ObjectiveTo investigate the migration and distribution characteristics of chemical constituents in blood and hippocampal tissues before and after vinegar processing of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride（CRPV）， and to explore the potential material basis and mechanisms underlying their regulatory effects on emotional disorders by comparing the effects of raw and vinegar-processed products of CRPV. MethodsUltra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS） was employed to characterize and identify the chemical constituents of raw and vinegar-processed products of CRPV extracts， as well as their migrating components in blood and hippocampal tissues after oral administration. Reference standards， databases， and relevant literature were utilized for compound annotation， with data processing performed using PeakView 1.2 software. Seventy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into seven groups， including the blank group， model group， diazepam group（2.5 mg·kg^-1）， raw CRPV low/high dose groups（0.6， 1.2 g·kg^-1）， and vinegar-processed CRPV low/high dose groups（0.6， 1.2 g·kg^-1）， with 10 mice per group. Except for the blank group， all other groups underwent chronic restraint stress（2 h·d^-1） for 20 d. Each drug-treated group received oral administration at the predetermined dose starting 10 d after modeling， with a total treatment duration of 10 d. Following model-based drug administration， mice underwent open-field， forced swimming， and elevated plus maze tests. After anesthesia with isoflurane， whole brains were collected from each group of mice， and hippocampi were dissected. Reactive oxygen species（ROS） level in hippocampal tissues was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe hippocampal tissue morphology. Immunofluorescence was performed to detect neuronal nuclei（NeuN） and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha（PPARα） expressions in hippocampal tissue. Then， pharmacodynamic evaluations were conducted to assess the effects of raw and vinegar-processed CRPV on mood disorders， exploring the potential mechanisms. ResultsVinegar processing caused significant changes in the chemical composition of CRPV， with 18 components showing increased relative content and 35 components showing decreased relative content. The primary changes occurred in flavonoid compounds， including 20 flavonoids， 20 flavonoid glycosides， 3 triterpenes， 3 phenolic acids， 1 alkaloid， and 6 other compounds. Twenty-one components were detected in blood（15 methoxyflavones， 4 flavonoid glycosides， and 2 phenolic acids）， with 17 shared between raw and vinegar-processed CRPV. Seven components reached hippocampal tissues（all common to both forms）. In regulating emotional disorders， Vinegar-processed CRPV exhibited superior antidepressant-like effects compared to raw products. HE staining revealed that both treatments improved hippocampal neuronal morphology， particularly in the damaged CA1 and CA3 regions. Immunofluorescence and ELISA analyses demonstrated that both raw and vinegar-processed CRPV significantly modulated NeuN and PPARα expressions in hippocampal tissue while alleviating oxidative stress induced by excessive ROS（P<0.05）. ConclusionThe chemical composition of CRPV undergoes changes after vinegar processing， but the migrating components in blood and hippocampus are primarily methoxyflavonoids. These components may serve as the potential material basis for activating the PPARα pathway， thereby negatively regulating ROS generation in the hippocampus， reducing oxidative stress， and promoting the development of NeuN-positive neurons. These findings provide experimental evidence for enhancing quality standards， pharmacodynamic material research， and active drug development of raw and vinegar-processed CRPV.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether Huanglian Jiedutang can inhibit neutrophil infiltration in the brains of middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） mice by regulating the expression of neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes， thereby achieving therapeutic effects. MethodsA total of 130 male specific pathogen-free （SPF） C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups： Sham-operated group， MCAO model group， Huanglian Jiedutang group （6 g·kg^-1）， and Ginaton group （21.6 mg·kg^-1）， with 10 mice in the Ginaton group and 40 mice in each of the remaining three groups. Mice in the Huanglian Jiedutang group and the Ginaton group were administered the corresponding drugs by oral gavage once daily at a volume of 0.15 mL·（10 g）^-1 for 7 consecutive days， while the sham-operated and model groups received an equal volume of saline via the same route. After 7 days， MCAO surgery was performed. The distal and proximal ends of the right common carotid artery （CCA） were ligated， a small incision was made between the two ligatures， and a silicone rubber-coated monofilament with a rounded tip was inserted into the lumen to occlude the CCA. The filament was left in place for 1 h to establish a focal cerebral ischemia model. At 24 h after modeling， mice were evaluated. Neurological function was assessed using the Longa score. Cerebral infarct volume was measured by 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining. Cerebral blood flow was observed by laser speckle imaging. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining and Nissl staining were used to observe pathological changes in brain tissues. Exosomes were isolated from mouse plasma and brain tissues by ultracentrifugation and molecular size exclusion and identified by electron microscopy， particle size analysis， and protein blotting. Long-chain RNA libraries of exosomes were constructed and sequenced. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of inflammatory factors and neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues of each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the protein expression of inflammatory factors and neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes from brain tissues of each group. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of the neutrophil-specific protein myeloperoxidase （MPO） in the brains of mice in each group. ResultsCompared with the sham-operated group， the model group showed decreased neurological function scores （P<0.01）， obvious cerebral infarction （P<0.01）， reduced cerebral blood flow （P<0.01）， neuronal necrosis in the brain， and decreased numbers of Nissl bodies （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL1， CXCL2， CXCL3， CXCL10， CCL2， and CCL3 in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL2， and CXCL10 in exosomes from brain tissues were increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and MPO-positive rates and mean optical density values in brain tissues were elevated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Huanglian Jiedutang group and the Ginaton group showed increased neurological function scores （P<0.05）， reduced cerebral infarct volume （P<0.01）， restored cerebral blood flow （P<0.01）， reduced necrotic cells in the brain， and increased numbers of Nissl bodies （P<0.01）. In the Huanglian Jiedutang group， the mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL1， CXCL2， CXCL3， CXCL10， CCL2， and CCL3 in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues were decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL2， and CXCL10 in exosomes from brain tissues were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and MPO-positive rates and mean optical density values in brain tissues were decreased （P<0.01）. ConclusionHuanglian Jiedutang can effectively regulate the expression of neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues of MCAO mice， thereby reducing neutrophil infiltration in the brain and achieving therapeutic effects.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether Huanglian Jiedutang can inhibit neutrophil infiltration in the brains of middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） mice by regulating the expression of neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes， thereby achieving therapeutic effects. MethodsA total of 130 male specific pathogen-free （SPF） C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups： Sham-operated group， MCAO model group， Huanglian Jiedutang group （6 g·kg^-1）， and Ginaton group （21.6 mg·kg^-1）， with 10 mice in the Ginaton group and 40 mice in each of the remaining three groups. Mice in the Huanglian Jiedutang group and the Ginaton group were administered the corresponding drugs by oral gavage once daily at a volume of 0.15 mL·（10 g）^-1 for 7 consecutive days， while the sham-operated and model groups received an equal volume of saline via the same route. After 7 days， MCAO surgery was performed. The distal and proximal ends of the right common carotid artery （CCA） were ligated， a small incision was made between the two ligatures， and a silicone rubber-coated monofilament with a rounded tip was inserted into the lumen to occlude the CCA. The filament was left in place for 1 h to establish a focal cerebral ischemia model. At 24 h after modeling， mice were evaluated. Neurological function was assessed using the Longa score. Cerebral infarct volume was measured by 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining. Cerebral blood flow was observed by laser speckle imaging. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining and Nissl staining were used to observe pathological changes in brain tissues. Exosomes were isolated from mouse plasma and brain tissues by ultracentrifugation and molecular size exclusion and identified by electron microscopy， particle size analysis， and protein blotting. Long-chain RNA libraries of exosomes were constructed and sequenced. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of inflammatory factors and neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues of each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the protein expression of inflammatory factors and neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes from brain tissues of each group. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of the neutrophil-specific protein myeloperoxidase （MPO） in the brains of mice in each group. ResultsCompared with the sham-operated group， the model group showed decreased neurological function scores （P<0.01）， obvious cerebral infarction （P<0.01）， reduced cerebral blood flow （P<0.01）， neuronal necrosis in the brain， and decreased numbers of Nissl bodies （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL1， CXCL2， CXCL3， CXCL10， CCL2， and CCL3 in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL2， and CXCL10 in exosomes from brain tissues were increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and MPO-positive rates and mean optical density values in brain tissues were elevated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Huanglian Jiedutang group and the Ginaton group showed increased neurological function scores （P<0.05）， reduced cerebral infarct volume （P<0.01）， restored cerebral blood flow （P<0.01）， reduced necrotic cells in the brain， and increased numbers of Nissl bodies （P<0.01）. In the Huanglian Jiedutang group， the mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL1， CXCL2， CXCL3， CXCL10， CCL2， and CCL3 in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues were decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The protein expression levels of IL-1β， MPO， CXCL2， and CXCL10 in exosomes from brain tissues were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and MPO-positive rates and mean optical density values in brain tissues were decreased （P<0.01）. ConclusionHuanglian Jiedutang can effectively regulate the expression of neutrophil-related chemokines in exosomes from plasma and brain tissues of MCAO mice， thereby reducing neutrophil infiltration in the brain and achieving therapeutic effects.

ObjectiveTo explore the driving forces for oncology nurses’ participation in palliative care work， thereby providing a theoretical basis for the improvement of education and training， incentive mechanisms， and other aspects of the palliative care nursing staff. MethodsEmploying a qualitative research method， semi-structured interviews lasting 40-60 minutes were conducted with 14 nurses who had participated in palliative care work. The interview data were analyzed using the Colaizzi seven-step analysis method. ResultsInternal positive driving forces were job interest， empathy， and a sense of professional responsibility， while the negative was low psychological resilience. External positive driving forces included high work support， professional identity， mutual benefits for nurses and patients， and positive patient attitudes， whereas negative driving forces comprised busy routine clinical work， lack of a reward and incentive system， and bland or negative patient attitudes. ConclusionIt is essential to provide a flexible platform for the enhancement of nurses’ professional capabilities in palliative care， intensify the publicity of palliative care and death education； intervene and guide nurses’ negative emotions， improve and implement relevant incentive systems， and standardize the job recognition and scope of responsibilities of palliative care nurses.

Objective: To investigate the factors affecting cognition and vaccination willingness to receive human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine among male university students, so as to provide a basis for formulating health education and promotion strategies for HPV vaccination in males. Methods: From March to June 2025, a convenience sampling method was used to recruit full-time male undergraduate students from 23 universities in Zhejiang Province. Self-administered questionnaires were employed to collect information on participants' basic demographics, sexual behaviors, knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccines, and willingness to receive HPV vaccination. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors for vaccination willingness to receive HPV vaccine among male university students. Results: A total of 402 male university students were surveyed, with a mean age of (20.20±1.95) years. Among them, 65 participants reported having engaged in sexual behavior, accounting for 16.17%. Additionally, 192 students perceived themselves to be at relatively high risk of HPV infection, accounting for 47.76%. Knowledge of HPV and the HPV vaccine was reported by 227 participants, corresponding to an awareness rate of 56.47%. Willingness to receive HPV vaccine was expressed by 242 individuals, reflecting a vaccination willingness rate of 60.20%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that male university students who were medical majors (OR = 3.404, 95% CI: 1.396-8.301), had engaged in sexual behavior (OR = 2.341, 95% CI: 1.102-4.970), perceived themselves to be at higher risk of HPV infection (OR = 1.631, 95% CI: 1.041-2.557), recognized the necessity of HPV vaccination for males (OR = 8.955, 95% CI: 4.705-17.044), and had been exposed to HPV vaccine promotion activities in their university (OR = 2.277, 95% CI: 1.320-3.926) showed a higher willingness to receive HPV vaccine. Conversely, those who had concerns about vaccine safety (OR = 0.510, 95% CI: 0.292-0.890), were unaware of the HPV vaccine appointment process (OR = 0.400, 95% CI: 0.232-0.690), or expressed concerns about the cost of the vaccine (OR = 0.560, 95% CI: 0.322-0.976) exhibited a lower willingness to be vaccinated. Conclusions Male university students in Zhejiang Province demonstrated a relatively low level of cognition regarding HPV and HPV vaccine, yet expressed a comparatively high willingness to receive HPV vaccine. Factors affecting vaccination willingness to receive HPV vaccine among male university students included cognition of HPV and HPV vaccine, self-perceived risk of HPV infection, concerns about vaccine safety, awareness of the vaccine appointment process, and considerations regarding vaccine cost.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Ningxin Shugan decoction combined with an antagonist fixation regimen on in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer （IVF-ET） outcomes and serum kisspeptin expression in infertility patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. MethodsA total of 96 infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome treated in Yancheng No.1 People's Hospital and Yancheng Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine were enrolled in this study and randomized into control and observation groups （n=48）. The control group was treated with an antagonist fixation regimen， and the observation group was treated with Ningxin Shugan decoction on the basis of the treatment in the control group. The clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups. The total score and single scores of TCM symptoms， ovulation promotion status， and serum levels of reproductive hormones， miR-335-5p， miR-141-3p， and kisspeptin were determined before and after treatment. The IVF-ET outcome indicators and treatment safety were evaluated. Pearson test was conducted to analyze the correlations of serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， kisspeptin， miR-335-5p， and miR-141-3p with IVF-ET outcomes. ResultsThe total response rate in the observation group was 90.91%， which was higher than that （70.45%） in the control group （P<0.05）. The total score and single scores of TCM symptoms and the testosterone， luteinizing hormone （LH）， and LH/FSH levels declined after treatment （P<0.05）， and they were lower in the observation group than in the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the serum levels of FSH， kisspeptin， miR-335-5p， and miR-141-3p rose in both groups， being higher in the observation group than in the control group （P<0.05）. The observation group showed higher ovulation number， number of MⅡ oocytes， embryo implantation rate， clinical pregnancy rate， and live birth rate than the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Serum levels of FSH， kisspeptin， miR-335-5p， and miR-141-3p were positively correlated with embryo implantation rate， clinical pregnancy rate， and live birth rate （P<0.01）. ConclusionNingxin Shugan decoction combined with the antagonist fixation regimen can improve the IVF-ET outcome， promote the serum kisspeptin expression， and increase the ovulation rate and pregnancy rate in infertility patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

ObjectiveTo screen and evaluate the antidepressant compounds of Curcumae Rhizoma， and explore its mechanism of regulating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2（Nrf2）/glutathione（GSH） peroxidase 4（GPX4）/GSH pathway from an antioxidant perspective. MethodsThe antioxidant activities in vitro of 11 characteristic components from Curcumae Rhizoma， including curcumol， curgerenone， curdione， curzerene， curcumenol， curcumenone， dehydrocurdione， isocurcumenol， furanodienone， furanodiene and zederone， were detected using 1，1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl（DPPH） and 2，2'-azinobis-（3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid） diammonium salt（ABTS） radical scavenging assays. The depression in Drosophila melanogaster was induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress（CUMS）， and W1118 wild-type male D. melanogaster were randomly divided into blank group， model group， curcumol group， curgerenone group， curdione group， curzerene group， curcumenol group，curcumenone group， dehydrocurdione group， isocurcumenol group， furanodienone group， furanodiene group， zederone group and fluoxetine group（10 μmol·L^-1）. The treatment groups received a dose of 0.1 g·L^-1 of 11 characteristic components from Curcumae Rhizoma， while the blank and model groups were administered equivalent volumes of solvent. The sucrose preference test， climbing test and forced swimming test were used to evaluate the behavioral indicators of depression in D. melanogaster. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry（LC-MS） was used to detect the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine（5-HT） and dopamine（DA） in the brain of D. melanogaster， and the entropy weight method was used to comprehensively evaluate neurobehavioral and neurotransmitter indicators， resulting in the identification of the antidepressant active components of Curcumae Rhizoma. In addition， a mouse depression model was established by CUMS， and C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into blank group， model group， low and high dose groups of curzerene（0.5， 1 mg·kg^-1）， and fluoxetine group（10 mg·kg^-1） to confirm the antidepressant effect of the optimal active ingredient by behavioral analysis. Flow cytometry was used to detect the content of reactive oxygen species（ROS） in the hippocampus of mice from each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the contents of adenosine triphosphate（ATP）， superoxide dismutase（SOD）， catalase（CAT） and GSH. Transmission electron microscope（TEM） was used to observe the effect of curzerene on the ultrastructure of mitochondria in hippocampal tissue. Western blot was performed to determine the level of Nrf2 protein， and Nrf2 inhibitor（ML385） was used to verify the relationship between the antidepressant effect of curzerene and regulation of Nrf2. Real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was employed to detect the effect of curzerene on the mRNA expression level of GPX. ResultsIn vitro antioxidant experiments showed that curzerene and curgerenone exhibited the most significant ability to scavenge free radicals， and comprehensive evaluation results of entropy weight method indicated that curzerene stood out as the most promising active component. Compared with the blank group， the model group exhibited a significant decrease in sucrose preference coefficient and the number of times entering the open field center（P<0.01）， as well as a significant increase in immobility time in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests（P<0.01）， and the ROS content in hippocampus significantly elevated（P<0.01）， while the ATP content significantly reduced（P<0.01）. In the hippocampal neurons of the model group， mitochondrial cristae were disordered， with vacuolation of the inner membrane and severe damage. Nrf2 protein expression level in the model group was significantly decreased（P<0.05）， and the antioxidant enzymes SOD， CAT and GSH contents were also significantly reduced（P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the gene expression levels of GPX1， GPX4 and GPX7 were significantly decreased（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the high-dose group of curzerene showed a significant increase in the sucrose preference coefficient and the number of times entering the open field center（P<0.05）， as well as a significant decrease in immobility time in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests（P<0.05， P<0.01）. The ROS content in the hippocampus of the high-dose group of curzerene was significantly reduced（P<0.01）， while the ATP content was significantly increased（P<0.05）. The neuronal mitochondrial damage in the hippocampus of the high-dose group of curzerene was alleviated， and the expression level of Nrf2 protein was significantly increased（P<0.05）. The Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 reversed the improvement of curzerene on depressive behaviors in CUMS mice. The GSH content in the hippocampal neurons of the high-dose group of curzerene was significantly increased（P<0.01）， while there were no significant differences in SOD and CAT contents. The expression level of GPX4 gene in the hippocampal neurons of the high-dose group of curzerene was significantly increased（P<0.05）， while there were no significant differences in other GPX genes. ConclusionCurzerene is the best component with antidepressant activity in Curcumae Rhizoma. It may improve mitochondrial dysfunction to exert its antidepressant effect by regulating Nrf2 and its downstream GPX4/GSH pathway rather than CAT or SOD pathways.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Yuejuwan on lipid metabolism in serum， prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of depressed mice based on lipidomics， and to explore the potential pathways for improving lipid metabolism to prevent depression. MethodsSeven-week-old C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into blank group， model group， Yuejuwan group（3.6 g·kg^-1） and fluoxetine group（10 mg·kg^-1）， and chronic unpredictable mild stress（CUMS） was used to establish the depression model. After 3 weeks of modeling， each administration group was gavaged with the corresponding drug solution according to the dose， and mice in the blank and model groups were given an equal volume of deionised water by gavage， one time/d for 2 weeks. After administration， the antidepressant effect of Yuejuwan was evaluated by neurobehavioral indices such as sucrose preference test， open field test， tail suspension test and forced swimming test. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to measure contents of total cholesterol（TC）， triglyceride（TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol（LDL-C）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol（HDL-C）， aspartate aminotransferase（AST） and alanine aminotransferase（ALT） in mouse serum. Lipidomic analysis of mouse serum， prefrontal cortex and hippocampus was performed based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap-electrostatic field orbitrap mass spectrometry（UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS）， and the expression of mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR）， ribosomal protein S6 kinase（S6K）， phosphorylation（p）-mTOR， p-S6K in gastric tissues of mice was detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the blank group， mice in the model group exhibited significantly reduced sucrose preference rate and center movement time in the open field test（P<0.01）， the immobility times in the tail suspension test and forced swimming test were significantly increased（P<0.01）， and serum levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， HDL-C， AST and ALT were significantly elevated（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Yuejuwan group showed a significant increase in the sucrose preference rate and center movement time in the open field test（P<0.01）， the immobility times in the tail suspension test and forced swimming test were significantly reduced（P<0.01）， and the serum levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， AST and ALT were significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Lipidomic analysis revealed that Yuejuwan had a significant effect on lipid metabolism in serum， prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of depressed mice， and The differential lipid metabolites were mainly enriched in the metabolic pathways of glycerophospholipid metabolism， sphingolipid signaling， and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein biosynthesis， among which the glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway was the most significant. Western blot results showed that compared with the blank group， the relative expression levels of p-mTOR/mTOR and p-S6K/S6K in the gastric tissues of mice in the model group were significantly increased（P<0.01）. In comparison with the model group， the relative expression levels of p-mTOR/mTOR and p-S6K/S6K in the gastric tissues of mice in the Yuejuwan group were significantly decreased（P<0.01）. ConclusionThe intervention of Yuejuwan on lipid metabolism is one of the potential pathways for its antidepressant effect， which may be related to the regulation of mTOR/S6K signaling pathway upstream of lipid metabolism in the gastric tissues.

ObjectiveAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by difficulties with communication and social interaction, restricted and repetitive behaviors. Previous studies have indicated that individuals with ASD exhibit early and lifelong attention deficits, which are closely related to the core symptoms of ASD. Basic visual attention processes may provide a critical foundation for their social communication and interaction abilities. Therefore, this study explores the behavior of children with ASD in capturing attention to changes in topological properties. MethodsOur study recruited twenty-seven ASD children diagnosed by professional clinicians according to DSM-5 and twenty-eight typically developing (TD) age-matched controls. In an attention capture task, we recorded the saccadic behaviors of children with ASD and TD in response to topological change (TC) and non-topological change (nTC) stimuli. Saccadic reaction time (SRT), visual search time (VS), and first fixation dwell time (FFDT) were used as indicators of attentional bias. Pearson correlation tests between the clinical assessment scales and attentional bias were conducted. ResultsThis study found that TD children had significantly faster SRT (P<0.05) and VS (P<0.05) for the TC stimuli compared to the nTC stimuli, while the children with ASD did not exhibit significant differences in either measure (P>0.05). Additionally, ASD children demonstrated significantly less attention towards the TC targets (measured by FFDT), in comparison to TD children (P<0.05). Furthermore, ASD children exhibited a significant negative linear correlation between their attentional bias (measured by VS) and their scores on the compulsive subscale (P<0.05). ConclusionThe results suggest that children with ASD have difficulty shifting their attention to objects with topological changes during change detection. This atypical attention may affect the child’s cognitive and behavioral development, thereby impacting their social communication and interaction. In sum, our findings indicate that difficulties in attentional capture by TC may be a key feature of ASD.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between maternal infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant during pregnancy and common infant illnesses and neurodevelopment. MethodsA cohort study was designed, selecting 113 pregnant women from Shanghai’s Pudong New Area who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by nasal swab reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and were transported to medical institutions for isolation treatment between March and May 2022. These women constituted the pregnancy infection group. Concurrently, 226 pregnant women from the same region and time period who did not infect with SARS-CoV-2 were selected as the control group. Both groups were followed up until delivery and their offspring’s one year old. The differences in the risk of common infant illnesses and the level of infant’s neurodevelopment at age one were compared between the two groups. ResultsNo significant difference was found in the incidence of common illnesses before one year of age between the pregnancy infection group and the control group. Additionally, no significant differences were found in any domain scores of the ASQ-3 between the two groups. ConclusionMaternal infection with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant during pregnancy was not statistically significant correlated with common infant illnesses in infancy and neurodevelopment at age one.