Objective:To investigate the mechanism by which non-enterotoxin-producing Bacteroides fragilis (NTBF) inhibits TNF-α-induced inflammatory responses in human normal colonic epithelial cells hcoEPIC, and explore new probiotic therapies for the prevention and treatment of colitis. Methods:The co-culture system of NTBF and hcoEPIC cells was established, and the adhesion and invasion ability of NTBF were detected, respectively. TNF-α was added to induce cellular inflammation after 4 h of co-culture of NTBF and hcoEPIC cells, and cell survival and apoptosis were detected by the CCK-8 assay and the AnnexinⅤ-FITC/PI assay respectively after 24 h. Key proteins of the NF-κB signalling pathway in hcoEPIC cells in different treatment groups were detected by Western blot and RT-qPCR, and the expression of downstream cytokines of this pathway incluing IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-10 were detected by ELISA. The effect of NTBF intervention on dextran sodium sulfate(DSS)-induced colitis mice was assessed by in vivo animal experiments. Results:NTBF adhered to hcoEPIC cells, and was non-toxic to the cells. Compared with control group, NTBF treatment alone did not affect cell survival and apoptosis of hcoEPIC cells ( P>0.05), but significantly reduced cell damage and apoptosis induced by TNF-α ( P<0.05); Compared with the TNF-α treatment alone group, the expression levels of p-NF-κB p65 and p-IκBα protein as well as NF-κB and IκBα mRNA were significantly reduced ( P<0.05); the production of IL-1β and TNF-α in the cell supernatant was reduced and the release of IL-10 was increased ( P<0.05). Animal experiments demonstrated that NTBF was indeed effective in alleviating DSS-induced colitis in ulcerative colitis model mice, which was mainly manifested by inhibiting weight loss, lowering DAI scores, improving colonic shortening, and attenuating colonic pathological damage in colitis-induced mice. Conclusions:NTBF may inhibit TNF-α-induced inflammatory responses in colonic epithelial cells by down-regulating the NF-κB pathway.

Aim To investigate the relationship between carotid artery perivascular fat density and carotid artery stenosis,prognosis.Methods A total of 209 consecutive patients with extracranial internal carotid artery stenosis in Taizhou Central Hospital(Taizhou University Affiliated Hospital)were retrospectively included from January 2017 to Janu-ary 2021.The carotid artery perivascular fat density in the narrowest axial layer and in the same contralateral axial layer was evaluated by computed tomography angiography.Clinical data of patients were collected.The stenosis was graded according to the guidelines.Symptomatic carotid stenosis was determined according to the medical history.The patients were followed up for one year.Results Carotid artery perivascular fat density was 4.2％higher on the stenosis side than those on the opposite side(P＜0.001).The fat density increased with the stenosis severity.On the stenosis side,carotid artery perivascular fat density was 6.25％higher in symptomatic patients than that in asymptomatic patients(P=0.015).In asymptomatic patients,perivascular fat density in patients with stenosis related cerebrovascular events oc-curred within 1 year was 12.4％higher than that in patients without related cerebrovascular events(P=O.017),and the difference remained after adjusting the clinical parameters by Logistic regression analysis(OR=1.060,95％CI:1.006～1.117,P=0.028).Conclusions Carotid artery perivascular fat density is positively correlated with the degree of ca-rotid stenosis.Patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis or recurrent related ischemic cerebrovascular outcome e-vents have higher carotid artery perivascular fat density.

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of lower eyelid blepharoplasty combined with micro-autologous fat transplantation (MAFT) in the rejuvenation of the infraorbital regions.Method:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with lower eyelid pouch and tear trough treated with lower eyelid blepharoplasty combined with MAFT in the Department of Plastic Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from March 2020 to March 2022. Patients seeked medical attention due to lower eyelid pouch and tear trough, with or without skin laxity, and some patients had varying degrees of midface depression. After preoperative examination and evaluation of the patient’s infraorbital area and midfacial depression, appropriate individualized plans were developed.The patient underwent lower eyelid blepharoplasty by transconjunctival approach combined with tear trough MAFT. For patients with low or depressed midface, midface MAFT was also performed, and for patients with skin laxity, skin removal surgery was performed simultaneously. Complications were recorded after the operation. Preoperative and postoperative photos of more than 6 months were taken with the same postion and delivered to the same doctor to grade the patient’s Barton classification (0-3 grades, with higher grade indicating more obvious tear trough deformity). The improvement of tear trough deformity after surgery was assessed, and the global aesthetic improvement scale (GAIS) score was also assessed. The patients evaluated their improvement using the patients aesthetic improvement scale (PAIS) score (GAIS and PAIS are both 1-5 points, with higher scores indicating more significant postoperative improvement). Normal distribution metric data was represented by Mean±SD, and count data was represented by frequency and/or percentage; skewed distribution metric data was represented by M ( Q1, Q3), and compared by rank sum test. Results:A total of 69 patients were enrolled, including 9 males and 60 females, aged 25-45 years, with an average age of 36.7 years. Among them, 35 patients had midfacial depression, and 11 patients had skin laxity. (0.37±0.07) ml (0.2-0.6 ml) of micro-autologous fat was injected into the orbicularis oculi muscle on each side; (0.18±0.06) ml (0.1-0.2 ml) of micro-autologous fat was injected into the subcutaneous layer on each side; (3.80±0.98) ml (3-5 ml) of micro-autologous fat was injected into the deep medial cheek fat compartment and pyriform aperture fat compartment on each side. No serious complications occurred after the surgery. Postoperative follow-up lasted for 6-13 months, with an average of 8.7 months. The patient’s lower eyelid pouch, tear trough deformity, and depression in the midface have all improved, presenting a youthful and smooth appearance from the infraorbital area to the midface. The skin texture in the lower eyelid area had also improved. At the last follow-up, the Barton classification of the lacrimal groove decreased compared with that before surgery, and the difference was statistically significant [grade 0 (0, 1) vs. grade 2 (1, 2), Z=-7.62, P<0.001]. At the last follow-up, the PAIS score of 69 patients was 5 points in 49 cases (71%) and 4 points in 20 cases (29%); doctor’s GAIS score was 5 points in 38 cases (55%), 4 points in 27 cases (39%), and 3 points in 4 cases (6%) . Conclusion:For those patients with aging status of infraorbital region, like lower eyelid pouch and tear trough deformities, the combination of lower eyelid blepharoplasty through the transconjunctival approach and MAFT can achieve good therapeutic effects. This method is safe with a short recovery time.

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of lower eyelid blepharoplasty combined with micro-autologous fat transplantation (MAFT) in the rejuvenation of the infraorbital regions.Method:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with lower eyelid pouch and tear trough treated with lower eyelid blepharoplasty combined with MAFT in the Department of Plastic Surgery of Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from March 2020 to March 2022. Patients seeked medical attention due to lower eyelid pouch and tear trough, with or without skin laxity, and some patients had varying degrees of midface depression. After preoperative examination and evaluation of the patient’s infraorbital area and midfacial depression, appropriate individualized plans were developed.The patient underwent lower eyelid blepharoplasty by transconjunctival approach combined with tear trough MAFT. For patients with low or depressed midface, midface MAFT was also performed, and for patients with skin laxity, skin removal surgery was performed simultaneously. Complications were recorded after the operation. Preoperative and postoperative photos of more than 6 months were taken with the same postion and delivered to the same doctor to grade the patient’s Barton classification (0-3 grades, with higher grade indicating more obvious tear trough deformity). The improvement of tear trough deformity after surgery was assessed, and the global aesthetic improvement scale (GAIS) score was also assessed. The patients evaluated their improvement using the patients aesthetic improvement scale (PAIS) score (GAIS and PAIS are both 1-5 points, with higher scores indicating more significant postoperative improvement). Normal distribution metric data was represented by Mean±SD, and count data was represented by frequency and/or percentage; skewed distribution metric data was represented by M ( Q1, Q3), and compared by rank sum test. Results:A total of 69 patients were enrolled, including 9 males and 60 females, aged 25-45 years, with an average age of 36.7 years. Among them, 35 patients had midfacial depression, and 11 patients had skin laxity. (0.37±0.07) ml (0.2-0.6 ml) of micro-autologous fat was injected into the orbicularis oculi muscle on each side; (0.18±0.06) ml (0.1-0.2 ml) of micro-autologous fat was injected into the subcutaneous layer on each side; (3.80±0.98) ml (3-5 ml) of micro-autologous fat was injected into the deep medial cheek fat compartment and pyriform aperture fat compartment on each side. No serious complications occurred after the surgery. Postoperative follow-up lasted for 6-13 months, with an average of 8.7 months. The patient’s lower eyelid pouch, tear trough deformity, and depression in the midface have all improved, presenting a youthful and smooth appearance from the infraorbital area to the midface. The skin texture in the lower eyelid area had also improved. At the last follow-up, the Barton classification of the lacrimal groove decreased compared with that before surgery, and the difference was statistically significant [grade 0 (0, 1) vs. grade 2 (1, 2), Z=-7.62, P<0.001]. At the last follow-up, the PAIS score of 69 patients was 5 points in 49 cases (71%) and 4 points in 20 cases (29%); doctor’s GAIS score was 5 points in 38 cases (55%), 4 points in 27 cases (39%), and 3 points in 4 cases (6%) . Conclusion:For those patients with aging status of infraorbital region, like lower eyelid pouch and tear trough deformities, the combination of lower eyelid blepharoplasty through the transconjunctival approach and MAFT can achieve good therapeutic effects. This method is safe with a short recovery time.

Objective To develop multimodal joint cognitive representations for the research of visual cognitive activities of the brain,enhance the classification performance of visual information cognitive representations,predict brain electro-encephalogram(EEG)responses from visual image features,and decode visual images from EEG signals.Methods A architecture combining a multimodal variational autoencoder network with the Mixture of Product Experts(MoPoE)approach and with a style generation adversarial network based on adaptive discriminator augmentation(Style-GAN2-ADA)was used for facilitating the learning of cognitive representations and the encoding and decoding of EEG signals.This framework not only catered to classification tasks but also enabled cross-modal generation of images and EEG data.Results The present study integrated features from different modalities,enhancing the classification accuracy of cognitive representations of visual information.By aligning the feature spaces of diverse modalities into a cohesive latent space,cross-modal generation tasks were made possible.The cross-modal generation results of EEG and images,derived from this unified latent space,outperformed the one-way mapping methods that involved transition from one modality to another employed in previous research.Conclusion This study effectively integrates and aligns information from various modalities,enabling the classification performance of joint cognitive representations beyond any single modality.Moreover,the study demonstrates superior outcomes in cross-modal generation tasks compared to modality-specific unidirectional mappings,which is expected to offer a new line of thought for the effective unified encoding and decoding modeling of visual cognitive information in the brain.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of Tuoli Xiaodusan(MDX)on ischemia-reperfusion injury of rat skin flaps and its potential mechanism.METHODS Rats were randomly divided into sham operation group(Sham group),Model group,MDX high-dose group(MDX-H group)and MDX low-dose group(MDX-L group),with 10 rats in each group.After the rat back skin flap model was successfully constructed,the drug was administered by gavage immediately,once a day for 14 consecutive days.The changes of rat skin flaps in each group after surgery were observed,and the survival rate of rat skin flaps in each group was measured on the 14th day after surgery;the histopathological changes of rat skin flaps were observed by HE staining;the protein expression of p-p65 and p-IκBα in the rat skin flap tissue was detected by Western blot;ELISA method was used to detect the expression of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 cytokines;Ki67 and CD31 immunohistochemical staining were used to observe epidermal basal layer cell prolifera-tion and vascular regeneration.RESULTS Compared with Model group,MDX-H group and MDX-L group had a small amount of e-dema and inflammatory fluid exudation after surgery,and the scab removal time was advanced;the ischemic necrosis of the skin flap was significantly improved,the area of skin flap necrosis was significantly decreased,and the survival rate of rat skin flaps was signifi-cantly increased(P<0.01).In addition,MDX could significantly improve the pathological morphology of ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat back skin flaps,reduce the expression of p-p65 and p-IκBα proteins(P<0.001),and decrease the levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6 inflammatory factor levels(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001,P<0.000 1).The differences in Ki67 and CD31 also suggested that treatment with MDX accelerate re-epithelialization and blood vessel formation after ischemic flap injury.CONCLUSION MDX plays a role in improving ischemia-reperfusion injury of skin flaps by regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway and accelerating epithelializa-tion and angiogenesis.

ObjectiveTo explore the amelioration of cognitive dysfunction in diabetes mellitus （DM） by Jianpi Qinghua prescription （JPQH） based on type 2 diabetes （T2DM） model rats. MethodFifty healthy male Wistar rats of SPF grade were randomly divided into control group （n=10） and experimental group （n=40）. The rats in the control group were fed conventionally， while those in the experimental group were fed on a high-sugar， high-fat diet for six weeks and administered with streptozotocin （STZ） for the induction of the DM model. The model rats were randomly divided into model group， sitagliptin group （1.2 g·L^-1）， pioglitazone group （0.8 g·L^-1）， and JPQH group （1.3 g·mL^-1）， with 10 rats in each group. After six weeks of drug intervention， the changes in body weight， blood glucose， and other related indexes of each group were recorded. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was performed to detect the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in the peripheral blood and brain. The Morris water maze test was used to evaluate the cognitive function in rats. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the pathological morphology of the hippocampal CA region. The amyloid β-protein 40 （Aβ₄₀） level was detected by immunohistochemistry. The protein expression of t-tau and p-tau in hippocampal neurons of rats was detected by Western blot. ResultCompared with blank group， the body weight of model group was significantly decreased （P<0.05）， blood glucose level was significantly increased （P<0.01）， inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β were increased （P<0.05）， learning and spatial ability were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， the arrangement of hippocampal cells was loose and disordered， and the intercellular space was significantly increased. The number of cells decreased significantly， and the expression of Aβ₄₀ increased significantly. and increased t-tau and p-tau protein content in the hippocampus （P<0.01）. Compared with model group， the JPQH group showed reduced blood glucose （P<0.01）， decreased TNF-α and IL-1β levels in the peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid （P<0.05）， a downward trend of IL-6 without a statistical difference， improved learning and spatial memory ability （P<0.01）， densely arranged cells in the hippocampal CA1 area， increased cell number， reduced Aβ₄₀ expression， and decreased p-tau protein expression （P<0.05）. ConclusionJPQH can prevent cognitive dysfunction in DM by reducing inflammatory factor levels， decreasing neurotoxicity caused by Aβ₄₀ deposition， and inhibiting hyperphosphorylation of tau protein in DM rats.

Objective:To investigate the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance condition and its predictive factors after treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues to pegylated interferon-α add-on therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B.Methods:Patients with chronic hepatitis B who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2018~2019 were prospectively enrolled. HBsAg≤ 1500 IU/mL, hepatitis B e antigen-negative, HBV DNA undetectable, received antiviral treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues for at least one year, and pegylated interferon-α add-on therapy for 48 weeks were included. The primary endpoint of study was to determine the proportion of HBsAg clearance at 72 weeks. Concurrently, the predictive factors for HBsAg clearance were analyzed. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using a t-test or non-parametric test and a Fisher's exact test.Results:A total of 38 cases were included in this study, of which 13 cases obtained HBsAg clearance at 48 weeks of therapy and another six cases obtained HBsAg clearance throughout the extended treatment period of 72 weeks, accounting for 50.00% of all enrolled patients. There was a significant difference in HBsAg dynamics between the HBsAg clearance group and the non-clearance group (P < 0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients' age, baseline, 12-and 24-week HBsAg levels, and early HBsAg reduction were predictive factors for HBsAg clearance at 72 weeks of treatment. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR = 1.311; P = 0.016; 95% confidence interval: 1.051~1.635) and HBsAg levels at 24 weeks of treatment (OR = 4.481; P = 0.004; 95% confidence interval: 1.634~12.290) were independent predictors for HBsAg clearance.Conclusion:Hepatitis B e antigen-negative, nucleos(t)ide analogue treated, HBsAg ≤ 1500 IU/mL, and HBV DNA undetectable, peg-IFNα add-on treatment for 48 weeks could promote HBsAg clearance in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Six of the sixteen cases (37.50%) who did not obtain HBsAg clearance at week 48 did so with the course of therapy extended to week 72. Hence, the optimal individualized treatment strategy should be customized according to the predictors rather than the fixed 48-week course. Age (≤ 38), baseline HBsAg level (≤2.86 log 10IU/ml), HBsAg level at 24 weeks (≤ 0.92 log 10IU/ml), and 12-week HBsAg decrease from baseline (≥ 0.67 log 10IU/ml) indicate that patients are highly likely to obtain HBsAg clearance at the 72 weeks of combination therapy, in which the combined indicator based on HBsAg level ≤0.92 log 10IU/ml at 24 weeks will identify 85.0% to 100.0% of patients with HBsAg clearance.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the use of earphone and hearing impairment and its influencing factors among students aged 14-28, so as to provide a reference for appropriate earphone usage and hearing impairment prevention. Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted through the questionnaire star platform, and 983 students aged 14 to 28 were recruited across China by snowball sampling during April 3 to May 1, 2022. The χ 2 test was used to identify indicators affecting hearing, the Logistic regression model was used to further selection. Results: There were 366 students with hearing impairment, accounting for 37.23%. Univariate analysis showed significant differences in hearing impairment by gender, earphone usage duration and volume, wearing during sleep, and replacement frequency ( χ 2=6.03, 6.86, 14.87, 12.22, 11.15, P <0.05). The Logistic regression model analysis showed that girls ( OR=1.43, 95%CI =1.10-1.88), maximum earphone volume ( OR=3.08, 95%CI = 1.56- 6.08), earphone usage for >1.5-3 h each time ( OR=1.44, 95%CI =1.04-1.99), sleep with headphone ( OR= 1.53 , 95%CI = 1.11- 2.11) were positively associated with hearing impairment ( P <0.05), earphone replacement every 4-<6 months ( OR= 0.38, 95%CI =0.17-0.86) and earphone replacement every six months or longer ( OR=0.39, 95%CI =0.18-0.85) were negatively associated with hearing impairment ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion Students aged 14 to 28 earphone usage shows adverse impact on hearing. When using earphone, it is recommended to limit time spent on earphone usage, low the volume of earphone, avoid sleeping with earphone and replace earphone frequently.

Objective     To investigate the current status of constipation during postoperative hospitalization and the factors associated with moderate to severe constipation at discharge in lung cancer patients. Methods     Lung cancer patients who underwent surgery in 6 tertiary hospitals in Sichuan Province from November 2017 to January 2020 were enrolled. The MD Anderson Symptom Scale-Lung Cancer Module was used to collect postoperative constipation scores. Unconditional logistic stepwise regression was used to analyze the related influencing factors for moderate to severe constipation on the day of discharge. Results     Finally 337 patients were collected. There were 171 males and 166 females, with an average age of 55.0±10.3 years. Constipation scores of lung cancer patients increased from postoperative day 1 to day 3, and showed a decreasing trend from day 3 to day 7. Moderate to severe constipation was present in 68 (20.2%) patients at discharge. The postoperative hospital stay (OR=0.743, P<0.001) and the dose of morphine used during postoperative hospitalization (OR=1.002, P=0.015) were influencing factors for moderate to severe constipation at discharge in lung cancer patients. Conclusion    Lung cancer patients have the most severe constipation on postoperative day 3. Moderate to severe constipation at discharge is associated with the postoperative hospital stay and the dose of morphine used during postoperative hospitalization.