Objective To evaluate the reliability and validity and perform cost-consequence analysis of the brief version of the Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)for identifying cognitive impairment in a community-based population ≥50 years of age.Methods The internal consistency and retest reliability of the brief version of the MoCA were analyzed,and the area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity,and specificity were determined to discriminate mild cognitive impairment(MCI)and dementia with the clinical dementia rating(CDR)as the diagnostic criterion.The consistency between the brief version and the full version was analyzed by the Kappa test and the Bland-Altman method,and the number of individuals entering the diagnostic assessment and the overall assessment time were estimated and compared between the two versions.Results A total of 303 individuals were included in this study,of whom 192,94,and 17 had normal cognitive function,MCI,and dementia,respectively.The Cronbach's α and re-test coefficients of the brief version of MoCA were 0.754 and 0.711(P<0.001),respectively.The brief version showed the AUC,sensitivity,and specificity of 0.889,74.5%,and 93.8% for identifying MCI,and 0.994,100%,and 93.8% for identifying dementia,respectively.When the brief version of MoCA was used to identify 94 patients with MCI in 303 individuals,107 individuals required additional diagnostic assessment,with an overall assessment time of 142.4 h,which represented decreases of 21.3% and 32.7%,respectively,compared with those of the full version.When the brief version of MoCA was used to identify 17 patients with dementia in 303 individuals,35 individuals required additional diagnostic assessment,with an overall assessment time of 70.4 h,a decrease of 29.5% in the time cost compared with the full version.Conclusions The brief version of MoCA can identify cognitively impaired individuals in a community-based middle-aged and elderly population,with diagnostic validity comparable to that of the full version but less time cost and fewer individuals needing additional diagnostic assessment to detect true-positive cases.It could be expanded for use in the community-based primary screening setting.
Humans ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis* ; Male ; Female ; Mental Status and Dementia Tests ; Reproducibility of Results ; Dementia/diagnosis* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cost-Benefit Analysis

A method for determining volatile organic compounds(VOCs)in environmental air samples using thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(TD-GC/MS)was developed.The qualitative and quantitative analyses of 103 kinds of VOC species were achieved under the optimal conditions such as cold trap desorption temperature and time during the thermal desorption process,combined with full-scan data acquisition using an electron impact ionization source.With a sampling volume of 3.0 L,the method exhibited detection limits of 0.1-0.5 μg/m3 and quantitation limits of 0.4-2.0 μg/m3.At spiked concentrations of 1.0 μg/m3 and 10.0 μg/m3,the recoveries ranged from 60.5%to 118.0%,with relative standard deviations varying from 2.37%to 18.70%.Furthermore,all target compounds showed correlation coefficients(R2)exceeding 0.997 across their respective concentration ranges,demonstrating that the method had high accuracy and reliability.Using this method,a study was conducted to investigate the spatial variations and source apportionment of VOCs across urban,suburban,and rural sites in Anyang,a representative industrial city,during the summer season.The results revealed significant differences in VOC concentrations among the three regions.The urban site recorded the highest concentration at 40.1 μg/m3,followed by the rural site at 23.5 μg/m3,while the suburban site had the lowest concentration of 9.74 μg/m3.With regard to compositional characteristics,alkanes were the dominant components in the urban and rural areas,whereas oxygenated VOCs were predominant in the suburban site.The ozone formation potential(OFP)also varied significantly across regions:96.0 μg/m3 in urban areas,72.0 μg/m3 in rural areas,and only 27.6 μg/m3 in suburban areas.Alkenes were identified as the primary contributors to the total ozone formation potential(TOFP)in all regions,highlighting their critical role in atmospheric oxidation processes.Source apportionment analysis using the positive matrix factorization(PMF)model identified combustion sources,natural sources,chemical industry emissions,industrial emissions,solvent use,and vehicle emissions as the major sources of VOCs in Anyang during summer.Notably,chemical industry emissions and combustion sources were dominant in urban and rural areas,whereas combustion sources and natural sources were more prominent in the suburban area,reflecting distinct emission patterns and anthropogenic activities across the regions.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors for adverse outcomes in elderly patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrilla-tion(AF)after percutaneous left atrial appendage closure(LAAC)combined with radiofrequency ablation(RFA).Meth-ods:A total of 199 elderly AF patients who admitted in Department of Cardiology,Yuhuangding Hospital between Jan 1st,2019 and Aug 17th,2023 and underwent LAAC combined RFA were enrolled.The patients were divided into case group(n=78)and control group(n=121)according to presence of atrial arrhythmia and/or cerebral infarction(CI)within one year after operation.Baseline clinical data,laboratory indexes and color Doppler ultrasound indexes were compared be-tween the two groups,and multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for postoperative atrial ar-rhythmia and/or CI.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was constructed to analyze the predictive efficacy of risk factors for atrial arrhythmia and/or CI after operation.Results:Univariate analysis indicated that compared with pa-tients in control group,those in case group had significant higher proportions of preoperative persistent atrial fibrillation(52.60％ vs.37.20％),old myocardial infarction(OMI)(11.50％vs.1.70％)and left atrial diameter(LAD)[(45.47±6.90)mm vs.(43.34±6.64)mm](P＜0.05 or＜0.01).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated history of OMI(OR=8.736,95％CI 1.772～43.069,P=0.008)and LAD(OR=1.053,95％CI 1.006～1.102,P=0.027)were independent risk factors of adverse outcomes in elderly AF patients after LAAC+RFA.ROC analysis indicated that predic-tive efficacy of combined detection of OMI and LAD(AUC=0.663,95％CI 0.593～0.728)for adverse outcomes within 1 year in elderly AF patients after LAAC+RFA was significantly better than those of OMI(AUC=0.549,95％CI 0.477～0.620)and LAD(AUC=0.602,95％CI 0.531～0.671)alone(Z=3.045,2.312,P=0.002,0.021).Conclusion:His-tory of old myocardial infarction and left atrial diameter are independent risk factors for atrial arrhythmia and/or cerebral infarction within 1 year after percutaneous left atrial appendage closure combined with radiofrequency ablation in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation,and the combination has good predictive performance.

Objective To investigate the short-term efficacy of 3D-printed artificial vertebral body combined with PEEK-Cage implantation in anterior cervical surgery for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine(OPLL).Methods The clinical data of 15 patients with OPLL who underwent anterior cervical surgery with 3D-printed artificial vertebral body and PEEK-Cage implantation in the Fifth Department of Orthopaedics,Liaoning Provincial People's Hospital from September 2022 to June 2023 was retrospectively analyzed.The surgical time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative drainage volume,bed rest time,hospital stay,and surgery-related complications of patients were analyzed.The Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score and visual analogue scale(VAS)score of patients were counted before surgery,3 days after surgery,1 month after surgery and 6 months after surgery.The changes of Cobb angle of fusion segment of patients were recorded before surgery,3 days after surgery,1 month after surgery and 6 months after surgery.Results All 15 patients successfully completed the surgery.The surgical time was 130 to 160 minutes,with an average of(148.68±10.04)minutes.The intraoperative blood loss was 50 to 200 mL,with an average of(130.0±18.8)mL.The postoperative drainage volume was 220 to 980 mL,with an average of(270.0±24.6)mL.The bed rest time was 3 to 11 days,with an average of(3.6±2.8)days.The hospital stay was 7 to 16 days,with an average of(8.2±2.6)days.All patients'incisions healed in the first stage,and no infection occurred.One patient suffered from dural sac tear during surgery;4 patients had dysphagia after surgery;1 patient suffered from muscle weakness of one limb after surgery;Hematoma formed in the incision of cervical spine in 1 patient 3 days after surgery.At 3 days,1 month,and 6 months after surgery,the Cobb angle,VAS score and JOA score of 3 patients with myeloid symptoms and upper limb root pain were significantly improved compared with those before surgery(P<0.05),and the Cobb angle and JOA score of 12 patients with only myeloid symptoms were significantly improved compared with those before surgery(P<0.05).Conclusion 3D-printed artificial vertebral body combined with PEEK-Cage implantation in anterior cervical surgery is an effective method for the treatment of OPLL,which can significantly relieve patients'pain and improve their dysfunction in a short time,with good stability and fusion effect.

Pyroptosis is an identified programmed cell death that has been highly linked to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dynamics. However, the crucial proteins for modulating dynamic ER membrane curvature change that trigger pyroptosis are currently not well understood. In this study, a biotin-labeled chemical probe of potent pyroptosis inducer α-mangostin (α-MG) was synthesized. Through protein microarray analysis, reticulon-4 (RTN4/Nogo), a crucial regulator of ER membrane curvature, was identified as a target of α-MG. We observed that chemically induced proteasome degradation of RTN4 by α-MG through recruiting E3 ligase UBR5 significantly enhances the pyroptosis phenotype in cancer cells. Interestingly, the downregulation of RTN4 expression significantly facilitated a dynamic remodeling of ER membrane curvature through a transition from tubules to sheets, consequently leading to rapid fusion of the ER with the cell plasma membrane. In particular, the ER-to-plasma membrane fusion process is supported by the observed translocation of several crucial ER markers to the "bubble" structures of pyroptotic cells. Furthermore, α-MG-induced RTN4 knockdown leads to pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2)-dependent conventional caspase-3/gasdermin E (GSDME) cleavages for pyroptosis progression. In vivo, we observed that chemical or genetic RTN4 knockdown significantly inhibited cancer cells growth, which further exhibited an antitumor immune response with anti-programmed death-1 (anti-PD-1). In translational research, RTN4 high expression was closely correlated with the tumor metastasis and death of patients. Taken together, RTN4 plays a fundamental role in inducing pyroptosis through the modulation of ER membrane curvature remodeling, thus representing a prospective druggable target for anticancer immunotherapy.
Pyroptosis/immunology* ; Humans ; Endoplasmic Reticulum/immunology* ; Animals ; Nogo Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Mice ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Xanthones/pharmacology* ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Mice, Nude

OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture therapies are known for their effectiveness in treating a variety of gastric diseases, although the mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. This study tested the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints Zhongwan (RN12) and Weishu (BL21) for managing gastric motility disorder (GMD) and investigated the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: A GMD model was used to evaluate the impact of EA on various aspects of gastric function including the amplitude of gastric motility, electrogastrogram, food intake, and the rate of gastric emptying. Immunofluorescence techniques were used to explore the activation of spinal neurons by EA, specifically examining the presence of cholera toxin B subunit (CTB)-positive neurons and fibers emanating from acupoints RN12 and BL21. The stimulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn, the inhibition of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, and their collective effects on the activity of sympathetic nerves were examined. RESULTS: EA at RN12 and BL21 significantly improved gastric motility compromised by GMD. Notably, EA activated spinal neurons, with CTB-positive neurons and fibers from RN12 and BL21 being detectable in both the dorsal root ganglia and the spinal dorsal horn. Further analysis revealed that EA at these acupoints not only stimulated GABAergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn but also suppressed sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, effectively reducing excessive activity of sympathetic nerves triggered by GMD. CONCLUSION EA treatment at RN12 and BL21 effectively enhances gastric motility in a GMD model. The therapeutic efficacy of this approach is attributed to the activation of spinal neurons and the modulation of the spinal GABAergic-sympathetic pathway, providing a neurobiological foundation for the role of acupuncture in treating gastric disorders. Please cite this article as: Zhang MT, Liang YF, Dai Q, Gao HR, Wang H, Chen L, Huang S, Wang XY, Shen GM. A spinal neural circuit for electroacupuncture that regulates gastric functional disorders. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 56-65.
Electroacupuncture ; Animals ; Male ; Acupuncture Points ; Stomach Diseases/physiopathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Rats ; Gastric Emptying ; Neurons ; Spinal Cord ; Stomach/physiopathology*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic efficacy of portal and tail vein transplantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) against cholestatic liver fibrosis in mice. METHODS: BMSCs were isolated and co-cultured with starvation-activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). HSC activation markers were identified using immunofluorescence and qRT-PCR. BMSCs were injected into the liver tissues of bile duct ligation (BDL) mice via the tail and portal veins. Histomorphology, liver function, inflammatory cytokines, and the expression of key proteins were all determined in the liver tissues. RESULTS: BMSCs inhibited HSC activation by reducing α-SMA and collagen I expression. Compared to tail vein injection, DIL-labeled BMSCs injected through the portal vein maintained a high homing rate in the liver. Moreover, BMSCs transplanted through the portal vein resulted in greater improvement in liver color, hardness, and gallbladder size than did those transplanted through the tail vein. Furthermore, BMSCs injected by portal vein, but not tail vein, markedly ameliorated liver function, reduced the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, and decreased α-SMA + hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and collagen fiber formation. CONCLUSION The therapeutic effect of BMSCs on cholestatic liver fibrosis in mice via portal vein transplantation was superior to that of tail vein transplantation. This comparative study provides reference information for further BMSC studies focused on clinical cholestatic liver diseases.
Animals ; Mice ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Liver Cirrhosis/etiology* ; Male ; Cholestasis/therapy* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells

OBJECTIVE: To assess the independent and combined effects of air pollutants, meteorological factors, and greenspace exposure on new tuberculosis (TB) cases. METHODS: TB case data from Shanghai (2013-2018) were obtained from the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Environmental data on air pollutants, meteorological variables, and greenspace exposure were obtained from the National Tibetan Plateau Data Center. We employed a distributed-lag nonlinear model to assess the effects of these environmental factors on TB cases. RESULTS: Increased TB risk was linked to PM _2.5, PM ₁₀, and rainfall, whereas NO ₂, SO ₂, and air pressure were associated with a reduced risk. Specifically, the strongest cumulative effects occurred at various lags: PM _2.5 ( RR = 1.166, 95% CI: 1.026-1.325) at 0-19 weeks; PM ₁₀ ( RR = 1.167, 95% CI: 1.028-1.324) at 0-18 weeks; NO ₂ ( RR = 0.968, 95% CI: 0.938-0.999) at 0-1 weeks; SO ₂ ( RR = 0.945, 95% CI: 0.894-0.999) at 0-2 weeks; air pressure ( RR = 0.604, 95% CI: 0.447-0.816) at 0-8 weeks; and rainfall ( RR = 1.404, 95% CI: 1.076-1.833) at 0-22 weeks. Green space exposure did not significantly impact TB cases. Additionally, low temperatures amplified the effect of PM _2.5 on TB. CONCLUSION Exposure to PM _2.5, PM ₁₀, and rainfall increased the risk of TB, highlighting the need to address air pollutants for the prevention of TB in Shanghai.
China/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Tuberculosis/epidemiology* ; Incidence ; Meteorological Concepts ; Particulate Matter/adverse effects* ; Environmental Exposure ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Air Pollution ; Middle Aged

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the leading cause of death globally. HCM can precipitate heart failure (HF) by causing the cardiac tissue to weaken and stretch, thereby impairing its pumping efficiency. Moreover, HCM increases the risk of atrial fibrillation, which in turn elevates the likelihood of thrombus formation and stroke. Given these significant clinical ramifications, research into the etiology and pathogenesis of HCM is intensifying at multiple levels. In this review, we discuss and synthesize the latest findings on HCM pathogenesis, drawing on key experimental studies conducted both in vitro and in vivo. We also offer our insights and perspectives on these mechanisms, while highlighting the limitations of current research. Advancing fundamental research in this area is essential for developing effective therapeutic interventions and enhancing the clinical management of HCM.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Animals