Despite that sleep disturbance and poor neurocognitive performance are common complaints among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors, few studies have focused on the effect of post-COVID-19 sleep disturbance (PCSD) on cognitive function. This study aimed to identify the impact of PCSD on neurocognitive function and explore the associated risk factors for the worsening of this condition. This cross-sectional study was conducted via the web-based assessment in Chinese mainland. Neurocognitive function was evaluated by the modified online Integrated Cognitive Assessment (ICA) and the Number Ordering Test (NOT). Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to match the confounding factors between individuals with and without PCSD. Univariate analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of PCSD on neurocognitive function. The risk factors associated with worsened neurocognitive performance in PCSD individuals were explored using binary logistic regression. A total of 8692 individuals with COVID-19 diagnosis were selected for this study. Nearly half (48.80%) of the COVID-19 survivors reported sleep disturbance. After matching by PSM, a total of 3977 pairs (7954 individuals in total) were obtained. Univariate analyses revealed that PCSD was related to worse ICA and NOT performance (P<0.05). Underlying disease, upper respiratory infection, loss of smell or taste, severe pneumonia, and self-reported cognitive complaints were associated with worsened neurocognitive performance among PCSD individuals (P<0.05). Furthermore, aging, ethnicity (minority), and lower education level were found to be independent risk factors for worsened neurocognitive performance in PCSD individuals (P<0.05). PCSD was related to impaired neurocognitive performance. Therefore, appropriate prevention and intervention measures should be taken to minimize or prevent PCSD and eliminate its potential adverse effect on neurocognitive function.
Humans ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Sleep Wake Disorders/epidemiology* ; Propensity Score ; Middle Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adult ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Aged ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Cognition ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Neuropsychological Tests

Background and Aims:Acute pancreatitis(AP)is an acute inflammatory disease of the pancreas caused by abnormal activation of pancreatic enzymes.Although gallstones,hyperlipidemia,and alcohol use are the most common causes,a subset of patients develop AP secondary to rare etiologies that are often misdiagnosed or diagnosed late,leading to recurrence or inappropriate management.This study aims to summarize the clinical characteristics,diagnostic strategies,and treatment outcomes of four cases of AP caused by uncommon etiologies,supported by a literature review.Methods:Clinical data of 4 patients admitted to the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery,the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University,between November 2021 and September 2024,were retrospectively analyzed.Their etiological characteristics,diagnostic approaches,and treatment strategies were reviewed in combination with relevant literature.Results:The underlying causes of AP were intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm,pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor,pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,and duodenojejunal intussusception.All cases initially presented as idiopathic AP.Three patients underwent definitive surgical treatment and recovered well,while one patient with pancreatic cancer received only palliative care due to delayed diagnosis and died three months later.Conclusion:AP secondary to rare etiologies often mimics common forms in clinical presentation but poses diagnostic challenges.For patients with recurrent or idiopathic AP,clinicians should emphasize etiological tracing and utilize advanced imaging and endoscopic modalities for early identification.Timely etiological intervention,particularly surgical management when appropriate,is essential for preventing recurrence and improving prognosis.

Background and Aims:Acute pancreatitis(AP)is an acute inflammatory disease of the pancreas caused by abnormal activation of pancreatic enzymes.Although gallstones,hyperlipidemia,and alcohol use are the most common causes,a subset of patients develop AP secondary to rare etiologies that are often misdiagnosed or diagnosed late,leading to recurrence or inappropriate management.This study aims to summarize the clinical characteristics,diagnostic strategies,and treatment outcomes of four cases of AP caused by uncommon etiologies,supported by a literature review.Methods:Clinical data of 4 patients admitted to the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery,the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University,between November 2021 and September 2024,were retrospectively analyzed.Their etiological characteristics,diagnostic approaches,and treatment strategies were reviewed in combination with relevant literature.Results:The underlying causes of AP were intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm,pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor,pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,and duodenojejunal intussusception.All cases initially presented as idiopathic AP.Three patients underwent definitive surgical treatment and recovered well,while one patient with pancreatic cancer received only palliative care due to delayed diagnosis and died three months later.Conclusion:AP secondary to rare etiologies often mimics common forms in clinical presentation but poses diagnostic challenges.For patients with recurrent or idiopathic AP,clinicians should emphasize etiological tracing and utilize advanced imaging and endoscopic modalities for early identification.Timely etiological intervention,particularly surgical management when appropriate,is essential for preventing recurrence and improving prognosis.

AIM:To study the regulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS)using the glucose regulated protein 78(GRP78)/CCAAT/enhancer binding protein homologous protein(CHOP)pathway and explore the related mech-anism of Wenyang-Shengji ointment in facilitating the repair of diabetic refractory wounds.METHODS:To establish a rat model of diabetic refractory wound repair,Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were fed a high-fat diet and intraperitoneally in-jected with streptozotocin.Subsequently,full-thickness skin defects were induced in the dorsal region of the rats.The ex-periment included 4 groups:normal,model(diabetic refractory wounds),Wenyang-Shengji ointment,and Beifuxin(re-combinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor gel)groups.The normal and model groups were treated with normal saline after disinfection.In the Wenyang-Shengji ointment and Beifuxin groups,the wounds were topically treated with the re-spective ointments once daily.After 14 d of treatment,wound healing was assessed and quantified using the wound healing rate.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was employed to examine the micromorphology of the wound tissue.Western blot analysis was performed to measure GRP78,CHOP and caspase-12 levels in the wound tissue.Immunohistochemical analy-sis was used to detect the expression and distribution patterns of GRP78,CHOP and caspase-12 in the wounds.Transmis-sion electron microscopy was used to observe reticulum numbers and swelling.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine interleukin-1β(IL-1β)level as a pro-inflammatory factor within the wound.RESULTS:Indexes of each group were assessed 14 d after the corresponding intervention.Compared with normal group,the rats in model group exhibited a significant decrease in the wound healing rate(P＜0.01),accompanied by increased inflammatory exudation and poor granulation tissue growth.Additionally,there were increases in the expression levels of GRP78,CHOP and cas-pase-12 proteins(P＜0.01),as well as a significant elevation in the content of inflammatory factor IL-1β(P＜0.01).In contrast,compared with model group,treatment with Wenyang-Shengji ointment resulted in a significant improvement in wound healing rate(P＜0.01),reduction in inflammatory exudation,and enhanced granulation tissue growth(P＜0.01).Furthermore,there was a notable decrease in the protein expression of GRP78/CHOP/caspase-12 within the wound tissue following treatment with Wenyang-Shengji ointment(P＜0.01).The levels of inflammatory factor IL-1β also showed a sig-nificant decrease(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION:Wenyang-Shengji promotes the healing of diabetic refractory wounds,which may be associated with the downregulation of the GRP78/CHOP pathway,inhibition of excessive ERS,and reduc-tion in the level of wound cell apoptosis.

The advancement of computers and data explosion have ushered in the third wave of artificial intelligence(AI). AI is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses new ideas, new theories, and new technologies, etc. AI has brought convenience to ophthalmology application and promoted its intelligent, precise, and minimally invasive development. At present, AI has been widely applied in various fields of ophthalmology, especially in oculoplastic surgery. AI has made rapid progress in image detection, facial recognition, etc., and its performance and accuracy have even surpassed humans in some aspects. This article reviews the relevant research and applications of AI in oculoplastic surgery, including ptosis, single eyelid, pouch, eyelid mass, and exophthalmos, and discusses the challenges and opportunities faced by AI in oculoplastic surgery, and provides prospects for its future development, aiming to provide new ideas for the development of AI in oculoplastic surgery.

Background Individuals may experience significant alterations in sleep hygiene during the major public health emergencies,consequently impacting their sleep quality.Objective To explore the relationship between sleep quality and sleep hygiene among adult residents during the major public health emergencies,so as to provide references for improving the sleep quality of residents during such a period.Methods A sample of 1 364 adult residents were enrolled as the research subjects from February 20 to 29,2020.All participants were asked to complete self-administered questionnaire to obtain basic-demographic information and sleep hygiene.Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)was applied to assess sleep quality.Residents were classified into poor sleepers with PSQI score≥8 and good sleepers defined as PSQI score<8.Binary Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with sleep quality.Radar chart was used to visualize and compare the sleep hygiene between poor sleepers and good sleepers.Results According to PSQI score,891(65.32%)residents were good sleepers,while 473(34.68%)residents were poor sleepers.Comparison revealed that age(χ2=3.887),past medical history(χ2=27.938),awareness rate of importance of sleeping before major public health emergencies(χ2=4.337),impact of sleep quality on quality of life during the major public health emergencies(χ2=178.138),frequency of staying up late during the major public health emergencies(χ2=139.390),compensatory sleep behaviors(χ2=39.257),impact of sleep problems on daytime functioning(χ2=285.879),change of bedtime(χ2=63.031),sleep latency(χ2=168.672),wake-up time(χ2=59.221),changes in sleep duration(χ2=172.332),time spent in the bedroom(χ2=23.071),and sum of money spent on improving sleep environment(χ2=58.584)yielded statistical difference between poor sleepers and good sleepers(P<0.05 or 0.01).Logistic regression analysis denoted that past medical history(OR=1.680,95%CI:1.185～2.382),negative impact of sleep quality on quality life(OR=4.181,95%CI:2.722～6.422),staying up late 3 to 4 times per week(OR=3.145,95%CI:1.497～6.605),staying up late almost every day(OR=4.271,95%CI:1.970～9.260),negative impact of sleep problems on daytime functioning(OR=7.169,95%CI:5.188～9.907),prolonged sleep latency(OR=2.836,95%CI:2.019～3.982)and shortened sleep duration(OR=3.518,95%CI:2.144～5.772)were risk factors of poor sleep quality.The sum of money spent on improving sleep environment following the major public health emergencies≤500 RMB(OR=0.334,95%CI:0.134～0.830)was related to the incidence rate of poor sleep quality.Radar chart showed that poor sleepers were characterized by extravagant concerns,excessive cleanliness and poor sleep hygiene practices during the major public health emergencies,and poor sleepers were more likely to stay up late due to stress and emotional issues.Conclusion Some residents are facing poor sleep quality during the major public health emergencies,and poor sleep hygiene practice also contributes to poor sleep quality.

ABSTARCT AIM: To investigate the effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) on kidney injury in rats with chronic renal failure (CRF) and its potential molecular mechanism. METHODS: SD rats were given 5/6 nephrectomy to construct CRF models and divided into model group, GBE group (100 mg /kg), GBE+ Agomir-NC group, and GBE+Agomir-145 group, 12 per group; another 12 were selected as the sham group, with only the kidney exposed and no nephrectomy. Rats in the GBE group were given GBE 100 mg/kg gavage daily, once a day, for 4 consecutive weeks; rats in the GBE+Agomir-NC group and GBE+Agomir-145 group were given GBE 100 mg/kg gavage daily, and then Agomir-NC and Agomir-145 were injected via the tail vein every 3 days for 4 weeks; the sham group and the model group were given the same amount of normal saline by gavage and injection through the tail vein respectively. The general state of the rat was observed, and the renal function indicators [24 h urine microalbumin (24 h UAlb), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood creatinine (SCr)] and oxidative stress indicators [malonaldehyde (MDA), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px)] were detected, Masson staining was used to observe the fibrosis of kidney tissue, real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of microRNA-145 (miR-145), transforming growth factor - β1 (TGF - β1) and forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) in renal tissue, Western blot was used to detect the protein levels of TGF - β1 and FOXO1 in kidney tissue. RESULTS: The general state of CRF rats improved significantly after GBE intervention, the body weight, renal tissue SOD and GSH-Px activities, and FOXO1 mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher than those in the model group (P<0.05); the 24 h UAlb, serum BUN, SCr and renal tissue MDA levels, the relative area of renal interstitial fibrosis, and renal tissue miR-145, TGF - β1 mRNA and protein levels were significantly lower than those in the model group (P<0.05); and on the basis of GBE intervention, up-regulating the expression of miR-145 could significantly weaken the protective effect of GBE on renal injury in CRF rats (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: GBE can alleviate kidney damage in CRF rats, and its mechanism of action may be related to down-regulation of miR-145, up-regulation of FOXO1 expression, and inhibition of renal fibrosis.

Objective:To explore the value of multi-parametric MRI for thyroid gland in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules.Methods:From December 2018 to May 2020, 78 patients with 91 post-surgically pathologically confirmed thyroid nodules were enrolled in Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. For each patient, the following MRI findings were obtained including the nodules′ location, size, shape, margin, signal intensity, cystic change, degree and pattern of contrast enhancement, involvement of surrounding structure, and ADC values. The time-intensity curve (TIC) were plotted and subtyped based on dynamic contrast enhancement MRI. The MRI findings between the benign and malignant thyroid nodules were compared using Mann-Whitney U test, χ 2 test or Fisher exact test. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to select independent predictive variables and build a combined model, and the ROC curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of each MRI finding and the combined model. Results:Between the benign and malignant thyroid nodules, the significant differences were found in size, shape, margin, presence of cystic changes, T 1WI signal intensity, ADC value, enhancement homogeneity, TIC subtypes and presence of thyroid capsule involvement ( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that ill-defined margin (OR=77.61), no presence of cystic changes (OR=36.11) and difference between TIC subtypes (OR=83.41) were independent predictive variables, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.879, 0.788, and 0.751, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity and specificity of the combined model were 0.977, 0.986, and 0.904, respectively. Conclusions:Thyroid multi-parametric MRI derived findings can be used for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant nodules. Combined with the independent risk factors with ill-defined margin, no presence of cystic changes, TIC of type plateau or washout, the diagnostic model has a higher diagnostic efficiency.

Objective: The random forest algorithm was used to construct a rapid screening diagnostic prediction model for children with autism spectrum disorder, to provide the references for early detection, early diagnosis of ASD children, and to reduce the pressure of ASD clinical diagnosis and assessment. Methods: The random forest algorithm of machine learning was applied to build the auxiliary diagnosis model. Totally 346 ASD children and 90 normal children were evaluated by Social Responsiveness Scale and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. ROC curve, and accuracy was used to evaluate the models. Results: Among the models, the accuracy of 13 feature factors and 7 feature factors were above 0.9, the sensitivity was up to 0.927, the specificity was up to 0.936 and the AUC was up to 0.979. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and AUC of the model were 0.943,0.959,0.931 and 0.978 respectively. The fitting and generalization effects of the three models were all satisfactory. Conclusion A random forest model based on the SRS Scales and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales can be used to diagnose ASD accurately and provide scientific basis for the development of rapid screening and diagnosis tools.

Objective To investigate the effects of nonylphenol (NP) exposure on the activity of SOD and GSH-Px and the content of MDA in gastric tissue of SD rats. Methods Twenty-four clean SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, 6 in each group. The negative control group was given corn oil, and the exposure groups included low, medium and high doses of NP treatment groups. NP was prepared in corn oil and administrated intragastrically. The concentration of NP was 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, respectively, given once a day. After 42 days of continuous intragastric administration, the animals were sacrificed under anesthesia and gastric tissues were collected. The pathological changes of gastric tissues were observed by HE staining. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in gastric tissues were respectively detected by chemical colorimetry. Results No bleeding or necrosis was found in the gastric mucosa of all groups by naked eye view. Pinhole-sized pigmentation was found in the stomach wall fold and bulge of NP medium dose group, and the number of pigmentation spots was increased significantly in NP high dose group. HE staining showed that the epithelial cells and glands of gastric mucosa of rats in normal group were arranged neatly and intact, and no any defect or abnormality in mucosal myometrium was observed. In the low dose group, hyperemia and edema, and vasodilation in the mucosal glands were observed, while in the medium and high dose groups, the epithelial cells of the gastric mucosa were damaged and exfoliated, the glandular ducts were swollen and congested, and lymphocyte infiltration was observed in the mucosa and interstitium. Compared with the control group, SOD activity in the high dose group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the low/medium dose groups and the control group (P>0.05). SOD activity decreased gradually with the increase of the dose. Compared with the control group, there was no significant difference in GSH-Px content among the NP exposure groups. Compared with the control group, the MDA content in the low dose group was significantly increased (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the medium and high dose groups. Conclusion Short-term exposure to 25mg/kg nonylphenol caused oxidative damage to gastric mucosa.