Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is a serious disorder,and exploration of active compounds to treat it is necessary.An acidic polysaccharide named SUSP-4 was purified from Selaginella uncinata(Desv.)Spring,which contained galacturonic acid,galactose,xylose,arabinose,and rhamnose with the main chain structure of →4)-α-D-GalAp-(1 → and →6)-β-D-Galp-(1 → and the branched structure of →5)-α-L-Araf-(1 →.Animal experiments showed that compared with Model group,SUSP-4 significantly improved body weight status,disease activity index(DAI),colonic shortening,and histopathological damage,and elevated occludin and zonula occludens protein 1(ZO-1)expression in mice induced by dextran sulfate sodium salt(DSS).16S ribosomal RNA(rRNA)sequencing indicated that SUSP-4 markedly downregulated the level of Akkermansia and Alistipes.Metabolomics results confirmed that SUSP-4 obviously elevated thiamine levels compared with Model mice by adjusting thiamine metabolism,which was further confirmed by a targeted metabolism study.Fecal transplantation experiments showed that SUSP-4 exerted an anti-IBD effect by altering the intestinal flora in mice.A mechanistic study showed that SUSP-4 markedly inhibited macrophage activation by decreasing the levels of phospho-nuclear factor kappa-B(p-NF-κB)and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)and elevating NF-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)levels compared with Model group.In conclusion,SUSP-4 affected thiamine metabolism by regulating Akker-mania and inhibited macrophage activation to adjust NF-κB/Nrf2/COX-2-mediated inflammation and oxidative stress against IBD.This is the first time that plant polysaccharides have been shown to affect thiamine metabolism against IBD,showing great potential for in-depth research and development applications.

Objective To explore the relevant relationship and specificity between the implicit and explicit loyalty of military cadets in order to provide a theoretical basis and objective indicators for a more comprehensive and objective assessment for individual loyalty.Methods E-Prime 2.0,a classic implicit association paradigm was employed to construct an implicit association loyalty test for 64 military cadets.Simultaneously,an explicit loyalty measurement was conducted using the Chinese Military Personnel Loyalty Scale.Results ① Significant implicit effect was observed in the loyalty assessment of military cadets,indicating a general tendency to perceive higher levels of personal loyalty and lower levels of loyalty to external entities.② Explicit loyalty assessment revealed that the participants had the highest loyalty score towards the Party,the Nation,and the People(4.79±0.34),followed by the loyalty score to their profession(4.38±0.53),and the relatively lower loyalty score towards the unit and leaders(4.03±0.83).Among the 3 dimensions of loyalty,the normative loyalty score ranked highest,while continuance loyalty score took lower.③ There were no correlations among the scores of loyalty to the Party,the Nation,and the People(r=-0.030,P=0.823),to the profession(r=-0.047,P=0.728),to the unit(r=0.050,P=0.710),or to the leaders(r=0.043,P=0.749).Conclusion The implicit effect in the loyalty assessment is significant in military cadets,and there is no significant correlation between explicit and implicit loyalty measurements.Thus,we cannot rely solely on explicit measurements to assess their loyalty attitudes.

Objective Explore differences in the cognitive abilities of socially different Labradors.Methods The dog mentality assessment(DMA)test created by the Swedish Working Dog Association was modified to employ 12 behavioral variables from five subtests of the DMA test,social contact,play Ⅰ,distance-play,ghosts and play Ⅱ,to assess sociability of the dogs.In accordance with the scoring criteria,49 labradors provided by the China Guide Dog Training Centre in Dalian were scored on the social behavioral variables and classified into high(n=15)and low(n=34)sociability groups by cluster analysis.A new system to test canine cognitive ability was developed using the dog cognitive development battery,which tests various domains of cognitive ability such as social cue use,unsolvable task,inhibitory control,cognitive flexibility,working memory,and multistep problem solving task.The dogs'behavioral performance and duration of the test were also recorded.Statistical analysis was performed to determine assess differences in the cognitive abilities of socially diverse dogs.Results Dogs in the high and low social subgroups differed significantly in behavioral variables of the unsolvable task,inhibitory control test,and multistep problem solving task.In the unsolvable task,dogs in the high social group looked at people for significantly longer than dogs in the low social grouping(P=0.008)and looked at people with significantly less latency time than dogs in the low social group(P=0.0001).In the inhibitory control,dogs in the high social group chose significantly more correctly than dogs in the low social group(P=0.034)and chose for significantly less time than dogs in the low social group(P=0.039).In the multistep problem solving task,for dogs in the high social group.successfully completed number of stakes was significantly higher than for dogs in the low social group(P=0.044).The percentage of operation pale time was significantly lower than for dogs in the low social group(P=0.05).The average latency time to solve the bone task was significantly higher than for dogs in the low social group(P=0.037).Moreover,the percentage of operation bone time was significantly lower than for dogs in the low social group(P=0.038).In tests involving a manipulable apparatus,dogs in the high social group spent more time looking at people than dogs in the low social group and less time manipulating the apparatus than dogs in the low subgroup,but no statistically significant differences were observed(P＞0.05).Conclusions Highly sociable labradors have a greater cognitive ability,they are more able to suppress impulses during tests,more able to complete the multistep problem solving task,and more inclined to change strategies to seek new cues from people rather than obsessing over manipulating the apparatus when they are unable to solve a problem.

OBJECTIVE To explore the pharmacodynamic related substances and mechanism of Weining San(WNS) against gastric ulcer(GU) according to fingerprint and network pharmacology. METHODS Twelve batches of WNS fingerprints were established by HPLC, and methodological investigation was carried out. Combined with reference substances, characteristic peaks were identified, pharmacodynamic related substances were screened, and network pharmacological analysis was carried out. Using TCMIP and Swiss Target Prediction database to retrieve component targets; Using OMIM, GeneCards and Drugbank databases to retrieve GU disease targets, taking the intersection targets of components and diseases, using String database to construct protein-protein interaction network diagram, and analyzing topological parameters; Using Cytoscape 3.8.2 software to construct "component-disease-target" network diagram; GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of intersection targets were carried out by Metascape website. Then the alcoholic GU mouse model was established by intragastric administration of absolute ethanol to verify the results of network pharmacology prediction. RESUITS　The precision, stability and repeatability of HPLC fingerprint method were good. By comparison and comprehensive analysis of control substances, notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rg1, militarine, ginsenoside Rb1, schisandrin, schisandrol B, deoxyschizandrin and schisantherin A were identified as pharmacodynamic related substances in WNS, which may play their role by regulating core targets such as AKT1, IL-6, STAT3, TNF, IL1B and key signal pathways such as PI3K-Akt and JAK-STAT. The gastric ulcer index, ulcer inhibition rate and HE staining showed that WNS could improve gastric mucosal injury in GU mice. The results of ELISA, WST-1 and TBA showed that WNS could decrease the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and MDA, and increase the levels of SOD and PGE2, suggesting that the anti-GU effect of WNS was related to the inhibition of inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress mechanism, which further verified the prediction of network pharmacology. CONCLUSION This study combines fingerprint analysis, network pharmacology, and animal experimental validation to explore the pharmacodynamic related substances and mechanisms of WNS anti-GU efficacy, providing reference for quality control and clinical research of WNS.

It is necessary to explore potent therapeutic agents via regulating gut microbiota and metabolism to combat Parkinson's disease(PD).Dioscin,a bioactive steroidal saponin,shows various activities.How-ever,its effects and mechanisms against PD are limited.In this study,dioscin dramatically alleviated neuroinflammation and oxidative stress,and restored the disorders of mice induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP).16 S rDNA sequencing assay demonstrated that dioscin reversed MPTP-induced gut dysbiosis to decrease Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio and the abundances of Enterococcus,Streptococcus,Bacteroides and Lactobacillus genera,which further inhibited bile salt hy-drolase(BSH)activity and blocked bile acid(BA)deconjugation.Fecal microbiome transplantation test showed that the anti-PD effect of dioscin was gut microbiota-dependent.In addition,non-targeted fecal metabolomics assays revealed many differential metabolites in adjusting steroid biosynthesis and pri-mary bile acid biosynthesis.Moreover,targeted bile acid metabolomics assay indicated that dioscin increased the levels of ursodeoxycholic acid,tauroursodeoxycholic acid,taurodeoxycholic acid and β-muricholic acid in feces and serum.In addition,ursodeoxycholic acid administration markedly improved the protective effects of dioscin against PD in mice.Mechanistic test indicated that dioscin significantly up-regulated the levels of takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5(TGR5),glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor(GLP-1R),GLP-1,superoxide dismutase(SOD),and down-regulated NADPH oxidases 2(NOX2)and nu-clear factor-kappaB(NF-κB)levels.Our data indicated that dioscin ameliorated PD phenotype by restoring gut dysbiosis and regulating bile acid-mediated oxidative stress and neuroinflammation via targeting GLP-1 signal in MPTP-induced PD mice,suggesting that the compound should be considered as a prebiotic agent to treat PD in the future.

OBJECTIVE To optimize the preparation process of Soft-shelled turtle blood lyophilized powder （STBLP）， and to provide a reference for improving the availability and quality stability of soft-shelled turtle blood （STB）. METHODS STBLP was prepared with vacuum freeze-drying. Taking the solubility as the index， the preparation process parameters of STBLP were optimized by single factor experiment and Box-Behnken response surface method. RESULTS The optimal freeze-drying process for STBLP was obtained： pre-freezing time of 4 h， total drying time of 13 h （before at 0 ℃）， and resolution drying temperature of 25 ℃. The average solubility of 3 batches of STBLP prepared according to the optimal process was 95.72% （RSD＝0.68%， n＝3）， the relative error of which was －0.97% to the theoretical solubility （96.66%）. CONCLUSIONS Optimized lyophilization process in this study are stable and feasible， the solubility of the prepared sample is high.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination has been shown effective in controlling the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and reducing severe cases. This study was to assess the flare and change in disease activity after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with stable rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A prospective cohort of RA patients in remission or with low disease activity was divided into a vaccination group and a non-vaccination group based on their COVID-19 vaccination status. Each of them was examined every 3 to 6 months. In the vaccination group, disease activity was compared before and after vaccination. The rates of flare defined as disease activity scores based on 28-joint count (DAS28) >3.2 with ΔDAS28 ≥0.6 were compared between vaccination and non-vaccination groups. RESULTS: A total of 202 eligible RA patients were enrolled. Of these, 98 patients received no vaccine shot (non-vaccination group), and 104 patients received two doses of vaccine (vaccination group). The median time interval from pre-vaccination visit to the first immunization and from the second dose of vaccine to post-vaccination visit was 67 days and 83 days, respectively. The disease activity scores at pre-vaccination and post-vaccination visits in the vaccination group patients were similar. At enrollment, gender, RA disease course, seropositivity, and disease activity were comparable across the two groups. Flare was observed in five (4.8%) of the vaccination group patients and nine (9.2%) of the non-vaccination group patients at post-vaccination assessment ( P  = 0.221). In terms of safety, 29 (27.9%) patients experienced adverse events (AEs) after vaccination. No serious AEs occurred. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 vaccinations had no significant effect on disease activity or risk of flare in RA patients in remission or with low disease activity. Patients with stable RA should be encouraged to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
Humans ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Cohort Studies ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects* ; East Asian People ; Prospective Studies ; Vaccination/adverse effects*

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of red blood cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio (RPR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in predicting chronic hepatitis C (CHC)-related compensated liver cirrhosis by comparing serological markers between CHC patients and patients with compensated hepatitis C cirrhosis. MethodsThe patients with CHC in two townships of Fuyu County were screened for liver cirrhosis and liver cancer from September to December in 2019 and 2020, respectively. General information was collected; HCV RNA quantification, liver function, and routine blood test results were measured; liver transient elastography and abdominal ultrasound were performed at the same time. RPR, PLR, NLR, fibrosis-4 (FIB-4), and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) were calculated. The Mann-Whiney U test was used for comparison between groups. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to determine the optimal cut-off values of RPR and PLR. A multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for CHC-related liver cirrhosis. The linear regression trend test was used to investigate the changing trend of RPR, PLR, FIB-4, and APRI in hepatitis C patients with different fibrosis stages. ResultsA total of 968 CHC patients were enrolled, among whom 123 (12.7%) were diagnosed with compensated liver cirrhosis (liver cirrhosis group). Compared with the CHC group, the liver cirrhosis group had a significant increase in RPR and a significant reduction in PLR (P＜0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age ＞60 years (odds ratio ［OR］=1.79, 95% confidence interval ［CI］: 1.12-2.86, P=0.015), albumin ＜40 g/L (OR=1040, 95% CI: 3.47-31.18, P＜0.001), RPR ＞0.081 (OR=3.83, 95% CI: 2.19-6.69, P＜0.001), PLR ＜91.11 (OR=225, 95% CI: 1.31-3.89, P=0.004), FIB-4 ＞3.25 (OR=3.14, 95% CI: 1.74-5.67, P＜0.001), and APRI ＞2 (OR=360, 95% CI: 110-11.78, P=0.035) were associated with the development of CHC-related compensated liver cirrhosis. With the aggravation of liver fibrosis, RPR, FIB-4, and APRI gradually increased and PLR gradually decreased (all P＜0.001). ConclusionRPR and PLR are associated with the development and fibrosis progression of CHC-related compensated liver cirrhosis. Elderly patients with CHC (age ＞60 years) should be monitored for the changes in albumin and liver fibrosis indicators, and RPR and PLR should also be monitored regularly to identify liver cirrhosis in the early stage, give timely treatment, and reduce the incidence rate of liver cancer.

Objective To observe the effect of Huangqi granules combined with external treatment on the clinical therapeutic effects of typeⅡand Ⅲ stress injuries. Methods A total of 240 patients with typeⅡ andⅢ pressure injuries admitted to the Hengshui People's Hospital from January 2017 to March 2019 were enrolled. According to difference in therapeutic methods, the patients were divided into astragalus mongholicus granule group and routine treatment of Western medicine group, with 120 cases in each group. In both groups, the patients were given routine nursing treatment such as air cushion bed, regular body turn-over, nutrition support, health education, etc;in routine Western medicine treatment group, according to the principle of aseptic dressing change, the wounds were treated and covered with foam dressing; while in the astragalus mongholicus granule group, the routine nursing care and sterile dressing as above mentioned were also applied, additionally 3 bags of oral astragalus mongholicus granules mixed with boiled water each time, twice a day (equivalent to 10 g for each bag of Chinese herbal slices), 7 days as one course of treatment; at the same time, the wound was sterilized, debrided and washed with normal saline, and after drying, the rubber Shengji ointment for promoting growth of tissue was evenly spread on the wound and covered with foam dressing. In the two groups, the changes of pressure ulcer healing evaluation scale (PUSH) scores before treatment and 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after treatment, as well as the differences in wound healing time and clinical efficacy between the two groups after treatment were observed, and the recurrence rate was followed up for 10 weeks. Results Compared with routine Western medicine group, the Ⅱand Ⅲ wound healing times were significantly reduced in the astragalus mongholicus granule group [the days of wound healing for Ⅱ stress injury (days): 7.81±1.40 vs. 16.52±1.89, the days of wound healing for Ⅲ stress injury (days): 14.60±1.50 vs. 20.23±1.27, both P < 0.05]. With the prolongation of therapeutic time, the PUSH scores of two groups decreased gradually, there was no significant difference in the PUSH scores between the two groups before treatment and 7 days after treatment (both P > 0.05); after 14 days of treatment, the PUSH score of astragalus mongholicus granule group was significantly lower than that of the routine western medicine group (7.82±1.93 vs. 9.96±1.89), and lasted until 28 days (4.16±0.47 vs. 5.29±0.57), the differences being statistically significant (both P < 0.05). The total effective rate of the astragalus mongholicus granule group was significantly higher than that of the routine western medicine treatment group [99.41% (171/172) vs. 74.51% (114/153), P < 0.05], and the recurrence rate of the mongholicus granule group was obviously lower than the routine Western medicine treatment [3.60% (5/139) vs. 17.74% (11/62), P < 0.05]. Conclusion Oral astragalus mongholicus granules combined with myocreatic ointment external therapy can effectively shorten the healing time of type Ⅱand Ⅲ stress injury, improve the cure rate and reduce the recurrence rate.

Objective: To examine nurses′ experiences regarding the benefits and obstacles of using WeChat in health education for patients with PICC-line. Methods: A semi-structured interview was conducted with 12 nurses who using WeChat to assist health education for patients with PICC-line. Data were analyzed based on Colaizzi′s phenomenological research method. Results: Ten themes of three aspects were extracted: the benefits of using WeChat in health education include reduction in medical care consumption and costs, reduction in workload, facilitating improvement in the quality of care, promotion of the nurse–patient relationship, improvement in self-worth and professional knowledge; the obstacles of using WeChat in health education include perceived risk, disturbance to personal life, Sense of uncertainty; the advice of using WeChat in health education. Conclusions Exploring the experiences and obstacles of nurses regarding using WeChat in health education for patients with PICC-line can help improve the quality of health education and meanwhile provide the reference and basis for clinical health education.