To develop a novel polyamino acid-based nanohydrogel drug delivery system for dexamethasone to enhance its delivery efficiency to the inner ear.

BACKGROUND:We have successfully established an animal model of small ear pig in southern Yunnan province with internal tension relieving technique combined with autologous Achilles tendon for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction,and verified the stability and reliability of the model.However,whether internal tension relieving technique can promote the ligamentalization process of autologous Achilles tendon graft has not been studied. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the differences in the process of ligamentalization between conventional reconstruction and internal reduction reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament by gross view,histology and electron microscopy. METHODS:Thirty adult female small ear pigs in southern Yunnan province were selected.Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed on the left knee joint with the ipsilateral knee Achilles tendon(n=30 in the normal group),and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed on the right knee joint with the ipsilateral knee Achilles tendon combined with the internal relaxation and enhancement system(n=30 in the relaxation group).The autogenous right forelimb was used as the control group;the anterior cruciate ligament was exposed but not severed or surgically treated.At 12,24,and 48 weeks after surgery,10 animals were sacrificed,respectively.The left and right knee joint specimens were taken for gross morphological observation to evaluate the graft morphology.MAS score was used to evaluate the excellent and good rate of the ligament at each time point.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to evaluate the degree of ligament graft vascularization.Collagen fibers and nuclear morphology were observed,and nuclear morphology was scored.Ultrastructural remodeling was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The ligament healing shape of the relaxation group was better at various time points after surgery,and the excellent and good rate of MAS score was higher(P<0.05).Moreover,the relaxation group could obtain higher ligament vascularization score(P<0.05).(2)The arrangement of collagen bundles and fiber bundles in the two groups gradually tended to be orderly,and the transverse fiber connections between collagen gradually increased and thickened,suggesting that the strength and shape degree of the grafts were gradually improved,but the ligament remodeling in the relaxation group was always faster than that in the normal group at various time points after surgery.(3)The diameter,distribution density,and arrangement degree of collagen fibers in the relaxation group were better than those in the normal group at all time points,especially in the comparison of collagen fiber diameter between and within the relaxation group(P<0.05).

Objective To investigate the association between the variability of remnant cholesterol inflammatory index(RCII),a novel composite biomarker,and the risk of stroke,in order to provide a theoretical basis for stroke prevention.Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted on 38 659 Kailuan individuals who took annual physical examinations in 2006,2008,and 2010.These subjects were grouped based on the quartiles of RCII variability,which was represented by standard deviation(SD)and average real variability(ARV),and were followed up every 2 years,with the occurrence of stroke(including ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes),death,or the end of follow-up on December 31,2022 as the endpoints.Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the cumulative incidence rate of endpoint events across different groups,and log-rank test was used to compare the difference of cumulative incidence of endpoint events in each group.Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was adopted to analyze the association between RCII variability and risk of stroke.Results Among the 38 659 participants,a total of 2 539 strokes occurred during a mean follow-up period of 11.22±2.26 years.After adjusting confounding factors,when the participants were grouped by the quartiles of RCII-SD,the hazard ratio(HR)for stroke was 1.034(95%CI:0.917～1.167,P=0.584),1.146(95%CI:1.018～1.290,P=0.025),and 1.209(95%CI:1.066～1.370,P=0.003),respectively in the Q2,Q3,and Q4 groups,when compared with the Q1 group(Ptrend<0.05).When they were grouped by the quartiles of RCII-ARV,the HR for stroke was 1.008(95%CI:0.894～1.136,P=0.901),1.109(95%CI:0.986～1.248,P=0.085),and 1.152(95%CI:1.018～1.303,P=0.025),respectively,in the Q2,Q3,and Q4 groups,when compared with the Q1 group.Furthermore,both sensitivity and stratified analyses yielded similar results.Conclusion RCII variability is significantly associated with stroke,and the risk of stroke is gradually increasing with increment of the variability.Countermeasures Relevant authorities can focus on reducing RCII variability as a central objective by establishing regular monitoring mechanism,strengthening lifestyle interventions,and standardizing dietary,exercise,and weight management in order to suppress the index fluctuations.The principle of stable lipid-lowering in medication and optimization of therapeutic regimens with stable efficacy should be emphasized to prevent the risk of additional vascular damage.

OBJECTIVE To compare the ability of ultra-high-resolution CT(U-HRCT)and multi-slice spiral CT(MSCT)to display key vocal transmission structures in the middle ear.METHODS Subjects with normal middle ear structures who underwent 0.1 mm layer thickness U-HRCT and 0.625 mm layer thickness MSCT scans at the same time in Beijing Friendship Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University from December 2019 to August 2024 were retrospectively enrolled.Two experienced head and neck radiologists reconstruct standard transsectional,coronal images based on the thinnest layer thickness.According to the 5-point method,16 key sound transmission structures of the middle ear,including malleus,incus and stapes,as well as joints,ligaments and tendons,were evaluated for image quality scoring.The standard deviation(SD)value,signal noise ratio(SNR),and contrast noise ratio(CNR)of bone in the malleus region and intratympanic gas were measured and calculated on the two examination images.RESULTS Thirty patients(47 sides)with normal middle ear structure were included,including 18 males and 12 females.The two physicians compared the results of U-HRCT in showing malleus head,malleus neck,malleus handle,incus body,long process,and short process,5 points accounted for 100%,and the 5-point scores of incudomalleolar joint space,incudostapedial joint space,stapes footplate and annular ligament were 100%,98.29%,75.83%and 77.83%,respectively,which were significantly higher than those of MSCT(P<0.001).In addition,U-HRCT showed higher scores for lenticular process,stapes head,anterior arch of stapes,posterior arch of stapes,annular ligament,stapes muscle,and tendo musculi tensoris tympani than MSCT(P<0.001),and the lenticular process showed a 100%display rate.There was no significant difference in the SNR between the two groups(P>0.05),but the SD value of the malleus in U-HRCT was 161.6±36.4,which was significantly lower than that in MSCT(297.8±128.1),and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.001).CONCLUSION U-HRCT can clearly visualize the key sound transmission structures of the middle ear,and its visualization ability is significantly better than that of MSCT.

Objective To investigate the distribution and clinical characteristics of TCM syndromes in infertility patients with autoimmune thyroiditis(AIT).Methods By referring to the relevant literature on the distribution of TCM syndromes of AIT and infertility in women of childbearing age,the TCM Syndromes Survey of Infertility Patients with Autoimmune Thyroiditis was formulated.256 cases of infertility patients with AIT who underwent in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer(IVF-ET)at the Reproductive Center of The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from June 2019 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.The data of basic information,TCM syndromes,basic thyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH),thyroid peroxidase antibody(TPO-Ab)and thyroglobulin antibody(TG-Ab)were collected.By means of frequency analysis and systematic cluster analysis,the distribution regularity of TCM syndromes in infertility patients with AIT were concluded.Results After analysis,the following 5 common syndrome elements were obtained,namely,qi deficiency,liver depression,spleen deficiency,kidney deficiency and blood stasis.In addition,it was concluded that this disease was more common in complex syndromes.Through systematic clustering analysis,main TCM syndromes of this disease were obtained,which were qi deficiency and liver depression syndrome(69 cases,26.9%),spleen and kidney deficiency syndrome(45 cases,17.6%),spleen qi deficiency syndrome(38 cases,14.8%),qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome(36 cases,14.1%),kidney deficiency and liver depression syndrome(32 cases,12.5%)and other syndrome types(36 cases,14.1%).The basic TSH level was higher in patients with qi deficiency and liver depression syndrome,spleen qi deficiency syndrome,qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome than other syndrome types,with statistical significance(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in TPO-Ab and TG-Ab titers among different syndromes(P>0.05).Conclusion TCM syndromes of infertility patients with AIT can be clustered into qi deficiency and liver depression syndrome,spleen and kidney deficiency syndrome,spleen qi deficiency syndrome,qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome,kidney deficiency and liver depression syndrome and other syndrome.The main element of syndrome is qi deficiency,and the pathological sites involved spleen,kidney and liver.Stasis blood is a main pathological product.It is required to pay close attention to the thyroid function in AIT patients with qi deficiency.

Objective:To understand the current status of anemia, iron deficiency, and iron-deficiency anemia among preschool children in China.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted with a multi-stage stratified sampling method to select 150 streets or townships from 10 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities (East: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Hainan; Central: Henan; West: Chongqing, Shaanxi, Guizhou, and Xinjiang; Northeast: Liaoning). From May 2022 to April 2023, a total of 21 470 children, including community-based children aged 0.5 to<3.0 years receiving child health care and kindergarten-based children aged 3.0 to<7.0 years, were surveyed. They were divided into 3 age groups: infants (0.5 to<1.0 year), toddlers (1.0 to<3.0 years), and preschoolers (3.0 to<7.0 years). Basic information such as sex and date of birth of the children was collected, and peripheral blood samples were obtained for routine blood tests and serum ferritin measurement. The prevalence rates of anemia, iron deficiency, and iron-deficiency anemia were analyzed, and the prevalence rate differences were compared among different ages, sex, urban and rural areas, and regions using the chi-square test.Results:A total of 21 460 valid responses were collected, including 10 780 boys (50.2%). The number of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers were 2 645 (12.3%), 6 244 (29.1%), and 12 571 (58.6%), respectively. The hemoglobin level was (126.7±14.8) g/L, and the serum ferritin level was 32.3 (18.5, 50.1) μg/L. The overall rates of anemia, iron deficiency, and iron-deficiency anemia were 10.4% (2 230/21 460), 28.3% (6 070/21 460), and 3.9% (845/21 460), respectively. The prevalence rate of anemia was higher for boys than for girls (10.9% (1 173/10 780) vs. 9.9% (1 057/10 680), χ2=5.58, P=0.018), with statistically significant differences in the rates for infants, toddlers and preschoolers (18.0% (475/2 645), 10.6% (662/6 244), and 8.7% (1 093/12 571), respectively, χ2=201.81, P<0.01), and the rate was significantly higher for children in rural than that in urban area (11.8% (1 516/12 883) vs. 8.3% (714/8 577), χ2=65.54, P<0.01), with statistically significant differences in the rates by region ( χ2=126.60, P<0.01), with the highest rate of 15.8% (343/2 173) for children in Central region, and the lowest rate of 5.3% (108/2 053) in Northeastern region. The prevalence rates of iron deficiency were 33.8% (895/2 645), 32.2% (2 011/6 244), and 25.2% (3 164/12 571) in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, respectively, and 30.0% (3 229/10 780) in boys vs. 26.6% (2 841/10 680) in girls, 21.7% (1 913/8 821), 40.0% (870/2 173), 27.1% (2 283/8 413), 48.9% (1 004/2 053) in Eastern, Central, Western, and Northeastern regions, respectively, and each between-group showed a significant statistical difference ( χ2=147.71, 29.73, 773.02, all P<0.01). The prevalence rate of iron-deficiency anemia showed a significant statistical difference between urban and rural areas, 2.9% (251/8 577) vs. 4.6% (594/12 883) ( χ2=38.62, P<0.01), while the difference in iron deficiency prevalence was not significant ( χ2=0.51, P=0.476). Conclusions:There has been a notable improvement in iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia among preschool children in China, but the situation remains concerning. Particular attention should be paid to the prevention and control of iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia, especially among infants and children in the Central, Western, and Northeastern regions of China.

Objective This study aimed to explore the effect of the combined Danzhi Jiangtang Capsule with dapagliflozin on the blood lipid profile and related inflammatory markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with peripheral vascular disease. Methods 72 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with peripheral vascular disease who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Endocrinology,The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine,from April 2021 to April 2023. The patients were assigned to the experimental group and the control group using the random number table method (36 cases in each group). The control group was treated with dapagliflozin in addition to standard treatment,while the experimental group received the Danzhi Jiangtang Capsule for 12 weeks. Clinical efficacy,glucose and lipid metabolism indicators,hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP),body mass index (BMI) levels,and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores were observed pre-and post-treatment.Results In post-treatment,the clinical efficacy was higher in the experimental group than in the control group. Significant reductions in fasting blood glucose (FPG),2 h postprandial glucose (2 hPG),triglycerides (TG),total cholesterol (TC),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),hs-CRP,BMI,and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were observed. Scores for TCM syndrome and individual items also decreased (P<0.05). Comparisons within the groups for pre-and post-treatment showed reductions in FPG,2 hPG,TG,TC,LDL-C,hs-CRP,and an increase in HDL-C,along with a decrease in total scores of TCM syndrome (P<0.05). Conclusion The Danzhi Jiangtang Capsule combined with dapagliflozin in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with peripheral vascular disease can regulate the blood lipid profile,reduce inflammatory factors,and improve patient's symptoms. Integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment are more conducive to controlling the disease,and TCM can be used in clinical practice as a combination treatment.

Objective To construct a TCM Zhengsu differentiation model for type 2 diabetes based on deep learning and multimodal fusion,thus providing algorithmic support for full intelligence in TCM Zhengsu differentiation.Methods A total of 2585 patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited.Three experts were invited to perform the Zhengsu differentiation separately.Deep fully connected neural networks,U2-Net and ResNet34 networks were applied to construct the symptom-based differentiation model(S-Model)and the tongue image-based differentiation model(T-Model),respectively,while multimodal fusion techniques were employed to build the multimodal fusion model(TS-Model)with the above two as co-inputs.Finally,the prediction performance of the above models was compared by F1 value,accuracy,and recall.Results The predicted F1 values of the T-Model fluctuated from 0.000%to 86.726%,while those in the S-Model and TS-Model fluctuated from 0.000%to 97.826%and from 55.556%to 99.065%,respectively.A stable and high F1 value was found in the TS-Model.Conclusion The multimodal fusion technique was demonstrated to be applicable in the TCM Zhengsu differentiation model,which provided methodological support for developingof a fully intelligent Zhengsu differentiation model with high objective four diagnostic information.

Objective To explore the expression of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2(TREM2)in high-glucose microglia and to investigate the role of TREM2 in the proliferation,migration and phagocytosis of high-glucose microglia.Methods Microglia cells were divided into control group and high-glucose treatment group(67.5 mmol/L glucose,24 h).The microglia cells were counted and the expression of Iba1 and TREM2 was de-tected.TREM2 siRNA was transfected to detect the proliferation and migration of microglia.The amyloid β-peptide(Aβ)with a fluorescent tag was added to observe the phagocytosis of Aβ by microglia.Results Compared to normal microglia,the number of microglia significantly decreased after high-glucose treatment(P＜0.001),while the ex-pression of TREM2 and Iba1 markedly increased(P＜0.001).High glucose and TREM2 did not affect the prolifer-ation of microglia.Compared to the normal group,the migration of microglia significantly decreased after high-glu-cose treatment(P＜0.05)and TREM2 did not affect the migration ability of high-glucose microglia.Compared to the normal group,the phagocytosis of Aβ by microglia significantly decreased in the high-glucose treated group(P＜0.001).Furthermore,TREM2 knockdown further decreased the phagocytosis of Aβ by high-glucose microglia(P＜0.001).Conclusions The expression of TREM2 in microglia significantly increases after high-glucose treat-ment,which significantly affects phagocytosis of Aβ by microglia.