Impaired glucose regulation （IGR） is an intermediate state between normal blood glucose and diabetes， falling under the category of splenic pure heat in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. The core pathogenesis is believed to be the dysfunction of the zang-fu （脏腑） organs， leading to metabolic abnormalities of subtle essence and the generation of "turbid pathogen". Its accumulation can block qi movement， damage the vessel collaterals， and promote the disease progression toward diabetes. The concept of "turbid pulse" is proposed as an early sign of IGR， characterized by full and heavy sensation with stagnated and astringent circulation， which can serve as an effective supplement to clinical screening. The differentiation and treatment approach in clinical practice is summarized as follows. If the ascending and descending mechanisms of qi movement in the middle jiao （焦） are disrupted， with mutual interference between the clear and the turbid， treatment should focus on harmonizing the ascending and the descending， and transforming dampness with aromatic medicinals. For spleen-stomach qi deficiency due to long-term restriction of the spleen and stomach's function of transportation and transformation， it is suggested to fortify spleen and harmonize stomach， and transport turbid with sweet-warm medicinals. For spleen deficiency and liver constraint induced by internal generation of damp-heat in the middle jiao， the treatment should focus on soothing the liver and opening constraint， and directing the turbid downward with sour-sweat medicinals. For solid accumulation and stagnation caused by liver qi constraint， it is recommended to unblock intestine and remove stagnation， and discharge turbid with bitter-cold medicinals. When the disease is transmitted to the lower jiao， and the kidneys are affected， the treatment should be regulating spleen and kidney， and rectifying turbid with salty-sour medicinals. In conclusion， it is emphasized to promote the transformation of turbid pathogen to restore metabolic homeostasis， providing methods for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of IGR.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of prenatal fear stress on placental amino acid transport and emotion and cognition development in offspring rats. METHODS: Thirty pregnant Wistar rats were randomized equally into control and fear stress (induced using an observational foot shock model) groups. In each group, placental and serum samples were collected from 6 dams on gestational day 20, and the remaining rats delivered naturally and the offspring rats were raised under the same conditions until 8 weeks of age. Emotional and cognitive outcomes of the offspring rats were assessed with behavioral tests, and placental structure was examined using HE staining. Bioinformatics analysis was used to identify differentially expressed placental transporter genes under fear stress. The expressions of system A and system L amino acid transporters, along with other specialized transporters, were detected using qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Fetal serum amino acid concentrations were determined by HPLC. The correlations between fetal amino acid levels and behavioral outcomes of the offspring rats were analyzed. RESULTS: The dams with fear stress showed reduced open-field activity and increased freezing behavior with significantly decreased placental weight, fetal weight, and fetal-to-placental ratio. Bioinformatics analysis revealed 28 differentially expressed transporter genes involved mainly in amino acid transport. In the fear stress group, fetal serum amino acid levels were significantly lowered and Slc38a1, Slc43a1, Slc43a2, Slc7a8, Slc6a6, Slc1a1 and Slc6a9 mRNA and protein expressions were all downregulated. The offspring rats in fear stress group exhibited decreased novel object preference and spontaneous alternation with reduced open arm exploration and increased immobility in emotional tests. Lower early-life amino acid levels was found to correlate with impaired adult cognition. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal fear stress in rats impairs placental amino acid transporter expression and reduces fetal serum amino acid levels, potentially contributing to long-term cognitive deficits in the offspring rats.
Animals ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Placenta/metabolism* ; Fear ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Cognition ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Stress, Psychological ; Amino Acids/blood* ; Amino Acid Transport Systems/metabolism*

Elemene is widely recognized as an effective anti-cancer compound and is routinely administered in Chinese clinical settings for the management of several solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, its detailed molecular mechanism has not been adequately demonstrated. In this research, it was demonstrated that elemene effectively curtailed NSCLC growth in the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. Mechanistically, employing high-throughput screening techniques and subsequent biochemical validations such as microscale thermophoresis (MST), microRNA-145-5p (miR-145-5p) was pinpointed as a critical target through which elemene exerts its anti-tumor effects. Interestingly, elemene serves as a binding stabilizer for miR-145-5p, demonstrating a strong binding affinity (dissociation constant (K _D) = 0.39 ± 0.17 μg/mL) and preventing its degradation both in vitro and in vivo, while not interfering with the synthesis of the primary microRNA transcripts (pri-miRNAs) and precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs). The stabilization of miR-145-5p by elemene resulted in an increased level of this miRNA, subsequently suppressing NSCLC progression through the miR-145-5p/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 3 (MAP3K3)/nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) pathway. Our findings provide a new perspective on revealing the interaction patterns between clinical anti-tumor drugs and miRNAs.

Elemene is widely recognized as an effective anti-cancer compound and is routinely administered in Chinese clinical settings for the management of several solid tumors,including non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).However,its detailed molecular mechanism has not been adequately demonstrated.In this research,it was demonstrated that elemene effectively curtailed NSCLC growth in the patient-derived xenograft(PDX)model.Mechanistically,employing high-throughput screening techniques and subsequent biochemical validations such as microscale thermophoresis(MST),microRNA-145-5p(miR-145-5p)was pinpointed as a critical target through which elemene exerts its anti-tumor effects.Inter-estingly,elemene serves as a binding stabilizer for miR-145-5p,demonstrating a strong binding affinity(dissociation constant(KD)=0.39±0.17 μg/mL)and preventing its degradation both in vitro and in vivo,while not interfering with the synthesis of the primary microRNA transcripts(pri-miRNAs)and precursor miRNAs(pre-miRNAs).The stabilization of miR-145-5p by elemene resulted in an increased level of this miRNA,subsequently suppressing NSCLC progression through the miR-145-5p/mitogen-activated pro-tein kinase kinase kinase 3(MAP3K3)/nuclear factor kappaB(NF-κB)pathway.Our findings provide a new perspective on revealing the interaction patterns between clinical anti-tumor drugs and miRNAs.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the investigation and handling process of a suspected outbreak of hospital-ac-quired Serratia marcescens infection in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU)of a certain hospital,and to pro-vide valuable reference for the prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections.METHODS An epidemiologi-cal investigation was conducted on three S.marcescens-positive neonates admitted to the NICU of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from Oct.12 to 18,2024.Environmental hygiene sampling was carried out on the surfaces of the ward.The homology of the strains was analyzed,and effective intervention measures were taken.RESULTS The incidence of S.marcescens sepsis in the NICU from Oct.12 to 18,2024 was 2.20％(2/91)compared to 2.35％in the same period of 2023(2/85),no significant difference was found between the two time periods(P=0.946).Among the three S.marcescens-positive NICU neonates,one was considered com-munity-acquired,while the other two were diagnosed with S.marcescens sepsis.A total of 59 environmental hy-giene samples were collected,with one sample detecting S.marcescens in the bedside infusion pump slot of case 1.The homology analysis results showed high homology among the four S.marcescens strains but not completely homologous.After effective preventive and control measures were implemented,suspected S.marcescens cluste-ring events didn't further occurred.CONCLUSION The occurrence of this incident may be attributed to inadequate cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces and improper hand hygiene practices by some medical staff.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of fungal infections in patients of intensive care unit(ICU)of a tertiary general hospital from 2020 to 2024 and explore the prognosis of the ICU patients with fungal sepsis and the influencing factors so as to provide guidance for optimization of prevention,control and treat-ment strategies for the fungal infections.METHODS The data with regard to the isolation of 1131 strains of non-repetitive fungi from ICU patients were retrospectively collected from the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University between 2020 and 2024.The sources of specimens and mortality rates of patients with different types of fungal infections were observed.The treatment outcomes of the patients with the infections of different sources of specimens were assessed by Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Log-rank test.The risk factors for death were screened out through univariate analysis.RESULTS The respiratory tract specimens were the main source where the strains were isolated,accounting for 56.68％;Candida albicans was the absolute predominance,accounting for 73.47％.The mortality rate of the patients with Candida parapsilosis infection reached up to 29.17％.The mortality rate of the patients with blood infections was the highest(33.82％,P＜0.001),and the patients with the source of blood infections had the poorest prognosis(P=0.019).The echinocandins were the most com-monly used for antifungal therapy,accounting for 52.05％.CONCLUSIONS The ICU is a place where the fun-gal infections are highly prevalent.The high morality rate is associated with the blood source infections and specific species.It is crucial for improvement of prognosis to identify the high-risk patients in early stage and optimize the antifungal strategies.

Objective:To explore the impact of adolescent mental health status on smartphone addiction, and construct a predictive model for smartphone addiction based on the eXtreme Gradient Boosting(XGBoost) algorithm and multivariate Logistic regression.Methods:In April 2023, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 14 666 adolescents.All participants were systematically evaluated using a self-developed general information questionnaire, the middle school student mental health scale(MSSMHS), the adolescents self-harm scale(ASHS), the interaction anxiousness scale(IAS), the mobile phone addiction index(MPAI), the middle school students shame scale(MSSS), the UCLA loneliness scale(UCLA-LS), the multidimensional peer victimization scale(MPVS), and the basic psychological needs scale(BPNS).R software version 4.3.2 was used for data analysis. Participants were randomly divided into training set and validation set at the ratio of 7∶3.The XGBoost model and multivariate logistic regression model were constructed to predict the risk of smartphone addiction, and a nomogram was plotted.Model performance was evaluated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, area under the curve(AUC), and accuracy(ACC).Results:(1) A total of 14 036 high school students were included in the study, with 5 069(36.1%) exhibited smartphone addiction.The training set comprised 9 826 students, with 3 549(36.1%) being smartphone addicts.The validation set included 4 210 students, with 1 520(36.1%) being smartphone addicts.(2) The XGBoost model identified shame-proneness and social anxiety as the two main predictors of smartphone addiction.(3) Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that anxiety( B=0.328, OR(95% CI)=1.39(1.07-1.81), P=0.015), interpersonal sensitivity( B=0.311, OR(95% CI)=1.36(1.05-1.77), P=0.018), learning pressure( B=0.606, OR(95% CI)=1.83(1.46-2.31), P<0.001), mood swings( B=0.775, OR(95% CI)=2.17(1.70-2.78), P<0.001), social anxiety( B=0.024, OR(95% CI)=1.02(1.01-1.04), P<0.001), shame-proneness( B=0.049, OR(95% CI)=1.05(1.04-1.06), P<0.001), and peer victimization( B=0.037, OR(95% CI)=1.04(1.02-1.06), P<0.001) were significant predictors of smartphone addiction.(4) The ACC and AUC values of the XGBoost model were 0.890 and 0.929 in the training set, and 0.865 and 0.864 in the validation set, respectively.The multivariate Logistic regression model achieved ACC and AUC values of 0.870 and 0.854 in the training set, and 0.867 and 0.859 in the validation set, respectively. Conclusion:Anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, learning pressure, mood swings, social anxiety, shame-proneness, and peer victimization are identified risk predictors of smartphone addiction in high school adolescents.

Objective:To explore the feasibility of applying deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) in low-radiation dose liver dual-energy CT to further improve image quality, diagnostic confidence of lesion, and accuracy of iodine concentration (IC) measurement.Methods:This prospective cohort study enrolled 60 patients scheduled for enhanced liver CT at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from June 2023 to January 2024. The participants were randomly assigned into the standard dose group and low radiation dose group with 30 cases in each using randomized block method. The standard radiation dose group underwent standard-radiation dose 120 kVp scans during the venous phase, while the low radiation dose group underwent low radiation dose scans with a rapid kVp-switching spectral scanning mode at 80 kVp and 140 kVp. The effective radiation dose (ED) was calculated for both groups. The standard radiation dose group was reconstructed using adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-V (ASIR-V) algorithm 40% (AR40 120 kVp). The low radiation dose group using high-intensity DLIR (DLIR-H) to reconstructed 40 keV and 50 keV virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) (DH-VMI 40 keV, DH-VMI 50 keV). The image quality of the above three groups was objectively evaluated through the measurement of image noise and calculation of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the liver and portal vein; and the image quality was subjectively scored for image noise, contrast, lesion conspicuity, and diagnostic confidence. In the low radiation dose group, DLIR-H and ASIR-V40% reconstructed iodine maps were used to measure the liver and portal vein of IC values, standard deviations (SD), and coefficients of variation (CV). One-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare the differences of subjective and objective image quality among the three groups, and paired t-test was used to compare the differences in measurement indexes between DLIR-H and ASIR-V40% reconstructed iodine maps. Results:The ED in the low radiation dose group [(2.2±0.5) mSv] was reduced by 56.8% compared to the conventional radiation dose group [(5.4±1.4) mSv]. Objective evaluations demonstrated that DH-VMI 40 keV had higher image noise, CNR, and SNR for liver and portal veins compared to AR40 120 kVp ( P<0.001). DH-VMI 50 keV had lower image noise ( P=0.200), with higher CNR and SNR for the liver and portal vein compared to AR40 120 kVp( P<0.001). In subjective evaluation, there was no statistically significant difference in image noise scores between DH-VMI 40 keV and AR40 120 kVp ( P>0.05), while the image noise score for DH-VMI 50 keV was lower than that of AR40 120 kVp ( P<0.05). Both DH-VMI 40 keV and DH-VMI 50 keV had higher scores for contrast, lesion conspicuity, and diagnostic confidence compared to those of AR40 120 kVp ( P<0.05). In the low radiation dose group, there was no statistically significant difference in IC values for the liver and portal vein between the ASIR-V40% and DLIR-H algorithm reconstructed iodine maps ( P>0.05). The SD and CV of liver and portal vein in the DLIR-H reconstructed iodine maps were lower than those in the ASIR-V40% reconstructed iodine maps ( P<0.001). Conclusions:DLIR can effectively reduce the image noise of low-energy (40, 50 keV) VMI, enhance lesion conspicuity and diagnostic confidence, and improve measurement accuracy without affecting IC values.

Objective To investigate the effects of five-element music on depressive behaviors and intestinal flora in offspring of fear-stress rats during pregnancy.Methods Thirty-six 0.5-day pregnant Wistar rats were divided randomly into a control group,fear-stress group,and five-element music group,and the subsequent litters continued the maternal grouping.Pregnant rats in the fear-stress and five-element music groups were modeled on days 1～19 of gestation using the bystander electric method,while the five-element music group was also exposed to Feather Tune five-element music intervention.The fear behavior and serum glucocorticoid(GC)levels in pregnant rats were assessed on day 20 of pregnancy by open field test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,respectively,to evaluate the effectiveness of the model.Depression in 3-week-old offspring was evaluated by open field,tail suspension,and sucrose preference tests.Norepinephrine(NE),dopamine(DA),and 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)levels in the hippocampus of the offspring were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography.Changes in the intestinal flora of the offspring were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing.Expression levels of the proximal colonic proteins claudin1,occludin,and ZO1 in the offspring were measured by Western blot assay.Results Pregnant rats in the fear-stress group stayed longer in the area around the open field(P＜0.05),had fewer entries into the central area(P＜0.001),and had higher serum GC levels compared with those in the blank group(P＜0.001).In contrast,five-element music exposure reversed these behavioral changes(P＜0.05)and serum GC levels(P＜0.001)in the fear-stress group.Offspring in the fear-stress group exhibited decreased open-field crossing frequency(P＜0.01),reduced sucrose preference index,and longer immobility time in the tail suspension test(P＜0.05),compared with those in the blank group,together with significantly decreased NE,DA,and 5-HT levels in the hippocampus(P＜0.05).Rats in the fear-stress group showed decreased diversity of the intestinal flora(P＜0.01)and significant alterations in flora structure,including higher abundance of Proteobacteria,Enterobacteriaceae,Enterococcus,and Escherichia(P＜0.05),and lower abundance of Spirochaetes,Spirochaetaceae,Lachnospiraceae,Ruminococcaceae,Treponema,Prevotella,Coprococcus,Allobaculum,Ruminococcus,and Dorea(P＜0.05).The proximal colonic proteins Claudin1,Occludin,and ZO1 were significantly downregulated(P＜0.05).The open-field crossing frequency,sucrose preference index,and duration of tail suspension immobilization were improved in the five-element music group compared with those in the fear-stress group(P＜0.05),while DA and 5-HT levels were significantly restored in the hippocampus(P＜0.05),species diversity of the intestinal flora increased(P＜0.01)and changes in the abundance of the flora were reversed,and the proximal colonic proteins Occludin and ZO1 expression were significantly upregulated(P＜0.05).Conclusions Five-element music intervention during pregnancy can ameliorate fear-stress-induced depression behaviors and intestinal flora disorders in the offspring.

Objective To investigate the effect of spinal cord electrical stimulation on diabetic peripheral neuropathy.Methods A total of 120 patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy were randomly assigned to three groups,with 40 cases in each group.Group A was treated with pregabalin.Group B received radiofrequency therapy of lumbar sympathetic ganglion.Group C was treated with spinal cord electrical stimulation.The treatment course was six months.Pain,EMG parameters,hemorheology indexes,quality of life,sleep quality,and HbA1c were compared among groups.Results Group C had higher therapeutic effective rate than groups A and B(P<0.05)after 6 months of treatment.After 1 week,3 months,6 months and 12 months of treatment,the visual analogue scale(VAS)scores and HbA1c levels of group C were lower than those of groups A and B(P<0.05).After 6 months of treatment,the motor nerve and sensory nerve conduction velocities of the median nerve and peroneal nerve in group C were higher than those in groups A and B(P<0.05).After 6 months of treatment,the whole blood viscosity and capillary plasma viscosity of group C were lower than those of groups A and B(P<0.05).After 6 months of treatment,the 36-item short form health survey(SF-36)score of group C was higher than that of groups A and B,and the Pittsburgh sleep quality Index(PSQI)score of group C was lower than that of groups A and B(P<0.05).The incidence of adverse reactions in group C was lower than that in groups A and B(P<0.05).Conclusion Compared with drugs and lumbar sympathetic ganglion radiofrequency therapy,spinal cord electrical stimulation has a better efficacy in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.It can continuously relieve neuropathic pain,increase the velocity of motor and sensory nerve conduction,improve the hemorheology,HbA1c levels,quality of life and sleep quality,and has high safety and significant clinical value.