Objective To construct a predictive model for cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) MRI burden based on β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], analyze its predictive value, and validate the model. Methods A total of 138 CSVD patients admitted to Anhui No.2 Provincial People’s Hospital from February 2023 to August 2024 were enrolled. Patients were divided into a low-burden group (n=63) and a moderate/severe burden group (n=75) according to the CSVD MRI burden scoring criteria. The related clinical data were compared between the two groups. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent factors for CSVD moderate/severe MRI burden. A nomogram predictive model was constructed based on these factors and its performance was evaluated. Results The proportions of male patients, as well as those with a history of diabetes or hypertension, were significantly higher in the moderate/severe burden group than those in the low burden group. Additionally, the age of patients in the moderate/severe burden group was significantly older, and the levels of β2-MG, Lp(a), and homocysteine (Hcy) were higher than those in the low burden group (P＜0.01). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that hypertension, diabetes, β2-MG, and Lp(a) were independent factors for CSVD moderate/severe MRI burden (P＜0.05). The nomogram predictive model based on these four factors had a cut-off value of 0.467 0, with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.838 7 (95%CI 0.760 8-0.916 6) in the training set (n＝97) and 0.854 1 (95%CI 0.742 1-0.966 1) in the internal validation set (n＝41) . The calibration curve demonstrated good agreement between predicted and observed values. Decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated that the nomogram model had good clinical utility. Conclusions The nomogram model based on β2-MG and Lp(a) has high predictive performance in assessing the risk of CSVD moderate/severe MRI burden, with good discrimination and calibration.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a refractory subtype of breast cancer due to its resistance to various therapeutic strategies. In this study, we introduce a "brake-release and accelerator-pressing" approach to engineer a microneedle patch embedded with copper-doped Prussian blue nanoparticles (Cu-PB) and the ferroptosis inducer sorafenib (SRF) for raised chemodynamic (CDT)/photothermal (PTT) combination therapy against TNBC. Upon transdermal insertion, the dissolving microneedles swiftly disintegrate and facilitate the release of SRF. Under gentle external light exposure, copper ions (Cu²⁺) and iron ions (Fe³⁺) were liberated from Cu-PB. The direct chelation of Cu²⁺ and the indirect suppression by SRF, collectively attenuate glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) enzymatic function, destabilizing the cellular redox equilibrium (referred to as the "brake-release" strategy). The release of Cu²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions instigates a Fenton/Fenton-like reaction within tumor cells, further yielding hydroxyl radicals and elevating reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations (referred to as the "accelerator-pressing" strategy). This overwhelming ROS accumulation, coupled with the impaired clearance of resultant lipid peroxides (LPO), ultimately triggers a robust ferroptosis cell death response. In summary, this study presents an innovative combinatorial therapeutic strategy based on dual-ferroptosis induction for TNBC, implying a promising therapeutic platform for developing ferroptosis-centered treatments for this aggressive breast cancer subtype.

Objective: To prepare hollow mesoporous silicon nanoparticles ( HMSNs) loaded with allicin—diallyl trisulfide (DATS) , and to study their feasibility as a therapeutic agent for ischemic injury of lower limbs . Methods: HMSNs were synthesized by selective etching , and their microstructure was observed by scanning and transmis- sion electron microscopy. Their physical and chemical properties were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and dynamic light scattering (DLS) . Their biological safety was tested by erythrocyte hemolysis and cytotoxicity experiments . DATS was loaded into HMSNs by adsorption to obtain DATS sustained release nanoparticles (DATS-HMSNs) , and the cumulative release curve of DATS was calculated and produced by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups (sham operation group , normal saline group , DATS group , and DATS-HM- SNs group) . Lower limb ischemia models were made by femoral artery ligation and resection . The exercise ability and the contents of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α ) , interleukin-6 (IL-6) , monocyte chemoattractant protein- 1 (MCP-1) , reactive oxygen species (ROS) , platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule (CD31) , alpha smooth muscle actin ( α-SMA) , basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in muscles of mice in each group before and after limb ischemia were tested . Results : Scanning and transmission e- lectron microscope observation showed that the prepared HMSNs were hollow , spherical and uniform in particle size . DLS results showed that the particle size was (226. 5 ± 11 . 8) nm. The results of red blood cell hemolysis test and cytotoxicity test showed that HMSNs had good biocompatibility. The maximum drug loading rate of HMSNs on DATS was 27. 89% , the cumulative release rate of DATS in 7 days was about 80. 12% , and could reach 97. 27% in 21 days . Compared with the control group , after DATS-HMSNs were applied to mice with lower limb ischemia , immunohistochemical staining showed that the levels of CD31 , α-SMA , bFGF and VEGF increased ( P < 0. 05) . Elisa test showed that the levels of TNF-α , IL-6 , MCP-1 and ROS decreased (P < 0. 05) , and the exercise ability of mice recovered satisfactorily after ischemia. Conclusion DATS-HMSNs can release DATS slowly and continu- ously , providing protection against ischemic injury of lower limbs .

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics and pathogen infection of severe patients with COVID-19 retrospectively.Methods The clinical data and laboratory test results of 85 severe COVID-19 patients combined with pathogenic bacterial infection ad-mitted to the Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps from December 1,2022 to February 20,2023 were collected.The patients were divided into the cure group and death group based on the outcome.Meanwhile,the distribution and drug resistance of the infected pathogens were analyzed.Results The median age and length of hospitalization of 85 patients with severe COVID-19 were 82(75,84)years old and 14(9,23)days,respectively.Their most common underlying diseases were hypertension,heart disease,and diabetes.There were 63 patients in the cure group and 22 in the death group,with a mortality rate as high as 25.9%.The levels of white blood cell count,neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio,and C-reactive protein in the patients of the death group were significanly higher than those in the cure group(P<0.05).However,the percentage of lymphocytes was the opposite(P<0.05).A total of 128 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated from 85 patients.Among them,21 strains(16.4%)were Gram-positive bacteria,predominantly Staphylococcus aureus.66 strains(51.6%)were Gram-negative bacteria,mainly Klebsiella pneumoniae,Acinetobacter baumannii,and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.41 strains(32.0%)were fungi,primarily Candida albicans.The proportion of methicillin-resistant Staphylo-coccus aureus(MRSA)was as high as 56%,while those of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae,Acinetobacter baumannii,and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were 14%,50%,and 18%,respectively.Conclusion The severe COVID-19 patients who are elderly or have underlying diseases may be infected with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae,Acinetobacter baumannii,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and MRSA.In clinical practice,rational selection of antibiotics should be made and effective measures should be taken to prevent the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria and reduce the risk of mortality.

Seeds are the source for the production of Chinese medicinal materials. The seed authenticity and quality of directly affect the effectiveness and safety of Chinese medicinal materials. The seed quality is faced with the problems such as mixed sources， existence of adulterants and seeds stocked for years， low maturity， and low purity. To ensure the high-quality and sustainable development of the Chinese medicinal material industry， it is urgent to standardize the seed market and identify and evaluate the quality of the seeds circulating in the market. Seed identification methods include visual inspection， microscopic observation， micro-character identification， chemical fingerprinting， molecular identification， electronic nose， X-ray diffraction， electrochemical fingerprinting， spectral imaging， and artificial intelligence. These methods have different application scopes and unique advantages and disadvantages. According to the different species of Chinese herbal medicines and different requirements of testing sites， suitable methods can be selected to achieve rapid and accurate identification with low costs. In the future， the seed identification methods should be developed based on emerging technologies with interdisciplinary knowledge， and intelligent， nondestructive， and single-grain detection methods are needed for the modern Chinese medicinal material industry. This paper introduces the seed identification technologies currently applied in research and production， compares the principles， applicability， advantages， and disadvantages of different technologies， and provides an outlook on the future development of seed identification technologies， aiming to provide a reference for the identification and quality evaluation of seeds of Chinese medicinal material.

Objective: To analyze the associations among body mass index (BMI), learning screen/gaming screen exposure and executive function in preschool children in Anhui Province, so as to provide a basis for promoting the development of executive function in preschool children. Methods: In June 2022, a stratified cluster sampling and convenience sampling methods were used to survey 3 534 mothers of preschool children in Wuhu City, Luan City, and Fuyang City, Anhui Province. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version (BRIEF-P) was used to assess the preschool childrens executive function abnormalities. Binary Logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationships among BMI, learning screen/gaming screen exposure, and their combined effects on executive function abnormalities. Results: The detection rate of abnormal executive function in preschool children was 9.65%. Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for the confounding factors such as pregnancyinduced hypertension, primary caregivers, family per capita monthly income and family structure, the risk of abnormal executive function of children in overweight/obesity group and high learning screen/gaming screen exposure group increased significantly (overweight/obesity:OR=1.78, 95%CI=1.31-2.42, learning screen exposure:OR=1.48, 95%CI=1.18-1.86, gaming screen exposure:OR=1.50, 95%CI=1.18-1.91,P<0.05). Compared with children with normal BMI and low learning screen/gaming screen screen exposure, those with both overweight/obesity and high learning screen/gaming screen exposure had a significantly greater risk of executive function abnormalities (OR=2.07, 95%CI=1.29-3.31; OR=2.42, 95%CI=1.59-3.68,P<0.05). Conclusions Overweight/obesity and high learning screen/gaming screen exposure are important risk factors for executive function abnormalities in preschool children. Therefore, actively guiding preschool children to develop healthy life habits to promote the normal development of their executive functions is essential.

italic>Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC is one of the most commonly used bulk medicinal herbs. It has important value in the fields of medicine, food and cosmetics, and its market demand is increasing year by year, and it has a good development prospect. In this study, based on 403 distribution records and 8 environmental variables, we used Maxent model to predict the potential distribution of P. grandiflorum under climate change. The results showed that the model simulation effect was the best when the Maxent parameter was FC (feature combination) = LQPH (L: linear features; Q: quadratic features; P: product features; H: hinge features) and RM (regularization multiplier) = 2.1, AUC (area under curve) = 0.901, and the model prediction showed that P. grandiflorum was widely distributed in 28 provinces of China under the current climate conditions, with a suitable area of 2 337 419.98 km². Under the influence of climate change in the future, the area of suitable habitat of P. grandiflorum showed a decreasing trend, and the distribution center as a whole showed a trend of northward and eastward shift. The distribution area of P. grandiflorum in the three main producing areas is affected by climate change, and the overall trend is that the future suitable distribution area of Chifeng in Inner Mongolia increases, while the future suitable distribution area of Zibo in Shandong and Taihe, Bozhou in Anhui decreases or even disappears under the SSP5-8.5 scenario (shared socioeconomic pathways). It is suggested to maintain and protect the ecological environment and germplasm resources of the reserved area suitable for the growth of P. grandiflorum, and increase the cultivation research in the expansion area of P. grandiflorum, so as to lay a foundation for the subsequent expansion of P. grandiflorum planting and to promote the protection and sustainable development of P. grandiflorum resources.

WRKY transcription factor is a type of transcription factor unique to plants and plays an important role in various physiological processes of plants. This study is based on the transcriptome data of Atractylodes lancea, the correlation between the FPKM values of the AlWRKY gene and the AlTPS gene of Atractylodes lancea was analyzed. Combined with the analysis results, the candidate gene AlWRKY65 with a significant positive correlation with the expression levels of AlTPS1 and AlTPS6 genes and a relatively high FPKM value was screened. The candidate gene was cloned to obtain the open reading frame ORF of the AlWRKY65 gene, and the related information of its encoded protein was analyzed and the gene expression was studied. The results showed that AlWRKY65 contains a 681 bp open reading frame and encoding 226 amino acids. Through amino acid sequence homology analysis, it was found that AlWRKY65 amino acid sequence had high homology with several plants such as HaWRKY65 and LsWRKY65; AlWRKY65 protein had a typical WRKYGQK domain, belonging to IIe subgroup of WRKY transcription factor family; phylogenetic analysis indicated that AlWRKY65 protein had the higher homology with CcWRKY65 protein; the expression of AlWRKY65 gene in different tissues of two producing areas of Atractylodes lancea were assayed via real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the results showed that all of them were highly expressed in leaves and also has tissue differences. The expression level of AlWRKY65 gene was down-regulated within 48 h of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) induction; subcellular localization and transcriptional activation assay suggested that AlWRKY65 was located in the nucleus and had no transcriptional activation activity. This study provides a reference for further elucidating the biological function of AlWRKY65 in Atractylodes lancea.

Objective To evaluate the molluscicidal effect and cost of spraying molluscicides with drones against Oncomelania hupensis snails in marshland and lake areas, so as to provide new insights into field snail control in China. Methods A marshland and lake setting measuring approximately 12 000 m² was selected in Wanzhi District, Wuhu City on June 2023 as the test field, and assigned to four groups, of 3 000 m² in each group. Environmental cleaning was not conducted in groups A or B, which were given 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules sprayed with knapsack-type sprayers and drones at a dose of 40 g/m², and environmental cleaning was conducted in groups C and D, which were given 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules sprayed with drones and knapsack-type sprayers at a dose of 40 g/m², respectively. O. hupensis snails were surveyed before chemical treatment and 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 days post-treatment. The uniformity of chemicals was determined on the day of treatment, and the snail mortality, corrected snail mortality and density of living snails were calculated and compared among groups. The cost of molluscicides, labor fees of environmental cleaning and chemical treatment and cost of equipment were calculated, and the cost for a 1% reduction in the mean density of living snails was calculated 14 days post-treatment. Results The mean densities of living snails and mortality rates of snails were 1.82 to 2.85 snails/0.1 m² and 1.41% to 2.94% in groups A, B, C and D before chemical treatment, and the mortality and corrected mortality of snails were 55.75%, 49.32%, 85.94% and 87.50%, and 55.00%, 48.47%, 85.70% and 87.29% in groups A, B, C and D 14 days post-treatment. There was a significant difference in the mortality of snails among the four groups 14 days post-treatment (χ² = 38.735, P < 0.005), and there was a higher snail mortality in Group D than in Group A (χ² = 16.876, P < 0.005), and higher in Group C than in Group B (χ² = 20.508, P < 0.005). The density of living snails reduced by 55.00%, 43.94%, 90.43% and 87.14% 14 days post-treatment relative to pre-treatment in groups A, B, C and D, respectively. The test for uniformity of chemicals showed that the mean dose of molluscicides were 57.34, 55.21, 40.19 g/m² and 32.37 g/m² in groups A, B, C and D, respectively, and the minimal standard deviation (7.07) and coefficient of variation (0.18) of mean doses were seen in Group C. The costs for chemical treatment were 0.33 Yuan in groups A and B and 1.53 Yuan in groups C and D, respectively. The costs for a 1% reduction in the mean density of living snails were 17.82, 22.47, 50.73 Yuan and 52.56 Yuan in groups A, B, C, and D 14 days post-treatment, respectively. Conclusions The molluscicidal effect and cost of spraying 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granules with drones are comparable to manual spraying, and chemical treatment with drones are high in uniformity of molluscicides, time- and labor-saving, and feasible for applications in complex environments, which deserves widespread applications in the field of snail control.

Objective:To explore the clinical effects of two kinds of nasal bone reductors used for shortened and displaced overlapping external nasal fracture reduction under nasal endoscopy and the impact on ventilation function. Methods:From January 2020 to February 2022, 82 patients with shortened and displaced overlapping external nasal fractures diagnosed and treated in the Department of Otolaryngology, the Second People's Hospital of Hefei were collected as the study subjects. The patients were divided into control group（41 cases） and observation group（41 cases） by random number table method. Both groups underwent closed reduction under nasal endoscopy. The control group was treated with traditional straight nasal bone reductor, and the observation group was treated with gun-shaped hook type nasal bone reductor. The success rate of reduction, follow-up rate, clinical effect, and complications were compared between the two groups. The visual analogue scale（VAS） was used to evaluate the aesthetic effect and functional recovery. Rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry were used to evaluate nasal ventilation function. Results:The success rate of one-time reduction in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the nasal reduction adaptation time was shorter than that in the control group（P<0.05）. There was no significant difference in the follow-up rate of 95.12% and 92.68% between the two groups. The success rate of one-time reduction in observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the adaptation time for nasal reduction in observation group was shorter than that in the control group（P<0.05）. There was no significant difference in the follow-up rate of 95.12% and 92.68% between the two groups in six months after surgery. the total clinical effective rate in observation group was higher than that in the control group（94.87% vs 76.32%, P<0.05）. After surgery, the scores of nasal aesthetics, nasal congestion and olfactory function in both groups were significantly lower compared with the preoperative scores. All the scores in the observed group were lower than that in the control group（P<0.05）. After surgery, there were significant increases in the minimum cross-sectional area of nasal cavity, volume of nasal cavity and total nasal expiratory volume in both groups. Above indicators in observation group were significantly greater than that in control group. The nasal exhalation and inhalation resistance was significantly lower than that before operation, and the resistance in observation group was significantly lower than that in control group（P<0.05）. The total incidence of complications was lower than that in observation group（P<0.05）. Conclusion:The application of gun-shaped hook-type nasal bone reductor in patients with shortened and displaced overlapping external nasal fractures has better success rate of one-time reduction, adaptation time of nasal reduction and treatment outcome. Moreover, it has more advantages in aesthetic effect of nasal appearance, nasal ventilation function and reduction of complications.
Humans ; Nasal Bone/injuries* ; Male ; Female ; Endoscopy/methods* ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Nose/surgery* ; Middle Aged