Depression is a high-incidence mental disorder with complex causes and multifaceted pathogenic mechanisms. Its pathogenesis has not yet been fully elucidated， which has hindered the development of novel and highly effective antidepressant drugs. This condition severely affects human physical and mental health while imposing a significant socio-economic burden. At present， several hypotheses exist regarding the pathogenesis of depression， including monoamine neurotransmitter imbalances， neurotrophic factor deficiencies， neural plasticity impairments， glutamate dysregulation， neuroinflammatory disorders， gut microbiota imbalances， and mitochondrial autophagy dysfunction. Currently， most clinical antidepressants are monoamine neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitors. Although they exhibit certain therapeutic effects， they are associated with significant drawbacks， such as severe adverse reactions and poor patient compliance. In contrast， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， characterized by its multi-targeted effects， mild efficacy， and minimal side effects， has demonstrated significant advantages in the treatment of depression. Chinese medicine Polygalae Radix possesses the functions of calming the mind， enhancing cognitive functions， harmonizing the heart and kidneys， and dispelling phlegm to open orifices. It is often included in compound prescriptions for the clinical treatment of depression. Based on current hypotheses regarding the pathogenesis of depression， this paper systematically reviews research progress on the antidepressant mechanisms of Polygalae Radix from multiple perspectives， including its active components， its use in herbal pairings， and its inclusion in TCM compound prescriptions. This review aims to provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of Polygalae Radix in antidepressant therapy and to serve as a reference for the modernization of its antidepressant research.

Objective To investigate the species of ticks in Suizhou City, Hubei Province, so as to provide insights into management of ticks and tick-borne diseases. Methods During the period between May 2023 and June 2024, livestock breeding farms and vegetation neighboring the place of residence of confirmed and suspected patients with tick-borne disease were selected as sampling points in rural areas from Yindian Township, Gaocheng Township, Wanhe Township, Wushan Township, Xiaolin Township, Xihe Township, Hedian Township and Beijiao Street in Suizhou City, Hubei Province, where confirmed and suspected cases with tick-borne diseases had been reported. The parasitic ticks on the body surface of free-range livestock were captured with tweezers in livestock breeding farms, and free ticks on the vegetation surface were captured with the flagging method. Morphological identification of tick samples was performed under a microscope, and the gender and developmental stage of ticks were determined. One engorged adult tick, 2 to 3 blood-feeding but non-engorged adult ticks, 10 to 15 unfed female ticks, 15 to 20 unfed male ticks, and 30 to 40 tick nymphs or larvae were assigned into a group, respectively. Genomic DNA was extracted from tick samples in each group, and mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene was amplified. Sequence analysis was performed with the DNASTAR software, and phylogenetic analysis was performed using the software MEGA 7.0. In addition, the phylogenetic tree was generated using the maximum likelihood method based on the Kimura 2 parameter model. Results A total of 2 438 ticks were captured from Suizhou City, Hubei Province during the period between May 2023 and June 2024, including 595 free ticks and 1 483 parasitic ticks. Three developmental stages of ticks were captured, including larvae, nymphs, and adults, and 75.18% (1 899/2 438) of captured ticks were adult, in which 79.04% (1 501/1 899) were female. Morphological and molecular biological assays identified one family, three genera and four species of captured ticks, including 2 425 Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks (99.47%) and one H. flava tick (0.04%) of the genus Haemaphysalis, 11 Rhipicephalus microplus ticks (0.45%) of the genus Rhipicephalus, and one Ixodes sinensis tick (0.04%) of the genus Ixodes in the family Ixodidae. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the H. longicornis sequence (SZ49) in this study was clustered with sequences from Yunnan Province (GenBank accession number: MH024510.1), Hebei Province (GenBank accession number: MK450606.1) and Henan Province (GenBank accession number: MZ230645.1) into a clade, and the H. flava sequence (SZ19) in this study was clustered with sequences from Japan (GenBank accession number: MW064044.1), South Korea (GenBank accession number: ON629585.1), and Jiangsu Province (GenBank accession number: PP494741.1) and Hebei Province of China (GenBank accession number: MH520685.1) into a clade, while the R. microplus sequence (SZ8) in this study was clustered with the sequences from India (GenBank accession number: MK621328.1), and Henan Province (GenBank accession number: MT555307.1) and Guizhou Province of China (GenBank accession number: PP446801.1) into a clade. The sequence of I. sinensis (SZ23) in this study had 99.51% homology with that (GenBank accession number: OM368265.1) of ticks sampled from Wuhan City, Hubei Province. Conclusion There are four tick species of H. longicornis, H. flava, R. microplus and I. sinensis in Suizhou City, Hubei Province, and H. longicornis is the dominant species. H. flava is firstly recorded in Suizhou City.

Objective: To investigate the distribution patterns and risk factors for multidrug-resistant bacterial pulmonary infections in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) undergoing flap reconstruction surgery, and to provide evidence for infection prevention and treatment in this population. Methods: This study was approved by the institutional medical ethics committee. We retrospectively analyzed sputum culture results, antimicrobial susceptibility testing data, and clinical records of 109 OSCC patients undergoing flap reconstruction. Chi-square tests were employed to identify pathogens and risk factors for multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR) in postoperative pulmonary infections. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine MDR risk factors and establish a nomogram prediction model. The model’s discriminatory power, accuracy, and clinical utility were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: Among the 109 patients, 52 had negative sputum cultures and 57 tested positive, of whom 14 developed multidrug-resistant (MDR) pulmonary infections. Chi-square analysis revealed that blood transfusion, pre-existing pulmonary diseases, operation time ≥ 490 min, intraoperative blood loss ≥ 400 mL, and abnormal BMI were significant risk factors for postoperative MDR infections (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression identified pre-existing pulmonary diseases, intraoperative blood loss ≥ 400 mL, abnormal BMI, and operative duration ≥ 490 min as independent risk factors for MDR infections (P < 0.05). The nomogram prediction model for MDR infections demonstrated an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.874 (95% CI: 0.775-0.973). The calibration plot showed good agreement between predicted and observed outcomes. DCA indicated a net clinical benefit when the threshold probability for high-risk MDR infections ranged from 0.000 to 0.810. Common MDR pathogens included MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa, MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Conclusion Among OSCC patients undergoing flap reconstruction, MDR pulmonary infections were predominantly caused by gram-negative bacteria (including CRAB, MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae along with the gram-positive pathogen MRSA. Pre-existing pulmonary comorbidities, prolonged surgery duration (≥ 490 min), significant intraoperative blood loss (≥ 400 mL), and abnormal BMI were confirmed as independent risk factors for these MDR infections. The nomogram predictive model incorporating these four variables demonstrated clinically reliable accuracy in risk stratification for postoperative MDR pulmonary infections in this patient population.

Objective To analyze the economic cost of self-monitoring of gestational diabetes mellitus, and provide a basis for measuring the economic burden of gestational diabetes mellitus, and to provide a reference for the formulation of intervention development and the adjustment of resource allocation. Methods The individual economic cost of self-monitoring for gestational diabetes mellitus was measured based on a decision tree model, and the total economic cost of self-monitoring for gestational diabetes mellitus in Beijing was estimated. The uncertainty of the model parameters was analyzed using one-way sensitivity analysis. Results The average individual economic cost of gestational diabetes self-monitoring was 1184 RMB, and the individual cost incurred by choosing different types of blood glucose meters ranged from 403 to 18 000 RMB. The average individual economic cost of finger-stick blood glucose monitoring was 606 RMB and the average individual economic cost of continuous glucose monitoring was 2 374 RMB. The total economic cost of gestational diabetes self-monitoring in Beijing was 23.818 0 million RMB, and the total economic cost incurred by choosing different types of blood glucose meters ranged from 0.292 5 to 9.027 9 million RMB. The proportion of the finger-stick blood glucose monitoring had the greatest impact on the robustness of the results. Conclusion Finger-stick blood glucose monitoring is still the dominant self-monitoring method and is less costly than continuous glucose monitoring. Self-monitoring of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus incurs certain economic cost and causes an economic burden on society.

The objective of this study was to observe the effect of Astragalus membranaceus on high sugar-induced Caenorhabditis elegans, and to explore its mechanism of action. UPLC-MS method was used to identify the components of Astragalus membranaceus. A high glucose model was established by using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, and the effects of Astragalus membranaceus on body length, body bending, swallowing frequency, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) of the nematode were determined; the effects of Astragalus membranaceus on the expression of mRNA of genes related to the protein skinhead-1 (SKN-1) signaling pathway were examined by using the real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results showed that compared with the normal group, the nematode body length, body bending, and swallowing frequency expression were significantly reduced and the ROS content in the body was significantly increased in the high glucose state; after the administration of Astragalus membranaceus, the body length, body bending, and swallowing frequency expression were significantly increased, and the ROS content was significantly reduced (P < 0.01). Compared with the normal group, SKN-1, superoxide dismutas-3 (SOD-3), glutathione S-transferase 4 (GST-4), and glutathione S-transferase 7 (GST-7) expression were significantly decreased in Caenorhabditis elegans in the high glucose condition; SKN-1, SOD-3, GST-4, and GST-7 expression were significantly increased after administration of Astragalus membranaceus (P < 0.01). In the present study, we demonstrated that Astragalus membranaceus has an effect on high glucose-induced Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes, and its mechanism of action may be through the modulation of the SKN-1 signaling pathwaym in order to ameliorate the oxidative stress response induced by high glucose.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training in treating qi deficiency and blood stasis type of hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage in the recovery stage.Methods A total of 132 patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis type of hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage in the recovery period were randomly divided into observation group and control group,with 66 cases in each group,the control group was given western medicine conventional treatment combined with rehabilitation training,and the observation group was treated with acupuncture on the basis of the control group.Both groups of patients were treated for 12 consecutive weeks.After 12 weeks of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated.The changes of simplified Fugl-Meyer Assessment(FMA),National Institutes of Health Neurological Impairment Scale(NIHSS),and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,as well as the changes of serum interleukin 6(IL-6),homocysteine(Hcy),and endothelin 1(ET-1),serum matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP-9),and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)levels were observed before and after the treatment of the patients in the two groups.The changes of serum serine-threonine protein kinase(AKT),phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase(PI3K),and Bcl-2-related X protein(bax)levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.Results(1)After treatment,the serum IL-6,Hcy,ET-1 levels of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving the serum IL-6,Hcy,ET-1 levels,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the serum MMP-9 and BDNF levels of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving serum MMP-9 and BDNF levels,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the serum AKT,PI3K,bax levels of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving serum AKT,PI3K,bax levels,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the FMA score,TCM syndrome scores,and NIHSS score of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving the FMA score,TCM syndrome scores,and NIHSS score,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).(5)The total effective rate was 93.34%(62/66)in the observation group and 81.82%(54/66)in the control group.The efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture combined with rehabilitation training for the treatment of patients recovering from hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage of qi deficiency and blood stasis type can significantly reduce the patient's inflammatory response,regulate the level of neurofactors,inhibit neuronal apoptosis,and promote the recovery of neurological function,and the clinical efficacy is remarkable.

Aim To screen and study the expression of long non-coding RNA (IncRNA) in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with MCAO treated with Tao Hong Si Wu decoction (THSWD) and determine the possible molecular mechanism of THSWD in treating MCAO rats. Methods Three cerebral hemisphere tissue were obtained from the control group, MCAO group and MCAO + THSWD group. RNA sequencing technology was used to identify IncRNA gene expression in the three groups. THSWD-regulated IncRNA genes were identified, and then a THSWD-regu-lated IncRNA-mRNA network was constructed. MCODE plug-in units were used to identify the modules of IncRNA-mRNA networks. Gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) were used to analyze the enriched biological functions and signaling pathways. Cis- and trans-regulatory genes for THSWD-regulated IncRNAs were identified. Reverse transcription real-time quantitative pol-ymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to verify IncRNAs. Molecular docking was used to identify IncRNA-mRNA network targets and pathway-associated proteins. Results In MCAO rats, THSWD regulated a total of 302 IncRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that some core IncRNAs might play an important role in the treatment of MCAO rats with THSWD, and we further found that THSWD might also treat MCAO rats through multiple pathways such as IncRNA-mRNA network and network-enriched complement and coagulation cascades. The results of molecular docking showed that the active compounds gallic acid and a-mygdalin of THSWD had a certain binding ability to protein targets. Conclusions THSWD can protect the brain injury of MCAO rats through IncRNA, which may provide new insights for the treatment of ischemic stroke with THSWD.

ObjectiveTo investigate the genetic polymorphism and structure of 47 autosomal microhaplotypes in the Han population in Changshu City, Jiangsu Province, and to evaluate the forensic efficiencies and forensic parameters. MethodsThe DNA library of unrelated individual samples was prepared according to MHSeqTyper47 kit manual and sequenced on the MiSeq FGx platform. Microhaplotype genotyping and sequencing depth statistics were processed using MHTyper. The genetic information of samples was then evaluated. The fixation index and genetic distance between the Jiangsu Changshu population and the reference populations in the 1000 Genomes Project phase 3 (1KG) were calculated, and forensic parameters were evaluated. ResultsThe fixation index and genetic distance between the Han population in Changshu, Jiangsu, and the CHB (Han Chinese in Beijing, China) reference population in 1KG were the lowest. The effective allele number (A_e) of each locus is also the closest between the two populations. The combined matching probability (CMP) of the Changshu Han population is close to the 5 populations of the East Asian reference super-population in 1KG, which is 1.25×10^-36, and the combined probability of exclusion reached 0.999 999 999 964 1. ConclusionThis study reported the genetic polymorphism and allele frequency of 47 microhaplotypes in a Han population in Changshu City, Jiangsu Province. This information provides a data basis for 47 microhaplotypes in forensic applications. In addition, the polymorphism differences between the 1KG reference population and the Han population in Changshu, Jiangsu were compared, and the genetic structure of 47 microhaplotypes in the Han population in Changshu, Jiangsu was revealed. In general, the reference data of the East Asian super-population in 1KG is more in line with the genetic characteristics of Han population in Changshu, Jiangsu.