ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Astragali Radix polysaccharides （APS） on the polarization of BV2 microglial cells in an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation （OGD/R） model through regulation of the Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway. MethodsThe OGD/R injury model of BV2 microglia was established and divided into blank group， OGD/R group and APS group （0.4 g·L^-1 APS）. Neuroinflammatory injury was induced by lipopolysaccharide （LPS） and treated with APS. The cells were divided into blank group， LPS group （1 mg·L^-1 LPS） and APS group （0.4 g·L^-1 APS+1 mg·L^-1 LPS）. Cell viability was detected using the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay. Cell morphology was observed under an inverted microscope. Nitric oxide （NO） content in the cell supernatant was determined by the Griess assay. The secretion levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin （IL）-6， IL-10， and IL-4 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Immunofluorescence （IF） was used to detect the double-positive rates of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1/inducible nitric oxide synthase （Iba-1⁺/iNOS⁺） and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1/arginase 1 （Iba-1⁺/Arg1⁺）， as well as the nuclear translocation rate of nuclear factor-κB p65 （NF-κB p65）. Protein expression levels of Iba-1， iNOS， Arg1， TLR4， and NF-κB p65 were detected by Western blot. ResultsIn the OGD/R injury model， compared with the blank control group， BV2 microglial cells in the OGD/R group were activated and exhibited amoeboid morphological changes. The secretion levels of NO， TNF-α， and IL-6 were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The double-positive expression rate of Iba-1⁺/iNOS⁺ and the protein expression of Iba-1 and iNOS were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The nuclear translocation rate of NF-κB p65 and the protein expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 were significantly increased （P<0.01）. The levels of IL-10 and IL-4 were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and the double-positive expression rate of Iba-1⁺/Arg1⁺ and Arg1 protein expression were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the OGD/R group， the APS group （0.4 g·L^-1） showed reduced cell activation， significantly decreased secretion levels of NO， TNF-α， and IL-6 （P<0.01）， significantly decreased double-positive expression rate of Iba-1⁺/iNOS⁺ and relative protein expression of Iba-1 and iNOS （P<0.01）， significantly decreased nuclear translocation rate of NF-κB p65 and protein expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 （P<0.01）， significantly increased levels of IL-10 and IL-4 （P<0.01）， and significantly increased double-positive expression rate of Iba-1⁺/Arg1⁺ and Arg1 protein expression （P<0.01）. In the LPS-induced neuroinflammation model， compared with the blank control group， the LPS group showed increased cell activation， significantly increased levels of NO， TNF-α， and IL-6， significantly increased Iba-1⁺/iNOS⁺ double-positive expression rate， NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation rate， and protein expression levels of Iba-1， iNOS， TLR4， and NF-κB p65 （P<0.01）， while IL-10 and IL-4 levels， Iba-1⁺/Arg1⁺ double-positive expression rate， and Arg1 protein expression were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the LPS group， the APS group showed reduced cell activation， significantly decreased levels of NO， TNF-α， and IL-6， Iba-1⁺/iNOS⁺ double-positive expression rate， NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation rate， and protein expression levels of Iba-1， iNOS， TLR4， and NF-κB p65 （P<0.01）， while IL-10 and IL-4 levels， Iba-1⁺/Arg1⁺ double-positive expression rate， and Arg1 protein expression were significantly increased （P<0.01）. ConclusionAPS may reduce microglial activation and promote their polarization toward the M2 phenotype by inhibiting activation of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway， thereby alleviating the neuroinflammatory response induced by OGD/R.

Objective To establish a fluorescent recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) assay for detection of Strongyloides stercoralis nucleic acid and to preliminarily evaluate its performance. Methods Six sets of specific primers targeting S. stercoralis 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene and one fluorescent probe were designed and synthesized. The optimal primer-probe set was determined through systematic screening and optimization to establish the fluorescent RAA assay. The assay was evaluated using S. stercoralis genomic DNA at concentrations of 100, 10, and 1 pg/μL, and 100, 10, and 1 fg/μL, as well as recombinant pUC57 plasmids containing the target gene fragments at 1 × 10⁵, 1 × 10⁴, 1 × 10³, 1 × 10², 1 × 10¹, 1 × 10⁰ copies/reaction, to determine the analytical sensitivity. Genomic DNA from Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma duodenale, Enterobius vermicularis, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Trichinella spiralis, Clonorchis sinensis, Schistosoma japonicum, and Taenia saginata was used to assess assay specificity. A total of 25 stool samples from patients suspected of S. stercoralis infection were tested by the modified Baermann funnel technique, PCR, and the established fluorescent RAA assay. The sensitivity, specificity, concordance rate and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) of these three techniques were estimated, and agreement between methods was evaluated using the Kappa coefficient. Results Exo-4 was identified as the optimal primer set screened from the six primer sets, and the best amplification performance was achieved when the final concentrations of the forward and reverse primers were 0.44 μmol/L and a probe concentration was 0.20 μmol/L. The limit of detection of the fluorescent RAA assay was 100 fg/μL for genomic DNA of S. stercoralis and 1 × 10⁰ copies/reaction for recombinant plasmids. Specific fluorescence signals were detected within 5 min, with no cross-reactivity observed with A. lumbricoides, A. duodenale, E. vermicularis, A. cantonensis, T. spiralis, C. sinensis, S. japonicum, or T. saginata. Among the 25 clinical stool samples from patients suspected of S. stercoralis infections, the modified Baermann funnel technique and fluorescent RAA assay detected 19 positives and 6 negatives, whereas PCR detected 18 positives and 7 negatives. The fluorescent RAA assay showed a sensitivity of 100.00% [95% CI: (82.35%, 100.00%)], specificity of 100.00% [95% CI: (54.07%, 100.00%)], concordance rate of 100.00% [95% CI: (86.28%, 100.00%)], and a Kappa coefficient of 1.00 [95% CI: (1.00, 1.00)] (P < 0.001) relative to the modified Baermann funnel technique, and a sensitivity of 100.00% [95% CI: (81.47%, 100.00%)], specificity of 85.71% [95% CI: (42.13%, 99.64%)], concordance rate of 96.00% [95% CI: (79.65%, 99.90%)], and a Kappa coefficient of 0.90 [95% CI: (0.70, 1.00)] (P < 0.001). Positive amplification products emitted green fluorescence under a portable blue-light device, enabling visual interpretation of results. Conclusions The fluorescent RAA assay established in this study is rapid, highly sensitive, and highly specific. It enables detection of S. stercoralis nucleic acid under isothermal conditions and allows visual interpretation of results, providing a novel tool for rapid clinical diagnosis and field screening of S. stercoralis infections.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a short video based health education model in enhancing e-cigarette awareness among junior high school students, so as to provide empirical evidence for optimizing school based health education in the digital era. Methods: In December 2024, a cluster sampling method was applied to recruit 465 eighth grade students from a middle school in Kunming for a survey. The intervention was implemented through playing short videos produced by the research team in the classroom, and a self designed adolescent e-cigarette questionnaire was used to conduct assessments before and after intervention, along with qualitative interviews with 60 teachers and students by purposive sampling. Pre and post intervention outcomes were compared by using paired t-test and Chi-square test. Qualitative data underwent a three stage coding process of "open, axial, and selective coding" to construct an explanatory framework. Results: Quantitative analysis showed significant post intervention increases in both baseline awareness scores（92.1±6.6）and deep awareness scores (70.0±17.6) compared with pre intervention( 78.2± 14.0，46.1±20.5)( t =23.54，26.72，both P <0.05), both meeting the criteria for large effect sizes (Cohen s d =1.09, 1.24). The improvement in deep awareness was particularly pronounced, specifically regarding addictive ingredients, illicit additives(tiletamine,metomidate,etomidate), and misconceptions about smoking cessation efficacy ( χ 2=150.54,113.27,117.40,112.92, 69.93 , all P <0.01). Qualitative insights revealed that narrative transportation and visual enhancement were the core mechanisms of efficacy: 87.3% of students preferred contextualized narratives, 85.5% of students decoded cognitive bottlenecks more effectively because of visual enhancement, and 72.7% relied on short videos for micro learning. Conclusion Short video based health education can effectively enhance e-cigarette awareness among junior high school students, offering a pragmatically viable digital pathway for school based health education.

ObjectiveTo investigate the current status of behavior practices among palliative care teams in Guangzhou and analyze the related influencing factors. MethodsThe convenience sampling method was used to select 450 workers from various medical institutions in Guangzhou， mainly from departments treating patients in the terminal stages of diseases， from April to August 2024. A survey was conducted on their palliative care knowledge， attitudes， self-efficacy， environment， and behavioral practices. Results427 valid questionnaires were collected with an effective recovery rate of 94.9%. The average scoring rates for behavioral practices among palliative care workers were 70.71%. The highest scoring item is“establishing a good relationship between medical staff and family members，”while the lowest scoring one is“actively recommending end-of-life care medical institutions to terminally ill patients and their families.”Practitioners with postgraduate and above， serving 1 to 10 terminally ill patients， willing to engage in palliative care services， and always sharing palliative care experience with others had better behavioral practice. Self-efficacy and environment scores can independently explain 17.9% of the total variation in the practice behavior of the hospice care team. ConclusionThe behavioral practices of palliative care teams in Guangzhou was at a moderate level. Self-efficacy and environment play an important role in promoting palliative care behavior， and there are differences in the behavior of practitioners with different characteristics. It is necessary to strengthen education and training， create a good working environment， and improve the self-efficacy of service personnel to enhance the overall professional ability of the team and the quality of palliative care services

[Objective] : To explore the clinical characteristics and methods for syndrome differentiation prediction, as well as to construct a predictive model for Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). [Methods] : This study employed a retrospective case-control design to analyze patients with AIS who received inpatient treatment at the Neurology Department of The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2022. AIS patients meeting the diagnostic criteria for Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome were stratified into case group, while those without Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome were stratified into control group. The demographic characteristics (age and gender), clinical parameters [time from onset to admission, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, and blood pressure], past medical history, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnostic characteristics (tongue and pulse), neurological symptoms and signs, imaging findings [magnetic resonance imaging-diffusion weighted imaging (MRI-DWI)], and biochemical indicators of the two groups were collected and compared. The indicators with statistical difference (P < 0.05) in univariate analysis were included in multivariate logistic regression analysis to evaluate their predictive value for the diagnosis of Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome, and the predictive model was constructed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. [Results] : The study included 1 035 AIS patients, with 404 cases in case group and 631 cases in control group. Compared with control group, patients in case group were significantly older, had extended onset-to-admission time, lower diastolic blood pressure, and lower NIHSS scores (P < 0.05). Case group showed lower incidence of hypertension history (P < 0.05). Regarding tongue and pulse characteristics, pale and dark tongue colors, white tongue coating, fine pulse, astringent pulse, and sinking pulse were more common in case group. Imaging examinations demonstrated higher proportions of centrum semiovale infarction, cerebral atrophy, and vertebral artery stenosis in case group (P < 0.05). Among biochemical indicators, case group showed higher proportions of elevated fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), while lower proportions of elevated white blood cell count, reduced hemoglobin, and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified significant predictors for Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome including: fine pulse [odds ratio (OR) = 4.38], astringent pulse (OR = 3.67), superficial sensory abnormalities (OR = 1.86), centrum semiovale infarction (OR = 1.57), cerebral atrophy (OR = 1.55), vertebral artery stenosis (OR = 1.62), and elevated HbA1c (OR = 3.52). The ROC curve analysis of the comprehensive prediction model yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.878 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.855 – 0.900]. [Conclusion] This study finds out that Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome represents one of the primary types of AIS. Fine pulse, astringent pulse, superficial sensory abnormalities, centrum semiovale infarction, cerebral atrophy, vertebral artery stenosis, elevated blood glucose, elevated HbA1c, pale and dark tongue colors, and white tongue coating are key objective diagnostic indicators for the syndrome differentiation of AIS with Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. Based on these indicators, a syndrome differentiation prediction model has been developed, offering a more objective basis for clinical diagnosis, and help to rapidly identify this syndrome in clinical practice and reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.

Skeletal muscle dysfunction is a common extrapulmonary comorbidity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is associated with decreased quality-of-life and survival in patients. The autophagy lysosome pathway is one of the proteolytic systems that significantly affect skeletal muscle structure and function. Intriguingly, both promoting and inhibiting autophagy have been observed to improve COPD skeletal muscle dysfunction, yet the mechanism is unclear. This paper first reviewed the effects of macroautophagy and mitophagy on the structure and function of skeletal muscle in COPD, and then explored the mechanism of autophagy mediating the dysfunction of skeletal muscle in COPD. The results showed that macroautophagy- and mitophagy-related proteins were significantly increased in COPD skeletal muscle. Promoting macroautophagy in COPD improves myogenesis and replication capacity of muscle satellite cells, while inhibiting macroautophagy in COPD myotubes increases their diameters. Mitophagy helps to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis by removing impaired mitochondria in COPD. Autophagy is a promising target for improving COPD skeletal muscle dysfunction, and further research should be conducted to elucidate the specific mechanisms by which autophagy mediates COPD skeletal muscle dysfunction, with the aim of enhancing our understanding in this field.
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/physiopathology* ; Autophagy/physiology* ; Humans ; Muscle, Skeletal/pathology* ; Mitophagy ; Animals ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Lysosomes

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment experience of salivary pleomorphic adenoma in children. Methods:Thirty patients with salivary pleomorphic adenomas treated in Beijing Childrens Hospital from January 2008 to December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed, including 11 boys and 19 girls, with the age ranging from 0.3 to 14.4 years（median age 10.4 years）. Initial presentation, medical history, imaging workups, surgical approaches, complications, rates of recurrence were evaluated. Results:Major salivary gland lesions were most common（n=24, 80%）; 53.3%（16 of 30） arising in the submandibular glands and 26.7%（8 of 30） in the parotid. Minor salivary gland lesions（n=6, 20%） were removed from the palate, tongue, face, trachea, nasopharynx, and upper mediastinumand. Preoperative imaging was reviewed in all patients and consisted of 26 ultrasound exams, 2 computerized tomography（CT） exams, and 15 magnetic resonance imaging（MRI） exams. Fine needle aspiration biopsy was performed in 12 patients. Surgical excision was performed in all patients. Postoperative complications included transient facial paresis（n=3）, Pneumonia and pleural effusion（n=1）. Average length of follow-up was 36.7 months; confirmed recurrence occurred in one patients. Conclusion:The symptoms of salivary gland pleomorphic adenoma in children are different according to the location of the tumor. The treatment is complete surgical resection, and a small amount of normal tissue around the tumor should be removed to reduce recurrence.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Adenoma, Pleomorphic/diagnosis* ; Adolescent ; Retrospective Studies ; Salivary Gland Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local

Objective:To evaluate alterations in dopaminergic neurons, cortical metabolism, and functional connectivity networks in patients with early-onset Parkinson′s disease (EOPD) using multimodal neuroimaging.Methods:In this prospective cross-sectional study, 26 patients with EOPD and 16 healthy controls (HC group) were recruited from the PLA General Hospital between April and November 2023. All participants underwent integrated 11C-β-CFT PET/MR, 18F-FDG PET/CT brain imaging and resting-state functional MRI. Clinical assessments were conducted using the Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale and Hoehn-Yahr staging. Cognitive status was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Standardized uptake value ratios for both 11C-β-CFT and 18F-FDG PET images were calculated using cerebellar gray matter as the reference region. Voxel-wise two-sample t-tests were performed to identify regions with significant group differences in tracer uptake. Seed regions showing altered 11C-β-CFT or 18F-FDG uptake were used to compute seed-based functional connectivity (FC) with all other brain voxels, and group differences in FC were assessed. Correlations between imaging metrics and clinical scales were evaluated using Pearson or Spearman analyses as appropriate. Results:Compared with HC group, EOPD group showed significantly reduced 11C-β-CFT uptake in the bilateral putamen, globus pallidus, and left temporal pole ( P<0.05), and decreased 18F-FDG uptake in the right superior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex ( P<0.05). Relative to HC group, EOPD group exhibited markedly lower FC between the right putamen and the left gyrus rectus as well as the right parahippocampal gyrus; the right superior frontal gyrus and the left gyrus rectus; the anterior cingulate cortex and the olfactory area of the frontal lobe, the left gyrus rectus, and the right superior parietal gyrus; the left temporal pole and the left orbitofrontal cortex as well as the left olfactory area ( P<0.05). Correlation analyses revealed no statistically significant associations between altered FC values and clinical scale scores in the EOPD group. Conclusions:Patients with EOPD demonstrate impaired nigrostriatal dopaminergic function, regional cortical hypometabolism, and aberrant functional connectivity across multiple brain networks.

Objective:To explore the pathogenic mechanism of a child with Waardenburg syndrome type 4C due to a c. 661_664dup (p.P222Lfs*60) variant of SOX10 gene through in vitro experiments. Methods:A child diagnosed at the Handan First Hospital was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child was collected. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the child and his parents. Following extraction of genomic DNA, trio-whole exome sequencing was carried out. Pathogenicity of candidate variant was determined by bioinformatic analysis and reference to the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. Expression plasmids of wild-type SOX10 and the c. 661_664dup (p.P222Lfs*60) variant were constructed and transiently transfected into 293T cells to determine the expression at the RNA and protein levels. The 293T cells transiently transfected with the wild-type/mutant SOX10 were treated with 10 μg/mL cycloheximide (CHX) for 0, 4, 8, 24 h, respectively, and the degradation rate of target protein was detected by Western blotting assay. This study has been approved by the Ethics Committe of Handan First Hospital(Ethics No.HDYY-LW-25053). Results:The child was found to harbor a heterozygous c. 661_664dup (p.P222Lfs*60) variant of the SOX10 gene, which was unreported previously. The variant did not significantly alter the expression of SOX10 at the mRNA level but the protein level. After the CHX treatment, the degradation of mutant SOX10 protein had slowed down. Conclusion:The mutant SOX10 may affect the expression of downstream genes by affecting the degradation rate of its protein product.

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technology, chatbots have shown great potential in the healthcare sector. From personalized health advice to chronic disease management and psychological support, chatbots have demonstrated significant advantages in improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare services. As the scope of their applications expands, the relationship between technological complexity and practical application scenarios has become increasingly intertwined, necessitating a more comprehensive evaluation of both aspects. This paper, from the perspective of he althcare applications, systematically reviews the technological pathways and development of chatbots in the medical field, providing an in-depth analysis of their performance across various medical scenarios. It thoroughly examines the advantages and limitations of chatbots, aiming to offer theoretical support for future research and propose feasible recommendations for the broader adoption of chatbot technologies in healthcare.