Objective To optimize the extraction process of Xuetong capsules and establish its quality control method. Methods The extraction process was optimized by orthogonal experiment using ethanol reflux method to investigate the effects of different factors on diphenylstilbene, aloin and extraction yield. The content of 5 anthraquinone compounds in Xuetong capsule was determined by HPLC. Results The optimal extraction process was to add 10 times ethanol, with an ethanol concentration of 70%, and extract 3 times, each time for 1 h; 5 components had a good linear relationship with peak area within a certain concentration range, r>0.999 7; The range of sample recovery rate was 93.66%-96.85%, RSD range of 1.48%-1.66%. The content determination results of the 5 components in three batches of Xuetong capsules were （0.632-0.641）, （0.660-0.681）, （1.968-1.991）, （2.547-2.580）, and （1.076-1.101） mg/g. Conclusion The method was accurate, reproducible, and highly feasible, which could be references for producing and improving the quality control standards of Xuetong capsules.

Objective To assess the impact of freeze-drying and dry heat virus inactivation processes on the activity ofα2-macroglobulin(A2M)derived from human plasma Cohn fraction Ⅳ.Methods A2M derived from human plasma Cohn fraction Ⅳ was prepared and subjected to programmed freeze-drying with dry heat virus inactivation.The lyophilized products were evaluated for their appearance,water content,and validation of the viral inactivation process.The bioactivity of the products before and after lyophilization as well as before and after dry heat inactivation was determined via trypsin inhibition,and the comparisons were studied.Results The appearance of the lyophilized product was fluffy,and the water content was(5.83±0.45)％.The specific activities of the samples before and after lyophilization were(10.199±0.137)and(10.033±0.201)μg/mg,respectively,with no statistically significantdifference between the two groups(P＞0.05).The viral inactivation of the samples was carried out by using dry heat inactivation conditions at 100 ℃ for 30 min.After inactivation,the reduction was ≥5.125 LgTCID50/0.1 mL in Pseudorabies virus(PRV)titers,≥4.500 LgTCID50/0.1 mL in Sindbis virus(SinV)titers,≥6.375 LgTCID50/0.1 mL in encephalomyocarditis virus(EMCV)titers,and≥4.500 LgTCID50/0.1 mL in porcine parvovirus(PPV)titers.The specific activities of the samples before and after dry heat were(9.921±0.292)and(10.091±0.278)μ g/mg,respectively,with no statistically significant difference between the two groups.Conclusion A2M derived from human plasma Cohn fraction Ⅳ,when subjected to freeze-drying followed by dry heat inactivation at 100 ℃ for 30 minutes,can effectively inactivate viruses without altering the biological activity of the product.

Objective To investigate the effects of light-at-night exposure on anxiety and depression behaviors in mice and to explore the underlying neural mechanisms.Methods Six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to a control(Ctrl)group and a light-at-night exposure(LAN)group.Mice in the LAN group were exposed to 460 nm blue light for 1 h daily during the zeitgeber time(ZT)13-14 while the Ctrl group mice were maintained under a 12-h light/12-h dark cycle.Behavioral tests were conducted at different time points following LAN exposure to evaluate anxiety and depression behaviors in the mice.Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the effect of LAN on c-fos expressions in the medial prefrontal cortex(mPFC),basal ateral amygdala(BLA),paraventricular nucleus(PVN)and paraventricular thalamus(PVT).ELISA was performed to measure changes in serum corticosterone,adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH)and corticotropin-releasing hormone(CRH)levels.Golgi staining was applied to measurethe dendritic spine density and morphology from mPFC and CA1.Western blotting analysis was conducted to detect expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factors(BDNFs),phosphorylated tropomyosin receptor kinase B(p-TrkB)/TrkB,postsynaptic density protein 95(PSD95)and synaptophysin(SYP)in the mPFC.Results Mice exhibited anxiety-like behaviors after 14 days of LAN exposure,with depression-like behaviors emerging after 28 days.LAN exposure of 28 days led to a significant increase in the number of c-fos-positive neurons in the mPFC,BLA,PVN and PVT(P＜0.05),resulted in elevated serum corticosterone levels(P＜0.01)and reduced protein expression levels of BDNF and SYP(P＜0.05).Furthermore,there was a marked decrease in synapse numbers and synaptic density in the mPFC(P＜0.01).Conclusion Prolonged exposure to blue light at night enhances neuronal activity in the mPFC and BLA and suppresses the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway by activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis(HPA),thus leading to synaptic structural and functional damage and inducing anxiety and depression behaviors in mice.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of pathological complete response(pCR)after neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced gastric cancer(LAGC)and assess the value of gastric tumor markers for predicting pCR in LAGC patients.Methods:We retrospectively ana-lyzed the clinical and pathological characteristics of 213 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy and gastric tumor marker analysis after neoadjuvant therapy at The Chinse PLA General Hospital First Medical Center,between January 2020 and April 2024(20 and 193 cases in the pCR and non-pCR groups,respectively).The interrelationships among pCR,tumor markers,and clinicopathological features were compared,and independent risk factors for pCR were analyzed.A nomogram was constructed to predict the pCR.Results:Among 213 patients,20(9.4% )achieved pCR.Univariate analysis showed that age(P=0.067),tumor bed diameter(P<0.001),gastrin-17 levels(P=0.005),CA72-4 levels(P=0.073),pepsinogen ratio(P=0.024),and neoadjuvant immunotherapy(P=0.022)were strongly associated with pCR in LAGC pa-tients.Multivariate analysis showed that neoadjuvant immunotherapy,CA72-4 levels<2.5 U/mL,gastrin-17 levels<1.48 pmol/L,and tumor bed diameter<2.85 cm were independent predictive factors for pCR in LAGC patients(P<0.05).These indicators were incorporated into a nomogram prediction model;an receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)was plotted with an AUC(95% CI)of 0.863(0.785-0.942).The calibration and decision curves suggested that the nomogram was well calibrated and had a good net benefit.Conclusions:Gastric tumor markers can effectively predict pCR after neoadjuvant therapy in LAGC patients.Our nomogram showed a good predictive ability for pCR.Thus,our findings can serve as a useful reference for clinical decision making for LAGC patients.

Objective:To investigate the neuropsychological and imaging features of patients with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA).Methods:Patients of PCA, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), typical Alzheimer′s disease (t-AD) who were diagnosed in the Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University from September 27, 2019, to September 24, 2021 were enrolled, and the normal controls who visited the Outpatient and Physical Examination Centers of Huashan Hospital, Fudan University and Rizhao People′s Hospital at the same time were enrolled, too. Neuropsychological assessments, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT data of the 4-group subjects were collected. Variance analysis was used to compare the differences in neuropsychological performance among the 4 groups, and the imaging features of PCA patients were summarized.Results:Eleven PCA patients, 17 DLB patients, 31 t-AD patients, and 11 normal controls were included in the study. The cognitive function of patients in the PCA group [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score 13.52±1.81; Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score 7.06±1.72] was significantly impaired compared to the normal control group (MMSE score 27.85±1.75, t=-6.561, P<0.001; MoCA score 23.60±1.59, t=-7.968, P<0.001]. However, there was no statistically significant difference compared to the DLB group and the t-AD group. Patients in the PCA group exhibited more severe impairments in attention, executive function, and language compared to the DLB group (Trail Making Test A score: 298.86±16.16 vs 110.07±18.62, t=9.980, P<0.001; Trail Making Test B score: 305.51±18.89 vs 230.34±23.59, t=2.865, P=0.024; Boston Naming Test score: 8.67±1.53 vs 15.66±1.56, t=-2.682, P=0.013) and the t-AD group (148.91±12.77, t=7.071, P<0.001; 200.78±19.34, t=3.789, P=0.004; 15.15±1.05, t=-2.544, P=0.016). Scores for visuospatial function [PCA group: 1(0, 1), normal control group: 3(3, 3), Z=-4.023, P<0.001] and visual perception [PCA group: 0(0, 1), normal control group: 35(34, 36), Z=-3.704, P<0.001] were significantly lower in the PCA group compared to the normal control group. The cranial MRI findings of PCA patients showed atrophy of the parietal and occipital lobes, with less obvious atrophy of the medial temporal lobe, which can be distinguished from t-AD. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT of the PCA patients showed a relative reduced glucose metabolism in the bilateral parietal lobe, occipital lobe and posterior cingulate gyrus, while the 18F-florbetapir PET/CT showed deposition of amyloid protein in the bilateral frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and cingulate gyrus. Conclusions:PCA patients exhibit neuropsychological characteristics of visuospatial dysfunction, along with impairments in various cognitive domains such as memory, attention, and executive functions. The typical MRI feature is parietal occipital lobe atrophy, and the PET/CT findings are consistent with metabolic changes in AD.

Objective     To analyze the clinical efficacy and survival outcome of totally thoracoscopic redo mitral valve replacement and evaluate its efficiency and safety. Methods     The clinical data of patients with totally thoracoscopic redo mitral valve replacement in Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital between 2013 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors for postoperative death. Results     There were 48 patients including 29 females and 19 males with a median age of 53 (44, 66) years. All the procedures were performed successfully with no conversion to median sternotomy. A total of 15, 10 and 23 patients received surgeries under non-beating heart, beating heart and ventricular fibrillation, respectively. The in-hospital mortality rate was 6.25% (3/48), and the incidence of early postoperative complications was 18.75% (9/48). Thirty-five (72.92%) patients had their tracheal intubation removed within 24 hours after the operation. The 1- and 6-year survival rates were 89.50% (95%CI 81.30%-98.70%) and 82.90%(95%CI 71.50%-96.20%), respectively. Age>65 years was an independent risk factor for postoperative death (P=0.04). Conclusion     Totally thoracoscopic redo mitral valve replacement is safe and reliable, with advantages of rapid recovery, reducing blood transfusion rate, reducing postoperative complications and acceptable long-term survival rate. It is worthy of being widely popularized in the clinic.

Objective    To evaluate the efficacy of hybrid ablation through compared with thoracoscopic epicardial ablation. Methods    In this study, 108 patients with all long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (LSPAF) received thoracoscopic epicardial ablation (TEA) after enrollment. There were 82 males and 26 females at age of 56.5±9.4 years. After blanking-period, patients off antiarrhythmic therapy with sinus rhythm were divided into a hybrid ablation (HA) group (50 patients) and a TEA group (58 patients). Only patients in the HA group received catheter ablation after randomization subsequently. In at least two-year observation period, cardiovascular risk factors were observed in all groups’ patients. Results    The mean follow-up duration was 17.3-41.8 (26.9±6.1) months and there was no significant difference between two groups [8.2-40.6 (27.5±5.7) months in the HA group and 17.3-41.8 (26.4±6.7) months in the TEA group]. The off antiarrhythmic agents (AADs) sinus rhythm rate was significantly higher in the HA group than that in the TEA group at the time of postoperative 6, 12, 24 and 36 months ［96.0%, 90.0%, 83.7%, 83.7% versus 79.3%, 75.9%, 67.3%, 63.1%, HR=0.415 (95%CI 0.206-0.923)]. Conclusion    We can conclude that the efficacy of two-staged hybrid ablation for LSPAF is superior to thoracoscopic epicardial ablation alone. Patients can obtain benefit from a supplemental radiofrequency catheter ablation after blanking-period of surgical ablation, instead of those without a supplemental ablation.

Objective:To observe the dynamic changes of thyroid hormone levels and thyroid autoimmune antibodies in pregnant women in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region during pregnancy, and to investigate the significance of repeated screening of thyroid function in different gestational ages.Methods:A retrospective study was carried out of pregnant women who completed thyroid function screening in Clinic, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from January 2015 to December 2017, and the test results of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT 4), free triiodothyronine (FT 3), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), and anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb) were collected and analyzed of their changes during pregnancy. Pregnant women were divided into 2 different gestational age groups by the age limit of 30, the changes of thyroid dysfunction rate with pregnancy were analyzed, and the clinical significance of repeated screening in different pregnancy stages was discussed. Results:Changes of thyroid-related indicators with pregnancy: first, second, and third trimesters were 404,725, and 767 cases, respectively; TSH level in the third trimester (2.76 mU/L) was significantly higher than those in the first and second trimesters (2.55, 2.36 mU/L, P < 0.05), there was no significant difference between the first trimester and the second trimester ( P > 0.05); the FT 4 and FT 3 levels decreased gradually with pregnancy ( P < 0.05); the positive rate of TPOAb was significantly higher in the first and second trimesters than that in the third trimester ( P < 0.05), there was no significant difference between the first trimester and the second trimester ( P > 0.05); the positive rate of TGAb decreased gradually with pregnancy ( P < 0.05). Comparison of abnormal rate of TSH in different gestational ages: the first, second, and third trimesters were 352, 664, 735 cases, respectively; the abnormal rate of TSH in the overall study was statistically significant at different stages of pregnancy (χ 2=31.627, P < 0.05), the first trimester was significantly higher those in the second and third trimesters ( P < 0.05). In pregnant women aged ≥30 years old, the abnormal rate of TSH in the first trimester was significantly higher than those in the second and third trimesters ( P < 0.05); in pregnant women aged < 30 years old, the abnormal rate of TSH in the first trimester was significantly higher than that in the third trimester ( P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the abnormal rate of TSH in the first, second, and third trimesters between the < 30 years old group and ≥30 years old group ( P > 0.05). Comparison of abnormal rate of FT 4 in different gestational ages: there were no significant differences in the FT 4 abnormal rate among different pregnancy groups in the overall, < 30, ≥30 years old groups (P > 0.05). In early pregnancy, the abnormal rate of FT 4 in the ≥30 years old group was higher than that in the < 30 years old group ( P < 0.05); in second and third trimesters, there were no significant differences between the two age groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusions:Screening for thyroid function in the first trimester of pregnancy is important for women of different ages. Except for women with abnormal thyroid function who have not been treated during the first trimester, the rest may not need to be screened again. Pregnant women aged ≥30 years old may have a higher risk of thyroid dysfunction than those < 30 years old.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of the medial perforator flap of the first plantar artery for repairing the soft tissue defect near the first metatarsophalangeal joint.Methods:From January 2016 to April 2018, 10 patients of soft tissue defect near the first metatarsophalangeal joint were treated in the Department of Orthopedics, Shandong Police General Hospital, including 6 males and 4 females, aged 22-61 years old, with an average age of 40 years. The defects of the feet were recovered by the medial perforator flap of the first plantar artery, and the flap donor defects were covered by split-thickness skin grafts.Results:All flaps and skin grafts of the patients were survived.All patients were followed up for 12-22 months postoperationly/after operation. The flaps were not swollen or ruptured, and the patients walked normally with full weight-bearing.Conclusions:The perforator artery of this flap is consistant, the harvesting of the flap is simple, and the texture of skin is similarwith surrounding tissue, there is no deficit to the flood supply of the foot after harvesting the flap. So, it is an ideal choice for repairing the defect of the soft tissue near the first metatarsophalangeal joint.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of the medial perforator flap of the first plantar artery for repairing the soft tissue defect near the first metatarsophalangeal joint.Methods:From January 2016 to April 2018, 10 patients of soft tissue defect near the first metatarsophalangeal joint were treated in the Department of Orthopedics, Shandong Police General Hospital, including 6 males and 4 females, aged 22-61 years old, with an average age of 40 years. The defects of the feet were recovered by the medial perforator flap of the first plantar artery, and the flap donor defects were covered by split-thickness skin grafts.Results:All flaps and skin grafts of the patients were survived.All patients were followed up for 12-22 months postoperationly/after operation. The flaps were not swollen or ruptured, and the patients walked normally with full weight-bearing.Conclusions:The perforator artery of this flap is consistant, the harvesting of the flap is simple, and the texture of skin is similarwith surrounding tissue, there is no deficit to the flood supply of the foot after harvesting the flap. So, it is an ideal choice for repairing the defect of the soft tissue near the first metatarsophalangeal joint.