Adipose tissue is a critical energy reservoir in animals and humans, with multifaceted roles in endocrine regulation, immune response, and providing mechanical protection. Based on anatomical location and functional characteristics, adipose tissue can be categorized into distinct types, including white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), beige adipose tissue, and pink adipose tissue. Traditionally, adipose tissue research has centered on its morphological and functional properties as a whole. However, with the advent of single-cell transcriptomics, a new level of complexity in adipose tissue has been unveiled, showing that even under identical conditions, cells of the same type may exhibit significant variation in morphology, structure, function, and gene expression——phenomena collectively referred to as cellular heterogeneity. Single-cell transcriptomics, including techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), enables in-depth analysis of the diversity and heterogeneity of adipocytes at the single-cell level. This high-resolution approach has not only deepened our understanding of adipocyte functionality but also facilitated the discovery of previously unidentified cell types and gene expression patterns that may play key roles in adipose tissue function. This review delves into the latest advances in the application of single-cell transcriptomics in elucidating the heterogeneity and diversity within adipose tissue, highlighting how these findings have redefined the understanding of cell subpopulations within different adipose depots. Moreover, the review explores how single-cell transcriptomic technologies have enabled the study of cellular communication pathways and differentiation trajectories among adipose cell subgroups. By mapping these interactions and differentiation processes, researchers gain insights into how distinct cellular subpopulations coordinate within adipose tissues, which is crucial for maintaining tissue homeostasis and function. Understanding these mechanisms is essential, as dysregulation in adipose cell interactions and differentiation underlies a range of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2. Furthermore, single-cell transcriptomics holds promising implications for identifying therapeutic targets; by pinpointing specific cell types and gene pathways involved in adipose tissue dysfunction, these technologies pave the way for developing targeted interventions aimed at modulating specific adipose subpopulations. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of single-cell transcriptomic technologies in uncovering the heterogeneity and functional diversity of adipose tissues.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) in promoting recovery of the facial function with the involvement of autophagy, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. METHODS: Seventy-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into the control, sham-operated, facial nerve injury (FNI), EA, EA+3-methyladenine (3-MA), and EA+GDNF antagonist groups using a random number table, with 12 rats in each group. An FNI rat model was established with facial nerve crushing method. EA intervention was conducted at Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6), Yifeng (SJ 17), and Hegu (LI 4) acupoints for 2 weeks. The Simone's 10-Point Scale was utilized to monitor the recovery of facial function. The histopathological evaluation of facial nerves was performed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The levels of Beclin-1, light chain 3 (LC3), and P62 were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Additionally, IHC was also used to detect the levels of GDNF, Rai, PI3K, and mTOR. RESULTS: The facial functional scores were significantly increased in the EA group than the FNI group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). HE staining showed nerve axons and myelin sheaths, which were destroyed immediately after the injury, were recovered with EA treatment. The expressions of Beclin-1 and LC3 were significantly elevated and the expression of P62 was markedly reduced in FNI rats (P<0.01); however, EA treatment reversed these abnormal changes (P<0.01). Meanwhile, EA stimulation significantly increased the levels of GDNF, Rai, PI3K, and mTOR (P<0.01). After exogenous administration with autophagy inhibitor 3-MA or GDNF antagonist, the repair effect of EA on facial function was attenuated (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS EA could promote the recovery of facial function and repair the facial nerve damages in a rat model of FNI. EA may exert this neuroreparative effect through mediating the release of GDNF, activating the PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway, and further regulating the autophagy of facial nerves.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Electroacupuncture ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/metabolism* ; Facial Nerve Injuries/therapy* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Beclin-1 ; Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Signal Transduction ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Autophagy ; Mammals/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the effect of vitamin B6(VB6)on vascular endothelial injury of atherosclerosis(AS)mice and its mechanism.Methods Thirty-six ApoE-/-mice were randomly divided into control group,AS group,VB6 group,AS+LiCl group,AS+VB6 group and AS+VB6+LiCl group,with 6 mice in each group.The mice in the AS group,AS+LiCl group,AS+VB6 group and AS+VB6+LiCl group were fed with high-fat diet for 12 weeks to establish the AS model;the mice in the control group and VB6 group were given regular diet and normal drinking water for 12 weeks.After 12 weeks,the mice in the control group were given conventional diet and the same volume of physiological saline as the VB6 group daily by gavage;the mice in the VB6 group were given routine diet and VB6(50 mg·kg-1)by gavage daily;the mice in the AS+LiCl group were given high-fat diet continuously and LiCl(1 mg·kg-1)by gavage daily;the mice in the AS+VB6 group were given high-fat diet continuously and VB6(50 mg·kg-1)by gavage daily;the mice in the AS+VB6+LiCl group were given high-fat diet continuously and VB6(50 mg·kg-1),LiCl(1 mg·kg-1)by gavage daily;all mice were intervened for 4 weeks.After intervention,the serum nitric oxide(NO),malondialdehyde(MD A)levels and superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity of mice in each group were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the morphology of thoracic aortic tissue of mice in each group and the percentage of AS plaque area to total vascular area was calculated.The vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta was detected by isolated vascular ring experiment.The expression of sodium/hydrogen exchanger 1(NHE1)protein in thoracic aorta was detected by immunohistochemistry.Results Compared with the control group,the NO level and SOD activity in the serum of mice in the AS group decreased,while the MDA level increased(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the NO,MDA levels and SOD activity in the serum of mice between the VB6 group and the control group(P＞0.05).Compared with the AS group,the serum NO level and SOD activity of mice in the AS+VB6 group increased,while the MDA level decreased(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in serum NO,MDA levels and SOD activity of mice between the AS+LiCl group,AS+VB6+LiCl group and AS group(P＞0.05).Compared with the AS+VB6 group,the serum NO level and SOD activity of mice in the AS+VB6+LiCl group decreased,while the MDA level increased(P＜0.05).The percentage of AS plaque area to total vascular area of mice in the AS group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the percentage of AS plaque area to total vascular area of mice among the VB6 group and the control group(P＜0.05).The percentage of AS plaque area to total vascular area of mice in the AS+VB6 group was significantly lower than that in the AS group(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the percentage of AS plaque area to total vascular area of mice between the AS+LiCl group,AS+VB6+LiCl group and AS group(P＜0.05).The percentage of AS plaque area to total vascular area of mice in the AS+VB6+LiCl group was significantly higher than that in the AS+VB6 group(P＜0.05).In the control group,the vascular endothelium of mice was smooth with orderly arrangement of cells;in the AS group,AS+LiCl group and AS+VB6+LiCl group,the tissue structure of vascular of mice was disordered and the vascular endothelium was rough;in the VB6 group and AS+VB6 group,the vascular wall structure of mice was normal,the vascular endothelium was smooth,and the cells were arranged orderly.The vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta of mice induced by acetylcholine(Ach)in the AS group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta of mice induced by Ach between the VB6 group and the control group(P＞0.05).The vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta of mice induced by Ach in the AS+VB6 group was significantly lower than that in the AS group(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta of mice induced by Ach between AS+LiCl group,AS+VB6+LiCl group and AS group(P＞0.05).The vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta of mice induced by Ach in the AS+VB6+LiCl group was significantly higher than that in the AS+VB6 group(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta of mice induced by sodium nitroprusside among the six groups(P＞0.05).The percentage of NHE1 expression in the thoracic aorta of mice in the AS group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the percentage of NHE1 expression in the thoracic aorta of mice between the VB6 group and the control group(P＞0.05).The percentage of NHE1 expression in the thoracic aorta of mice in the AS+VB6 group was significantly lower than that in the AS group(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the percentage of NHE1 expression in the thoracic aorta of mice among the AS+LiCl group,AS+VB6+LiCl group and the AS group(P＞0.05).The percentage of NHE1 expression in the thoracic aorta of mice in the AS+VB6+LiCl group was significantly higher than that in the AS+VB6 group(P＜0.05).Conclusion VB6 can improve vascular endothelial injury in AS mice via inhibiting the expression of NHE1 protein.

Objective To understand the pathogen detection of hospitalized patients before antimicrobial therapy in a hospital through implementation of comprehensive intervention measures,and provide reference basis for the de-velopment of targeted measures.Methods Hospitalized patients who received therapeutic antimicrobial agents in this hospital were selected as the research subjects.Patients who were hospitalized from January to May 2022 were selected as the pre-intervention group,comprehensive intervention measures were taken from June to October 2022,and those who were hospitalized from November 2022 to March 2023 were selected as the post-intervention group.The pathogen detection rate before antimicrobial therapy,sterile specimen detection rate,antimicrobial use rate,de-tection rate of key multidrug-resistant organisms of patients before and after the intervention were analyzed.Results Compared to before intervention,the proportion of pathogen detection rate before antimicrobial therapy(62.09％vs 74.04％),detection rate of healthcare-associated infection diagnosis-related pathogens(62.82％vs 92.73％),and sterile specimen detection rate(35.17％vs 41.06％)of hospitalized patients after intervention all increased signifi-cantly,with statistically significant differences(all P＜0.05).After intervention,pathogen detection rate before the combination use of key antimicrobial agents was not statistically different from before intervention(93.33％vs 90.48％,P＞0.05),while antimicrobial use rate was lower than before intervention(39.93％vs 44.95％,P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the detection rate of key multidrug-resistant organisms be-fore and after intervention(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Adopting scientific and rational intervention measures can improve the pathogen detection rate,provide a reference basis for the rational use of antimicrobial agents.There was no significant improvement in the pathogen detection rate before the combination use of key antimicrobial agents and the detection rate of key multidrug-resistant organisms,indicating that relevant measures still need to be further optimized.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) combined with lower cervical fracture is often categorized into unstable fracture, with a high incidence of neurological injury and a high rate of disability and morbidity. As factors such as shoulder occlusion may affect the accuracy of X-ray imaging diagnosis, it is often easily misdiagnosed at the primary diagnosis. Non-operative treatment has complications such as bone nonunion and the possibility of secondary neurological damage, while the timing, access and choice of surgical treatment are still controversial. Currently, there are no clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture with or without dislocation. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedics Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts to formulate Clinical guidelines for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis combined with lower cervical fracture in adults ( version 2024) in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine, scientificity and practicality, in which 11 recommendations were put forward in terms of the diagnosis, imaging evaluation, typing and treatment, etc, to provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture.

BACKGROUND:With a gradually aging population,improving the ability to screen for the risk of death after arthroplasty and implementing timely personalized intervention programs for the increasing number of elderly patients with femoral neck fractures is key to improving the postoperative status of patients and prolonging survival expectations. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the risk factors for postoperative mortality in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures and to construct a nomogram predictive model to predict their mortality risk. METHODS:The study was conducted on 155 elderly patients(≥65 years old)who underwent arthroplasty for femoral neck fracture from January 2016 to January 2021,and 147 patients who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed to collect clinical data that may affect the patients'postoperative mortality.Single-factor and multi-factor Cox regression analyses were successively used to screen independent risk factors associated with postoperative mortality.The column line graph model was constructed and validated using Rstudio software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Age,frailty(age-adjusted Charlson comorbidities score),preoperative activity status,osteoporosis,and postoperative serum albumin level were five independent risk factors for postoperative mortality in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures(P<0.05).(2)The nomogram predictive model was constructed based on the results of multifactorial analysis,with a consistency index of 0.819(95%CI:0.771-0.868).Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under curve for 1-year and 3-year survival prediction was 0.8543 and 0.7263,respectively,indicating that the nomogram predictive model has good discriminatory and predictive power;calibration curve and decision curve analysis also showed good model discriminative power and clinical utility value.(3)The constructed nomogram predictive model has good diagnostic efficacy and accuracy,and can effectively assess the risk of postoperative death of patients.

BACKGROUND:Arthroplasty is the primary treatment for displaced femoral neck fractures in the elderly,and the choice of total hip arthroplasty versus hemiarthroplasty is currently the subject of considerable debate. OBJECTIVE:To compare the mid-and long-term survival status of total hip arthroplasty versus hemiarthroplasty under a direct anterior approach for displaced femoral neck fractures in the elderly based on the propensity score matching method. METHODS:One hundred and forty-seven elderly patients(≥65 years of age)with displaced femoral neck fractures were admitted from January 2016 to January 2021,of whom 88 had total hip arthroplasty(total hip arthroplasty group)and 59 had artificial femoral head replacement(hemiarthroplasty group).For the patients'preoperative comorbidities,the age-corrected Charlson Comorbidity Scale was used to quantify the scores and calculate patient frailty.The propensity score matching method was used to match the two groups 1:1 and to compare the operation time,bleeding,postoperative hospitalization time,hospitalization cost,nutritional index,postoperative complications,and mortality between the two groups after matching.Postoperative survival time was determined by Kaplan-Meier Survival analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)After propensity score matching,a total of 42 matched pairs were successful in both groups,and the preoperative data of patients in both groups were balanced and comparable after matching(P>0.05).(2)Compared with the hemiarthroplasty group,operation time(79.71 minutes vs.59.07 minutes,P<0.001),bleeding volume(839.64 mL vs.597.83 mL,P=0.001),and hospitalization cost(56 508.15 yuan vs.41 702.85 yuan,P<0.001)were significantly higher in the total hip arthroplasty group.However,the mortality rate was lower in the total hip arthroplasty group than in the hemiarthroplasty group(36%vs.57%,HR=0.44,95%CI:0.23-0.87,P=0.018),and the mean survival time was longer in the total hip arthroplasty group than in the hemiarthroplasty group(59.4 months vs.43.7 months,P=0.024).(3)There were no statistically significant differences in postoperative hospitalization time,preoperative and postoperative nutritional indicators,and overall postoperative complication rate between the two groups(P>0.05).However,in terms of postoperative pain,the incidence of pain was significantly higher in the hemiarthroplasty group than that in the total hip arthroplasty group(24%vs.7%,P=0.035).(4)Overall,total hip arthroplasty has a better prognosis for survival,while hemiarthroplasty is more appropriate for patients with poor physical fitness.At the same time,postoperative pain may largely affect the quality and survival time of patients after hip arthroplasty.

This study was performed to investigate the features of HBV-specific CD8+T cell reactivity in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB),HBV-induced liver cirrhosis(LC)or hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).A total of 124 CHB patients,36 LC patients,and 114 HCC patients were enrolled in this study.The reactive HBV-specific CD8+T cells in peripheral blood were enumerated using an innovative ELISPOT system.In addition,19 CHB patients and 20 HCC patients were longitudinally monitored with an interval of 3-5 months.Data showed that the numbers of reactive HBV-specific CD8+T cells in CHB group were not significantly different from that in LC group,but obviously lower than that in HCC group(P=0.009 9),especially HBsAg-,HBpol-and HBe/cAg-specific CD8+T cells.In CHB group,the patients with normal ALT level,AST level,or low HBV-DNA load showed significantly more reactive HBV-specific CD8+T cells than the patients with abnormal ALT level,abnormal AST level,or high HBV-DNA load.Furthermore,the duration of NUCs treatment had an impact on the HBV-specific CD8+T cell reactivity in CHB patients,while different NUCs at the same treatment duration did not bring different reactivity of HBV-specific T cells.In LC group,the HBeAg-positive patients presented much more reactive HBV-specific CD8+T cells than the HBeAg-negative patients did.In HCC group,the numbers of reactive HBV-specific CD8+T cells in the patients with normal AFP level or normal DCP level were significantly higher than that in the patients with abnormal AFP level or abnormal DCP level.Longitudinal monitoring results showed that HBV-specific CD8+T cell reactivity displayed a slow upward trend in the CHB patients undergoing NUCs treatment,and an obvious increasing in the HCC patients undergoing combined treatment of targeted drugs and immunotherapy.Taken together,the features of HBV-specific CD8+T cell reactivity are distinct among the CHB,LC and HCC patients,and are influenced by virological indicators,tumor markers and treatment regimens.Therefore,more attention should be paid to the changes of HBV-specific CD8+T cell reactivity during clinical treatment.

Objective:To evaluate the values of 18F-PI-2620 PET/CT brain imaging with SUV ratio (SUVR) in the assessment of tau protein deposition in the brain of patients with different cognitive disorders and its correlation with cognition. Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. From December 2019 to November 2022, a total of 67 subjects including 54 patients with Alzheimer′s disease (AD; 21 males, 33 females, age (68.6±7.8) years), 7 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI; 1 male, 6 females, age (63.1±11.2) years) and 6 healthy controls (HC; 4 males, 2 females, age (69.0±5.8) years) were enrolled retrospectively in Renji Hospital. All participants were examined by 18F-PI-2620 PET/CT. SUVRs of brain regions were obtained, including frontal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, insular lobe, whole brain, as well as 10 independent brain ROIs (amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, cingulate gyrus, superior occipital gyrus, superior parietal gyrus, inferior angular gyrus, precuneus, inferior temporal gyrus, entorhinal cortex and parahippocampal gyrus), with inferior cerebellum cortex as the reference region. All participants were estimated by cognitive scales(mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA)). One-way analysis of variance and the least significant difference t test were used to compare the differences of SUVR in each brain region among HC, MCI and AD groups. ROC curve analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off values of SUVR in each brain region for the differential diagnosis of AD-MCI and AD-HC. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to examine the correlations of SUVR with cognitive scale scores. Results:The SUVR of whole brain was 1.40±0.31 in AD group, 1.08±0.19 in MCI group, and 1.01±0.12 in HC group. SUVR analysis in the whole brain and each brain region could distinguish AD from HC, AD from MCI ( F values: 1.76-10.09, t values: 2.98-7.47, all P<0.05), but could not distinguish HC from MCI ( t values: 0.17-1.53, all P>0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the best cut-off value of SUVR was 1.18 for whole brain (AUC=0.89), 1.13 for amygdala (AUC=0.94) and 1.26 for parahippocampal gyrus (AUC=0.94) for differential diagnosis of AD and HC, which was 1.06 for whole brain (AUC=0.82), 1.18 for amygdala (AUC=0.88) and 1.28 (AUC=0.88) for infratemporal gyrus to differential diagnosis of AD and MCI. SUVRs of the whole brain, frontal, occipital, parietal, temporal and insula were significantly negatively correlated with MMSE and MoCA cognitive scale scores ( r values: from -0.64 to -0.40, all P<0.05). Conclusions:SUVR quantitative analysis in 18F-PI-2620 PET imaging can assist the differential diagnosis of AD and HC, AD and MCI. The SUVRs of whole brain and five lobes show negative correlations with MMSE and MoCA scores.

The breakthrough progress of implantable brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) technology in the field of clinical trials has attracted widespread attention from both academia and industry. The development and advancement of this technology have provided new solutions for the rehabilitation of patients with movement disorders. However, challenges from many aspects make it difficult for iBCIs to further implement and transform technologies. This paper illustrates the key challenges restricting the large-scale development of iBCIs from the perspective of system implementation, then discusses the latest clinical application progress in depth, aiming to provide new ideas for researchers. For the system implementation part, we have elaborated the front-end signal collector, signal processing and decoder, then the effector. The most important part of the front-end module is the neural electrode, which can be divided into two types: piercing and attached. These two types of electrodes are newly classified and described. In the signal processing and decoder section, we have discussed the experimental paradigm together with signal processing and decoder for the first time and believed that the experimental paradigm acts as a learning benchmark for decoders that play a pivotal role in iBCIs systems. In addition, the characteristics and roles of the effectors commonly used in iBCIs systems, including cursors and robotic arms, are analyzed in detail. In the clinical progress section, we have divided the latest clinical progress into two categories: functional rehabilitation and functional replacement from the perspective of the application scenarios of iBCIs. Functional rehabilitation and functional replacement are two different types of application, though the boundary between the two is not absolute. To this end, we have first introduced the corresponding clinical trial progress from the three levels: application field, research team, and clinical timeline, and then conducted an in-depth discussion and analysis of their functional boundaries, in order to provide guidance for future research. Finally, this paper mentions that the key technical challenges in the development of iBCIs technology come from multiple aspects. First of all, from the signal acquisition level, high-throughput and highly bio-compatible neural interface designing is essential to ensure long-term stable signal acquisition. The electrode surface modification method and electrode packaging were discussed. Secondly, in terms of decoding performance, real-time, accurate, and robust algorithms have a decisive impact on improving the reliability of iBCIs systems. The third key technology is from the perspective of practicality, we believe that the signal transmission mode of wireless communication is the trend of the future, but it still needs to overcome challenges such as data transmission rate and battery life. Finally, we believe that issues such as ethics, privacy, and security need to be addressed through legal, policy, and technological innovation. In summary, the development of iBCIs technology requires not only the unremitting efforts of scientific researchers, but also the participation and support of policymakers, medical professionals, technology developers, and all sectors of society. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation, iBCIs technology will achieve wider clinical applications in the future and make important contributions to improving the quality of life of patients.