ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism of acupuncture with the method of soothing the liver and regulating the mind in improving depressive disorder. MethodsEighteen C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into blank group， model group， and acupuncture group， with 6 mice in each group. The model group and the acupuncture group were subjected to depression induction by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide （LPS）， while the blank group received an equal volume of normal saline once daily for seven consecutive days. Concurrently， the acupuncture group received "soothing the liver and regulating the mind" acupuncture intervention starting from the first day of modeling， once daily for 14 days； whereas the blank group and the model group were only restrained without acupuncture. The sucrose preference test was used to assess sucrose preference rate， the open-field test to measure center stay time and total travel distance， and the forced swim test to evaluate immobility time. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe hippocampal morphological changes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in hippocampal tissue. Western blot analysis was conducted to examine the protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） and nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） in the hippocampus. ResultsCompared to the blank group， the model group showed a significant reduction in sucrose preference rate， center stay time， and total travel distance， along with a significant increase in immobility time in the forced swim test， hippocampal IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α levels， as well as TLR4 and NF-κB protein expression （P＜0.01）， and the histological examination revealed blurred hippocampal neuronal boundaries， loose arrangement， and some neurons exhibiting nuclear pyknosis and deep staining. Compared to the model group， the acupuncture group demonstrated a significant increase in sucrose preference rate， center stay time， and total travel distance， along with a significant reduction in immobility time in the forced swim test， hippocampal IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α levels， and TLR4 and NF-κB protein expression （P＜0.01）， and the histological analysis showed that hippocampal neurons in the acupuncture group were more tightly arranged， with reduced nuclear pyknosis and deep staining. ConclusionAcupuncture with the "soothing the liver and regulating the mind" method can significantly improve depression-like behavior， potentially by inhibiting the hippocampal TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and alleviating inflammatory responses.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of laparoscopic biological patch repair combined with gastric fundus folding in the treatment of esophageal hiatal hernia complicated with gastroesophageal reflux disease.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 161 cases of laparoscopic esophageal hiatal hernia with biological patch repair combined with gastric fundus folding surgery treated at Hunan Second People's Hospital from Jan 2021 to Dec 2022.Results:All 161 cases of laparoscopic esophageal hiatal hernia repair combined with gastric fundus folding surgery were successfully completed, with an operation time of (92.2±20.1) min, intraoperative bleeding volume of (31.0±10.4) ml, postoperative hospital stay of (5.6±1.5) d, and postoperative acid reflux symptoms were alleviated. Three cases had difficult swallowing early after surgery, and they recovered after 3 weeks of medication treatment and dietary guidance. After discharge, 156 patients were followed up for a period of 4 to 24 months, with a follow-up rate of 97%. Among them, 151 patients had no more clinical symptoms, 5 had occasional acid reflux and heartburn, and there were no clinical recurrence cases.Conclusion:Laparoscopic biological patch repair combined with gastric fundus folding used for the treatment of hiatal hernia combined with gastroesophageal reflux disease is successful, and the short-term therapeutic effect is promising.

Deep brain stimulation(DBS)has witnessed rapid advancement as a neurosurgical intervention over the past four decades,addressing movement disorders and a spectrum of neuropsychiatric conditions.Notably,subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation(STN-DBS)is widely implemented in the management of Parkinson's disease(PD)patients experiencing refractory motor fluctuations and complications,and has shown promise in ameliorating non-motor symptoms(NMS).However,the long-term efficacy of STN-DBS on NMS remains a subject of scholarly discourse.This review endeavors to synthesize current knowledge regarding the long-term impacts,underlying mechanisms,and future research directions of STN-DBS in the context of NMS in Parkinson's disease.

The liver performs multiple life-sustaining functions. Hepatic diseases, including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatoma, pose significant health and economic burdens globally. Along with the advances in nanotechnology, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) exhibiting diversiform size and shape, distinct morphological properties, and favorable physico-chemical features have become an ideal choice for drug delivery systems and inspire alternative thinking for the management of hepatic diseases. Initially, we introduce the physiological structure of the liver and highlight its intrinsic cell types and correlative functions. Next, we detail the synthesis methods and physicochemical properties of MSNs and their capacity for controlled drug loading and release. Particularly, we discuss the interactions between liver and MSNs with respect to the passive targeting mechanisms of MSNs within the liver by adjusting their particle size, pore diameter, surface charge, hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, and surface functionalization. Subsequently, we emphasize the role of MSNs in regulating liver pathophysiology, exploring their value in addressing liver pathological states, such as tumors and inflammation, combined with multi-functional designs and intelligent modes to enhance drug targeting and minimize side effects. Lastly, we put forward the problems, challenges, opportunities, as well as clinical translational issues faced by MSNs in the management of liver diseases.

In protein engineering, while computational models are increasingly used to predict mutation effects, their evaluations primarily rely on high-throughput deep mutational scanning (DMS) experiments that use surrogate readouts, which may not adequately capture the complex biochemical properties of interest. Many proteins and their functions cannot be assessed through high-throughput methods due to technical limitations or the nature of the desired properties, and this is particularly true for the real industrial application scenario. Therefore, the desired testing datasets, will be small-size (∼10-100) experimental data for each protein, and involve as many proteins as possible and as many properties as possible, which is, however, lacking. Here, we present VenusMutHub, a comprehensive benchmark study using 905 small-scale experimental datasets curated from published literature and public databases, spanning 527 proteins across diverse functional properties including stability, activity, binding affinity, and selectivity. These datasets feature direct biochemical measurements rather than surrogate readouts, providing a more rigorous assessment of model performance in predicting mutations that affect specific molecular functions. We evaluate 23 computational models across various methodological paradigms, such as sequence-based, structure-informed and evolutionary approaches. This benchmark provides practical guidance for selecting appropriate prediction methods in protein engineering applications where accurate prediction of specific functional properties is crucial.

To investigate the incidence of postoperative neuropsychic dysfunction (PND) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) and to analyze its influencing factors.

Deep brain stimulation(DBS)has witnessed rapid advancement as a neurosurgical intervention over the past four decades,addressing movement disorders and a spectrum of neuropsychiatric conditions.Notably,subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation(STN-DBS)is widely implemented in the management of Parkinson's disease(PD)patients experiencing refractory motor fluctuations and complications,and has shown promise in ameliorating non-motor symptoms(NMS).However,the long-term efficacy of STN-DBS on NMS remains a subject of scholarly discourse.This review endeavors to synthesize current knowledge regarding the long-term impacts,underlying mechanisms,and future research directions of STN-DBS in the context of NMS in Parkinson's disease.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of laparoscopic biological patch repair combined with gastric fundus folding in the treatment of esophageal hiatal hernia complicated with gastroesophageal reflux disease.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 161 cases of laparoscopic esophageal hiatal hernia with biological patch repair combined with gastric fundus folding surgery treated at Hunan Second People's Hospital from Jan 2021 to Dec 2022.Results:All 161 cases of laparoscopic esophageal hiatal hernia repair combined with gastric fundus folding surgery were successfully completed, with an operation time of (92.2±20.1) min, intraoperative bleeding volume of (31.0±10.4) ml, postoperative hospital stay of (5.6±1.5) d, and postoperative acid reflux symptoms were alleviated. Three cases had difficult swallowing early after surgery, and they recovered after 3 weeks of medication treatment and dietary guidance. After discharge, 156 patients were followed up for a period of 4 to 24 months, with a follow-up rate of 97%. Among them, 151 patients had no more clinical symptoms, 5 had occasional acid reflux and heartburn, and there were no clinical recurrence cases.Conclusion:Laparoscopic biological patch repair combined with gastric fundus folding used for the treatment of hiatal hernia combined with gastroesophageal reflux disease is successful, and the short-term therapeutic effect is promising.

Background and purpose:Next generation sequencing-identified genetic alterations of diffuse large B cell lymphoma(DLBCL)and baseline SUVmax detected by 18F-FDG PET/CT were correlated with patients'prognosis.However,their relationship and the associations with R-CHOP response of DLBCL are still unclear.This study aimed to analyze the association bewteen genetic alterations and 18F-FDG PET/CT SUVmax and their correlations with clinicopathological characteristics and R-CHOP response of DLBCL.Methods:A total of 225 cases of primary DLBCL detected by next generation sequencing using 481 lymphoma gene panel and examined by 18F-FDG PET/CT before treatment between 2022 and 2023 were collected.This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center(Ethical No.:050432-4-2307E)and acquired the informed consent of the patients.The translocations of BCL2,BCL6 and MYC were identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization.The clinicopathological characteristics and the PET/CT scan after R-CHOP chemotherapy were collected.Results:Finally,191 patients were enrolled in this study.The frequency of MYD88 mutation,TP53 mutation,copy number variations of CDKN2A/2B,CD79B mutation in the 191 DLBCL patients were 24.6%,27.2%,32.5%and 16.8%,respectively.The range of baseline SUVmax was 5.10-63.10(24.44±10.70,median 22.80).The baseline SUVmax of MYD88L265P DLBCL was significantly higher than that of MYD88 wild type(P=0.039).There were no significant associations of SUVmax with other gene alterations including TP53 mutation,CDKN2A/B loss,CD79B mutation,KMT2D mutation,TNFAIP3 mutation,B2M mutation,EZH2 mutation,BTG1/2 mutation,CREBBP mutation,gene translocations of MYC,BCL2 and BCL6.The higher SUVmax before treatment was correlated with higher serum lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)level(P=0.012)and non-germinal center B-cell-like(non-GCB)DLBCL(P=0.040).However,there was no significant association of SUVmax with R-CHOP response(P=0.714).TP53 mutation was significantly associated with the poor response of R-CHOP(P=0.001)and was an independent predictor of non-complete metabolic response(non-CMR).TP53 mutation combined with Ann Arbor stage,International Prognostic Index(IPI)score and serum LDH level could better predict R-CHOP response than each factor alone.Conclusion:MYD88L265P DLBCL had higher baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT SUVmax.The baseline SUVmax was not associated with R-CHOP response.However,TP53 mutation was significantly correlated with poor response of R-CHOP in DLBCL patients.TP53 mutation combined with clinicopathological characteristics could better predict R-CHOP response.The associations of gene alterations and SUVmax with prognosis of DLBCL patients needed to be explored in the future.

Objective To investigate effects of Cordyceps sinensis(CS)on high glucose(HG)induced podocyte injury by regulating the adenylate activated protein kinase(AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)signaling pathway.Methods Mouse podocytes were cultured in vitro and divided into the normal glucose(NG)group,the HG group,the HG+CS group,the HG+CS+autophagy inhibitor(HG+CS+3MA)group and the HG+CS+AMPK inhibitor(HG+CS+Compound C)group.Podocyte viability was detected by CCK-8 method.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression levels of podocyte marker proteins podocin and nephrin,autophagy-related proteins Beclin-1 and P62,and pathway related proteins p-AMPK and p-mTOR.Results Compared with the NG group,the cell viability of podocytes decreased,the expression levels of podocin,nephrin,Beclin-1 and p-AMPK protein were decreased,and the expression levels of P62 and p-mTOR protein were increased in the HG group(P＜0.05).Compared with the HG group,the cell viability of podocytes was increased,the expression levels of podocin,nephrin,Beclin-1 and p-AMPK protein were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the expression levels of P62 and p-mTOR protein were decreased in the HG+CS group(P＜0.05).Compared with the HG+CS group,the cell viability decreased in the HG+CS+3MA group and the HG+CS+Compound C group(P＜0.05).Compared with the HG+CS group,the HG+CS+3MA group and the HG+CS+Compound C group showed decreased expression levels of podocin,nephrin and Beclin-1 protein,and increased expression of P62 protein(P＜0.05).Compared with the HG+CS group,the expression of p-AMPK protein decreased and the expression of p-mTOR protein increased in the HG+CS+Compound C group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Cordyceps sinensis may play a protective role in diabetic nephropathy by up-regulating AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway to induce podocyte autophagy,alleviate high glucose induced podocyte injury and apoptosis.