To develop a novel polyamino acid-based nanohydrogel drug delivery system for dexamethasone to enhance its delivery efficiency to the inner ear.

Objective To explore the effect of remote ischemic conditioning(RIC)combined with binaural beat music(BBM)train-ing in patients with cognitive dysfunction after cerebral infarction.Methods From June,2024 to January,2025,200 patients with cognitive dysfunction after cerebral infarction in the Affil-iated Hospital of North China University of Science and Technology were randomly divided into control group(n=50),RIC group(n=50),BBM group(n=50)and combined group(n=50).All the groups received stan-dardized routine training,RIC group received RIC,BBM group received BBM,and the combined group received RIC+BBM,for 14 days.They were assessed with Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA)and Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale(SS-QOL)at baseline,day 14,and day 90.Results Two cases in the control group,four in RIC group,three in BBM group and three in the combined group dropped out.For MoCA scores,the inter-group effect,intra-group effect and interaction effect were all significant(F>13.463,P<0.001).After intervention,on both day 14 and day 90,the score of MoCA was higher in each in-tervention group than in the control group(P<0.05),and was higher in the combined group than in both BBM and RIC groups(P<0.05);and on day 90,it was higher in RIC group than in BBM group(P<0.05).For SS-QOL,the score increased with time in all the groups(χ2>75.182,P<0.001).After intervention,there was signif-icant difference at each time point among four groups(H>18.260,P<0.001).On day 14 and day 90,the score of SS-QOL was higher in the combined group than in the control and BBM groups(|Z|>3.149,P<0.05);on day 90,the score was higher in RIC group than in the control group(|Z|=3.590,P<0.05),and it was higher in the combined group than in RIC group(|Z|=3.186,P<0.05).Conclusion RIC,BBM and their combination all improved cognitive function after cerebral infarction.RIC was superior to BBM,and the combined intervention yielded the greatest benefit.Both RIC and the combined intervention im-proved quality of life,with the combined approach being the most effective.

Objective:To develop a Protection Motivation Questionnaire(PMQ)for frailty management in the elderly based on the Protection Motivation Theory(PMT), and test its reliability and validity.Methods:Guided by PMT, the initial questionnaire items were formulated through literature review, semi-structured interviews, and Delphi expert consultation.A total of 551 elderly patients with frailty from a tertiary hospital in Changsha were investigated.Item screening was conducted via critical ratio method, Cronbach's α coefficient, correlation analysis, and factor analysis.The reliability was assessed through internal consistency and test-retest reliability, while validity was evaluated via content validity and structural validity.Results:The final PMQ comprised 25 items across five dimensions: severity, susceptibility, response efficacy, response cost, and self-efficacy.The overall Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.818, with subscale coefficients ranging from 0.701 to 0.821.The split-half reliability was 0.811, test-retest reliability was 0.929, and content validity indexwas 0.86.Exploratory factor analysis extracted five factors, accounting for 52.0% of the cumulative variance.Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated good model fit( χ2/df=1.626, RMSEA=0.05, CFI =0.914). Conclusions:The developed questionnaire exhibits strong reliability and validity, serving as an effective tool to assess protection motivation for frailty management in the elderly.

Background: Epimedii Folium, first recorded in the Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing), is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) known for its effects of “benefiting Qi and strengthening the heart.” Icariside II (ICS II) is one of the main active components of Epimedii Folium, possessing cardiovascular protective and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the potential mechanisms of ICS II on myocardial ischemia (MI) remain unclear. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects and preliminary molecular mechanisms of ICS II in treating isoproterenolinduced MI in rats. Methods: A rat model of MI was established by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol. Electrocardiography, echocardiography, myocardial enzymes analysis, heart weight index, triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, histopathology, TUNEL staining, RT-qPCR, and Western blot were employed to evaluate the effects and preliminary molecular mechanisms of ICS II on MI rats. Results: Pharmacodynamic studies suggested that ICS II inhibited ST-segment elevation in electrocardiograms, improved cardiac function, reduced heart weight index and myocardial enzyme levels, decreased myocardial infarct size, alleviated cardiac histological damage, and inhibited apoptosis, thereby exerting cardioprotective effects in MI rats. Further studies revealed that ICS II may partially inhibit the expression of NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis-related targets at both protein and mRNA levels. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that ICS II exerts anti-MI effects, and its preliminary molecular mechanisms may be related to inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis to alleviate inflammatory responses.

Background: Epimedii Folium, first recorded in the Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing), is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) known for its effects of “benefiting Qi and strengthening the heart.” Icariside II (ICS II) is one of the main active components of Epimedii Folium, possessing cardiovascular protective and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the potential mechanisms of ICS II on myocardial ischemia (MI) remain unclear. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects and preliminary molecular mechanisms of ICS II in treating isoproterenolinduced MI in rats. Methods: A rat model of MI was established by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol. Electrocardiography, echocardiography, myocardial enzymes analysis, heart weight index, triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, histopathology, TUNEL staining, RT-qPCR, and Western blot were employed to evaluate the effects and preliminary molecular mechanisms of ICS II on MI rats. Results: Pharmacodynamic studies suggested that ICS II inhibited ST-segment elevation in electrocardiograms, improved cardiac function, reduced heart weight index and myocardial enzyme levels, decreased myocardial infarct size, alleviated cardiac histological damage, and inhibited apoptosis, thereby exerting cardioprotective effects in MI rats. Further studies revealed that ICS II may partially inhibit the expression of NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis-related targets at both protein and mRNA levels. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that ICS II exerts anti-MI effects, and its preliminary molecular mechanisms may be related to inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis to alleviate inflammatory responses.

Background: Epimedii Folium, first recorded in the Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing), is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) known for its effects of “benefiting Qi and strengthening the heart.” Icariside II (ICS II) is one of the main active components of Epimedii Folium, possessing cardiovascular protective and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the potential mechanisms of ICS II on myocardial ischemia (MI) remain unclear. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effects and preliminary molecular mechanisms of ICS II in treating isoproterenolinduced MI in rats. Methods: A rat model of MI was established by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol. Electrocardiography, echocardiography, myocardial enzymes analysis, heart weight index, triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, histopathology, TUNEL staining, RT-qPCR, and Western blot were employed to evaluate the effects and preliminary molecular mechanisms of ICS II on MI rats. Results: Pharmacodynamic studies suggested that ICS II inhibited ST-segment elevation in electrocardiograms, improved cardiac function, reduced heart weight index and myocardial enzyme levels, decreased myocardial infarct size, alleviated cardiac histological damage, and inhibited apoptosis, thereby exerting cardioprotective effects in MI rats. Further studies revealed that ICS II may partially inhibit the expression of NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis-related targets at both protein and mRNA levels. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that ICS II exerts anti-MI effects, and its preliminary molecular mechanisms may be related to inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3/Caspase-1 axis to alleviate inflammatory responses.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of posterior cranial fossa in- situ floating bone flap osteotomy in the treatment of syndromic craniosynostosis(SCS). Methods:The clinical data of SCS children who underwent posterior cranial fossa in- situ floating bone flap osteotomy at the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from April 2020 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The surgical procedures were as follows. The occipital bone was cut into several mosaic bone flaps of varying sizes, without peeling it off the dura, which were left as a small free floating bone flap. The anteroposterior cranial diameter, cranial height, intracranial volume, and degree of improvement in tonsillar herniation and hydrocephalus of the children (hydrocephalus quantification was performed using the ratio of the ventricular diameter to the biparietal diameter)were measured preoperatively, 7 days postoperatively, 3 months postoperatively, and at the last follow-up (at least 12 months after the operation) to evaluate the surgical outcomes. The measurement data of normal distribution were expressed as Mean±SD. The paired t-test was used for comparison within the repeated measurement data groups at the two time points. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on the repeated measurement data at multiple time points, and pairwise comparisons in post hoc tests were corrected using the Bonferroni method. Results:A total of 17 pediatric patients with SCS were included, comprising 10 males and 7 females, with ages ranging from 4 to 18 months (mean age: 9.5 months). Among them, 12 patients were complicated with Chiari malformation and hydrocephalus (1 severe case, 8 moderate cases, and 3 mild cases). Postoperative follow-up lasted 12 to 35 months, with an average of 17 months. After surgery, the posterior cranial appearance of the children was enlarged, with increased convexity of the occiput and a full contour. At the last follow-up, the middle cranial height [(107.80±10.72) mm vs. (102.82±10.09) mm, P<0.05], the posterior cranial height [(124.91±10.40) mm vs. (107.58±13.46) mm, P<0.01] and anteroposterior diameter [(153.30±11.26) mm vs. (123.64±17.44) mm, P<0.01] as well as the intracranial volume [(1 317.92±225.77) cm 3 vs. (1 014.93±231.81) cm 3,P<0.01] were increased compared with the preoperative period, and the average improvement rate of intracranial volume was 37.0% (18.1%-79.2%). Among the 12 cases of tonsillar herniation, 7 cases had improvement. Moreover, all the 12 cases of hydrocephalus witnessed a mitigation in severity, from (46.33±9.34)% preoperatively to (35.24±9.88)% postoperatively, with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Posterior cranial fossa in- situ floating bone flap osteotomy can effectively improve the appearance of patients with SCS, increase the intracranial volume, relieve the degree of hydrocephalus, and reduce the intracranial pressure.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of posterior cranial fossa in- situ floating bone flap osteotomy in the treatment of syndromic craniosynostosis(SCS). Methods:The clinical data of SCS children who underwent posterior cranial fossa in- situ floating bone flap osteotomy at the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from April 2020 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The surgical procedures were as follows. The occipital bone was cut into several mosaic bone flaps of varying sizes, without peeling it off the dura, which were left as a small free floating bone flap. The anteroposterior cranial diameter, cranial height, intracranial volume, and degree of improvement in tonsillar herniation and hydrocephalus of the children (hydrocephalus quantification was performed using the ratio of the ventricular diameter to the biparietal diameter)were measured preoperatively, 7 days postoperatively, 3 months postoperatively, and at the last follow-up (at least 12 months after the operation) to evaluate the surgical outcomes. The measurement data of normal distribution were expressed as Mean±SD. The paired t-test was used for comparison within the repeated measurement data groups at the two time points. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on the repeated measurement data at multiple time points, and pairwise comparisons in post hoc tests were corrected using the Bonferroni method. Results:A total of 17 pediatric patients with SCS were included, comprising 10 males and 7 females, with ages ranging from 4 to 18 months (mean age: 9.5 months). Among them, 12 patients were complicated with Chiari malformation and hydrocephalus (1 severe case, 8 moderate cases, and 3 mild cases). Postoperative follow-up lasted 12 to 35 months, with an average of 17 months. After surgery, the posterior cranial appearance of the children was enlarged, with increased convexity of the occiput and a full contour. At the last follow-up, the middle cranial height [(107.80±10.72) mm vs. (102.82±10.09) mm, P<0.05], the posterior cranial height [(124.91±10.40) mm vs. (107.58±13.46) mm, P<0.01] and anteroposterior diameter [(153.30±11.26) mm vs. (123.64±17.44) mm, P<0.01] as well as the intracranial volume [(1 317.92±225.77) cm 3 vs. (1 014.93±231.81) cm 3,P<0.01] were increased compared with the preoperative period, and the average improvement rate of intracranial volume was 37.0% (18.1%-79.2%). Among the 12 cases of tonsillar herniation, 7 cases had improvement. Moreover, all the 12 cases of hydrocephalus witnessed a mitigation in severity, from (46.33±9.34)% preoperatively to (35.24±9.88)% postoperatively, with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Posterior cranial fossa in- situ floating bone flap osteotomy can effectively improve the appearance of patients with SCS, increase the intracranial volume, relieve the degree of hydrocephalus, and reduce the intracranial pressure.

Objective To explore the effect of remote ischemic conditioning(RIC)combined with binaural beat music(BBM)train-ing in patients with cognitive dysfunction after cerebral infarction.Methods From June,2024 to January,2025,200 patients with cognitive dysfunction after cerebral infarction in the Affil-iated Hospital of North China University of Science and Technology were randomly divided into control group(n=50),RIC group(n=50),BBM group(n=50)and combined group(n=50).All the groups received stan-dardized routine training,RIC group received RIC,BBM group received BBM,and the combined group received RIC+BBM,for 14 days.They were assessed with Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA)and Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale(SS-QOL)at baseline,day 14,and day 90.Results Two cases in the control group,four in RIC group,three in BBM group and three in the combined group dropped out.For MoCA scores,the inter-group effect,intra-group effect and interaction effect were all significant(F>13.463,P<0.001).After intervention,on both day 14 and day 90,the score of MoCA was higher in each in-tervention group than in the control group(P<0.05),and was higher in the combined group than in both BBM and RIC groups(P<0.05);and on day 90,it was higher in RIC group than in BBM group(P<0.05).For SS-QOL,the score increased with time in all the groups(χ2>75.182,P<0.001).After intervention,there was signif-icant difference at each time point among four groups(H>18.260,P<0.001).On day 14 and day 90,the score of SS-QOL was higher in the combined group than in the control and BBM groups(|Z|>3.149,P<0.05);on day 90,the score was higher in RIC group than in the control group(|Z|=3.590,P<0.05),and it was higher in the combined group than in RIC group(|Z|=3.186,P<0.05).Conclusion RIC,BBM and their combination all improved cognitive function after cerebral infarction.RIC was superior to BBM,and the combined intervention yielded the greatest benefit.Both RIC and the combined intervention im-proved quality of life,with the combined approach being the most effective.

Objective:To develop a Protection Motivation Questionnaire(PMQ)for frailty management in the elderly based on the Protection Motivation Theory(PMT), and test its reliability and validity.Methods:Guided by PMT, the initial questionnaire items were formulated through literature review, semi-structured interviews, and Delphi expert consultation.A total of 551 elderly patients with frailty from a tertiary hospital in Changsha were investigated.Item screening was conducted via critical ratio method, Cronbach's α coefficient, correlation analysis, and factor analysis.The reliability was assessed through internal consistency and test-retest reliability, while validity was evaluated via content validity and structural validity.Results:The final PMQ comprised 25 items across five dimensions: severity, susceptibility, response efficacy, response cost, and self-efficacy.The overall Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.818, with subscale coefficients ranging from 0.701 to 0.821.The split-half reliability was 0.811, test-retest reliability was 0.929, and content validity indexwas 0.86.Exploratory factor analysis extracted five factors, accounting for 52.0% of the cumulative variance.Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated good model fit( χ2/df=1.626, RMSEA=0.05, CFI =0.914). Conclusions:The developed questionnaire exhibits strong reliability and validity, serving as an effective tool to assess protection motivation for frailty management in the elderly.