ObjectiveTaking classical herbal pair compatibility research as the entry point， this study aimed to deeply investigate the material basis and compatibility rules underlying the antidepressant effects of the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） formula Zhizi Houpotang， and to elucidate its antidepressant mechanism， with a particular focus on its regulation of neuroinflammatory responses mediated by the NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）/gasdermin D （GSDMD） signaling pathway and the consequent improvement of neuronal synaptic plasticity. MethodsC57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a blank control group， a chronic unpredictable mild stress （CUMS） depression model group， a Zhizi Houpotang full-formula group （6 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， a Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex （MOC）-Aurantii Fructus Immaturus （AFI） herbal pair group （4.2 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， a Gardeniae Fructus （GF）-MOC herbal pair group （4.2 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， a GF-AFI herbal pair group （3.6 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and a positive drug group （fluoxetine， 12 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）. Depressive-like behaviors in mice were evaluated using behavioral tests. Immunofluorescence staining was used to label and quantify the expression of the microglial marker ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 （Ibal） and the purinergic receptor P2X ligand-gated ion channel 7 （P2RX7） in the prefrontal cortex （PFC）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was applied to detect the levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and interleukin-18 （IL-18） in serum and PFC tissues. Western blot was employed to determine the expression of pannexin 1 （Panx1）， P2RX7， NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）， Caspase-1， GSDMD， postsynaptic density protein 95 （PSD95）， and the presynaptic protein Synapsin 1 in PFC tissues. Golgi staining was used to assess dendritic spine density of neurons in the PFC. ResultsCompared with the blank control group， the depression model group exhibited significant depressive-like behaviors. In addition， the immunofluorescence areas of Ibal and P2RX7 in the PFC were significantly increased （P<0.01）， the levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in serum and the PFC were significantly elevated （P<0.01）， and the protein expression levels of Panx1， P2RX7， NLRP3， ASC， Caspase-1， and GSDMD in the PFC were significantly upregulated （P<0.01）. In contrast， the protein expression levels of PSD95 and Synapsin 1 were significantly downregulated （P<0.01）， and neuronal dendritic spine density was significantly reduced （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Zhizi Houpotang full-formula group and the GF-MOC herbal pair group showed significant improvement in all the above indicators （P<0.01）. The GF-AFI herbal pair group improved all the above indicators except P2RX7， Caspase-1， GSDMD， and PSD95 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In contrast， the MOC-AFI herbal pair group showed no statistically significant improvement in any of the above indicators compared with the model group. ConclusionZhizi Houpotang and its key herbal pair， GF-MOC， can effectively ameliorate CUMS-induced depressive-like behaviors in mice. Its core antidepressant mechanism may involve inhibition of P2RX7/Panx1 signaling， thereby blocking the NLRP3/GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis pathway and significantly reducing the release of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. Simultaneously， it upregulates the expression of synapse-related proteins PSD95 and Synapsin 1 and increases dendritic spine density， promoting the recovery of synaptic plasticity. These results suggest that GF plays a key role in the antidepressant effects of this formula， and that the compatibility of GF with MOC may represent the principal herbal pair combination responsible for its core therapeutic action.

Objective To evaluate the disease risk of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP) in aquatic products of raw food in Guangzhou. Methods VP detection was carried out in aquatic products of raw food sold in Guangzhou from 2009 to 2022. Gene sequence and wgSNP analysis of 30 VP strains (including 15 food strains and 15 patient strains) were performed for the detection rate of pathogenic VP. sQMRA was applied to assess VP risk of aquatic products of raw food. Results The detection rate of VP in raw aquatic products in Guangzhou was 7.30% (98/1 343). The detection rate of TDH virulence gene in patient strains was 86.70% (13/15) , and the detection rate of TRH was 6.67% (1/15). In 15 food strains, TDH and TRH were negative. The WgSNP analysis showed that 2 food strains had high similarity with the patient strains, indicating the same cluster. Risk assessment showed that the number of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection cases caused by intaking aquatic products of raw food in Guangzhou was 384 ever year. Conclusion The detection rate of VP in aquatic products of raw food is high in Guangzhou , and the detection rate of VP virulence genes in aquatic products of raw food is low. Gene sequence and wgSNP analysis can be used for risk assessment of food pathogenic bacteria. The risk of disease of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in aquatic products of raw food is high.

Objective To explore the efficiency improvement in segmenting neural network with the application of Transformer + U-Net artificial intelligence (AI) and modeling with the application of Python scripts in three-dimensional (3D) printing brachytherapy. Methods A Transformer + U-Net AI neural network model was constructed, and Adam optimizer was used to ensure rapid gradient descent. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging data of patients were standardized and processed as self-made data sets. The training set was used to train AI and the optimal result weight parameters were saved. The test set was used to evaluate the AI ability. Python programming language was used to write an automated script to obtain the output segmentation image and convert it to the STL file for import. The source applicator and needle could be automatically modeled. The time of automatic segmentation and modeling and the time of manual segmentation and modeling were entered by two people, and the difference was verified by paired t-test. Results Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), mean intersection over union (MIOU), and Hausdorff distance (HD95) were used for evaluation. DSC was 0.9341, MIOU was 0.8762, and mean HD95 was 2.516. The mean time of manual segmentation was 1187 s, and the mean time of AI segmentation was 145 s (P < 0.01). The mean time of manual modeling was 321 s, and the mean time of modeling with Python automated scripts was 18 s (P < 0.01). Conclusion The application of Transformer + U-Net automatic segmentation and Python automated scripts can effectively improve work efficiency in the 3D printing brachytherapy for cervical cancer.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and immunization history of pertussis cases in Yichang City, Hubei Province from 2018 to 2023. Methods Data on the incidence and immunization history of pertussis cases were collected in Yichang City from 2018 to 2023, and the epidemiological characteristics was analyzed and described. Results A total of 109 cases of pertussis were reported in Yichang from 2018 to 2023, and the annual average reported incidence rate was 0.45/100,000. The incidence rate reported in each year was between 0～1.58/100,000. The area with the highest annual reported incidence rate was Xiling District (1.19/100,000). There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence rate between different years (χ²=208.26, P < 0.001). The annual reported incidence rate showed a significant increasing trend (χ² trend =125.71, P < 0.001). The ratio of male to female cases was 1.22. There was no significant difference in the annual reported incidence rates between males and females (χ²=0.85, P=0.36). Children aged 3-9 years accounted for 60.55%. Students and scattered children accounted for 45.87% and 36.70%, respectively. Before the onset of the disease, 72.48% had a history of immunization with pertussis-containing vaccine, and 27.52% had no history of immunization. The shortest interval between the last dose of pertussis-containing vaccine and the onset of the disease was 8 days, the longest was 4057 days, and the median was 1882 days. Conclusion From 2018 to 2023, the reported incidence of pertussis in Yichang City has been on the rise, with the majority of cases occurring in children and students under the age of 9. It is recommended to strengthen pertussis disease monitoring.

Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) is a critical transcription factor that governs the differentiation of cluster of differentiation 4⁺ (CD4⁺) T cells. The pathogenesis and progression of psoriasis are primarily attributed to an immune imbalance stemming from the overproduction of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) by T lymphocytes. However, the role of IRF4 in psoriasis remains unexplored. In this study, we found that IRF4 activity is increased in the cutaneous lesions of patients with psoriasis in response to stimulation by IL-23A and IL-1β. This IRF4 elevation heightens its binding to the E1A binding protein p300 (EP300) promoter, triggering the transcription of downstream retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt) and increasing the secretion of IL-17A, thereby establishing the IL-1β/IL-23A-IRF4-EP300-RORC-IL-17A inflammatory cascade in psoriasis. The alleviation of imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriatic-like symptoms was achieved through the creation of a Irf4 ^-/- gene deletion mouse model and pharmacological inhibition using antisense oligonucleotides targeted for Irf4. This amelioration was accompanied by a decreased number of IL-17A-producing CD4⁺ T cells in the skin. The findings of this study suggest that IRF4 plays a crucial role in the promotion of inflammation and exacerbation of IMQ-induced psoriasiform dermatitis. Consequently, IRF4 targeting could be a promising therapeutic strategy.

Objective To investigate the influence of different embryo development rates on the clinical outcomes of assisted reproductive technology(ART).Methods The clinical data of female patients who underwent in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection embryo transfer in Reproductive Medicine Center of The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from Jan.1,2015 to Dec.31,2023 were retrospectively analyzed.A total of 1 556 cycles were included.Group A was transferred on day 3,and they were assigned to subgroups according to the embryo development rates until day 3:subgroup A1(≤6 cell stages),subgroup A2(7-9 cell cleavage stages),or subgroup A3(≥10 cell cleavage stages).Group B was transferred on day 4,and they were assigned to subgroups according to the embryo development rates until day 4:subgroup B1(cleavage stages),subgroup B2(1st or 2nd period blastocyst or morula stages),or subgroup B3(3rd period blastocyst or higher stages).Group C was transferred on day 5,and they were assigned to subgroups according to the embryo development rates until day 5:subgroup C1(1st or 2nd period blastocyst or morula stages),subgroup C2(4th or 5th period blastocyst stages),or subgroup C3(6th period blastocyst stages).Group D was transferred on day 6,and they were assigned to subgroups according to the embryo development rates until day 6:subgroup D1(morula or 1st or 2nd period blastocyst stages),or subgroup D2(5th or 6th period blastocyst stages).The clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were calculated for each group.Results Pairwise comparisons of the subgroups A1,B1,C1 and D1,all with relatively slow development rates,showed that the clinical pregnancy rates were 23.7%,37.3%,26.9%and 35.9%,respectively(P＜0.05),the live birth rates were 16.4%,28.4%,19.2%and 26.9%,respectively(P＜0.05),and the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate were both the highest in the B1 group.Pairwise comparisons of the subgroups A2,B2,C2 and D2 with normal development rates,the clinical pregnancy rates were 58.0%,59.4%,62.2%and 61.5%,respectively(P＜0.05),the live birth rates were 47.5%,49.4%,53.8%and 52.3%,respectively(P＜0.05),and the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate were both the highest in the subgroup C2.Pairwise comparisons of the subgroups A3,B3 and C3 with relatively fast development rates showed that the clinical pregnancy rates were 62.2%,64.6%and 63.5%,respectively(P＜0.05),the live birth rates were 52.2%,56.9%and 54.1%,respectively(P＜0.05),and the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate were both the highest in the subgroup B3.Conclusion The 4th day fast-developing blastocysts have better development potential and clinical outcomes.Embryos with slower development rate should be transferred on the 4th day,and embryos with normal development rate are recommended to be cultured and transferred to the 5th day.

Objective Sleep is an important physiological process for maintaining normal cognitive functions,but with the accelerated pace and increased work pressure in modern society,sleep deprivation has become a common phenomenon.It has been shown that sleep deprivation interferes with higher cognitive functions such as working memory,but the specific mechanism of its effect is still not completely clear.The present study aimed to systematically investigate the effects of 36 hours of sleep deprivation on the stages of the working memory processing chain and its neural mechanisms through behavioral and event-related potential(ERP)techniques.Methods Using a randomized controlled experimental design,48 healthy adult subjects were recruited and randomly assigned to sleep deprivation and control groups.All subjects completed a 2-back phonological working memory task,and behavioral data(response time and correctness)and ERP data(P2,N2,and P3 component wave amplitudes)were collected at 0 and 36 hours,respectively.The effects of sleep deprivation on working memory behavioral performance and neurophysiological indices were assessed by ANOVA.Results Behavioral results showed that the sleep deprivation group had a significantly longer response time after 36 hours,but no significant decrease in correctness,indicating a decrease in response efficiency but stable accuracy.ERP results showed that P2 amplitude did not change significantly before and after sleep deprivation,indicating that the early perception and categorization stages were limitedly affected by sleep deprivation;whereas,N2 and P3 amplitudes decreased significantly after sleep deprivation,reflecting that later cognitive processing such as conflict monitoring and resource allocation and other late cognitive processing were significantly disturbed.Conclusion Through ERP technology,this study uncovers the phased impact of 36-hour sleep deprivation on the working memory processing chain.The study found that early perceptual and categorization stages may be less susceptible to the effects of sleep deprivation,likely due to their relatively automatic processing and lower demand for cognitive resources.In contrast,during later stages of cognitive processing,particularly in higher-order functions such as conflict monitoring and resource allocation,sleep deprivation significantly impaired task performance efficiency by disrupting prefrontal cortex function.This finding deepens the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the effects of sleep deprivation and provides a scientific basis for cognitive intervention and management strategies in high-stress occupational groups.Future studies can further explore the long-term effects of sleep deprivation and its neural mechanisms by combining multimodal techniques.

Objective The high post-surgery recurrence rate of endometriosis(EMs)has emerged as a challenge in the long-term manaagement of the condition.This study is aimed at investigating the mechanisms of Neiyiting(NYT)decoction in preventing postoperative recurrence of EMs.Methods An animal model of EMs postoperative recurrence and a model of endometrial stromal cells(hEM15A)cocultured with macrophages(RAW 264.7 cell line)were established for both in vivo and in vitro experiments.An autotransplantation method was used to establish a rat model of EMs.The rats were divided into 4 groups(6 rats per group)and received the corresponding treatments:a Model group receiving distilled water,a Gestrinone group receiving gestrinone at 0.325 mg/kg,a low-dose NYT(NYT-L)group receiving NYT decoction at 5.04 g/(kg-d),and a high-dose NYT(NYT-H)group receiving NYT decoction at 10.08 g/(kg-d).The treatment was administered for 3 weeks via intragastric gavage.In addition,6 SD rats were randomly selected for the control group(Control group),and were given distilled water for 3 weeks via intragastric gavage.The sizes and pathological changes of recurrent lesions in EMs rats were observed.Immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR were performed to assess the expression of M1 macrophage marker CD86 protein and mRNA in vivo.Additionally,immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR were used to assess the expression of indicator proteins related to the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1(TREM1)/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB)signaling pathway and mRNA.The proliferation of hEM15A cells in the coculture experiment was observed.Flow cytometry was performed to determine the polarization of RAW264.7 macrophages,and qRT-PCR was used to determine the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)and interleukin 1β(IL-1β)mRNA.Western blot was performed to determine the expression of signaling pathway-related indicator proteins in vitro.ELISA was performed to determine the levels of inflammatory factors in vitro.Results Compared with the Model group,the volume of recurrent lesions in the NYT-H group was reduced(P＜0.01).Findings from the macrophage M1 polarization assessment showed that the expression levels of CD86 protein and mRNA in the recurrent lesions of the Model group were higher than those in the control group(P＜0.01).The expression levels of CD86 protein and mRNA in the recurrent lesions of the NYT-H group were lower than those of the Model group(P＜0.01).In addition,the RAW 264.7 cell experiment further verified that NYT decoction could reduce the number of CD86-positive macrophages induced by plasmids overexpressing TREM1 and reduce the expression of IL-1β and iNOS mRNA(P＜0.01).The results of the hEM15A cell proliferation assay showed that NYT decoction down-regulated KI-67 protein expression in hEM15A cells induced by macrophage M1 polarization(P＜0.01).The results of TREM1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway showed that the protein and mRNA expression levels of TREM1,TLR4,and NF-κB in the recurrent lesions of the Model group were higher than those of the control group(P＜0.01).Compared with those in the Model group,the protein and mRNA expression levels of TREM1,TLR4,and NF-κB in the recurrent lesions of the NYT-H group were lower(P＜0.01).In addition,the coculture experiment of RAW264.7 and hEM15A cells further confirmed that NYT decoction reduced the expression of TREM1,TLR4,and P-P65 proteins(P＜0.01).Conclusion NYT decoction can inhibit macrophage M1 polarization through the TREM1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway,improve the inflammation level,and inhibit the formation of ectopic endometrial lesions,thereby preventing postoperative recurrence of EMs.

Various types of industrial parks in Shanghai play an important role in promoting industrial upgrading and technological progress， yet they are also fraught with occupational health hazards. To effectively promote workplace health and enable various industrial parks to play a positive role， the Shanghai Municipal Government has proposed accelerating the construction of healthy industrial parks. To meet the requirements for the scientific and standardized construction of healthy parks， the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention has compiled the Guidelines for Healthy Industrial Park Construction（Guidelines）. Adhering to the overall principles of scientific， feasibility， advancement， and standardization， the Guidelines address three construction levels： industrial parks， employers， and employees. They set clear requirements for organizational management， healthy environments， health services， health activities， and occupational health in the workplaces， respectively. The Shanghai healthy industrial park evaluation form was provided as an informative appendix for the Guidelines. The Guidelines offer a scientific basis for standardizing and guiding the construction of healthy industrial parks， providing new solutions and technical support for urban occupational health management.

Background::Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and diameter, stiffness, and wave reflections, are independent and important clinical biomarkers and risk predictors for cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to establish nationwide reference values of carotid properties for healthy Chinese adults and to explore potential clinical determinants.Methods::A total of 3053 healthy Han Chinese adults (1922 women) aged 18-79 years were enrolled at 28 collaborating tertiary centers throughout China between April 2021 and July 2022. The real-time tracking of common carotid artery walls was achieved by the radio frequency (RF) ultrasound system. The IMT, diameter, compliance coefficient, β stiffness, local pulse wave velocity (PWV), local systolic blood pressure, augmented pressure (AP), and augmentation index (AIx) were then automatically measured and reported. Data were stratified by age groups and sex. The relationships between age and carotid property parameters were analyzed by Jonckheere-Terpstra test and simple linear regressions. The major clinical determinants of carotid properties were identified by Pearson’s correlation, multiple linear regression, and analyses of covariance.Results::All the parameters of carotid properties demonstrated significantly age-related trajectories. Women showed thinner IMT, smaller carotid diameter, larger AP, and AIx than men. The β stiffness and PWV were significantly higher in men than women before forties, but the differences reversed after that. The increase rate of carotid IMT (5.5 μm/year in women and 5.8 μm/year in men) and diameter (0.03 mm/year in both men and women) were similar between men and women. For the stiffness and wave reflections, women showed significantly larger age-related variations than men as demonstrated by steeper regression slopes (all P for age by sex interaction <0.05). The blood pressures, body mass index (BMI), and triglyceride levels were identified as major clinical determinants of carotid properties with adjustment of age and sex. Conclusions::The age- and sex-specific reference values of carotid properties measured by RF ultrasound for healthy Chinese adults were established. The blood pressures, BMI, and triglyceride levels should be considered for clinical application of corresponding reference values.