Objective To explore the value of 18F-flortaucipir tau PET combined with APOE ε4 genotype status for diagnosing mild cognitive impairment(MCI).Methods A total of 213 MCI patients(MCI group)and 402 healthy controls(HC group)were selected from Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative(ADNI)database.The neuropsychological information,APOE ε4 gene carrier status,tau PET and high-resolution structural MRI data were recorded.The random forest algorithm was used to screen the most informative brain regions of tau PET for diagnosing MCI,and the efficacy of tau PET for distinguishing MCI with or without APOE ε4 gene and HC were compared.Results Amygdala,parahippocampal gyrus,entorhinal cortex,posterior cingulate gyrus,inferior temporal gyrus,fusiform gyrus and middle temporal gyrus in turn were the important brain regions of tau PET for diagnosing MCI.The accuracy and the area under the curve(AUC)of tau PET standardized uptake value ratio(SUVR)model for identifying MCI with APOE ε4 gene and HC was 86.68％and 0.784,respectively,both higher than those for identifying MCI and HC,as well as MCI without APOE e4 gene and HC(with accuracy of 70.57％and 75.05％,and AUC of 0.711 and 0.609).Conclusion 18F-flortaucipir tau PET SUVR model established based on amygdala,parahippocampal gyrus,entorhinal cortex,posterior cingulate gyrus,inferior temporal gyrus,fusiform gyrus and middle temporal gyrus could be used to diagnosing MCI.Combining with APOE ε4 gene could further improve its efficacy.

Objective To observe the functional connectivity and glucose metabolism of insular subregions in behavior variant of frontotemporal dementia(bvFTD)patients,also their correlations with cognitive function.Methods Thirty-eight bvFTD patients(bvFTD group)and 44 healthy individuals(control group)were retrospectively enrolled.The average time series signals of insular subregions were extracted as seed points based on functional MRI(fMRI)and 18F-FDG PET,then whole brain functional connectivity map was obtained.Meanwhile,the pons was selected as the reference brain region,and the standard uptake value ratio(SUVR)of insular subregions were calculated.The above parameters were compared between groups,and the correlations of SUVR of insular subregions with clinical cognitive function scale scores in bvFTD group were analyzed.Results Compared with control group,the functional connections between all insular subregions and bilateral frontal lobe,temporal lobe,anterior cingulate gyrus,anterior cingulate gyrus and middle cingulate gyrus,as well as between some subregions and bilateral parietal and occipital lobes were weakened in bvFTD group(GRF correction,voxel level all P＜0.001,cluster level all P＜0.05).SUVR of all insular subregions significantly decreased(GRF correction,voxel level all P＜0.001,cluster level all P＜0.05),which in right ventral agranular insula(vIa),dorsal agranular insula(dIa),dorsal dysgranular insula(dId)and left dorsal agranular insula(dIa)were negatively correlated with frontal behavioral inventory(FBI)score in bvFTD group(r=-0.452--0.330,all P＜0.05).Conclusion In bvFTD patients,the functional connectivity and glucose metabolism of insular subregions changed,and SUVR of right vIa,dIa,dId and left dIa were negatively correlated with FBI score.

Objective:To investigate the clinical diagnosis,treatment and prognosis of traumatic ectopic testis with torsion.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on a case of traumatic ectopic testis with torsion and reviewed relevant litera-ture.Results:After diagnosed with traumatic ectopic testis with torsion,the patient underwent exploratory operation for confirmation of orchiocatabasis,followed by testicular reduction and fixation.Follow-up visit at 1 month after surgery showed good blood supply and no obvious testicular atrophy.Conclusion:Traumatic ectopic testis with torsion is an extremely rare emergency condition,for which color Doppler ultrasonography is an effective means of examination.Once suspected of or confirmed with the problem,the patient should receive exploratory surgery,testicular reduction and fixation within 6 hours,and close postoperative observation.

This study was aimed at determining the molecular characteristics of Yersinia pestis in the natural plague foci around Qinghai Lake through single nucleotide polymorphism technology,to lay a foundation for molecular epidemiological and source-tracing analysis of Y.pestis in this area.Using the whole genome sequencing technology,we obtained the whole genome sequences of 84 representative Y.pestis strains.Using the sequences of Y.pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis IP32953 from the NCBI database as references,we compared and analyzed the 2 298 SNP loci of these strains.From 1957 to 2020,84 representative strains of Y.pestis from the natural plague foci around Qinghai Lake were divided into two clades:1.IN2 and 3.ANT1.The 1.IN2 clade was the characteristic population of Y.pestis throughout all epidemic years in this area.Additionally,analysis of the SNP distribution and hosts in the region indicated that the 1.IN2 clade was located in five counties except Wulan,whereas the 3.ANT1 clade was isolated from Himalayan marmot and dog in two counties.In conclusion,the population structure of SNP of Y.pestis in the natural plague foci around Qinghai Lake is relatively simple,and SNP analysis of Y.pestis provided a scientific basis for tracing plague epidemic sources and formulating plague prevention and control measures in this area.

This study was aimed at determining the molecular characteristics of Yersinia pestis in the natural plague foci around Qinghai Lake through single nucleotide polymorphism technology,to lay a foundation for molecular epidemiological and source-tracing analysis of Y.pestis in this area.Using the whole genome sequencing technology,we obtained the whole genome sequences of 84 representative Y.pestis strains.Using the sequences of Y.pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis IP32953 from the NCBI database as references,we compared and analyzed the 2 298 SNP loci of these strains.From 1957 to 2020,84 representative strains of Y.pestis from the natural plague foci around Qinghai Lake were divided into two clades:1.IN2 and 3.ANT1.The 1.IN2 clade was the characteristic population of Y.pestis throughout all epidemic years in this area.Additionally,analysis of the SNP distribution and hosts in the region indicated that the 1.IN2 clade was located in five counties except Wulan,whereas the 3.ANT1 clade was isolated from Himalayan marmot and dog in two counties.In conclusion,the population structure of SNP of Y.pestis in the natural plague foci around Qinghai Lake is relatively simple,and SNP analysis of Y.pestis provided a scientific basis for tracing plague epidemic sources and formulating plague prevention and control measures in this area.

Diabetic nephropathy(DN)is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus and a leading cause of end-stage renal diseases.In DN patients,key pathological mechanisms include proteinuria,glomerulo-sclerosis,and fibrosis,largely driven by poor glycemic control and oxidative stress caused by prolonged hyperglycemia.This stress damages renal podocytes and triggers inflammatory mesenchymal infiltration of renal tubular cells,exacerbating the progression of proteinuria and fibrosis.Human umbilical cord-de-rived mesenchymal stem cells(hUC-MSCs)offer promising potential for treating DN due to their strong anti-oxidative properties.In this study,we developed a DN mouse model and treated the mouse via tail vein injections of hUC-MSCs(1×106 cells/mouse).The results indicated that hUC-MSCs significantly lowered fasting blood glucose levels(22.5±3.0 vs 14.7±1.1,P＜0.01)and improved glucose toler-ance,as shown by intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test(IPGTT)results(P＜0.05).Additionally,the renal function improved in hUC-MSCs-treated mice,with marked reductions in oxidative stress markers,including blood urea nitrogen(BUN),urinary creatinine(Ucr),urinary protein(PRO),superoxide dismutase(SOD),and malondialdehyde(MDA)(P＜0.05).Histological analyses through hematoxy-lin-eosin(H&E),Periodic Acid-Schiff(PAS),and Sirius red staining demonstrated alleviation of glo-merular mesangial hyperplasia,glomerular hypertrophy,and tubular inflammation.Furthermore,hUC-MSCs treatment downregulated the expression of oxidative stress-related proteins,such as NADPH oxi-dase 4(NOX4)and thioredoxin-interacting protein(TXNIP),and reduced reactive oxygen species(ROS)production(P＜0.05).Meanwhile,human renal cortical proximal tubule epithelial cells(HK-2 cells)were selected for validation in vitro experiments using high glucose treatment followed by super-natants of hUC-MSCs(MSC-CM),and Western blotting showed that the expression of both NOX4 and TXNIP was inhibited(P＜0.05)and ROS expression was reduced.In conclusion,hUC-MSC treatment effectively lowered blood glucose levels and improved renal function in DN mice,likely through the sup-pression of NOX4 expression and TXNIP-mediated oxidative stress.

To review the clinical characteristics, short-term outcomes, and risk factors of patients with infective endocarditis(IE) who underwent surgical treatment at a single center, and to summarize treatment experience.

Background: The genus Atractylodes, native to East Asia, encompasses several species that serve as sources for the widely used traditional Chinese medicines Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Atractylodis Rhizoma. However, the international trade arouses concern regarding potential confusion and misidentification of Atractylodes species. Objective: A comprehensive understanding of the chemical diversity is crucial for ensuring the quality and exploring the potential variations in medicinal efficacy of Atractylodes. Methods: The GC-MS/MS-based metabolomics and multivariate statistical analysis identified 589 differentially accumulated metabolites across 5 Atractylodes species. Results: A total of 150 metabolites were predicted as potential chemical markers for species differentiation and quality assessment of Atractylodes. According to the metabolic profiles, the species of Atractylodes can be roughly classified into three categories: A. lancea and A. coreana with the volatile oil components being mainly atractylodin and β-eudesmol; A. macrocephala with the biomarker being atractylon; and A. japonica and A. carlinoides lying between the two categories above. Conclusions: Metabolomic results indicated that the metabolic profiles of A. carlinoides and A. macrocephala were similar and distinct from those of the other three species. Sesquiterpenoids were the main chemical components in the rhizome of A. carlinoides, which indicated the potential medicinal value of this plant.

Background: The genus Atractylodes, native to East Asia, encompasses several species that serve as sources for the widely used traditional Chinese medicines Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Atractylodis Rhizoma. However, the international trade arouses concern regarding potential confusion and misidentification of Atractylodes species. Objective: A comprehensive understanding of the chemical diversity is crucial for ensuring the quality and exploring the potential variations in medicinal efficacy of Atractylodes. Methods: The GC-MS/MS-based metabolomics and multivariate statistical analysis identified 589 differentially accumulated metabolites across 5 Atractylodes species. Results: A total of 150 metabolites were predicted as potential chemical markers for species differentiation and quality assessment of Atractylodes. According to the metabolic profiles, the species of Atractylodes can be roughly classified into three categories: A. lancea and A. coreana with the volatile oil components being mainly atractylodin and β-eudesmol; A. macrocephala with the biomarker being atractylon; and A. japonica and A. carlinoides lying between the two categories above. Conclusions: Metabolomic results indicated that the metabolic profiles of A. carlinoides and A. macrocephala were similar and distinct from those of the other three species. Sesquiterpenoids were the main chemical components in the rhizome of A. carlinoides, which indicated the potential medicinal value of this plant.