Objective: To investigate the correlation between color parameters (L^*, a^*, b^*, Eab^*) and the contents of reducing sugars, total polysaccharides, total oligosaccharides, as well as four saccharides (fructose, glucose, sucrose, and kestose) during the nine cycles of steaming and sun-drying processing of Polygonatum kingianum, and to preliminarily explore the optimal processing duration.
Methods: The color changes were objectively evaluated using a colorimeter. The anthrone-sulfuric acid method was employed to determine total polysaccharides and oligosaccharides. The 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) colorimetric method was used to measure total reducing sugar content. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with charged aerosol detection (HPLC-CAD) was applied for quantitative analysis of fructose, glucose, sucrose, and kestose. Multivariate statistical analysis was conducted to assess samples from different processing stages.
Results: Significant variations in color and component contents were observed across processing stages. The herbal pieces progressively darkened with increased processing cycles: brightness (L^*) and total color difference (Eab^*) initially decreased then stabilized, while a^* (red-green) and b^* (yellow-blue) values first increased then declined. Total polysaccharides and oligosaccharides showed overall decreasing trends, whereas reducing sugars initially increased before stabilizing. Fructose and glucose levels rose continuously, while sucrose and kestose decreased progressively, becoming undetectable after five cycles.
Conclusion: The chromatic alteration and saccharide composition of P. kingianum showed significant correlation with processing duration. Both total color difference (Eab^*) and reducing sugar content stabilized after four processing cycles (12 hours), suggesting that four cycles of steaming and sun-drying may represent the optimal processing duration.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between the color parameters (L^*, a^*, b^*, Eab^* values) of Polygoni Multiflori Radix Praeparata powder prepared by different processing techniques and the contents of 2,3,5,4’-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, emodin, physcion, emodin-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, physcion-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside.
Methods: The L^*, a^*, b^* and Eab^* values of Polygoni Multiflori Radix Praeparata powder prepared by different processing techniques were determined by spectrophotometer, and the contents of the five components were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Secondly, SPSS 26.0 software and Simca 14.1 software were used to analyze the correlation.
Results: Through the hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), it was found that the steamed samples and black bean steamed samples could be obviously divided into two categories: raw products and processed products. The processed products could be further divided into 2-8 h and 12-48 h. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the content of stilbene glycoside was significantly positively correlated with L^*, a^* and b^* values (P<0.01). The a^* value was significantly positively correlated with the content of emodin and physcion (P<0.01). Emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside was positively correlated with L^* value and b^* value, while physcion-8-O-β-D-glucoside was negatively correlated with a^* value. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS) showed that 2,3,5,4’-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside (VIP=1.69) and emodin-8-O-β-D-glucoside (VIP=1.06) were the key variables affecting chromaticity characteristics (P<0.01).
Conclusion: The three processes of steaming, black bean steaming and black bean stewing are consistent in composition transformation and chromaticity variation, and stilbene glycoside can be used as a specific index component to characterize the processed color. Chromatic parameters can effectively reflect the processing progression and serve as quality monitoring indicators during production.

Objectives:QT interval prolongation during treadmill test exercise is one of the clinical feature of patients with long QT syndrome(LQTS).This study aimed to explore the feasibility and efficacy of treadmill exercise testing as an auxiliary diagnosis tool for LQTS in clinical practice.Methods:We enrolled normal healthy individuals,common cardiovascular disease patients,and clinically diagnosed or suspected LQTS patients,who underwent treadmill exercise test from July 2023 to July 2024 at Fuwai Hospital.A special treadmill exercise testing procedure was designed to record the QT interval correction(QTc)intervals of the twelve lead electrocardiogram at 6 time points when performing the exercise tablet,including supine,sitting,standing,peak exercise,and recovery at 1-minute and 4-minute.The differences in QTc intervals among healthy group,cardiovascular diseases group,and suspected LQTS group were compared.Results:A total of 80 cases were consecutively enrolled,including 37 normal healthy controls,25 patients with common cardiovascular disease,and 18 patients with suspected LQTS.The QTc intervals at 6 points did not differ significantly between normal healthy controls and patients with cardiovascular disease,with QTc intervals less than 480 ms at all measurement.For patients with suspected LQTS,67.7%(12/18)of these patients presented a QTc interval≥480 ms at the 4-minute during recovery period.Among them,5 cases were confirmed to have pathogenic gene mutations of LQTS by genetic testing(including 1 case with a lying electrocardiogram QTc interval of 489 ms diagnosed with LQTS 1 type and a QTc interval of 636 ms during the 4-minute recovery period after exercise);5 clinically diagnosed patients(negative or undetectable in genetic testing)with a Schwartz score≥4,and the remaining 2 patients had a Schwartz score of 3.The remaining 5/18 patients,include 2 patients with clinical Schwartz scores≥4 and 3 patients with clinical suspicion(Schwartz scores 2-3)had a 4 min QTc interval of 445-480 ms during exercise recovery.Another patient with clinical suspicion(Schwartz score 3)had a 4 min QTc interval of<445 ms during exercise recovery and a negative genetic test at a later stage.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a sensitivity of 83.3%and specificity of 98.4%for QTc interval≥482 ms during the 4-minute recovery period of exercise as the LQTS diagnostic cutoff.Conclusions:This study results suggest that this special treadmill exercise testing protocol is effective in identifying LQTS and has strong feasibility and generalizability for clinical practice.

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) that causes oral mucosal tissue sclerosis, and even cancer transformation, is a chronic, progressive fibrosis disease. However, despite some advancements in recent years, no targeted antifibrotic strategies for OSF have been approved; likely because the complicated mechanisms that initiate and drive fibrosis remain to be determined. In this review, we briefly introduce the epidemiology and etiology of OSF. Then, we highlight how cell-intrinsic changes in significant structural cells can drive fibrotic response by regulating biological behaviors, secretion function, and activation of ECM-producing myofibroblasts. In addition, we also discuss the role of innate and adaptive immune cells and how they contribute to the pathogenesis of OSF. Finally, we summarize strategies to interrupt key mechanisms that cause OSF, including modulation of the ECM, inhibition of inflammation, improvement of vascular disturbance. This review will provide potential routes for developing novel anti-OSF therapeutics.
Humans ; Oral Submucous Fibrosis/immunology* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Myofibroblasts

Objective:To understand the status and influencing factors of social isolation in elderly individuals with chronic diseases.Methods:A multi-stage sampling method was used to select elderly individuals from eight communities or villages in Hefei from July to September 2022. The study employed a general information survey, the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) , the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) , the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) , and the Personal Social Capital Scale 16 (PSCS-16) . Binary Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the factors influencing social isolation in elderly individuals with chronic diseases.Results:A total of 1 133 elderly individuals were surveyed, among which 538 had chronic diseases. Among the 538 elderly individuals with chronic diseases, 209 were socially isolated, resulting in a social isolation rate of 38.8%. Binary Logistic regression analysis revealed that living area, fear of falling, depression, social capital, and social support were significant factors influencing social isolation ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The social isolation rate among elderly individuals with chronic diseases is high. Special attention should be given to elderly individuals living in rural areas, those who fear falling, and those experiencing depression. Additionally, improving social capital and social support can help alleviate social isolation in these elderly individuals.

Objective:To explore the potential categories and influencing factors of attitudes to aging among the elderly in nursing homes.Methods:Convenience sampling was used to select elderly from 15 nursing homes in Anhui Province from March to July 2024 for the study. The survey was conducted using the General Information Questionnaire, Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire, Belongingness Scale for Older Adults in Nursing Facilities, and the Lubben Social Network Scale. Mplus 8.3 was used to conduct a latent profile analysis, and multivariate Logistic regression was employed to explore the factors influencing the latent categories of attitudes toward aging among the elderly in nursing facilities.Results:A total of 370 questionnaires were distributed, and 366 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 98.9%. The attitudes to aging of 366 elderly of nursing facilities were expressed in three potential categories, namely, negative-perceived type (48.6%), moderate-low psychosocial loss type (35.0%), and positive and optimistic-comprehensive type (16.4%). Multicategorical Logistic regression analysis showed that the number of children, location of the nursing home, educational level, self-rating health, belongingness to the nursing home, and social network were the influencing factors of the potential categories of attitudes to aging among the elderly in the nursing home, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:There is group heterogeneity in the attitudes to aging among the elderly in nursing homes. Healthcare professionals should focus on negative-perceived elderly and provide targeted interventions based on the potential categories of factors influencing their attitudes to aging.

Objectives:QT interval prolongation during treadmill test exercise is one of the clinical feature of patients with long QT syndrome(LQTS).This study aimed to explore the feasibility and efficacy of treadmill exercise testing as an auxiliary diagnosis tool for LQTS in clinical practice.Methods:We enrolled normal healthy individuals,common cardiovascular disease patients,and clinically diagnosed or suspected LQTS patients,who underwent treadmill exercise test from July 2023 to July 2024 at Fuwai Hospital.A special treadmill exercise testing procedure was designed to record the QT interval correction(QTc)intervals of the twelve lead electrocardiogram at 6 time points when performing the exercise tablet,including supine,sitting,standing,peak exercise,and recovery at 1-minute and 4-minute.The differences in QTc intervals among healthy group,cardiovascular diseases group,and suspected LQTS group were compared.Results:A total of 80 cases were consecutively enrolled,including 37 normal healthy controls,25 patients with common cardiovascular disease,and 18 patients with suspected LQTS.The QTc intervals at 6 points did not differ significantly between normal healthy controls and patients with cardiovascular disease,with QTc intervals less than 480 ms at all measurement.For patients with suspected LQTS,67.7%(12/18)of these patients presented a QTc interval≥480 ms at the 4-minute during recovery period.Among them,5 cases were confirmed to have pathogenic gene mutations of LQTS by genetic testing(including 1 case with a lying electrocardiogram QTc interval of 489 ms diagnosed with LQTS 1 type and a QTc interval of 636 ms during the 4-minute recovery period after exercise);5 clinically diagnosed patients(negative or undetectable in genetic testing)with a Schwartz score≥4,and the remaining 2 patients had a Schwartz score of 3.The remaining 5/18 patients,include 2 patients with clinical Schwartz scores≥4 and 3 patients with clinical suspicion(Schwartz scores 2-3)had a 4 min QTc interval of 445-480 ms during exercise recovery.Another patient with clinical suspicion(Schwartz score 3)had a 4 min QTc interval of<445 ms during exercise recovery and a negative genetic test at a later stage.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a sensitivity of 83.3%and specificity of 98.4%for QTc interval≥482 ms during the 4-minute recovery period of exercise as the LQTS diagnostic cutoff.Conclusions:This study results suggest that this special treadmill exercise testing protocol is effective in identifying LQTS and has strong feasibility and generalizability for clinical practice.

Objective:To understand the status and influencing factors of social isolation in elderly individuals with chronic diseases.Methods:A multi-stage sampling method was used to select elderly individuals from eight communities or villages in Hefei from July to September 2022. The study employed a general information survey, the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) , the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) , the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) , and the Personal Social Capital Scale 16 (PSCS-16) . Binary Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the factors influencing social isolation in elderly individuals with chronic diseases.Results:A total of 1 133 elderly individuals were surveyed, among which 538 had chronic diseases. Among the 538 elderly individuals with chronic diseases, 209 were socially isolated, resulting in a social isolation rate of 38.8%. Binary Logistic regression analysis revealed that living area, fear of falling, depression, social capital, and social support were significant factors influencing social isolation ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The social isolation rate among elderly individuals with chronic diseases is high. Special attention should be given to elderly individuals living in rural areas, those who fear falling, and those experiencing depression. Additionally, improving social capital and social support can help alleviate social isolation in these elderly individuals.

Objective:To explore the potential categories and influencing factors of attitudes to aging among the elderly in nursing homes.Methods:Convenience sampling was used to select elderly from 15 nursing homes in Anhui Province from March to July 2024 for the study. The survey was conducted using the General Information Questionnaire, Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire, Belongingness Scale for Older Adults in Nursing Facilities, and the Lubben Social Network Scale. Mplus 8.3 was used to conduct a latent profile analysis, and multivariate Logistic regression was employed to explore the factors influencing the latent categories of attitudes toward aging among the elderly in nursing facilities.Results:A total of 370 questionnaires were distributed, and 366 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 98.9%. The attitudes to aging of 366 elderly of nursing facilities were expressed in three potential categories, namely, negative-perceived type (48.6%), moderate-low psychosocial loss type (35.0%), and positive and optimistic-comprehensive type (16.4%). Multicategorical Logistic regression analysis showed that the number of children, location of the nursing home, educational level, self-rating health, belongingness to the nursing home, and social network were the influencing factors of the potential categories of attitudes to aging among the elderly in the nursing home, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:There is group heterogeneity in the attitudes to aging among the elderly in nursing homes. Healthcare professionals should focus on negative-perceived elderly and provide targeted interventions based on the potential categories of factors influencing their attitudes to aging.

Hearing loss has become increasingly prevalent and causes considerable disability, thus gravely burdening the global economy. Irreversible loss of hair cells is a main cause of sensorineural hearing loss, and currently, the only relatively effective clinical treatments are limited to digital hearing equipment like cochlear implants and hearing aids, but these are of limited benefit in patients. It is therefore urgent to understand the mechanisms of damage repair in order to develop new neuroprotective strategies. At present, how to promote the regeneration of functional hair cells is a key scientific question in the field of hearing research. Multiple signaling pathways and transcriptional factors trigger the activation of hair cell progenitors and ensure the maturation of newborn hair cells, and in this article, we first review the principal mechanisms underlying hair cell reproduction. We then further discuss therapeutic strategies involving the co-regulation of multiple signaling pathways in order to induce effective functional hair cell regeneration after degeneration, and we summarize current achievements in hair cell regeneration. Lastly, we discuss potential future approaches, such as small molecule drugs and gene therapy, which might be applied for regenerating functional hair cells in the clinic.
Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Hair Cells, Auditory, Inner/physiology* ; Ear, Inner/physiology* ; Hair Cells, Auditory/physiology* ; Regeneration/genetics* ; Stem Cells