BACKGROUND:Cognitive impairment is the most common complication after stroke,and its severity is closely related to the patient's prognosis.The prognosis of patients can be significantly improved if the severity of their cognitive impairment is recognized and targeted early.OBJECTIVE:To initially explore potential biomarkers affecting the progression of post-stroke cognitive impairment,thereby providing a richer and unique reference for the study of their pathophysiological mechanisms.METHODS:Using ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry,non-targeted metabolomics analysis was conducted on serum samples from patients with mild and moderate post-stroke cognitive impairment to identify differential metabolites between the two groups.To further validate the diagnostic efficacy of the differential metabolites,the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate their accuracy and sensitivity in distinguishing disease severity.In addition,pathway analysis was conducted on the differential metabolites.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There were significant differences in metabolic profiles between patients with mild and moderate post-stroke cognitive impairment,and 9 differential metabolites were screened by the receiver operating characteristic curve.(2)Differential metabolite pathway analysis revealed that the metabolic pathways affecting disease progression in patients with mild-to-moderate post-stroke cognitive impairment included tryptophan metabolism,D-amino acid metabolism,biotin metabolism,retinol metabolism,aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis,lysine degradation,protein digestion and uptake,pyrimidine metabolism,cysteine and methionine metabolism,ABC transporter proteins,amino acid biosynthesis,and 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism.To conclude,9 potential biomarkers affecting disease progression in patients with mild-to-moderate post-stroke cognitive impairment have been identified,involving 12 metabolic pathways including tryptophan metabolism,D-amino acid metabolism and retinol metabolism.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy, safety and possible neuroimaging mechanism of deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of refractory migraine.Methods:Thirty patients with refractory migraine were selected from the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from October 2022 to August 2023. The patients were randomly divided into dTMS group ( n=10), rTMS group ( n=10) and sham stimulation group ( n=10). The dTMS group was treated with H7 coil and the rTMS group with "8" coil, and the sham stimulation group was treated with sham stimulation rTMS with the frequency of 10 Hz. The stimulation site was the contralateral primary motor cortex (M1) of headache, which was treated for 2 weeks (3 600 pulses per time, 5 times per week, 10 times in total). Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) evaluations were performed before treatment, on the first day after treatment, and 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment. The resting-state functional magnetic resonance images of the 3 groups of patients before and after treatment were collected and analyzed by MATLAB2018b, SPM12 and RESTPLUS softwares, and the brain regions with different regional homogeneity (ReHo) before and after treatment were obtained. The general clinical data and scale scoring data were analyzed and processed by SPSS 26.0 version software. Results:There were significant differences in VAS scores among the dTMS group (before treatment 6.70±0.68, the first day after treatment 5.60±0.70, 1 month after treatment 5.00±0.82, 3 months after treatment 3.50±0.85, 6 months after treatment 3.90±1.45), the rTMS group (before treatment 6.90±0.74, the first day after treatment 5.90±0.74, 1 month after treatment 5.30±0.82, 3 months after treatment 5.30±0.82, 6 months after treatment 6.80±0.63) and the sham stimulation group (before treatment 6.60±0.97, the first day after treatment 6.70±0.95, 1 month after treatment 6.90±1.10, 3 months after treatment 6.70±0.68, 6 months after treatment 7.10±0.88; F=16.054, P<0.001), VAS scores among different time points ( F=34.292, P<0.001), and the interaction between groups and time ( F=24.136, P<0.001). Compared with those before treatment, VAS scores in the dTMS group and the rTMS group decreased on the first day after treatment, 1 month and 3 months after treatment (all P<0.05); VAS scores decreased in the dTMS group 6 months after treatment ( P<0.05). Compared with the sham stimulation group, the VAS scores of the dTMS group were lower at the same time points after treatment (all P<0.05), and the VAS scores of the rTMS group were lower on the first day after treatment, 1 month and 3 months after treatment (all P<0.05). Compared with the rTMS group, VAS scores were lower at 3 and 6 months after dTMS treatment (both P<0.05). There were significant differences in HIT-6 scores among groups ( F=13.173, P<0.001), HIT-6 scores among different time points ( F=60.788, P<0.001), and interaction between groups and time ( F=35.576, P<0.001). Compared with those before treatment, the HIT-6 scores in the dTMS group decreased on the first day after treatment ( P<0.05); the HIT-6 scores in the dTMS group and the rTMS group decreased 1 month and 3 months after treatment (both P<0.05); the HIT-6 scores decreased in the dTMS group 6 months after treatment ( P<0.05). Compared with the sham stimulation group, the HIT-6 scores were lower in the dTMS group at the same time points after treatment (all P<0.05), and the HIT-6 scores were lower in the rTMS group at 1 and 3 months after treatment (both P<0.05). Compared with the rTMS group, HIT-6 scores were lower at 3 and 6 months after dTMS treatment (both P<0.05). Analysis of ReHo results: compared with those before treatment, the ReHo values of the right cerebellar angle area 1 increased in the dTMS group and the sham stimulation group, decreased in the rTMS group. The ReHo values of the right middle occipital gyrus, left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus and right cerebellar area 8 increased in the dTMS group, but decreased in the rTMS group and the sham stimulation group. The ReHo values of the left precentral gyrus and left superior temporal gyrus decreased in the dTMS group, while those in the rTMS group and the sham stimulation group increased. There were no obvious adverse reactions in the 3 groups during the treatment and follow-up period. Conclusions:dTMS and rTMS may help to improve the headache degree and quality of life of patients with refractory migraine, and they are safe, which may be related to the changes of brain network in the right cerebellar angle area 1, right middle occipital gyrus, left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, left precentral gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus and right cerebellar area 8.

OBJECTIVE To explore the time windows for postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing different surgeries,providing evidence-based references for optimizing infection monitoring and prevention and control strategies.METHODS Sociodemographic characteristics,clinical information and surgical details of 263 patients with postoperative pneumonia from four different types of medical institutions between Jan.2019 and Dec.2024 were retrospectively collected.The time windows for postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing different surgeries were analyzed.RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences in the time windows for post-operative pneumonia among groups in terms of sociodemographic factors and underlying diseases.However,sta-tistically significant differences were observed in the time windows for postoperative pneumonia based on surgery type,incision type,surgical approach and surgery duration(P＜0.05).The average time for the onset of postop-erative pneumonia in 263 patients was 2.00(1.00,7.00)days.The postoperative time windows varied for sur-geries involving different systems.The peak incidence occurred on day 0(16 cases)and day 1(17 cases)af-ter neurological surgery,while the peak incidence for digestive system and orthopedic surgeries was on day 1.The time span for the onset of pneumonia after skin surgeries was wider(0-53 days postoperatively)without a clear peak.In addition,33.33％of cardiovascular system surgery cases developed pneumonia 10 days postoperatively.There were also significant time differences in the diagnostic elements of postoperative pneumonia,with fever and abnormal white blood cell counts appearing earlier(median appearance time length:4.00 days)than lung imaging changes(median appearance time length:7.00 days).CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates significant time differences in the on-set of postoperative pneumonia and confirms the significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the diagnostic elements of postoperative pneumonia.These findings provide a quantitative basis for developing dynamic,surgery-type-spe-cific monitoring protocols and prevention and control measures for postoperative pneumonia.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy, safety and possible neuroimaging mechanism of deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of refractory migraine.Methods:Thirty patients with refractory migraine were selected from the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from October 2022 to August 2023. The patients were randomly divided into dTMS group ( n=10), rTMS group ( n=10) and sham stimulation group ( n=10). The dTMS group was treated with H7 coil and the rTMS group with "8" coil, and the sham stimulation group was treated with sham stimulation rTMS with the frequency of 10 Hz. The stimulation site was the contralateral primary motor cortex (M1) of headache, which was treated for 2 weeks (3 600 pulses per time, 5 times per week, 10 times in total). Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) evaluations were performed before treatment, on the first day after treatment, and 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment. The resting-state functional magnetic resonance images of the 3 groups of patients before and after treatment were collected and analyzed by MATLAB2018b, SPM12 and RESTPLUS softwares, and the brain regions with different regional homogeneity (ReHo) before and after treatment were obtained. The general clinical data and scale scoring data were analyzed and processed by SPSS 26.0 version software. Results:There were significant differences in VAS scores among the dTMS group (before treatment 6.70±0.68, the first day after treatment 5.60±0.70, 1 month after treatment 5.00±0.82, 3 months after treatment 3.50±0.85, 6 months after treatment 3.90±1.45), the rTMS group (before treatment 6.90±0.74, the first day after treatment 5.90±0.74, 1 month after treatment 5.30±0.82, 3 months after treatment 5.30±0.82, 6 months after treatment 6.80±0.63) and the sham stimulation group (before treatment 6.60±0.97, the first day after treatment 6.70±0.95, 1 month after treatment 6.90±1.10, 3 months after treatment 6.70±0.68, 6 months after treatment 7.10±0.88; F=16.054, P<0.001), VAS scores among different time points ( F=34.292, P<0.001), and the interaction between groups and time ( F=24.136, P<0.001). Compared with those before treatment, VAS scores in the dTMS group and the rTMS group decreased on the first day after treatment, 1 month and 3 months after treatment (all P<0.05); VAS scores decreased in the dTMS group 6 months after treatment ( P<0.05). Compared with the sham stimulation group, the VAS scores of the dTMS group were lower at the same time points after treatment (all P<0.05), and the VAS scores of the rTMS group were lower on the first day after treatment, 1 month and 3 months after treatment (all P<0.05). Compared with the rTMS group, VAS scores were lower at 3 and 6 months after dTMS treatment (both P<0.05). There were significant differences in HIT-6 scores among groups ( F=13.173, P<0.001), HIT-6 scores among different time points ( F=60.788, P<0.001), and interaction between groups and time ( F=35.576, P<0.001). Compared with those before treatment, the HIT-6 scores in the dTMS group decreased on the first day after treatment ( P<0.05); the HIT-6 scores in the dTMS group and the rTMS group decreased 1 month and 3 months after treatment (both P<0.05); the HIT-6 scores decreased in the dTMS group 6 months after treatment ( P<0.05). Compared with the sham stimulation group, the HIT-6 scores were lower in the dTMS group at the same time points after treatment (all P<0.05), and the HIT-6 scores were lower in the rTMS group at 1 and 3 months after treatment (both P<0.05). Compared with the rTMS group, HIT-6 scores were lower at 3 and 6 months after dTMS treatment (both P<0.05). Analysis of ReHo results: compared with those before treatment, the ReHo values of the right cerebellar angle area 1 increased in the dTMS group and the sham stimulation group, decreased in the rTMS group. The ReHo values of the right middle occipital gyrus, left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus and right cerebellar area 8 increased in the dTMS group, but decreased in the rTMS group and the sham stimulation group. The ReHo values of the left precentral gyrus and left superior temporal gyrus decreased in the dTMS group, while those in the rTMS group and the sham stimulation group increased. There were no obvious adverse reactions in the 3 groups during the treatment and follow-up period. Conclusions:dTMS and rTMS may help to improve the headache degree and quality of life of patients with refractory migraine, and they are safe, which may be related to the changes of brain network in the right cerebellar angle area 1, right middle occipital gyrus, left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, left precentral gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus and right cerebellar area 8.

Objective To study the effect and duration of point-of-use filters on the improvement of endoscopic fi-nal rinse water quality.Methods The final rinse water end at the gastroscope manual cleaning workstation in the Endoscopy Centre of the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University was selected to install a tap ter-minal filter;five specimens of final rinse water were collected consecutively before the installation,immediately after the installation,and 1-11 weeks after the installation.At each sampling time,the staff responsible for clea-ning and disinfecting were asked whether the flow rate of discharged water could satisfy the working demand;the final rinse water was inoculated on R2A culture medium with membrane filter method,bacterial colony forming unit(CFU)was calculated after 30℃ incubation for 5 days.Results The qualified rates of endoscopic final rinse water before point-of-use filter installation was 0,immediately after and 1-9 weeks after installation were both 100％,10 and 11 weeks after installation were 80.0％and 20.0％,respectively.The mean CFU of endoscopic final rinse wa-ter before point-of-use filter installation was 102 CFU/100 mL,immediately after and 1-9 weeks after installation were both ≤2 CFU/100 mL,10 and 11 weeks after installation were 8 and 18 CFU/100 mL,respectively.The feedback from the cleaning and disinfection staff before installation,immediately after installation,and 1-11 weeks after installation indicated that the flow rate of discharged water gradually slowed down over time,but could still meet the work requirements.Conclusion The point-of-use filter can quickly and effectively improve the quality of endoscopic final rinse water,with use duration of up to 9 weeks after installation;Its biggest advantage is that it can serve as the final barrier to all integrated measures,playing a supplementary role in case of any problems occu-rring in the front-end process,and ensuring the microbial quality of the final rinse water to the greatest extent possible.

OBJECTIVE To explore the time windows for postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing different surgeries,providing evidence-based references for optimizing infection monitoring and prevention and control strategies.METHODS Sociodemographic characteristics,clinical information and surgical details of 263 patients with postoperative pneumonia from four different types of medical institutions between Jan.2019 and Dec.2024 were retrospectively collected.The time windows for postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing different surgeries were analyzed.RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences in the time windows for post-operative pneumonia among groups in terms of sociodemographic factors and underlying diseases.However,sta-tistically significant differences were observed in the time windows for postoperative pneumonia based on surgery type,incision type,surgical approach and surgery duration(P＜0.05).The average time for the onset of postop-erative pneumonia in 263 patients was 2.00(1.00,7.00)days.The postoperative time windows varied for sur-geries involving different systems.The peak incidence occurred on day 0(16 cases)and day 1(17 cases)af-ter neurological surgery,while the peak incidence for digestive system and orthopedic surgeries was on day 1.The time span for the onset of pneumonia after skin surgeries was wider(0-53 days postoperatively)without a clear peak.In addition,33.33％of cardiovascular system surgery cases developed pneumonia 10 days postoperatively.There were also significant time differences in the diagnostic elements of postoperative pneumonia,with fever and abnormal white blood cell counts appearing earlier(median appearance time length:4.00 days)than lung imaging changes(median appearance time length:7.00 days).CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates significant time differences in the on-set of postoperative pneumonia and confirms the significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the diagnostic elements of postoperative pneumonia.These findings provide a quantitative basis for developing dynamic,surgery-type-spe-cific monitoring protocols and prevention and control measures for postoperative pneumonia.

Objective To study the effect and duration of point-of-use filters on the improvement of endoscopic fi-nal rinse water quality.Methods The final rinse water end at the gastroscope manual cleaning workstation in the Endoscopy Centre of the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University was selected to install a tap ter-minal filter;five specimens of final rinse water were collected consecutively before the installation,immediately after the installation,and 1-11 weeks after the installation.At each sampling time,the staff responsible for clea-ning and disinfecting were asked whether the flow rate of discharged water could satisfy the working demand;the final rinse water was inoculated on R2A culture medium with membrane filter method,bacterial colony forming unit(CFU)was calculated after 30℃ incubation for 5 days.Results The qualified rates of endoscopic final rinse water before point-of-use filter installation was 0,immediately after and 1-9 weeks after installation were both 100％,10 and 11 weeks after installation were 80.0％and 20.0％,respectively.The mean CFU of endoscopic final rinse wa-ter before point-of-use filter installation was 102 CFU/100 mL,immediately after and 1-9 weeks after installation were both ≤2 CFU/100 mL,10 and 11 weeks after installation were 8 and 18 CFU/100 mL,respectively.The feedback from the cleaning and disinfection staff before installation,immediately after installation,and 1-11 weeks after installation indicated that the flow rate of discharged water gradually slowed down over time,but could still meet the work requirements.Conclusion The point-of-use filter can quickly and effectively improve the quality of endoscopic final rinse water,with use duration of up to 9 weeks after installation;Its biggest advantage is that it can serve as the final barrier to all integrated measures,playing a supplementary role in case of any problems occu-rring in the front-end process,and ensuring the microbial quality of the final rinse water to the greatest extent possible.

BACKGROUND:Cognitive impairment is the most common complication after stroke,and its severity is closely related to the patient's prognosis.The prognosis of patients can be significantly improved if the severity of their cognitive impairment is recognized and targeted early.OBJECTIVE:To initially explore potential biomarkers affecting the progression of post-stroke cognitive impairment,thereby providing a richer and unique reference for the study of their pathophysiological mechanisms.METHODS:Using ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry,non-targeted metabolomics analysis was conducted on serum samples from patients with mild and moderate post-stroke cognitive impairment to identify differential metabolites between the two groups.To further validate the diagnostic efficacy of the differential metabolites,the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate their accuracy and sensitivity in distinguishing disease severity.In addition,pathway analysis was conducted on the differential metabolites.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There were significant differences in metabolic profiles between patients with mild and moderate post-stroke cognitive impairment,and 9 differential metabolites were screened by the receiver operating characteristic curve.(2)Differential metabolite pathway analysis revealed that the metabolic pathways affecting disease progression in patients with mild-to-moderate post-stroke cognitive impairment included tryptophan metabolism,D-amino acid metabolism,biotin metabolism,retinol metabolism,aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis,lysine degradation,protein digestion and uptake,pyrimidine metabolism,cysteine and methionine metabolism,ABC transporter proteins,amino acid biosynthesis,and 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism.To conclude,9 potential biomarkers affecting disease progression in patients with mild-to-moderate post-stroke cognitive impairment have been identified,involving 12 metabolic pathways including tryptophan metabolism,D-amino acid metabolism and retinol metabolism.

Objective To explore the association between peripheral retinal defocus and myopia in adolescents.Methods This study encompassed 192 adolescents(192 right eyes),aged between eight and fifteen years,who sought treatment at Ineye Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM from October 2022 to April 2023.Based on the spherical equiva-lent(SE),the patients were divided into three groups:Emmetropia(E),low myopia(LM),and moderate myopia(MM),with each group comprising 64 patients(64 right eyes).After mydriatic refraction,the SE values were documen-ted.Ocular biological parameters,including axial length(AL),central corneal thickness(CCT),lens thickness(LT),and keratometry values(K1,K2),were obtained using IOL Master 900.Multispectral refraction topography was employed to measure the retinal defocus:positive values indicated hyperopic defocus,while negative ones represented myopic defocus.With the macular fovea as the center,the total retinal defocus value was recorded as TRDV.The ring partition(eccentrici-ty)was divided into 0°-10°、＞10°-20°、＞20°-30°、＞30°-40°、＞40°-53°,which was recorded as RDV-0°-10°,RDV-10°-20°,RDV-20°-30°,RDV-30°-40°,and RDV-40°-53°,respectively;the quadrants were recorded as RDV-Superior(RDV-S),RDV-Inferior(RDV-I),RDV-Temporal(RDV-T)and RDV-Nasal(RDV-N),respectively.The variance of RDV across different ranges was analyzed using One-Way ANOVA and non-parametric tests.The associations between SE,AL and RDV were examined using Spearman and Pearson correlation analyses.Results The RDV-20°-30°,RDV-30°-40° and RDV-40°-53° of Groups E,LM and MM all exhibited hyperopic defocus.Statistically significant differences were identi-fied in TRDV,RDV-10°-20°,RDV-20°-30°,RDV-30°-40°,RDV-40°-53°,RDV-S,RDV-T and RDV-N among the three groups(all P＜0.05).TRDV,RDV-20°-30°,RDV-30°-40°,RDV-40°-53°,RDV-S,RDV-T,and RDV-N were found to be negatively correlated with SE while positively correlated with AL(all P＜0.05).RDV-0°-10° and RDV-I were uncorrelated with both SE and AL(all P＞0.05);RDV-10°-20° was positively correlated with AL(P=0.012)while uncorrelated with SE(P=0.233).Conclusion Peripheral retinal hyperopic defocus tends to advance with escalating eccentricity and my-opia.Peripheral retinal defocus is asymmetrical.Peripheral(10°-53°),superior,nasal and temporal retinal defocus may be closely related to the development of myopia.

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)on refractory tinnitus and the differences of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI)imaging between before and after treatment,and to explore the possible central mechanism of rTMS regulation of tinnitus.Methods Thirty-seven patients with refractory tinnitus admitted in Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from September 2022 to February 2023 were selected and were divided into experimental group(n=20)and control group(n=1 7).The experimental group was given true rTMS treatment,and the control group was given sham stimulation with the same parameters.Tinnitus handicap inventory(THI)score,tinnitus loudness visual analogue scale(VAS)score and rs-fMRI scan were performed before and after treatment.Regional homogeneity(ReHo)was calculated after scanning,and the different brain regions were selected as the area of interest(ROI)and the whole brain functional connection(FC)was performed.Results There were no significant differences in age,gender,education level,tinnitus side,course of disease,hearing level,self-rating depression scale,self-rating anxiety scale the experimental group and control group.There were no significant differences in THI and VAS scores between the two groups before treatment;the THI and VAS scores in the experimental group decreased after 2 weeks of rTMS treatment(P＜0.001),while there was no significant difference in the two scores in the control group before and after treatment.Only 3 patients in the experimental group experienced left facial muscle tremor or transient mild scalp pain during treatment,without other serious side effects.The ReHo of the left cerebellar area 9 increased in the experimental group after rTMS(P＜0.005);the ReHo values in the right inferior temporal gyrus,left posterior central gyrus and left anterior central gyrus increased in the control group after intervention(P＜0.005).The FCs between the right inferior temporal gyrus and the left orbital inferior frontal gyrus,the left anterior cingulate gyrus increased in the experimental group(P＜0.005),and FC between the right inferior temporal gyrus and the left superior marginal gyrus decreased(P＜0.005).The FCs between the right cuneus and the left fusiform gyrus,right superior occipital gyrus decreased in the experimental group after rTMS(P＜0.005).The FC between the right cuneus and the left fusiform gyrus increased in the control group after intervention(P＜0.005),while other FCs remained unchanged.Conclusions rTMS has a certain therapeutic effect on refractory tinnitus with higher safety;regulation of auditory brain network and related non-auditory brain network may be one of the central mechanisms of rTMS treating refractory tinnitus.