ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of gray matter structure and clinical symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease （AD） comorbid with apathy （AD-A）. MethodsThe study included 30 patients with AD-A， 30 AD disease patients without apathy （AD without apathy， AD-NA）， and 30 healthy controls （HCs） matched in gender， age， and years of education. All participants underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） scans. Voxel-based morphometry （VBM） was used to analyze changes in gray matter volume among the three groups. Additionally， the correlation between the identified abnormal brain regions and apathy scale scores was analyzed. ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences among the three groups in terms of age， gender， years of education， or total intracranial volume. Compared with the HCs group， both the AD-A and AD-NA groups showed significantly lower scores in cognitive function （P<0.001）. The AD-A group exhibited significantly higher apathy scale scores compared with the AD-NA group （P<0.001）. Compared with the AD-NA group， the AD-A group showed reduced gray matter volume in the bilateral caudate nucleus， left orbitofrontal cortex， lingual gyrus， inferior frontal gyrus， superior frontal gyrus， entorhinal cortex， right middle frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate cortex （FWE-corrected， P<0.05 for all）. Compared with the HCs group， the AD-A group exhibited reduced gray matter volume in the bilateral middle temporal gyrus， left fusiform gyrus， calcarine sulcus， postcentral gyrus， right inferior frontal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus （FWE-corrected， P<0.05 for all）. Compared with the HCs group， the AD-NA group showed reduced gray matter volume in the left precuneus， inferior temporal gyrus， and right inferior temporal gyrus （FWE-corrected， P<0.05 for all）. In the AD-A group， changes in the gray matter volume of the left caudate nucleus （r= -0.557， P=0.002） and right middle frontal gyrus （r=-0.620， P=0.001） were negatively correlated with the apathy evaluation scale （AES） scores. ConclusionPatients in the AD-A group exhibited significant atrophy in the frontal-temporal-basal ganglia circuit， and the degree of gray matter atrophy was correlated with the severity of apathy.

The high comorbidity and heterogeneity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) underscore the importance of better understanding its transdiagnostic features. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU), a transdiagnostic negative psychological trait, has been consistently linked to a variety of psychiatric disorders, including OCD. IU is hierarchically structured, comprising general IU, inhibitory IU and prospective IU, each of them potentially relating differently to OCD symptom dimensions. For example, inhibitory IU has shown specific associations with procrastination behaviors. Neuroimaging studies indicate that OCD patients demonstrate abnormal neural activity within the fronto-limbic circuit and salience network, including anterior insula, amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, during IU-related psychological processes. This review synthesizes findings across three key areas: symptom presentation, neurobiological mechanisms and intervention strategies, aiming to clarify the role of IU in OCD. Furthermore, the potential of targeting IU therapeutically to complement first-line treatment is discussed, ultimately enhancing clinical intervention outcomes.

The high comorbidity and heterogeneity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) underscore the importance of better understanding its transdiagnostic features. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU), a transdiagnostic negative psychological trait, has been consistently linked to a variety of psychiatric disorders, including OCD. IU is hierarchically structured, comprising general IU, inhibitory IU and prospective IU, each of them potentially relating differently to OCD symptom dimensions. For example, inhibitory IU has shown specific associations with procrastination behaviors. Neuroimaging studies indicate that OCD patients demonstrate abnormal neural activity within the fronto-limbic circuit and salience network, including anterior insula, amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, during IU-related psychological processes. This review synthesizes findings across three key areas: symptom presentation, neurobiological mechanisms and intervention strategies, aiming to clarify the role of IU in OCD. Furthermore, the potential of targeting IU therapeutically to complement first-line treatment is discussed, ultimately enhancing clinical intervention outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: In light of the rise in the global aging population, this study investigated the potential of the oxidative balance score (OBS) as an indicator of phenotypic age acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel) to better understand and potentially slow down aging. METHODS: Utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected between 2001 and 2010, including 13,142 United States adults (48.7% female and 51.2% male) aged 20 and above, OBS and PhenoAgeAccel were calculated. Weighted generalized linear regression models were employed to explore the associations between OBS and PhenoAgeAccel, including a sex-specific analysis. RESULTS: The OBS demonstrated significant variability across various demographic and health-related factors. There was a clear negative correlation observed between the higher OBS quartiles and PhenoAgeAccel, which presented sex-specific results: the negative association between OBS and PhenoAgeAccel was more pronounced in male than in female. An analysis using restricted cubic splines revealed no significant non-linear relationships. Interaction effects were noted solely in the context of sex and hyperlipidemia. CONCLUSIONS A higher OBS was significantly associated with a slower aging process, as measured by lower PhenoAgeAccel. These findings underscore the importance of OBS as a biomarker in the study of aging and point to sex and hyperlipidemia as variables that may affect this association. Additional research is required to confirm these results and to investigate the biological underpinnings of this relationship.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a traumatic disease that has transient impairment of consciousness and memory function after an external force to the head with basically normal neurological function and neuroimaging examination results. At present, research on mTBI is insufficient, resulting from early diagnosed difficulty of mTBI patients (due to mild clinical manifestations) and not suitable traditional diagnosis and treatment evaluation methods. This article reviews the research progress in the pathogenesis, auxiliary examinations, treatment principles and related diseases of mTBI, aiming to provide new theoretical basis for diagnosis and treatment of mTBI.

Objective To explore the predictive value of glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism indexes for in-stent restenosis(ISR)in patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans(ASO)of lower limbs after surgery.Methods A total of 160 patients with ASO of lower limbs admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2018 to October 2021 were selected as the research subjects.All patients were treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty combined with stent implantation and were followed up for 1 year.Patients were divided into the ISR group(n=59)and the non-ISR group(n=101),according to the incidence of ISR during the follow-up period.General clinical data of patients in the two groups were collected.Univariate analysis was performed to preliminarily screen out the influencing factors for ISR,and the selected indexes were further analyzed by multivariate logistic regression to analyze the influencing factors for the occurrence of ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs after surgery.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the value of the glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism indexes one day before discharge alone and their combination in predicting the occurrence of ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs after surgery.The net benefit rate of predicting the occurrence of ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs by the levels of glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism indexes one day before discharge alone and their combination was analyzed through the decision curve.Results Among the 160 patients,59 developed ISR,with an incidence rate of 36.88％.There was no significant difference in age,gender,alcohol consumption,complications,affected side,Fontaine stage,fasting plasma glucose,and serum triglycerides of patients between the ISR group and the non-ISR group(P＞0.05);the proportion of smokers and the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c)in peripheral blood and low-density lipoprotein(LDL)in serum of patients in the ISR group were significantly higher than those in the non-ISR group,while the level of high-density lipoprotein(HDL)in serum was significantly lower than that in the non-ISR group(P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the elevated levels of HbA1 c in peripheral blood and LDL in serum were risk factors for ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs after surgery(odds ratio＞1.00,P＜0.05),and the increased level of HDL in serum was the protective factor for ISR in patients with ASO of limbs after surgery(odds ratio＜1.00,P＜0.05).The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve of peripheral blood HbA1c,serum LDL and HDL levels alone and their combination in predicting the occurrence of ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs after surgery was 0.717,0.761,0.654,and 0.824,respectively;the specificity was 0.861,0.792,0.851,and 0.663,respectively;and the sensitivity was 0.525,0.678,0.424,and 0.864,respectively.The decision curve showed that the net benefit rate for the combination of peripheral blood HbA1c,serum LDL and HDL levels one day before discharge in predicting the occurrence of ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs after surgery was higher than that of prediction by the said indexes alone.Conclusion Glucose metabolism index peripheral blood HbA1c and lipid metabolism indexes serum LDL and HDL have certain predictive values for the occurrence of ISR in patients with ASO of lower limbs after surgery,and the net benefit rate of the joint prediction of the three indexes is higher.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment of patients with perianal necrotizing fasciitis.Methods:This study was a retrospective cohort study. Twenty patients with perianal necrotizing fasciitis who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University (hereinafter referred to as our department) from August 2013 to September 2023, including 19 males and 1 female, aged 24-74 (56±11) years. Based on the spreading route of perianal infection to the lower abdomen, the patients were divided into perianal-inguinal-lower abdominal wall group (12 cases) and perianal-pelvic cavity-retroperitoneal group (8 cases). The following clinical data were compared between the two groups of patients: general data, including gender, age, combined underlying diseases, blood glucose level and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score when admitted to our department, and laboratory risk indicator for necrotizing fasciitis (LRINEC) score when admitted to our department and at 14 d after admitted to our department; infection indicators when admitted to our department, including C-reactive protein level, white blood cell count, lymphocyte count, procalcitonin level, and lactic acid level; clinical outcome-related indicators, including time from onset to definite infection range, number of surgery, treatment in intensive care unit (ICU), length of hospital stay, treatment outcome, and recurrence of necrotizing fasciitis during follow-up; detection of pathogen and bacterial drug resistance in wound necrotic tissue specimen when admitted to our department.Results:Compared with those in perianal-inguinal-lower abdominal wall group, the APACHE Ⅱ score and lactic acid level when admitted to our department and LRINEC score at 14 d after admitted to our department (with t values of -5.98, -5.01, and -2.86, respectively, P<0.05) and ICU treatment ratio ( P<0.05) were significantly increased, the time from onset to definite infection range was significantly prolonged ( Z=-3.75, P<0.05), and the number of surgery was significantly increased ( Z=2.80, P<0.05) in patients in perianal-pelvic cavity-retroperitoneal group. There were no statistically significant differences in other data between the two groups of patients ( P>0.05). Eighteen patients were cured, and no recurrence of perianal necrotizing fasciitis was observed during follow-up of 6 months in 18 cured patients. The main bacteria were Escherichia coliand Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the fungui were Aspergillus and Candida albicans detected in wound necrotic tissue specimens in two groups of patients when admitted to our department. The ratio of multiple drug resistance of bacteria in wound necrotic tissue specimens in perianal-pelvic cavity-retroperitoneal group of patients was significantly higher than that in perianal-inguinal-lower abdominal wall group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Perianal necrotizing fasciitis can spread to the lower abdomen through two routes: the perianal-inguinal-lower abdominal wall route and the perianal-pelvic cavity-retroperitoneal route. The latter is more insidious in disease progression and more challenging in treatment. Establishing a mechanism of multi-disciplinary team diagnosis and treatment can achieve the goal of early diagnosis and precise treatment of perianal necrotizing fasciitis.

Objective     To evaluate the early clinical effect of reimplantation in the treatment of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) with aortic root aneurysm. Methods     The clinical data of 25 patients with BAV and aortic root aneurysm [mean diameter: 45-63 (52.68±5.55) mm] undergoing reimplantation in West China Hospital from November 2019 to May 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. There were 22 males and 3 females. The mean age was 15-65 (50.00±13.10) years and body surface area was 1.79±0.23 m2. Results    The pathological classification of BAV malformation was confirmed during the operation: Type 0 in 3 patients and Type 1 in 22 patients. There were 12 patients undergoing cusp central plication, and 2 patients were sutured with a closed fusion crest. Postoperative valve leaflet coaptation height was 0.78±0.15 cm, and effective height was 1.27±0.19 cm. In operation, maximum aortic valve flow velocity was 1.65±0.42 m/s, pressure difference was 5.46±3.05 mm Hg, and aortic valve annulus diameter was 21.32±0.95 mm. Cardiopulmonary bypass time was 225.84±35.34 min, and aortic block time was 189.60±26.51 min. In-hospital time was 11.64±3.07 d, ICU stay time was 2.64±0.99 d, and mechanical ventilation time was 1.48±0.87 d. The follow-up time was 17.20±4.70 months, and no death or major complications occurred during the follow-up in all patients. The cardiac function of the patients significantly improved postoperatively (P≤0.05). Echocardiography suggested that 12 patients had no aortic regurgitation, 10 minor aortic regurgitation, 3 mild aortic regurgitation, and no patients with moderate or more severe regurgitation. The diameter of the aortic sinus, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and volume decreased during the follow-up, compared to preoperative ones (P≤0.05). The maximum flow velocity of the aortic valve was 1.54±0.36 m/s, and the pressure difference was 5.17±2.38 mm Hg during the follow-up. Conclusion    Reimplantation technology has a good clinical effect for highly selective BAV patients. It can effectively avoid long-term postoperative anticoagulation, but the maximum flow rate after surgery is slightly increased, which may be related to the configuration of BAV itself. While compared with valve replacement, the effect is still worthy of recognition.

Animals ; CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics* ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Mice ; Plasmids ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; RNA, Guide

Data mining has been widely used in the study of cardiovascular disease prognosis. For stroke prognosis, the focus was mainly on the prediction of intervention effectiveness. In contrast, the focus was primarily on predicting natural prognostic and intervention safety for other cardiovascular diseases. In addition, compared with traditional statistical methods, machine learning, especially deep learning based on neural networks has much better performance in predicting the prognosis of cardiovascular diseases, which is worthy of further promotion and application. Therefore, this study systematically reviewed the recent application progress of data mining in cardiovascular disease prognosis, summarized the shortcomings of current studies, and put forward future directions.