ObjectiveTo analyze the risk factors for long-term cardiovascular events in patients undergoing long-term peritoneal dialysis （PD）， and to construct and validate a visual nomogram prediction model based on multiple parameters. MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted， consecutively enrolling 248 maintenance PD patients （dialysis duration ≥ 3 months）. Demographic characteristics， clinical indicators， laboratory parameters， and echocardiographic indices （including left ventricular ejection fraction ［LVEF］， ratio of early diastolic mitral inflow velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity （E/e’）， etc.） were collected. The composite endpoint was defined as the occurrence of cardiovascular events or cardiovascular death， with non-cardiovascular death as the competing risk and loss to follow-up or the end of follow-up as censoring events. Fine-Gray competing risks model was used to screen independent predictors， based on which a nomogram model was constructed. Internal validation was performed using the Bootstrap method （1 000 resamplings）， and the concordance index （C-index） and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic （time-dependent ROC） curve were calculated to evaluate the model performance. ResultsWith a median follow-up of 29 months （interquartile range： 24–35 months）， 88 patients （35.48%） reached the composite endpoint， including 80 cases of cardiovascular events and 8 cases of cardiovascular death， and 4 patients died of non-cardiovascular causes. Multivariate Fine-Gray analysis revealed that age， diabetes mellitus， hemoglobin （HGB） level and E/e' ratio were independent influencing factors of the composite endpoint. Specifically， each 1-year increase in age was associated with a 3.0% increase in the risk of the composite endpoint （HR=1.030， P=0.006）； patients with diabetes mellitus had a 167.9% higher risk compared with non-diabetic patients （HR=2.679， P=0.007）； each 1g/L increase in HGB level contributed to a 1.5% reduction in the risk （HR=0.985， P=0.003）； and each 0.1 increase in E/e' ratio led to a 7.2% increase in the risk （HR=1.072， P=0.045）. The nomogram model had a C-index of 0.76 （95% CI： 0.698–0.820）， and the AUC of the time-dependent ROC curve reached 0.849 at 23 months of follow-up. ConclusionIncreased age， complicated with diabetes mellitus， decreased HGB， and elevated E/e' ratio are independent risk factors of long-term occurrence of cardiovascular events and cardiovascular death in patients undergoing long-term PD. The nomogram model constructed based on the above variables has good predictive value and clinical applicability， which can provide a reference for cardiovascular risk stratification and individualized intervention in long-term PD patients.

OBJECTIVE To study the safety of Shuangshu decoction in rats and its efficacy in improving functional dyspepsia （FD） in rats. METHODS In safety test， 40 rats were divided into blank control group， Shuangshu decoction low-dose， medium- dose and high-dose groups [108， 216， 324 g/（kg·d）， calculated by raw medicine， the same applies below]； they were given relevant medicine intragastrically， for continuous 14 days. The mortality and toxic reactions of rats were recorded， and the organ indexes of the liver， kidney， spleen， lung and heart of rats were calculated； the pathological morphological changes in the liver， kidney， spleen， lung， heart， stomach， duodenum， and colon were observed to evaluate the acute toxicity of Shuangshu decoction. Another 40 rats were grouped and administered in the same way for 30 consecutive days. The mortality and toxic reactions of the rats were recorded， and the corresponding organ indexes were calculated. The pathological morphological changes in the corresponding organs were observed， and blood routine and serum biochemical indicators were measured， in order to assess the subacute toxicity of Shuangshu decoction. In pharmacodynamic experiments: 50 rats were divided into blank control group， model group， and Shuangshu decoction low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （9.45， 18.9， 37.8 g/kg）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for blank control group， rats in all other groups were used to establish the FD rat model by subcutaneous injection of loperamide （3.5 mg/kg）. Rats in each group were administered the corresponding drug solution/normal saline intragastrically， once a day， for 14 consecutive days. After the last medication， fecal moisture content， intestinal propulsion rate， gastric emptying rate and serum level of motilin were all detected， and interstitial cell of Cajal （ICC） ultrastructure of rats was observed in colon tissue. RESULTS The safety experiments showed that no death occurred in each dose group， and no significant difference was found in organ coefficient， routine blood and serum biological index， compared to blank control group （P＞0.05）； no abnormality was found in organ appearance and pathological sections. The results of the pharmacodynamic experiments showed that， compared with the blank control group， the fecal moisture content， gastric emptying rate， intestinal propulsion rate， and serum motilin levels in the model group were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）； in the colonic tissue， the mitochondria in the ICC exhibited severe swelling with the disappearance of cristae， and the endoplasmic reticulum was dilated. Compared with model group， the rats in Shuangshu decoction high-dose group showed significant increases in the above quantitative indicators （P＜ 0.05）； additionally， there was a large number of mitochondria in the ICC of the colonic tissue， with clear cristae and regular arrangement. CONCLUSIONS Shuangshu decoction is safe and has a beneficial improving effect on FD rats； its mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of gastrointestinal hormone expression to promote gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion， as well as the repair of mitochondrial structure in ICCs to restore gastrointestinal function.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Modified Guomin Decoction （加味过敏煎， MGD） in patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis （AD） of the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） pattern of heart fire and spleen deficiency， and to explore its possible mechanisms. MethodsIn this randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled study， 72 patients with mild to moderate AD and the TCM pattern of heart fire and spleen deficiency were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group， with 36 cases in each group. The treatment group received oral MGD granules combined with topical vitamin E emulsion， while the control group received oral placebo granules combined with topical vitamin E treatment. Both groups were treated twice daily for 4 weeks. Clinical efficacy， TCM syndrome scores， Visual Analogue Scale （VAS） for pruritus， Dermatology Life Quality Index （DLQI） scores， Scoring Atopic Dermatitis （SCORAD） and serum biomarkers， including interleukin-33 （IL-33）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， immunoglobulin E （IgE）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） were compared before and after treatment. Safety indexes was also assessed. ResultsThe total clinical effective rates were 77.78% （28/36） in the treatment group and 38.89% （14/36） in the control group， with cure rates of 19.44% （7/36） and 2.78% （1/36）， respectively. The treatment group showed significantly better clinical outcomes compared to the control group （P＜0.05）. The treatment group exhibited significant reductions in total TCM syndrome scores， including erythema， edema， papules， scaling， lichenification， pruritus， irritability， insomnia， abdominal distension， and fatigue scores， as well as reductions in VAS， DLQI， SCORAD， and serum IgE and IL-33 levels （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to the control group， the treatment group had significantly better improvements in all indicators except for insomnia （P＜0.05）. No adverse events occurred in either group. ConclusionMGD is effective and safe in treating mild to moderate AD patients with heart fire and spleen deficiency pattern. It significantly alleviates pruritus， improves TCM syndromes and quality of life， and enhances clinical efficacy， possibly through modulation of immune responses.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the inhibitory effect and mechanism of Modified qifang weitong granules on gastric cancer based on in vitro and in vivo experiments. METHODS Human gastric cancer HGC-27 cells were divided into the following groups: control group （treated with fetal bovine serum）， 10% drug-containing serum group， 15% drug-containing serum group， 20% drug-containing serum group， and 5-fluorouracil （5-Fu） group （positive control， 3.90 μg/mL）. After culturing the cells in each group with the corresponding serum/drug solution， their proliferation， migratory and invasive abilities， as well as the cell cycle， were assessed. Additionally， the expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT）-related proteins [E-cadherin， N-cadherin， and vimentin] in the cells were measured. Logarithmic-phase HGC-27 cells were harvested and subcutaneously injected into the right axillary region of nude mice to establish a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model in nude mice. The successfully modeled tumor-bearing nude mice were randomly divided into model group， low-， medium- and high-dose groups of Modified qifang weitong granules （17.65， 35.29 and 70.58 g/kg， respectively）， and 5-Fu group （25 mg/kg）， with 5 mice in each group. After 14 days of treatment with the corresponding drugs in each group， the histopathological morphology of the tumor tissues in the nude mice was observed. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot assay were employed to detect the expression levels of EMT- related proteins in the tumor tissues of the nude mice. RESULTS In the cell experiment， compared with the control group， the cell proliferation rate， migration rate， number of invasive cells， as well as the expression levels of N-cadherin and vimentin proteins， and the percentage of cells in the G2/M phase were all significantly decreased/reduced in the 15% drug-containing serum group， 20% drug-containing serum group （P＜0.05）. Conversely， the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase and the expression level of E- cadherin protein were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. In animal experiment， compared with the model group， the high-dose group of Modified qifang weitong granules exhibited significantly reduced tumor mass and expression levels of N-cadherin and vimentin proteins in the tumor tissues of nude mice （P＜0.05）， while the expression level of E-cadherinprotein in the tumor tissues was significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Additionally， the tumor cells varied in size and showed extensive necrosis. CONCLUSIONS Modified qifang weitong granules effectively inhibit gastric cancer in both in vitro and in vivo models， and the mechanism of action is related to the suppression of EMT.

We have isolated an intestinal probiotic strain, Pediococcus acidilactici HRQ-1. To improve its gastrointestinal fluid tolerance, transportation and storage stability, and slow-release properties, we employed the extrusion method to prepare the microcapsules with P. acidilactici HRQ-1 as the core material and sodium alginate and chitosan as the wall material. The optimal conditions for preparing the microcapsules were determined by single factor and orthogonal tests, and the optimal ratio was determined by taking the embedding rate, survival rate, storage stability, gastrointestinal fluid tolerance, and release rate as the evaluation indexes. The results showed that under the optimal embedding conditions, the embedding rate reached (89.60±0.02)%. Under the optimal formula of freeze-drying protective agent, the freeze-drying survival rate reached (76.42±0.13)%, and the average size of the microcapsules produced was (1.16±0.03) mm. The continuous gastrointestinal fluid simulation experiments confirmed that the microcapsules ensured the viable bacterial count and can slowly release bacteria in the intestinal fluid. The curve of the viable bacterial count during storage at 4 ℃ and room temperature indicated that the prepared microcapsules achieved strains' live number protection. The formula and preparation process of P. acidilactici microcapsules may provide a technological reserve for the preparation of more live bacterial drugs in the future.
Pediococcus acidilactici/chemistry* ; Probiotics/chemistry* ; Capsules/chemistry* ; Alginates/chemistry* ; Chitosan/chemistry* ; Drug Compounding/methods* ; Glucuronic Acid/chemistry* ; Hexuronic Acids/chemistry* ; Freeze Drying

The escalating pressure from global population growth, climate change, and resource consumption is intensifying the burden on traditional agricultural production. Against this backdrop, soil degradation and pollution present increasingly severe challenges, creating a vicious cycle with rising food demands. Maintaining soil health and its ecosystem services has thus become a critical prerequisite for achieving sustainable agriculture in the future. This review explores the impacts of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics on soil microbial communities and their interactions. Soil C and N are key determinants of microbial diversity and community structure, intrinsically linked to soil C/N cycling, crop productivity, and ecological balance. Environmental factors such as nitrogen fertilizer application, organic matter amendment application, litter decomposition, elevated CO₂ concentrations, and nitrogen deposition significantly influence soil C and N dynamics. Changes in soil C and N content regulate microbial community dynamics and the synergistic, competitive, and antagonistic interactions among microorganisms. Meanwhile, microbial communities actively respond to alterations in soil C and N availability. The resulting shifts in microbial communities and their interactions subsequently regulate soil C/N cycling and ecosystem stability, ultimately influencing ecosystem functions. By elucidating the mechanisms underlying soil carbon-nitrogen-microbial interactions, this review significantly advances our understanding of soil ecosystem responses and feedback mechanisms in the context of global change, while also providing crucial practical guidance for enhancing soil fertility and promoting sustainable agricultural development through microbial regulation.
Soil Microbiology ; Nitrogen/metabolism* ; Carbon/metabolism* ; Soil/chemistry* ; Bacteria/growth & development* ; Fungi/metabolism* ; Ecosystem ; Fertilizers ; Agriculture

Objective To analyze the clinical manifestations and genetic etiology of three families with hereditary spastic paraplegia(HSP).Methods Gene analysis was performed on patients of the three HSP families from the Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-care Hospital.Results The proband of family 1 was autosomal recessive spastic paraplegia type 35 caused by homozygous variant c.159_176delGGCGGGCCAGGACATCAG(p.Arg53_Ser59delinsSer)in FA2H.The proband in family 2 was autosomal recessive spastic paraplegia type 47 caused by homozygous variant c.1399G>T(p.Glu467Ter)in AP4B1,and the proband in family 3 was autosomal recessive spastic paraplegia type 11 caused by homozygous variation c.7023C>G(p.Tyr2341Ter)in SPG11.Among them,the variant c.1399G>T(p.Glu467Ter)of AP4B1 is a novel variant,that has not been reported before,according to the ACMG guidelines,the pathogenicity of this variant is pathogenic.Conclusion This study has expanded the variant spectrum of AP4B1 which provides basic data to improve clinical understanding and diagnostic capabilities of HSP patients.

Objective:To explore cortical activation during the obstacle avoidance task in convalescent stroke patients,and examine the effect of obstacle avoidance difficulty on brain activation.Method:A total of 20 convalescent stroke patients were recruited to perform various motor tasks,including walking,simple obstacle avoidance,difficult obstacle avoidance,and motor imagery.Functional near-infrared spectroscopy(fNIRS)was used to detect the oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in the prefrontal cortex(PFC),premotor cortex(PMC)and supplementary motor area(SMA)of the patients.Additional relevant sec-ondary indicators were evaluated and collected.Statistical analysis was performed without grouping and with grouping.Result:The activation levels of bilateral PFC,PMC and SMA during the dynamic task were significantly dif-ferent from those during the static tasks(P＜0.05),with the highest activation observed in the PFC.There were significant differences between simple and difficult obstacle avoidance tasks in the unaffected-side SMA(P＜0.05).In addition,there was a linear positive correlation between the peak activation level of PMC on the unaffected side and Tinetti score(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Bilateral PFC,PMC and SMA are involved in limb movement in convalescent stroke patients,with PFC showing the highest level of activation.In addition,SMA on the unaffected side may contribute to regulating the difficulty of obstacle avoidance.Moreover,the peak activation level of PMC on the unaffected side is associated with balance and walking function.

To construct a safe and effective multi-epitope vaccine against the S1 protein of chicken infectious bronchitis virus(IBV).In this study,homologous and non-homologous dominant epitopes of IBV M41,T,QX and H120 virulent strain S1 proteins were screened by various online bioprediction software,respectively,and a new peptide W with high immunogenicity was construc-ted by connecting the screened B-cell and T-cell epitopes with a linker peptide.W was ligated to the truncated sequence of the four viral strains by T2A yietding to the eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-N1,and it was identified by PCR and double digestion,the obtained recombinant plasmid was transfected into HEK293A cells and target protein expression was measured by Western blot.The constructed plasmid was injected intramuscularly twice to detect the antibody level,cytokine level,and peripheral blood T cell subsets were detected after two immunizations.The epitope pro-tein W was successfully constructed,which was structurally stable,antigenic,and soluble;the re-combinant plasmid pEGFP-WMQtH,pEGFP-W,and pEGFP-MQtH matched the expected size;anti-IBV IgG antibody levels in pEGFP-N1 was increased greatly compared to the PBS group.cyto-kines IL-2,and γ interferon(IFN-γ)were increased greatly(P＜0.05);peripheral blood CD4+/CD8a value(P＜0.05)was increased greatly.The W epitope protein was successfully constructed,which can effectively activate the humoral immunity and cellular immunity against four infectious bronchitis viruses(IBV),laying a foundation for the development of an effective vaccine against IB.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have provided compelling evidence that exposure to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) can adversely affect human health. We aim to explore the potential impact of BFRs on adiposity and central obesity. METHODS: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) cycles conducted between 2009 and 2014 was used to study the connections between variables. After filtering, we analyzed a sample of 4,110 adults aged 20 years and above. Our goal was to examine the potential association between BFRs and consequences and investigate the part played by oxidative stress and inflammatory markers as intermediaries. To achieve this, we used advanced statistical methods such as weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, quantile-based g-computation (QGC), and the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). RESULTS: The findings showed that among the examined chemicals, exposure to PBDE85 (weight: 41%), PBDE100 (24%), and PBB153 (23%) may be the dominant contributors to general obesity risk. Upon controlling for all variables that could impact the results, it was found that the QGC outcomes indicated a positive correlation between exposure to mixtures of brominated flame retardants and the occurrence of abdominal obesity (OR = 1.187, 95% CI: 1.056-1.334, p = 0.004). Significant contributions were made by PBDE85 (52%), PBB153 (27%), and PBDE100 (21%). Mediation analysis shows that lymphatic cells (LC) and albumin (ALB) partially mediate the link between brominated flame retardants and obesity. The results of BKMR are generally consistent with those of WQS and QGC. CONCLUSION At a population level, our research has revealed a noteworthy correlation between BFRs and obesity. However, further investigation is required through prospective cohort studies and in-depth mechanistic exploratory studies.
Humans ; Flame Retardants/adverse effects* ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Inflammation/epidemiology* ; Obesity/chemically induced* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Mediation Analysis ; Young Adult ; United States/epidemiology* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Aged ; Environmental Pollutants/adverse effects* ; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers/adverse effects*