Objective To assess the effects of “dual low” scanning technology in conjunction with an individualized injection protocol in enhancing the quality of abdominal contrast-enhanced CT images. Methods A total of 200 patients who underwent abdominal contrast-enhanced CT examinations at the Hainan Western Central Hospital between January 2022 and January 2024 were selected for the study. Using a random number table, participants were randomly assigned to either a control group (n = 100, sub-hypertonic contrast agent + conventional tube voltage + individualized injection protocol) or an observation group (n = 100, isotonic contrast agent + tube voltage of 100 kV + individualized injection protocol). The study compared the impact of these two methodologies on the quality of abdominal contrast-enhanced CT images. Results During the arterial phase, the CT value of the abdominal aorta was significantly higher in the observation group than that in the control group (P < 0.05), suggesting that isotonic contrast agent and low tube voltage more effectively enhanced vascular signal. During the portal vein phase, the CT value was higher and the liver parenchymal noise was lower in the observation group those in the control group (P < 0.05), further validating the advantages of the “dual low” approach during the portal venous phase. The radiation dose was significantly lower in the observation group than that in the control group (P < 0.05), indicating that the “dual low” protocol effectively reduced radiation dose while enhancing patient safety. During the arterial phase, both the abdominal aorta noise and liver parenchymal noise were lower in the observation group than those in the control group (P < 0.05), demonstrating that the “dual low” strategy effectively reduced image noise and enhanced image clarity. The image quality scores were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05), indicating that high image quality could be achieved even at reduced radiation doses and contrast agent concentrations. Conclusion The “dual low” scanning technology, combined with an individualized injection protocol, not only effectively enhances the contrast of arteries and veins, reduces image noise, and improves the overall image quality, but also decreases radiation dose and enhances patient safety. Therefore, this technology is worth being widely promoted.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the major form of dementia in the elderly and is closely related to the toxic effects of microglia sustained activation. In AD, sustained microglial activation triggers impaired synaptic pruning, neuroinflammation, neurotoxicity, and cognitive deficits. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that aberrant expression of deubiquitinating enzymes is associated with regulating microglia function. Here, we use RNA sequencing to identify a deubiquitinase YOD1 as a regulator of microglial function and AD pathology. Further study showed that YOD1 knockout significantly improved the migration, phagocytosis, and inflammatory response of microglia, thereby improving the cognitive impairment of AD model mice. Through LC-MS/MS analysis combined with Co-IP, we found that Myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9), a key regulator maintaining microglia homeostasis, is an interacting protein of YOD1. Mechanistically, YOD1 binds to MYH9 and maintains its stability by removing the K48 ubiquitin chain from MYH9, thereby mediating the microglia polarization signaling pathway to mediate microglia homeostasis. Taken together, our study reveals a specific role of microglial YOD1 in mediating microglia homeostasis and AD pathology, which provides a potential strategy for targeting microglia to treat AD.

Gelsemium elegans (G. elegans) is an extremely poisonous plant that is widely distributed in southern China and southeastern Asia. G. elegans poisoning events occur frequently in southern China, and are therefore an urgent public health problem requiring multidisciplinary action. However, the toxic components and toxicological mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we describe a systematic investigation on the toxic components of G. elegans, resulting in the isolation and identification of 120 alkaloids. Based on acute toxicity screening, the structure-toxicity relationship of Gelsemium alkaloids was proposed for the first time. Moreover, gelsedine- and humantenine-type alkaloids were detected in the clinical blood sample, and were confirmed to be causative in the poisoning. The most toxic compound, gelsenicine (1), had selective inhibitory effects toward ventral respiratory group (VRG) neurons in the medulla, which is the main brain region controlling respiration in the central nervous system. Gelsenicine (1) strongly inhibited the firing of action potentials in VRG neurons through its ability to stimulate GABA_A receptors, the main receptors involved in inhibitory neurotransmission. Application of GABA_A receptor antagonists successively reversed action potential firing in gelsenicine (1)-treated VRG neurons. Importantly, the GABA_A receptor antagonists securinine and flumazenil significantly increased the survival of poisoned animals. Our findings provide insight into the components and mechanisms of G. elegans toxicity, and should assist the development of effective emergency treatments for G. elegans poisoning.

With the growing emphasis on maternal and child oral health, the significance of managing oral health across preconception, pregnancy, and infancy stages has become increasingly apparent. Oral health challenges extend beyond affecting maternal well-being, exerting profound influences on fetal and neonatal oral development as well as immune system maturation. This expert consensus paper, developed using a modified Delphi method, reviews current research and provides recommendations on maternal and child oral health management. It underscores the critical role of comprehensive oral assessments prior to conception, diligent oral health management throughout pregnancy, and meticulous oral hygiene practices during infancy. Effective strategies should be seamlessly integrated across the life course, encompassing preconception oral assessments, systematic dental care during pregnancy, and routine infant oral hygiene. Collaborative efforts among pediatric dentists, maternal and child health workers, and obstetricians are crucial to improving outcomes and fostering clinical research, contributing to evidence-based health management strategies.
Humans ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Infant ; Consensus ; Mouth Diseases/therapy* ; Pregnancy Complications/therapy* ; Oral Health ; Infant, Newborn ; Delphi Technique ; Oral Hygiene

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic, relapsing, and etiologically complicated chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Despite substantial progress in the management of UC, the outcomes of mucosal barrier repair are unsatisfactory. In this study, phillygenin (PHI) treatment alleviated the symptoms of chronic colitis in mice, including body weight loss, severe disease activity index scores, colon shortening, splenomegaly, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response. In particular, PHI treatment ameliorated the tight junction proteins (TJs) reduction, fibrosis, apoptosis, and intestinal stem cell activity, indicating that PHI exerted beneficial effects on the intestinal mucosal barrier in mice with chronic colitis. In the NCM460 cells damage model, dextran sulfate sodium triggered the sequential induction of TJs reduction, fibrosis, and apoptosis. Takeda G protein-coupled receptor-5 (TGR5) dysfunction mediated NCM460 cell injury. Moreover, PHI treatment enhanced TJs and suppressed fibrosis and apoptosis to maintain NCM460 cell function, depending on TGR5 activation. PHI promoted TGR5 activation and elevated intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels in HEK 293T cells transfected with TGR5 expression plasmids. Cellular thermal shift assay and molecular docking studies confirmed that PHI directly binds to TGR5, indicating that PHI is an agonist of TGR5. The process of PERK-eIF2α pathway-mediated endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ release was involved in NCM460 cell injury as well, which was associated with TGR5 dysfunction. When NCM460 cells were pretreated with PHI, the PERK-eIF2α pathway and elevated Ca²⁺ levels were blocked. In conclusion, our study demonstrated a novel mechanism that PHI inhibited the PERK-eIF2α-Ca²⁺ pathway through TGR5 activation to against DSS-induced TJs reduction, fibrosis, and apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of critical care warning platform (CWP) on clinical outcomes of patients transferred from internal medical ward to intensive care unit (ICU) based on real-world data. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The patients transferred from internal medical ward to ICU of Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, between January 2022 and October 2024, were enrolled. They were divided into critical care warning group and conventional treatment group based on whether they were connected to the CWP. The patients in the critical care warning group were connected to the CWP, which collected real-time vital signs and treatment data. The platform automatically calculated severity scores, generated individualized risk assessments, and triggered warning alerts, allowing clinicians to adjust treatment plans accordingly. The patients in the conventional treatment group were not connected to the CWP and relied on conventional clinical judgment and nursing measures for treatment management. Baseline characteristics [gender, age, body mass index (BMI), admission type, severity score of illness, underlying diseases, and disease type at ICU admission], primary clinical outcome (in-hospital mortality), and secondary clinical outcomes [ICU mortality, length of ICU stay, total length of hospital stay, and mechanical ventilation and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) status] were collected. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the impact of CWP on in-hospital death, and subgroup analyses were performed based on different patient characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 1 281 patients were enrolled, with 768 in the critical care warning group and 513 in the conventional treatment group. Compared with the conventional treatment group, the proportion of patients in the critical care warning group with underlying diseases of diabetes and malignancy and transferred to ICU due to sepsis was lowered, however, there were no statistically significant differences in other baseline characteristics between the two groups. Regarding the primary clinical outcome, the in-hospital mortality in the critical care warning group was significantly lower than that in the conventional treatment group [17.6% (135/768) vs. 25.7% (132/513), P < 0.01]. For secondary clinical outcomes, compared with the conventional treatment group, the patients in the critical care warning group had significantly fewer days of mechanical ventilation within 28 days [days: 2 (1, 6) vs. 2 (1, 8), P < 0.05], significantly shorter length of ICU stay [days: 3 (2, 8) vs. 4 (2, 10), P < 0.01], and significantly lower ICU mortality [15.1% (116/768) vs. 21.4% (110/513), P < 0.01]. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for age and underlying diseases, the use of CWP was significantly associated with a reduction of in-hospital mortality among patients transferred from internal medical ward to ICU [odds ratio (OR) = 0.670, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.502-0.894, P = 0.006]. Further subgroup analysis revealed that, among patients transferred to ICU due to sepsis, the use of CWP significantly reduced in-hospital mortality (OR = 0.514, 95%CI was 0.367-0.722, P < 0.001). In patients aged ≥ 70 years old (OR = 0.587, 95%CI was 0.415-0.831, P = 0.003) and those with underlying diseases of malignancy (OR = 0.124, 95%CI was 0.046-0.330, P < 0.001), CWP also showed significant protective effects on in-hospital prognosis. CONCLUSION The use of CWP is significantly associated with a reduction in in-hospital mortality among patients transferred from internal medical ward to ICU, demonstrating its potential in assessing the deterioration of hospitalized patients.
Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Retrospective Studies ; Hospital Mortality ; Prognosis ; Critical Care ; Male ; Female ; Patient Transfer ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Cohort Studies

Objective:To investigate the impact of ginseng alcohol extract(GEE)on improving sleep quality in the aged Drosophila model by regulating the redox balance,and to elucidate its associated mechanism.Methods:Thirty-two male drosophila melanogaster(7-days-old)were randomly selected as young group,while 64 male Drosophila melanogaster flies(35-days-old)were randomly assigned to aged model group(n=32)and GEE group(n=32).The sleep parameters,including total sleep duration,daytime sleep duration,night sleep duration,0-4 h of sleep duration after lights off(ZT0-4 sleep duration),deep sleep duration,sleep episodetimes,sleep fragmentation,and the activity parameters such as the total number of locomotor activity daytime locomotor activity amount and nighttime locomotor activity amount were analyzed using the DAM2 Drosophila behavioral analysis system 7 d after administration.The grouping of the drosophila was as above,and there were 100 drosophila ineach group.The differentially expressed proteins in drosophila brain tissue were screened,identified,and functionally analyzed using two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis(2D-DIGE)and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS)proteomic methods.The grouping of the drosophila was as above,and there were 100 drosophila in each group.The activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT),and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)and the levels of lipid peroxidation product(MDA)in brain tissue of the drosophila were determined using assay kits.Results:Compared with young group,the total sleep duration daytime sleep duration and night sleep cluration of the drosophila in agaed group were decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01);and the sleep rhythm amplitude was shortened.Compared with aged group,the total sleep duration and daytime and nighttime sleep durations of the drosphila in GEE group were lengthened(P<0.01).Compared with young group,the ZT0-4 sleep duration deep sleep duration and sleep fragment of the drosophila in aged group were decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),and the sleep rhythm amplitude was shortened.Compared with young group,the ZT0-4 sleep duration,deep sleep duration,and single sleep fragment of the drosphila in GEE group were significantly prolonged(P<0.01),and the sleep amplitude was increased.Compared with young group,there was no significant difference in diurnal spontaneous activity or total spontaneous activity of the drosophila in aged group(P>0.05),while the nocturnal spontaneous activity was significantly increased(P<0.05).Compared with aged group,the diurnal spontaneous activity,nocturnal spontaneous activity,and total spontaneous activity of the drosophila in GEE group were significantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).A total of 47 differentially expressed proteins were selected in the 2D-DIGE electrophoretic mapping.Compared with young group,the expressions of 47 differentially expressed protein sites in aged group were down-regulated mainly including glutathione S-transferase,peroxiredoxin 1 and dihydrolipoic dehydrogenase,which were related to redox balance.Compared with young group,the activities of SOD,CAT and GSH-Px in brain tissue of the drosophila in aged group were decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),and the level of MDA was increased(P<0.01);compared with aged group,the activities of SOD,CAT and GSH-Px in brain tissue of the drosphila in GEE group were increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),and the MDA level was decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion:GEE has improvement effect on the sleep quality of aged drosophila,and its possible mechanism may be related to upregulating the activities of antioxidant enzymes,inhibiting the accumulation of lipid peroxidation products,and maintaining redox balance.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction yields favorable outcomes for restoring anteroposterior stability of the knee joint in patients with ACL tears. However, some patients still exhibit positive knee pivot shift after ACL reconstruction. Currently, combined ACL and anterolateral ligament(ALL) reconstruction has been accepted by most scholars. This surgical technique can restore the rotational stability of the knee joint in patients postoperatively and facilitate the early besumption of sports training after surgery. This article reviews the anatomical research, isometry-like point research, and reconstruction indications of the anterolateral ligament, as well as the surgical approaches, graft tunnel convergence, and reconstruction outcomes of combined anterior cruciate ligament and anterolateral ligament reconstruction.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion (ex20ins) mutation is a rare subtype of mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients with advanced NSCLC carrying the EGFR ex20ins mutation tend to have poor responses to traditional EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, leading to a poor clinical prognosis. Significant progress has been made in the development of new drugs targeting the EGFR ex20ins mutation. The research on new drugs targeting EGFR ex20ins mutations has made significant progress. The main ones include new EGFR-TKIs (such as sunvozertinib, mobocertinib, and furmetinib, etc.), bispecific antibodies (such as amivantamab, JMT101, and GB263T, etc.), and emerging drugs such as AUY922. These agents have demonstrated promising efficacy in clinical trials, improving the objective response rate and progression-free survival of patients, and are expected to improve overall survival. An in-depth analysis of the mechanism of action and clinical trial progress of these novel targeted drugs for EGFR ex20ins-mutated NSCLC can offer new therapeutic strategies for patients with EGFR ex20ins-mutated NSCLC.

Objective:To establish the UPLC fingerprint evaluation system of Viticis Fructus; To comprehensively evaluate the quality of Viticis Fructus and its processed products combining with multivariate statistical methods and compositional variance analysis.Methods:19 batches of Viticis Fructus from different regions were collected and processed by frying process into decoction pieces. The separation was operated on Waters CORTECS T3 C18 chromatographic column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.6 μm). Acetonitrile and 0.1% phosphoric acid water were used as mobile phases for gradient elution, to establish the UPLC fingerprints of Viticis Fructus. The UPLC fingerprints of Viticis Fructus were analyzed using similarity evaluation, principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The contents of seven active components in the samples of Viticis Fructus and fried Viticis Fructus were determined.Results:A total of 26 common peaks were identified in the fingerprints of 38 batches of samples, and 7 components were identified. Similarity evaluation results demonstrated that the chemical components of Viticis Fructus from Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province, were significantly different from those of other regions. The results of PCA and PLS-DA analysis showed that the chemical components of Viticis Fructus and fried Viticis Fructus could be clearly distinguished, and the processing process had an impact on the components. The results of content determination showed that the contents of some components increased or decreased after frying. The analysis results of grey correlation method and TOPSIS method show that the medicinal materials in Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province have a high score ranking and stable quality.Conclusion:This study successfully establishes the fingerprints of Viticis Fructus and its processed products, grey correlation method and TOPSIS method analysis revealed the quality differences of samples from different origins, which providing a scientific basis for the quality control and evaluation of Viticis Fructus and its processed products.