Purpose: In this study, the neural communication patterns between hypothalamic structures and cortical areas in girls diagnosed with central precocious puberty (CPP) were explored. Endocrine profiles were incorporated to clarify the pathophysiological interactions between cerebral networks and hormonal regulation. The hypothalamus was designated as the key focus area for connectivity analysis. Methods: Fifty-seven girls (37 CPP, 20 non-CPP) were recruited from the Pediatric Development Clinic at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. The collected data included demographic information, gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation tests, and magnetic resonance imaging scans. Hypothalamic functional connectivity (FC) was analyzed using predefined region of interest coordinates, and correlations between hormone levels and FC values were assessed. Results: Compared to the non-CPP group, the CPP group exhibited elevated baseline follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), baseline luteinizing hormone (LH), peak FSH, peak LH, and peak LH/FSH ratios. Patients with CPP exhibited enhanced neural synchronization linking the right lateral hypothalamic effector zone to the right superior frontal gyrus (displaying a borderline significant correlation with peak LH concentrations), concurrent with diminished functional coupling of the right lateral hypothalamic efferent to the right fusiform/supramarginal gyri. The left lateral hypothalamic projections demonstrated amplified connectivity with the right cuneus. No FC differences were observed in the medial hypothalamus. Conclusion Abnormal lateral hypothalamus FC patterns were identified in CPP girls and were particularly linked to peak LH levels. The findings offer novel insights into the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying CPP.

Objective:To establish reference values for clot waveform analysis (CWA) and analyze their diagnostic efficacy in distinguishing acquired hemophilia A (AHA) and lupus anticoagulant (LA)-positive patients.Methods:Case-Control Study. A total of 391 healthy individuals(260 males and 131 females) with a mean age of 45.53±14.85 years were enrolled at Nanyang central Hospital between January 6, 2023 and October 10, 2024. Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and thrombin time (TT) were measured to establish reference ranges for the CWA parameters, including maximal reaction velocity (Min1), maximal reaction acceleration (Min2), and maximal reaction deceleration (Max2). A total of 158 definitively diagnosed AHA and LA-positive patients (mean age:42.46±14.83 years), including 34 AHA patients and 124 LA-positive patients, were recruited. The Mann Whitney U test was used to analyze the differences in the CWA parameters between the two groups. The diagnostic efficacy of CWA parameters in distinguishing AHA and LA-positive patients was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve AUC and the cut-off values were calculated. Results:The reference values for PT-Min1, APTT-Min1, APTT-Min2, APTT-Max2, TT-Min1, TT-Min2, TT-Max2 were 203.41-516.89, 144.63-324.03, 526.46-1 190.03, -404.96±157.22, 159.17±60.34, 272.29-686.99, and -289.47--113.76, respectively. Compared with the CWA parameters in AHA patients, APTT-Max2 was significantly lower in LA-positive patients [-422.74(-577.50, -239.22) vs. -68.87(-92.85,30.28), Z=-7.43, P<0.01], while PT-Min1, APTT-Min1, APTT-Min2, TT-Min1, TT-Min2 were significantly elevated [287.01(188.03, 382.50) vs. 107.45(90.20, 151.39), 972.88(601.20, 1 351.19) vs. 229.10(118.38, 371.67), Z=6.68, 6.69, all P<0.01]. ROC analysis demonstrated the APTT-CWA parameter exhibited high diagnostic efficacy in patients with AHA (AUC>0.900 for both).Additionally, APTT-Min1 and APTT-Max2 were found to be useful in distinguishing between AHA patients and those with LA-positive status accompanied by APTT prolongation (AUC=0.660, 0.700, respectively). Conclusions:Reference values for CWA parameters were successfully established. The APTT-CWA is useful for differentiating between AHA and LA-positive patients and APTT-Max2 demonstrated a good diagnostic value in differentiating AHA patients from those with LA-positive status accompanied by APTT prolongation.

This study investigated the potential pathogenicity and genetic characteristics of ST314 Salmonella Kentucky(S.Ken-tucky)isolates from a broiler slaughterhouse.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing(WGS)were used to determine antimicrobial resistance,virulence factors,and the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes(ARGs)and mobile genetic elements(MGEs)among the isolates.The three multidrug resistant(MDR)isolates exhibited high resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents.The F4-2S strain exhibited resistance to 14 drugs across seven categories,whereas the F4T strain showed resistance to 13 drugs in the same number of categories.In contrast,the Y23 strain was resistant to nine drugs in six categories.Notably,F4-2S dem-onstrated high homology with F4T:both possessed 13 ARGs distributed across nine categories,in addition to a wide range of virulence factors,including secretion systems and effector proteins.The presence of IncR and IncX1 plasmids significantly enhanced both the antimicrobial resistance and pathogenicity of the isolates.The genome map of Y23 revealed a chromosome alongside two plasmids.The chromosome containedonly one resistance gene but several virulence factors,including the type III secretion system(T3SS),which is crucial for bacterial invasion.The plasmid pY23-1 contained eight types of 19 ARGs.Comparative analysis indicated that pY23-1 ex-hibited high homology with pZ1323SSL0055 and pSAL-045,all of which contained multiple ARGs,thus suggesting critical roles of these genes in the evolution of bacterial resistance.In conclusion,ST314 S.Kentucky demonstrated a complex mechanism of resis-tance coupled with significant pathogenic potential.The ARGs and MGEs in the plasmid contributed to the emergence and dissemina-tion of antimicrobial resistance.The multiple virulence factors present in the chromosome may be key factors driving the increasing virulence of ST314 S.Kentucky.

Aim To investigate the effect of p-AMPK activity on autophagy in different subtypes of MDA-MB-231(triple-negative breast cancer cells)and MCF-7(estrogen receptor-positive cells)and its regulatory mechanism.Methods MDA-MB-231 cells were trea-ted with EBSS,Baf-A1,and EBSS+Baf-A1 for four hours,and MCF-7 cells for eight hours.The effects of autophagy on cell proliferation and apoptosis were ob-served,mitochondrial morphology was examined,and the expression of autophagy markers LC3B,P62,LAMP1,TOM20,AMPK,p-AMPK,ULK1,and Bec-lin1/VPS34 proteins was detected.The autophagy pathway was validated by inhibiting AMPK activity.Results Breast cancer cells underwent autophagy af-ter starvation induction(EBSS),with inconsistent au-tophagy processes observed in different subtypes of breast cancer cells.Autophagy inhibited cell prolifera-tion.In MDA-MB-231 cells,autophagy led to an in-crease in p-AMPK levels and a decrease in ULK1 lev-els,initiating autophagy through p-AMPK activation of ULK1.In MCF-7 cells,both p-AMPK and ULK1 levels decreased after autophagy,suggesting that autophagy might not be mediated by p-AMPK activation.Conclu-sions MDA-MB-231 cells primarily initiate autophagy by directly activating ULK1 by p-AMPK,independent of the MTOR pathway.In MCF-7 cells autophagy might be triggered by inhibiting MTOR through AMPK activity or directly activating MTOR through other up-stream factors.Regulating p-AMPK activity based on the autophagy pathways in different cell subtypes could enable more precise targeting and treatment of different types of breast cancer.

Aim To investigate the effect of p-AMPK activity on autophagy in different subtypes of MDA-MB-231(triple-negative breast cancer cells)and MCF-7(estrogen receptor-positive cells)and its regulatory mechanism.Methods MDA-MB-231 cells were trea-ted with EBSS,Baf-A1,and EBSS+Baf-A1 for four hours,and MCF-7 cells for eight hours.The effects of autophagy on cell proliferation and apoptosis were ob-served,mitochondrial morphology was examined,and the expression of autophagy markers LC3B,P62,LAMP1,TOM20,AMPK,p-AMPK,ULK1,and Bec-lin1/VPS34 proteins was detected.The autophagy pathway was validated by inhibiting AMPK activity.Results Breast cancer cells underwent autophagy af-ter starvation induction(EBSS),with inconsistent au-tophagy processes observed in different subtypes of breast cancer cells.Autophagy inhibited cell prolifera-tion.In MDA-MB-231 cells,autophagy led to an in-crease in p-AMPK levels and a decrease in ULK1 lev-els,initiating autophagy through p-AMPK activation of ULK1.In MCF-7 cells,both p-AMPK and ULK1 levels decreased after autophagy,suggesting that autophagy might not be mediated by p-AMPK activation.Conclu-sions MDA-MB-231 cells primarily initiate autophagy by directly activating ULK1 by p-AMPK,independent of the MTOR pathway.In MCF-7 cells autophagy might be triggered by inhibiting MTOR through AMPK activity or directly activating MTOR through other up-stream factors.Regulating p-AMPK activity based on the autophagy pathways in different cell subtypes could enable more precise targeting and treatment of different types of breast cancer.

This study investigated the potential pathogenicity and genetic characteristics of ST314 Salmonella Kentucky(S.Ken-tucky)isolates from a broiler slaughterhouse.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing(WGS)were used to determine antimicrobial resistance,virulence factors,and the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes(ARGs)and mobile genetic elements(MGEs)among the isolates.The three multidrug resistant(MDR)isolates exhibited high resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents.The F4-2S strain exhibited resistance to 14 drugs across seven categories,whereas the F4T strain showed resistance to 13 drugs in the same number of categories.In contrast,the Y23 strain was resistant to nine drugs in six categories.Notably,F4-2S dem-onstrated high homology with F4T:both possessed 13 ARGs distributed across nine categories,in addition to a wide range of virulence factors,including secretion systems and effector proteins.The presence of IncR and IncX1 plasmids significantly enhanced both the antimicrobial resistance and pathogenicity of the isolates.The genome map of Y23 revealed a chromosome alongside two plasmids.The chromosome containedonly one resistance gene but several virulence factors,including the type III secretion system(T3SS),which is crucial for bacterial invasion.The plasmid pY23-1 contained eight types of 19 ARGs.Comparative analysis indicated that pY23-1 ex-hibited high homology with pZ1323SSL0055 and pSAL-045,all of which contained multiple ARGs,thus suggesting critical roles of these genes in the evolution of bacterial resistance.In conclusion,ST314 S.Kentucky demonstrated a complex mechanism of resis-tance coupled with significant pathogenic potential.The ARGs and MGEs in the plasmid contributed to the emergence and dissemina-tion of antimicrobial resistance.The multiple virulence factors present in the chromosome may be key factors driving the increasing virulence of ST314 S.Kentucky.

Objective:To establish reference values for clot waveform analysis (CWA) and analyze their diagnostic efficacy in distinguishing acquired hemophilia A (AHA) and lupus anticoagulant (LA)-positive patients.Methods:Case-Control Study. A total of 391 healthy individuals(260 males and 131 females) with a mean age of 45.53±14.85 years were enrolled at Nanyang central Hospital between January 6, 2023 and October 10, 2024. Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and thrombin time (TT) were measured to establish reference ranges for the CWA parameters, including maximal reaction velocity (Min1), maximal reaction acceleration (Min2), and maximal reaction deceleration (Max2). A total of 158 definitively diagnosed AHA and LA-positive patients (mean age:42.46±14.83 years), including 34 AHA patients and 124 LA-positive patients, were recruited. The Mann Whitney U test was used to analyze the differences in the CWA parameters between the two groups. The diagnostic efficacy of CWA parameters in distinguishing AHA and LA-positive patients was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve AUC and the cut-off values were calculated. Results:The reference values for PT-Min1, APTT-Min1, APTT-Min2, APTT-Max2, TT-Min1, TT-Min2, TT-Max2 were 203.41-516.89, 144.63-324.03, 526.46-1 190.03, -404.96±157.22, 159.17±60.34, 272.29-686.99, and -289.47--113.76, respectively. Compared with the CWA parameters in AHA patients, APTT-Max2 was significantly lower in LA-positive patients [-422.74(-577.50, -239.22) vs. -68.87(-92.85,30.28), Z=-7.43, P<0.01], while PT-Min1, APTT-Min1, APTT-Min2, TT-Min1, TT-Min2 were significantly elevated [287.01(188.03, 382.50) vs. 107.45(90.20, 151.39), 972.88(601.20, 1 351.19) vs. 229.10(118.38, 371.67), Z=6.68, 6.69, all P<0.01]. ROC analysis demonstrated the APTT-CWA parameter exhibited high diagnostic efficacy in patients with AHA (AUC>0.900 for both).Additionally, APTT-Min1 and APTT-Max2 were found to be useful in distinguishing between AHA patients and those with LA-positive status accompanied by APTT prolongation (AUC=0.660, 0.700, respectively). Conclusions:Reference values for CWA parameters were successfully established. The APTT-CWA is useful for differentiating between AHA and LA-positive patients and APTT-Max2 demonstrated a good diagnostic value in differentiating AHA patients from those with LA-positive status accompanied by APTT prolongation.

The column chromatography and semi-preparative liquid phase chromatography with several chromatographic packing materials, including macroporous adsorbent resin, silica gel, ODS, and Sephadex LH-20, were used for the separation and purification of n-butanol-soluble portion of ethanol extract of Leonurus japonicus Houtt. The structures of isolates were identified by HR-MS, IR, NMR, and acid hydrolysis reaction. Six phenylethanol glycosides were obtained from L. japonicus and identified as leonoside G (1), leonoside E (2), leonoside B (3), leonoside F (4), cistanoside G (5), and salidroside (6). Compound 1 is a new phenylethanol glycoside.

Objective:To establish a graded method to avoid mean fluorescence intensity(MFI)threshold of HLA Class I antibodies corresponding antigen,and the HLAMatchmaker program has been used to select the minimum mismatch value of donor-patient epitopes.Evaluate the application value of combining both methods in selecting HLA compatible platelets(PTL)for patients with immune platelet transfusion failure(IPTR)in improving platelet the corrected count increment(CCI).Methods:A total 7 807 PLT cross-matching compatible were performed by the solid-phase red cell adherence(SPRCA)method for 51 IPTR patients.The Luminex single antigen flow cytometry was used to detect HLA Class I antibodies in patients,and detected the MFI value for different specificity antigens of HLA Class I antibodies,was graded into strong positive group(MFI＞4 000,level 1),medium positive group(1 000＜MFI 4 000,2),weak positive group(500＜MFI≤1 000,3),and one negative control group(MFI≤500).The results of 7 807 SPRCA their negative/positive reaction wells were enrolled and statistically analyzed in different grades and the four groups,the statistical differences between the four groups were compared.Multiple applications for the select HLA Class I compatible donor events were made for patients in two cases,and HLAMatchmaker program was used to calculate the number of HLA Class I epitopes mismatches between the donors and patients.The donor with the minimum number of epitopes mismatches was selected,while avoiding the corresponding antigens of HLA Class I antibodies in levels 1 and 2,the provision of HLA compatible platelets for IPTR.After the transfusions,the CCI value of the platelet transfusion efficacy evaluation index was calculated,and the clinical evaluation of the transfusion effect was obtained through statistical analysis.Results:There were statistically significant differences in the positive results of SPRCA immunoassay among the strong positive group,medium positive group,and weak positive group of 51 IPTR patients with different specific of HLA-I class antibodies and corresponding antigens(all P＜0.001).The positive results showed a range from high to low,with strong positive group＞medium positive group＞weak positive group.There were a statistical difference among between the strongly positive or moderately positive groups and the negative control group(P＜0.001).There was no statistical difference between the weakly positive group and the negative control group(P＞0.05).The strong positive group was set as the corresponding specific HLA Class I site corresponding antigen grade 1 avoidance threshold,the medium positive group as the grade 2 avoidance thresholds,and the weak positive group as the grade 3 avoidance threshold.In the case of donor platelet shortage,it is not necessary to avoid the weak positive group.Avoiding the strategy of donor antigens and HLAMatchmaker program scores≤7 corresponding to HLA Class I antibodies of levels 1 and 2,with CCI values＞4.5 × 109/L within 24 hours,can obtain effective clinical platelet transfusion conclusions.Conclusion:When selecting HLA Class I compatible donors for IPTR patients,the grading avoids HLA Class I antibodies corresponding to donor antigens,and the donor selection strategy with the minimum scores of HLAMatchmaker program is comprehensively selected.The negative result confirmed by platelet cross-matching experiments has certain practical application value for improving platelet count in IPTR patients.

AIM To prepare curcumin-loaded poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles,and to investigate their effects on promoting wound healing.METHODS Phacoemulsification method was adopted in the preparation of PLGA nanoparticles.With lactic acid-glycolic acid ratio,surfactant type and concentration and PLGA consumption as influencing factors,encapsulation efficiency,drug loading,particle size and PDI as evaluation indices,the preparation process was optimized by single factor test.The morphology was observed under transmission electron microscopy,after which the in vitro drug release was determined by dialysis bag method,the optical properties were investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy,and the effects on promoting wound healing of mouse skin.RESULTS The optimal conditions were determined to be 50∶50 for lactic acid-glycolic acid ratio,60 mg for PLGA consumption,and 3％ for surfactant (PVA) concentration.The obtained PLGA nanoparticles with spherical core-shell structure demonstrated the average particle size,PDI,Zeta potential and accumulative release rate within 168 h of (149.70±7.27) nm,0.28±0.04 and (-10.18±1.00) mV and (39.21±1.44)％,respectively,which displayed typical aggregation-induced emission property,excitation wavelength-dependent property and optical stability.Compared with the PBS group,PBS+illumination group,curcumin+illumination group and preparation group,the preparation+illumination group exhibited increased wound healing rate (P<0.05,P<0.01) and reduced wound epidermal thickness (P<0.05,P<0.01).CONCLUSION Curcumin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles show good optical properties,which can promote the wound healing of mouse skin when combined with photodynamic therapy.