This study aims to explore the mechanism of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression based on metabolomics and network pharmacology. The chemical constituents of Jiaotai Pills were identified by UHPLC-Orbitrap Exploris 480, and the targets of Jiaotai Pills and depression were retrieved from online databases. STRING and Cytoscape 3.7.2 were used to construct the protein-protein interaction network of core targets of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression and the "compound-target-pathway" network. DAVID was used for Gene Ontology(GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the core targets. The mouse model of depression was established with chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) and treated with different doses of Jiaotai Pills. The behavioral changes and pathological changes in the hippocampus were observed. UHPLC-Orbitrap Exploris 120 was used for metabolic profiling of the serum, from which the differential metabolites and related metabolic pathways were screened. A "metabolite-reaction-enzyme-gene" network was constructed for the integrated analysis of metabolomics and network pharmacology. A total of 34 chemical components of Jiaotai Pills were identified, and 143 core targets of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression were predicted, which were mainly involved in the arginine and proline, sphingolipid, and neurotrophin metabolism signaling pathways. The results of animal experiments showed that Jiaotai Pills alleviated the depression behaviors and pathological changes in the hippocampus of the mouse model of CUMS-induced depression. In addition, Jiaotai Pills reversed the levels of 32 metabolites involved in various pathways such as arginine and proline metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and porphyrin metabolism in the serum of model mice. The integrated analysis showed that arginine and proline metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and porphyrin metabolism might be the key pathways in the treatment of depression with Jiaotai Pills. In conclusion, metabolomics combined with network pharmacology clarifies the antidepressant mechanism of Jiaotai Pills, which may provide a basis for the clinical application of Jiaotai Pills in treating depression.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Depression/genetics* ; Mice ; Network Pharmacology ; Metabolomics ; Male ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects* ; Antidepressive Agents

OBJECTIVE: To explore and quantify the association of hot night exposure during the sperm development period (0-90 lag days) with semen quality. METHODS: A total of 6,640 male sperm donors from 6 human sperm banks in China during 2014-2020 were recruited in this multicenter study. Two indices (i.e., hot night excess [HNE] and hot night duration [HND]) were used to estimate the heat intensity and duration during nighttime. Linear mixed models were used to examine the association between hot nights and semen quality parameters. RESULTS: The exposure-response relationship revealed that HNE and HND during 0-90 days before semen collection had a significantly inverse association with sperm motility. Specifically, a 1 °C increase in HNE was associated with decreased sperm progressive motility of 0.0090 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: -0.0147, -0.0033) and decreased total motility of 0.0094 (95% CI: -0.0160, -0.0029). HND was significantly associated with reduced sperm progressive motility and total motility of 0.0021 (95% CI: -0.0040, -0.0003) and 0.0023 (95% CI: -0.0043, -0.0002), respectively. Consistent results were observed at different temperature thresholds on hot nights. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the need to mitigate nocturnal heat exposure during spermatogenesis to maintain optimal semen quality.
Humans ; Male ; Semen Analysis ; Adult ; Sperm Motility ; Hot Temperature/adverse effects* ; China ; Middle Aged ; Spermatozoa/physiology* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: CRISPR-Cas protects bacteria from exogenous DNA invasion and is associated with bacterial biofilm formation and pathogenicity. METHODS: We analyzed the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system of Legionella pneumophila WX48, including Cas1, Cas2-Cas3, Csy1, Csy2, Csy3, and Cas6f, along with downstream CRISPR arrays. We explored the effects of the CRISPR-Cas system on the in vitro growth, biofilm-forming ability, and pathogenicity of L. pneumophila through constructing gene deletion mutants. RESULTS: The type I-F CRISPR-Cas system did not affect the in vitro growth of wild-type or mutant strains. The biofilm formation and intracellular proliferation of the mutant strains were weaker than those of the wild type owing to the regulation of type IV pili and Dot/Icm type IV secretion systems. In particular, Cas6f deletion strongly inhibited these processes. CONCLUSION The type I-F CRISPR-Cas system may reduce biofilm formation and intracellular proliferation in L. pneumophila.
Legionella pneumophila/pathogenicity* ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Biofilms/growth & development* ; Phenotype ; Bacterial Proteins/metabolism* ; Gene Deletion

Objective To explore the relationships of job engagement with mental elasticity and resilience in the nurses of burn unit,so as to provide references for the construction of stable nursing team.Methods A total of 159 nurses who were selected from 16 burn centers in 9 provinces and cities such as Shanghai and Jiangsu by convenience sampling from January to April 2024 were enrolled in this study.General data questionnaire,work engagement scale,psychological resilience scales,and medical staff resilience scales were used.Results The total scores of job engagement,mental elasticity and resilience were 34.25±8.59,67.77±12.70,and 74.62±10.51,respectively.The total score and the scores of all dimensions of job engagement were positively correlated with mental elasticity and resilience(P<0.01).Univariate analysis showed that the working years,the number of late night shifts,and children affected the job engagement of the nurses(P<0.05).The optimal scale analysis showed that the number of late night shifts,mental elasticity and stress scores were the main factors affecting the job engagement(P<0.01).The structural equation model showed that both mental elasticity and resilience could directly predict the job engagement,and the path coefficient was 0.372 and 0.387(P<0.01).Mental elasticity indirectly acted on the job engagement through stress resistance,the indirect effect was 0.248,and the mediation effect accounted for 30.8%of the total effect.Conclusion The mental elasticity and resilience of nurses can be improved by optimizing the allocation of human resources and the scheduling structure,so as to increase the job engagement and further stabilize the burn care team.

The breakage pattern of unit particles during the production of oral solid dosage forms (OSD) is closely related to the quality of intermediate or final products. To accurately characterize the particles and study the evolution law of particle breakage, the Bonding model of the discrete element method (DEM) was used to investigate the breakage patterns of model parameters, particle shape and process conditions (loading mode and loading rate) on the dynamic breakage, force-time curve, breakage rate, maximum breakage size ratio and fracture strength of particles. The results showed that the particle breakage force was positively correlated with normal strength and bonded disk scale, negatively correlated with normal stiffness per unit area and tangential stiffness per unit area, and weakly correlated with tangential strength. The particle breakage rate was negatively correlated with the aspect ratio of the particles, and the maximum breakage size ratio was positively correlated with the aspect ratio of the particles; among the three loading modes, the breakage rate of compression breakage model was the largest, the breakage rate of shear breakage model was the second largest, and the breakage rate of wear breakage model was the smallest; the maximum breakage size ratio was positively correlated with the loading rate, the loading mode and the loading rate had no mutual influence on particle breakage rate, but had mutual influence on the maximum breakage size ratio. The research results will provide a theoretical basis for the shift of OSD from batch manufacturing to advanced manufacturing.

Objective To explore the effects of preoperative anxiety on intraoperative body temperature,adverse reactions during recovery and incision healing in elderly patients undergoing radical mastectomy under general anesthesia.Methods A total of 139 elderly patients who underwent radical mastectomy under general anesthesia in the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected as the study objects,and they were divided into the non-anxiety group(87 cases)and the anxiety group(52 cases)according to whether they were complicated with anxiety before surgery.The nasopharyngeal temperature before surgery,after 30 minutes,60 minutes,90 minutes of surgery and at the end of surgery,the ratio of intraoperative nasopharyngeal temperature<36.0℃,the ratio of perioperative blood loss>300 mL,the occurrence of adverse reactions during the recovery period and the incision healing of patients in the two groups were compared.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the nasopharyngeal temperature before surgery and after 30 minutes of surgery of patients between the two groups(P>0.05).After 60 minutes,90 minutes of surgery and the end of surgery,the nasopharyngeal temperatures of patients in the anxiety group were lower than those in the non-anxietey group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).There were statistically significant differences in the nasopharyngeal temperature at different times of patients in the two groups(P<0.05).The ratios of patients with intraoperative nasopharyngeal temperature<36.0℃and perioperative blood loss>300 mL in the anxiety group were higher than those in the non-anxiety group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The incidence of delayed awakening,shivering reaction,and poor postoperative incision healing in the anxiety group were higher than those in the non-anxiety group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Conclusion Elderly patients undergoing radical mastectomy under general anesthesia combined with anxiety show obvious temperature drop after 60 minutes of surgery,and perioperative blood loss has significantly increased,with a higher incidence of intraoperative hypothermia,adverse reactions during recovery and poor postoperative incision healing,which should arouse clinical attention.

Elemental imaging analysis based on laser induced-breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS)can provide significant reference value for oil and gas exploration activities.Improving the scanning speed and spatial resolution of LIBS elemental imaging analysis instruments contributes to enhancing the efficiency of mineral surface elemental analysis,which is crucial for achieving in-situ,real-time,and rapid LIBS analysis.In this study,a high-speed scanning LIBS elemental imaging analysis instrument was developed based on a scanning mirror device,achieving a scanning speed of 100 Hz and a spatial resolution of 50 μm.The stability of spectral data collected by this instrument was validated using aluminum alloy standard samples with uniform elemental distribution.The experimental results showed that the relative standard deviations(RSD)of the spectral data collected at different locations were 2.76％,2.79％,2.35％and 2.55％,respectively,demonstrating that the instrument's performance met analysis requirements.Analysis of spectral acquisition channels led to the selection of the 337-595 nm spectral range.Imaging analysis of major elements on the surface of meteorite mineral samples with complex matrices was conducted using this instrument,coupled with a multi-element imaging algorithm enabling visualization analysis of four major elements on the same image.The results revealed a higher level of detail and complexity in element distribution.The study demonstrated that this instrument,combined with multi-element imaging analysis algorithms,could provide crucial technical support for rapid imaging of element distribution in minerals at a microscopic scale during geological research.

Objective To investigate the effects of different angles of pulmonary surfactant(PS)administration on the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and intracranial hemorrhage in preterm infants.Methods A prospective study was conducted on 146 preterm infants(gestational age＜32 weeks)admitted to the Department of Neonatology,Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University from January 2019 to May 2023.The infants were randomly assigned to different angles for injection of pulmonary surfactant groups:0° group(34 cases),30° group(36 cases),45° group(38 cases),and 60° group(38 cases).Clinical indicators and outcomes were compared among the groups.Results The oxygenation index was lower in the 60° group compared with the other three groups,with shorter invasive ventilation time and oxygen use time,and a lower incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia than the other three groups(P＜0.05).The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage was lower in the 60° group compared to the 0° group(P＜0.05).The cure rate in the 60° group was higher than that in the 0° group and the 30° group(P＜0.05).Conclusions The clinical efficacy of injection of pulmonary surfactant at a 60° angle is higher than other angles,reducing the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(4):337-342]

Background/Aims: Despite the high efficacy of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), approximately 1–3% of hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients fail to achieve a sustained virological response. We conducted a nationwide study to investigate risk factors associated with DAA treatment failure. Machine-learning algorithms have been applied to discriminate subjects who may fail to respond to DAA therapy. Methods: We analyzed the Taiwan HCV Registry Program database to explore predictors of DAA failure in HCV patients. Fifty-five host and virological features were assessed using multivariate logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and artificial neural network. The primary outcome was undetectable HCV RNA at 12 weeks after the end of treatment. Results: The training (n=23,955) and validation (n=10,346) datasets had similar baseline demographics, with an overall DAA failure rate of 1.6% (n=538). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, poor DAA adherence, and higher hemoglobin A1c were significantly associated with virological failure. XGBoost outperformed the other algorithms and logistic regression models, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 1.000 in the training dataset and 0.803 in the validation dataset. The top five predictors of treatment failure were HCV RNA, body mass index, α-fetoprotein, platelets, and FIB-4 index. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the XGBoost model (cutoff value=0.5) were 99.5%, 69.7%, 99.9%, 97.4%, and 99.5%, respectively, for the entire dataset. Conclusions Machine learning algorithms effectively provide risk stratification for DAA failure and additional information on the factors associated with DAA failure.

Objective To understand the molecular genetic background of the reported case of reemerging visceral leishmaniasis in Beijing.Methods The PCR was used to amplify the hydrophilic acylated surface protein B(K26)gene and internal transcribed spacer 1(ITS-1)sequence of ribosomal DNA.The amplified fragments were cloned and sequenced to analyze their genetic polymorphisms and to construct phylogenetic trees to determine the causative parasitic species in the infected patient and its genetic relationships.Results The K26 gene yielded a 626 bp amplicon,which exhibited significant differences in length compared to domestic epidemic strains.The amino acid sequence of this amplicon consisted of a repetitive arrangement of a 14-amino-acid motif,but amino acid substitutions were observed at certain positions.Phylogenetic analysis of the K26 sequence revealed that the Beijing strain was closely related to Leishmania infantum strains from France and Spain but distant from those in other regions of China,such as Xinjiang,Sichuan,and Hebei.Moreover,phylogenetic analysis of a 314 bp fragment amplified from the ITS-1 sequence also showed that the Beijing strain belonged to the same branch as L.infantum strains.Conclusion These results indicate that the infection in this patient was caused by L.infantum,with the strain having some differences from those in other endemic areas in China.