ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of linalool against acute liver injury induced by aflatoxin B₁（AFB₁） in rats and explore its protective mechanism. MethodTwenty male SPF SD rats were randomly divided into three groups： Control （n=6）， AFB₁ （n=7）， and linalool （n=7） groups. Linalool solution （200 mg·kg^-1） was administered preventatively for 14 days， while the control and AFB₁ groups intragastrically received an equivalent volume of double distilled water. After preventative administration of linalool， AFB₁ solution （1 mg·kg^-1， dissolved in saline） was intraperitoneally injected for two consecutive days to induce acute liver injury in rats. Samples were collected and processed 14 days after model establishment. Pathological changes in liver tissue of rats were observed using Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining and Masson staining. Biochemical detection was performed to measure the levels of alanine transaminase（ALT）， aspartate transaminase（AST）， γ-glutamyl transferase（GGT）， lactate dehydrogenase（LDH）， alkaline phosphatase（ALP）， total bilirubin（TBil）， direct bilirubin（DBil）， indirect bilirubin（IBil）， malondialdehyde（MDA）， superoxidedismutase（SOD）， catalase（CAT） ， glutathione（GSH）， Fe³⁺， and Fe²⁺ in the liver tissue. Western blot was adopted to assess protein expression levels of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2（Nrf2） and heme oxygenase-1（HO-1）. Molecular docking was performed to verify the binding between linalool and key proteins of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Molecular dynamics techniques were used to confirm the stability and affinity of linalool binding with key proteins of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. ResultPathological results showed that compared to that in the AFB₁ group， the liver structure in the linalool group tended to be normal， with a significant decrease in blue collagen fibers. The linalool group exhibited significantly reduced levels of ALT， AST， GGT， LDH， ALP， TBil， DBil， and IBil （P<0.01）， Fe³⁺ and Fe²⁺ content， and oxidative stress marker MDA （P<0.01）. The levels of antioxidants SOD， CAT， and GSH significantly increased （P<0.01）. Molecular docking showed a molecular docking energy between linalool and Nrf2 and HO-1 targets of -5.495 6 and -5.199 4 kcal·mol^-1（1 cal≈4.186 J）， respectively. Molecular dynamics results indicated strong affinity in the binding of linalool with Nrf2 and HO-1. Western blot revealed a significant increase in Nrf2 protein expression （P<0.05） and a decrease in HO-1 protein expression （P<0.01） in the linalool group. ConclusionLinalool may protect against AFB₁-induced acute liver injury by modulating the Nrf2/HO-1 ferroptosis signaling pathway to inhibit liver cell ferroptosis and regulate hepatic oxidative stress levels.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess carotid stiffening in a pre-hypertensive (PHT) population using ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV). Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 626 individuals who underwent clinical interviews, serum tests, and assessments of the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), pulse wave velocity-beginning of systole (PWV-BS), and pulse wave velocity-end of systole (PWV-ES) between January 2017 and December 2021. The patients were divided into three groups according to their blood pressure (BP)—normal BP (NBP): SBP <130 mmHg and DBP <80 mmHg (n=215); PHT: 130 mmHg≤SBP<140 mmHg and/or 80 mmHg≤DBP<90 mmHg (n=119); hypertensive (HT): SBP ≥140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥90 mmHg (n=292). Correlation analyses and comparisons were performed among the groups and in the cIMT subgroups (cIMT ≥0.050 cm and <0.050 cm). Results: cIMT and PWV-ES significantly differed among the BP groups (P<0.05). The BP groups had similar PWV-BS when cIMT <0.050 cm or cIMT ≥0.050 cm (all P>0.05). However, the NBP group had a notably lower PWV-ES than the PHT (P<0.001 and P=0.024) and HT (all P<0.001) groups in both cIMT categories, while the PWV-ES in the PHT group were not significantly lower than in the HT group (all P>0.05). Conclusion Carotid morphological and biomechanical properties in the PHT group differed from those in the NBP group. ufPWV could be used for an early evaluation of carotid stiffening linked to pre-hypertension.

Objective:The hemodynamic parameters of elderly patients with septic shock were measured simultaneously with pulse index continuous cardiac output(PiCCO)and thoracic electrical bioimpedance(TEB)to evaluate the accuracy of TEB and to provide empirical evidence for its clinical use.Methods:A total of 24 elderly patients with septic shock admitted to the intensive care unit of our hospital between July 2021 and December 2021 were retrospectively recruited.TEB and PiCCO hemodynamic monitoring were performed continuously in all patients, and hemodynamic data were collected for statistical analysis.Results:Cardiac output, cardiac index, stroke volume, stroke index and systemic vascular resistance measured by the two methods had no significant difference( P>0.05). The 95% confidence intervals in the Bland-Altman plots for cardiac output, CI, stroke volume, stroke index, and systemic vascular resistance were(-1.18, 1.25), (-0.65, 0.71), (-24.23, 37.00), (-12.93, 19.26)and(397.11, 425.83). In the Bland-Altman plots for cardiac output, cardiac index, stroke volume and systemic vascular resistance, 4.17% of the points(1/24)fell outside of the 95% confidence interval, and in the Bland-Altman plots for stroke index, 8.33% of the points(2/24)fell outside of the 95% confidence interval. Conclusions:TEB and PiCCO have good consistency in evaluating the hemodynamics of elderly patients with septic shock.Therefore, TEB can be recommended for community hospitals and used in elderly patients.

Purpose To investigate the difference of resting-state functional connectivity density(FCD)between chronic primary insomnia patients and healthy controls via resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI).Materials and Methods All rs-fMRI data of 35 patients with chronic primary insomnia from Xidian Group Hospital and Xi'an Encephalopathy Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine,and 35 healthy controls were prospectively collected from August 2020 to December 2021.The voxel-wise FCD approach was applied to explore the differences of whole-brain functional networks between chronic primary insomnia patients and healthy controls.The relationships between FCD value and Pittsburgh sleep quality index,self-rating scale of sleep,insomnia severity index,self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale in primary insomnia patients were investigated,respectively.Results Compared with healthy controls,the decreased FCD values were showed in the right insula,bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus,left orbitofrontal middle gyrus,left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus,right medial superior frontal gyrus and bilateral thalamus(t<-5.271,Padjust<0.05),while the increased FCD values showed in the right superior temporal gyrus,bilateral middle temporal gyrus,bilateral precuneus and left posterior cingulate gyrus(t>4.379,Padjust<0.05)in the chronic primary insomnia patients group.The FCD values of bilateral thalamus(r=-0.620,P<0.001;r=-0.562,P<0.005)and right insula(r=-0.651,P<0.001)were negatively correlated with insomnia severity index in the chronic primary insomnia patients group,respectively.Conclusion The extensive functional connectivity abnormalities are observed in primary insomnia patients via FCD analysis.These findings explain the neural mechanisms of underlying emotional regulation and cognitive impairment in chronic insomnia from the perspective of functional integration and functional separation.

Purpose: The present study investigated the association between Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE)-estimated cardiovascular risk and carotid stiffening in a middle-aged population using ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV). Methods: This study enrolled 683 participants without known cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus who underwent ufPWV measurements. Clinical interviews, physical examinations, laboratory findings, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), pulse wave velocity (PWV) at the beginning of systole (PWV-BS), and PWV at the end of systole (PWV-ES) were assessed. Each participant underwent an assessment of SCORE risk based on major cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), including age, sex, smoking, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and total cholesterol (TC). Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals and ordinal logistic regression were used. Overall CVRFs were adjusted to assess ORs. Results: cIMT and carotid stiffening in PWV-BS and PWV-ES were significantly different between sex subgroups (all P<0.05), but only PWV-ES increased gradually in age and SCORE-estimated risk subgroups (all P<0.05). Compared with cIMT (r=0.388, P<0.001) and PWV-BS (r=0.159, P<0.001), PWV-ES was more strongly correlated with SCORE categories (r=0.405, P<0.001). Higher PWV-ES values were associated with SCORE categories independently of sex, SBP, TC, and smoking in moderate-risk and high-risk subgroups (OR, 1.63; P<0.001 and OR, 2.12; P=0.024, respectively), but were not independent of age in all risk subgroups (all P>0.05). Conclusion Carotid stiffening quantified by ufPWV is linked to SCORE categories, and elevated PWV-ES may aid in cardiovascular risk stratification.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effects of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion combined with zero-profile anchored spacer (ROI-C) application on cervical spondylosis.Methods:Eighty-nine patients, consisting of 58 males and 31 females, who received anterior cervical discectomy and fusion combined with zero-profile anchored spacer (ROI-C) application in First People's Hospital of Guiyang from May 2015 to May 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 138 segments were fused. Operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications and their incidence were recorded. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, Visual Analogue Scale score, and Neck Disability Index score were used to evaluate clinical effects of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion combined with ROI-C application. Imaging examination was performed to determine cervical curvature, intervertebral space height of fused segments, interbody fusion rate and changes in adjacent segments. The stability and long-term effects of postoperative cervical spine were evaluated.Results:All 89 patients were followed up for (25.6 ± 6.8) months (range 12-36 months). In 53 patients who underwent single-segment fusion, operative time was (85.54 ± 12.53) minutes and the amount of blood loss was (58.45 ± 10.24) mL. In 25 patients who underwent two-segment fusion, operative time was (115.57 ± 16.42) minutes and the amount of blood loss was (92.62 ± 12.44) mL. In 9 patients who underwent three-segment fusion, operative time was (148.63 ± 19.42) minutes and the amount of blood loss was (118.54 ± 11.25) mL. In 2 patients who underwent four-segment fusion, operative time and the amount of blood loss were 188 minutes and 175 mL, respectively in one patient and they were 214 minutes and 225 mL in another patient, respectively. With time went during 1 week to 12 months after surgery, Japanese Orthopaedic Association score was greatly increased, Neck Disability Index score was remarkably decreased, and Visual Analogue Scale score was also significantly decreased ( F = 11.25, 26.35, 20.26, all P < 0.05). Swallowing discomfort occurred in only 2 (2.2%) patients. No patients had incision hematoma, infection, hoarseness or choking cough. At 1 week to 12 months after surgery, cervical curvature and the height of intervertebral space of fused segments were superior to those before surgery (both P < 0.05). At 12 months after surgery, X-ray examination revealed bony fusion with no loosening and displacement of fusion cage and no obvious degeneration of adjacent segments. Conclusion:Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion combined with ROI-C application for the treatment of cervical spondylosis exhibits great therapeutic effects because it can greatly alleviate patient symptoms and improve cervical function.

Determining whether patients have volume-responsiveness is one of the frequently asked questions in the intensive care unit, especially in shock patients. Evaluating the volume status and volume responsiveness can help clinical medical staff accurately grasp the patient's cardiac preload, guide reasonable volume management, and help improve patient prognosis. Therefore, many non-invasive and invasive methods have been proposed to evaluate volume responsiveness. Inferior vena cava ultrasound has been widely used to guide the fluid management of critically ill patients due to its simplicity, non-invasiveness, and good repeatability. This article reviews the clinical applications of inferior vena cava ultrasound in fluid management of critically ill patients, so as to provide a reference for circulatory management of critically ill patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility of apical sodium-dependent bile salt transporter (ASBT) and asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) in the design of oral liver-targeting preparations for the treatment of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) by measuring the expression of ASBT and ASGPR. MethodsA total of 18 male Sprague-Dawley rats were selected, among which 10 were used to establish a model of HAE (HAE group) and 8 were used as controls (normal group). Immunofluorescence assay, Western blotting, and quantitative real-time PCR were used to measure the expression distribution, protein expression level, and mRNA expression level of ASBT in the ileal tissue of HAE model rats and normal rats; the same methods were used to measure the expression level of ASGPR in the non-diseased liver tissue and the marginal zone of liver tissue lesion of HAE model rats and the liver tissue of normal rats. The t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups; a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between three groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for comparison between two groups. ResultsThe results of immunofluorescence assay, Western blotting, and quantitative real-time PCR showed that compared with the normal group, the HAE group had significantly upregulated expression of ASBT in the ileal tissue (t=5309, 4.110, and 28.060, all P＜0.05) and a significantly higher expression level of ASGPR (the closer to the lesion, the higher the expression) (F=110666, 128.201, and 143.879, all P＜0.001). ConclusionASBT and ASGPR can be used as potential mediated receptors for oral liver-targeting preparations for HAE, which provides a theoretical basis for the design of oral liver-targeting preparations for the treatment of HAE.

Objective: To compare the consistency of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) results from four chemiluminescence assays. Methods: A total of 102 fresh serum samples from Peking Union Medical College Hospital during March 2018 and April 2018 were collected for precision evaluation and methodological comparison referring to CLSI EP15-A2 and EP9-A2 protocols. The levels of serum TSH were detected by Abbott i2000 (system A), Beckman DXI800 (system B), Siemens ADVIA Centaur XP (system C) and Roche e601 (system D) automatic chemiluminescence analyzers and their matching reagents, respectively. The obtained results were compared with the passing-bablok and Bland Altman methods. Taking 0.27 μIU/mL and 5.33 μIU/mL as the medical decision level, the expected bias of each detection system was compared. Results: The precisions of systems A,B,C and D were 1.7%-3.3%， 2.3%- 3.9%，0.7%-2.3% and 0.6%-1.5%,respectively. The median (P 25,P 75) of TSH concentrations detected by systems A,B,C and D were 1.898 (0.518,4.809)μIU/mL, 2.819 (0.719,7.020)μIU/mL,2.502 (0.692,6.888)μIU/mL and 3.105 (0.886, 7.905)μIU/mL, respectively. The coefficients of determination (R 2 ) of regression equation were above 0.975 for 4 detection systems. The correlation coefficients (r), intercepts and slopes of 4 detection systems were 0.993 5-0.997 1, 0-0.06 and 0.59-1.15, respectively, and systems B and C had the best correlations with 1.02 of slope and 0 of intercept. The deviation plot showed that the bias% of 4 detection systems was between -48.1% and 17.3%. Among them, systems A and D had the largest bias, while systems B and C had the lowest bias. The expected bias of 4 detection systems at the medical decision level was -40.7%-37.2%. Conclusion The consistency between Beckman and Siemens TSH detection systems is good, while those of Roche and Abbott TSH detection systems are different from the other two.

Objective To evaluate the analytical performance of four lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2(Lp-PLA2)activity reagents on Beckman AU5800 automatic biochemical analyzer. Methods The remaining serum samples of 214 patients and 140 apparently healthy individuals were collected from March to July 2017 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital.These samples were used for method comparison and reference interval evaluation.According to the guidelines of EP15-A,EP6-A,EP-17 and EP7-P from Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)standards,the precision, linearity, sensitivity and common interferences(e.g free bilirubin, conjunct bilirubin, hemoglobin and chyle)were assessed.According to EP9-A2,method comparisons of differents regents(Evermed,DiaSys,Hengxiao and Zhongyuan were labeled as A,B,C and D,respectively)were conducted and the differences were estimated at medical decision levels(328U/L,391U/L and 485U/L).Results The precision of four reagents were acceptable.The repeatability(CV%)of A to D were 0.5%-1.7%, 0.7%-3.0%, 0.9%-2.0% and 0.5%-3.3%,respectively.The reproducibility(CV%)were 0.7%-2.9%, 1.4%-3.2%, 1.3%-1.9%and 0.8%-4.1%,respectively.Both of those achievedlaboratory defined quality objective(<5%).The linearity of A to D were 44 -1 992 U/L,39 -1 798 U/L,13 -540 U/L and 75-1 717U/L,respectively.The regression coefficient R2 was between 0.997 and 1.000, and the correlation coefficient(r)was between 0.998 and 1.000.The interference of chyle were acceptable among these four reagents andmet the manufacturer′s requirementsor clinical needs.In a low level of Lp-PLA2,bilirubin had an obvious interferenceonreagent C;B and C were negatively affected when the hemoglobin was 4.5 g/L; and D was positively affected when the hemoglobin was 2.45 g/L.The regression coefficients R2 of A,C,D compared with B were between 0.978 and 0.995,and the correlation coefficients(r)were between 0.989 and 0.998. The expected differences at medical decision levels ranged from -240 U/L to 113 U/L.For A to D,the Lp-PLA2 activity results of 131(93.6%), 140(100%), 82(58.6%), and 128(91.4%)cases were analysed within the manufacturer′s claimed reference intervals.Conclusion The precision and linearity of the four Lp-PLA2 activity detection reagents used in automatic biochemical analyzer are good, but the anti-interference ability needs to be improved.