This study investigated the role of the nuclear factor of activated T cells c3 (NFATc3) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during aortic aneurysm and dissection (AAD) progression and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Cytoplasmic and nuclear NFATc3 levels were elevated in human and mouse AAD. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced thoracic AAD (TAAD) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progression in mice, contrary to VSMC-NFATc3 overexpression. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and maintained the VSMC contractile phenotype. Nuclear NFATc3 targeted and transcriptionally upregulated matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and MMP2, promoting ECM degradation and AAD development. NFATc3 promoted VSMC phenotypic switching by binding to eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) and inhibiting its phosphorylation in the VSMC cytoplasm. Restoring eEF2 reversed the beneficial effects in VSMC-specific NFATc3-knockout mice. Cabamiquine-targets eEF2 and inhibits protein synthesis-inhibited AAD development and progression in VSMC-NFATc3-overexpressing mice. VSMC-NFATc3 promoted VSMC switch and ECM degradation while exacerbating AAD development, making it a novel potential therapeutic target for preventing and treating AAD.

The ability to localize sound sources rapidly allows human beings to efficiently understand the surrounding environment. Previous studies have suggested that there is an auditory "where" pathway in the cortex for processing sound locations. The neural activation in regions along this pathway encodes sound locations by opponent hemifield coding, in which each unilateral region is activated by sounds coming from the contralateral hemifield. However, it is still unclear how these regions interact with each other to form a unified representation of the auditory space. In the present study, we investigated whether functional connectivity in the auditory "where" pathway encoded sound locations during passive listening. Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while passively listening to sounds from five distinct horizontal locations (-90°, -45°, 0°, 45°, 90°). We were able to decode sound locations from the functional connectivity patterns of the "where" pathway. Furthermore, we found that such neural representation of sound locations was primarily based on the coding of sound lateralization angles to the frontal midline. In addition, whole-brain analysis indicated that functional connectivity between occipital regions and the primary auditory cortex also encoded sound locations by lateralization angles. Overall, our results reveal a lateralization-angle-based representation of sound locations encoded by functional connectivity patterns, which could add on the activation-based opponent hemifield coding to provide a more precise representation of the auditory space.
Humans ; Sound Localization/physiology* ; Male ; Female ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Young Adult ; Functional Laterality/physiology* ; Adult ; Brain Mapping ; Auditory Cortex/physiology* ; Acoustic Stimulation ; Auditory Pathways/physiology* ; Brain/physiology*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical features of patients with necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) and the related factors for sepsis, so as to provide a basis for early intervention and improvement of patients' prognosis. METHODS: A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of NSTI patients admitted to the department of burns and wound repair surgery of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital from October 2021 to December 2024. Demographic information, underlying diseases, infection characteristics, laboratory test results and etiological findings at admission, treatment status, occurrence of complications (including sepsis) and prognosis were collected. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to identify the associated factors for sepsis in NSTI patients. Receiver operator characteristic curves (ROC curves) were plotted to evaluate the predictive value of individual and combined factors for sepsis. RESULTS: A total of 159 NSTI patients were enrolled, mainly middle-aged and elderly males. Most patients had comorbidities, including diabetes mellitus (110 cases, 69.2%) and hypertension (67 cases, 42.1%). The main infection site was the lower extremities (104 cases, 65.4%). Common symptoms included redness (96 cases, 60.4%), swelling (129 cases, 81.1%), local heat (60 cases, 37.7%), pain (100 cases, 62.9%), and skin ulceration or necrosis (9 cases, 5.7%). Imaging findings included soft tissue swelling (66 cases, 57.9%), gas accumulation (41 cases, 36.0%), and abnormal signal/density shadows (50 cases, 43.9%). Staphylococcus aureus was the main pathogenic bacterium [12.0% (31/259)], and drug-resistant Escherichia coli had the highest detection rate among drug-resistant bacteria [35.1% (13/37)]. Regarding debridement and repair, most patients (80 cases, 50.3%) underwent debridement ≥ 72 hours after admission, while only 10.1% (16 cases) received debridement within 6 hours. Most patients underwent multiple debridements, with 2 times of debridements being the most common (68 cases, 42.8%), and the maximum times of debridements reached 6. The largest number of patients received secondary suture (44 cases, 27.7%). In terms of complications, sepsis was the most common (66 cases, 41.51%), followed by acute kidney injury, respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), while disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was the least common. During the follow-up period, 9 patients (5.66%) were readmitted within 90 days, and 11 patients died, with a mortality rate of 6.92%. Univariate analysis showed that diabetes, coronary heart disease, gout, body temperature, heart rate, C-reactive protein, platelet count, total bilirubin, albumin, creatinine, out-of-hospital treatment, and out-of-hospital use of antimicrobial agents were significantly associated with sepsis in NSTI patients (all P < 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that coronary heart disease [odds ratio (OR) = 30.085, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 2.105-956.935], C-reactive protein (OR = 1.026, 95%CI was 1.009-1.054), and total bilirubin (OR = 1.436, 95%CI was 1.188-1.948) were independent associated factors for sepsis in NSTI patients (all P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis revealed that the combination of the three predictors yielded the highest AUC for predicting sepsis in NSTI patients compared to any individual predictor [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.799 (95%CI was 0.721-0.878)]. CONCLUSIONS The clinical features of NSTI patients show certain regularity. Coronary heart disease, C-reactive protein, and total bilirubin are independent associated factors for sepsis in NSTI patients.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Sepsis ; Soft Tissue Infections/microbiology* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Adult ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Necrosis ; Logistic Models ; Fasciitis, Necrotizing

Objective:To understand the commercial homosexual behavior characteristics of men who have sex with men (MSM) and the factors associated with unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) in this population, and provide reference for the development of intervention strategy in MSM.Methods:Men who were aged ≥16 years and had anal sex with men in the past 6 months were recruited through internet in Fuzhou from January to December 2023 for a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 283. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors associated with the incidence of UAI in the past 6 months in MSM. The SPSS 25.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results:In 4 484 MSM, the proportion of those with commercial homosexual behaviors was 9.59% (430/4 484), the average age was (27.00±9.07) years. In the MSM with commercial homosexual behaviors, 70.00% (301/430) had anal sex in the past one week, and 43.02% (185/430) had anal sex with more than 10 partners in the past 6 months. The proportion of MSM with UAI was 75.58% (325/430) in the past 6 months. The results of multivariate analysis showed showed that in MSM with commercial homosexual behaviors in the past 6 months, compared with those who were students, age >18 years at the first sexual intercourse, had not anal sex in the past one week, and anal sex with less than 10 partners in the past 6 months, the risk for UAI was higher in those who were not students (a OR=1.99,95% CI:1.18-3.36), those who were aged ≤18 years at first sexual intercourse sex (a OR=2.04,95% CI:1.26-3.29), those who had anal sex in the past one week (a OR=2.04,95% CI:1.25-3.33), and those who had anal sex with more than 10 partners in the past 6 months (a OR=1.97,95% CI:1.16-3.35). Conclusions:The risk for UAI was high in MSM with commercial homosexual behaviors in Fuzhou, so it is necessary to improve the awareness of safe sex and promote sex with regular partners and condom use, and preventing drug abuse in MSM.

Objective To explore the effect of processized nutrition treatment strategy on the clinical efficacy of critically ill patients.Methods A prospective study was conducted, and 195 patients admitted to Department of Intensive Care Unit of Jiaxing Second Hospital from July 2016 to February 2017 were enrolled. From July to September 2016, 94 cases were assigned in the control group, and they were given the routine nutritional treatment program. From October to November 2016, the training of processized nutrition treatment strategy was carried out and improved according to plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle management plan, From December 2016 to February 2017, 101 cases were assigned in the observation group and treated by the doctor and nurse processized nutrition treatment strategy. The differences of early enteral nutrition (EEN) ratio, the time reaching standard of enteral nutrition (EN) in two group were compared, the incidence of complications related to EN, mechanical ventilation time, ICU hospitalization time, ICU expense and mortality were observed between the two groups.Results Compared with the control group, the ratio of EEN was significantly increasedin the observation group [90.1% (91/101) vs. 47.9% (45/94)], the time reaching standard of EN shortened (days: 5.18±1.43 vs. 6.47±1.95), the incidences of gastrointestinal tract related complications [0.77% (9/1173) vs. 1.67% (22/1319)] and ventilator associated pneumonia [VAP: 4.90‰(4/816) vs. 15.32‰(16/1044)] were obviously decreased, ICU hospitalization time (days:11.61±5.93 vs. 14.03±8.27), mechanical ventilation time (days: 8.08±6.16 vs. 11.11±7.87), the mortality [23.76% (24/101) vs. 31.91% (30/94)] were significantly reduced in the observation group (allP < 0.05), but the ICU hospitalization expenses had no significant difference in observation group and control group (millions: 7.26±7.23 vs. 7.07±4.60,P > 0.05).Conclusions The processized nutrition treatment strategy can improve the EEN implementation rate of critically ill patients, help to establish EN as early as possible, reduce the incidence of gastrointestinal and pulmonary infections and other complications.

To study the regulating effect of Astragalus Polysaccharides ( APS) to the mice infected by Brucella suis S2.Methods:120 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:experimental mice were injected APS 1 ml ( 0.4,1.2,3 mg/ml) via peritoneal cavity respectively once a day and the control group was injected with the same volume of saline for 3 days,then infected with Brucella suis S2 1 ml (1×107 L-1 ) by ip.Five mice of each group were killed through eye bloodletting at 1,6,12,24,48, 72 h respectively post-infection with Brucella suis S 2 and the peritoneal macrophage were obtained respectively to make smear.Phagocytic rate and phagocytic index were calculated by the Wright Giemsa staining after infected 1 h.TNF-α,IL-12 and IFN-γlevels of serum at different time points were measured by ELISA.The bacterial load of MΦand spleen were measured by coating method.Results:The phagocytic rate and phagocytic index of MΦin APS 3 dose groups were higher than those of the control group ( P<0.05 ).The microbial load of MΦin APS 3 dose groups at 1 h infected by Brucella suis S 2 were significantly higher than those of control,but significantly lower than those of control at 6,12,24,48,72 h after infected by Brucella suis S2.The microbial load of spleen in APS 3 dose groups at 6 h infected by Brucella suis S 2 were significantly higher than those of control ,but significantly lower than those of control at 12,24,48,72h after infected by Brucella suis S2.The concentrations of TNF-α,IL-12 and IFN-γin the serum of APS groups had significantly been improved ( P<0.05 ).Conclusion: APS can promote the activation of MΦin vivo and strengthen the activity of phagocytosis and killing to Brucella suis S 2.APS can promote the secretion of TNF-α,IL-12 and IFN-γof mice,strengthen the cellular immune response of mice to Brucella suis S 2.

Objective To discuss the CT features and the prognosis of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) with intracranial hemorrhages in neonates.Methods The CT features of the HIE with intracranial hemorrhage were analyzed and follow-up studied in 64 cases.Results Of all the 64 cases with HIE, 53 cases were associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and all cases were normal in the follow-up study after 1 month. 1 case was associated with intraventricle hemorrhage (IVH), 10 cases were associated with mixed bleeding (SAH+IVH in 3 cases, IVH+IPH in 1 case, SAH+IPH in 2 cases, SAH+SHE in 2 cases, SAH+SDH in 2 cases). Of the follow-up studies on 10 mixed bleeding cases, 1 was normal, 1 was dead, and the others were cerebromalacia, cerebral atrophy, porencephaly and calcium.Conclusion Different intracranial hemorrhages results in different prognosis.