T6)and 8 h(T8)after model establishment,respectively.The expression levels of NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1(Caspase-1),apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD(ASC)messenger RNA(mRNA)in myocardial tissues were measured at T0,T2,T4,T6 and T8,respectively.Results There were no significant differences in the time of cardiac resuscitation and perfusion pressure,heart rate,perfusion flow rate after 8 h preservation between two groups(all P＞0.05).Compared with the normal saline group,the levels of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)at T4,creatine kinase(CK),LDH and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase(α-HBDH)at T6 and T8,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α at T4,T6 and T8,and interleukin(IL)-6,IL-18 and IL-1 β at T0,T2,T4,T6 and T8 were lower,and the mRNA relative expression levels of NLRP3 and Caspase-1 at T2,T4 and T6,and Caspase-1 and ASC at T8 were lower in the Xuebijing group,respectively(all P＜0.05).Hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy showed that the degree of myocardial injury in the Xuebijing group was slighter than that in the normal saline group.Conclusions Xuebijing injection may effectively mitigate inflammatory response and exert certain myocardial protection effect during the ECMO preservation of isolated empty beating pig hearts.