Objective To explore the relationship between intestinal flora imbalance and pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to analyze the related influencing factors. Methods A total of 310 patients with COPD who were admitted to Air Force Military Medical University Tangdu Hospital from June 2022 to December 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Based on intestinal flora status, the enrolled patients were classified into imbalance group (n=83) and non-imbalance group (n=227). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the independent related factors of intestinal flora imbalance in COPD patients. Based on the above factors, a prediction model was constructed, and ROC curve analysis model was applied to analyze the predictive value of the model on intestinal flora imbalance. Results Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, IL-6, albumin, pulmonary function, long-term bed rest and long-term use of antibiotics were related to intestinal flora imbalance in COPD patients (all P<0.05). ROC results of the Logistic prediction model showed that the area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity and 95%CI were 0.961, 0.880, 0.996 and 0.932-0.989 respectively. Conclusion The intestinal flora imbalance in patients with COPD is closely related to lung function, age, inflammatory status, nutritional indicators, activity ability and antibiotic use.

Blood turbidity and collateral disease are closely related to each other as the important component parts of the theoretical system of modern traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The former focuses on blood and the latter on blood vessels and collaterals. By integrating these two theories, a theoretical basis for TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment of modern diseases can be provided. This article summarizes the correlation of origin, concept, treatment method and representative drugs of two theories, and points out that both blood turbidity and collateral disease prospers and develops through the integration of TCM classical theory and modern medical achievements. Theoretically, blood turbidity is the cause of collateral disease, and collateral disease is the result of aggravated blood turbidity. In many metabolic diseases, blood turbidity and collateral disease actually correspond to the main features of the early and late stages of the same disease, respectively. In treatment, clearing blood turbidity is consistent with dredging collaterals. When clearing blood turbidity, it is necessary to dredge the collaterals, and when dredging the collaterals, it is necessary to clear the blood turbidity. In terms of prescription and medication, Huazhuo Xingxue Decoction is the representative prescription of blood turbidity, which can be combined with Ramulus Cinnamomi, Sichuan lovage rhizome, earthworm, and other dredging collateral drugs. The representative prescription for collateral disease is Tongxinluo Capsule, which can be combined with lotus leaf, Fructus Crataegi, cassia seed, and other turbid-clearing drugs to enhance the curative effect.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between empathy and meaning in life among medical students,and explore the mediating role of altruistic behavior.Methods:A total of 581 medical students were recrui-ted.They were assessed with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index-C(IRI-C),Altruistic Behavior Questionnaire of College Students(ABQ-CS),and Quadripartite Existential Meaning Scale(QEMS).The bootstrap method was used to test the hypothesized mediating effect.Results:The scores of IRI-C were positively correlated with the scores of ABQ-CS and QEMS(r=0.45,0.21,Ps＜0.001).The scores of ABQ-CS were positively correlated with the QEMS scores(r=0.46,P＜0.001).Altruism was a complete mediator between empathy and meaning in life,the indirect effect was 0.20(95％CI:0.15-0.26).Conclusion:This study reveals the underlying connections a-mong altruistic behavior,empathy,and meaning in life among medical students,suggesting that interventions targe-ting empathy and altruistic behavior may enhance their meaning in life.

Objective To analyze the symptomatic improvement effects of vitamin D in children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD)based on the microbiota-gut-brain axis.Methods Seventy-two children with ASD were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group,with 36 cases in each group.Three cases dropped out in the control group.The observation group received 1200 IU/day of vitamin D supplementation in addition to conventional rehabilitation training,while the control group received only conventional rehabilitation training.The intervention lasted for 12 weeks.Assessments were conducted before and after the intervention using the childhood autism rating scale(CARS),autism behavior checklist(ABC),and repetitive behavior scale-revised(RBS-R).Resting-state functional connectivity of the brain was measured using near-infrared functional imaging,and serum levels of 25(OH)D3,inflammatory cytokines,and gut microbiota were analyzed.The differences in these indicators before and after the intervention were compared between the two groups to evaluate clinical efficacy.Results The between-group differences in pre-and post-intervention changes showed that the observation group had significantly greater improvements than the control group in the following measures:CARS scores(-5.92±1.40 vs.-2.55±1.43),RBS-R scores(-5.99±1.01 vs.-3.10±1.47),resting-state brain functional connectivity(0.19±0.15 vs.0.10±0.18),serum 25(OH)D3 levels[(34.89±8.18)ng/mL vs.(0.68±6.73)ng/mL],serum interleukin-6(IL-6)levels[(-6.60±6.07)pg/mL vs.(-0.74±9.45)pg/mL],IL-1β levels[(-2.56±1.33)pg/mL vs.(-0.04±2.13)pg/mL],and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)levels[(-4.09±3.85)pg/mL vs.(0.21±4.05)pg/mL](P<0.05).Post-intervention,significant differences in gut microbial β-diversity were observed between the two groups(R2=0.030,P=0.040,Adonis).LEfSe analysis revealed that the observation group exhibited enrichment in Clostridia(LDA=4.747,P=0.003),Clostridiales(LDA=4.747,P=0.003),Clostridiaceae(LDA=3.476,P=0.001),Lachnospiraceae(LDA=4.709,P=0.004),Odoribacteraceae(LDA=3.458,P=0.027),Odoribacter(LDA=3.458,P=0.027),Burkholderiales(LDA=3.339,P=0.038),Firmicutes(LDA=4.764,P=0.003),and Betaproteobacteria(LDA=3.338,P=0.037).Conclusion Vitamin D supplementation can modulate gut microbial diversity in children with ASD,significantly influence the abundance of specific gut microbiota,reduce systemic inflammatory cytokines,enhance brain functional connectivity,and alleviate clinical symptoms of ASD.

Objective To analyze the symptomatic improvement effects of vitamin D in children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD)based on the microbiota-gut-brain axis.Methods Seventy-two children with ASD were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group,with 36 cases in each group.Three cases dropped out in the control group.The observation group received 1200 IU/day of vitamin D supplementation in addition to conventional rehabilitation training,while the control group received only conventional rehabilitation training.The intervention lasted for 12 weeks.Assessments were conducted before and after the intervention using the childhood autism rating scale(CARS),autism behavior checklist(ABC),and repetitive behavior scale-revised(RBS-R).Resting-state functional connectivity of the brain was measured using near-infrared functional imaging,and serum levels of 25(OH)D3,inflammatory cytokines,and gut microbiota were analyzed.The differences in these indicators before and after the intervention were compared between the two groups to evaluate clinical efficacy.Results The between-group differences in pre-and post-intervention changes showed that the observation group had significantly greater improvements than the control group in the following measures:CARS scores(-5.92±1.40 vs.-2.55±1.43),RBS-R scores(-5.99±1.01 vs.-3.10±1.47),resting-state brain functional connectivity(0.19±0.15 vs.0.10±0.18),serum 25(OH)D3 levels[(34.89±8.18)ng/mL vs.(0.68±6.73)ng/mL],serum interleukin-6(IL-6)levels[(-6.60±6.07)pg/mL vs.(-0.74±9.45)pg/mL],IL-1β levels[(-2.56±1.33)pg/mL vs.(-0.04±2.13)pg/mL],and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)levels[(-4.09±3.85)pg/mL vs.(0.21±4.05)pg/mL](P<0.05).Post-intervention,significant differences in gut microbial β-diversity were observed between the two groups(R2=0.030,P=0.040,Adonis).LEfSe analysis revealed that the observation group exhibited enrichment in Clostridia(LDA=4.747,P=0.003),Clostridiales(LDA=4.747,P=0.003),Clostridiaceae(LDA=3.476,P=0.001),Lachnospiraceae(LDA=4.709,P=0.004),Odoribacteraceae(LDA=3.458,P=0.027),Odoribacter(LDA=3.458,P=0.027),Burkholderiales(LDA=3.339,P=0.038),Firmicutes(LDA=4.764,P=0.003),and Betaproteobacteria(LDA=3.338,P=0.037).Conclusion Vitamin D supplementation can modulate gut microbial diversity in children with ASD,significantly influence the abundance of specific gut microbiota,reduce systemic inflammatory cytokines,enhance brain functional connectivity,and alleviate clinical symptoms of ASD.

Microbial communities such as those residing in the human gut are highly diverse and complex, and many with important implications for health and diseases. The effects and functions of these microbial communities are determined not only by their species compositions and diversities but also by the dynamic intra- and inter-cellular states at the transcriptional level. Powerful and scalable technologies capable of acquiring single-microbe-resolution RNA sequencing information in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of complex microbial communities together with their hosts are therefore utterly needed. Here we report the development and utilization of a droplet-based smRNA-seq (single-microbe RNA sequencing) method capable of identifying large species varieties in human samples, which we name smRandom-seq2. Together with a triple-module computational pipeline designed for the bacteria and bacteriophage sequencing data by smRandom-seq2 in four human gut samples, we established a single-cell level bacterial transcriptional landscape of human gut microbiome, which included 29,742 single microbes and 329 unique species. Distinct adaptive response states among species in Prevotella and Roseburia genera and intrinsic adaptive strategy heterogeneity in Phascolarctobacterium succinatutens were uncovered. Additionally, we identified hundreds of novel host-phage transcriptional activity associations in the human gut microbiome. Our results indicated that smRandom-seq2 is a high-throughput and high-resolution smRNA-seq technique that is highly adaptable to complex microbial communities in real-world situations and promises new perspectives in the understanding of human microbiomes.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/genetics* ; Bacteriophages/physiology* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Sequence Analysis, RNA/methods* ; Bacteria/virology*

Objective:To investigate the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS) on the core symptoms, brain functional connectivity and activation in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).Methods:From September 2022 to March 2024, a total of 35 children with ADHD were selected as research subjects and they were randomly divided into observation group ( n=17) and control group ( n=18). The control group received conventional rehabilitation therapy, while the observation group received rTMS therapy in addition to the conventional therapy. Both groups were treated every other day, with each course of treatment lasting four weeks, and a total of three courses of treatment were administered consecutively. The clinical symptoms of the children with ADHD were assessed using Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham-Ⅳ(SNAP-Ⅳ) before and after treatment. fNIRS was used to detect the relative concentration changes of oxyhemoglobin (HbO 2) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) in the prefrontal cortex under resting-state and Go/Nogo task conditions before and after treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 software. Paired sample t-test were used for within-group comparisons, and independent sample t-test were used for between-group comparisons. Results:(1) After treatment, the scores for inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity and oppositional defiant behavior in the two groups were significantly lower than before treatment ( t=3.51-18.86, all P<0.05). The scores for inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity and oppositional defiant behavior in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t=2.21, 2.03, 2.39, all P<0.05). (2) After treatment, the functional connectivity strength between all regions of interest in both groups was significantly higher than before treatment ( t=3.53-37.90, all P<0.05). The functional connectivity strength of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (0.25±0.03, 0.21±0.03), right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (0.12±0.02, 0.09±0.02), left medial prefrontal cortex (0.13±0.02, 0.10±0.01) and right medial prefrontal cortex (0.31±0.04, 0.24±0.06) in the observation group was significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). (3) In the Go/Nogo task, after treatment, the average HbO 2 concentrations in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left medial prefrontal cortex, right medial prefrontal cortex, left temporal lobe, and right temporal lobe in both groups were all higher than before treatment (all P<0.05). After treatment, the average HbO 2 concentrations in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left medial prefrontal cortex and right medial prefrontal cortex of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion:rTMS therapy can improve the core symptoms of children with ADHD, which may be related to the strength of brain functional connectivity and activation of ADHD brain function by rTMS.

Objective:To compare the effects of intraoperative administration or non-administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) on early postoperative inflammatory response and clinical outcomes in elderly male patients with intertrochanteric femur fractures.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 92 elderly male patients with intertrochanteric femur fractures admitted to Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University from January 2020 to December 2022, aged 62-96 years [(79.9±8.4)years]. According to the modified Evans classification, the fractures were classified as types I-III in 33 patients and types IV-V in 59. All the patients were treated with proximal femoral intramedullary nail fixation. Among them, 46 patients received intraoperative TXA (TXA group), while 46 patients did not (non-TXA group). The operative duration, intraoperative blood loss, length of postoperative hospital stay were compared between the two groups. The serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days postoperatively were detected. The complication rate and mortality within 1 year postoperatively were also compared between the two groups.Results:All the patients were followed up for 1-12 months [(10.9±2.8)months]. No significant difference was found in the operative duration between the groups ( P>0.05). The intraoperative blood loss and length of postoperative hospital stay were 150.0(100.0, 200.0)ml and (6.8±1.9)days in the TXA group, less or shorter than those in the non-TXA group [200.0(150.0, 262.5)ml and (7.7±2.0)days] ( P<0.05). At 1, 3, and 5 days postoperatively, the IL-6 levels in the TXA group were 84.5(66.3, 100.1)pg/ml, 48.9(36.8, 61.2)pg/ml, and 27.9(19.4, 37.5)pg/ml, which were all lower than those in the non-TXA group [110.3(83.1, 162.9)pg/ml, 63.7(44.2, 84.2)pg/ml, and 32.7(22.4, 42.9)pg/ml] ( P<0.05). No statistically significant difference in the IL-6 level was observed between the two groups at 7 days postoperatively ( P>0.05). At 1 and 3 days after operation, the VAS scores in the TXA group were (4.3±0.9)points and (2.5±0.9)points, lower than those in the non-TXA group [(6.8±1.2)points and (3.0±1.2)points] ( P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in VAS scores between the two groups at 5 and 7 days postoperatively ( P>0.05). The complication rate within one year after operation was 28% (13/46) in the TXA group, significantly lower than 50% (23/46) in the non-TXA group ( P<0.05). No significant difference was observed in the mortality within 1 year postoperatively between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Compared with non-administration of TXA, intraoperative administration of TXA can effectively reduce the intraoperative blood loss, shorten the length of postoperative hospital stay, significantly lower early postoperative inflammation levels, reduce early postoperative pain intensity, and decrease the incidence of complications in elderly male patients with intertrochanteric femur fractures, with no significant difference in mortality within 1 year after operation between the two groups.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between empathy and meaning in life among medical students,and explore the mediating role of altruistic behavior.Methods:A total of 581 medical students were recrui-ted.They were assessed with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index-C(IRI-C),Altruistic Behavior Questionnaire of College Students(ABQ-CS),and Quadripartite Existential Meaning Scale(QEMS).The bootstrap method was used to test the hypothesized mediating effect.Results:The scores of IRI-C were positively correlated with the scores of ABQ-CS and QEMS(r=0.45,0.21,Ps＜0.001).The scores of ABQ-CS were positively correlated with the QEMS scores(r=0.46,P＜0.001).Altruism was a complete mediator between empathy and meaning in life,the indirect effect was 0.20(95％CI:0.15-0.26).Conclusion:This study reveals the underlying connections a-mong altruistic behavior,empathy,and meaning in life among medical students,suggesting that interventions targe-ting empathy and altruistic behavior may enhance their meaning in life.

Objective:To investigate the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS) on the core symptoms, brain functional connectivity and activation in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).Methods:From September 2022 to March 2024, a total of 35 children with ADHD were selected as research subjects and they were randomly divided into observation group ( n=17) and control group ( n=18). The control group received conventional rehabilitation therapy, while the observation group received rTMS therapy in addition to the conventional therapy. Both groups were treated every other day, with each course of treatment lasting four weeks, and a total of three courses of treatment were administered consecutively. The clinical symptoms of the children with ADHD were assessed using Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham-Ⅳ(SNAP-Ⅳ) before and after treatment. fNIRS was used to detect the relative concentration changes of oxyhemoglobin (HbO 2) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) in the prefrontal cortex under resting-state and Go/Nogo task conditions before and after treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 software. Paired sample t-test were used for within-group comparisons, and independent sample t-test were used for between-group comparisons. Results:(1) After treatment, the scores for inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity and oppositional defiant behavior in the two groups were significantly lower than before treatment ( t=3.51-18.86, all P<0.05). The scores for inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity and oppositional defiant behavior in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t=2.21, 2.03, 2.39, all P<0.05). (2) After treatment, the functional connectivity strength between all regions of interest in both groups was significantly higher than before treatment ( t=3.53-37.90, all P<0.05). The functional connectivity strength of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (0.25±0.03, 0.21±0.03), right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (0.12±0.02, 0.09±0.02), left medial prefrontal cortex (0.13±0.02, 0.10±0.01) and right medial prefrontal cortex (0.31±0.04, 0.24±0.06) in the observation group was significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). (3) In the Go/Nogo task, after treatment, the average HbO 2 concentrations in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left medial prefrontal cortex, right medial prefrontal cortex, left temporal lobe, and right temporal lobe in both groups were all higher than before treatment (all P<0.05). After treatment, the average HbO 2 concentrations in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left medial prefrontal cortex and right medial prefrontal cortex of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion:rTMS therapy can improve the core symptoms of children with ADHD, which may be related to the strength of brain functional connectivity and activation of ADHD brain function by rTMS.