ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Huanglian Jiedutang （HLJDT） on cognitive function in mice with ischemic stroke （IS） and to elucidate whether its neuroprotective effects are mediated by inhibition of the nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway and subsequent suppression of NF-κB-regulated neuronal apoptosis. MethodsAn IS model was established using middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO）. Sixty C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to five groups （n =12 per group）， i.e.， sham operation， model， HLJDT low-dose （3.9 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， HLJDT high-dose （7.8 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and Ginkgo biloba extract （GBE， 31.2 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）. Post-operatively， neurological deficit scores （Longa score）， cerebral infarct volume assessed by 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining， and brain water content were evaluated. Learning and memory were assessed using new object recognition （NOR） and fear conditioning （FC） tests. Hippocampal pathology was examined via hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining. Immunofluorescence detected expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein （GFAP， astrocyte marker）， cellular oncogene Fos （c-Fos， neuronal activation marker）， and glutamate decarboxylase 65 （GAD65）. Western blot measured nuclear factor-κB inhibitor protein α （IκBα）， phosphorylated IκBα （p-IκBα）， NF-κB p65， phosphorylated NF-κB p65 （p-NF-κB p65）， ionic calcium binding adapter molecule 1 （Iba-1）， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， interleukin （IL）-1β， and apoptosis-related proteins， such as cleaved cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease 3 （Caspase-3）， B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）. Real-time quantitative PCR （Real-time PCR） was used to assess mRNA levels of Iba-1， TNF-α， IL-1β， NF-κB p65， cleaved Caspase-3， Bax， and Bcl-2. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the model group exhibited significantly increased neurological deficit scores， brain water content， and cerebral infarct volume （P<0.01）. Hippocampal CA1 neurons were disorganized， showing nuclear pyknosis and karyolysis. NOR exploration time and FC freezing time were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. GFAP and c-Fos expression were increased， while GAD65 expression was decreased （P<0.01）. Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax were upregulated， Bcl-2 was downregulated， and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was elevated （P<0.01）. Expression levels of p-IκBα， p-NF-κB p65， IL-1β， TNF-α， and Iba-1 were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， HLJDT high-dose， low-dose， and GBE groups showed significant improvements in all parameters （P<0.01）. Among them， the HLJDT high-dose group showed the most pronounced neuronal structural recovery and superior performance in NOR and FC tests （P<0.01）. In this group， GFAP and c-Fos decreased， GAD65 increased （P<0.01）， apoptosis-related protein expression was reversed， and NF-κB signaling and related inflammatory factor expression were suppressed （P<0.01）. ConclusionHLJDT ameliorates cognitive dysfunction in mice after IS， potentially by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway， thereby reducing neuroinflammation and hippocampal neuronal apoptosis.

ObjectiveTo analyze the impact of maternal postpartum depression (PPD) at 2 months postpartum on caregiving for infants aged2 to 24 months, and to provide a scientific basis for future maternal and infant healthcare services. MethodsBased on the Shanghai Maternal-Child Pairs Cohort, 1 060 mother-child pairs were selected from those fully participating in follow-up visits at 2, 6, 12, and 24 months postpartum. Pregnancy and childbirth-related information was collected using standardized questionnaire surveys and hospital obstetric and maternity records. The Edinburgh postpartum depression scale was used to assess the maternal postpartum depressive symptoms at 2 months postpartum. At 2, 6, 12, and 24 months postpartum, questionnaire survey was used to evaluate the maternal responsiveness in caregiving and the provision of early learning opportunities for infants. Scores for responsive caregiving and early learning opportunities at 2, 6, 12, and 24 months were grouped based on the 25th percentile (P₂₅) of total scores. The mixed-effects model was used to analyze the longitudinal impact of maternal postpartum depression at 2 months on the caregiving of 2 to 24-month-old infants. ResultsThe longitudinal results from the mixed-effects model did not show an impact of maternal PPD on infant responsive caregiving within 12 months and early learning opportunities within24 months. However, cross-sectional analysis revealed that, compared to the non-PPD group, the risk of low responsive caregiving at 2 months in the PPD group was 93% higher (OR=1.931, 95%CI: 1.113‒3.364, P=0.019). The risks for low provision of early learning opportunities at2 months and 24 months increased by 59% (OR=1.589, 95%CI: 1.082‒2.324, P=0.017) and 60% (OR=1.598, 95%CI:1.120‒2.279, P=0.010), respectively. ConclusionMaternal postpartum depression increases the risk of low responsive caregiving at 2 months, but its long-term effects warrant further research.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the ameliorative effect of ursolic acid on skin inflammation in rats with allergic contact dermatitis （ACD）， and explore its mechanism of action based on the Notch1/hairy and enhancer of split 1 （Hes1） signaling pathway. METHODS The ACD model was established by skin application of 2， 4-dinitrochlorobenzene. Forty successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into model control group （MC group）， ursolic acid low-dose group （UA-L group， 50 mg/kg）， ursolic acid high-dose group （UA-H group， 100 mg/kg）， and ursolic acid high-dose+Notch1 activator group （UA-H+Jagged1 group， 100 mg/kg ursolic acid+50 ng/kg Jagged1）， with 10 rats in each group. Another 10 rats with only hair shedding were selected as the normal control group. Rats in the administration groups were given the corresponding dose of ursolic acid intragastrically or/and Jagged1 by intraperitoneal injection once a day for 14 consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after the last treatment， the skin inflammation status and dermatitis scores of rats in each group were detected. The levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-17 and IL-10 in serum and skin tissue were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to detect the pathological morphology of the skin tissue. Immunohistochemical staining and immunoblotting assay were used to detect the protein expressions of Notch1 and Hes1 in skin tissues. RESULTS Compared with the MC group， both the UA-L group and UA-H group exhibited significantly lower dermatitis scores， along with varying degrees of reduction in histopathological skin damage such as inflammatory cell infiltration. Additionally， the levels of IL-6 and IL-17 in serum and skin tissues were markedly decreased， while the levels of IL-10 were significantly increased in both groups； protein expressions of Notch1 and Hes1 were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）， and the improvements in the aforementioned indicators were more significant in the UA-H group （P＜0.05）. Jagged1 could significantly weaken the improvement effects of UA-H on the above indicators （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Ursolic acid may attenuate the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhance the expression of anti-inflammatory factors by blocking Notch1/Hes1 signaling pathway， thereby improving dermatitis symptoms in ACD rats.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.05.019.].

Objective To explore the five-circuit and six-qi features of birth time and onset time of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL).Methods A total of 877 cases of children with ALL from Children's Hospital of Soochow University from June 2021 to February 2023 were collected,and their five-circuit and six-qi features of birth time and onset time were analyzed.And then the correlation of five-circuit and six-qi features of birth time and onset time with ALL was explored preliminarily,and the pathogenic characteristics of congenital factors and acquired pathogenic factors were revealed.Results(1)The children who were born in the year with the heavenly stems being bing(the 3rd of the ten heavenly stems)and ding(the 4th of the ten heavenly stems)and with the earthly branches being shen(the 8th of the twelve earthly branches)and you(the 9th of the twelve earthly branches)are prone to suffer from ALL,and the birth year of children with ALL had the five-circuit and six-qi features of the joining of guest circuit with dominant circuit being rebellious.ALL is commonly seen in the year with the heavenly stems being geng(the 7th of the ten heavenly stems)and xin(the 8th of the ten heavenly stems)and with the earthly branches being zi(the 1st of the twelve earthly branches)and chou(the 2nd of the twelve earthly branches),and the onset year of ALL in children had the five-circuit and six-qi features of the yearly circuit being gold-circuit and water-circuit,sitian-zaiquan yearly circuit qi being shaoyin monarch-fire with yangming dryness-gold,taiyin damp-earth with taiyang cold-water,and the qi-circuit assimilation relationship being celestial correspondence,same celestial correspondence,celestial correspondence in convergent year,disharmony,mildly-rebellious,and celestial restriction.Conclusion Gold-dryness and water-cold are the congenital factors and acquired pathogenic factors of ALL.The onset of ALL in children is closely related to qi insufficiency and qi stagnation of wood and fire in five-circuit and six-qi theory.

Objective To explore the effect of CB-103 on pyroptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)cells via the reactive oxygen species(ROS)/caspase-3/gasdermin-E(GSDME)signaling pathway.Methods The OSCC cell line SCC-7 was treated with varying concentrations of CB-103(0,20,40,60,80,and 100 μg/mL).The proliferation activity of CB-103 cells was measured using cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay.The cell migration was assessed using a wound-healing assay.Morphological changes in the cells were observed under an inverted microscope.Western blotting was performed to evaluate the protein expression of GSDME,GSDME-N ter-minal,and cleaved caspase-3.ATP release was measured using an ATP detection kit.The levels of intracellular high-mobility group box 1(HMGB1)and ROS were quantified by immunofluorescence.Results Compared to the control group,CB-103 inhibited the proliferation and migration of SCC-7 cells.Additionally,CB-103 increased ROS levels and upregulated the expression of cleaved caspase-3 protein.Furthermore,CB-103 promoted the cleavage of GSDME and increased the number of GSDME-N terminal fragments(all P＜0.05),thereby inducing pyroptosis in SCC-7 cells.Conclusion CB-103 promotes pyroptosis in OSCC cells by activating the ROS/caspase-3/GSDME pathway.

Objective:To preliminarily explore the relationship between intraventricular pressure gradients (IVPG) measured by ultrasound hemodynamic analysis and left ventricular cardiotoxicity after anthracycline chemotherapy.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who completed 6 cycles of R-CHOP chemotherapy at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from 2014 to 2015 were included. Echocardiography was performed at baseline (T0), after 2 cycles of chemotherapy (T1), after 4 cycles of chemotherapy (T2), and after all chemotherapy cycles (T3). Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), left ventricular global circumferential strain (LVGCS), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were analyzed using speckle-tracking imaging technology, and IVPG was measured using hemodynamic analysis technology, including IVPG of long-axis (IVPG-LA) and IVPG of short-axis. The change rate of each index from T0 to T2 was marked as Δ. Left ventricular cardiotoxicity was defined as a decrease in LVEF of ≥10% from the baseline level or LVEF ≤50%. Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the related factors of left ventricular myocardial toxicity, and the receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn to analyze their evaluation efficiency for left ventricular myocardial toxicity.Results:A total of 55 patients were included, including 28 males (51%), aged (46.5±11.7) years. Twelve patients (22%) developed left ventricular cardiotoxicity. Compared with T0, IVPG-LA decreased at T1 ((10.73±2.51)% vs. (11.52±3.62)%, P=0.037); while LVGLS, LVGCS, and LVEF only decreased at T3 (all P<0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that ΔIVPG-LA and ΔLVGLS were related factors for left ventricular myocardial toxicity in patients with DLBCL receiving chemotherapy (all P<0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the area under the curve of ΔLVGLS was 0.702, with an optimal cut-off value of 13.15% (sensitivity 66.7%, specificity 62.8%); the area under the curve of ΔIVPG-LA was 0.812, with an optimal cut-off value of 20.74% (sensitivity 75.0%, specificity 90.7%). Conclusions:Hemodynamic analysis technology shows promise clinical application value in evaluating subclinical changes in left ventricular function in tumor patients after anthracycline chemotherapy; the change rate of IVPG-LA could be used as an early indicator of left ventricular toxicity after anthracycline chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND:The combination of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome and semen quality-related parameters can jointly predict the occurrence of abnormal increase in sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and draw a column chart,which can significantly improve clinical practicality and application efficiency,provide a basis for comprehensive evaluation of semen quality in clinical practice,take active intervention measures to improve clinical outcomes,and formulate personalized medical plans.OBJECTIVE:To explore the prediction model and verification of sperm DNA fragments based on traditional Chinese medicine syndrome and semen quality-related parameters.METHODS:Retrospective analysis was made on 420 infertile patients who received traditional Chinese medicine syndrome diagnosis and sperm DNA fragment rate examination in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Andrology,Nanxishan Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from July 2019 to July 2021.According to the Manual of Human Semen Examination and Treatment Laboratories (6th Edition),137 patients with sperm DFI>30％ were included in the group of abnormally high sperm DFI,and 283 patients with sperm DFI ≤ 30％ were taken as the control group.First,univariate analysis was used to screen the influencing factors of the abnormal increase of sperm DFI.Then,the best matching factor was selected by using the collinearity problem of LASSO correction factors.Then,it was included in the multifactor forward stepwise logistic regression to find out its independent influencing factors and draw a nomogram.Finally,the receiver operating characteristic curve,calibration curve,decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve were used to verify the differentiation and accuracy of the prediction model and its clinical application effectiveness.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) The results of the univariate analysis showed that age,body mass index,forward motion rate,total sperm motility,sperm concentration,sperm morphology,kidney yang deficiency syndrome,damp heat downpour syndrome,and kidney sperm deficiency syndrome were the influencing factors for the abnormal increase of sperm DFI (P<0.05).(2) The best matching factors further screened by LASSO regression were age,body mass index,total sperm motility,sperm concentration,sperm morphology,kidney yang deficiency syndrome,damp heat downpour syndrome,and kidney essence deficiency syndrome (P<0.05).(3) Multifactor forward stepwise Logistic regression showed that age,body mass index,sperm concentration,total sperm motility,damp heat downpour syndrome,and kidney yang deficiency syndrome were six independent factors that caused the abnormal increase in sperm DFI.(4) Receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the area under the curve of the model group was 0.760(0.713,0.806),and the area under the curve of the validation group was 0.745(0.714,0.776).It showed that the prediction model had good discrimination.(5) The average absolute error of the calibration curve was 0.040,and the Hosmer Lemeshow test (P>0.05),suggesting that there was no significant statistical difference between the probability of the abnormal increase in DFI of spermatozoa predicted by the model and the probability of the abnormal increase in DFI of spermatozoa actually occurred,which confirmed that the model had good accuracy.(6) Decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve showed that the model group and validation group had the maximum clinical net benefit when the threshold probability values were (0.08-0.84) and (0.09-0.78) respectively,and had good clinical application efficiency within the threshold probability range.(7) These findings conclude that age,body mass index,sperm concentration,total sperm viability,damp heat downpour syndrome and kidney yang deficiency syndrome are independent factors that cause the abnormal increase in sperm DFI.The nomogram of the clinical prediction model constructed by them has good clinical prediction value and clinical application efficiency,and can provide the basis for comprehensive clinical evaluation of semen quality and individualized medical service.

In order to establish a method for the detection of serum antibodies to donkey-derived e-quine coronavirus(ECoV),recombinant ECoV N protein was expressed in E.coli system,purified by nickel column affinity chromatography and identified by Western blot.After optimizing the re-action conditions,the indirect ELISA(iELISA)detection method was established using the puri-fied recombinant protein as coating antigen and used to detect 143 clinical serum samples.The re-sults showed that the recombinant N protein,which has good reaction activity with serum antibod-y,was successfully expressed.The optimum conditions of the established iELISA method were as follows:the amount of antigen coated was 0.2 μg/well and overnight at 4 ℃,10％skimmed milk powder solution was sealed at 37℃ for 1.5 h,the dilution concentration of serum was 1∶200,and the enzyme-labeled secondary antibody diluted at 1∶10 000.The sensitivity test results showed that the positive serum could be diluted to 1∶6 400.The specificity test results showed that all an-tibodies to several donkey pathogens were negative.The repetitive test results showed that the in-tra-and inter-batch coefficients of variation were 2.90％-6.12％and 2.29％-7.88％respectively.The positive rate of clinical donkey serum was 57.3％.The iELISA established in this study pro-vides a technical support for epidemiological investigation and antibody surveillance.

Objective To analyze the expression of monocyte surface antigen-presenting factors CD86+and HLA-DR in the subacute phase of burn injury,and the molecular mechanism of monocytes contributing to persistent inflammation.Methods The mice were divided into the sham group and the burn group,and a mouse model of 30％body surface burn was estab-lished.Spleens were collected from mice on the 8th day after burn injury,and monocytes were isolated for transcriptomic analy-sis.A mouse model of Notch1 lentiviral transfection was constructed,and models of sham burn+blank control(sham-NC),burn+blank control(burn-NC),sham burn+Notch1 shRNA(sham-sh),and burn+Notch1 shRNA(burn-sh)were estab-lished.The qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expressions of monocyte surface antigens CD86+and HLA-DR.Immunofluorescence was performed to analyze the expression of CD86+and HLA-DR in splenic monocytes.ELISA was used to analyze serum levels of IL-10 and CRP.Results On the 8th day after burn injury,compared with the sham burn group,the expressions of monocyte surface antigens CD86+and HLA-DR were decreased,while serum levels of IL-10 and CRP were increased in the burn group.Contents of IL-10 and CRP showed significant negative correlations with CD86+and HLA-DR,re-spectively.Transcriptomic analysis revealed 258 significantly upregulated genes and 360 significantly downregulated genes in splenic monocytes from the burn group.The differentially expressed genes primarily enriched in the Notch signaling path-way.Western blot results showed a significant upregulation of Notch1 expression.After lentiviral inhibition of Notch1 signaling invivo,compared with the burn-NC group,expressions of CD86+and HLA-DR on monocyte surfaces were increased,and ser-um levels of IL-10 and CRP were decreased in the burn-sh group.Conclusion The functional inhibition of splenic monocytes is mediated by Notch1 signaling pathway in the subacute phase of burn injury.Inhibition of Notch1 signaling in vivo improves the antigen-presenting capacity of monocytes after burn injury and inhibits the secretion of inflammatory factors.