Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that severely affects the health of the elderly, marked by its incurability, high prevalence, and extended latency period. The current approach to AD prevention and treatment emphasizes early detection and intervention, particularly during the pre-AD stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which provides an optimal “window of opportunity” for intervention. Clinical detection methods for MCI, such as cerebrospinal fluid monitoring, genetic testing, and imaging diagnostics, are invasive and costly, limiting their broad clinical application. Speech, as a vital cognitive output, offers a new perspective and tool for computer-assisted analysis and screening of cognitive decline. This is because elderly individuals with cognitive decline exhibit distinct characteristics in semantic and audio information, such as reduced lexical richness, decreased speech coherence and conciseness, and declines in speech rate, voice rhythm, and hesitation rates. The objective presence of these semantic and audio characteristics lays the groundwork for computer-based screening of cognitive decline. Speech information is primarily sourced from databases or collected through tasks involving spontaneous speech, semantic fluency, and reading, followed by analysis using computer models. Spontaneous language tasks include dialogues/interviews, event descriptions, narrative recall, and picture descriptions. Semantic fluency tasks assess controlled retrieval of vocabulary items, requiring participants to extract information at the word level during lexical search. Reading tasks involve participants reading a passage aloud. Summarizing past research, the speech characteristics of the elderly can be divided into two major categories: semantic information and audio information. Semantic information focuses on the meaning of speech across different tasks, highlighting differences in vocabulary and text content in cognitive impairment. Overall, discourse pragmatic disorders in AD can be studied along three dimensions: cohesion, coherence, and conciseness. Cohesion mainly examines the use of vocabulary by participants, with a reduction in the use of nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives in AD patients. Coherence assesses the ability of participants to maintain topics, with a decrease in the number of subordinate clauses in AD patients. Conciseness evaluates the information density of participants, with AD patients producing shorter texts with less information compared to normal elderly individuals. Audio information focuses on acoustic features that are difficult for the human ear to detect. There is a significant degradation in temporal parameters in the later stages of cognitive impairment; AD patients require more time to read the same paragraph, have longer vocalization times, and produce more pauses or silent parts in their spontaneous speech signals compared to normal individuals. Researchers have extracted audio and speech features, developing independent systems for each set of features, achieving an accuracy rate of 82% for both, which increases to 86% when both types of features are combined, demonstrating the advantage of integrating audio and speech information. Currently, deep learning and machine learning are the main methods used for information analysis. The overall diagnostic accuracy rate for AD exceeds 80%, and the diagnostic accuracy rate for MCI also exceeds 80%, indicating significant potential. Deep learning techniques require substantial data support, necessitating future expansion of database scale and continuous algorithm upgrades to transition from laboratory research to practical product implementation.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which the ethanol extract of Epimedium brevicornu （EEBM） intervenes in mesenchymal adipose-derived stem cells （ADSCs） to delay aging in castrated rats. MethodsForty-five 3-month-old SPF female SD rats were ovariectomized and randomly divided into model group， ADSCs treatment group， and ADSCs groups treated with low， medium， and high concentrations of EEBM （1， 50， 100 μg·L^-1）， referred to as the AE low， medium， and high concentration groups， with 9 rats in each group. After tail vein injection of 200 μL of the corresponding stem cell suspension， aging-related indicators including cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor （p21）， tumor suppressor gene （p53）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-8 （IL-8）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 （Caspase-3）， and lipofuscin were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） and Western blot. ResultsCompared with the model group， the IL-6 content in the AE low， medium， and high concentration groups was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Lipofuscin， MDA， and IL-8 levels in the ADSCs treatment group and AE low， medium， and high concentration groups were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while SOD content was significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the ADSCs treatment group， lipofuscin and IL-8 levels in the AE low， medium， and high concentration groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The MDA content was significantly decreased in the AE medium concentration group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， protein levels of p21， p53， Bax， and Caspase-3 in the ADSCs treatment group and AE low， medium， and high concentration groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the Bcl-2 protein level was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the ADSCs treatment group， protein levels of p21， p53， Bax， and Caspase-3 in the AE low， medium， and high concentration groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the Bcl-2 protein level in the AE low concentration group was significantly increased （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe results of this experiment show that EEBM-treated ADSCs or ADSCs may delay aging in castrated rats by inhibiting cell apoptosis， reducing cell cycle inhibitors and pro-inflammatory factors， enhancing antioxidant capacity， and reducing oxidative reactions. Moreover， EEBM-treated ADSCs demonstrate stronger anti-aging effects than ADSCs alone. This study provides experimental evidence supporting the clinical use of EEBM to intervene in ADSCs and delay aging.

ObjectiveTo investigate the optimal ratio of goat horn replacing antelope horn in Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills and the blood pressure-lowering mechanism of this medicine. MethodsThe blood pressure-lowering efficacy of Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills with varying proportions of goat horn replacing antelope horn was evaluated on spontaneous hypertensive rats （SHR）. In this experiment， 50 SHR rats were randomly grouped as follows： model （n=8）， captopril （0.01 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， low-dose blank Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.342 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， high-dose blank Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.684 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， low-dose antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.378 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， high-dose antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.756 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， low-dose goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.378 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， and high-dose goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.756 g·kg^-1） （n=6）. Additionally， 8 WKY rats were used as the normal group. Drugs were administered by gavage for 4 weeks while an equal volume of distilled water was administered for the normal and model groups. Blood pressure was measured before administration， 3 h post administration， and biweekly thereafter. In the experiment for Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills with goat horn replacing antelope horn in different proportions， 48 SHR rats were randomly grouped as follows： model， blank Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.684 g·kg^-1）， antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.756 g·kg^-1）， 2× goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.824 g·kg^-1）， 4× goat horn Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.969 g·kg^-1）， and 6× goat horn Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （1.112 g·kg^-1）. The normal group included 8 WKY rats， and the normal group and model group received an equal volume of distilled water. The treatment lasted for 2 weeks， and blood pressure was recorded at various time points （pre-administration， 3 h post administration， and on days 4， 7， 10， and 14 of administration）. Serum levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme （ACE）， angiotensin Ⅱ（Ang Ⅱ）， renin， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Histopathological changes in the heart， kidney， and thoracic aorta were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The protein levels of ACE2， angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor （AT1R）， and angiotensinogen （AGT） in the kidney tissue were determined by Western blot， while the expression of nuclear factor （NF）-κB p65 and Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） in the thoracic aorta tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry. ResultsCompared with the model group， all treatment groups showed lowered blood pressure （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the 6× goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills group showed consistent blood pressure-lowering effect with the antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills group. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed elevated serum levels of ACE， Ang Ⅱ， renin， and IL-6， while the elevations were declined in the Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Pathological changes in the heart， kidney， and thoracic aorta were alleviated in all the treatment groups， with the 6× goat horn- and antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills groups exhibited the best effect. Western blot and immunohistochemistry results showed that all the treatment groups exhibited down-regulated protein levels of AT1R， AGT， NF-κB p65， and TLR4 and up-regulated protein levels of ACE2 （P<0.05， P<0.01） compared with model group， with the 6×goat horn- and antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills groups showcasing the best effect. ConclusionReplacing antelope horn with 6×goat horn in Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills can achieve consistent blood pressure-lowering effect with the original prescription. The prescription may exert the effect by inhibiting the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system （RAAS） and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways.

ObjectiveTo establish background data for a 90-day feeding trial of SD rats to ensure the reliability of research data. MethodsBackground data from six independent 90-day feeding trials of SD rats conducted by the National Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs from 2020 to 2023 were summarized. These studies involved a blank control group of 120 SPF-grade 4-week-old SD rats, with an equal number of males and females, which were only given standard full-nutrient pelleted rat feed. After the quarantine period, the animals were observed for an additional 90 days, followed by intraperitoneal injection of Zoletil (50 mg/mL) for anesthesia, blood sampling, euthanasia, and necropsy. By analyzing the data from the blank control group, a relevant background database for SD rats was established. ResultsBoth male and female rats exhibited steady weight gain, with a more pronounced increase in male rats. Within 90 days, the average body weight of male and female rats increased to over 500 g and 300 g, respectively. Three weeks later, the average daily food intake of male rats stabilized at approximately 25~28 g per rat, while that of female rats remained stable at approximately 16~19 g per rat. The food utilization rate of all animals gradually decreased from the first week of the experiment. In the white blood cell (WBC) differential count results, significant differences were observed in the counts of WBCs, neutrophils (Neut), lymphocytes (Lymph), and monocytes (Mono) between males and females (P<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the percentages of neutrophil (%Neut), lymphocyte (%Lymph), and monocyte (%Mono) between the sexes (P>0.05). The average red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), platelet count (PLT), prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were higher in male animals than in female animals (P<0.05). The average values of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatine phosphokinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glucose (GLU), and triglyceride (TG) in male rats were higher than those in female rats (P<0.05). The urinary pH range for male animals was 5.0 to 8.5, while for female animals it was 6.5 to 9.0. The majority of male animals had a urinary specific gravity lower than 1.020, and the majority of female animals had a urinary specific gravity lower than 1.015. The weights of various organs (excluding the adrenal glands and reproductive organs) in male animals were heavier than those in female animals (P<0.001), while the organ/body weight ratios (excluding the kidneys and reproductive organs) of female animals were higher than those of male animals (P<0.001). ConclusionThis study summarizes the background reference ranges for body weight, food intake, hematology, and serum biochemistry indicators in SPF-grade SD rats in the untreated control group from six 90-day feeding trials conducted by the National Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs. It provides important reference data for related research. By summarizing the background and spontaneous histopathological changes in rats, this study aids in the standardization and normalization of subsequent research, as well as in the evaluation and analysis of abnormal results.

Objective To discuss the effect of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway regulated by microRNA-155(miRNA-155)targeted protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 21(PTPN21)on the proliferation,migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)cells.Methods Lentivirus transfection was used to silence the expression of miRNA-155 in human Huh7 HCC cells,and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)was used to detect the silencing effect of miR-155.After obtaining stable cell lines,the cell lines were randomly divided into Blank group(normal Huh7 cells),shNC group(Huh7 cells+empty miR-155 vector),sh-miR-155(Huh7 cells+miR-155 silencing),sh-miR-155+Recilisib group(Huh7 cells+miR-155 silencing+PI3K-AKT agonist),shNC+Recilisib group(Huh7 cells+empty miR-155 vector+PI3K-AKT agonist).Dual luciferase assay was used to determine whether PTPN21 was the downstream of miR-155.The cell proliferation ability of cells in each group was detected by MTT assay.The apoptosis level of each group was tested by flow cytometry.The invasion and migration ability of cells was assessed by Transwell assay.Western blot analysis was used to observe the differences in protein expression of PTPN21,PI3K,P-PI3K,AKT,P-AKT,and apoptosis-related proteins including BAX,BCL-2 and caspase-3 in all groups.Results The expression level of miR-155 in sh-miR-155 group was lower than that in Blank group and shNC group(P＜0.000 1),and the difference in miR-155 expression level between Blank group and shNC group was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).MTT results showed that A values of Huh7 cells at 2,3,4 and 5 day in sh-miR-155 group were lower than those in Blank group and shNC group(P＜0.000 1),while these differences between Blank group and shNC group were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).In sh-miR-155 group the A values at 2,3,4 and 5 day were lower than those in sh-miR-155+Recilisib group and shNC+Recilisib group(P=0.0052 and P＜0.0001,respectively),while the A values at 2,3,4 and 5 day in sh-miR-155+Recilisib were lower than those in shNC+Recilisib group(P＜0.000 1).There was no significant differences in cell migration and number of invasion cells between the Blank group and shNC group(P＞0.05).After activation of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway,the migration and invasion capacity of HCC cells in the shNC+Recilisib group were significantly enhanced when compared with the Blank group(P＜0.000 1).In contrast,the number of migrated and invaded Huh7 cells after miR-155 silencing was significantly lower than that in the Blank group and shNC group(P＜0.000 1)and this phenomenon became reversed by PI3K agonist.Compared with the sh-miR-155 group,in the sh-miR-155+Recilisib group the migration and invasion ability of HCC cells was enhanced(P=0.000 2).Lentiviral transfection of Huh7 human HCC cells to silence miR-155 and downregulate miR-155 inhibiting PTPN21 regulation of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway,thus inhibiting the invasion,migration and proliferation ability of HCC cells and promoting the apoptosis of HCC cells.Conclusion miR-155 inhibits the migration,invasion and proliferation of HCC cells through targeting PTPN21 regulation of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.The miR-155 may be a potential therapeutic target for HCC in the future.(J Intervent Radiol,2024,32:44-51)

Objective To investigate the characteristics and influencing factors of mental health status of permanent residents in Yichang, Hubei Province. Methods A total of 9 576 permanent residents aged 18 years and older from Yichang City were selected by a multistage random sampling method between June and October 2022. The PHQ-9 was used to assess the residents’ depressive symptoms, the GAD-7 was used to assess their anxiety symptoms, the ISI was used to assess their insomnia status, and the PCL-5 was used to assess their stress status. The influence factors of depression and anxiety were analyzed using χ2 test and logistic regression. Results A total of 9 122 valid questionnaires were completed. The detection rate of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and stress symptoms were 29.98%, 19.03%, 11.97% and 1.58%, respectively. Gender, education level, monthly family income, self-rated health status, mental health literacy level, total GAD-7 score, total ISI score, and total PCL-5 score were the main factors that caused residents' anxiety symptoms, while gender, education level, self-rated health status, total PHQ-9 score, total ISI score, and total PCL-5 score were the main factors that caused residents' anxiety symptoms. Conclusion The prevalence of depression and anxiety is high among the permanent residents in Yichang, while the situation of insomnia and stress is relatively good. Measures such as improving the level of mental health literacy can be taken to improve mental health level of residents in Yichang.

The pre-metabolic disease state is the body state of substance metabolism disorder that has not yet reached the physical and chemical indicators of the disease, and abnormal glucose metabolism is often the key link of metabolic disorder. In TCM, the healthy function of the spleen is the cornerstone of the production and distribution of fine substances. This article discussed the pre-metabolic disease state based on the theory of "overflow of Five Qi" in the Nei Jing, taking the loss of spleen preparedness as the starting point, in order to provide new ideas and directions for the prevention and treatment of clinical metabolic diseases.

Objective:To investigate the clinical significance of intraoperative prepositioning of dual mediastinal drains in elderly patients developing anastomotic leakage(AL)after a total endoscopic Ivor-Lewis procedure.Methods:This retrospective case-control study analyzed the clinical data of 500 elderly patients who underwent total endoscopic Ivor-Lewis surgery for esophageal or cardia cancer from January 2020 to December 2022.In the control group, one mediastinal drainage tube was placed intraoperatively, while in the study group, two mediastinal drainage tubes were placed.Both groups had a chest tube placed conventionally.The study compared the incidence of anastomotic leak(AL)at 1 month postoperatively, inflammatory indexes in patients with AL, grading of AL, rate of nasal fistula placement, incision infection, anastomotic stenosis, and incidence of hoarseness.Additionally, it compared ICU occupancy, ventilator use, and ICU length of stay between the two groups.Results:The analysis included clinical data from 455 elderly patients.Among the patients who developed AL, the study group had significantly lower peak body temperature[(39.58±1.03)℃ vs.(38.05±0.56)℃, t=4.298, P<0.05], white blood cell count[(18.63±3.35)×10 9/L vs.(14.28±2.78)×10 9/L, t=3.450, P<0.05], and C-reactive protein(CRP)levels[(154.66±41.64)mg/L vs.(122.19±31.29)mg/L, t=2.131, P<0.05]. The study group also had a significantly lower grading of AL and rate of nasal fistula placement(82.4% vs.30.0%, P<0.05). In terms of ICU indicators, the study group had a significantly lower ICU admission rate(64.7% vs.10.0%, P<0.05), shorter period of ventilator use[(6.47±8.15)days vs.(0.90±2.23)days, t=2.62, P<0.05], and shorter ICU stay[(11.70±8.89)days vs.(4.70±6.27)days, t=2.184, P<0.05]. Conclusions:Double mediastinal drainage tubes, have been found to significantly alleviate inflammation, decrease the rate of nasal fistula placement and ICU admission, and shorten the length of ICU stay in elderly patients.Therefore, they are considered safe and deserving of clinical promotion.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics and risk factors of abnormal urinary albumin/creatinine ratio(UACR) in obese population.Methods:Baseline data from 2011 to 2012 in Henan Sub-center of"Risk Evaluation of cAncers in Chinese diabeTic Individuals: A lONgitudinal(REACTION) study"were utilized and those of body mass index≥28 kg/m 2 were screened. The patients were divided into UACR normal group and UACR abnormal group(101 pairs) upon being matched on a 1∶1 basis by age and gender. Multivariate logistic regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve, and restricted cubic spline(RCS)analysis were performed to explore the risk factors for abnormal UACR. Results:Compared with the normal UACR group, the UACR abnormal group had a higher number of alcohol consumers, a higher prevalence of hypertension, elevated systolic blood pressure, and triglyceride(all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that alcohol consumption( P=0.008), systolic blood pressure( P<0.001), triglyceride( P=0.049), and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance(HOMA-IR, P=0.033) were independent risk factors for abnormal UACR in obese people. The ROC curve analysis indicated that systolic blood pressure had the strongest diagnostic performance as a single factor(ROC curve area=0.801), and there was no significant difference in diagnostic performance compared to multiple factors combination. RCS analysis results showed that the probability of abnormal UACR increased monotonically with the increase of systolic blood pressure when the systolic blood pressure was between 130 and 158 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa). When systolic blood pressure was not in the interval, the probability of abnormal UACR did not change significantly. The results of regression analysis of triglyceride subgroup showed that when triglyceride level was greater than or equal to 5.6 mmol/L, the risk of abnormal UACR level was significantly increased( P=0.029). Conclusion:Systolic blood pressure, triglyceride, HOMA-IR, and alcohol drinking history are independent risk factors for abnormal UACR in obese people. When systolic blood pressure is≥130 mmHg or triglyceride is≥5.6 mmol/L, the risk of abnormal UACR is significantly increased.

AIM To establish a GC-MS method for the simultaneous content determination of sixteen pesticide residues in Lycii Fructus and perform safety assessment.METHODS The analysis was performed on DB-5MS chromatographic column(30 m×0.25 mm,0.25 μm)subjected to the programmed heating,with splitless injection of 1.0 μL dissolved sample at a flowing rate of 1.0 mL/min.Other parameters were as follows:injection port temperature of 250℃,electron impact ionization(EI),electron energy of 70 eV;ion source temperature of 230℃,multi-reaction monitoring mode,and collision gas.of high-purity N2.Pesticide residues with relatively high dietary risk were analyzed and discussed with regard to residue levels,dietary intake risk,risk ranking and cumulative exposure assessment.RESULTS Sixteen pesticides showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r≥0.994 4),whose average recoveries were 70%-114%,with the RSDs of less than 2%.The highest average cyfluthrin residue of 0.999 2 mg/kg in Lycii Fructus of production regions and the highest average cypermethrin residue of 0.088 4 mg/kg in Lycii Fructus commodities were both detected.In Lycii Fructus of production regions with chronic hazard index(HI)value of 0.012 9 and acute HI value of 0.065 5 and their commodities with chronic HI of 0.001 2 and acute HI of 0.005 4,the pesticide residue of cypermethrin was the leading cause of chronic and acute dietary risk,and additionally,pyridaben within maximum residue limit(MRL)was the only detectectable highly toxic pesticide among the other most concerning pestcides of deltamethrin,pyridaben,chlorpyrifos,dichlorvos and methidathion.CONCLUSION There exist pesticide residues within MRL values in some samples of Lycii Fructus and the use of cypermethrin should be well-controlled.