Objective: To explore the correlation between Candida albicans and the development of oral leukoplakia (OLK), and to provide a basis for improving the pathogenic mechanism of the malignant transformation of OLK. Methods: Oral microbiome data were obtained from public databases (NCBI BioProject, PRJNA788378; GEO, GSE227919), and bioinformatic methods were employed to evaluate the correlation between Candida albicans infection and OLK. Approval was obtained from the institutional Medical Ethics Committee. A tissue microarray was constructed using samples collected from an OLK clinical cohort. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining were performed to analyze the relationship between the Candida albicans detection rate and clinicopathological features. Approval was obtained from the institutional Animal Ethics Committee. A mouse model was established by combining 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) in drinking water with oral inoculation of Candida albicans (4NQO + Candida albicans group), while mice treated with 4NQO in drinking water and PBS served as the control group (4NQO + PBS group). The degree of epithelial dysplasia was compared between the two groups to assess the impact of Candida albicans infection on lesion progression (defined in this study as the progression from mild/moderate epithelial dysplasia to severe dysplasia/carcinoma in situ or invasive squamous cell carcinoma). Results: Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the detection rate of Candida albicans in OPMDs and OLK tissues was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group. Staining results of clinical samples demonstrated that Candida albicans colonized OLK lesions; compared with Candida albicans-negative patients, positive patients exhibited a state of high-grade progression. Animal experiments indicated that, compared with the 4NQO + PBS group, the degree of oral epithelial dysplasia in the 4NQO + Candida albicans group was significantly exacerbated, and the malignant transformation rate was higher, suggesting that Candida albicans promotes the high-grade progression of OLK. Conclusion Candida albicans exhibits a increasing trend during the malignant progression of the OLK. It aggravates the degree of epithelial dysplasia in OLK and promotes its transformation into high-grade lesions, suggesting that Candida albicans plays a crucial promoting role in the high-grade progression of OLK.

Objective This study aims to explore the association between non-suicidal self-injury(NSSI)and suicide attempts(SA)in adolescents and the mediating effect of cognitive flexibility.Methods A total of 218 depression patients with NSSI who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,5th Edition(DSM-5)diagnostic criteria for NSSI were enrolled.Patients were divided into SA group(n=105)and non-SA group(n=113)according to the presence or absence of SA in the last one year.The adolescent non-suicidal self-injury assessment questionnaire(ANSAQ)and the Wisconsin card sorting tests(WCST)was used to assess the frequency of NSSI and cognitive flexibility,respectively.A mediation model was constructed to conduct path analysis,and the product distribution method was utilized to test the mediation effect.Results The difference between SA group and non-SA group in NSSI(20.1±10.7 vs.14.7±9.1)and WCST scores[correct responses percentage(67.3％±14.2％vs.72.9％±12.2％),error responses(39.8±20.3 vs.31.6±17.9),perseverative response(6.7±3.8 vs.5.3±2.9),and non-perseverative errors(37.6±21.0 vs.28.9±18.1)]were significant(P<0.05).Dichotomous logistic regression analysis showed that the frequency of NSSI(OR=1.051,95％CI:1.021-1.082)and the score of perseverative response(OR=1.100,95％CI:1.008-1.199)were significantly associated with suicidal behavior among adolescents with NSSI(P<0.05).Moreover,perseverative response partially mediated the association between NSSI and SA(95％CI of Za×Zb:0.0003-0.0168).Conclusion High NSSI and low cognitive flexibility are risk factors for suicide attempts in NSSI adolescents and NSSI may also affect SA indirectly by lowering cognitive flexibility.

AIM:To investigate the effects of ethylisopropylamiloride(EIPA),an inhibitor of Na+/H+ex-changer 1(NHE1),on the proliferation,migration,invasion,cell cycle and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells,and to explore its mechanisms.METHODS:The human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Huh7 was cultured in vitro,and treated with different concentrations of EIPA.The mRNA and protein expression of NHE1 in Huh7 cells was assessed by RT-qPCR and Western blot.The proliferation of Huh7 cells was examined by kFluor488-EdU staining.The migration and invasion of Huh7 cells were assessed by Transwell assays.The cell cycle distribution and apoptosis of these cells were detected by flow cytometry.Moreover,the intracellular pH was measured via the PTI high-speed ion imaging system.RE-SULTS:Treatment with EIPA significantly suppressed the mRNA and protein expression of NHE1(P＜0.01).It signifi-cantly inhibited the proliferation,migration and invasion of Huh7 cells(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),promoted their apoptosis(P＜0.01),and caused significant S-phase arrest(P＜0.01).It also significantly reduced the intracellular pH of Huh7 cells.CONCLUSION:The NHE1 inhibitor EIPA regulates the intracellular pH by inhibiting the expression and function of NHE1,which consequently affects the proliferation,migration,invasion,cell cycle,and apoptosis of Huh7 cells.There-fore,NHE1 may be a potential target for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective To explore the expert consensus on perinatal care management of infants with congenital heart disease(hereinafter referred to as"Consensus")in order to promote the standardization of integrated nursing.Methods The literature was systematically searched and several discussions were organized within the group to compile the first draft of the Consensus.From January to March 2024,20 experts in the clinical nursing,nursing management,clinical medicine and other fields of congenital heart disease were solicited through 2 rounds of Delphi,and 8 experts were invited to conduct a validation to revise the items to form the final Consensus.Results The recovery rates of the 2 rounds of questionnaires were 100％;the experts'authority coefficient was 0.89;the Kendall's W were 0.172,0.211,with statistical significance(P＜0.05).The Consensus included 8 first-level subjects,namely prenatal examination and consultation,postpartum screening,standardized referral,preoperative nursing,intraoperative nursing,postoperative nursing,other disease screening,health education and discharge follow-up.Conclusion The Consensus is scientific and rigorous,and it can provide a reference basis for clinical nursing staff to carry out the care and management of newborns with congenital heart disease.

AIM:To investigate the effects of ethylisopropylamiloride(EIPA),an inhibitor of Na+/H+ex-changer 1(NHE1),on the proliferation,migration,invasion,cell cycle and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells,and to explore its mechanisms.METHODS:The human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Huh7 was cultured in vitro,and treated with different concentrations of EIPA.The mRNA and protein expression of NHE1 in Huh7 cells was assessed by RT-qPCR and Western blot.The proliferation of Huh7 cells was examined by kFluor488-EdU staining.The migration and invasion of Huh7 cells were assessed by Transwell assays.The cell cycle distribution and apoptosis of these cells were detected by flow cytometry.Moreover,the intracellular pH was measured via the PTI high-speed ion imaging system.RE-SULTS:Treatment with EIPA significantly suppressed the mRNA and protein expression of NHE1(P＜0.01).It signifi-cantly inhibited the proliferation,migration and invasion of Huh7 cells(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),promoted their apoptosis(P＜0.01),and caused significant S-phase arrest(P＜0.01).It also significantly reduced the intracellular pH of Huh7 cells.CONCLUSION:The NHE1 inhibitor EIPA regulates the intracellular pH by inhibiting the expression and function of NHE1,which consequently affects the proliferation,migration,invasion,cell cycle,and apoptosis of Huh7 cells.There-fore,NHE1 may be a potential target for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective This study aims to explore the association between non-suicidal self-injury(NSSI)and suicide attempts(SA)in adolescents and the mediating effect of cognitive flexibility.Methods A total of 218 depression patients with NSSI who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,5th Edition(DSM-5)diagnostic criteria for NSSI were enrolled.Patients were divided into SA group(n=105)and non-SA group(n=113)according to the presence or absence of SA in the last one year.The adolescent non-suicidal self-injury assessment questionnaire(ANSAQ)and the Wisconsin card sorting tests(WCST)was used to assess the frequency of NSSI and cognitive flexibility,respectively.A mediation model was constructed to conduct path analysis,and the product distribution method was utilized to test the mediation effect.Results The difference between SA group and non-SA group in NSSI(20.1±10.7 vs.14.7±9.1)and WCST scores[correct responses percentage(67.3％±14.2％vs.72.9％±12.2％),error responses(39.8±20.3 vs.31.6±17.9),perseverative response(6.7±3.8 vs.5.3±2.9),and non-perseverative errors(37.6±21.0 vs.28.9±18.1)]were significant(P<0.05).Dichotomous logistic regression analysis showed that the frequency of NSSI(OR=1.051,95％CI:1.021-1.082)and the score of perseverative response(OR=1.100,95％CI:1.008-1.199)were significantly associated with suicidal behavior among adolescents with NSSI(P<0.05).Moreover,perseverative response partially mediated the association between NSSI and SA(95％CI of Za×Zb:0.0003-0.0168).Conclusion High NSSI and low cognitive flexibility are risk factors for suicide attempts in NSSI adolescents and NSSI may also affect SA indirectly by lowering cognitive flexibility.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that can invade the central nervous system(CNS)and cause complications such as encephalitis and schizophrenia.To migrate into the brain,T.gondii must cross restrictive cell barriers(blood-brain barrier,blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier,and meninges).T.gondii migrates into the brain through transcellular or/and paracel-lular invasion and"Trojan horse"mechanisms,alone or in combination.The excessive inflammatory response after T.gondii infection destroys the blood-brain barrier and increases its permeability,thus further promoting the migration of T.gondii into the brain and causing persistent infection of the central nervous system.This review focuses on the mechanisms through which T.gondii migrates into the brain and the anti-T.gondii responses of brain parenchymal cells,to provide a deeper understanding of the pathogenic mecha-nisms of T.gondii and to offer insights for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Objective To develop a value evaluation index system for health management and logistics positions in pub-lic hospitals,providing a research tool for future performance evaluations and salary reform.Methods Literature review,focus group interviews,and the point-factor method were employed to establish an initial index pool.A public hospital in Guangzhou was selected as a case study.Delphi expert consultation was then utilized to refine and finalize the indicators for the evaluation system.Results For the two rounds of Delphi expert consultation,the response rates were 87.5％and 100.0％,with the expert authority coefficient of 0.812.The Kendall's W coordination coefficients were 0.796 and 0.624 for the first round,and 0.747 and 0.918 for the second,(all＜0.001).The coefficients of variation ranged from 0.157 to 0.265 for the first round and from 0.108 to 0.230 for the second round.Experts provided four suggestions,leading to the removal of one secondary indicator and modifications to the definitions of three others.Finally,the evaluation system consists of 4 primary indicators and 12 secondary indicators.Conclusion This system can provide a research tool and reference for the follow-up performance evaluation,improve the salary reform of public hospitals,and promote the high-quality development of public hospitals.

Background and purpose:Accurate preoperative differentiation between vagal nerve cervical schwannomas(SCCS)and sympathetic chain cervical schwannomas(SCCS)in the neck is crucial because of their different postoperative complication.This study aimed to construct and validate a Diagnosis Score and vascular displacement nomogram for the preoperative differentiation of VNCS from SCCS in the neck.Methods:This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed patients with pathologically confirmed VNCS and SCCS at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from January 2017 to April 2022.This study was approved by the medical ethics committee of Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center(approval number:1612167-18).Inclusion criteria:① histopathological diagnosis of VNCS or SCCS through biopsy or surgical resection;② patients with complete clinic data;③availability of preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT)or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)examinations.Patients were excluded for:① contrast agent contraindications;② poor image quality;③ severe artifacts;④ non-standard scanning protocols.The cohort was randomly divided into training and validation sets in a 7∶3 ratio.Two radiologists(one resident and one attending physician)independently evaluated tumor characteristics(location,size and vascular displacement patterns)on preoperative imaging.Independent predictors were selected using LASSO regression analysis to construct a diagnostic scoring system and nomogram,with model performance evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Results:A total of 110 patients were enrolled,with 77 cases allocated to the training set and 33 cases to the validation set.The age range was 24-78 years,and the mean age was(51.22±12.36)years.There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics including age,gender,tumor location and size between the two patient groups(P＞0.05).ICA/ECA splaying was significantly associated with SCCS(P＜0.001),while the ICA/IJV splaying was significantly associated with VNCS(P＜0.001).Lateral and posterior ICA displacement were significantly associated with SCCS(P＜0.001),and medial and anterior ICA displacement were significantly associated with VNCS(P＜0.001).Five features including tumor size,ICA displacement direction,IJV displacement direction,ICA/ECA splaying and ICA/IJV splaying were used to establish the Diagnosis Score and nomogram.The nomogram combined imaging features showed favorable preference value for differentiating VNCS from SCCS,with area under curve(AUC)values of 0.953(95%CI:0.912-0.994)and 0.939(95%CI:0.885-0.993)for the training and validation cohorts,respectively.Conclusion:The Diagnosis Score and vascular displacement nomogram showed favorable predictive efficacy for differentiating VNCS from SCCS in the neck,and might be useful for clinical decision-making.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the regulatory effect of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol(2-AG)on voltage-gated calcium channels(VGCCs)in caudate nucleus(CN)neurons subjected to kainic acid(KA)-induced damage,and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved.METHODS:Primary cultured CN neu-rons from neonatal Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were treated with KA to establish an excitotoxic cellular model.The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was utilized to assess the effects of 2-AG on KA-induced excitotoxicity,along with the changes in the electrical properties of VGCCs.This included evaluations of current density,current-voltage relationships,and the kinetics of channel activation and inactivation.RESULTS:Treatment with KA significantly increased the current density and altered the electrical properties of VGCCs,as indicated by a reduction in the half-inactivation voltage and a shift of the inactivation curve towards depolarized potentials.Notably,KA did not affect the activation characteristics of VGCCs.Ad-ministration of exogenous 2-AG or the application of the monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor URB602,which inhibits 2-AG degradation and elevates intracellular levels of 2-AG,effectively inhibited the KA-induced increase in VGCC current den-sity and the depolarization shift of the inactivation curve,highlighting the involvement of cannabinoid receptor 1(CB1R).CONCLUSION:The endocannabinoid 2-AG can modulate the function of VGCCs in CN neurons via the CB1R pathway,offering protective effects against excitotoxic damage induced by KA.