Objective:To conduct a scoping review to analyse the types, performance, advantages and disadvantages of cognitive function assessment tools for ICU patients, to provide a reference for the evaluation of cognitive function in ICU patients in future.Methods:A scoping review study was conducted, literature on cognitive function assessment tools for ICU patients in 9 domestic and foreign databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, China Biology Medicine disc, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase and CINAHL were systematically searched. The search period was from the establishment of the database to May 20, 2024. Literature was independently screened by 2 researchers and relevant information was extracted and summarized.Results:Totally 17 studies were included, with 9 tools for assessing cognitive function in ICU patients, including 6 questionnaires, 1 test battery, 1 assessment software, and 1 telephone interview questionnaire. All of above were generalizable tools, except for the Chinese and English versions of the John-Hopkins Adapted Cognitive Exam as ICU-specific tools. The Mini-Mental State Examination was the most widely used assessment scale.Conclusions:Appropriate assessment tools should be selected according to the specific clinical setting, but there is still a lack of specialized and standardized assessment tools for cognitive dysfunction in ICU patients. In the future, standardized tools which fit our cultural context for evaluating cognitive function in ICU patients should be developed.

Objective To establish age estimation models of northern Chinese Han adults using cranial suture images obtained by CT and multiplanar reformation(MPR),and to explore the applicability of cranial suture closure rule in age estimation of northern Chinese Han population.Methods The head CT samples of 132 northern Chinese Han adults aged 29-80 years were retrospectively collected.Volume reconstruction(VR)and MPR were performed on the skull,and 160 cranial suture tomography images were generated for each sample.Then the MPR images of cranial sutures were scored according to the closure grading criteria,and the mean closure grades of sagittal suture,coronal sutures(both left and right)and lambdoid sutures(both left and right)were calculated respectively.Finally taking the above grades as independent variables,the linear regression model and four machine learning models for age estimation(gradient boosting regression,support vector regression,decision tree regression and Bayesian ridge regression)were established for northern Chinese Han adults age estimation.The accu-racy of each model was evaluated.Results Each cranial suture closure grade was positively correlated with age and the correlation of sagittal suture was the highest.All four machine learning models had higher age estimation accuracy than linear regression model.The support vector regression model had the highest accuracy among the machine learning models with a mean absolute error of 9.542 years.Conclusion The combination of skull CT-MPR and machine learning model can be used for age esti-mation in northern Chinese Han adults,but it is still necessary to combine with other adult age estima-tion indicators in forensic practice.

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Hirudo， Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma， and drug pair on renal pathological morphology and protein phosphatase 2A （PP2A）/adenylate activated protein kinase （AMPK）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signal pathway in rats with chronic renal failure （CRF）. MethodThe 55 male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group （n=11） and a modeling group （n=44）. The normal group was fed conventionally， and the modeling group was given 0.25 g·kg^-1·d^-1 adenine by gavage for 28 days to replicate the CRF model. After successful modeling， rats were randomly divided into model group， Hirudo group （3 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma group （3 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and Hirudo + Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma group （3 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 9 rats in each group. The normal group and model group were given a constant volume of normal saline by intragastric administration for 30 days. At the end of the experiment， the levels of serum creatinine （SCr） and urea nitrogen （BUN） in all groups were measured. The renal pathological morphology changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， Masson staining， and electron microscopy. The mRNA expressions of PP2A， AMPK， and mTOR were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The protein expression levels of PP2A， AMPK， phosphorylation（p）-AMPK， mTOR， and p-mTOR in renal tissue were detected by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the renal pathological structure changes were obvious， and the levels of SCr and BUN were significantly increased. The mRNA expression of PP2A， protein expression of PP2A， and p-mTOR/mTOR expression were significantly increased， and the p-AMPK/AMPK was significantly decreased in the model group （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the renal pathological morphology changes were significantly improved， and the levels of SCr and BUN were significantly decreased. The mRNA expression of PP2A， protein expression of PP2A， and p-mTOR/mTOR expression in the renal tissue were significantly decreased， and the p-AMPK/AMPK was significantly increased （P<0.05） in all groups after drug intervention. In addition， the effect in the Hirudo+Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma group was better. The mRNA expression levels of AMPK and mTOR in the renal tissue were not significantly different among the normal group， model group， and other groups. ConclusionThe efficacy of Hirudo and Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma pairs in improving renal fibrosis in rats with CRF is significantly better than that of the single drug， and its improvement on renal fibrosis in rats with CRF may be related to the regulation of PP2A/AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

Objective:To observe the clinical outcomes of living related kidney transplantation (LRKT) recipients with hyperuricemia.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 212 cases of LRKTs performed between Jan. 2015 and Dec. 2021. All cases involved children who received a kidney transplant donated by their parents. Based on the average blood uric acid levels (>420 μmol/L) between 1 to 12 months postoperatively, the patients were divided into two groups: the hyperuricemia group (HUA, n=43) and the non-hyperuricemia group (non-HUA, n=169) . Demographic information, the incidence of adverse events within one year after the operation, serum creatinine (Scr) levels, and the survival rate of the transplanted kidney at 1, 3, and 5 years after the operation were compared between the groups. Results:The non-HUA group had a significantly shorter preoperative dialysis duration compared to the HUA group (median 350 days vs 484 days) . The incidence of delayed graft function and acute rejection within 1 year postoperatively was significantly higher in the HUA group compared to the non-HUA group (14.0% vs 4.7% and 11.6% vs 2.4%) . At 1, 3, and 5 years after surgery, the serum creatinine levels in the HUA group were significantly higher than those in the Non HUA group, which were (131.1±31.2) vs (116.3±32.1) mmol, (133.6±34.7) vs (119.9±31.9) mmol/L, and (137.3±32.4) vs (115.4±30.3) mmol/L. The survival rate of kidney transplantation was slightly lower in the HUA group compared to the non-HUA group, but the difference was not statistically significant.Conclusions:Hyperuricemia in kidney transplant recipients who received a donor kidney from their parents is associated with increased incidences of delayed graft function and acute rejection, as well as compromised graft kidney function.

Percutaneous nephrolithotripsy is the first line treatment for complete staghorn calculi, but there are risks such as renal function damage, bleeding, and infection. A case of complete staghorn calculi 8.3 cm×4.5 cm and mean CT value of 1 321 HU was reported. Urine culture suggested proteus mirabilis infection. The patient was given sensitive antibiotics for 3 days, and was treated with one session of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic lithotripsy with intelligent control of renal pelvic pressure. KUB on the first postoperative day showed residual stones of 1.0 cm×0.5 cm. There were no complications.

Idiopathic asthenozoospermia, a common factor in male infertility, is characterized by altered sperm motility function in fresh ejaculate. Although the β-defensin 126 (DEFB126) protein is associated with asthenozoospermia, DEFB126 gene polymorphisms have not been extensively studied. Therefore, the association between DEFB126 gene polymorphisms and asthenozoospermia requires further investigation. Screening was performed by semen analysis, karyotype analysis, and Y microdeletion detection, and 102 fertile men and 106 men with asthenozoospermia in Chengdu, China, were selected for DEFB126 gene sequence analyses. Seven nucleotide mutations and two nucleotide deletions in the DEFB126 gene were detected. rs11467417 (317-318 del/del), rs11467497 (163-166 wt/del), c.152T>C, and c.227A>G were significantly different between the control and asthenozoospermia groups, likely representing high-risk genetic factors for asthenozoospermia among males. DEFB126 expression was not observed in sperm with rs11467497 homozygous deletion and was unstable in sperm with rs11467417 homozygous deletion. The rs11467497 four-nucleotide deletion leads to truncation of DEFB126 at the carboxy-terminus, and the rs11467417 binucleotide deletion produces a non-stop messenger RNA (mRNA). The above deletions may be responsible for male hypofertility and infertility by reducing DEFB126 affinity to sperm surfaces. Based on in silico analysis, the amino acids 51M and 76K are located in the highly conserved domain; c.152T>C (M51T) and c.227A>G (K76R) are predicted to be damaging and capable of changing alternative splice, structural and posttranslational modification sites of the RNA, as well as the secondary structure, structural stability, and hydrophobicity of the protein, suggesting that these mutations are associated with asthenozoospermia.
Male ; Humans ; Asthenozoospermia/metabolism* ; Sperm Motility/genetics* ; Homozygote ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Semen ; Sequence Deletion/genetics* ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Nucleotides/metabolism* ; beta-Defensins/metabolism*

Objective:To explore the expression features of cytochrome C oxidase subunit Ⅰ (MT-CO1), BCL2 interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) and interleukin (IL)-1β in the liver of MRL/lpr lupus mice.Methods:The mRNA and protein levels of MT-CO1, BNIP3, IL-1β, p16 and p21 in lupus mice and control mice were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot, the IL-1β expression site were detected by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemical method, and themalondialdehyde (MDA) was detected by colorimetry. Hepatocytes and macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), while hepatocytes were also cultured with supernatants obtained after macrophages stimulated with LPS, and the mRNA and protein levels of MT-CO1, BNIP3 and LC3B, as well as p16 and p21 expression, were determined by qPCR and Western blot. The expression of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) was detected by immunofluorescence. One way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean of each group, and LSD method was used to compare the means of multiple samples, and Tamhane's T2 method was used to compare the means of multiple samples when the variance was uniform. Results:The results of PCR showed that the mRNA levels of MT-CO1 and BNIP3 in the liver tissue of the lupus group (0.14±0.04; 0.16±0.05) were significantly lower than those of the control group (0.11±0.04; 0.16±0.06), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=7.16, P<0.001; t=4.54, P<0.001). The expression levels of IL-1β, p16 and p21 in the lupus group (2.06±0.69; 0.37±0.14; 0.16±0.06) were significantly higher than those of the control group (0.23±0.06; 0.25±0.08; 0.11±0.04) ( t=9.58, P<0.001; t=24.35, P<0.001; t=22.36, P<0.001). The results of Western blot were consistent with those of PCR. HE staining showed lymphocyte infiltration in the liver tissue of lupus mice, and immunohistochemistry showed IL-1β in the liver tissue of lupus mice. The positive cells were mainly concentrated in the sinusoids, and the expression of hepatic parenchymal cells was not rearkable. The content of MDA in liver tissue of the lupus group (0.19±0.10) was higher than that of the control group (0.17±0.09), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=4.33, P=0.005). LPS directly stimulated AML12 hepatocytes (0.069±0.028; 0.17±0.07). The PCR results showed that compared with the control group (0.176±0.072; 0.08±0.03), the expression of MT-CO1, and BNIP3 were not significantly different ( t=1.01, P=0.337; t=0.88, P=0.399). The expression of IL-1β was significantly higher when incubated with the supernatants of LPS stimulated macrophages (0.28±0.09) compared than that of the control group (0.15±0.05) ( t=28.26, P<0.001). The results of PCR showed that the mRNA levels of MT-CO1 and BNIP3 in the LPS stimulated group (0.046±0.026; 0.17±0.05) were significantly lower than those in the control group (0.143±0.083; 0.18±0.06), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=7.52, P<0.001; t=4.24, P<0.001), The expression of p16 and p21 in LPS stimulated group (0.29±0.09; 0.27±0.09) were significantly higher than those in the control group (0.18±0.06; 0.22±0.07) ( t=13.54, P<0.001; t=8.69, P<0.001). The results of Western blot were consistent with those of PCR. Immunofluorescence showed that the fluorescence intensity of mtROS in LPS stimulated group (0.25±0.10) was higher than that in the control group (0.08±0.03), and the difference was statistically significant ( t= 4.86, P<0.001). Conclusion:Immune-mediated inflammation in the liver tissue of lupus mice can stimulate liver parenchymal cells to cause intracellular mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the mechanism of liver organ damage in lupus mice is not limited to the immune-mediated inflammation of immune active cells, but also include parenchymal cell mitochondrial dysfunction.

Objective: To analyze the course of disease and epidemiological parameters of COVID-19 and provide evidence for making prevention and control strategies. Methods: To display the distribution of course of disease of the infectors who had close contacts with COVID-19 cases from January 1 to March 15, 2020 in Guangdong Provincial, the models of Lognormal, Weibull and gamma distribution were applied. A descriptive analysis was conducted on the basic characteristics and epidemiological parameters of course of disease. Results: In total, 515 of 11 580 close contacts were infected, with an attack rate about 4.4%, including 449 confirmed cases and 66 asymptomatic cases. Lognormal distribution was fitting best for latent period, incubation period, pre-symptomatic infection period of confirmed cases and infection period of asymptomatic cases; Gamma distribution was fitting best for infectious period and clinical symptom period of confirmed cases; Weibull distribution was fitting best for latent period of asymptomatic cases. The latent period, incubation period, pre-symptomatic infection period, infectious period and clinical symptoms period of confirmed cases were 4.50 (95%CI:3.86-5.13) days, 5.12 (95%CI:4.63-5.62) days, 0.87 (95%CI:0.67-1.07) days, 11.89 (95%CI:9.81-13.98) days and 22.00 (95%CI:21.24-22.77) days, respectively. The latent period and infectious period of asymptomatic cases were 8.88 (95%CI:6.89-10.86) days and 6.18 (95%CI:1.89-10.47) days, respectively. Conclusion: The estimated course of COVID-19 and related epidemiological parameters are similar to the existing data.
COVID-19 ; Cohort Studies ; Contact Tracing ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of tripterine on adhesion molecules and cell biological characteristics in mice with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) tumor. METHODS: Eighteen SCID beige mice were caudal vein injected with NB4 cell lines (5×10 RESULTS: The neutrophil decrased and promyelocytes, NB4 cells, B lymphocytes and white blood cells increased in tumor-bearing group as compared with control group (P<0.05), and the expressions of serum P-selectin (P-selectin), soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 (soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1, sVCAM-1) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, sICAM-1) all increased (P<0.05). The cell cycle showed that the proportion of G CONCLUSION Tripterine may not only inhibit the expression of sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 proteins in APL tumor-bearing mice and reduce the adhesion of tumor cells, but also block tumor cells at G
Animals ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Division ; Humans ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute/drug therapy* ; Mice ; Mice, SCID ; Triterpenes ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

Fusarium is the major pathogen of root rot of Pseudostellaria heterophylla. This study aims to explain the possible distribution of Fusarium species and the contamination of its toxin-chemotypes in tuberous root of P. heterophylla. A total of 89 strains of fungi were isolated from the tuberous root of P. heterophylla. Among them, 29 strains were identified as Fusarium by ITS2 sequence, accounting for 32.5%. They were identified as five species of F. avenaceum, F. tricinctum, F. fujikuroi, F. oxysporum, and F. graminearum based on β-Tubulin and EF-1α genes. LC-MS/MS detected 18, 1, and 5 strains able to produce ZEN, DON, and T2, which accounted for 62.1%, 3.4%, and 17.2%, respectively. Strain JK3-3 can produce ZEN, DON, and T2, while strains BH1-4-1, BH6-5, and BH16-2 can produce ZEN and T2. PCR detected six key synthase genes of Tri1, Tri7, Tri8, Tri13, PKS14, and PKS13 in strain JK3-3, which synthesized three toxins of ZEN, DON, and T2. Four key synthase genes of Tri8, Tri13, PKS14, and PKS13 were detected in strains BH1-4-1, BH6-5, and BH16-2, which were responsible for the synthesis of ZEN and T2. The results showed that the key genes of toxin biosynthesis were highly correlated with the toxins produced by Fusarium, and the biosynthesis of toxin was strictly controlled by the genetic information of the strain. This study provides a data basis for the targeted prevention and control of exo-genous mycotoxins in P. heterophylla and a possibility for the development of PCR for rapid detection of toxin contamination.
Caryophyllaceae ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Fusarium/genetics* ; Mycotoxins ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry