The modern Silk Road spirit advocating for win-win cooperative partnerships, aligns with the target of the “Belt and Road” Initiative, which provides new opportunities for collaboration on tropical disease control among countries along the “Belt and Road”. The modern Silk Road spirit may effectively facilitate tropical disease control programmes and improve disease control concepts and approaches through collaborative research, information sharing, infrastructure development, and joint efforts in pharmaceuticals and vaccine development; however, there are still multiple challenges that require to be overcome, including political and cultural differences, and data sharing. Therefore, countries participating in the “Belt and Road” Initiative need to work together with mutual respects, build effective collaborative mechanisms and improve communications to jointly facilitate the sustainable development of global tropical disease control programmes and cultural exchange, so as to contribute to global health and prosperities. This article discusses the contribution of the modern Silk Road spirit to facilitating global tropical disease control programmes in the context of the “Belt and Road” Initiative.

Serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitors （SSRIs）， as widely used antidepressants in clinical practice， exhibit significant individual differences in antidepressant efficacy. Gut microbiota plays an important role in the development and progression of depression， and the use of SSRIs exerts a significant impact on the gut microbiota of patients with depression. Based on this， this article reviews the research progress on the interactions between the antidepressant effects of SSRIs and gut microbiota. It has been found that SSRIs can influence the diversity， abundance， and function of the gut microbiota directly or indirectly. Conversely， the composition of the gut microbiota and differences in its functional metabolic pathways， and other factors， can in turn affect the antidepressant effects of SSRIs. Therefore， in clinical practice， gut microbiota diversity can be utilized as a predictive indicator for the antidepressant effects of SSRIs. Probiotics can be employed as an adjunct therapy alongside SSRIs， and dietary adjustments， as well as fecal microbiota transplantation， can be used to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of SSRIs. In the future， large-scale， multicenter clinical studies should be conducted， enrolling a broadly representative cohort of patients with depression， to uncover the true association between the antidepressant effects of SSRIs and gut microbiota， thereby opening up more effective avenues for the comprehensive treatment of depression.

Objective:To investigate the differences in gene mutations and functional clusters of gene mutations in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in the lower-risk and higher-risk groups.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. Clinical data of 227 patients with MDS in Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University from January 2018 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R), MDS patients were categorized into the lower-risk group (IPSS-R score ≤3.5 points, 96 cases) and the higher-risk group (IPSS-R score >3.5 points, 131 cases). Bone marrow specimens were tested for mutations of 58 common MDS genes using next-generation sequencing, and the 24 genes with the high mutation rates were included in the study, and the 24 mutated genes were categorized into 8 clusters according to gene function. The differences in clinical data, gene mutations and gene mutation functional clusters were compared between the lower-risk group and the higher-risk group.Results:At least 1 gene mutation was detected in 177 (78.0%) of 227 MDS patients, of which the 5 genes with high mutation rates were ASXL1 [21.6% (49/227)], TET2 [18.5% (42/227)], TP53 [15.4% (35/227)], DNMT3A [13.2% (30/227)], and U2AF1 [10.1% (23/227)] in turn. By gene function analysis, the most common mutation cluster was methylation-related genes [31.3% (71/227)], followed by spliceosome-related genes [24.7% (56/227)]. Platelet count and neutrophil count in the lower-risk group were higher than those in the higher-risk group, and the proportion of bone marrow primitive cells, the mutation rate and the presence of ≥3 mutations were lower than those in the higher-risk group (all P < 0.05). The 5 genes with high mutation rates in the lower-risk group were TET2 [21.9% (21/96)], DNMT3A [14.6% (14/96)], ASXL1 [13.5% (13/96)], SF3B1 [12.5% (12/96)], and U2AF1 [8.3% (8/96)] in turn. The 5 genes with high mutation rates in the higher-risk group were ASXL1 [27.5% (36/131)], TP53 [23.7% (31/131)], TET2 [16.0% (21/131)], DNMT3A [12.2% (16/131)], and U2AF1 [11.5% (15/131)] in turn, and the mutation rates of ASXL1, TP53, ETV6, and NRAS genes in the lower-risk group were lower than those in the higher-risk group (all P < 0.05). The mutation rate of methylation-related genes was the highest in both the lower-risk group and the higher-risk group, but the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant [32.3% (31/96) vs. 30.5% (40/131), χ2 = 0.08, P>0.05]. The differences in the proportions of tumor factor suppressor-related genes, transcription factor-related genes, chromatin-modification-related genes and RAS pathway-related genes mutations between the two groups were all statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:The higher-risk group has a higher rate of common gene mutations and a greater number of gene mutations than the lower-risk group in MDS patients.

China is facing the peak of an ageing population, and there is an increase in demand for intelligent healthcare services for the elderly. The metaverse, as a new internet social communication space, has shown infinite potential for application. This paper focuses on the application of the metaverse in medicine in the intervention of cognitive decline in the elderly population. The problems in assessment and intervention of cognitive decline in the elderly group were analyzed. The basic data required to construct the metaverse in medicine was introduced. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the elderly users can conduct self-monitoring, experience immersive self-healing and health-care through the metaverse in medicine technology. Furthermore, we proposed that it is feasible that the metaverse in medicine has obvious advantages in prediction and diagnosis, prevention and rehabilitation, as well as assisting patients with cognitive decline. Risks for its application were pointed out as well. The metaverse in medicine technology solves the problem of non-face-to-face social communication for elderly users, which may help to reconstruct the social medical system and service mode for the elderly population.
Aged ; Humans ; Cognitive Dysfunction/prevention & control* ; Aging ; China ; Internet ; Technology

Objective: To explore the surgical methods and clinical outcomes of severe angular kyphosis with the length of the spinal cord constant in the osteotomy area. Methods: Clinical data from 20 patients with severe angular kyphosis who underwent surgical treatment from January 2017 to December 2020 in the Department of Spinal Surgery,Hangzhou Xiaoshan District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were retrospectively analyzed. There were 11 males and 9 females, aged (28.5±8.9) years (range:17 to 46 years).There were 15 cases with congenital angular kyphosis,5 cases with tuberculous angular kyphosis.The angle of kyphosis was (107.1±12.9)° (range:93.2° to 131.4°).Frankel classification:2 cases with grade B,4 cases with grade C,3 cases with grade D.The kyphotic vertex is located at the T₉ to T₁₂ segments.Pedicle screws were placed in 3 or 4 adjacent segments at the proximal and distal kyphosis apex of the patients using a surgical navigation system.Piezosurgery combined with a grinding drill was used to complete the osteotomy in the apical vertebral region.Titanium mesh or artificial vertebral body was implanted,and the osteotomy surface was closed using this as the fulcrum to complete osteotomy.Spinal X-ray examination was performed before surgery,immediately after surgery and at the last follow-up,and sagittal and coronal Cobb angle,sagittal and coronary balance parameters,anterior vertebral height,posterior vertebral height,and spinal cord length were measured.Pulmonary function,visual analogue scale (VAS),and Oswestry's disability index (ODI) were collected and estimated before and after treatment.The analysis of variance of repeated measurement data was used for each evaluation index before and after treatment,and the t test was used for pairwise comparison. Results: All patients successfully completed surgery,with artificial vertebral body in 11 cases and double titanium mesh in 9 cases.The follow-up time was (28.2±2.3) months (range:26 to 31 months).Sagittal vertical axis improved from (46.9±13.7)mm(range:21.7 to 75.7 mm) before surgery to (10.7±5.5)mm (range:3.6 to 28.1 mm) after surgery,and (11.0±5.7)mm(range:3.6 to 29.3 mm) at the last follow-up,the differences were statistically significant compared to before surgery (all P<0.01).The mean kyphotic Cobb angle was corrected from (107.1±12.9) ° (range:93.2 ° to 131.4°) before surgery to (30.6±8.5) ° (range:20.0 ° to 47.8 °) after surgery (all P<0.01),and (32.1±8.7) ° (range:18.2 ° to 50.8°) at the last follow-up,the differences were statistically significant compared to before surgery(all P<0.01).The anterior vertebral height improved from (14.2±2.9)mm(range:11.04 to 23.6 mm) before surgery to (45.3±7.5)mm(range:29.4 to 56.5 mm) after surgery,and (44.3±6.8)mm(range:29.6 to 56.0 mm) at the last follow-up,the differences were statistically significant compared to before surgery (all P<0.01).The posterior vertebral height was improved from (51.8±5.3)mm (range:43.1 to 61.4 mm)before surgery to (57.6±4.7)mm (range:45.7 to 64.1 mm)after surgery,and (56.3±5.0) mm (range:49.7 to 68.5 mm) at the last follow-up,the differences were statistically significant compared to before surgery (all P<0.01).The spinal cord length of the osteotomy segment was (73.1±12.0)mm (range:56.8 to 98.4 mm) before surgery and (74.8±12.8)mm (range:53.5 to 100.2 mm) after surgery and (75.2±13.7)mm (range:53.9 to 102.4 mm) at the last follow-up,the difference was not statistically significant among them(F=0.144,P=0.866).The ODI and VAS scores improved significantly after surgery and at the last follow-up,and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). Conclusion: The posterior vertebral column resection technique combined with titanium mesh or an artificial vertebral body implant for the treatment of severe angular kyphosis can significantly improve the kyphosis,neurological function,and life quality of patients without affecting the length of the spinal cord.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a progressive and irreversible fibroinflammatory disorder, accompanied by pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and dysregulated gut microbiota. Recently, accumulating evidence has supported a correlation between gut dysbiosis and CP development. However, whether gut microbiota dysbiosis contributes to CP pathogenesis remains unclear. Herein, an experimental CP was induced by repeated high-dose caerulein injections. The broad-spectrum antibiotics (ABX) and ABX targeting Gram-positive (G⁺) or Gram-negative bacteria (G^-) were applied to explore the specific roles of these bacteria. Gut dysbiosis was observed in both mice and in CP patients, which was accompanied by a sharply reduced abundance for short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producers, especially G⁺ bacteria. Broad-spectrum ABX exacerbated the severity of CP, as evidenced by aggravated pancreatic fibrosis and gut dysbiosis, especially the depletion of SCFAs-producing G⁺ bacteria. Additionally, depletion of SCFAs-producing G⁺ bacteria rather than G^- bacteria intensified CP progression independent of TLR4, which was attenuated by supplementation with exogenous SCFAs. Finally, SCFAs modulated pancreatic fibrosis through inhibition of macrophage infiltration and M2 phenotype switching. The study supports a critical role for SCFAs-producing G⁺ bacteria in CP. Therefore, modulation of dietary-derived SCFAs or G⁺ SCFAs-producing bacteria may be considered a novel interventive approach for the management of CP.

Sialyllactose is one of the most abundant sialylated oligosaccharides in human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), which plays an important role in the healthy development of infants and young children. However, its efficient and cheap production technology is still lacking presently. This study developed a two-step process employing multiple-strains for the production of sialyllactose. In the first step, two engineered strains, E. coli JM109(DE3)/ pET28a-BT0453 and JM109(DE3)/pET28a-nanA, were constructed to synthesize the intermediate N-acetylneuraminic acid. When the ratio of the biomass of the two engineered strains was 1:1 and the reaction time was 32 hours, the maximum yield of N-acetylneuraminic acid was 20.4 g/L. In the second step, E. coli JM109(DE3)/ pET28a-neuA, JM109(DE3)/ pET28a-nst and Baker's yeast were added to the above fermentation broth to synthesize 3'-sialyllactose (3'-SL). Using optimal conditions including 200 mmol/L N-acetyl-glucosamine and lactose, 150 g/L Baker's yeast, 20 mmol/L Mg²⁺, the maximum yield of 3'-SL in the fermentation broth reached 55.04 g/L after 24 hours of fermentation and the conversion rate of the substrate N-acetyl-glucosamine was 43.47%. This research provides an alternative technical route for economical production of 3'-SL.
Child ; Humans ; Child, Preschool ; N-Acetylneuraminic Acid ; Escherichia coli/genetics* ; Lactose ; Fermentation ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; Oligosaccharides ; Glucosamine

Objective:To explore the effect of sciatic nerve derived exosomes(SN-EXO) on axon regeneration and functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury(PNI).Methods:From March 2021 to October 2022, the Department of Orthopedics of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University studied the effect of SN-EXO on the proliferation of Schwann cells(SCs) through EdU cell proliferation experiment. Twenty-one healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups of sham operation, peripheral nerve injury(PNI) and SN-EXO treatment, with 7 rats in each group. The right sciatic nerves of rat models in sham group were exposed without injury. In the rat in PNI group and SN-EXO treatment group, PBS and SN-EXO were injected under the epineurium of right sciatic nerves following sciatic nerve crush. Sciatic nerve function index(SFI) was performed at 28 days after operation, and then sacrificed. Right sciatic nerves were removed for further exploration of nerve regeneration. The histopathological changes and axon arrangement of sciatic nerves were evaluated by HE staining. Regeneration efficiency of neurofilaments and SCs were obserred by NF200 and S100β double staining of sciatic nerve. The data obtained were statistically analyzed, and P<0.05 was statistically significant. Results:It was found that SN-EXO can significantly enhance the proliferation ability of SCs, with statistically significant difference( P<0.05). SFI in SN-EXO treatment group and PNI group were(-27.65±4.36) and(-57.33±7.49), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant( P<0.05). Axons in SN-EXO treatment group were arranged more closely and orderly than those in the PNI group at 28 days after operation, and there were less injury induced axon disintegration and vacuolation. Immunofluorescence assay indicated that NF200 and S100β fluorescence intensity in SN-EXO treatment group was significantly higher than that in the PNI group, and the difference was statistically significant( P<0.05). Conclusion:SN-EXO could enhance the proliferation of SCs to promote axon regeneration following peripheral nerve injury.

Objective To observe the protective effect of electroacupuncture(EA)on ankle joint synovitis and HIF-1 α/MDM2/p53 signaling pathway in adjuvant arthritis(AA)rats.Methods SD rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,sham EA group,agonist group,EA group,EA+antagonist group,antagonist group,with 10 rats in each group.Preparation of AA rat model by injecting Freund's complete adjuvant into bilateral foot pads of rats.EA(2 Hz,3 V)was applied to bilateral ST36 and GB39 or two control points(5 mm left to ST36 and GB39)for 15 min,once every other day for a total of 8 times.HIF-1 α agonists and antagonists were injected into the tail vein of rats in the corresponding groups.The inflammatory conditions of the ankle joint were observed by HE staining,and the contents of serum HIF-1 α was assayed by ELISA.mRNA expression of HIF-1α,VEGF,MDM2 and p53 were detected by RT-PCR,protein expression of HIF-1α,VEGF,MDM2 and p53 were detected by Western blot in synovium of AA rats.Results The results of HE staining showed that compared with the control group,the synovial cells in the model group had significant proliferation and inflammatory cell infiltration(P<0.01);Compared with the model group,the arthritic reaction of the rats in the EA group,the EA+antagonist group and the antagonist group was significantly reduced(P<0.01),while the arthritic reaction of the rats in the sham EA group and the agonist group was still serious(P>0.05).The results of ELISA showed that compared with the control group,the serum HIF-1αexpression of the model group rats was significantly increased(P<0.01);Compared with model group,serum HIF-1αexpression of rats in EA group,EA+ antagonist group and antagonist group was significantly decreased(P<0.01);There was no significant difference in serum HIF-1αexpression among the model group,sham EA group and agonist group(P>0.05).RT-PCR results showed that compared with the control group,the mRNA expression of HIF-1α,VEGF,MDM2 and p53 of model group rats increased significantly;Compared with model group,the mRNA expression of HIF-1α,VEGF and MDM2 of rats in EA group,EA+antagonist group and antagonist group decreased significantly,while the mRNA expression of p53 increased significantly.Western blot results showed that compared with the control group,the protein expression of HIF-1α,VEGF,MDM2 and p53 of model group rats increased significantly;Compared with model group,the mRNA expression of HIF-1α,VEGF and MDM2 of rats in EA group,EA+antagonist group and antagonist group decreased significantly,while the mRNA expression of p53 increased significantly.Conclusion Electroacupuncture intervention has significant protective effect on ankle inflammation in AA rats,HIF-1 α/MDM2/p53 signaling pathway plays a key role in this process.

AIM: To investigate the anesthetic effect of remimazolam tosilate combined with remifentanil in elderly patients undergoing spinal surgery, and its impacts on hemodynamics, serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8) level. METHODS: A total of 88 elderly patients who underwent spinal surgery in our hospital from May 2022 to May 2023 were randomly separated into an experimental group and a control group. The control group was given remifentanil, and the experimental group was anesthetized with remimazolam tosilate on the basis of the control group. The anesthesia effect, hemodynamic indicators, serum IL-1β and CXCL8 levels, and complication rate were compared between two groups. RESULTS: After different anesthesia regimens, the recovery time of spontaneous respiration, extubation time, and recovery time of the two groups were compared, and the experimental group were obviously shorter than the control group (P<0.05); compared with pre administration (T0), the fluctuation ranges of hemodynamic indexes, including heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP), in the experimental group after 1 min (T1), 5 min (T2), 10 min (T3) and after extubation (T4) of administration were obviously lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). After surgery, the levels of IL-1β and CXCL8 in the serum of the two groups obviously increased (P<0.05), but the experimental group showed a obvious decrease compared to the control group (P<0.05); there was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The combined anesthesia of remimazolam tosilate and remifentanil has an ideal effect and high clinical application value for elderly patients undergoing spinal surgery.