Objective To describe the significance of the pretreatment inflammatory indicators in predicting the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after undergoing radical radiotherapy. Methods The data of 246 ESCC patients who underwent radical radiotherapy were retrospectively collected. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to determine the optimal cutoff values for platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII). The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. We conducted univariate and multivariate analyses by using the Cox proportional risk regression model. Software R (version 4.2.0) was used to create the nomogram of prognostic factors. Results The results of the ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cutoff values of PLR, NLR, and SII were 146.06, 2.67, and 493.97, respectively. The overall response rates were 77.6% and 64.5% in the low and high NLR groups, respectively (P<0.05). The results of the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the prognosis of patients in the low PLR, NLR, and SII group was better than that of patients in the high PLR, NLR, and SII group (all P<0.05). The results of the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that gender, treatment modalities, T stage, and NLR were independent factors affecting the overall survival (OS). In addition, T stage and NLR were independent factors affecting the progression-free survival (PFS) (all P<0.05). The nomogram models of OS and PFS prediction were established based on multivariate analysis. The C-index values were 0.703 and 0.668. The calibration curves showed excellent consistency between the predicted and observed OS and PFS. Conclusion The pretreatment values of PLR, NLR, and SII are correlated with the prognosis of patients with ESCC who underwent radical radiotherapy. Moreover, NLR is an independent factor affecting the OS and PFS of ESCC patients. The NLR-based nomogram model has a good predictive ability.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of tonifying kidney and replenishing essence on asthenozoospermia patients with the syndrome of kidney essence deficiency and the effects of this method on the adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 （mTORC1） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy-two eligible asthenozoospermia patients with the syndrome of kidney essence deficiency treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2023 to January 2024 were selected and randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group， with 36 patients in each group. The observation group received oral administration of Guilu Tianjing capsules， while the control group received oral administration of L-carnitine oral solution. The treatment course lasted for 4 weeks in both groups. The observed indicators included sperm progressive motility rate （PR）， total sperm motility （PR+NP）， percentage of normal mitochondrial membrane potential （MMP）， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom scores before and after treatment in both groups. A three-month follow-up was instituted to record the conception status of the patients’ spouses. Additionally， eight patients were randomly selected from the eligible patients in the observation group， and four healthy males with normal semen routine examination results were included as the control group for the determination of protein expression. Western blotting was conducted to assess the expression of AMPK， phosphorylated （p）-AMPK， regulatory-associated protein of mTOR （RAPTOR） and p-RAPTOR， and PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 （PINK1） in sperms from the observation group before and after treatment， as well as in the sperms of the control group. ResultsThe pregnancy rate of spouses in the observation group was 9.09% （3/33）， which was higher than that （3.33%， 1/30） in the control group. The total response rate was 84.8% （28/33） in the observation group and 66.7% （20/30） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. After treatment， both groups were improved considering PR， PR+NP， MMP， and TCM symptom scores （P<0.01）. Moreover， the observation group exhibited more pronounced decreases in TCM symptom scores than the control group （P<0.05）， while the changes in PR， PR+NP， and MMP showed no statistical significance between groups. Compared with the control group， the asthenozoospermia group exhibited upregulations in phosphorylation levels of AMPK and RAPTOR and protein level of PINK （P<0.01）. The administration of Guilu Tianjing Capsules led to downregulations in the phosphorylation levels of AMPK and RAPTOR and protein level of PINK1 （P<0.01）. However， the protein levels of AMPK and RAPTOR demonstrated no significant difference between before and after treatment. During the study period， neither group of patients exhibited any notable adverse reactions. ConclusionGuilu Tianjing capsules can enhance the sperm motility and percentage of normal mitochondrial membrane potential in asthenozoospermia patients with the syndrome of kidney essence deficiency by downregulating the AMPK/mTORC1 signaling pathway， lowering the protein level of PINK1， and inhibiting excessive activation of mitophagy.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of tonifying kidney and replenishing essence on asthenozoospermia patients with the syndrome of kidney essence deficiency and the effects of this method on the adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 （mTORC1） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy-two eligible asthenozoospermia patients with the syndrome of kidney essence deficiency treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2023 to January 2024 were selected and randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group， with 36 patients in each group. The observation group received oral administration of Guilu Tianjing capsules， while the control group received oral administration of L-carnitine oral solution. The treatment course lasted for 4 weeks in both groups. The observed indicators included sperm progressive motility rate （PR）， total sperm motility （PR+NP）， percentage of normal mitochondrial membrane potential （MMP）， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom scores before and after treatment in both groups. A three-month follow-up was instituted to record the conception status of the patients’ spouses. Additionally， eight patients were randomly selected from the eligible patients in the observation group， and four healthy males with normal semen routine examination results were included as the control group for the determination of protein expression. Western blotting was conducted to assess the expression of AMPK， phosphorylated （p）-AMPK， regulatory-associated protein of mTOR （RAPTOR） and p-RAPTOR， and PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 （PINK1） in sperms from the observation group before and after treatment， as well as in the sperms of the control group. ResultsThe pregnancy rate of spouses in the observation group was 9.09% （3/33）， which was higher than that （3.33%， 1/30） in the control group. The total response rate was 84.8% （28/33） in the observation group and 66.7% （20/30） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. After treatment， both groups were improved considering PR， PR+NP， MMP， and TCM symptom scores （P<0.01）. Moreover， the observation group exhibited more pronounced decreases in TCM symptom scores than the control group （P<0.05）， while the changes in PR， PR+NP， and MMP showed no statistical significance between groups. Compared with the control group， the asthenozoospermia group exhibited upregulations in phosphorylation levels of AMPK and RAPTOR and protein level of PINK （P<0.01）. The administration of Guilu Tianjing Capsules led to downregulations in the phosphorylation levels of AMPK and RAPTOR and protein level of PINK1 （P<0.01）. However， the protein levels of AMPK and RAPTOR demonstrated no significant difference between before and after treatment. During the study period， neither group of patients exhibited any notable adverse reactions. ConclusionGuilu Tianjing capsules can enhance the sperm motility and percentage of normal mitochondrial membrane potential in asthenozoospermia patients with the syndrome of kidney essence deficiency by downregulating the AMPK/mTORC1 signaling pathway， lowering the protein level of PINK1， and inhibiting excessive activation of mitophagy.

AIM: To compare the efficacy, safety, and complications of 27G and 25G vitrectomy in the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment(RRD)involving the macular area.METHODS:This retrospective study analyzed 60 patients(60 eyes)initially diagnosed with RRD involving the macular area and undergoing 25G or 27G vitrectomy combined with retinal reattachment at our hospital from January 2021 to December 2023. Patients were divided into 25G group(30 eyes)and 27G group(30 eyes). Best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), intraocular pressure(IOP), surgical duration, retinal reattachment rate and complications of both groups of patients were compared before and after surgery.RESULTS: The mean surgical time in the 27G group was slightly longer than in the 25G group(40.20±7.52 vs 36.97±7.47 min). Incision leakage occurred in 7 eyes(23%)in the 25G group versus 1 eye(3%)in the 27G group, though the difference was not statistically significant between two groups(P>0.05). At 6 mo postoperatively, BCVA(LogMAR)improved significantly in both groups(27G: 0.37±0.19 vs preoperative 0.98±0.32; 25G: 0.40±0.17 vs preoperative 0.84±0.33; all P<0.05), with no statistical difference in BCVA(P>0.05). At 1 d postoperatively, the 25G group had lower mean IOP(12.29±2.86 mmHg)compared to the 27G group(15.87±3.70 mmHg; P<0.001), but no differences were observed at 1 wk or 1 mo postoperatively(all P>0.05). Retinal reattachment rates and complications(intra- or postoperative)showed no significant intergroup differences(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION: Both 25G and 27G vitrectomy are safe and effective in treating rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. However, the 27G vitrectomy offers advantages such as small incisions, better self-sealing properties, and more stable IOP.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of action of Huangqi Chifengtang （HQCFT） on rats with atherosclerosis （AS） by regulating the gut microbiota and their metabolites. MethodsA rat model of AS was induced through high-fat diet feeding and vitamin D₃ injection， and the modeling lasted for 12 weeks. Fifty eight-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups： A blank group， a model group， a group receiving a low dose of HQCFT at 1.53 g·kg^-1 （HQCFT-L group）， a group receiving a high dose of HQCFT at 3.06 g·kg^-1 （HQCFT-H group）， and a group receiving atorvastatin calcium tablets at 1.8 mg·kg^-1 （Ato group）， with 10 rats in each group. Oral gavage administration started on the day after model establishment， once daily for four weeks. The efficacy of HQCFT was verified using aortic hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and determination of lipid levels and hemorrheology. The real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used for detecting inflammatory factor levels in the aorta， high-throughput sequencing for analyzing the gut microbiota composition in intestinal contents， targeted metabolomics for detecting short-chain fatty acid （SCFA） levels， and non-targeted metabolomics for identifying metabolomic profiles of intestinal contents. ResultsCompared with that in the blank group， the aortic tissue of rats in the model group showed significant AS lesions， including endothelial damage， inflammatory infiltration， and formation of fibrous plaques and calcified foci. Moreover， serum triacylglycerol （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） levels were significantly elevated （P<0.05）， while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05）. Significant increases were observed in whole blood viscosity， plasma viscosity， and the mRNA expression levels of NOD-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 （NLRP3）， Caspase-1， interleukin （IL）-β， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in aortic tissue （P<0.05）. Additionally， gut microbiota composition， SCFA levels， and metabolomic profiles were significantly altered. Compared with those in the model group， serum TC， TG， and LDL-C levels， as well as the whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity， were significantly reduced in all groups treated with HQCFT （P<0.05）. Significant decreases were observed in NLRP3 mRNA expression levels in all groups treated with HQCFT， Caspase-1， IL-β， and IL-6 mRNA expression levels in the HQCFT-H group， and TNF-α mRNA expression levels in the HQCFT-L group （P<0.05）. HQCFT reversed the increase in the F/B ratio and dialled back the decrease in the relative abundance of Blautia and the increase in that of Desulfovibrio. HQCFT promoted the production of acetic acid， valeric acid， and propionic acid. Non-targeted metabolomics identified 39 differential metabolites， which were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways such as arachidonic acid metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis. ConclusionThe mechanism by which HQCFT ameliorates AS injury may be related to the improvement of dyslipidemia and body inflammatory responses by altering gut microbiota composition， promoting SCFA production， and regulating the levels of metabolites in intestinal contents.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of action of Huangqi Chifengtang （HQCFT） on rats with atherosclerosis （AS） by regulating the gut microbiota and their metabolites. MethodsA rat model of AS was induced through high-fat diet feeding and vitamin D₃ injection， and the modeling lasted for 12 weeks. Fifty eight-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups： A blank group， a model group， a group receiving a low dose of HQCFT at 1.53 g·kg^-1 （HQCFT-L group）， a group receiving a high dose of HQCFT at 3.06 g·kg^-1 （HQCFT-H group）， and a group receiving atorvastatin calcium tablets at 1.8 mg·kg^-1 （Ato group）， with 10 rats in each group. Oral gavage administration started on the day after model establishment， once daily for four weeks. The efficacy of HQCFT was verified using aortic hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and determination of lipid levels and hemorrheology. The real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used for detecting inflammatory factor levels in the aorta， high-throughput sequencing for analyzing the gut microbiota composition in intestinal contents， targeted metabolomics for detecting short-chain fatty acid （SCFA） levels， and non-targeted metabolomics for identifying metabolomic profiles of intestinal contents. ResultsCompared with that in the blank group， the aortic tissue of rats in the model group showed significant AS lesions， including endothelial damage， inflammatory infiltration， and formation of fibrous plaques and calcified foci. Moreover， serum triacylglycerol （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） levels were significantly elevated （P<0.05）， while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05）. Significant increases were observed in whole blood viscosity， plasma viscosity， and the mRNA expression levels of NOD-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 （NLRP3）， Caspase-1， interleukin （IL）-β， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in aortic tissue （P<0.05）. Additionally， gut microbiota composition， SCFA levels， and metabolomic profiles were significantly altered. Compared with those in the model group， serum TC， TG， and LDL-C levels， as well as the whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity， were significantly reduced in all groups treated with HQCFT （P<0.05）. Significant decreases were observed in NLRP3 mRNA expression levels in all groups treated with HQCFT， Caspase-1， IL-β， and IL-6 mRNA expression levels in the HQCFT-H group， and TNF-α mRNA expression levels in the HQCFT-L group （P<0.05）. HQCFT reversed the increase in the F/B ratio and dialled back the decrease in the relative abundance of Blautia and the increase in that of Desulfovibrio. HQCFT promoted the production of acetic acid， valeric acid， and propionic acid. Non-targeted metabolomics identified 39 differential metabolites， which were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways such as arachidonic acid metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis. ConclusionThe mechanism by which HQCFT ameliorates AS injury may be related to the improvement of dyslipidemia and body inflammatory responses by altering gut microbiota composition， promoting SCFA production， and regulating the levels of metabolites in intestinal contents.

BACKGROUND:The plantarflexor weakness is a common muscle defect in patients with spastic cerebral palsy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth,which clinically manifests abnormal gaits,and the relationship between plantarflexor weakness and abnormal gaits is unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the biomechanical behavior of the lower limb under the action of a single factor of plantarflexor weakness to reveal the mechanism of abnormal gait induced by plantarflexor weakness and to provide guidance for the rehabilitation training of patients with plantarflexor weakness. METHODS:A predictive framework of musculoskeletal multibody dynamics in the sagittal plane was established based on OpenSim Moco to predict lower limb joint angles and muscle activation changes during walking in normal subjects.The validity of the framework was verified by combining the inverse kinematics and electromyogram activation time of the experimental data.Reduced isometric muscle forces were used to model plantarflexor weakness and to compare predicted lower extremity joint angles,joint moments,and muscle energy expenditure with normal subjects to analyze the effects of plantarflexor weakness on lower extremity biomechanics. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The Moco-based prediction framework realistically predicted the biomechanical changes of the lower limbs during walking in normal subjects(joint angles:normalized correlation coefficient≥0.73,root mean square error≤7.10°).(2)The musculoskeletal model used a small stride support phase to increase the"heel-walking"gait during plantarflexor weakness.When the plantarflexor weakness reached 80%,the muscle energy expenditure was 5.691 4 J/kg/m,and the maximum activation levels of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were 0.72 and 0.53,which might cause the plantarflexor weakness patients to be more prone to fatigue when walking.(3)Muscle energy expenditure was significantly higher when the weakness of plantarflexors exceeded 40%,and the joint angles and moments of the lower limbs deteriorated significantly when the weakness of plantarflexors exceeded 60%,suggesting that there may be a"threshold"for the effect of plantarflexor weakness on gait,which may correspond to the point at which health care professionals should intervene in the clinical setting.

Objective: Whether elevation in plasma levels of amyloid and tau protein biomarkers are better indicators of cognitive decline than higher baseline levels in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains understudied. Methods: We included 67 participants with twice testing for AD-related plasma biomarkers via immunomagnetic reduction (IMR) assays (amyloid beta [Aβ]1-40, Aβ1-42, total tau [t-Tau], phosphorylated tau [p-Tau] 181, and alpha-synuclein [α-Syn]) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) over a 1-year interval. We examined the correlation between biomarker levels (baseline vs. longitudinal change) and annual changes in the MMSE scores. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was conducted to compare the biomarkers. Results: After adjustment, faster cognitive decline was correlated with lower baseline levels of t-Tau (β=0.332, p=0.030) and p-Tau 181 (β=0.369, p=0.015) and rapid elevation of t-Tau (β=-0.330, p=0.030) and p-Tau 181 levels (β=-0.431, p=0.004). However, the levels (baseline and longitudinal changes) of Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42, and α-Syn were not correlated with cognitive decline. aMCI converters had lower baseline levels of p-Tau 181 (p=0.002) but larger annual changes (p=0.001) than aMCI non-converters. The change in p-Tau 181 levels showed better discriminatory capacity than the change in t-Tau levels in terms of identifying AD conversion in patients with aMCI, with an area under curve of 86.7% versus 72.2%. Conclusion We found changes in p-Tau 181 levels may be a suitable biomarker for identifying AD conversion.

Objective: Whether elevation in plasma levels of amyloid and tau protein biomarkers are better indicators of cognitive decline than higher baseline levels in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains understudied. Methods: We included 67 participants with twice testing for AD-related plasma biomarkers via immunomagnetic reduction (IMR) assays (amyloid beta [Aβ]1-40, Aβ1-42, total tau [t-Tau], phosphorylated tau [p-Tau] 181, and alpha-synuclein [α-Syn]) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) over a 1-year interval. We examined the correlation between biomarker levels (baseline vs. longitudinal change) and annual changes in the MMSE scores. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was conducted to compare the biomarkers. Results: After adjustment, faster cognitive decline was correlated with lower baseline levels of t-Tau (β=0.332, p=0.030) and p-Tau 181 (β=0.369, p=0.015) and rapid elevation of t-Tau (β=-0.330, p=0.030) and p-Tau 181 levels (β=-0.431, p=0.004). However, the levels (baseline and longitudinal changes) of Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42, and α-Syn were not correlated with cognitive decline. aMCI converters had lower baseline levels of p-Tau 181 (p=0.002) but larger annual changes (p=0.001) than aMCI non-converters. The change in p-Tau 181 levels showed better discriminatory capacity than the change in t-Tau levels in terms of identifying AD conversion in patients with aMCI, with an area under curve of 86.7% versus 72.2%. Conclusion We found changes in p-Tau 181 levels may be a suitable biomarker for identifying AD conversion.

ObjectiveFunctional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a novel non-invasive technique for monitoring cerebral activity, can be integrated with upper limb rehabilitation robots to facilitate the real-time assessment of neurological rehabilitation outcomes. The rehabilitation robot is designed with 3 training modes: passive, active, and resistance. Among these, the resistance mode has been demonstrated to yield superior rehabilitative outcomes for patients with a certain level of muscle strength. The control modes in the resistance mode can be categorized into dynamic and static control. However, the effects of different control modes in the resistance mode on the motor function of patients with upper limb hemiplegia in stroke remain unclear. Furthermore, the effects of force, an important parameter of different control modes, on the activation of brain regions have rarely been reported. This study investigates the effects of dynamic and static resistance modes under varying resistance levels on cerebral functional alterations during motor rehabilitation in post-stroke patients. MethodsA cohort of 20 stroke patients with upper limb dysfunction was enrolled in the study, completing preparatory adaptive training followed by 3 intensity-level tasks across 2 motor paradigms. The bilateral prefrontal cortices (PFC), bilateral primary motor cortices (M1), bilateral primary somatosensory cortices (S1), and bilateral premotor and supplementary motor cortices (PM) were examined in both the resting and motor training states. The lateralization index (LI), phase locking value (PLV), network metrics were employed to examine cortical activation patterns and topological properties of brain connectivity. ResultsThe data indicated that both dynamic and static modes resulted in significantly greater activation of the contralateral M1 area and the ipsilateral PM area when compared to the resting state. The static patterns demonstrated a more pronounced activation in the contralateral M1 in comparison to the dynamic patterns. The results of brain network analysis revealed significant differences between the dynamic and resting states in the contralateral PFC area and contralateral M1 area (F=4.709, P=0.038), as well as in the contralateral PM area and ipsilateral M1 area (F=4.218, P=0.049). Moreover, the findings indicated a positive correlation between the activation of the M1 region and the increase in force in the dynamic mode, which was reversed in the static mode. ConclusionBoth dynamic and static resistance training modes have been demonstrated to activate the corresponding brain functional regions. Dynamic resistance modes elicit greater oxygen changes and connectivity to the region of interest (ROI) than static resistance modes. Furthermore, the effects of increasing force differ between the two modes. In patients who have suffered a stroke, dynamic modes may have a more pronounced effect on the activation of exercise-related functional brain regions.