OBJECTIVES: To explore the mediating role of sleep duration in the relationship between depression symptoms and myopia among middle school students. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional research conducted using a stratified cluster random sampling method. A total of 1 728 middle school students were selected from two junior high schools and two senior high schools in certain urban areas and farms of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Questionnaire surveys and vision tests were conducted among the students. Spearman analysis was used to analyze the correlation between depression symptoms, sleep duration, and myopia. The Bootstrap method was employed to investigate the mediating effect of sleep duration between depression symptoms and myopia. RESULTS: The prevalence of myopia in the overall population was 74.02% (1 279/1 728), with an average sleep duration of (7.6±1.0) hours. The rate of insufficient sleep was 83.62% (1 445/1 728), and the proportion of students exhibiting depression symptoms was 25.29% (437/1 728). Correlation analysis showed significant negative correlations between visual acuity in both eyes and sleep duration with depressive emotions as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (with correlation coefficients of -0.064, -0.084, and -0.199 respectively; P<0.01), as well as with somatic symptoms and activities (with correlation coefficients of -0.104, -0.124, and -0.233 respectively; P<0.01) and interpersonal relationships (with correlation coefficients of -0.052, -0.059, and -0.071 respectively; P<0.05). The correlation coefficients for left and right eye visual acuity and sleep duration were 0.206 and 0.211 respectively (P<0.001). Sleep duration exhibited a mediating effect between depression symptoms and myopia (indirect effect=0.056, 95%CI: 0.029-0.088), with the mediating effect value for females (indirect effect=0.066, 95%CI: 0.024-0.119) being higher than that for males (indirect effect=0.042, 95%CI: 0.011-0.081). CONCLUSIONS Sleep duration serves as a partial mediator between depression symptoms and myopia in middle school students.
Humans ; Myopia/etiology* ; Male ; Female ; Depression/physiopathology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Sleep ; Adolescent ; Students ; Child ; Time Factors ; Sleep Duration

In recent decades, the prevalence of hyperuricemia and gout has increased dramatically due to lifestyle changes. The drugs currently recommended for hyperuricemia are associated with adverse reactions that limit their clinical use. In this study, we report that berberine (BBR) is an effective drug candidate for the treatment of hyperuricemia, with its mechanism potentially involving the modulation of gut microbiota and its metabolite, succinic acid. BBR has demonstrated good therapeutic effects in both acute and chronic animal models of hyperuricemia. In a clinical trial, oral administration of BBR for 6 months reduced blood uric acid levels in 22 participants by modulating the gut microbiota, which led to an increase in the abundance of Bacteroides and a decrease in Clostridium sensu stricto_1. Furthermore, Bacteroides fragilis was transplanted into ICR mice, and the results showed that Bacteroides fragilis exerted a therapeutic effect on uric acid similar to that of BBR. Notably, succinic acid, a metabolite of Bacteroides, significantly reduced uric acid levels. Subsequent cell and animal experiments revealed that the intestinal metabolite, succinic acid, regulated the upstream uric acid synthesis pathway in the liver by inhibiting adenosine monophosphate deaminase 2 (AMPD2), an enzyme responsible for converting adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to inosine monophosphate (IMP). This inhibition resulted in a decrease in IMP levels and an increase in phosphate levels. The reduction in IMP led to a decreased downstream production of hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uric acid. BBR also demonstrated excellent renoprotective effects, improving nephropathy associated with hyperuricemia. In summary, BBR has the potential to be an effective treatment for hyperuricemia through the gut-liver axis.

Objective Data mining method was used to analyze the Chinese herbal prescriptions for oral use in treating venomous snake bites collected from the major domestic literature databases and the surgery volume of Zhong Hua Yi Fang(Chinese Medical Prescriptions),so as to explore their potential prescription and medication rules,and to provide references for the treatment of venomous snake bites in the primary hospitals.Methods The Chinese herbal prescriptions for oral use in treating venomous snake bites were retrieved from the CNKI,VIP and Wanfang databases,and the ancient formulas for treating venomous snake bites were screened in the surgery volume of Zhong Hua Yi Fang(Chinese Medical Prescriptions).Excel software was used to extract the relevant information of the formulas,and R language was used to analyze the medication frequency,properties,flavors and meridian tropism of the herbs as well as their association rules and clustering analysis.Results A total of 187 prescriptions for oral use in treating venomous snake bite were obtained,involving 284 Chinese herbal medicines.The top 15 Chinese herbal medicines in decreasing sequence of medication frequency were Lobeliae Chinensis Herba,Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Angelicae Dahuricae Radix,Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Paridis Rhizoma,Rehmanniae Radix,Coptidis Rhizoma,Scutellariae Radix,Lonicerae Japonicae Flos,Paeoniae Radix Rubra,Moutan Cortex,Hedyotis Diffusae Herba,Imperatae Rhizoma,Plantaginis Herba,and Scutellariae Barbatae Herba.The flavor of herbs in the prescription for the treatment of venomous snakebite was usually bitter,pungent and sweet,and their property was relatively cold.Most of the herbs had the meridian tropism of the liver meridian and lung meridian.The core prescription mainly composed of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Lobeliae Chinensis Herba,and Paridis Rhizoma was obtained after association rule analysis and cluster analysis.Conclusion The herbs for the treatment of venomous snake bites often have the actions of clearing heat and removing toxins,and the prescription is usually composed of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Lobeliae Chinensis Herba,Paridis Rhizoma together with the compatibility of medicines for clearing heat and cooling blood,extinguishing wind and arresting convulsion,clearing heat and promoting urination.

mRNA gene therapy has attracted much attention due to its advantages such as scalability, modification, no need to enter the nucleus and no integration of host genes. In gene therapy, safe and effective delivery of mRNA into cells is critical for the success of gene therapy. In this study, we designed and synthesized an amphiphilic cationic lipopeptide gene vector (dendritic arginine & disulfide bond-containing cationic lipopeptide, RLS) enriched with branched arginine. We achieved a 1.5-fold higher mRNA transfection efficiency in zebrafish compared to the commercial reagent Lipofectamine 2000, and confirmed its good biosafety by in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo biosafety. First, we characterized the chemical composition of the cationic lipid peptides by nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy (¹H NMR) and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS). The results of particle size and potential tested by dynamic light scattering particle size analysis showed that at a nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P) ratio of 20, the RLS/mRNA composite assemblies formed homogeneous nanoparticles with an average particle size of about 220 nm and a surface ζ potential of about +21 mV. In vitro gene transfection, the transfection experiments demonstrated that RLS exhibited 1.2-fold higher transfection efficiency in human embryonic kidney 293 cells (HEK293) and 3-fold higher transfection efficiency in rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) compared to Lipofectamine 2000. In addition, after microinjection of RLS into zebrafish embryos, we evaluated the survival, hatching, and teratogenicity rates, all of which confirmed its favorable in vivo safety profile. Thus, this amphiphilic cationic lipid peptide RLS, enriched with branched arginine, exhibits excellent mRNA delivery properties and safety. These findings highlight its potential as a promising gene therapy tool.

Objective:To compare the differences in the prevalence of mild micro-hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) among patients with cirrhosis by using the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) and the Stroop smartphone application (Encephal App) test.Methods:This prospective, multi-center, real-world study was initiated by the National Clinical Medical Research Center for Infectious Diseases and the Portal Hypertension Alliance and registered with International ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05140837). 354 cases of cirrhosis were enrolled in 19 hospitals across the country. PHES (including digital connection tests A and B, digital symbol tests, trajectory drawing tests, and serial management tests) and the Stroop test were conducted in all of them. PHES was differentiated using standard diagnostic criteria established by the two studies in China and South Korea. The Stroop test was evaluated based on the criteria of the research and development team. The impact of different diagnostic standards or methods on the incidence of MHE in patients with cirrhosis was analyzed. Data between groups were differentiated using the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ2 test. A kappa test was used to compare the consistency between groups. Results:After PHES, the prevalence of MHE among 354 cases of cirrhosis was 78.53% and 15.25%, respectively, based on Chinese research standards and Korean research normal value standards. However, the prevalence of MHE was 56.78% based on the Stroop test, and the differences in pairwise comparisons among the three groups were statistically significant (kappa = -0.064, P < 0.001). Stratified analysis revealed that the MHE prevalence in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C was 74.14%, 83.33%, and 88.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Chinese researchers, while the MHE prevalence rates in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C were 8.29%, 23.53%, and 38.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Korean researchers. Furthermore, the prevalence rates of MHE in the three groups of patients with Child-Pugh grades A, B, and C were 52.68%, 58.82%, and 73.53%, respectively, according to the Stroop test standard. However, among the results of each diagnostic standard, the prevalence of MHE showed an increasing trend with an increasing Child-Pugh grade. Further comparison demonstrated that the scores obtained by the number connection test A and the number symbol test were consistent according to the normal value standards of the two studies in China and South Korea ( Z = -0.982, -1.702; P = 0.326, 0.089), while the other three sub-tests had significant differences ( P < 0.001). Conclusion:The prevalence rate of MHE in the cirrhotic population is high, but the prevalence of MHE obtained by using different diagnostic criteria or methods varies greatly. Therefore, in line with the current changes in demographics and disease spectrum, it is necessary to enroll a larger sample size of a healthy population as a control. Moreover, the establishment of more reliable diagnostic scoring criteria will serve as a basis for obtaining accurate MHE incidence and formulating diagnosis and treatment strategies in cirrhotic populations.

This study investigated the mechanism of Danggui Shaoyao Powder(DSP) against mitophagy in rat model of Alzheimer's disease(AD) induced by streptozotocin(STZ) based on PTEN induced putative kinase 1(PINK1)-Parkin signaling pathway. The AD rat model was established by injecting STZ into the lateral ventricle, and the rats were divided into normal group, model group, DSP low-dose group(12 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), DSP medium-dose group(24 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), and DSP high-dose group(36 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)). Morris water maze test was used to detect the learning and memory function of the rats, and transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence were employed to detect mitophagy. The protein expression levels of PINK1, Parkin, LC3BⅠ/LC3BⅡ, and p62 were assayed by Western blot. Compared with the normal group, the model group showed a significant decrease in the learning and memory function(P<0.01), reduced protein expression of PINK1 and Parkin(P<0.05), increased protein expression of LC3BⅠ/LC3BⅡ and p62(P<0.05), and decreased occurrence of mitophagy(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the DSP medium-and high-dose groups notably improved the learning and memory ability of AD rats, which mainly manifested as shortened escape latency, leng-thened time in target quadrants and elevated number of crossing the platform(P<0.05 or P<0.01), remarkably activated mitophagy(P<0.05), up-regulated the protein expression of PINK1 and Parkin, and down-regulated the protein expression of LC3BⅠ/LC3BⅡ and p62(P<0.05 or P<0.01). These results demonstrated that DSP might promote mitophagy mediated by PINK1-Parkin pathway to remove damaged mitochondria and improve mitochondrial function, thereby exerting a neuroprotective effect.
Rats ; Animals ; Mitophagy ; Alzheimer Disease/genetics* ; Powders ; Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism*

Toxin-antitoxin system (TA) is a genetic element widely found in chromosomes and plasmids of bacteria, archaea and prophages. TA usually consists a toxin that inhibits the growth of bacteria and an antitoxin that neutralizes its toxicity. Since the discovery of the first CcdB / CcdA TA in the 1980s, TA has been proved to exist in almost all sequenced microorganisms and plays an important role in maintaining plasmid stability, anti-phage and promoting biofilm formation. At present, TA is divided into type I-VIII, among which type IITA is the most widely studied. HipBA is a type II TA. The toxin HipA in Escherichia coli HipBA is a serine / threonine kinase, which inhibits protein translation by phosphorylating bacterial Glutamyl tRNA synthetase (GltX), and its toxicity can be specifically neutralized by HipB. Recently, it has been found that Escherichia coli HipA homologous proteins exist widely in microorganisms, and they form a potential novel TA with genes of the same promoter, in which HipBST has been confirmed by experiments. The toxin HipT and the antitoxin HipS in this TA are similar to the C-terminal and N-terminal of E. coli HipA respectively, and the neutralization mechanism and the substrate of the toxin are different from that of E. coli toxin HipA. This study summarizes the recent discovery of special TA, especially the neutralization mechanism of HipBST which widely exists in prokaryotes.

Humans ; Outpatients ; Temperature ; Air Pollution/analysis* ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Pharyngitis ; China ; Particulate Matter/analysis*

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of a retrograde pubic ramus intramedullary nail (RPRIN) in the treatment of anterior pelvic ring fractures.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 14 patients with anterior pelvic ring fracture who had been treated and followed up at Department of Traumatic Surgery, Tongji Hospital From June 2020 to February 2021. There were 10 males and 4 females with an age of (44.8±12.5) years. By the AO/OTA classification for pelvic fractures, 5 cases were type 61-A, 4 cases 61-B, and 5 cases type 61-C; by the Nakatani classification, 1 case belonged to unilateral zone Ⅰ fracture, 5 cases to unilateral zone Ⅱ fracture, 2 cases to unilateral zone Ⅲ fracture, 3 cases to right zone Ⅱ and left zone Ⅲ fracture, 2 cases to zone Ⅲ fracture on both left and right sides, and 1 case to zone Ⅱ fracture on both sides. The time from injury to operation was (7.8±1.8) days. All the anterior pelvic ring fractures were fixated with a RPRIN. The time and fluoroscopic frequency for placement of every single RPRIN, quality of fracture reduction, and pelvic function and incidence of postoperative complications at the last follow-up were recorded.Results:A total of 18 RPRINs were placed in the 14 patients. For placement of each RPRIN, the time was (35.9±8.6) min, and the fluoroscopic frequency (22.8±1.9) times. No complications such as infection occurred at any surgical incision after RPRIN placement. According to the Matta scoring, the quality of postoperative fracture reduction was assessed as excellent in 7 cases, as good in 5 cases and as fair in 2 cases. The 14 patients were followed up for (18.1+1.5) months. Their X-ray and CT images of the pelvis at the last follow-up showed that the fractures healed well and the intramedullary nails were placed in the cortical bone of the anterior ring of the pelvis. According to the Majeed scoring at the last follow-up, the pelvic function was assessed as excellent in 10 cases, as good in 3 cases and as fair in 1 case. One patient reported discomfort during squatting 2 months after operation but the symptom improved 3 months later without any special treatment. No patient experienced such complications as displacement or slippage of RPRIN, or pain at the insertion site.Conclusion:RPRIN is effective in the treatment of anterior pelvic ring fractures, showing advantages of small surgical incision, limited intraoperative fluoroscopy and short operation time.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of serological indicators and evaluate the diagnostic value of a new established combined serological model on identifying the minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) in patients with compensated cirrhosis.Methods:This prospective multicenter study enrolled 263 compensated cirrhotic patients from 23 hospitals in 15 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of China between October 2021 and August 2022. Clinical data and laboratory test results were collected, and the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was calculated. Ammonia level was corrected to the upper limit of normal (AMM-ULN) by the baseline blood ammonia measurements/upper limit of the normal reference value. MHE was diagnosed by combined abnormal number connection test-A and abnormal digit symbol test as suggested by Guidelines on the management of hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis. The patients were randomly divided (7∶3) into training set ( n=185) and validation set ( n=78) based on caret package of R language. Logistic regression was used to establish a combined model of MHE diagnosis. The diagnostic performance was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curve, Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve. The internal verification was carried out by the Bootstrap method ( n=200). AUC comparisons were achieved using the Delong test. Results:In the training set, prevalence of MHE was 37.8% (70/185). There were statistically significant differences in AMM-ULN, albumin, platelet, alkaline phosphatase, international normalized ratio, MELD score and education between non-MHE group and MHE group (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that AMM-ULN [odds ratio ( OR)=1.78, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.05-3.14, P=0.038] and MELD score ( OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.04-1.20, P=0.002) were independent risk factors for MHE, and the AUC for predicting MHE were 0.663, 0.625, respectively. Compared with the use of blood AMM-ULN and MELD score alone, the AUC of the combined model of AMM-ULN, MELD score and education exhibited better predictive performance in determining the presence of MHE was 0.755, the specificity and sensitivity was 85.2% and 55.7%, respectively. Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve showed that the model had good calibration ( P=0.733). The AUC for internal validation of the combined model for diagnosing MHE was 0.752. In the validation set, the AUC of the combined model for diagnosing MHE was 0.794, and Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed good calibration ( P=0.841). Conclusion:Use of the combined model including AMM-ULN, MELD score and education could improve the predictive efficiency of MHE among patients with compensated cirrhosis.