ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus lignans on schizophrenia induced by dizocilpine maleate （MK-801） in mice and to clarify its mechanism. MethodsMale mice of 4-6 weeks old were randomized into blank， model， positive drug， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （40， 80， 160 mg·kg^-1， respectively） Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus lignans groups. The blank group was administrated with distilled water， and the other groups were injected with 0.5 mg·kg^-1 MK-801 to induce schizophrenia symptoms. Meanwhile， risperidone was injected at 0.2 mg·kg^-1 in the positive drug group， and mice in the intervention groups were injected with corresponding drugs for 14 consecutive days. The behavioral changes of mice were observed by autonomous activity test， open field test， forced swimming test， and water maze test. The levels of dopamine （DA） and 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） in the brain and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） in peripheral blood were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The changes in the prefrontal lobe of mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining， and the changes of the hippocampal tissue were observed by Nissl staining. The protein levels of silencing information regulatory factor 1 （SIRT1） and forkhead box protein O3a （FoxO3a） in the hippocampus of mice were determined by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the model group， low， medium， and high doses of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus lignans reduced the total number of autonomous activities， total distance in the open field test， immobile time in the forced swimming test， and levels of TNF-α and NF-κB in peripheral blood （P<0.05）， while increasing the number of platform crossings in the water maze test and DA and 5-HT levels in the brain tissue （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， risperidone and low， medium， and high doses of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus lignans improve the neural cell morphology in the CA1 region， with full cells in neatly dense arrangement and exhibiting clear membrane boundary. Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus lignans inhibited the expression of SIRT 1 and FoxO3a in the hippocampus （P<0.05）. ConclusionTo sum up， Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus lignans may improve the behavior of schizophrenic mice by activating the SIRT1/FoxO3a signaling pathway to exert neuroprotective effects.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of 5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in visualizing dental pulp and periodontal ligament (PDL) tissues in vivo in the young adult population, thereby providing a basis for the application of high-field MRI technology in clinical oral examinations. Methods: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the hospital. A total of 15 healthy volunteers (413 permanent teeth altogether) were recruited and underwent full-mouth 5T MRI scans. Among them, six volunteers (168 permanent teeth) also received both 3T MRI and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. Two dental specialists independently evaluated the imaging quality of the dental pulp and PDL on the images using a 5-point Likert scale and recorded the number of detectable root canals for each tooth. Inter-rater agreement was assessed using weighted kappa statistics and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Non-parametric tests were employed to compare differences in imaging performance among different tissue structures, tooth positions, and imaging modalities. Results: 5T MRI can achieve in vivo imaging for most dental pulp tissues and partial periodontal membrane structures. There was a high level of agreement between the two raters in their imaging scores for the dental pulp and PDL (dental pulp κ = 0.934, PDL κ = 0.737). The imaging scores for dental pulp were significantly higher than those for PDL (P < 0.001), and the scores for molar dental pulp were lower than those for premolars and anterior teeth. In the multimodal comparison involving six volunteers, the raters showed good consistency in scoring dental pulp and PDL imaging across 5T MRI, 3T MRI, and CBCT, as well as in root canal counts (5T MRI for dental pulp κ = 0.971, 3T MRI for dental pulp κ = 0.933, CBCT for dental pulp κ = 0.964; 5T MRI for PDL κ = 0.625, 3T MRI for PDL κ = 0.667, CBCT for PDL κ = 0.571; ICC for root canal counts all ≥ 0.990). The imaging scores for dental pulp and PDL using 5T MRI were significantly higher than those using 3T MRI (dental pulp: P < 0.001; PDL: P = 0.022), but there was no statistically significant difference in the detection rate of the number of root canals between the two (P > 0.05). Although the imaging scores for dental pulp and PDL as well as the detection rate of the number of root canals with 5T MRI were inferior to those with CBCT (dental pulp: P < 0.001; PDL: P = 0.02; number of root canals: P < 0.05), 5T MRI can truly achieve "direct imaging" of these two soft tissues. Conclusion 5T MRI enables effective in vivo direct imaging of dental pulp and PDL tissues in the young adult population, indicating its potential clinical application value in the diagnosis and treatment of pulp and periodontal diseases.

BACKGROUND:Activation of nuclear factor-κB/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)signaling leads to endothelial dysfunction,oxidative stress,and plays a key role in the initiation of lipid metabolism disorders and arteriosclerosis.However,currenty,the effect of walnut oil and peanut oil on skeletal muscle inflammatory factors in arteriosclerotic rats remains unclear.OBJECTIVE:To discuss the effect and mechanism of walnut oil and peanut oil on atherosclerosis.METHODS:Forty 8-week-old SD male rats were randomly divided into normal control group(n=10)and high fat group(n=30)after 1 week of adaptive feeding.The atherosclerosis model was established by high-fat diet combined with vitamin D3 injection.The rats with successful modeling were randomly divided into model group(n=10),peanut oil group(n=8)and walnut oil group(n=8).The latter two groups were gavaged with peanut oil or walnut oil for 4 weeks(5 days/week,1.2 g/kg per day).After the intervention,ELISA was used to detect the related indexes of blood lipids in rats.The morphological changes of aorta were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The RT-qPCR and western blot assay were used to detect nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,Caspase-1,interleukin-1β,interleukin-18 mRNA and nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,interleukin-1β protein expression levels in skeletal muscle.The protein expressions of nuclear factor-κB and NLRP3 were detected by immunofluorescence immunohistochemical staining.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the normal control group,the aortic wall of rats in the model group was thickened,the damage and lipid precipitation were more serious,the blood lipid levels and arteriosclerosis index were significantly increased(P＜0.01).The mRNA levels of nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,Caspase-1,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-18,and the protein expressions of nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,and interleukin-1β in skeletal muscle were significantly increased(P＜0.01).(2)Compared with model group,the vulnerable area of aortic tissue in peanut oil group and walnut oil group was significantly reduced,the levels of total cholesterol,triglyceride,low density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum,and atherosclerosis index were decreased(P＜0.01),and the mRNA expressions of nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,Caspase-1,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-18 and the protein expressions of nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,and interleukin-1β in skeletal muscle were significantly decreased(P＜0.01 or P＜0.05).(3)Compared with peanut oil group,the serum total cholesterol,triglyceride,and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in walnut oil group were significantly decreased(P＜0.01 or P＜0.05),and the mRNA levels of nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,Caspase-1,interleukin-18,and the protein levels of nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,interleukin-1β decreased significantly in skeletal muscle(P＜0.01 or P＜0.05).It is concluded that both peanut oil and walnut oil have ameliorative effect on atherosclerotic damage,which may be related to nuclear factor-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway,and walnut oil has better ameliorative effect than peanut oil.

BACKGROUND:Activation of nuclear factor-κB/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)signaling leads to endothelial dysfunction,oxidative stress,and plays a key role in the initiation of lipid metabolism disorders and arteriosclerosis.However,currenty,the effect of walnut oil and peanut oil on skeletal muscle inflammatory factors in arteriosclerotic rats remains unclear.OBJECTIVE:To discuss the effect and mechanism of walnut oil and peanut oil on atherosclerosis.METHODS:Forty 8-week-old SD male rats were randomly divided into normal control group(n=10)and high fat group(n=30)after 1 week of adaptive feeding.The atherosclerosis model was established by high-fat diet combined with vitamin D3 injection.The rats with successful modeling were randomly divided into model group(n=10),peanut oil group(n=8)and walnut oil group(n=8).The latter two groups were gavaged with peanut oil or walnut oil for 4 weeks(5 days/week,1.2 g/kg per day).After the intervention,ELISA was used to detect the related indexes of blood lipids in rats.The morphological changes of aorta were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The RT-qPCR and western blot assay were used to detect nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,Caspase-1,interleukin-1β,interleukin-18 mRNA and nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,interleukin-1β protein expression levels in skeletal muscle.The protein expressions of nuclear factor-κB and NLRP3 were detected by immunofluorescence immunohistochemical staining.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the normal control group,the aortic wall of rats in the model group was thickened,the damage and lipid precipitation were more serious,the blood lipid levels and arteriosclerosis index were significantly increased(P＜0.01).The mRNA levels of nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,Caspase-1,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-18,and the protein expressions of nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,and interleukin-1β in skeletal muscle were significantly increased(P＜0.01).(2)Compared with model group,the vulnerable area of aortic tissue in peanut oil group and walnut oil group was significantly reduced,the levels of total cholesterol,triglyceride,low density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum,and atherosclerosis index were decreased(P＜0.01),and the mRNA expressions of nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,Caspase-1,interleukin-1β,and interleukin-18 and the protein expressions of nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,and interleukin-1β in skeletal muscle were significantly decreased(P＜0.01 or P＜0.05).(3)Compared with peanut oil group,the serum total cholesterol,triglyceride,and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in walnut oil group were significantly decreased(P＜0.01 or P＜0.05),and the mRNA levels of nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,Caspase-1,interleukin-18,and the protein levels of nuclear factor-κB,NLRP3,interleukin-1β decreased significantly in skeletal muscle(P＜0.01 or P＜0.05).It is concluded that both peanut oil and walnut oil have ameliorative effect on atherosclerotic damage,which may be related to nuclear factor-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway,and walnut oil has better ameliorative effect than peanut oil.

Objective:To explore the factors influencing the incidence and duration of delirium in ICU patients, so as to provide a reference for early identification and prevention of delirium in these patients.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 1, 500 patients admitted to the ICU of the Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2020 to December 2024. The data collected included gender, age, anesthesia method, surgical duration, infection duration, extubation time, duration of mechanical ventilation and hypoxia, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health EvaluationⅡ (APACHEⅡ) score, Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) score, duration of sedative medication, and ICU length of stay. Binary Logistic regression and multiple linear regression analysis were employed to investigate the factors influencing the incidence and duration of delirium in ICU patients.Results:The incidence of delirium among 1 500 ICU patients was 38.4% (576/1 500), with a duration of 1.10 (1.00, 3.20) d. Binary Logistic regression analysis revealed that infection duration, APACHEⅡ score, mechanical ventilation duration, and sedative medication duration were statistically significant factors influencing delirium incidence in ICU patients ( P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that delirium type, duration of hypoxia, use of sedative medications, and length of ICU stay were statistically significant factors influencing the duration of delirium in ICU patients ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:ICU patients have a relatively high incidence of delirium, and numerous factors influence the incidence and duration of delirium. Clinical nursing professionals should identify risk factors early and develop corresponding intervention measures to reduce the incidence of delirium in ICU patients and promote their recovery.

BACKGROUND:Slow bone repair and poor bone formation quality are still problems during masquelet technique in the treatment of large segment bone defects.H-type vessels can induce osteogenesis,enhance the local angiogenesis and osteogenesis coupling,and promote bone repair.However,there are few reports on the role of H-type blood vessels in the bone induced membrane.OBJECTIVE:To construct a large segment bone defect model of SD rat tibia,observe the expression characteristics of H-type blood vessels in the bone induced membrane,then to identify the expression peak point of H-type blood vessels in the bone induced membrane and determine the optimal period of bone grafting.METHODS:Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into a control group(n=30)and a model group(n=30)by random number table method.The two groups were further divided into three subgroups at 4,6,and 8 weeks after bone cement implantation,with 10 rats in each group.A 4 mm bone defect model of the right tibia was constructed in both the control and the model groups.Polymethyl methacrylate bone cement was implanted in the model group to induce bone biomembrane formation,while bone cement was not implanted in the control group.At 4,6,and 8 weeks after bone cement implantation,6 rats were randomly selected at each time point.The bone induction membrane tissue was cut from the model group,and the non-bone soft tissue of the corresponding part was cut from the control group.The dynamic expressions of H-type blood vessels in the bone induced membrane were identified by immunofluorescence.The morphological changes of the bone induced membrane were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The formation of blood vessels in the bone induced membrane was observed by angiography.The expression levels of osteoblast-specific transcription factor in the bone induced membrane were detected by immunohistochemistry.Four rats remained at each time point.In the model group,the bone induced membrane was cut open and the bone cement was removed and autologous coccyx was implanted.In the control group,autologous coccyx was implanted in the bone defect area.Micro-CT evaluation of the tibial defect was performed 8 weeks after bone grafting.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Immunofluorescence staining showed that the expression of H-type vessels in the model group was most obvious 6 weeks after bone cement implantation,and the expression of H-type vessels in the model group at each time point after bone cement implantation was higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05).(2)Hematoxylin-eosin staining and angiography showed that the number and volume of new blood vessels at each time point after bone cement implantation in the model group were greater than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The order of the number and volume of new blood vessels in the model group was:8 weeks after bone cement implantation＞6 weeks after bone cement implantation＞4 weeks after bone cement implantation.(3)Immunohistochemical staining showed that the positive expression of osteoblast-specific transcription factors at each time point after bone cement implantation in the model group was higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05),and the positive expression of osteoblast-specific transcription factors in the model group was most obvious 6 weeks after bone cement implantation.(4)Micro-CT detection showed that the bone repair effect of the three subgroups in the model group was significantly better than that of the corresponding subgroups in the control group,and the bone repair effect of the subgroup in the model group 6 weeks after bone cement implantation was better than that of the subgroups 4 and 8 weeks after bone cement implantation.The results indicate that H-type blood vessels are dynamically expressed in the bone induced membrane and reached a peak 6 weeks after bone cement implantation.Good bone repair effects can be obtained by the bone induced membrane bone grafting 6 weeks after bone cement implantation.

Purpose To investigate the value of automated segmentation technique for quantitative study of the volume of each subregion of medial temporal lobe epilepsy(MTLE)with hippocampal sclerosis(HS).Materials and Methods A total of 37 patients with unilateral HS diagnosed by MRI or pathologically confirmed in General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2021 to May 2023 were prospectively included,including 24 cases of left-sided HS(L-HS)and 13 cases of right-sided HS(R-HS),and 42 healthy volunteers matched in gender and age during the same period were included as a control group.All subjects underwent T1-weighted equal voxel three-dimensional magnetisation-prepared rapid gradient-echo(3D T1 MP-RAGE)scanning.3D T1 MP-RAGE was post-processed by Freesurfer V7 to obtain volume data of the hippocampus and its subregions.The volume data were normalized and the volume asymmetry index was calculated.Within-group and between-group comparisons were performed for standardized volumes of the hippocampus and its subregions,and between-group comparisons were performed for volume asymmetry index values.The diagnostic efficacy of the two indices was assessed and compared using the subject operating characteristic curve and area under the curve.Results The volumes of the hippocampus and its subregions on the affected side were smaller than those on the contralateral side in both the L-HS and R-HS groups,and the volumes of the left hippocampus and its subregions were smaller than those on the right side in the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(t/Z=-15.159-8.324,all P＜0.05).The volumes of the left side of the hippocampus and its subregions in the L-HS group were smaller than those of the left hippocampus and its subregions in the R-HS group and in the control group,and the volumes of the right side of the hippocampus and its subregions in the R-HS group were smaller than those of the L-HS group and the right hippocampus and its subregions of the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The differences in the volumes of the right side of the L-HS group and the left side of the R-HS group and the corresponding side of the control group were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The differences in the volume asymmetry index values of the L-HS group compared with those of the R-HS group and the control group,and those of the R-HS group compared with those of the control group were all statistically significant(P＜0.05).Except for the diagnostic efficacy of volume asymmetry index values of the hippocampus and subiculum in the L-HS group,which was better than that of the volume,and the difference was statistically significant(Z=2.035,1.989,both P＜0.05),the comparison of the volume and volume asymmetry index values of each volume and volume asymmetry index value of the rest of the hippocampus and subregion was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion The automatic segmentation technique is of great value for the quantitative study of hippocampus and its subregion volume in MTLE-HS,which can provide more accurate imaging reference for clinical practice.

Objective:To explore the factors influencing the incidence and duration of delirium in ICU patients, so as to provide a reference for early identification and prevention of delirium in these patients.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 1, 500 patients admitted to the ICU of the Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2020 to December 2024. The data collected included gender, age, anesthesia method, surgical duration, infection duration, extubation time, duration of mechanical ventilation and hypoxia, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health EvaluationⅡ (APACHEⅡ) score, Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) score, duration of sedative medication, and ICU length of stay. Binary Logistic regression and multiple linear regression analysis were employed to investigate the factors influencing the incidence and duration of delirium in ICU patients.Results:The incidence of delirium among 1 500 ICU patients was 38.4% (576/1 500), with a duration of 1.10 (1.00, 3.20) d. Binary Logistic regression analysis revealed that infection duration, APACHEⅡ score, mechanical ventilation duration, and sedative medication duration were statistically significant factors influencing delirium incidence in ICU patients ( P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that delirium type, duration of hypoxia, use of sedative medications, and length of ICU stay were statistically significant factors influencing the duration of delirium in ICU patients ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:ICU patients have a relatively high incidence of delirium, and numerous factors influence the incidence and duration of delirium. Clinical nursing professionals should identify risk factors early and develop corresponding intervention measures to reduce the incidence of delirium in ICU patients and promote their recovery.

Objective To investigate the structural changes and influencing factors of the average inpatient cost per admis-sion in public hospitals in Guangdong Province.Methods Grey relational analysis and structural variation degree analysis were used to analyze the correlation and changes between the average inpatient cost per admission and various cost components in public hospitals of Guangdong Province from 2017 to 2023.Results The average inpatient cost per admission in public hospitals of Guangdong Province showed an overall upward trend from 2017 to 2023,with an average annual growth rate of 3.84％.Among the components,laboratory test fees and examination fees grew at average annual rates of 6.17％and 6.68％,respectively.The top four cost components with the highest grey relational degree with the average inpatient cost were laboratory test fees(0.867),exam-ination fees(0.835),nursing fees(0.784),and treatment fees(0.728).The top four components with the largest structural vari-ation values were surgery fees(2.57％),medical material fees(1.77％),laboratory test fees(1.56％),and examination fees(1.45％).Conclusion The growth of the average inpatient cost per admission has slowed,and the cost structure has been opti-mized to some extent.However,the relatively rapid increase in laboratory test and examination fees has a significant impact on the cost structure.It is necessary to deepen the coordinated governance of healthcare,medical insurance,and medicine,strengthen the leveraging role of medical insurance payment,improve the external governance system and scientific compensation mechanism,and combine these with refined hospital management to promote reasonable cost control and high-quality development in public hospitals.

Objective To develop a novel method for measuring the Hounsfield Unit(HU)value of the surface carbon fiber material of the Varian Exact IGRT Couch,and to establish a treatment couch model in the treatment planning system(TPS)for correcting the attenuation of radiation dose caused by the treatment couch.Methods Two different field combinations were used to measure the radiation dose attenuation at the thin end and the middle medium-thickness part of the Varian Exact IGRT Couch.Dose deviations were measured when radiation passed through the treatment couch or not.Multiple sets of different HU values for the couch surface materials were defined in the TPS,and the dose difference between with and without couch was calculated under the same conditions as the measurements.The HU value of the treatment couch material corresponding to the actual measurements was found by data comparison and analysis.Results The attenuation for two interpenetrating fields was-2.49%to-1.69%at the thin end,and-3.43%to-2.23%at the medium-thickness part.The attenuation for multiple oblique incident fields ranged from-3.12%to-2.17%at the thin end,and that was-3.59%to-2.86%at the medium-thickness part.When the HU values of the couch model's surface and internal materials in the TPS were defined as-500 and-960,for two interpenetrating fields,the attenuation was-2.57%to-1.53%at the thin end,and-3.28%to-2.18%at the medium-thickness part;while for multiple oblique incident fields,the attenuation was-3.12%to-2.21%at the thin ends,and-3.42%to-2.43%at the medium-thickness part.These calculated results were consistent with the actual measurement values.For 40 verification plans,the average point dose difference between measurement and calculation in TPS were 0.90%and 0.89%at the thin end and medium-thickness part,respectively.Conclusion This novel measurement method can measure the HU value of the surface carbon fiber material and internal foam material of Exact IGRT Couch.Defining the HU values of these two materials of the couch model in the TPS as-500 and-960 can correct the radiation dose attenuation caused by the treatment couch,thereby improving the dose accuracy of the target volume and organs-at-risk.