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.

To address the problem of low accuracy in multi-classification recognition of motor imagery electroencephalogram(EEG)signals,a recognition method is proposed based on differential entropy and convolutional neural network for 4-class classification of motor imagery.EEG signals are extracted into 4 frequency bands(Alpha,Beta,Theta,and Gamma)through the filter,followed by the computation of differential entropy for each frequency band.According to the spatial characteristics of brain electrodes,the data structure is reconstructed into three-dimensional EEG signal feature cube which is input into convolutional neural network for 4-class classification.The method achieves an accuracy of 95.88%on the BCI Competition IV-2a public dataset.Additionally,a 4-class classification motor imagery dataset is established in the laboratory for the same processing,and an accuracy of 94.50%is obtained.The test results demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits superior recognition performance.

Objective:To investigate the effect of bone mesenchymal stem cells derived exosomes (BMSC-Exo) on improving hippocampal microangiogenesis, energy metabolism, and behaviors in depression mouse models.Methods:(1) Mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured to extract BMSC-Exo; BMSC-Exo morphology was observed by transmission electron microscopy, BMSC-Exo particle diameter ranges were determined by Zetaview analyzer, and expressions of CD9 and CD63 in BMSC-Exo were detected by Western blotting. (2) Depression models were established in 2 mice by chronic unforeseeable mild stress (CUMS); 24 h after stereotaxic injection of phosphate buffer solution (PBS) or DiR labeled BMSC-Exo, BMSC-Exo uptake was detected by in vivo imaging system. (3) Thirty-six mice were randomly divided into control group, model group and BMSC-Exo group ( n=12); CUMS was used to establish depression models in the latter 2 groups; brain stereotaxic injection of 1 μL BMSC-Exo was given to mice in the BMSC-Exo group after modeling, and same amount of PBS was given to the control group; behaviors were observed by forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and open field test (OFT); hippocampal microvascular length and number were detected by alkaline phosphatase staining; energy metabolism in the hippocampus was detected by micro positron emission tomography/computed tomography (mPET/CT); glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) expression in the hippocampus was detected by Western blotting. Results:(1) BMSC-Exo had a typical disk-like vesicle-like structure with particle size of (100.5±1.4) nm; Western blotting confirmed that CD9 and CD63 expressed in BMSC-Exo. (2) In vivo imaging showed no fluorescence in the brain and liver after PBS injection, but obvious local fluorescence after BMSC-Exo injection. (3) Compared with the control group, the model group and BMSC-Exo group had significantly longer rest time in FST and TST and shorter movement distance and time in the central region of OFT ( P<0.05); compared with the model group, BMSC-Exo group had significantly shorter rest time in FST and TST and longer movement distance and time in the central region of OFT ( P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the model group and BMSC-Exo group had significantly decreased standard uptake value (SUV) of regions of interest, microvascular length and number, and GLUT1 expression in the hippocampus ( P<0.05); compared with the model group, the BMSC-Exo group had significantly higher SUV, microvascular length and number, and GLUT1 expression in the hippocampus ( P<0.05). Positive correlations were noted between hippocampal microvascular length and SUV and between microvascular number and SUV in the 3 groups ( r=0.540, P<0.001; r=0.600, P<0.001). Conclusion:BMSC-Exo could promote microangiogenesis energy metabolism in the hippocampus to improve depression-like behaviors in depression mouse models.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) combined with bronchial blocker (BB) placement in thoracoscopic surgery.Methods:A randomized controlled study was conducted involving 60 patients scheduled for thoracoscopic surgery at The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from November to December 2023. These patients were classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I-II. They were divided into an observation group (BB placement) and a control group (double-lumen bronchial blocker placement) using the random number table method, with 30 patients in each group. Preoperatively, TPVB was performed under ultrasound guidance. After the induction of general anesthesia, a single-lumen tracheal tube was inserted, followed by the placement of a BB in the observation group, while a corresponding type of double-lumen bronchial tube was inserted in the control group. A fiberoptic bronchoscope was used for positioning and fixation in both groups, and anesthesia was maintained with intravenous anesthesia. The following parameters were assessed in each group: positioning time for intubation; number of cases with tube displacement; number of cases of postoperative pharyngeal pain; hemodynamic parameters [mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR)] before and after intubation; and blood gas analysis [partial pressure of oxygen (PaO 2) and carbon dioxide (PaCO 2)]. Additionally, the surgical field exposure score and the dosages of propofol and remifentanil administered during surgery were recorded. Levels of inflammatory markers [interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α, and TNF-β] and Visual Analog Scale scores for pain at rest and during cough, recorded at 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively were compared between the two groups. Results:The total amounts of propofol [(569.7 ± 29.2) mg] and remifentanil [(289.3 ± 46.3) μg] in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group [(612.6 ± 28.7) mg, (361.7 ± 40.6) μg, t = 5.74, 6.44, both P = 0.001]. The recovery time in the observation group [(31.8 ± 11.4) minutes] was significantly shorter than that in the control group [(37.5 ± 10.1) minutes, t = 2.10, P = 0.040]. There was no significant difference in positioning time for intubation between observation and control groups [(67 ± 13) seconds vs. (80 ± 36) seconds, t = 1.86, P = 0.068). There was no significant difference in percentage of cases who underwent tube displacement after intubation between observation and control group [23.3% (7/30) vs. 16.7% (5/30), χ2 = 0.58, P = 0.445]. The incidence of postoperative pharyngeal pain in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [10.0% (3/30) vs. 33.3% (10/30), χ2 = 5.02, P = 0.025). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of number of cases with tube displacement, hemodynamic parameters, blood gas analysis, inflammatory markers, surgical field exposure, and postoperative Visual Analog Scale scores between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Conclusion:Ultrasound-guided TPVB combined with BB placement during thoracoscopic surgery can reduce airway injury compared with the use of a double-lumen bronchial tube. It provides adequate sedation and analgesia during the procedure, facilitates rapid awakening, promotes early recovery of spontaneous breathing, and has fewer adverse reactions, making it worthy of clinical promotion.

To improve the effectiveness of bedside localization of nasointestinal tube(NIT)and facilitate the placement of nasointestinal tube into jejunum,we established a procedure and composed a teaching verse for bedside placement of nasointestinal tube based on relevant classical literature and our own practices.Verse content:enteral nutrition means a successful strategy to improve the outcome in critically ill patient management,never hesitate to place nasointestinal tubes when necessary.There are several methods to deal with it,but popularizing it remains a long way off.Half-sitting and swallowing into the esophagus,freely withdrawing signifies the stomach cavity.Passing through the pylorus using light tension on the tube in the right lateral decubitus position.Arriving at the jejunum with low resistance in the left lateral decubitus position.What are the signs of intragastric coiling?Tube return out of nose is the initial observation,Failure of air insufflation indicates tube coiling.Dyeing location surpasses imaging.Vacuum test is the most sensitive,Sequential change from acid to base is specific.Methylene blue test is dramatical for localization.Combining three methods is enough to navigate.Abdominal plain film is the goldan standard and can still be used in ultrasonic era.3-D image establishes overall view.CT reveals the tube route exactly.The teaching verse has become a powerful tool for clinical teaching of manual nasointestinal tube placement in a concise and easy-to-remember form.

Objective:To explore the association between changes in brain structural network during the early stage of stroke recovery and the onset of post-stroke depression (PSD).Methods:A total of 87 acute ischemic stroke patients scheduled for discharge, who were admitted to the Yixing Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University from March 2020 to May 2021, were prospectively collected. During the same period, 34 healthy control subjects matched with the stroke patients were also collected. All participants underwent systematic magnetic resonance imaging scans and scale assessments, and were followed up longitudinally for 2 years. Based on the occurrence of depression during follow-up, the stroke patients were divided into PSD group and post-stroke non-depression (PSND) group. Graph theoretical analysis was used to analyze the topological characteristics of brain structural network. Analysis of variance was used to explore the differences in brain structural network attributes among groups. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the predictive power of differential brain network attributes for PSD. Linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between the synergism of non-rich-club regions and changes in rich-club connectivity.Results:The rich-club connectivity and synergism of the non-rich-club regions were significantly lower in the PSD group than in the PSND group (rich-club connectivity, P<0.01; synergism of feeder/local, P<0.001). The regression model demonstrated that the synergism of non-rich-club regions had a good predictive power for the occurrence of PSD ( OR=1.195, 95%CI 1.073-1.471, P<0.001). Furthermore, linear regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between the synergism of non-rich-club regions and Δrich-club connectivity ( r=-0.691, P<0.001). Conclusion:The good synergism of non-rich-club regions during the early stage of stroke recovery promotes the repair of rich-club connectivity and inhibits the onset of PSD.

Objective:To investigate the features of the brain structural network in patients with postpartum depression (PPD).Methods:This cross-sectional study included PPD patients who visited the mental health counseling clinic after delivery at the Jiangsu University Affiliated Yixing Hospital from June 2013 to September 2022 (PPD group). Matched non-PPD postpartum women based on age, years of education, and body mass index who came for postpartum follow-up (non-PPD postpartum group), and non-pregnant women who visited the hospital or underwent physical examinations during the same period (non-pregnant group) were also included. Demographic data and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were collected for all three groups. The brain was partitioned into 90 regions using an anatomical template to construct the brain structural network. Network-based statistics (NBS) were applied to further screen and construct subnetworks. The efficacy of the subnetworks in identifying PPD was evaluated through multivariable logistics regression models and receiver operating characteristic curves. A comparison of the connectivity strength of white matter tracts and topological attributes of brain structural network parameters was conducted using independent samples t-tests, and the results were corrected using the false discovery rate (FDR) method. Results:(1) A total of 116 subjects were included, with 40 in the non-pregnant group, 40 in the non-PPD postpartum group, and 36 in the PPD group. PPD group had higher Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores than the non-pregnant and non-PPD postpartum groups [(18.0±4.1) scores vs. (2.5±1.2) and (6.1±2.1) scores, F=340.40; t=24.65,10.60 and 16.16 in pairwise comparison; all P<0.001]. (2) Compared to the non-pregnant group, there was a decrease in the connectivity strength of nine white matter tracts within the brain structural network of the postpartum group (including left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus-left anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyrus, left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus-right amygdala, left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus-left insula, left insula-left lentiform nucleus, left insula-left hippocampus, left hippocampus-right amygdala, left hippocampus-left precuneus, left anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyrus-right amygdala, and right amygdala-right hippocampus) (all P<0.05, FDR corrected). No increased connection strengths were observed. There were no significant differences in the connection strengths of these nine tracts between the non-PPD and PPD groups. (3) A characteristic subnetwork for the maternal group was successfully constructed based on the nine tracts, which exhibited typical small-world properties (σ>1). Compared to the non-PPD maternal group, the characteristic path length in the PPD group was increased [(3.904±0.328) vs. (4.130±0.433), t=－2.58], and global efficiency was decreased [(0.361±0.036) vs. (0.331±0.053), t=2.91] (both P<0.05). Local property comparisons showed that the node efficiency values for the left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, left insula, left anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyrus, left hippocampus, right hippocampus, right amygdala, left precuneus and left putamen in the PPD group were significantly reduced [(0.273±0.023) vs. (0.267±0.030), t=0.98; (0.299±0.035) vs. (0.276±0.041), t=2.64; (0.265±0.019) vs. (0.258±0.025), t=1.38; (0.318±0.028) vs. (0.305±0.031), t=1.92; (0.312±0.027) vs. (0.302±0.031), t=1.50; (0.322±0.030) vs. (0.298±0.026), t=3.71; (0.356±0.040) vs. (0.338±0.056), t=1.62; (0.346±0.028) vs. (0.331±0.036), t=1.74; all P<0.05]. However, only the differences in node efficiency values for the left insula and right amygdala remained significant after FDR correction (corrected P=0.041 and 0.003). (4) Global efficiency, as well as node efficiency for the left insula and right amygdala, demonstrated good value for identifying PPD [areas under the curve (AUC) and their 95% CI were 0.827 (0.732-0.922), 0.741 (0.628-0.854), and 0.761 (0.653-0.867), respectively], with even better performance when combined [0.897 (0.828-0.969)]. (5) In the PPD group, global efficiency ( r=－0.43, P=0.008), node efficiency for the left insula ( r=－0.39, P=0.019), and node efficiency for the right amygdala ( r=－0.42, P=0.011) were all negatively correlated with EPDS scores. Conclusion:Aberrations in global efficiency, node efficiency for the left insula, and node efficiency for the right amygdala may serve as characteristic neuroimaging biomarkers for PPD.

Purpose: Molecular residual disease (MRD) is a promising biomarker in colorectal cancer (CRC) for prognosis and guiding treatment, while the whole-exome sequencing (WES) based tumor-informed assay is standard for evaluating MRD based on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). In this study, we assessed the feasibility of a fixed-panel for evaluating MRD in CRC. Materials and Methods: Seventy-five patients with resectable stage I-III CRC were enrolled. Tumor tissues obtained by surgery, and preoperative and postoperative day 7 blood samples were collected. The ctDNA was evaluated using the tumor-agnostic and tumor-informed fixed assays, as well as the WES-based and panel-based personalized assays in randomly selected patients. Results: The tumor-informed fixed assay had a higher preoperative positive rate than the tumor-agnostic assay (73.3% vs. 57.3%). The preoperative ctDNA status failed to predict disease-free survival (DFS) in either of the fixed assays, while the tumor-informed fixed assay-determined postoperative ctDNA positivity was significantly associated with worse DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 20.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.19 to 59.83; p < 0.001), which was an independent predictor by multivariable analysis (HR, 28.57; 95% CI, 7.10 to 114.9; p < 0.001). Sub-cohort analysis indicated the WES-based personalized assay had the highest preoperative positive rate (95.1%). The two personalized assays and the tumor-informed fixed assay demonstrated same results in postoperative landmark (HR, 26.34; 95% CI, 6.01 to 115.57; p < 0.001), outperforming the tumor-agnostic fixed panel (HR, 3.04; 95% CI, 0.94 to 9.89; p=0.052). Conclusion Our study confirmed the prognostic value of the ctDNA positivity at postoperative day 7 by the tumor-informed fixed panel. The tumor-informed fixed panel may be a cost-effective method to evaluate MRD, which warrants further studies in future.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and therapeutic effect of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with cruciate-retaining (CR) prosthesis by using FEM-X1 femoral extramedullary positioning instrument based on the theory of restricted kinematic alignment (rKA).Methods:Thirty five cases who underwent total knee arthroplasty in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from November 2019 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, including 7 males and 28 females with an average age of 71± 8 years (ranging from 55 to 85 years) Following the guidance of rKA alignment, the FEM-X1 femoral extramedullary positioning instrument was used for TKA with CR prosthesis. Before the operation, the full-length lower limb radiographs of both anteroposterior and lateral views were taken in a standing position for preoperative assessment of lateral distal femoral angle (LDFA), the medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA) and hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA). According to the principle of rKA alignment, the target LDFA, MPTA and HKA were calculated. The proximal end of tibia and distal end of femur were cut using extramedullary positioning instrument respectively. The posterior femoral condyle was cut according to the tibial plateau and mediolateral soft tissue tension. The prosthesis was installed after osteotomy. The release of collateral ligaments, PCL function, release of PCL, patellofemoral trajectory, release of patellofemoral support band, the amount of blood loss and time of operation were recorded. Postoperative LDFA, MPTA, HKA, and posterior slope angle of tibial prosthesis were measured on X-ray images. The Knee Society Score (KSS) was used for functional evaluation.Results:Thirty five cases of TKA with CR prosthesis following rKA alignment were successfully completed. The operation time was 100 (90, 110) min, and the blood loss was 100 (100, 200) ml. 30 of them were followed up for 12.5±0.7 months (ranging from 12 to 14 months). The pre-operative and post-operative LDFA were 1.0°(-2.0°, 4.0°), 0°(-2.0°, 2.0°), MPTA were -4.0°(-5.0°, -1.0°), -2.0°(-3.0°, -1.0°), HKA were -3.0°(-3.0°, -1.0°), -2.0°(-3.0°, -1.0°). There was no significant difference between the three angles before and after operation ( Z=-0.89, P=0.372; Z=1.87, P=0.061; Z=1.03, P=0.302). The average posterior tibial slope was 5°(3°, 7°). At the follow-up of one year, the KSS clinical score was 94(92, 97) and functional score was 80(70, 90) in 30 cases. During the operation, PCL was released in 1 case because of excessive tension; and lateral retinacular release was performed in 1 case because of poor patellofemoral track. Conclusion:ITKA with CR prosthesis by using the extramedullary positioning instrument on the theory of rKA alignment showed a good clinical outcome at a short follow up.

Objective To determine the age-specific normal ranges of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in Dalian,China.Methods Serum samples were collected from 8 453 asymptomatic men who underwent health examinations at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University.Results The median PSA level was 0.93 μg/L,and the interquartile level was 0.81 μg/L.The 95th percentile level was 3.49 μg/L.The 95th percentile levels according to age group were:20 to ＜30 years,0 to 1.67 μg/L;30 to ＜40 years,0 to 2.01 μg/L;40 to ＜50 years,0 to 2.41 μg/L;50 to ＜60 years,0 to 3.25 μg/L;60 to ＜70 years,0 to 3.92 μg/L;70 to ＜80 years,0 to 5.48 μg/L;and older than 80 years,0 to 9.35 μg/L.The differences between the different age groups were statistically significant (P ＜ 0.01).The serum PSA value was positively correlated with age (r =0.251,P ＜ 0.001).Conclusion There were clear differences in age-specific PSA levels in Dalian,and these were lower than the standard OESTERLING.Screening for prostate cancer according to age-specific PSA reference values may be useful in the early detection of prostate cancer and may also reduce the risk of over-diagnosis.