Objective To explore the correlation between serum hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)levels and cerebral microbleeds(CMBs)and cognitive impairment and to assess the predictive value of HIF-1α for CSVD-related cognitive impairment.Methods A total of 104 patients with CSVD who attended the Department of Neurology,First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University from June 2022 to November 2023 were enrolled.All enrolled patients were subjected to basic statistics,cranial nuclear magnetic resonance examination,cognitive function assessment,and serum HIF-1α test,and the number and location of CMBs were counted.Based on the above data the enrolled patients were grouped.The correlation between HIF-1α and cognitive function and CMBs was studied the influencing factors of CMBs and cognitive impairment were analyzed,and the predictive value of HIF-1α on the occurrence of cognitive impairment was evaluated.Results There were statistically significant differences in HIF-1α levels and cognitive function among different CMBs groups.Serum HIF-1α levels were significantly negatively correlated with overall cognitive function,visuospatial and executive function,attention,and delayed recall,and serum HIF-1α was positively correlated with the number of CMBs.HIF-1α may be a risk factor for CMBs and cognitive impairment associated with CSVD,and serum HIF-1α has potential in predict the cognitive impairment caused by CSVD.Conclusion Serum levels of HIF-1α were associated with the number of CMB and CSVD-related cognitive impairment,and serum levels of HIF-1α may have a predictive value for CSVD-related cognitive impairment.

Objective To compare imaging quality and detection capability of bone metastases between Insight NM/CT Pro SPECT/CT(Insight SPECT/CT)and Siemens Symbia T16 SPECT/CT(Symbia T16 SPECT/CT)scanners.Methods Totally 40 patients with diagnosed or suspected bone metastases were prospectively enrolled.Whole-body bone imaging and local tomographic fusion imaging were performed using Symbia T16 and Insight SPECT/CT scanners with same method and parameters,and imaging quality and detection capability were compared between 2 devices.Results Among whole-body bone imaging acquired with Symbia T 16 SPECT/CT,the imaging quality score was 5 in 35 cases and 4 in 5 cases,and detected 118 positive bone lesions,including 36 lesions involved chest,28 involved spinal cord,30 involved pelvic bones,20 involved limbs and 4 involved cranial bones.The imaging quality score of local tomographic fusion imaging obtained with Symbia T16 SPECT/CT was 5 in all 40 cases,and 59 positive lesions involved bone regions were detected,including 14 lesions presented as bone destruction,11 presented as increased bone density and 34 showed uneven bone density on CT.Meanwhile,the whole-body bone imaging quality score acquired with Insight SPECT/CT was 5 in 35 cases,4 in 4 cases and 3 in 1 case,and both the detected positive lesions and the involved bone regions were consistent with those of Symbia T 16 SPECT/CT.Furthermore,the imaging quality,detected positive lesions and their involved regions,as well as CT manifestations on local tomographic fusion imaging obtained with Insight SPECT/CT scanner were all consistent with those of Symbia T 16 scanner.Conclusion The imaging quality of whole-body bone imaging and local tomographic fusion imaging of bone metastases of domestic Insight SPECT/CT were comparable to those of Siemens Symbia T16 SPECT/CT.

Objective To explore the correlation between serum hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)levels and cerebral microbleeds(CMBs)and cognitive impairment and to assess the predictive value of HIF-1α for CSVD-related cognitive impairment.Methods A total of 104 patients with CSVD who attended the Department of Neurology,First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University from June 2022 to November 2023 were enrolled.All enrolled patients were subjected to basic statistics,cranial nuclear magnetic resonance examination,cognitive function assessment,and serum HIF-1α test,and the number and location of CMBs were counted.Based on the above data the enrolled patients were grouped.The correlation between HIF-1α and cognitive function and CMBs was studied the influencing factors of CMBs and cognitive impairment were analyzed,and the predictive value of HIF-1α on the occurrence of cognitive impairment was evaluated.Results There were statistically significant differences in HIF-1α levels and cognitive function among different CMBs groups.Serum HIF-1α levels were significantly negatively correlated with overall cognitive function,visuospatial and executive function,attention,and delayed recall,and serum HIF-1α was positively correlated with the number of CMBs.HIF-1α may be a risk factor for CMBs and cognitive impairment associated with CSVD,and serum HIF-1α has potential in predict the cognitive impairment caused by CSVD.Conclusion Serum levels of HIF-1α were associated with the number of CMB and CSVD-related cognitive impairment,and serum levels of HIF-1α may have a predictive value for CSVD-related cognitive impairment.

Objective To compare imaging quality and detection capability of bone metastases between Insight NM/CT Pro SPECT/CT(Insight SPECT/CT)and Siemens Symbia T16 SPECT/CT(Symbia T16 SPECT/CT)scanners.Methods Totally 40 patients with diagnosed or suspected bone metastases were prospectively enrolled.Whole-body bone imaging and local tomographic fusion imaging were performed using Symbia T16 and Insight SPECT/CT scanners with same method and parameters,and imaging quality and detection capability were compared between 2 devices.Results Among whole-body bone imaging acquired with Symbia T 16 SPECT/CT,the imaging quality score was 5 in 35 cases and 4 in 5 cases,and detected 118 positive bone lesions,including 36 lesions involved chest,28 involved spinal cord,30 involved pelvic bones,20 involved limbs and 4 involved cranial bones.The imaging quality score of local tomographic fusion imaging obtained with Symbia T16 SPECT/CT was 5 in all 40 cases,and 59 positive lesions involved bone regions were detected,including 14 lesions presented as bone destruction,11 presented as increased bone density and 34 showed uneven bone density on CT.Meanwhile,the whole-body bone imaging quality score acquired with Insight SPECT/CT was 5 in 35 cases,4 in 4 cases and 3 in 1 case,and both the detected positive lesions and the involved bone regions were consistent with those of Symbia T 16 SPECT/CT.Furthermore,the imaging quality,detected positive lesions and their involved regions,as well as CT manifestations on local tomographic fusion imaging obtained with Insight SPECT/CT scanner were all consistent with those of Symbia T 16 scanner.Conclusion The imaging quality of whole-body bone imaging and local tomographic fusion imaging of bone metastases of domestic Insight SPECT/CT were comparable to those of Siemens Symbia T16 SPECT/CT.

Objective To explore the dilution conditions and standards in detecting the semen samples with high sperm concentration using computer-aided sperm analysis(CASA)systems.Methods CASA systems with 10 μm depth disposable counting chambers were used for the examination.The samples were divided into undiluted group(Group 1∶sperm concentration＜50×106/mL)and diluted groups(Group 2∶50×106/mL≤ sperm concentration＜100× 106/mL;Group 3∶sperm concentration≥100× 106/mL).When sperm concentration＜50×106/mL,no dilution was performed.When sperm concentration≥50× 106/mL,the samples were diluted with saline at 1∶n/(50×106)ratio(n=sperm concentration,n/[50×106]rounded down)to＜50×106/mL of sperm concentration.The sperm concentration,progressive motility(PR),non-progressive motility(NP),total motility(PR+NP)and immotile sperm percent-age(IM)were analyzed before and after dilution.The consistency of results pre-and post-dilution was compared.ROC curve was used to analyze the optimal dilution threshold.Results The differences in the parameters pre-and post-dilution gradually rosed with the increased sperm concentration.ROC curve analysis showed optimal dilution thresholds were 133.05 × 106/mL,101.75 × 106/mL,118.60×106/mL,90.90×106/mL,111.83×106/mL for the sperm concentration,PR+NP,PR,NP and IM respectively.Considering sperm concentration and NP were most affected the undiluted high concentration samples,the optimal comprehensive dilution threshold was determined as 125.08× 106/mL.Conclusion When sperm concentration exceeds 125×106/mL,it is recommended to dilute semen sample with normal saline.

Objective To explore the mechanisms of macrophage pyroptosis regulated by mTORC1 signaling based on transcriptomic sequencing.Methods Western blot,immunofluorescence and ELISA were used to detect the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins in macrophages before and after treatment of mTORC1 specific inhibitor rapamycin.In addition,the differentially expressed genes and proteins associated with mTORC1 signaling were screened by transcriptome analysis.Results mTORC1 inhibition caused macrophage pyroptosis.After rapamycin treatment,transcriptomic sequencing identified a total of 206 differentially expressed genes(DEGs),including 90 upregulated and 116 downregulated ones.The GO function annotation and KEGG enrichment analysis of the DEGs further screen out 4 DEGs(NLRC4,NOTCH4,CARD10,EBF4),which were consistent with the expression trend of transcriptome sequencing.Conclusion This study confirmed that NLRC4,NOTCH4,CARD10 and EBF4 are the key genes for macrophage pyroptosis regulated by mTORC1 signaling,constituting a novel mechanism of macrophage pyroptosis and laying a theoretical foundation for the prevention and treatment of the diseases related to pyroptosis.

Objective To explore the mechanisms of macrophage pyroptosis regulated by mTORC1 signaling based on transcriptomic sequencing.Methods Western blot,immunofluorescence and ELISA were used to detect the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins in macrophages before and after treatment of mTORC1 specific inhibitor rapamycin.In addition,the differentially expressed genes and proteins associated with mTORC1 signaling were screened by transcriptome analysis.Results mTORC1 inhibition caused macrophage pyroptosis.After rapamycin treatment,transcriptomic sequencing identified a total of 206 differentially expressed genes(DEGs),including 90 upregulated and 116 downregulated ones.The GO function annotation and KEGG enrichment analysis of the DEGs further screen out 4 DEGs(NLRC4,NOTCH4,CARD10,EBF4),which were consistent with the expression trend of transcriptome sequencing.Conclusion This study confirmed that NLRC4,NOTCH4,CARD10 and EBF4 are the key genes for macrophage pyroptosis regulated by mTORC1 signaling,constituting a novel mechanism of macrophage pyroptosis and laying a theoretical foundation for the prevention and treatment of the diseases related to pyroptosis.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between serum glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) levels and neuroimaging changes and cognitive impairment in patients with cerebral small vascular disease (CSVD).Methods:135 patients with CSVD recruited from the Department of Neurology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University from September 2021 to July 2022 were assessed by cranial multimodal magnetic resonance imaging and Montreal cognitive function assessment (MoCA), and the basic data were analyzed at the same time.The serum GDNF concentration of all patients was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). According to the median GDNF concentration, the patients were divided into low GDNF group and high GDNF group. The baseline data, MoCA score and imaging markers of the two groups were compared by Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, logistic regression, Kruskal-Wallis H test and Jonckheere-Terpstra trend test, and the correlation between serum GDNF level and imaging markers and cognitive function of patients with CSVD was analyzed. Results:The median serum GDNF concentration of all CSVD patients was 16.66 pg/mL. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low serum GDNF level was a risk factor for white matter hyperintensity and total image load in patients with CSVD. Serum GDNF level was a protective factor of cognitive impairment in patients with CSVD in multiple logistic regression analysis. The area under the curve of ROC curve analysis of cognitive impairment after CSVD predicted by serum GDNF level was 0.735, the sensitivity was 66.4%, and the specificity was 71.4%. The level of serum GDNF was positively related with visual space and executive function, attention and computational power, delayed recall and orientation( r=0.267, 0.187, 0.219, 0.215, all P<0.05). Conclusion:The serum GDNF level is related to white matter hyperintensities, total imaging load and cognitive impairment in patients with CSVD. Serum GDNF level may play a predictive role in CSVD and cognitive impairment.

Objective To investigate the neural mechanisms of speech motor control in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) under different strategies of motor execution control.MethodsThe techniques of the psychoacoustic and event-related potentials (ERPs) based on the altered auditory feedback paradigm were used in the present study. Two groups, including 17 PD patients and 17 healthy controls, were instructed to produce sustained vowels under the internal and external cueing tasks while hearing their voice randomly pitch-shifted downwards. The vocal responses and associated ERPs were recorded and compared across the groups and tasks.ResultsBehavioral results showed that the amplitude of acoustic compensation response was larger in PD patients than in the healthy controls (F=5.415, P=0.027), however, the main effect was not significant in the tasks (F=0.039, P=0.840). At the cortical level, PD patients produced significantly larger N1 responses to pitch perturbations in the internal cueing task related to the external cueing task (F=8.634, P=0.006), while such task effect was not observed in the healthy controls (F=1.550, P=0.231). Also, PD patients produced significantly larger N1 responses than the healthy controls in the internal cueing condition (F=5.476, P=0.026), but not in the external cueing condition (F=0.249, P=0.621). Conclusion Speech motor control in PD can be influenced by the strategies of motor execution control. Compared to the internal cueing task, the external cueing task can increase neural efficiency in the encoding of speech auditory feedback PD patients that improve auditory-motor integration for speech production.

Objective To develop a better method for preparation of porcine model of acute myocardial infarction by permanent occlusion of the left circumflex coronary artery and minimally invasive surgery, evaluate its validity and stability, and explore its application in experimental studies of ischemic heart diseases.Methods 25 healthy female 3-month-old Bama minipigs, body weight 25±3 kg, were used in this study.The porcine model of myocardial infarction was established by minimally invasive surgery and the left circumflex artery ligation at the site of OM1 posterior position under general anesthesia.Heart function was assessed by echocardiography at 15 min before surgery, 1 hour and 4 weeks after surgery.Pathological examination was performed at 4 weeks after the left circumflex artery occlusion.The mortality and cause of death were statistically analyzed.Results The 1-hour and 4-week postoperative cardiac function was considerably decreased, showing a decreased ejection fraction from 64.2±4.6% to 48.2±5.3% (1hour after MI) and 49.7±6.1% (4 weeks after MI) (P<0.01).Pathological examination revealed that the ventricular wall was thinner and the amount of collagens was increased in the infracted area.The ventricular fibrillation rate at 1-hour after myocardial infarction was 17.3% and the infarction area was 19.2%.Conclusions A pig model of acute myocardial infarction can be prepared by our modified left circumflex coronary artery ligation at the obtuse marginal artery (OM1) and minimally invasive surgery.This model exhibits advantages such as minimal surgical trauma, high stability of the model, and low mortality, therefore, provides an ideal and economic animal model for experimental studies on acute ischemic heart diseases.