Traumatic paraplegia, resulting from spinal cord injury, leads to severe motor dysfunction, with limited efficacy and high risks associated with conventional treatments. Brain-computer interface (BCI) has emerged as a promising technology that decodes neural signals to control external devices or stimulate paralyzed muscles, providing a novel approach for functional restoration in paraplegic patients. This article reviews the clinical applications of BCI in treating both high- and low-level traumatic paraplegia. Challenges related to signal decoding, device stability, biocompatibility, clinical safety, and ethical considerations are also discussed. In the future, the integration of artificial intelligence may further enhance BCI as a “neural bridge” for restoring motor and interactive functions in patients with traumatic paraplegia.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and changing trend of typhus in Shaanxi Province from 2005 to 2023 to provide a scientific basis for its prevention and control. Methods Excel 2007, SPSS 25.0, Joinpoint 4.9.1.0, and Geoda 1.6 were used for data collection and statistical analysis. Super Map was used for data visualization to describe the changing characteristics of the disease. Results A total of 394 typhus cases were reported in Shaanxi Province from 2005 to 2023. The average annual incidence of typhus was 0.054/100 000, showing a dynamic fluctuation trend(AAPC=-3.3, t=-0.3, P>0.05). The cases were mainly concentrated in Baoji, Hanzhong and Xi′an, accounting for 78.68%. The incidence peak was from May to October, accounting for 64.21% of annual incidence. The epidemic season was from May to October and December. The incidence of the disease was concentrated in the 40-69 age group, accounting for 58.88%, and the sex was 1.07:1. The main occupation was farmers, accounting for 72.08%. The median time from onset to diagnosis was 7 days. Global spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that there were significant spatial autocorrelations in 11 years from 2005 to 2023(P<0.05). Local spatial autocorrelation analysis detected a total of 43“high-high”clustering areas, mainly concentrated in Baoji City. Conclusions The overall incidence of typhus in Shaanxi Province showed a dynamic fluctuation trend, with notable seasonal and regional aggregation. The incidence of typhus was higher in middle-aged and elderly people in rural areas. Surveillance should be strengthened in typhus endemic areas in summer and autumn, and health education should be conducted for key population to form good health habits and reduce the incidence of typhus.

In this study, the reductive amination method was used to label IR783 on Astragalus polysaccharides(APS) for the first time, which was verified by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. Quantitative analysis methods of APS-IR783 in plasma and various tissue were established using a multifunctional microplate reader. The pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of APS-IR783 in mice were investigated after a single intravenous injection of 30 mg·kg~(-1) APS-IR783, and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using DAS 2.0 software. The results showed that the APS used had a mass fraction of 93.69%, a relative molecular weight of 1.55×10~5, and a polydispersity index(PDI, M_w/M_n) of 1.73, close to a homogeneous polysaccharide. The IR783 labeling yield reached 86.50%, and the content of IR783 in APS-IR783 was 0.72%. After a single intravenous injection of 30 mg·kg~(-1), the pharmacokinetic parameters of APS in mouse plasma were as follows: T_(max) was(0.67±0.26) h; C_(max) was(1 599.29±159.30) mg·L~(-1); T_(1/2α) and T_(1/2β) were(2.29±3.06) h and(0.44±0.05) h, respectively; AUC_(0-t) was(23 398.91±2 907.03) mg·h·L~(-1); AUC_(0-∞) was(27 710.55±3 506.55) mg·h·L~(-1); MRT_(0-∞) was(34.38±12.59) h; CL was 0.001 L·h~(-1)·kg~(-1); V_z was(0.042±0.017) L·kg~(-1). The in vivo biodistribution study demonstrated that the in vivo exposure ratios of APS in different tissue were in the following order: spleen > liver > kidney > lung > heart > small intestine > muscle > large intestine > brain > stomach, where the top five tissue accounted for 87.54% of the total area under the curve(AUC). This study successfully labeled APS with a water-soluble near-infrared fluorescent probe of IR783 for the first time and revealed the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of APS in mice. The paper provides detailed in vivo behavior of APS after intravenous injection, which lays the foundation for the development and utilization of APS and related natural medicines.
Animals ; Mice ; Polysaccharides/chemistry* ; Tissue Distribution ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Fluorescent Dyes/pharmacokinetics* ; Female

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a key continuous extracorporeal life support technology that can partially or completely replace a patient's cardiopulmonary function, thereby winning valuable time for the diagnosis and treatment of the primary disease. With the widespread application of ECMO, the need for transport has increased. However, during transfers, the standard heater unit is often large and inconvenient to carry, while alternative warming measures tend to be ineffective. This frequently leads to complications such as hypothermia or the inability to maintain body temperature, which can seriously affect the patient's prognosis. In response to this challenge, the medical and nursing staff of the critical care medicine department at Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University jointly designed an insulation device for ECMO transport pipelines. The device was successfully granted a National Utility Model Patent of China (patent number: ZL 2021 2 0653569.3). It primarily consists of key components such as a heating pad, velcro straps, a cover layer, a backing layer, an electric heating layer, and a wiring plug. Its advantages include portability, the ability to effectively wrap around and warm the ECMO circuit during transit, and a reduction in the incidence of hypothermia-related complications. Furthermore, its transparent material design allows for real-time monitoring of the ECMO system's status, making it both economical and practical.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation/instrumentation* ; Humans ; Equipment Design

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between eight serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and regional fat depots, we analyzed the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018 cycles. METHODS: Multiple linear regression models were developed to explore the associations between serum PFAS concentrations and six fat compositions along with a fat distribution score created by summing the concentrations of the six fat compositions. The associations between structurally grouped PFASs and fat distribution were assessed, and a prediction model was developed to estimate the ability of PFAS exposure to predict obesity risk. RESULTS: Among females aged 39-59 years, trunk fat mass was positively associated with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Higher concentrations of PFOS, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorodecanoate (PFDeA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), and n-perfluorooctanoate (n-PFOA) were linked to greater visceral adipose tissue in this group. In men, exposure to total perfluoroalkane sulfonates (PFSAs) and long-chain PFSAs was associated with reductions in abdominal fat, while higher abdominal fat in women aged 39-59 years was associated with short-chain PFSAs. The prediction model demonstrated high accuracy, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9925 for predicting obesity risk. CONCLUSION PFAS exposure is associated with regional fat distribution, with varying effects based on age, sex, and PFAS structure. The findings highlight the potential role of PFAS exposure in influencing fat depots and obesity risk, with significant implications for public health. The prediction model provides a highly accurate tool for assessing obesity risk related to PFAS exposure.
Humans ; Fluorocarbons/blood* ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Environmental Pollutants/blood* ; Abdominal Fat ; Nutrition Surveys ; Alkanesulfonic Acids/blood* ; Obesity ; Environmental Exposure

Travelling wave structures for lossless ion manipulations(TW-SLIM)employ travelling wave electric fields to propel ions forward,enabling exceptionally long transmission paths and holding great potential for applications in material transportation and separation.In this study,different from previous studies focusing on the transport performance of macromolecules such as proteins in TW-SLIM,the transmission performance of small molecules(<200 amu)was investigated and analyzed in the turning TW-SLIM through the COMSOL simulation platform,to explore the influence of electrostatic field of protective electrode and radio frequency(RF)electric field on ion transport efficiency,and obtain the optimal value.Compared to macromolecules,small molecules required lower voltage amplitudes from guard electrodes but stricter requirements in terms of the peak-to-peak amplitude and frequency of RF voltage for lossless transmission.Using dimethyl methylphosphonate(DMMP)as a sample and testing it on the TW-SLIM experimental platform,when the protective voltage amplitude was 5 V and the peak-to-peak voltage of the radio-frequency electrode was 440 V at 1.5 MHz,the ion transmission efficiency reached 100%,achieving lossless transmission.The experimental results provided valuable references for application of TW-SLIM in separation and detection of small molecular substances,such as explosives and drugs.

Chrysophanol(Chr)and physcion(Phy)are primary active ingredients of a well-known traditional Chinese medicine namely rhubarb(Chinese name:Dahuang),and their glucuronides have been revealed as the dominant forms presenting in rats after oral administration.Either Chr or Phy has two glycosylation sites,resulting in a pair of positional isomers for glucuronides of either compound(CG1&CG2 and PG1&PG2).To confirmatively identify these glucuronides,energy-resolved mass spectrometry(ER-MS)was used to pursue the fragmentation trajectories of the targeted fragment ions,and the resultant breakdown graphs that were described by the optimal collision energy(OCE)were expected to exhibit the differences of glycosidic bond cleavage between the isomers.Quantum chemical calculation was thereafter conducted to produce the bond dissociation energy(BDE)of the glycosidic bonds.The isomers were unambiguously identified through applying the positive correlation rule between OCE and BDE.Fortunately,the glucuronides of Chr and Phy in vivo were observed through liver microsomes incubationin vitro.ER-MS was utilized to collect the Gaussian-shaped breakdown graphs in response to the neutral loss of 176 Da,and the absolute values of OCE were compared between positional isomers.The results revealed that CG1(-32.31 eV)>CG2(-31.61 eV),and nonetheless,PG1(-30.00 eV)Chr-8-GluA(-48.787 kJ/mol),and nonetheless,Phy-1-GluA(-48.672 kJ/mol)

Forensic medicine has been designated as a first-level discipline,presenting new opportunities and challenges for the development of forensic medicine.Since the 1980s,the establishment of foren-sic medicine discipline and the cultivation of high-level forensic talents have become hot topics in the development of forensic medicine in China.Since the 13th Five-Year Plan,the forensic team of Shanxi Medical University has been aiming at the forefront,proposing the development goals of"Five First-class"and the discipline development path"Six Major Achievements".It has selected benchmark disci-plines,identified gaps in disciplinary development,unified thoughts,formulated completion timelines,concentrated superior resources,assigned tasks to individuals,and created an"Organized Fill-in-the-Blank Format"forensic medicine discipline construction model with the characteristics of the new era.The construction model of forensic medicine has achieved good results in the goals,discipline frame-work,scientific research,talent cultivation,discipline team and platform construction,forming a rela-tively complete discipline construction and management system,and accumulating valuable experience for the construction of first-level discipline and high-level talent cultivation of forensic medicine.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)is a common respiratory emergency,but current clinical treatment remains at the level of symptomatic support and there is a lack of effective targeted treatment measures.Our previous study confirmed that inhalation of hydrogen gas can reduce the acute lung injury of ARDS,but the application of hydrogen has flammable and explosive safety concerns.Drinking hydrogen-rich liquid or inhaling hydrogen gas has been shown to play an important role in scavenging reactive oxygen species and maintaining mitochondrial quality control balance,thus improving ARDS in patients and animal models.Coral calcium hydrogenation(CCH)is a new solid molecular hydrogen carrier prepared from coral calcium(CC).Whether and how CCH affects acute lung injury in ARDS re-mains unstudied.In this study,we observed the therapeutic effect of CCH on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)induced acute lung injury in ARDS mice.The survival rate of mice treated with CCH and hydrogen inhalation was found to be comparable,demonstrating a significant improvement compared to the untreated ARDS model group.CCH treatment significantly reduced pulmonary hemorrhage and edema,and improved pulmonary function and local microcirculation in ARDS mice.CCH promoted mitochon-drial peripheral division in the early course of ARDS by activating mitochondrial thioredoxin 2(Trx2),improved lung mitochondrial dysfunction induced by LPS,and reduced oxidative stress damage.The results indicate that CCH is a highly efficient hydrogen-rich agent that can attenuate acute lung injury of ARDS by improving the mitochondrial function through Trx2 activation.

AIM To investigate the effects of Yunpi Tongchang Formula on intestinal mucosal barrier damage in rats with opioid-induced constipation(OIC)of Spleen-Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome.METHODS In contrast to the 10 rats of the blank group,the 50 rats of the modeling group were induced into models of OIC of Spleen-Kidney Yang Deficiency Pattern by 7 days consecutive administration of both subcutaneous loperamide injection and alternating gavage of activated carbon ice water and vinegar.Following successful modeling,rats were randomly allocated into the model group,the mosapride citrate tablet group(1.35 mg/kg),and the high-dose,medium-dose,and low-dose Yunpi Tongchang Formula groups(15.12,7.56,3.78 g/kg),with 8 mice in each group.Upon the completion of the 14 days treatment,the rats had their TCM Syndrome scores assessed;their fecal water content,initial black stool excretion time,and small intestine propulsion rate measured;their colon tissue morphology observed by HE staining;their serum levels of IL-6,TNF-α,and IL-1β detected by ELISA;their expressions of occludin and zonula occludens-1(ZO-1)in colon tissues detected by immunohistochemistry;their mRNA expressions of MyD88,TLR4 and NF-κB p65 in the colon tissues detected by RT-qPCR;and their protein expressions of MyD88,TLR4 and NF-κB p65 in the colon tissues detected by Western blot.RESULTS Compared to the blank group,the model group had higher TCM Syndrome scores(P＜0.01);lower fecal water content and small intestine propulsion rate(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);longer initial black stool excretion time(P＜0.01);more mucosal edema in colon tissue,obvious inflammatory infiltration,and glandular disorder;increased serum levels of IL-6,TNF-α and IL-1 β(P＜0.05);decreased colon expressions of ZO-1 and occludin(P＜0.01);and increased mRNA and protein expressions of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB p65(P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,both the medium-dose Yunpi Tongchang Formula group and the mosapride citrate tablet group demonstrated effectively reduced TCM syndrome scores(P＜0.01);increased fecal water content and small intestine propulsion rate(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);and shorter initial black stool excretion time(P＜0.01);improved colon mucosal edema and inflammatory infiltration;decreased serum levels of IL-6,TNF-α and IL-1β(P＜0.01);upregulated protein expressions of ZO-1 and occludin(P＜0.01);and downregulated mRNA and protein expressions of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB p65(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Yunpi Tongchang Formula significantly ameliorates constipation symptoms in OIC rat models of Spleen-Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome because of its efficacy in attenuating intestinal inflammation and preserving the integrity of intestinal epithelial barrier structure,with its mechanistic action in downregulating TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway activation.