ObjectiveTo study the pharmacological substances and mechanisms through which sesquiterpene ZH-13 from Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum improves neuroinflammation. MethodsBV-2 microglial cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide （LPS） to induce neuroinflammation. The cells were divided into the normal group， the model group， and the ZH-13 low- and high-dose treatment groups （10， 20 μmol·L^-1）. The model group was treated with 1 μmol·L^-1 LPS. Cell viability was assessed using the cell proliferation and activity assay （CCK-8 kit）. Nitric oxide （NO） release in the cell supernatant was measured using a nitric oxide kit （Griess method）. The mRNA expression levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） pathway proteins was assessed by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the model group， ZH-13 dose-dependently reduced NO release from BV-2 cells under LPS stimulation （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the 20 μmol·L^-1 ZH-13 treatment group， the mRNA expression levels of IL-1β， TNF-α， iNOS， and IL-6 were significantly reduced compared to the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In both the low- and high-dose ZH-13 groups， the expression of the inflammatory factor TNF-α and the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK） in the upstream MAPK pathway were significantly reduced （P<0.05）. After stimulation with the JNK agonist anisomycin （Ani）， both low- and high-dose ZH-13 treatment groups showed reduced phosphorylation of JNK proteins compared to the Ani-treated group （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe sesquiterpene compound ZH-13 from Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum significantly ameliorates LPS-induced neuroinflammatory responses in BV-2 cells by inhibiting excessive JNK phosphorylation and reducing TNF-α expression. These findings elucidate the pharmacological substances and mechanisms underlying the sedative and calming effects of Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum.

In recent years, the spread of clubroot disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae infection has seriously affected the yield and quality of Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.. The cascade of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), a highly conserved signaling pathway, plays an important role in plant responses to both biotic and abiotic stress conditions. To mine the MAPK genes related to clubroot disease resistance in B. juncea, we conducted a genome-wide analysis on this vegetable, and we analyzed the phylogenetic evolution and gene structure of the MAPK gene family in mustard. The 66 BjuMAPK genes identified by screening the whole genome sequence of B. juncea were unevenly distributed on 17 chromosomes. At the genomic scale, tandem repeats led to an increase in the number of MAPK genes in B. juncea. It was found that members of the same subfamily had similar gene structures, and there were great differences among different subfamilies. These predicted cis-acting elements were related to plant hormones, stress resistance, and plant growth and development. The expression of BjuMAPK02, BjuMAPK15, BjuMAPK17, and BjuMAPK19 were down-regulated or up-regulated in response to P. brassicae infection. The above results lay a theoretical foundation for further studying the functions of BjuMAPK genes in B. juncea in response to the biotic stress caused by clubroot disease.
Mustard Plant/parasitology* ; Plasmodiophorida/pathogenicity* ; Plant Diseases/genetics* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Phylogeny ; Disease Resistance/genetics* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genome, Plant ; Plant Proteins/genetics*

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of Modified Zhigancao Granules （炙甘草汤加味颗粒） for preventing the early recurrence following radiofrequency ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation （AF） of qi-yin deficiency syndrome. MethodsA multi-center， randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled trial was designed. A total of 116 patients with atrial fibrillation of qi-yin deficiency syndrome who underwent radiofrequency ablation for the first time were enrolled from 3 centers， and they were randomly divided into a treatment group （59 cases） and a control group （57 cases）. Both groups received basic western medicine treatment after surgery. In addition， the treatment group was given oral Modified Zhigancao Granules， while the control group was given oral placebo granules. The dosage for both groups was 20 g each time， twice a day， with continuous treatment for 12 weeks. The recurrence of atrial fibrillation in both groups was recorded at 24 hours， 4 weeks， 8 weeks， and 12 weeks after surgery. The serum levels of B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （hs-CRP）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） were detected before treatment and 12 weeks after treatment in both groups. The scores of Atrial Fibrillation Effect on QualiTy-of-life （AFEQT） Questionnaire （including scores of the daily life dimension， symptom dimension， treatment worry dimension， treatment satisfaction dimension， and total score） and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores were compared before treatment and at 4 weeks， 8 weeks， and 12 weeks between groups. Safety indicators such as blood routine， urine routine， liver function， and renal function were monitored before and after treatment. ResultsNine of the treatment group and seven of the control group dropped out. Finally， 50 patients in each group were included in the statistical analysis. At 24 hours， 4 weeks， 8 weeks， and 12 weeks after surgery， the recurrence rates of AF in the treatment group were 2.0% （1/50）， 2.0% （1/50）， 4.0% （2/50）， and 10.0% （5/50）， respectively； while those in the control group were 2.0% （1/50）， 26.0% （13/50）， 28.0% （14/50）， and 34.0% （17/50）， respectively. Compared with the control group at the same time points， the early recurrence rates of AF in the treatment group were significantly lower at 4 weeks， 8 weeks， and 12 weeks after surgery （P＜0.01）. Compared with the baseline within group， BNP， hs-CRP， IL-6， and TNF-α in the treatment group all decreased after 12 weeks of treatment （P＜0.05）； the difference in hs-CRP levels （before vs. after treatment） in the treatment group was higher than that in the control group （P＜0.01）. Compared with the baseline within group， both groups showed decreases in the total score of AFEQT Questionnaire， scores of the daily life dimension， treatment worry dimension， symptom dimension， and TCM syndrome scores at 4 weeks， 8 weeks， and 12 weeks after treatment. Meanwhile， the score of the treatment satisfaction dimension of AFEQT increased in both groups （P＜0.01）， and the improvements in all the above scores in the treatment group were superior to those in the control group at all time points （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. All safety indicators of patients in both groups were within the normal range before treatment and at 12 weeks after treatment， and no adverse reactions or adverse events occurred in either group. ConclusionModified Zhigancao Granules can reduce the early recurrence rate following radiofrequency ablation in AF patients with qi-yin deficiency syndrome， improve clinical symptoms and quality of life， suppress inflammatory response， and show good safety.

Leukemia is a malignant proliferative tumor that seriously endangers the quality of life of patients. In recent years, new research achievements have been made on the pathogenesis of leukemia, and some progresses of various drugs targeting the hypoxic microenvironment of leukemia have been made. This article reviews the progress of drugs targeting hypoxia microenvironment to treat leukemia from the aspects such as reactive oxygen species associated with anoxic microenvironment, hypoxia inducible factor, CXC chemokine receptor and vascular endothelial growth factor.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by abnormal brain network function. The localization of the epileptogenic zone and feature analysis of the epileptic networks are key issues in clinical diagnosis and treatment as well as in research of disease mechanisms. In recent years, electroencephalography-functional magnetic resonance imaging (EEG-fMRI), by integrating the high temporal resolution of EEG and high spatial resolution of fMRI, has provided an important tool for localizing epileptogenic zones and researching epileptic networks. This article reviews the recent advance in EEG-fMRI in epilepsy, with a focus on its role in localizing the origin of epileptic seizures, exploring the epileptic networks of different modalities, analyzing the characteristics of epileptic networks, and studying the pathogenesis of epilepsy combined with cognitive impairment, in order to analyze pathophysiological mechanisms of epilepsy and provide new perspectives for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To investigate the potential utility of the lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) and its modified index, albumin-LMR product, as predictive biomarkers for disease activity and presence of lupus nephritis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods:A total of 264 patients with newly diagnosed SLE who were treated at Henan Provincial People′s Hospital between December 2016 and September 2022 were included in this study. Their clinical data were subsequently collected for analysis. Patients were classified into non-active disease group (SLEDAI<5, n=55) and active disease group(SLEDAI≥5, n=209) based on the SLE SLEDAI. The Mann-Whitney U test was employed to compare the differences in clinical parameter levels, LMR and albumin-LMR product between the two groups. Additionally, the active disease group was further stratified into mild(SLEDAI 5~9, n=86), moderate(SLEDAI 10~14, n=96) and severe (SLEDAI≥15, n=27) subgroups to assess differences in LMR and albumin-LMR product. Further more patients were stratified into two groups based on renal involvement: those without lupus nephritis(non-LN) and those with lupus nephritis (LN). For non-parametric comparisons, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for intergroup comparisons between two groups, while the Kruskal-Wallis H test was applied for comparisons among three groups. If the Kruskal-Wallis H test revealed statistically significant differences ( P<0.05), pairwise comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, and the significance level was adjusted using the Bonferroni method to account for multiple testing.Correlations between LMR, albumin-LMR product, and disease activity indicators were analyzed using Spearman′s correlation. The diagnostic value of LMR and albumin-LMR product for SLE activity was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results:Both LMR and albumin-LMR product were significantly lower in active disease group compared to the non-active group {LMR:3.56 (2.15, 5.00) vs. 5.68 (3.89, 7.00); albumin-LMR product [93.21 (59.50, 143.98)g/L] vs. [187.89 (137.67, 260.90)]g/L, Z=-5.68, -7.05, P<0.001 for all}. Further subgroup analysis revealed that LMR and albumin-LMR product levels in severe, moderate, and mild active disease were also significantly decreased compared to the non-active disease group {LMR:3.83(1.78, 5.09)、3.09(2.06, 4.90)、3.65(2.45, 5.03) vs. 5.68(3.89, 7.00); albumin-LMR product: [95.69(66.57, 121.61)]g/L、[79.82(49.02, 126.91)]g/L、[104.73(69.21, 169.01)]g/L vs. [187.89(137.67, 260.90)]g/L, H=34.27, 58.29, P<0.001 for all}. A significant disparity in the levels of LMR and albumin-LMR product was detected between the non-LN and LN, with statistical significance ( Z=-3.44, P=0.001 and Z=-7.06, P<0.001). Correlation analysis indicated that LMR negatively correlated with SLEDAI( r=-0.31), urea( r=-0.29), creatinine ( r=-0.28) and 24-hour urinary protein level ( r=-0.27), all P<0.001, with no significant correlation to complement C3 or C4. Albumin-LMR product showed stronger negative correlations with SLEDAI ( r=-0.44), urea ( r=-0.40), creatinine ( r=-0.37), and 24-hour urinary protein ( r=-0.55), all P<0.001, and a positive correlation with complement C3 ( r=0.18, P=0.004). The areas under the ROC curves for LMR and LMR combined with complement C3 were 0.749 and 0.795, respectively, while for albumin-LMR product and its combination with complement C3, they were 0.809 and 0.833, indicating superior diagnostic efficacy for the modified albumin-LMR product. Conclusion:LMR and albumin-LMR product levels are significantly associated with SLE disease activity and may serve as potential biomarkers for assessing SLE activity and the degree of lupus nephritis.

Objective To construct a classification model for surgical patients and apply it in the allocation of nursing human resources,providing a reference for nursing human resource management.Methods A convenience sampling method was used to retrospectively select 5,431 hospitalized surgical patients admitted to 6 surgical nursing units of a tertiary general hospital in Suzhou from July to November 2022 as the subjects of this study.The nursing hours were measured,and related influencing factors were analyzed.A decision tree classification method was used to establish a classification model for surgical patients.From August to October 2022,1,527 hospitalized surgical patients admitted to 3 nursing units of the same hospital were conveniently selected.The minimum number of nurses required daily was calculated using the surgical patient classification model,actual nursing hours measurement method,nurse-to-bed ratio method,and 8-hour continuous shift scheduling method.The application effect of the surgical patient classification model in nursing human resource allocation was evaluated with the actual nursing hours measurement method as the standard.Results The surgical patient classification model includes 7 classification indicators:length of hospital stay,diagnosis-related group weight,presence or absence of secondary care orders,surgical grade,anesthesia method,age,and presence or absence of critical illness orders.Patients were divided into 14 groups,and the model explained 90.5％of the total variance in nursing workload.The minimum number of nurses required in surgical nursing units calculated based on this model was closest to the result of the actual nursing hours measurement method and was superior to the results of the nurse-to-bed ratio method and the 8-hour continuous shift scheduling method.Conclusion The surgical patient classification model can accurately reflect the nursing workload of such patients.The classification indicators are simple and easy to obtain,and can guide the allocation of human resources in surgical nursing units.

With the rapid development of neuroelectrophysiology, neuroimaging and other technologies, a large amount of evidence has shown that the occurrence and development of idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) are closely related to the cortical-subcortical neural network. This article intends to review the relevant research on how the cerebral cortex and subcortical structures such as the thalamus, basal ganglia, and cerebellum are involved in the cognitive impairment of IGE, as well as the important subcortical neural nuclei targets currently targeted in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy by neuromodulation, to evaluate the feasibility of neuromodulation therapy in clinical practice.

Objective:To explore the value of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in the genetic diagnosis of different types of fetal growth restriction (FGR).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 120 cases who were diagnosed with FGR by ultrasound and underwent prenatal diagnosis at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, from January 2016 to December 2021. The cases were divided into three groups based on the gestational age at the first diagnosis:<28 weeks (40 cases), 28-31 +6 weeks (65 cases), and ≥32 weeks (15 cases). They were also categorized into isolated and non-isolated FGR based on the presence of other ultrasound abnormalities (69 and 51 cases in each). Chromosomal karyotype analysis and CMA were conducted on all patients. The prenatal diagnosis results were analyzed, as well as the detection of chromosomal abnormalities in different gestational age groups and types of FGR. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test. Results:(1) A total of 14 abnormalities were detected by CMA and four cases were detected by chromosomal karyotype analysis. The abnormal detection rate of CMA was higher than that of chromosomal karyotype analysis [11.7% (14/120) vs. 3.3% (4/120), P=0.025]. Among the total 14 cases of chromosomal abnormalities, there were seven pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs) and four variants of unknown significance (VUS), as well as two cases of trisomy-18 and one case of Turner syndrome. Among the 14 cases, eight had associated ultrasound abnormalities. Eleven of the 14 cases opted for induced abortion; three continued pregnancy to delivery, with two neonates showing no abnormalities and one exhibiting slightly delayed physical development. Both methods detected three cases of aneuploidy mnumber abnormalities (2.5%, 3/120) For chromosomal abnormalities <10 Mb, the detection rate of CMA was higher than that of chromosomal karyotype analysis [9.2% (11/120) vs. 0.8% (1/120), Fisher's exact, P=0.005]. Both methods detected one case of <10 Mb CNV, while CMA alone detected ten cases of <10 Mb microdeletions/microduplications (8.3%, 10/120), including six cases of pathogenic CNVs and four cases of VUS. (2) Among the 40 cases in the <28 weeks group, six cases (15.0%) of chromosomal abnormalities were detected, including three cases of aneuploidy, two cases of pathogenic CNVs, and one case of VUS. Among the 65 cases in the 28-31 +6 weeks group, seven cases (10.8%) of chromosomal abnormalities were detected, including five cases of pathogenic CNVs and two cases of VUS. Of the 15 cases in the ≥32 weeks group, one case of chromosomal abnormality was detected, which was VUS. (3) No statistically significant difference was found in the detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities between the isolated FGR and the non-isolated FGR groups [8.7%(6/69) vs. 15.7%(8/51), Fisher's exact, P=0.263]. (4) After excluding the ≥32 weeks non-isolated FGR group (only one case), the <28 weeks non-isolated FGR group had the highest detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities (1/18), while no abnormalities were detected in the ≥32 weeks isolated FGR group. Conclusions:Among FGR fetuses, the highest detection rates of chromosomal abnormalities are found in early-onset and non-isolated FGR. Prenatal diagnosis with CMA testing can significantly improve the detection rate of genetic causes in various types of FGR fetuses.

Objective To investigate the early predictive value of combined detection of serum sodium,heparin-binding protein-to-albumin ratio(HBP/ALB)and interleukin-10(IL-10)in Ka-wasaki disease shock syndrome(KDSS)caused by Kawasaki disease in children.Methods A total of 105 children with KDSS caused by Kawasaki disease(KDSS group)and 105 children with Kawasa-ki disease(control group)were selected as study subjects.Clinical data,serum sodium levels,HBP/ALB and IL-10 levels were compared between the two groups.Multivariate logistic regression a-nalysis was used to screen the influencing factors of KDSS caused by Kawasaki disease in children a-mong serum sodium,HBP/ALB and IL-10.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the predictive value of traditional prediction schemes(coronary artery dam-age and IVIG resistance)and new prediction schemes(serum sodium and HBP/ALB,IL-10)for KDSS caused by Kawasaki disease in children.Results The proportion of patients with coronary ar-tery damage and IVIG resistance was significantly higher in the KDSS group than those in the control group(P＜0.05).Serum sodium levels were lower,while HBP/ALB and IL-10 levels were higher in the KDSS group compared to the control group(P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum sodium,BP/ALB and IL-10 were influencing factors of KDSS caused by Kawasaki diseasein children(P＜0.05).For traditional prediction schemes,the areas under the curves(AUCs)for coronary artery damage,IVIG resistance and their combination in predicting KDSS caused by Kawasaki disease were 0.795,0.676 and 0.873,respectively(P＜0.05);for new prediction schemes,the AUCs for serum sodium,HBP/ALB,IL-10 and their combination in predicting KDSS were 0.767,0.824,0.760 and 0.945,respectively(P＜0.05).The AUC for the combination of serum sodium,HBP/ALB and IL-10 was greater than that for the combination of coronary artery dam-age and IVIG resistance(P＜0.05).Conclusion Decreased serum sodium,elevated HBP/ALB and elevated IL-10 are associated with KDSS caused by Kawasaki disease in children.Combined prediction using serum sodium,HBP/ALB and IL-10 has a high predictive value for KDSS caused by Kawasaki disease in children.