ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism of acupuncture with the method of soothing the liver and regulating the mind in improving depressive disorder. MethodsEighteen C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into blank group， model group， and acupuncture group， with 6 mice in each group. The model group and the acupuncture group were subjected to depression induction by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide （LPS）， while the blank group received an equal volume of normal saline once daily for seven consecutive days. Concurrently， the acupuncture group received "soothing the liver and regulating the mind" acupuncture intervention starting from the first day of modeling， once daily for 14 days； whereas the blank group and the model group were only restrained without acupuncture. The sucrose preference test was used to assess sucrose preference rate， the open-field test to measure center stay time and total travel distance， and the forced swim test to evaluate immobility time. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe hippocampal morphological changes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in hippocampal tissue. Western blot analysis was conducted to examine the protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） and nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） in the hippocampus. ResultsCompared to the blank group， the model group showed a significant reduction in sucrose preference rate， center stay time， and total travel distance， along with a significant increase in immobility time in the forced swim test， hippocampal IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α levels， as well as TLR4 and NF-κB protein expression （P＜0.01）， and the histological examination revealed blurred hippocampal neuronal boundaries， loose arrangement， and some neurons exhibiting nuclear pyknosis and deep staining. Compared to the model group， the acupuncture group demonstrated a significant increase in sucrose preference rate， center stay time， and total travel distance， along with a significant reduction in immobility time in the forced swim test， hippocampal IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α levels， and TLR4 and NF-κB protein expression （P＜0.01）， and the histological analysis showed that hippocampal neurons in the acupuncture group were more tightly arranged， with reduced nuclear pyknosis and deep staining. ConclusionAcupuncture with the "soothing the liver and regulating the mind" method can significantly improve depression-like behavior， potentially by inhibiting the hippocampal TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and alleviating inflammatory responses.

Background Staff in tertiary hospitals are a high-risk group for occupational burnout. Timely identification and precise intervention are crucial for improving healthcare service quality. However, comparative studies on perceived stress and occupational burnout among hospital staff in different positions are lacking. Objective To describe the status of perceived stress and occupational burnout among hospital staff in different positions and compare the differences, explore the relationship between perceived stress and occupational burnout, and identify the influencing factors of occupational burnout. Methods In May 2022, 1526 hospital staff members were selected by convenience sampling from six tertiary hospitals in Guangzhou. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) to assess demographic characteristics, perceived stress, and occupational burnout. Chi-square test, one-way ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to compare differences in perceived stress and occupational burnout among staff in different positions. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore possible correlation between perceived stress and occupational burnout. Multiple linear regression was conducted to identify influencing factors of occupational burnout. Results A total of 1388 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective response rate of 90.96%. Among them, 437 nurses (57.0%), 273 physicians (58.6%), 24 pharmacists (57.1%), and 62 administrators (54.9%) reported positive perceived health risk stress (P=0.892). Additionally, 392 nurses (51.1%), 213 physicians (45.7%), 19 pharmacists (45.2%), and 53 administrators (46.9%) reported positive occupational burnout (P=0.005). Perceived stress was positively correlated with occupational burnout among nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and administrators (r=0.5973, 0.5687, 0.5464, and 0.5276, respectively; P＜0.01). The multiple linear regression identified perceived stress (b=1.4587, P＜0.001), job satisfaction (b=−7.4195, P＜0.001), self-rated health (b=−2.0428, P＜0.001), working years (b=−0.1135, P=0.016), and being a nurse (compared with an administrators) (b=3.2435, P=0.045) as significant factors for occupational burnout (P<0.001). Conclusion Perceived health risk stress and occupational burnout are common among hospital staff, with nurses experiencing significantly higher levels of occupational burnout compared to other positions. Hospital managers should pay more attention to staff with higher perceived stress, lower job satisfaction, poorer self-rated health, and shorter working years, particularly nurses.

Objective To evaluate the performance of the artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled snail identification system for recognition of Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni and Tricula in schistosomiasis-endemic areas of Yunnan Province. Methods Fifty O. hupensis robertsoni and 50 Tricula samples were collected from Yongbei Township, Yongsheng County, Lijiang City, a schistosomiasis-endemic area in Yunnan Province in May 2024. A total of 100 snail sample images were captured with smartphones, including front-view images of 25 O. hupensis robertsoni and 25 Tricula samples (upward shell opening) and back-view images of 25 O. hupensis robertsoni and 25 Tricula samples (downward shell opening). Snail samples were identified as O. hupensis robertsoni or Tricula by schistosomiasis control experts with a deputy senior professional title and above according to image quality and morphological characteristics. A standard dataset for snail image classification was created, and served as a gold standard for recognition of snail samples. A total of 100 snail sample images were recognized with the AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system based on a WeChat mini program in smartphones. Schistosomiasis control professionals were randomly sampled from stations of schistosomisis prevention and control and centers for disease control and prevention in 18 schistosomiasis-endemic counties (districts, cities) of Yunnan Province, for artificial identification of 100 snail sample images. All professionals are assigned to two groups according the median years of snail survey experiences, and the effect of years of snail survey experiences on O. hupensis robertsoni sample image recognition was evaluated. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted, and the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, Youden’s index and the area under the curve (AUC) of the AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system and artificial identification were calculated for recognition of snail sample images. The snail sample image recognition results of AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system and artificial identification were compared with the gold standard, and the internal consistency of artificial identification results was evaluated with the Cronbach’s coefficient alpha. Results A total of 54 schistosomiasis control professionals were sampled for artificial identification of snail sample image recognition, with a response rate of 100% (54/54), and the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, Youden’s index, and AUC of artificial identification were 90%, 86%, 94%, 0.80 and 0.90 for recognition of snail sample images, respectively. The overall Cronbach’s coefficient alpha of artificial identification was 0.768 for recognition of snail sample images, and the Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was 0.916 for recognition of O. hupensis robertsoni snail sample images and 0.925 for recognition of Tricula snail sample images. The overall accuracy of artificial identification was 90% for recognition of snail sample images, and there was no significant difference in the accuracy of artificial identification for recognition of O. hupensis robertsoni (86%) and Tricula snail sample images (94%) (χ² = 1.778, P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the accuracy of artificial identification for recognition of snail sample images with upward (88%) and downward shell openings (92%) (χ² = 0.444, P > 0.05), and there was a significant difference in the accuracy of artificial identification for recognition of snail sample images between schistosomiasis control professionals with snail survey experiences of 6 years and less (75%) and more than 6 years (90%) (χ² = 7.792, P < 0.05). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and AUC of the AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system were 88%, 100%, 76% and 0.88 for recognition of O. hupensis robertsoni snail sample images, and there was no significant difference in the accuracy of recognition of O. hupensis robertsoni snail sample images between the AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system and artificial identification (χ² = 0.204, P > 0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference in the accuracy of artificial identification for recognition of snail sample images with upward (90%) and downward shell openings (86%) (χ² = 0.379, P > 0.05), and there was a significant difference in the accuracy of artificial identification for recognition of snail sample images between schistosomiasis control professionals with snail survey experiences of 6 years and less and more than 6 years (χ² = 5.604, P_adjusted < 0.025). Conclusions The accuracy of recognition of snail sample images is comparable between the AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system and artificial identification by schistosomiasis control professionals, and the AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system is feasible for recognition of O. hupensis robertsoni and Tricula in Yunnan Province.

ObjectiveTo investigate the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and the level of serum homocysteine (Hcy) in association with the incidence of stroke in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. MethodsBased on the chronic disease risk factor surveillance cohort in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, excluding those with stroke in baseline survey, T2DM patients who joined the cohort from January 2016 to October 2020 were selected as the research subjects. During the follow-up period, a total of 318 new-onset ischemic stroke patients were selected as the case group, and a total of 318 individuals matched by gender without stroke were selected as the control group. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to adjust for confounding factors and explore the serum TyG index and the Hcy biochemical indicator in association with the risk of stroke. ResultsThe Cox proportional hazards regression results showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, the risk of stroke in T2DM patients with 10 μmol·L⁻¹-¹ and Hcy>15 μmol·L⁻¹ was 1.532 times (95%CI: 1.017‒2.309 times, P=0.041) and 1.738 times (95%CI: 1.119‒2.699 times, P=0.014) higher respectively, compared to T2DM patients with Hcy≤10 μmol·L⁻¹. T2DM patients with TyG>9.074 had 1.396 times higher risk of stroke (95%CI: 1.091‒1.787, P=0.008) compared to those with TyG≤9.074. The study found that urea and α1-antitrypsin (α1-AT) were independent risk factors for the incidence of stroke in T2DM patients. For every unit increase in urea andα1-AT, the risk of stroke in T2DM patients increased by 233.6% (HR=3.336, 95%CI: 1.588‒7.009, P=0.001) and 11.3% (HR=1.113, 95%CI: 1.028‒1.205, P=0.008), respectively. Cumulative risk curves showed that Hcy>10 μmol·L⁻¹ and TyG>9.074 accelerated the time to stroke occurrence in T2DM patients. ConclusionElevated levels of Hcy>10 μmol·L⁻¹ and a higher TyG index are risk factors for stroke in T2DM patients. Effective interventions for Hcy and TyG should be conducted for diabetic patients to reduce the incidence of stroke.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of brexpiprazole in treating acute schizophrenia.Methods Patients with schizophrenia were randomly divided into treatment group and control group.The treatment group was given brexpiprozole 2-4 mg·d-1 orally and the control group was given aripiprazole 10-20 mg·d-1orally,both were treated for 6 weeks.Clinical efficacy of the two groups,the response rate at endpoint,the changes from baseline to endpoint of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS),Clinical Global Impression-Improvement(CGI-S),Personal and Social Performance scale(PSP),PANSS Positive syndrome subscale,PANSS negative syndrome subscale were compared.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events in two groups were compared.Results There were 184 patients in treatment group and 186 patients in control group.After treatment,the response rates of treatment group and control group were 79.50％(140 cases/184 cases)and 82.40％(150 cases/186 cases),the scores of CGI-I of treatment group and control group were(2.00±1.20)and(1.90±1.01),with no significant difference(all P＞0.05).From baseline to Week 6,the mean change of PANSS total score wese(-30.70±16.96)points in treatment group and(-32.20±17.00)points in control group,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).The changes of CGI-S scores in treatment group and control group were(-2.00±1.27)and(-1.90±1.22)points,PSP scores were(18.80±14.77)and(19.20±14.55)points,PANSS positive syndrome scores were(-10.30±5.93)and(-10.80±5.81)points,PANSS negative syndrome scores were(-6.80±5.98)and(-7.30±5.15)points,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of treatment-related adverse events between the two group(69.00％vs.64.50％,P＞0.05).Conclusion The non-inferiority of Brexpiprazole to aripiprazole was established,with comparable efficacy and acceptability.

Objective To investigate the renal protective effect and mechanism of sodium acetate(Ace)on hyperuricemic nephropathy(HN)in mice.Methods Uric acid nephropathy mice model was prepared by intraperitoneal injection of potassium oxonate combined with adenine gavage.Mice were divided into blank control group(0.9％NaCl+0.5％carboxymethyl cellulose sodium),Ace group(200 mmol·L-1 Ace+0.5％carboxymethyl cellulose sodium),model group(0.9％NaCl+350 mg·kg-1 potassium oxonate+70 mg·kg-1 adenine),and experimental group(based on model group with additional 200 mmol·L-1 Ace).Serum and urine uric acid(UA)and serum creatinine(SCr)levels were observed in each group.Real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)was used to detect the expression levels of kidney injury molecule-1(Kim-1)and anti-aging gene Klotho,renal fibrosis markers Collagen Ⅰ and Fibronectin,intestinal inflammation-related factors interleukin-1 β(IL-1 β),and mRNA expression levels of tight junction proteins Zo-1.Results The serum UA levels of blank control group,Ace group,model group,and experimental group mice were(259.52±24.40),(227.71±35.91),(604.06±73.55),and(496.24±30.16)μmol·L-1,respectively;SCr levels were(16.85±0.40),(16.18±0.94),(22.38±1.56),and(19.78±1.43)μmol·L-1;Kim-1 mRNA relative expression levels were 1.04±0.25,1.17±0.28,13.00±2.87,and 4.24±3.92;Klotho mRNA relative expression levels were 1.04±0.15,1.02±0.18,0.43±0.12,and 0.69±0.12;Collagen Ⅰ mRNA relative expression levels were 1.05±0.15,1.02±0.18,3.19±1.09,and 1.61±0.55;Fibronectin mRNA relative expression levels were 1.07±0.18,1.02±0.25,7.86±2.40,and 3.34±2.10;intestinal IL-1β mRNA relative expression levels were 1.00±0.01,1.01±0.03,2.55±0.63,and 1.21±0.28;intestinal Zo-1 mRNA relative expression levels were 1.00±0.07,1.07±0.09,0.54±0.20,and 0.92±0.17.The above indicators in blank control group compared with model group,and experimental group compared with model group,all showed statistically significant differences(P＜0.05,P＜0.01,P＜0.001).Conclusion Sodium acetate can effectively reduce UA levels in HN mice,significantly improve renal injury and fibrosis,and its mechanism may be related to the improvement of intestinal inflammatory response and up-regulation of intestinal Zo-1/Occuludin pathway to reduce intestinal mucosal permeability.

Objective To establish in vitro the small intestinal organoid culture system and to investigate the effect of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)on the growth of small intestinal organoids and the secretion of inflammatory factors.Methods In vitro,the small intestinal crypt cell mass of C57BL/6 mice was aseptically isolated,collected and embedded in organoid matrix.Under the support of complete medium,the small intestinal organoids with three-dimensional multi-leaf structure with small intestinal epithelioid structure were formed.The small intestinal organoids were subcultured after 5-7 d culture.On the third day after passage,the small intestinal organoids were randomly divided into different mass concentrations of LPS groups(0,150,175,200,225,250,275 and 300 mg/L).After 24 h and 48 h of LPS induction,morphological changes of small intestinal organoid growth and differentiation were observed.CCK-8 method was used to detect the effect of different time points and mass concentrations of LPS on the proliferative activity of small intestinal organoids after induction of inflammation.The effects of four different mass concentrations of LPS(0,175,200 and 225 mg/L)on expression levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor(GM-CSF),interleukin(IL)-1α,IL-6 and IL-10 in organoid culture supernatant at different times were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results The mouse small intestinal organoid culture system was preliminarily constructed.After different time and mass concentration of LPS induced inflammation of small intestinal organoids,it was observed by morphology that small intestinal organoids would have different degrees of expansion and apoptosis in lumen.The proliferation,differentiation and budding of damaged intestinal epithelial crypts or intestinal stem cells were also inhibited to varying degrees,indicating that the growth of small intestinal organoids would be limited to varying degrees after induced inflammation.The proliferation activity of small intestinal organoids decreased to varying degrees after 24 h and 48 h of LPS induction at 175-225 mg/L(P＜0.05),but the cell viability was still greater than 50%.The levels of IL-1α,IL-6 and GM-CSF partially increased after induction with 200 mg/L and 225 mg/L LPS for 24 h and 48 h(P＜0.05).The level of IL-10 decreased after induction with 200 mg/L LPS for 24 h and 48 h(P＜0.05).Conclusion In this study,a model of intestinal inflammatory injury in vitro induced by LPS with different mass concentrations and time points is preliminarily constructed,which provides a more reliable research platform for the mechanism research of intestinal diseases and the screening of effective drugs in the future.

Institutions of higher education undertake a significant number of animal experiment projects with diverse types. To standardize animal experiments and ensure animal welfare, ethical review has become a core task for the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in these higher education institutions. A key issue worth exploring is how to improve the efficiency of animal ethical reviews while maintaining systematic quality of supervision. Based on the current status of ethical reviews at the Laboratory Animal Center of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, this paper designs and implements a full-process ethical review software system. This system seeks to offer solutions for the ethical review and supervision of animal welfare in institutions of higher education through information technology. The system employs a full-process supervision philosophy of "pre-approval, in-process supervision, post-review," focusing on strengthening the review and approval of animal research protocols, as well as post-approval monitoring. At the pre-approval stage, the system optimizes the process for designated members involved in the project review, ensuring that all projects comply with ethical standards and legal regulations. At the in-process stage, veterinary verification and consultation are carried out by executive veterinarians, using a method of "offline inspections and online records" for supervision. At the post-review stage, researchers are required to provide retrospective data to evaluate the experimental process. Additionally, this paper provides an in-depth exploration of the software, detailing its functional and non-functional requirements, as well as its security considerations. It also delves into the comprehensive software architecture, process design, and operational details. Furthermore, it illustrates the system's operational efficacy and impact since its launch. This paper discusses the software's applicability and practicality, analyzing existing limitations and challenges, such as the difficulty of balancing experiment urgency with the stringent nature of review processes, and the traceability blind spots in post-approval supervision. Future research will continue to enhance the accuracy and strength of animal welfare ethical reviews and supervision through new technologies and methods.

[Abstract] [Objective] To establish a new centrifugal-membrane hybrid plasmapheresis (CMHP) model, and observe its clinical efficacy, safety and advantages in the treatment of hyperlipidemia by comparing with centrifugation therapeutic plasma exchange (cTPE). [Methods] A retrospective analysis was performed on 47 patients with hyperlipidemia treated in our department from August 2021 to September 2023, with a total of 60 treatments. They were divided into two groups: CMHP group with 37 patients and 46 treatments; cTPE group included 10 patients with 14 treatments. In the CMHP group, the plasma was separated by a blood cell separator and the plasma components were separated by a two-stage membrane plasma component separator. In the cTPE group, the plasma was separated by a blood cell separator for therapeutic plasma exchange. The clinical efficacy, safety and advantages of the two groups were compared. [Results] The reduction ratios of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) before and after treatment in CMHP group were 68.56%[59.81%, 73.42%], 65.80%[55.55%, 75.98%] and 46.57%[36.02%, 54.83%] and 66.67%[43.48%, 76.24%] respectively, with statistically significant difference (P<0.001). The decrease ratios of TC, TG and HDL-C before and after treatment in cTPE group were 42.52%[29.67%, 49.85%], 52.32%[38.43%, 67.07%] and 22.36%[8.51%, 33.65%], respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The plasma treatment multiple was 1.48 (0.29) in CMHP group, which was significantly higher than 0.87 (0.26) in cTPE group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.001), resulting in higher TC and HDL-C reduction ratios in CMHP group than in cTPE group, with a statistically significant difference (P<0.001), while there was no significant difference in TG reduction rate between the two groups (P>0.05). At the same time, the cTPE group required 1 520.00 mL[1 462.50 mL, 2 000.00 mL] plasma input, while the CMHP group achieved zero blood input. The adverse reaction ratio was 6.52%(3/46) in CMHP group and 7.14%(1/14) in cTPE group, and the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). [Conclusion] Compared with cTPE, CMHP can better reduce blood lipid levels without any blood products, avoid the spread of blood infectious diseases, and have a low incidence of adverse reactions, so it has a good clinical application prospect.

The organization of the brain follows a topological hierarchy that changes dynamically during development. However, it remains unknown whether and how cognitive training administered over multiple years during development can modify this hierarchical topology. By measuring the brain and behavior of school children who had carried out abacus-based mental calculation (AMC) training for five years (starting from 7 years to 12 years old) in pre-training and post-training, we revealed the reshaping effect of long-term AMC intervention during development on the brain hierarchical topology. We observed the development-induced emergence of the default network, AMC training-promoted shifting, and regional changes in cortical gradients. Moreover, the training-induced gradient changes were located in visual and somatomotor areas in association with the visuospatial/motor-imagery strategy. We found that gradient-based features can predict the math ability within groups. Our findings provide novel insights into the dynamic nature of network recruitment impacted by long-term cognitive training during development.
Child ; Humans ; Cognitive Training ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Brain ; Brain Mapping ; Motor Cortex