Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper (Cu), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) and grip strength. Methods We used linear regression models, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength.Results In the multimetal linear regression, Cu (β=-2.119), As (β=-1.318), Sr (β=-2.480), Ba (β=0.781), Fe (β= 1.130) and Mn (β=-0.404) were significantly correlated with grip strength (P < 0.05). The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was -1.007 (95％ confidence interval:-1.362, -0.652; P < 0.001) when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased. Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength, with Cu, As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels. In the total population, potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn (Pinteractions of 0.003 and 0.018, respectively).Conclusion In summary, this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength. Cu, Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels, and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the regulatory effects of biofilm associated non-coding small RNA(sRNA)00085 on the survival and environmental fitness of Listeria monocytogenes.Homologous recombination technology was used to construct a deletion mutant strain(△sRNA 00085)and a complementary strain(C △sRNA 00085)of the sRNA00085 target gene.The differences in biological characteristics were compared among the standard strain,△sRNA 00085,and C△sRNA 00085.The deletion of sRNA00085 led to a significant decrease in biofilm formation capacity and sensitivity to several antibiotics,including penicillin,piperacillin,doxycycline,tetracycline,vancomycin,and cotrimoxazole.However,only the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)of tetracycline exhibited a significant decrease in △sRNA00085.Meanwhile,the decreased biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance of the sRNA00085 mutant were restored in the C△sRNA00085 strain.Furthermore,we investigated the transcription levels of tetracycline resistance-related genes in L.monocytogenes.Down-regu-lated transcription of the tetS gene but no significant difference in transcription of the tetA gene were observed in △sRNA 00085 compared with the standard strain and C△sRNA00085.Moreover,the elimination of sRNA00085 did not affect bacterial growth ability or sensitivity to disinfectants.These findings highlight that sRNA00085 plays an important role in the environ-mental adaptability of L.monocytogenes by affecting bacterial biofilm formation and resistance.

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of ultrasound for thyroid nodules with a spoke-wheel blood flow pattern.Methods The clinical data of the patients with thyroid nodules presenting a spoke-wheel blood flow pattern examined by ultrasound were collected,and the gray-scale ultrasound features of the nodules were recorded.The diagnostic performance of the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System by American College of Radiology(ACR TI-RADS),Chinese Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System(C-TIRADS),and combined specific indicators for the thyroid nodules with a spoke-wheel blood flow pattern was evaluated by comparison with the pathological results,which was regarded as the gold standard.Results A total of 64 patients with thyroid nodules were finally included,including 47 patients with malignant nodules and 17 patients with benign nodules.In addition to the general ultrasound features,central scar mostly appeared in malignant nodules(x2=5.968,P=0.015),while central coarse calcification was more common in benign nodules(x2=10.899,P=0.001).After the combination of central scar and central gross calcification,the diagnostic performance of ACR TI-RADS and C-TIRADS was improved(both P＜0.001).Conclusions When the thyroid nodule shows a spoke-wheel blood flow pattern,one should be cautious of the possibility of malignancy.Combining central scar and central coarse calcification can improve the accuracy of ultrasonic diagnosis.

Objective To explore the mechanism of Yipi Yanggan Prescription in the treatment of precancerous lesion of liver in rats based on M1 type macrophage polarization-chronic inflammation-liver cell malignant transformation.Methods Totally 90 Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,Hugan Tablet group and Yipi Yanggan Prescription high-,medium-and low-dosage groups,with 15 rats in each group.The blank group was injected distilled water intraperitoneally,and the other groups were injected 5 mL/kg of diethylnitrosamine intraperitoneally at 50 mg/kg per week(twice per week)for 16 weeks to induce the precancerous lesion of liver model.Starting from the second day of modeling,Yipi Yanggan Prescription high-,medium-and low-dosage groups were orally administered with 1.2,0.6 and 0.3 g/mL Yipi Yanggan Prescription,respectively.The Hugan Tablet group was orally administered with 921 mg/kg Hugan Tablet solution,the blank group and model group were orally administered with an equal amount of physiological saline for 16 consecutive weeks.The appearance of the liver was observed,ELISA was used to detect serum ALT,AST,ALP,AFU,as well as TNF-α,IL-6,iNOS and MCP-1 content,HE staining and Masson staining were used to observe the morphology of liver tissue,immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of liver cell malignancy markers OV6,CK19,CD133 and EpCAM,qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expressions of CK19,CD133 and EpCAM in liver tissue,immunofluorescence co-localization was used to detect the co-expressions of M1 type macrophage markers CD68 with IL-6 and TNF-α.Results Compared with the blank group,the liver of the model group rats was hard,with a rough surface and dull edges,and a large number of nodules were visible,the contents of serum ALT,AST,ALP,AFU,TNF-α,IL-6,iNOS and MCP-1 significantly increased(P<0.01),there were large areas of dysplasia nodules,inflammatory cell infiltration,and increased collagen fibers in liver tissue,the expressions of OV6,CK19,CD133 and EpCAM in liver tissue significantly increased,and the co-expressions of CD68 with IL-6 and TNF-α significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the number and size of liver nodules in each treatment group of rats decreased,the contents of serum ALT,AST,ALP,AFU,TNF-α,IL-6,iNOS and MCP-1 were significantly decreased(P<0.01),hepatocellular dysplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration were significantly improved,collagen fibers decreased,and the expressions of OV6,CK19,CD133 and EpCAM in liver tissue were significantly decreased,the co-expressions of CD68 with IL-6 and TNF-α significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Yipi Yanggan Prescription may alleviate inflammation by inhibiting polarization of M1 type macrophages,improve liver cell malignancy,and exert therapeutic effects on rats with precancerous lesion of liver induced by diethylnitrosamine.

Objective To conduct a scoping review of virtual reality motor sensing exercise in the elderly with dementia,so as to identify the types of intervention,outcome indicators,evaluation tools and application effects of virtual reality motor sensing exercise and provide guidance for future research.Methods A literature search was performed in the PubMed,Embase,CINAHL,Web of Science,Cochrane Library,CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,and CMB databases to identify relevant studies.The search period is from the establishment of databases to October 15,2023.The included studies were summarized and analyzed.Results A total of 18 articles were included in this study,including 14 randomised controlled trials,one class-experimental study and three mixed studies involving a total of 1,054 elderly dementia patients.The types of virtual reality motor sensing exercise included motor sensing interactive games,interactive bicycle riding,remote game exercise,Wii Fit exercise and virtual reality environment exercise.The outcome indicators involve 4 aspects of physical indicators,psychological indicators,cognitive function and quality of life.Conclusion Virtual reality motor sensing exercise is feasible and effective in the elderly with dementia.However,large sample and high-quality randomized controlled trials are still needed in the future to verify the feasibility and application effect of virtual reality exercise in the elderly with dementia,so as to provide evidence-based basis for formulating the best exercise intervention program for the elderly with dementia.

Objective:To observe the changes of peripheral blood T cell subsets and serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 contents in narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) patients and their correlations with narcolepsy, and provide basis for finding the biological markers of narcolepsy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed. From March 2022 to December 2023, 23 patients with NT1 admitted to Epilepsy and Sleep Disorder Center, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University and 23 healthy controls underwent physical examination of nervous system in our center were enrolled. T lymphocyte subsets CD4 + and CD8 + in peripheral blood were calculated by flow cytometry. Serum TNF-α and IL-6 contents were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to determine the correlations of NT1 with CD4 + T lymphocyte count and IL-6 and TNF-α contents, and diagnostic values of CD4 + T lymphocyte and TNF-α in NT1 were evaluated via area under receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. Results:Compared with the healthy controls, the NT1 patients had significantly increased peripheral blood CD4 + T lymphocyte count ([820.61±316.87] /μL vs. [1121.04±387.47] /μL), and significantly higher serum TNF-α and IL-6 contents ([39.97±10.64] pg/mL vs. [57.01±19.92] pg/mL; [22.50±6.09] pg/mL vs. [33.66±17.28] pg/mL, P<0.05). No significant difference in peripheral blood CD8 + T lymphocyte count was noted between the 2 groups ([668.65±276.45] pg/mL vs. [592.52±217.78] pg/mL, P>0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression showed that CD4 + T lymphocyte count and serum TNF-α content were independent risk factors for NT1 ( OR=1.004, 95% CI: 1.001-1.006, P=0.007; OR=1.133, 95% CI: 1.032-1.243, P=0.009). Area under ROC curve of the two combined indexes was 0.881(95% CI: 0.784-0.977, P=0.001), enjoying sensitivity of 0.783 and specificity of 0.870. Conclusion:Combination of peripheral blood CD4 + T lymphocyte count and serum TNF-α content has high diagnostic performance in predicting NT1.

OBJECTIVE To clarify the core content of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） policy in the provinces of China， so as to provide reference for optimizing the structure of the policy system of traditional Chinese medicine in China and assisting the inheritance and innovation of TCM industry in various regions. METHODS The websites of directly affiliated organs in 31 provinces， excluding Hong Kong， Macao and Taiwan， were retrieved to collect the TCM policies released from 2000 to 2021. The importance of keywords in the TCM policies of each province was measured based on term frequency-inverse documentation frequency （TF-IDF） keyword extraction method， and the similarities and differences were analyzed among TCM policies. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS A total of 99 documents related to TCM policies of various provinces were obtained in this study， most of which were released after 2016. The theme of national TCM policy covered four aspects： building TCM talent team， perfecting TCM service system， strengthening TCM resource management and promoting TCM industry innovation. The TF-IDF values of “medical institutions”“traditional Chinese medicine”“medical treatment” were higher than other keywords in each province， indicating that the provinces paid more attention to the construction of TCM service system and the management of TCM resources than other aspects. Anhui and Jiangsu， Beijing and Henan， Hubei and Jilin， Hubei and Tianjin， and Hubei and Yunnan had the more degree of similarity in TCM policies， which all contained 16 of the same keywords. Therefore， the above regions should be encouraged to strengthen exchanges and cooperation and realize mutual promotion and joint development. Among all the keywords whose importance ratio was greater than 0.2，“ Tibetan medicine” was unique to Qinghai and Tibet，“ disease type” was unique to Guangdong， and the TF-IDF value of “supervision and management” in Beijing was higher， indicating that the emphasis of TCM policy formulation in different provinces was various. Meanwhile， the top 10 keywords of TF- IDF value in all provinces did not have words related to financial input， and the TF-IDF values of “informatization” in most provinces did not rank at the top. It is suggested to increase financial input or encourage social financing， and add “Internet+new business” in the field of TCM.

AIM: To evaluate the damage to optic nerve by detecting the morphological and functional changes of optic nerve in patients with acute primary angle-closure glaucoma.METHODS: The correlation among the positive rates of fundus photography, visual field examination, optical coherence tomography(OCT)scan of the optic nerve, and pattern visual evoked potentials(P-VEP)were analyzed in 28 patients with acute primary angle-closure glaucoma affecting.RESULTS: Among 28 eyes of 28 patients, optic nerve images were obtained in 25 eyes(89%), optic disc color in 25 eyes: there were 9 normal eyes and 16 eyes with congestion and edema, without pallor; C/D: < 0.6 in 5 eyes, > 0.6 in 1 eye, and indistinguishable in 19 eyes; disk edge: 6 eyes were normal, and 19 eyes could not be distinguished.Optic nerve images could not be obtained in 3 eyes(11%). Visual field examination: 9 eyes(32%)were normal, 2 eyes(7%)had visual field damage, 8 eyes(29%)had no reference value due to cataract visual field examination, 2 eyes(7%)had false positive rate ≥15%, and 7 eyes(25%)could not cooperate with the examination. The retinal nerve fiber layer thickness around optic disc was measured by OCT in 26 eyes(93%), of which the thickness of nerve fiber layer was normal in 24 eyes and local thinning in 2 eyes. Severe opacification of refractive stroma could not be measured in 2 eyes(7%). PVEP showed that the peak of P100 was normal in 18 eyes(64%)and prolonged in 10 eyes(36%). The amplitude of P100 wave was normal in 11 eyes(39%)and decreased in 17 eyes(61%).CONCLUSION: After a major acute attack of primary angle-closure glaucoma, the optic nerve does not exhibit typical glaucomatous damage but may present with optic disc congestion and edema. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation combining subjective and objective examination methods is necessary for optic nerve assessment, and currently, no more precise assessment method is available.

Objective To investigate the cardiac structural and functional characteristics in the patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM),and predict the factors influencing the characteristics. Methods A total of 783 HFpEF patients diagnosed in the Department of Geriatric Cardiology,the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from April 2009 to December 2020 were enrolled in this study.Echocardiography and tissue Doppler technique were employed to evaluate cardiac structure and function.According to the occurrence of T2DM,the patients were assigned into a HFpEF+T2DM group (n=332) and a HFpEF group (n=451).Propensity score matching (PSM)(in a 1∶1 ratio) was adopted to minimize confounding effect.According to urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER),the HFpEF+T2DM group was further divided into three subgroups with UAER<20 μg/min,of 20-200 μg/min,and>200 μg/min,respectively.The comorbidities,symptoms and signs,and cardiac structure and function were compared among the groups to clarify the features of diabetes related HFpEF.Multivariate linear regression was conducted to probe the relationship of systolic blood pressure,blood glucose,glycosylated hemoglobin,and UARE with cardiac structural and functional impairment. Results The HFpEF+T2DM group had higher prevalence of hypertension (P=0.001) and coronary heart disease (P=0.036),younger age (P=0.020),and larger body mass index (P=0.005) than the HFpEF group,with the median diabetic course of 10 (3,17) years.After PSM,the prevalence of hypertension and coronary heart disease,body mass index,and age had no significant differences between the two groups(all P>0.05).In addition,the HFpEF+T2DM group had higher interventricular septal thickness (P=0.015),left ventricular posterior wall thickness (P=0.040),and left ventricular mass (P=0.012) and lower early diastole velocity of mitral annular septum (P=0.030) and lateral wall (P=0.011) than the HFpEF group.Compared with the HFpEF group,the HFpEF+T2DM group showed increased ratio of early diastolic mitral filling velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e') (P=0.036).Glycosylated hemoglobin was correlated with left ventricular mass (P=0.011),and the natural logarithm of UAER with interventricular septal thickness (P=0.004),left ventricular posterior wall thickness (P=0.006),left ventricular mass (P<0.001),and E/e' ratio (P=0.049). Conclusion The patients with both T2DM and HFpEF have thicker left ventricular wall,larger left ventricular mass,more advanced left ventricular remodeling,severer impaired left ventricular diastolic function,and higher left ventricular filling pressure than the HFpEF patients without T2DM.Elevated blood glucose and diabetic microvascular diseases might play a role in the development of the detrimental structural and functional changes of the heart.
Humans ; Aged ; Heart Failure/diagnosis* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Stroke Volume ; Glycated Hemoglobin ; Blood Glucose ; Propensity Score ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Hypertension

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of Guanxin Danshen Dripping Pills (GXDS) in the treatment of depression or anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: From September 2017 to June 2019, 200 CHD patients after PCI with depression and anxiety were included and randomly divided into GXDS (100 cases) and placebo control groups (100 cases) by block randomization and a random number table. Patients in the GXDS and control groups were given GXDS and placebo, respectively, 0.4 g each time, 3 times daily for 12 weeks. The primary outcomes were scores of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Scale (GAD-7) and the Seattle Angina Pectoris Scale (SAQ). The secondary outcomes included 12 Health Survey Summary Form (SF-12) scores and the first onset time and incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Other indices including blood pressure, blood lipids, microcirculation and inflammatory-related indices, etc. were monitored at baseline, week 4, and week 12. RESULTS: In the full analysis set (200 cases), after treatment, the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores in the GXDS group were considerably lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the baseline, the total PHQ-9 scores of the experimental and control groups decreased by 3.97 and 1.18, respectively. The corrected mean difference between the two groups was -2.78 (95% CI: -3.47, -2.10; P<0.001). The total GAD-7 score in the GXDS group decreased by 3.48% compared with the baseline level, while that of the placebo group decreased by 1.13%. The corrected mean difference between the two groups was -2.35 (95% CI: -2.95, -1.76; P<0.001). The degree of improvement in SAQ score, SF-12 score, endothelin and high-sensitive C-reactive protein levels in the GXDS group were substantially superior than those in the placebo group, and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). Similar results were obtained in the per protocol population analysis of 177 patients. Three cases of MACES were reported in this study (1 in the GXDS group and 2 in the placebo group), and no serious adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS GXDS can significantly alleviate depression and anxiety, relieve symptoms of angina, and improve quality of life in patients with CHD after PCI. (Registration No. ChiCTR1800014291).
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/adverse effects* ; Quality of Life ; Depression ; Coronary Disease/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Angina Pectoris/drug therapy* ; Prognosis ; Anxiety ; Treatment Outcome ; Double-Blind Method