Objective:To explore the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the cognition and ability in the activities of daily living (ADL) of persons with cerebral small vessel disease.Methods:A total of 71 patients with cognitive impairment due to cerebral small vessel disease were randomly divided into a control group ( n=35) and a treatment group ( n=36). The treatment group was further divided into a group with mild cognitive impairment (a score of 21 to 26 on the mini-mental state exam, n=23) and a moderate cognitive impairment group (scoring 10 to 20, n=13). The treatment groups received 10Hz rTMS, while the control group received sham rTMS. Before and after 90 days of treatment, all were assessed using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and the cognitive subscale of the vascular dementia assessment scale (VaDAS-cog). Ability in the activities of daily living was quantified using the Barthel Index (BI). Results:After treatment, significantly increased MMSE and BI scores, but significantly decreased VaDAS-cog scores were observed in both groups. At that point the treatment group showed a significantly higher average post-treatment MMSE score (25.61±2.94) and BI score (80.00±7.85), but a significantly lower average VaDAS-cog score (44.06±3.41) than the control group. The average MMSE scores were not significantly different between the mild and moderate cognitive impairment subgroups. No severe adverse reactions were observed during the rTMS treatment.Conclusions:The 10Hz rTMS can effectively improve the cognition and daily living ability of persons with cerebral small vessel disease.

Objective:To explore the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the cognition and ability in the activities of daily living (ADL) of persons with cerebral small vessel disease.Methods:A total of 71 patients with cognitive impairment due to cerebral small vessel disease were randomly divided into a control group ( n=35) and a treatment group ( n=36). The treatment group was further divided into a group with mild cognitive impairment (a score of 21 to 26 on the mini-mental state exam, n=23) and a moderate cognitive impairment group (scoring 10 to 20, n=13). The treatment groups received 10Hz rTMS, while the control group received sham rTMS. Before and after 90 days of treatment, all were assessed using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and the cognitive subscale of the vascular dementia assessment scale (VaDAS-cog). Ability in the activities of daily living was quantified using the Barthel Index (BI). Results:After treatment, significantly increased MMSE and BI scores, but significantly decreased VaDAS-cog scores were observed in both groups. At that point the treatment group showed a significantly higher average post-treatment MMSE score (25.61±2.94) and BI score (80.00±7.85), but a significantly lower average VaDAS-cog score (44.06±3.41) than the control group. The average MMSE scores were not significantly different between the mild and moderate cognitive impairment subgroups. No severe adverse reactions were observed during the rTMS treatment.Conclusions:The 10Hz rTMS can effectively improve the cognition and daily living ability of persons with cerebral small vessel disease.

BACKGROUND: The effects of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) treatment on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have been preliminarily characterized. However, real-world data on the safety and efficacy of intravenous transfusions of MSCs in hospitalized COVID-19 patients at the convalescent stage remain to be reported. METHODS: This was a single-arm, multicenter, real-word study in which a contemporaneous external control was included as the control group. Besides, severe and critical COVID-19 patients were considered together as the severe group, given the small number of critical patients. For a total of 110 patients, 21 moderate patients and 31 severe patients were enrolled in the MSC treatment group, while 26 moderate patients and 32 severe patients were enrolled in the control group. All patients received standard treatment. The MSC treatment patients additionally received intravenous infusions of MSCs at a dose of 4 × 10 7 cells on days 0, 3, and 6, respectively. The clinical outcomes, including adverse events (AEs), lung lesion proportion on chest computed tomography, pulmonary function, 6-min walking distance (6-MWD), clinical symptoms, and laboratory parameters, were measured on days 28, 90, 180, 270, and 360 during the follow-up visits. RESULTS: In patients with moderate COVID-19, MSC treatment improved pulmonary function parameters, including forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and maximum forced vital capacity (VCmax) on days 28 (FEV1, 2.75 [2.35, 3.23] vs . 2.11 [1.96, 2.35], P  = 0.008; VCmax, 2.92 [2.55, 3.60] vs . 2.47 [2.18, 2.68], P  = 0.041), 90 (FEV1, 2.93 [2.63, 3.27] vs . 2.38 [2.24, 2.63], P  = 0.017; VCmax, 3.52 [3.02, 3.80] vs . 2.59 [2.45, 3.15], P  = 0.017), and 360 (FEV1, 2.91 [2.75, 3.18] vs . 2.30 [2.16, 2.70], P  = 0.019; VCmax,3.61 [3.35, 3.97] vs . 2.69 [2.56, 3.23], P  = 0.036) compared with the controls. In addition, in severe patients, MSC treatment notably reduced the proportion of ground-glass lesions in the whole lung volume on day 90 ( P  = 0.045) compared with the controls. No difference in the incidence of AEs was observed between the two groups. Similarly, no significant differences were found in the 6-MWD, D-dimer levels, or interleukin-6 concentrations between the MSC and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate the safety and potential of MSC treatment for improved lung lesions and pulmonary function in convalescent COVID-19 patients. However, comprehensive and long-term studies are required to confirm the efficacy of MSC treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000031430.
Humans ; COVID-19/therapy* ; Female ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Umbilical Cord/cytology* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To compare the short-term efficacy and safety of transanal natural orifice specimen extraction surgery(Ta-NOSES)and conventional laparoscopic surgery in left-sided colon cancer.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 35 patients with left-sided colon cancer admitted to the anorectal department of the hospital from January 2018 to December 2019.According to the different surgical methods,the patients were divided into experimental group(15 cases)and control group(20 cases).The observation group underwent Ta-NOSES,and the control group underwent conventional laparoscopic surgery.The perioperative related indicators,postoperative complications,postoperative pain scores,postoperative defecation control,short-term postoperative quality of life scores and 5-year postoperative follow-up of the two groups of patients were compared.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the intraoperative blood loss,stoma status and the number of lymph node dissections between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).Moreover,no permanent stoma occurred in either group of patients.The operation time of the experimental group was longer than that of the control group,the first time to get out of bed and move around,the time of the first anal exhaust,the time of the first diet intake and the hospital stay were shorter than those of the control group,the hospitalization cost was significantly lower than that of the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).On 1 and 3 days after operation,the VAS scores of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group.At 3 days after operation,the VAS scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those at 1 day after operation,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative Kirwan anal function grading between two groups of patients(P<0.05),with the experimental group having a better grading(higher proportion of grade Ⅰ),the control group had poor grading(with a higher proportion of grades Ⅱ,Ⅲ,and Ⅳ).There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative complications between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).The scores of each item on the Short Form-36(SF-36)in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group at 10 and 20 days after surgery(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the scores of each item on the SF-36 between the two groups at 30 days after surgery(P>0.05).The distant recurrence rate after surgery in the experimental group was 26.7％,compared with 25.0％in the control group,the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).There were no tumor recurrence cases with the original incision site,rectal and intestinal cavity,pelvic cavity and other specimen removal routes in both groups.The 5-year survival rate of the experimental group was 73.3％,which was not statistically significantly different from that of the control group(70.0％)(P>0.05).Conclusion Ta-NOSES in the treatment of left-sided colon cancer can alleviate postoperative pain compared with conventional laparoscopic surgery,promote the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function,improve the utilization rate of medical resources,reduce the economic burden of patients,improve the short-term quality of life after surgery,and does not increase the risks of postoperative complications and tumor metastasis and recurrence.It is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Objective To compare the short-term efficacy and safety of transanal natural orifice specimen extraction surgery(Ta-NOSES)and conventional laparoscopic surgery in left-sided colon cancer.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 35 patients with left-sided colon cancer admitted to the anorectal department of the hospital from January 2018 to December 2019.According to the different surgical methods,the patients were divided into experimental group(15 cases)and control group(20 cases).The observation group underwent Ta-NOSES,and the control group underwent conventional laparoscopic surgery.The perioperative related indicators,postoperative complications,postoperative pain scores,postoperative defecation control,short-term postoperative quality of life scores and 5-year postoperative follow-up of the two groups of patients were compared.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the intraoperative blood loss,stoma status and the number of lymph node dissections between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).Moreover,no permanent stoma occurred in either group of patients.The operation time of the experimental group was longer than that of the control group,the first time to get out of bed and move around,the time of the first anal exhaust,the time of the first diet intake and the hospital stay were shorter than those of the control group,the hospitalization cost was significantly lower than that of the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).On 1 and 3 days after operation,the VAS scores of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group.At 3 days after operation,the VAS scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those at 1 day after operation,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative Kirwan anal function grading between two groups of patients(P<0.05),with the experimental group having a better grading(higher proportion of grade Ⅰ),the control group had poor grading(with a higher proportion of grades Ⅱ,Ⅲ,and Ⅳ).There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative complications between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).The scores of each item on the Short Form-36(SF-36)in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group at 10 and 20 days after surgery(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the scores of each item on the SF-36 between the two groups at 30 days after surgery(P>0.05).The distant recurrence rate after surgery in the experimental group was 26.7％,compared with 25.0％in the control group,the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).There were no tumor recurrence cases with the original incision site,rectal and intestinal cavity,pelvic cavity and other specimen removal routes in both groups.The 5-year survival rate of the experimental group was 73.3％,which was not statistically significantly different from that of the control group(70.0％)(P>0.05).Conclusion Ta-NOSES in the treatment of left-sided colon cancer can alleviate postoperative pain compared with conventional laparoscopic surgery,promote the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function,improve the utilization rate of medical resources,reduce the economic burden of patients,improve the short-term quality of life after surgery,and does not increase the risks of postoperative complications and tumor metastasis and recurrence.It is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Objective:To develop a risk prediction model for moderate to severe orthodontic-induced inflammatory root resorption (OIIRR) of maxillary incisors based on cone beam CT (CBCT) radiomics features and clinical characteristics of the orthodontic patients.Methods:Clinical and CBCT data from 101 orthodontic patients treated by the same attending orthodontist in the Department of Orthodontics, Stomatology Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from January 2019 to January 2024 were retrospectively collected. The sample included 42 class Ⅰ patients, 52 class Ⅱ patients and 7 class Ⅲ patients [age: (19.7±6.3) years], and a total of 394 maxillary incisors were analyzed. Potential influencing factors for moderate to severe OIIRR (root volume resorption rate≥10%) were collected from the patients′ CBCT and medical records, including initial age, gender, treatment duration, Angle′s classification, extraction or not, type of orthodontic appliance (fixed or clear aligner), changes in root inclination, root movement distance and direction, pre-treatment cephalometric measurements, pre-treatment root-bone relationship, pre-treatment root length, and pre-treatment radiomics features of the teeth. Univariate analysis was initially performed to screen for factors influencing moderate to severe OIIRR. Subsequently, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, best subset regression, and random forest were used for feature selection to construct the OIIRR risk prediction model. The discrimination, calibration, and net benefit of the three risk prediction models were evaluated, and the optimal model was displayed using a nomogram.Results:LASSO regression identified clinical features including initial age (LASSO coefficient 0.052), treatment duration (LASSO coefficient 0.024), pre-treatment root length (LASSO coefficient -0.023), and vertical root movement distance (LASSO coefficient -0.029). Initial age and treatment duration were positively correlated with the severity of OIIRR, while root length and vertical root movement distance were negatively correlated. A total of 14 radiomics features were identified, including 2 original image features and 12 wavelet features. Best subset regression identified vertical root movement distance as the clinical feature and 7 radiomics features, including 1 original image feature and 6 wavelet features. The random forest model identified 8 wavelet features as important predictors, and all of which were radiomics features. Model performance evaluation showed that the random forest model had the highest discrimination, calibration, and net benefit, making it the optimal model, with radiomics features being the most important predictors.Conclusions:Based on the data from this study, radiomics features were identified as the most important predictors by the optimal model for OIIRR risk prediction. Predicting the occurrence of moderate to severe OIIRR before orthodontic treatment held potential clinical application value.

Objective:To develop a risk prediction model for moderate to severe orthodontic-induced inflammatory root resorption (OIIRR) of maxillary incisors based on cone beam CT (CBCT) radiomics features and clinical characteristics of the orthodontic patients.Methods:Clinical and CBCT data from 101 orthodontic patients treated by the same attending orthodontist in the Department of Orthodontics, Stomatology Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from January 2019 to January 2024 were retrospectively collected. The sample included 42 class Ⅰ patients, 52 class Ⅱ patients and 7 class Ⅲ patients [age: (19.7±6.3) years], and a total of 394 maxillary incisors were analyzed. Potential influencing factors for moderate to severe OIIRR (root volume resorption rate≥10%) were collected from the patients′ CBCT and medical records, including initial age, gender, treatment duration, Angle′s classification, extraction or not, type of orthodontic appliance (fixed or clear aligner), changes in root inclination, root movement distance and direction, pre-treatment cephalometric measurements, pre-treatment root-bone relationship, pre-treatment root length, and pre-treatment radiomics features of the teeth. Univariate analysis was initially performed to screen for factors influencing moderate to severe OIIRR. Subsequently, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, best subset regression, and random forest were used for feature selection to construct the OIIRR risk prediction model. The discrimination, calibration, and net benefit of the three risk prediction models were evaluated, and the optimal model was displayed using a nomogram.Results:LASSO regression identified clinical features including initial age (LASSO coefficient 0.052), treatment duration (LASSO coefficient 0.024), pre-treatment root length (LASSO coefficient -0.023), and vertical root movement distance (LASSO coefficient -0.029). Initial age and treatment duration were positively correlated with the severity of OIIRR, while root length and vertical root movement distance were negatively correlated. A total of 14 radiomics features were identified, including 2 original image features and 12 wavelet features. Best subset regression identified vertical root movement distance as the clinical feature and 7 radiomics features, including 1 original image feature and 6 wavelet features. The random forest model identified 8 wavelet features as important predictors, and all of which were radiomics features. Model performance evaluation showed that the random forest model had the highest discrimination, calibration, and net benefit, making it the optimal model, with radiomics features being the most important predictors.Conclusions:Based on the data from this study, radiomics features were identified as the most important predictors by the optimal model for OIIRR risk prediction. Predicting the occurrence of moderate to severe OIIRR before orthodontic treatment held potential clinical application value.

As an important reproductive organ in women, ovary plays a vital role in maintaining reproductive health and quality of life. Ovarian aging refers to the decline of ovarian function and eventually failure, which not only leads to the decline of female fertility, but also accelerates female aging and causes a series of related diseases, which seriously threatens female reproductive health and quality of life. Therefore, elucidating the mechanism of ovarian aging and further exploring the anti-aging strategies of the ovary are of great significance for slowing down ovarian aging and maintaining female fertility. This article reviews and analyzes the relevant studies of ovarian aging at home and abroad, summarizes the relevant mechanisms of ovarian aging and puts forward the corresponding prevention and treatment strategies.

Objective: To explore the neuroprotective effects of the Shaoyao Gancao decoction (SGD) against excitatory damage in PC12 cells and the role of the Src-NR2-nNOS pathway mediation by SGD in regulating γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-glutamate (Glu) homeostasis. Methods: N-Methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) was used to establish a PC12 cell excitability injury model. To investigate the neuroprotective effect of SGD, a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to determine PC12 cell viability, Annexin V/Propidium Iodide (Annexin V/PI) double staining was used to determine PC12 cell apoptosis, and Ca2+ concentration was observed using laser confocal microscopy. GABA receptor agonists and antagonists were used to analyze the neuroprotective interactions between γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and NMDA receptors. Additionally, molecular biology techniques were used to determine mRNA and protein expression in the Src-NR2-nNOS pathway. We analyzed the correlations between the regulatory sites of GABA and NMDA interactions, excitatory neurotoxicity, and brain damage at the molecular level. Results: NMDA excitotoxic injury manifested as a significant decrease in cell activity, increased apoptosis and caspase-3 protein expression, and a significant increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Administration of SGD, a GABAA receptor agonist (muscimol), or a GABAB receptor agonist (baclofen) decreased intracellular Ca2+ concentrations, attenuated apoptosis, and reversed NMDA-induced upregulation of caspase-3, Src, NMDAR2A, NMDAR2B, and nNOS. Unexpectedly, a GABAA receptor antagonist (bicuculline) and a GABAB receptor antagonist (saclofen) failed to significantly increase excitatory neurotoxicity. Conclusions Taken together, these results not only provide an experimental basis for SGD administration in the clinical treatment of central nervous system injury diseases, but also suggest that the Src-NR2A-nNOS pathway may be a valuable target in excitotoxicity treatment.

Objective To investigate the effect of onset-to-needle time(ONT)on early neurological deterioration(END)in patients with acute ischemic stroke(AIS).Methods From June 2020 to June 2023,AIS patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis treatment in the Neurology Department of Seventh People's Hospital of Zhengzhou were continuously enrolled.Patients were divided into the END group(n=96)and non-END group(n=293)based on whether their NIHSS score increased by ≥4 points compared to baseline after 24 h.Baseline and clinical data of the two groups were collected,and relevant influencing factors were analyzed through univariate analysis,multivariate analysis,and subgroup analysis.A logistic regression model predicting the occurrence of END in acute stroke patients was constructed,and the model's predictive ability was evaluated by ROC curves.Results The results of the univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in age,total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2(Lp-PLA2),white blood cell count,activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT),and ONT between the END group and non-END group(all P＜0.05).Additionally,there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of cardiac history,infarct location,and TOAST classification between the two groups(all P＜0.05).The results of the multivariable logistic analysis showed that age(OR=1.095,95％CI:1.029-1.165,P=0.004),LDL-C(OR=2.779,95％CI:1.355-5.694,P=0.005),Lp-PLA2(OR=1.007,95％CI:1.001-1.014,P=0.047),complete anterior circulation infarction(compared to lacunar infarction as control,OR=8.045,95％CI:5.175-12.503,P=0.024),cardioembolic stroke(compared to small vessel occlusion patients as control,OR=12.794,95％CI:8.411-19.462,P=0.002),and ONT(OR=1.014,95％CI:1.001-1.026,P=0.029)were independent risk factors for END in patients with AIS.Subgroup analysis based on the NIHSS score at admission showed that for moderate and severe subgroups,each additional minute of ONT increased the risk of END by 1.4％(95％CI:1.001-1.027,P=0.032)and 2.9％(95％CI:1.008-1.050,P=0.006),respectively.A predictive model was established based on the Logistic analysis results,and a nomogram predicting the risk of END outcome was created.The area under the ROC curve was calculated to be 0.922(95％CI:0.859-0.984,P＜0.001),indicating good predictive performance.Conclusions In clinical practice,patients with high-risk factors such as age,LDL-C,Lp-PLA2,TOAST classification,and infarct location should be given more attention.Timely thrombolytic therapy should be initiated,and patients'families should promptly seek medical assistance.Additionally,optimizing the diagnostic and treatment process,reducing ONT,and minimizing the occurrence of END in patients are crucial.