Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is a prevalent malignancy that afflicts the head and neck area and presents a high incidence of metastasis and invasion. Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment are essential for enhancing the quality of life and the survival rates of TSCC patients. The current treatment modalities for TSCC frequently suffer from a lack of specificity and efficacy. Nanoparticles with diagnostic and photothermal therapeutic properties may offer a new approach for the targeted therapy of TSCC. However, inadequate accumulation of photosensitizers at the tumor site diminishes the efficacy of photothermal therapy (PTT). This study modified gold nanodots (AuNDs) with the TSCC-targeting peptide HN-1 to improve the selectivity and therapeutic effects of PTT. The Au-HN-1 nanosystem effectively targeted the TSCC cells and was rapidly delivered to the tumor tissues compared to the AuNDs. The enhanced accumulation of photosensitizing agents at tumor sites achieved significant PTT effects in a mouse model of TSCC. Moreover, owing to its stable long-term fluorescence and high X-ray attenuation coefficient, the Au-HN-1 nanosystem can be used for fluorescence and computed tomography imaging of TSCC, rendering it useful for early tumor detection and accurate delineation of surgical margins. In conclusion, Au-HN-1 represents a promising nanomedicine for imaging-based diagnosis and targeted PTT of TSCC.
Tongue Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnostic imaging* ; Animals ; Gold/chemistry* ; Mice ; Photothermal Therapy/methods* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Photosensitizing Agents ; Metal Nanoparticles ; Humans ; Cell Line, Tumor

OBJECTIVE: In order to enhance the efficacy of anti-breast cancer, paclitaxel nanoparticles (PTX NPs) and polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPy NPs) were combined with photothermal therapy and chemotherapy. At the same time, the two dosage forms of PTX NPs and PTX NPs gel were compared. METHODS: PTX NPs were prepared by self-assembly method, and then the cytotoxicity in vitro was investigated by Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and other methods, and the efficacy and side effects in vivo were further investigated. RESULTS: The average hydrated diameter, PDI and electric potential of PTX NPs were (210.20 ± 1.57) nm, (0.081 ± 0.003) mV and (15.80 ± 0.35) mV, respectively. MTT results showed that the IC₅₀ value of PTX NPs on 4 T1 cells was 0.490 μg/mL, while that of PTX injection was 1.737 μg/mL. The cell inhibitory effect of PTX NPs was about 3.5 times higher than that of PTX injection. The tumor inhibition rates of PTX NPs and gel were 48.64% and 56.79%, respectively. Together with local photothermal stimulation, the tumor inhibition rate of the PTX NPs reached 91.05%, surpassing that of the gel under the same conditions (48.98%), moreover, the organ index and H&E staining results of PTX NPs showed a decrease in toxicity. CONCLUSION This combination therapy can significantly enhance the effect of anti-breast cancer, and the synergistic effect of chemotherapy and light and heat provides a feasible and effective strategy for the treatment of tumor.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a medical condition characterized by cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and mitochondrial Ca²⁺ overload in cardiomyocytes have been recognized as biological hallmarks in DCM; however, the specific factors underlying these abnormalities remain largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of a cardiac-specific long noncoding RNA, D830005E20Rik (Trdn-as), in DCM. Our results revealed the remarkably upregulation of Trdn-as in the hearts of the DCM mice and cardiomyocytes treated with high glucose (HG). Knocking down Trdn-as in cardiac tissues significantly improved cardiac dysfunction and remodeling in the DCM mice. Conversely, Trdn-as overexpression resulted in cardiac damage resembling that observed in the DCM mice. At the cellular level, Trdn-as induced Ca²⁺ overload in the SR and mitochondria, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. RNA-seq and bioinformatics analyses identified calsequestrin 2 (Casq2), a primary calcium-binding protein in the junctional SR, as a potential target of Trdn-as. Further investigations revealed that Trdn-as facilitated the recruitment of METTL14 to the Casq2 mRNA, thereby enhancing the m⁶A modification of Casq2. This modification increased the stability of Casq2 mRNA and subsequently led to increased protein expression. When Casq2 was knocked down, the promoting effects of Trdn-as on Ca²⁺ overload and mitochondrial damage were mitigated. These findings provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis of DCM and suggest Trdn-as as a potential therapeutic target for this condition.
Animals ; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies/pathology* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Mice ; Calsequestrin/genetics* ; Calcium/metabolism* ; Male ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum/metabolism* ; Methyltransferases/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mitochondria, Heart/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mitochondria/metabolism*

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the clinical efficacy of severe early childhood caries (SECC) treatment combined with local anesthesia under general anesthesia. METHODS: A total of 108 children under 6 years old who underwent SECC dental treatment under general anesthesia at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Third Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from March to December 2023 were selected as the study subjects, with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification of classⅠor Ⅱ. The study subjects were divided into a control group (n=54) and an experimental group (n=54) by retrieving intraoperative cases and postoperative follow-up records. The control group was given general anesthesia through inhalation combined with nasotracheal intubation, whereas the experimental group was given local anesthesia with 2% lidocaine on each treated tooth on the basis of general anesthesia. The basic information, preoperative anesthesia depth, hemodynamic changes during different surgical procedures, postoperative pain, and adverse reactions in the two groups were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found in the basic information and preoperative anesthesia depth between the two groups (P>0.05). Among the three procedures (pulpotomy, root canal treatment, and tooth extraction), the three observed indicators in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The proportion of patients in the experimental group who needed to take analgesic measures in accordance with the modified facial pain scale (FPS-R) score was significantly lower than that in the control group at postoperative wakefulness and 2 h after surgery (P<0.05). Meanwhile, no statistically significant difference was observed between the groups at 24 h after surgery (P>0.05). The proportion of patients in the experimental group who needed to take analgesic measures on the basis of the parent posto-perative pain measurement (PPPM) score was significantly lower than that in the control group when they were awake after surgery (P<0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between the groups at 2 and 24 h after surgery (P>0.05). Moreover, no statistically significant difference was observed in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups at 24 h after surgery (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The combination of local anesthesia during SECC dental treatment under general anesthesia results in minimal changes in intraoperative hemodynamics and mild postoperative pain response, hence worthy of clinical promotion.
Humans ; Anesthesia, General ; Child, Preschool ; Dental Caries/therapy* ; Pain, Postoperative/prevention & control* ; Anesthesia, Local/methods* ; Male ; Hemodynamics ; Female ; Lidocaine/administration & dosage* ; Child ; Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage* ; Anesthesia, Dental/methods*

Objective: To review the current development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the field of transfusion medicine. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in the Clarivate Web of Science Database from inception to December 2024 for literature related to AI and transfusion. A total of 4 775 publications were identified. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 133 original studies were ultimately included and analyzed using a narrative synthesis approach. Results: Research on AI in transfusion has surged since 2020 (accounting for 77% of all publications), with China ranking second globally in publication volume. Among the included studies, 69.2% focused on predicting individual transfusion needs, followed by inventory management (8.3%), diagnosis and prediction of adverse transfusion reactions (6.0%), factors influencing transfusion outcomes (5.3%), blood group identification (5.3%), blood quality testing (4.5%), and precise blood volume measurement (1.5%). Additionally, 4.5% of the studies were published in journals with an impact factor greater than 10; 19.5% developed software or applications; 31.5% were multi-center studies; 48.1% utilized decision tree methods, while 31.5% employed neural network approaches; and 14.2% conducted external validation of the algorithms. Conclusion: AI demonstrates significant potential in transfusion risk prediction, decision support, and blood management. However, challenges remain, including limited model generalizability, insufficient algorithm interpretability, and barriers to clinical translation. The deep integration of AI with transfusion medicine will accelerate the advent of precision transfusion era, maximizing blood resource utilization, reducing waste, and ensuring transfusion safety.

Circular RNA(circRNA),as a kind of non-coding RNA,regulates a variety of biological functions.To explore the effect of circRNA on PEDV replication in the host porcine intestinal epi-thelial cells,this study screened and analyzed the differentially expressed circRNAs by bioinforma-tic software in African Green Monkey renal cells(Vero-E6 cells)infected by porcine epidemic di-arrhea virus(PEDV),the differentially expressed circRNA ssc_circ_PIK3C2A was identified and the secondary structure was analyzed.PCR was used to identify the ssc_circ_PIK3C2A circRNA structure,the model of PEDV-infected IPEC-J2 cells was constructed,the TCID50 test was used to validate the viral titer of PEDV.The expression of circ_PIK3C2A was detected by qRT-PCR in IPEC-J2 infected by PEDV.circ_PIK3C2A qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of N gene of PEDV when ssc_circ_PIK3C2A was over-expressed in IPEC-J2 cells.The results showed that ssc_circ_PIK3C2 A is a porcine circular RNA with a typical circular structure,the virus titer of PEDV reached 10-6/mL after PEDV infected IPEC-J2 cells for 48 h,the expression of circ_PIK3C2A increased extremely(P＜0.01)at 6 h after PEDV-infection,with the extension of infec-tion time,its expression gradually decreased,and the expression was the lowest at 24 h,but there was no time-dependent trend.The expression of PEDV N gene decreased significantly when ssc_circ_PIK3C2A was over-expressed in IPEC-J2 cells.In conclusion,when PEDV infects IPEC-J2 cells,the expression of porcine circ_PIK3C2A decreases,and replication of PEDV increases signifi-cantly in IPEC-J2 cells.our result provides a basis for further study of the mechanism of circular RNA on PEDV replication and its physiological activities in host cells in the future.

Objective·To investigate the effects and molecular mechanisms of phosphatidylethanolamine(PE)on macrophage senescence and its senescence-associated secretory phenotype(SASP),as well as its pathophysiological role in liver injury.Methods·A macrophage senescence model was established using doxorubicin(DOX),followed by PE treatment.A mouse liver injury model was generated via intraperitoneal co-administration of PE and lipopolysaccharide(LPS)to investigate the effects of PE on liver injury.Senescence markers and SASP factors,including senescence-associated β-galactosidase(SA-β-gal),cell cycle inhibitor p21,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),and interleukin-6(IL-6),were evaluated using SA-β-gal staining,quantitative real-time PCR,and Western blotting.RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)was performed,followed by Gene Ontology(GO)cellular component enrichment analysis,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis,Gene Set Variation Analysis(GSVA),and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA),to explore the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways by which PE promotes macrophage senescence.The expression of endoplasmic reticulum(ER)stress-related proteins,including inositol-requiring enzyme 1 α(IRE1α),spliced X-box binding protein 1(XBP1s),activating transcription factor 6(ATF6),ATF4,and C/EBP homologous protein(CHOP),was analyzed through in vivo and in vitro experiments.Results·PE significantly promoted the expression of senescence markers SA-β-gal,p21,p16 and SASP factors.RNA-seq analysis revealed that ER stress was involved in PE-induced promotion of SASP.Further experiments demonstrated that PE activated the ER stress signaling pathway,promoting macrophage senescence and the expression of SASP factors.In vivo experiments further confirmed that PE exacerbated LPS-induced liver injury in mice through ER stress.Conclusion·PE promotes macrophage senescence and the expression of SASP factors by activating ER stress signaling pathway,thereby aggravating LPS-induced liver injury.

Objective:To analyze the influencing factors of low fall alertness in elderly inpatients,construct a risk prediction model and validate it,providing a reference for clinical medical staff to identify elderly inpatients with low fall alertness in the early stage.Methods:A total of 605 elderly inpatients treated in Yijishan Hospital affiliated to Wannan Medical College from Oct 2023 to Mar 2024 were enrolled and randomly divided into the training group(n=423)and validation group(n=182)at a ratio of 7∶3.The patients were evaluated using a general information questionnaire,the Social Frailty Screening Tool(HALFT),the Tilburg Frailty Indicator(TFI),and the Self-Awareness of Falls in Elderly scale(SAFE).Multivariate logistic analysis was used to determine the influencing factors of low fall alertness in elderly inpatients.RStudio was used to construct a risk prediction model of low fall alertness.The discrimination,calibration,and clinical net benefit of the model were verified using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves,calibration plots,and decision curve analysis(DCA).Results:Multivariate logistic analysis showed that the history of falls,monthly income,previous physical activity time,social frailty score and TFI score were independent risk factors for low fall alertness in elderly inpatients.The Hosmer-Lemeshow χ2 test showed that χ2=8.863,P=0.354,indicating good calibration of the prediction model.The area under the ROC curve of the training group and the validation group were 0.860(95%CI:0.815-0.904)and 0.937(95%CI:0.888-0.986),respectively,and the maximum Youden indices of the model was 0.576 and 0.788,respectively,indicating good discrimination of the model.The DCA decision curve showed that the model had good clinical effectiveness.Conclusion:The constructed model has a good prediction effect and can help clinical medical staff quickly and effectively screen out elderly inpatients at risk of low fall alertness.

This study identified the types and pathogen carrying status of fleas on the surface of sheep in some areas of southern Xinjiang,and analyzed the genetic evolution differences with respect to related pathogens.The aim was to provide a reference for the local prevention and control of fleas and insect borne infectious diseases.A total of 1 586 fleas were collected from agricultural and pas-toral areas of Tumushuke City and Hotan Prefecture.Flea species were identified on the basis of morphology and the Pulex irritans mi-tochondrial COII gene.Flea DNA was extracted,and PCR was conducted to amplify the Bartonella gltA gene;Arsenophonus,Ana-plasma,Ehrlichia,and Wolbachia 16S rRNA genes;RickettsiaOmpA,17kDa,16S rRNA genes,and Yersinia pestis 16S rDNA gene.The amplified products were sequenced,and the homology of the genes of the three detected pathogens(gltA gene of Bartonella,16S rRNA gene of Wolbachia,and Anaplasma phagocytophilum)with respect to known corresponding genes of the same pathogen in Gen-Bank was analyzed.Phylogenetic trees were constructed with the adjacency method in MEGA 11.0.According to morphological and mo-lecular biology identification results,all fleas collected in this study were Pulex irritans.PCR indicated that the target gene fragments had been added to the mitochondrial COII,BartonellagltA,Wolbachia,and autophagosomal 16S rRNA genes of human fleas,all of which were consistent with the expected fragment sizes.Target bands were not amplified from Ehrlichia,Arsenophonus,spotted fever group Rickettsia,and Yersinia pestis.According to homology and genetic evolution analysis of human flea mitochondrial COII and the corresponding genes of the above-described pathogens,the COX2 gene(ON455234.1)of human fleas in Tumushuke city and Iran ob-tained in this study showed the highest homology(99.84%).The COII gene(NC_063709.1)of human fleas in Hetan City and Hunan region showed the highest homology(100%).Our findings further confirmed that the flea species was Pulex irritans.The PCR amplifi-cation results indicated that the collected Pulex irritans carried multiple pathogens,among which Bartonella and Wolbachia had the highest infection rates,and the infection rate with Anaplasma phagocytophilum was relatively low.This study is the first to discover flea species on the surface of sheep in some areas of southern Xinjiang.Our findings preliminarily confirmed that Bartonella,Wolba-chia,and Anaplasma phagocytophilum are the main Pulex irritans pathogens.

Objective:To identify factors associated with depressive symptoms in maintenance hemodialysis patients and to examine the relationship between these symptoms and mortality.Methods:Between January and December 2019, patients who received maintenance hemodialysis in the Blood Purification Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the internationally validated patient health questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8). Sleep quality and anxiety were measured with the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and the generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale, respectively. Follow-up continued until December 31, 2022, with all-cause mortality as the primary outcome. Ordinal logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of depression severity. Cox proportional hazards models evaluated the association between depressive symptoms and mortality.Results:A total of 532 maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients completed the study. Among them, 177 (33.3%) exhibited depressive symptoms. Compared with patients without depression, those with mild or moderate-to-severe depression were older [median age: 58 (50, 66) vs. 60 (55, 65) vs. 55 (46, 64)], more likely to smoke [35.9% (51/142) vs. 40.0% (14/35) vs.26.2% (93/355)], had poorer sleep quality [PSQI: 9 (6, 13) vs. 12 (9, 17) vs. 5 (3, 9)], and higher anxiety levels [GAD-7: 1 (0, 3) vs. 3 (1, 6) vs. 0 (0, 1)], the differences among the three groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Ordinal logistic regression identified smoking status, history of diabetes or cardiovascular disease, hemoglobin level, PSQI score, and GAD-7 score as independent predictors of depression severity ( OR=1.60, 1.80, 1.81, 0.98, 3.67, 8.67; all P<0.05). After a median follow-up of 40 (35, 44) months, 109 patients died, including 66 (60.6%) from cardio-cerebrovascular causes and 24 (22.0%) from infections. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed significantly lower cumulative survival in the depression group compared to the non-depression group ( P<0.001). Cox regression analysis demonstrated that depressive symptoms remained independently associated with all-cause mortality after adjusting for confounders ( HR=1.06, 95% CI 1.00-1.13, P=0.048), with an even stronger association observed for patients with PHQ-8 scores≥2.9 ( HR=1.10, 95% CI 1.03-1.16, P=0.005). However, the associations between depression and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality ( P=0.111) or infection-related mortality ( P=0.509) were not statistically significant. Conclusions:Depressive symptoms are prevalent among maintenance hemodialysis patients and are independently associated with increased all-cause mortality. Smoking, comorbid diabetes or cardiovascular disease, low hemoglobin level, poor sleep quality, and anxiety are risk factors contributing to depression. Maintenance hemodialysis patients with PHQ-8 scores≥3 should be considered at heightened risk for mortality.