Aromatherapy refers to the method of using the aromatic components of plants in appropriate forms to act on the entire body or a specific area to prevent and treat diseases. Essential oils used in aromatherapy are hydrophobic liquids containing volatile aromatic molecules， such as limonene， linalool， linalool acetate， geraniol， and citronellol. These chemicals have been extensively studied and shown to have a variety of functions， including reducing anxiety， relieving depression， promoting sleep， and providing pain relief. Terpenoids are a class of organic molecules with relatively low lipid solubility. After being inhaled， they can pass through the nasal mucosa for transfer or penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream upon local application. Some of these substances also have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier， thereby exerting effects on the central nervous system. Currently， the academic community generally agrees that products such as essential oils and aromatherapy from aromatic plants have certain health benefits. However， the process of extracting a single component from it and successfully developing it into a drug still faces many challenges. Its safety and efficacy still need to be further verified through more rigorous and systematic experiments. This article systematically elaborated on the efficacy of aromatic substances， including plant extracts and natural small molecule compounds， in antibacterial and antiviral fields and the regulation of nervous system activity. As a result， a deeper understanding of aromatherapy was achieved. At the same time， the potential of these aromatic substances for drug development was thoroughly explored， providing important references and insights for possible future drug research and application.

Objective To observe the effect of Renshen(ginseng)-Yuzhu(fragrant solomonseal rhizome)on inflammatory factors and inflammasomes in depression rats,and to explore the antidepressant mechanism of Renshen-Yuzhu.Methods Fifty male SD rats were divided into the blank group,model group,fluoxetine group(2.1 mg/kg),Renshen-Yuzhu low-dose group(1.89 g/kg),and Renshen-Yuzhu high-dose group(5.67 g/kg),with ten rats in each group.Except for the blank group,the rats in the other groups were treated with chronic unpredictable mild stress to establish a depression rat model.On the second day after the end of modeling,the rats in each group were given the corresponding drugs once daily for 14 days.After modeling and dosing,body weight,forced swimming immobility time,and sucrose preference rate were measured.After dosing,hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to detect neuronal damage in the cerebral cortex,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the contents of interleukin-4(IL-4),interleukin-23(IL-23),and interleukin-27(IL-27)in cortex,real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of interleukin-24(IL-24)in cortex,and the protein expressions of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 1(NLRP1),absent in melanoma 2(AIM2),and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 4(NLRC4)were detected by Western blotting.Results After dosing,compared with the blank group,the body weight of the model group decreased,the sucrose preference rate decreased,the swimming immobility time was prolonged,the neuronal tissue in cortex was destroyed,the content of IL-4 in cortex decreased,the contents of IL-23 and IL-27 in cortex increased,and the protein expressions of NLRP1,AIM2 and NLRC4 in cortex increased(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the body weight of rats in each administration group increased,the sucrose preference rate increased,the swimming immobility time was shortened,the damage of neuronal tissues in cortex improved,the content of IL-4 in cortex increased,the contents of IL-23 and IL-27 in cortex decreased,and the protein expressions of NLRP 1,AIM2 and NLRC4 in cortex decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion Renshen-Yuzhu couplet medicines can improve the depressive-like behavior and exert antidepressant effect in chronic stress rats,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NLRP 1,NLRC4,AIM2 inflammasome activation and its mediated inflammatory response in cortex,reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines,and increasing the level of antiinflammatory cytokines.

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 Recombinase-aided polymerase chain reaction(RAP)is a sensitive,single-tube,two-stage nucleic acid amplification method.This study aimed to develop an assay that can be used for the early diagnosis of three types of bacteremia caused by Staphylococcus aureus(SA),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA),and Acinetobacter baumannii(AB)in the bloodstream based on recombinant human mannan-binding lectin protein(M1 protein)-conjugated magnetic bead(M1 bead)enrichment of pathogens combined with RAP. Methods Recombinant plasmids were used to evaluate the assay sensitivity.Common blood influenza bacteria were used for the specific detection.Simulated and clinical plasma samples were enriched with M1 beads and then subjected to multiple recombinase-aided PCR(M-RAP)and quantitative PCR(qPCR)assays.Kappa analysis was used to evaluate the consistency between the two assays. Results The M-RAP method had sensitivity rates of 1,10,and 1 copies/μL for the detection of SA,PA,and AB plasmids,respectively,without cross-reaction to other bacterial species.The M-RAP assay obtained results for<10 CFU/mL pathogens in the blood within 4 h,with higher sensitivity than qPCR.M-RAP and qPCR for SA,PA,and AB yielded Kappa values of 0.839,0.815,and 0.856,respectively(P<0.05). Conclusion An M-RAP assay for SA,PA,and AB in blood samples utilizing M1 bead enrichment has been developed and can be potentially used for the early detection of bacteremia.

【Objective】 To analyze the position of the feeding artery entering the renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with 3D Slicer software, so as to explore the distribution pattern of the tumor artery and to provide an anatomical basis for the accurate surgical resection. 【Methods】 The clinical data of RCC patients who underwent partial nephrectomy in the Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University during Jan.2021 and Jun.2022 were collected.The preoperative renal artery CT angiography data were imported into 3D Slicer software in DICOM format to construct the relative positions of tumor-feeding artery from horizontal, sagittal and coronary planes.The number and distribution of tumor feeding arteries in each plane were analyzed. 【Results】 A total of 112 patients (59 male and 53 female) with single tumor were involved.RENAL score was 4-10.The tumor stages were T1a in 58 cases, T1b in 48 cases, and T2a in 6 cases.Among them, 38 cases (33.93%) had 1 tumor artery, 53 cases (47.32%) had 2 tumor arteries, and 21 cases (18.75%) had 3 tumor arteries.Of these 207 tumor arteries, 22 (10.63%) entered the tumor through the superficial part of the tumor bed, and 185 (89.37%) through the deep part. 【Conclusion】 In localized RCC, nearly 90% of the feeding arteries enter the tumor from deep part of the tumor bed, which provides an anatomical basis for accurate tumor resection and wound suture in partial nephrectomy.

Objective To investigate the family aggregation of human hookworm infections in Sichuan Province and to identify its influencing factors, so as to provide insights into management of hookworm infections. Methods Three to four counties (districts) were sampled from basins, hilly regions and mountainous regions around the basins in Sichuan Province from 2017 to 2022 as fixed survey sites, and 17 to 30 counties (districts) were selected as mobile survey sites. At least 1 000 permanent residents at ages of 3 years and older were sampled from each survey site, and hookworm eggs were detected in human stool samples using the Kato-Katz technique. Subjects with 2 and more family members and at least 2 individuals diagnosed with hookworm infections in the county (district) where they lived were selected, and the familial aggregation of hookworm infections was analyzed using the test of goodness of fit for binomial distribution. In addition, the knowledge and practice of hookworm disease control were investigated among residents in Hejiang County and Wutongqiao District, Leshan City, Sichuan Province in 2021 and 2022, and the difference in the knowledge and practice of hookworm disease control was compared between members with and without familial aggregation of hookworm infections. Results A total of 66 812 residents from 25 196 households were sampled from main endemic areas of hookworm diseases in Sichuan Province from 2017 to 2022 for detection of hookworm infections, and 4 403 infections were identified (6.59% prevalence). The distribution of human hookworm infections in Sichuan Province did not fit the binomial distribution, and showed family aggregations (χ² = 2 116.759, P < 0.001). Family aggregation of human hookworm infections was found in endemic areas with 1% and higher prevalence of human hookworm infections (χ² = 136.006 to 428.738, all P values < 0.001), and family aggregation of human hookworm infections was identified in different years (χ² = 87.615 to 471.838, all P values < 0.001) and in different terrains of endemic areas (χ² = 8.423 to 1 144.176, all P values < 0.001). The members with hookworm infections had median eggs per gram of 180 (interquartile range, 780) in aggregated families and 72 (102) in non-aggregated families (Z = −2.686, P < 0.05). The proportion of members in families with aggregation of hookworm infections who knew the preventive measures of hookworm disease was significantly lower than in non-aggregated families (24.49% vs. 51.72%; χ² = 10.262, P < 0.05), and the proportion of members in families with aggregation of hookworm infections who often worked barefoot on the ground was significantly higher than in non-aggregated families (30.61% vs. 13.25%; χ² = 6.289, P < 0.05). Conclusions There is a familial aggregation of human hookworm infections in Sichuan Province, and awareness of preventive measures for hookworm disease and frequent working barefoot on the ground are associated with familial aggregation of hookworm infections.

Objective To analyze the situation of life sciences and medical research involving human subjects conducted in a public hospital in Ningxia from 2020 to 2022 and explore the problems in the current management of such research and pro-vides suggestions for improvement.Methods Data were collected from research project application documents,task assign-ments,progress reports,final reports,and statistical tables of clinical drug trials conducted in the hospital from 2021 to 2022.Statistical analysis was performed on the life sciences and medical research involving human subjects.Results The number of research projects involving human subjects in the hospital increased annually from 2020 to 2022,accounting for more than 50%of the total projects.Over the three years,the sample size exceeded 100,000,and the number of projects with a cumulative collec-tion of more than 3,000 individuals showed an upward trend.However,the project registration rate was less than 10%.These types of research involve a large number of biological samples and information data,which have research value.However,re-searchers lack awareness of project registration,highlighting the need for greater attention from the hospital.Conclusion It is a trend to explore the medical value of this type of research in depth.The hospital should closely follow relevant national and re-gional policies,conduct dynamic monitoring and evaluation,and enhance supervision and management capabilities as a key factor in protecting biological samples and information data.This study also provides reference for other public hospitals in carrying out related regulatory work.

Further evidence is needed to explore the impact of high-altitude environments on the neurologic function of neonates.Non-invasive techniques such as cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy and amplitude-integrated electroencephalography can provide data on cerebral oxygenation and brain electrical activity.This study will conduct multiple cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy and amplitude-integrated electroencephalography monitoring sessions at various time points within the first 3 days postpartum for healthy full-term neonates at different altitudes.The obtained data on cerebral oxygenation and brain electrical activity will be compared between different altitudes,and corresponding reference ranges will be established.The study involves 6 participating centers in the Chinese High Altitude Neonatal Medicine Alliance,with altitude gradients divided into 4 categories:800 m,1 900 m,2 400 m,and 3 500 m,with an anticipated sample size of 170 neonates per altitude gradient.This multicenter prospective cohort study aims to provide evidence supporting the impact of high-altitude environments on early brain function and metabolism in neonates.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(4):403-409]

Sepsis-induced myocardial depression(SIMD),a common complication of sepsis,is one of the main causes of death in patients with sepsis.The pathogenesis of SIMD is complicated,and the process of SIMD remains incompletely understood,with no single or definitive mechanism fully elucidated.Notably,pyroptosis,as a pro-inflammatory programmed cell death,is characterized by Gasdermin-mediated formation of pores on the cell membrane,cell swelling,and cell rupture accompanied by the release of large amounts of inflammatory factors and other cellular contents.Mechanistically,pyroptosis is mainly divided into the canonical pathway mediated by caspase-1 and the non-canonical pathway mediated by caspase-4/5/11.Pyroptosis has been confirmed to participate in various inflammation-associated diseases.In recent years,more and more studies have shown that pyroptosis is also involved in the occurrence and development of SIMD.This article reviews the molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis and its research progress in SIMD,aiming to provide novel strategies and targets for the treatment of SIMD.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics,clinical manifestations,diagnosis and treatment of non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae infection in order to improve the understanding of the disease.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical manifestations,laboratory examinations,treatment,and outcomes of a patient with non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae bloodstream infection.Relevant cases were identified by searching Wanfang,VIP,CNKI,and PubMed databases using the keywords"non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae"and"bloodstream infection".The clinical characteristics and diagnosis and treatment methods of non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae bloodstream infection were reviewed.Results Six months after the operation for hilar cholangiocarcinoma,the 69-year-old male patient experienced abdominal distention,fever,but no diarrhea.Blood culture found Vibrio cholerae,which was identified as Vibrio cholerae by mass spectrometry,VITEK 2XL,and 16S rRNA gene.The serology test confirmed it as non-O1/non-O139 group.After 10-day treatment with piperacillin,the patient recovered and was discharged from hospital.Literature review showed that most of the 26 patients with non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae bloodstream infection had underlying diseases of chronic hepatitis,cirrhosis or other digestive tract diseases.The main symptoms were acute diarrhea,abdominal distention and pain,fever,nausea and vomiting.The strain was susceptible to a variety of antibiotics.After antimicrobial and symptomatic treatment,80.77％of the patients were discharged.Overall,15.38％of the patients died,mainly due to multiple organ failure caused by septic shock.Conclusions Bloodstream infection caused by non-O1/non-139 Vibrio cholerae tends to occur in patients with immune deficiency,especially in patients with chronic hepatitis,cirrhosis,malignant tumor,or diabetes mellitus.Timely blood culture and accurate identification of pathogen are very important for diagnosis.Early use of active antimicrobial agents will lead to a relatively good outcome.