Background: and Purpose: This clinical practice guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for treatment of dementia, focusing on cholinesterase inhibitors and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other types of dementia. Methods: Using the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes (PICO) framework, we developed key clinical questions and conducted systematic literature reviews. A multidisciplinary panel of experts, organized by the Korean Dementia Association, evaluated randomized controlled trials and observational studies. Recommendations were graded for evidence quality and strength using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. Results: Three main recommendations are presented: (1) For AD, cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine) are strongly recommended for improving cognition and daily function based on moderate evidence; (2) Cholinesterase inhibitors are conditionally recommended for vascular dementia and Parkinson’s disease dementia, with a strong recommendation for Lewy body dementia; (3) For moderate to severe AD, NMDA receptor antagonist (memantine) is strongly recommended, demonstrating significant cognitive and functional improvements. Both drug classes showed favorable safety profiles with manageable side effects. Conclusions This guideline offers standardized, evidence-based pharmacologic recommendations for dementia management, with specific guidance on cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists. It aims to support clinical decision-making and improve patient outcomes in dementia care. Further updates will address emerging treatments, including amyloid-targeting therapies, to reflect advances in dementia management.

Objective: Based on spinopelvic parameters and biomechanical principles, the pedicle-facet joint (PFJ) morphological characteristics of isthmic and degenerative spondylolisthesis were analyzed, and the mechanism of their onset and progression was discussed. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 194 patients with L5 spondylolysis or L5–S1 low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis (IS group), 172 patients with L4–5 degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS group), and 366 patients with nonlumbar spondylolysis (NL group). The spinopelvic parameters and PFJ morphological parameters of the patients were measured, the differences in these parameters among and within the 3 groups were compared, and the correlations were analyzed. Results: Sacral slope (SS) and lumbar lordosis (LL) were the highest in the IS group, the second highest in the DS group, and the lowest in the NL group. Among the 3 groups, the L4 facet joint angle (FJA) was the largest in the IS group, the second largest in the NL group, and the smallest in the DS group. The L4 pedicle-facet joint angle (PFA) was the largest in the DS group, the second largest in the IS group, and the smallest in the NL group. Pearson correlation analysis showed that within each group, SS and LL were negatively correlated with FJA and positively correlated with PFA. Conclusion This study found a correlation between the PFJ morphological characteristics of patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis and spinopelvic parameters, suggesting that the morphological characteristics of PFJs may be caused by varying stresses under different spinopelvic morphologies.

Panax ginseng as a perennial herb of Araliaceae, exhibits pharmacological effects such as central nervous system stimulation, anti-tumor properties, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protection. The B3 gene family plays a crucial role in growth and development, antioxidant activity, stress resistance, and secondary metabolism regulation of plants and has been extensively studied in various plants. However, the identification and analysis of the B3 gene family in P. ginseng have not been reported. In this study, a total of 145 B3 genes(PgB3s) with complete open reading frames(ORF) were identified from P. ginseng and classified into five subfamilies based on domain types. Through correlation analysis with ginsenoside content, SNP/InDels analysis, and interaction analysis with key enzyme genes, 15 PgB3 transcripts were found to be significantly correlated with ginsenoside content and exhibited a close interaction network with key enzyme genes involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis, which indicated that these genes may participate in the regulation of ginsenoside biosynthesis. Additionally, this study found that PgB3 genes exhibited induced expression in response to methyl jasmonate(MeJA) stress, which aligned with the presence of abundant stress response elements in their promoters, confirming the important role of the B3 gene family in P. ginseng in stress resistance. The results of this study revealed the potential functions of PgB3 genes in ginsenoside biosynthesis and stress response, providing a significant theoretical basis for further research on the functions of PgB3 genes and their regulatory mechanisms.
Panax/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Ginsenosides/biosynthesis* ; Multigene Family ; Phylogeny

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical characteristics, lesion sites and correlation differences of different types of diabetic foot gangrene, and to provide evidence-based basis for clinical classification of diabetic foot gangrene. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 266 patients with newly diagnosed diabetic foot gangrene who were admitted from January 2018 to December 2018, including 183 males and 83 females, aged from 35 to 92 years old with an average of (69.55±10.84) years old, and they were divided into wet gangrene group and dry gangrene group according to the different natures of gangrene. There were 139 patients in wet gangrene group, including 98 males and 41 females, aged from 35 to 90 years old with an average of (68.95±10.93) years old. There were 127 patients in dry gangrene group, including 85 males and 42 females, aged from 38 to 92 years old with an average of (70.21±10.75) years old. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body temperature, skin temperature difference between the affected and healthy sides of the lower extremities, and Wagner grade between two groups were recorded to evaluate symptoms and signs. The white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil percentage (NEUT%), and C-reactive protein (C-reactive protein), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in peripheral blood between two groups were detected and compared to evaluate the infection status;the severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) was evaluated by using Toronto Clinical Scoring System (TCSS);the degree of pain in patients with diabetic foot gangrene was evaluated by numerical rating scale (NRS); ankle-brachial index (ABI) and popliteal artery blood flow velocity were used to evaluate the degree of arterial lesions. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlations between gangrene TCSS, ABI and age, BMI, WHR, body temperature, calf skin temperature difference, WBC, NEUT%, CRP, ESR, PCT, IL-6, NRS, and Wagner classification indicators. RESULTS: The body temperature, skin temperature difference between the affected and healthy sides of the lower extremities, Wagner grade, WBC, NEUT%, CRP, ESR, PCT, IL-6, TCSS score, ABI, and popliteal artery blood flow velocity in wet gangrene group were higher than those in dry gangrene group (P<0.01), and BMI, WHR, and NRS score in dry gangrene group were higher than those in wet gangrene group;the differences were all statistically significant (P<0.01). The results of Spearman correlation analysis showed TCSS score of gangrene patients was correlated with body temperature (r=0.214), calf skin temperature difference (r=0.364), WBC (r=0.240), NEUT% (r=0.291), CRP (r=0.347), ESR (r=0.167), PCT (r=0.241), IL-6 (r=0.316), and popliteal fossa arterial blood flow velocity (r=0.261) and Wagner grade (r=0.273) were positively correlated, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). ABI was negatively correlated with age (r=-0.183), BMI (r=-0.252), WHR (r=-0.288), and NRS score (r=-0.354), and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). CONCLUSION Diabetic foot gangrene is an extremely difficult and critical disease. Wet gangrene has a significant synergic effect with infection and neuropathy, while dry gangrene is closely related to vascular occlusion. The main contradiction of gangrene could be revealed through blood vessels, nerves and infection, providing evidence-based basis for the selection of debridement timing, anti-infection strategies and revascularization, with the aim of reducing the risk of amputation.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Diabetic Foot/diagnosis* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Gangrene/physiopathology* ; C-Reactive Protein

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy of unilateral biportal endoscopic discectomy(UBE) and percutaneous interlaminar endoscopic discectomy(PIED) in the treatment of highly migrated lumbar disc herniation (LDH). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 43 patients with highly migrated LDH who underwent spinal endoscopic surgery between January 2022 and December 2023. In the UBE group 22 patients included 8 males and 14 females, aged 49 to 59 years old with a mean of (54.13±2.07) years old. In the PIED group 21 patients included 11 males and 10 females, aged 49 to 59 years old with a mean of (55.04±2.80) years old. Perioperative parameters including intraoperative blood loss, operative time, and fluoroscopic exposures were compared between groups. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, Oswestry disability index (ODI), and modified MacNab criteria. Complications during the perioperative period and follow-up were recorded. RESULTS: In the PIED group, there were 3 cases of nerve injury, 1 case of residual nucleus pulposus, and 1 case of dural injury. In the UBE group, there was 1 case of nerve injury and 1 case of cerebrospinal fluid leakage. No infections or major bleeding occurred in either group. All patients completed surgery and were followed up for at least 12 months. The UBE group had significantly more intraoperative blood loss (39.09±6.10) ml and more fluoroscopic exposures (6.45±0.26) than the PIED group (34.05±5.62) ml and (3.24±0.28) with significant difference (P<0.05). Preoperative VAS and ODI showed no significant differences between two groups (P>0.05). Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in VAS and ODI postoperatively (P<0.001). At the 3rd days postoperatively, the UBE group had a significantly lower leg pain VAS (2.27±0.20) than the PIED gruop(2.95±0.24) with significant difference (P<0.05), but no significant differences were observed at the first or 12th months (P>0.05). No significant differences in ODI were found between two groups during follow-up (P>0.05). At the 1st month postoperatively, according to modified MacNab criteria, 15 patients got excellent results, 4 good, and 2 fair in PIED group;and 18 patients got excellent results, 2 good, and 2 fair in UBE group, with no significant difference between two groups(P>0.05). CONCLUSION Both PIED and UBE are effective surgical methods for treating highly migrated LDH. Compared with PIED, UBE involves slightly longer operative time, more blood loss, and more fluoroscopic exposures, but carries a lower risk of nerve injury.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/surgery* ; Endoscopy/methods* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Diskectomy, Percutaneous/methods* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective The study aims to investigate the immunological functions of the nucleocapsid (N) protein of the novel coronavirus Omicron (BA.1, BA.2) and evaluate the differences among different N proteins of mutant strains in immunogenicity. Methods By aligning sequences, the mutation sites of the Omicron (BA.1, BA.2) N protein relative to prototype strain of the novel coronavirus (Wuhan-Hu-1) were determined. The pET-28a-N-Wuhan-Hu-1 plasmid was used as template to construct pET-28a-BA.1/BA.2-N through single point mutation or homologous recombination. The three kinds of N protein were expressed in prokaryotic system, purified through Ni-NTA affinity chromatography, and then immunized into mice. The titer and reactivity of the polyclonal antibody, as well as the expression level of IL-1β and IFN-γ in mouse spleen cells, were detected using indirect ELISA and Western blot assay. Results The constructed prokaryotic expression plasmids were successfully used to express the Wuhan-Hu-1 N, BA.1 N, and BA.2 N proteins in E.coli BL21(DE3) at 37 DegreesCelsius for 4 hours. The indirect ELISA test showed that the titers of polyclonal antibody prepared by three N proteins were all 1:51 200. All three N proteins can increase the expression of IFN-γ and IL-1β cytokines, but the effect of Omicron N protein in activing two cytokines was more obvious than that of Wuhan-Hu-1 N protein. Conclusion The study obtained three new coronavirus N proteins and polyclonal antibodies, and confirmed that mutations in the amino acid sites of the N protein can affect its immunogenicity. This provides a basis for developing rapid diagnostic methods targeting N protein of different novel coronavirus variants.
Animals ; Mice ; SARS-CoV-2/genetics* ; Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins/immunology* ; Nucleocapsid Proteins/isolation & purification* ; COVID-19/immunology* ; Antibodies, Viral/immunology* ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Interferon-gamma/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Female ; Escherichia coli/metabolism* ; Mutation ; Humans

Objective:To investigate the relationship between different types of tea intake and COVID-19 infection.Methods:Data were retrieved from a genome-wide association study(GWAS),involving 447 485,and 64 949 people for single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs).Two-sample Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis was used to investigate the relationship of different types of tea intake with four subgroups of COVID-19 infected population,including COVID-19 infected population versus general population,COVID-19 hospitalized population versus general population,COVID-19 hospitalized population versus non-hospitalized population,and very severe respiratory confirmed population versus general population.Inverse-variance weighted(IVW)method was used as the main method of causal analysis.MR Egger intercept was used for pleiotropy test,and Cochran's Q-statistic was used for heterogeneity test.Results:Compared to the general population,tea intake decreased the incidence of COVID-19 in the infection population(IVW method,OR=0.806,95%CI:0.651-0.999),and the hospitalized population(IVW method,OR=0.533,95%CI:0.369-0.770).Additionally,the underlying pleiotropy was not found following the MR-Egger regression intercept(MR intercept=-0.002,P=0.667),and the Cochran's Q-statistic showed no heterogeneity(Q-statistic=52.712,P=0.057).Compared to the general population,the underlying pleiotropy in the hospitalized patients was not found by MR-Egger regression intercept(MR intercept=-0.001,P=0.909),and the Cochran's Q-statistic showed no heterogeneity(Q-statistic=25.214,P=0.945).However,green tea and herbal tea had no effect on COVID-19 infection.Conclusions:Overall tea intake reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection in the general population compared to COVID-19 infected and hospitalized populations,while green tea and herbal tea have no protective effect against COVID-19 infection.

Objective:To establish criteria for diagnosing lymph node metastasis (LNM) in newly diagnosed papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients based on 18F-FDG PET/MR and evaluate its diagnostic efficiency. Methods:The data of 14 patients with PTC (all females, age (38.8±13.5) years) who underwent 18F-FDG PET/MR and ultrasound sequentially 2 weeks before surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of the Air Force Medical University from May 2021 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Visual and semi-quantitative assessments were performed on all patients step by step (Ⅱ-Ⅵ area) and neck by neck (left, right, and central area). The dimensions of all suspected lymph nodes were measured on T 2 weighted imaging (WI)-MRI and SUV max was measured on PET. Taking postoperative pathology as the reference standard, the independent risk factors for predicting LNM were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis, and the diagnostic efficiency of each model was evaluated by ROC curve analysis. Results:A total of 21 macroscopic regions of lymph nodes(15 were malignant, 6 were benign) and 178 lymph nodes (120 were malignant, 58 were benign) were cleared by surgery. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that SUV max (odds ratio ( OR)=1.865, 95% CI: 1.323-2.630, P<0.001) and short diameter on MRI (SD-MRI) ( OR=1.752, 95% CI: 1.189-2.580, P=0.005) were independent predictors of LNM. The cut-off value of SD-MRI in predicting LNM was 5.7mm (AUC=0.812, Youden index (YI)=0.463). For the SD-MRI cut-off values ≥5.7 or <5.7mm, the corresponding SUV max cut-off values were 1.6 and 1.8, respectively. When " dual threshold" quantitative criteria (SD-MRI≥5.7mm + SUV max≥1.6 or SD-MRI<5.7mm + SUV max≥1.8) was used as the diagnostic criteria of 18F-FDG PET/MR, the AUC and YI could be improved to 0.909 and 0.818. Based on the regional level analysis, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of LNM diagnosis by ultrasound, MRI, and 18F-FDG PET/MR " dual threshold" criteria were 11/15 vs 12/15 vs 13/15, 5/6 vs 3/6 vs 5/6, 76.2%(16/21) vs 71.4%(15/21) vs 85.7%(18/21), respectively. Conclusion:Compared with the ultrasound and MRI, the 18F-FDG PET/MR " dual threshold" criteria exhibits higher sensitivity and accuracy in determining the scope of LNM clearance for PTC patients.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Congenital toxoplasmosis is a common form of intrauterine infection and is associated with severe neurological sequelae such as cerebral palsy and cognitive impairment. This report presented the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of a fetal intracranial toxoplasmosis case, including bilateral ventriculomegaly, multiple intracranial cystic lesions, and parenchymal calcifications, without concurrent retinal abnormalities or hepatosplenomegaly. Post-termination analyses confirmed the presence of T.gondii DNA in amniotic fluid and umbilical venous blood, with histopathology revealing necrosis and eosinophilic infiltration. MRI demonstrates superior soft-tissue resolution in evaluating the extent of cerebral lesions and parenchymal damage, underscoring its diagnostic value in fetal toxoplasmic encephalopathy.