ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and economic value of the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Dominant Diseases （abbreviated as the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol） in adult patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on real-world clinical data. MethodsA retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized for non-severe CAP from September 1st， 2023 to December 31st， 2024 across 10 TCM hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were classified into an exposure group and a non-exposure group based on whether they received Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol. The non-exposure group received only conventional western medicine， while the exposure group additionally received differentiated CHM for at least five consecutive days. Outcomes were compared between two patient groups， including cough resolution rate， sputum resolution rate （assessed by volume， color， and consistency）， incidence of abnormal C-reactive protein （CRP）， incidence of abnormal white blood cell （WBC） count， and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing clinical efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age， gender， smoking status， history of hypertension， and pneumonia severity score （CURB-65）， and the efficacy of treatment for cough and sputum was analyzed within each subgroup. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using cough resolution rate as the outcome measure， evaluating the pharmacoeconomics of the two groups. ResultsA total of 1688 patients were included with 1293 in the exposure group and 395 in the non-exposure group. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group demonstrated significantly higher resolution rates of cough， sputum volume， color， and consistency， as well as a significantly lower incidence of abnormal CRP （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of abnormal WBC count and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates （P＞0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the cough resolution rate in the exposure group was 1.83 times that of the non-exposure group， while the probabilities of resolution in sputum volume， color， and consistency were 1.37， 2.09， and 1.56 times those of the non-exposure group， respectively （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analyses showed that the exposure group achieved significantly higher cough resolution rates across most subgroups except for populations with a CURB-65 score ≥2 or those with a history of hypertension （P＜0.05）. Specifically， among females， patients aged ≥18 and ＜65 years， non-smokers， those without hypertension， and those with a CURB-65 score of 0， the exposure group showed a higher cough resolution rate than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. From an economic perspective， total hospitalization cost， length of stay， antibiotic cost， and CHM cost all differed significantly between groups （P＜0.05）. The cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） was 10,788.80 CNY/case in the exposure group， while 22,513.80 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. This implies that， compared with the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 17,302.27 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution. When the willingness-to-pay threshold ranged from 0 to 50,000 CNY， the probability of economic advantage was consistently higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine， the addition of CHM in accordance with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol can effectively improve clinical symptoms， reduce inflammatory markers， promote clinical recovery， and is more cost-effective in treating adults with non-severe CAP.

ObjectiveTo observe the real‑world effectiveness and economic outcomes of Weishi Qingjin Formula （苇石清金方， WQF） in the treatment of adult community‑acquired pneumonia （CAP） with phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome. MethodsBased on a multicenter， real-world retrospective cohort study， clinical data were collected from hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with non‑severe CAP and phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome in 10 traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were divided into an exposure group （those who received oral WQF） and a non‑exposure group （those who did not）. The following outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment， which were remission rates of clinical symptoms including cough， expectoration （sputum volume， color， consistency）， and chest pain， levels of inflammatory markers including C‑reactive protein （CRP） and white blood cell count （WBC）， and the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age， gender， smoking status， presence of hypertension， and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia （CURB‑65） score， comparing the two groups in terms of cough remission rate， chest pain remission rate， and chest CT absorption rate. For health economic evaluation， cost‑effectiveness analysis was used to calculate the cost‑effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost‑effectiveness ratio （ICER）. Univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to test the robustness of the results. ResultsA total of 647 patients in the exposure group and 1491 patients in the non-exposure group were included in the final statistical analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay， gender， marital status， smoking history， bronchoscopy history， and comorbidities between the groups （P＞0.05）， but age， CURB-65 score， and antibiotic use. The exposure group had significantly higher remission rates of cough and sputum consistency than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. After adjusting for confounders using propensity score matching and logistic regression， the cough remission rate in the exposure group was 1.49 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference was observed between groups in the reduction rates of CRP and WBC， and in the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT （P＞0.05）. Subgroup analyses revealed that the cough remission rate in the exposure group was significantly better than that in the non-exposure group except for patients aged ≥65 years， smokers， hypertensive patients， those using other type antibiotics or not using antibiotics， and those with a CURB-65 score ≥1 （P＜0.05）. Among smokers， the chest pain remission rate in the exposure group was 4.38 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference in chest CT absorption rate was found between groups across subgroups of gender， age， hypertension status， or antibiotic type （P＞0.05）. In terms of economic evaluation， CER was 10,877.60 CNY/case in the exposure group and 16,773.10 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. Compared to the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 15,034.26 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution， indicating a more favorable cost-effectiveness profile. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the cost-effectiveness analysis， confirming the robustness of the findings. ConclusionWQF demonstrates significant efficacy in improving cough symptoms in the treatment of adult CAP with phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome， and also exhibits favorable economic benefits.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and economic value of the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Dominant Diseases （abbreviated as the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol） in adult patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on real-world clinical data. MethodsA retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized for non-severe CAP from September 1st， 2023 to December 31st， 2024 across 10 TCM hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were classified into an exposure group and a non-exposure group based on whether they received Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol. The non-exposure group received only conventional western medicine， while the exposure group additionally received differentiated CHM for at least five consecutive days. Outcomes were compared between two patient groups， including cough resolution rate， sputum resolution rate （assessed by volume， color， and consistency）， incidence of abnormal C-reactive protein （CRP）， incidence of abnormal white blood cell （WBC） count， and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing clinical efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age， gender， smoking status， history of hypertension， and pneumonia severity score （CURB-65）， and the efficacy of treatment for cough and sputum was analyzed within each subgroup. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using cough resolution rate as the outcome measure， evaluating the pharmacoeconomics of the two groups. ResultsA total of 1688 patients were included with 1293 in the exposure group and 395 in the non-exposure group. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group demonstrated significantly higher resolution rates of cough， sputum volume， color， and consistency， as well as a significantly lower incidence of abnormal CRP （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of abnormal WBC count and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates （P＞0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the cough resolution rate in the exposure group was 1.83 times that of the non-exposure group， while the probabilities of resolution in sputum volume， color， and consistency were 1.37， 2.09， and 1.56 times those of the non-exposure group， respectively （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analyses showed that the exposure group achieved significantly higher cough resolution rates across most subgroups except for populations with a CURB-65 score ≥2 or those with a history of hypertension （P＜0.05）. Specifically， among females， patients aged ≥18 and ＜65 years， non-smokers， those without hypertension， and those with a CURB-65 score of 0， the exposure group showed a higher cough resolution rate than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. From an economic perspective， total hospitalization cost， length of stay， antibiotic cost， and CHM cost all differed significantly between groups （P＜0.05）. The cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） was 10,788.80 CNY/case in the exposure group， while 22,513.80 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. This implies that， compared with the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 17,302.27 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution. When the willingness-to-pay threshold ranged from 0 to 50,000 CNY， the probability of economic advantage was consistently higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine， the addition of CHM in accordance with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol can effectively improve clinical symptoms， reduce inflammatory markers， promote clinical recovery， and is more cost-effective in treating adults with non-severe CAP.

ObjectiveTo observe the real‑world effectiveness and economic outcomes of Weishi Qingjin Formula （苇石清金方， WQF） in the treatment of adult community‑acquired pneumonia （CAP） with phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome. MethodsBased on a multicenter， real-world retrospective cohort study， clinical data were collected from hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with non‑severe CAP and phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome in 10 traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were divided into an exposure group （those who received oral WQF） and a non‑exposure group （those who did not）. The following outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment， which were remission rates of clinical symptoms including cough， expectoration （sputum volume， color， consistency）， and chest pain， levels of inflammatory markers including C‑reactive protein （CRP） and white blood cell count （WBC）， and the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age， gender， smoking status， presence of hypertension， and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia （CURB‑65） score， comparing the two groups in terms of cough remission rate， chest pain remission rate， and chest CT absorption rate. For health economic evaluation， cost‑effectiveness analysis was used to calculate the cost‑effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost‑effectiveness ratio （ICER）. Univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to test the robustness of the results. ResultsA total of 647 patients in the exposure group and 1491 patients in the non-exposure group were included in the final statistical analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay， gender， marital status， smoking history， bronchoscopy history， and comorbidities between the groups （P＞0.05）， but age， CURB-65 score， and antibiotic use. The exposure group had significantly higher remission rates of cough and sputum consistency than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. After adjusting for confounders using propensity score matching and logistic regression， the cough remission rate in the exposure group was 1.49 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference was observed between groups in the reduction rates of CRP and WBC， and in the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT （P＞0.05）. Subgroup analyses revealed that the cough remission rate in the exposure group was significantly better than that in the non-exposure group except for patients aged ≥65 years， smokers， hypertensive patients， those using other type antibiotics or not using antibiotics， and those with a CURB-65 score ≥1 （P＜0.05）. Among smokers， the chest pain remission rate in the exposure group was 4.38 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference in chest CT absorption rate was found between groups across subgroups of gender， age， hypertension status， or antibiotic type （P＞0.05）. In terms of economic evaluation， CER was 10,877.60 CNY/case in the exposure group and 16,773.10 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. Compared to the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 15,034.26 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution， indicating a more favorable cost-effectiveness profile. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the cost-effectiveness analysis， confirming the robustness of the findings. ConclusionWQF demonstrates significant efficacy in improving cough symptoms in the treatment of adult CAP with phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome， and also exhibits favorable economic benefits.

Robot-assisted surgery with its advantages such as three-dimensional high-definition vision, dexterous robotic arms, and tremor filtration, is increasingly being applied to complex radical gastrectomy. However, the role of the surgical assistant remains crucial during the procedure. The assistant is responsible for tasks outside the console, including adjusting robotic arms, changing instruments, exposing the surgical field, and addressing unexpected situations. The technical proficiency of the assistant and their collaboration efficiency with the primary surgeon directly impact the smoothness of surgery and patients' outcomes. With the expansion of robot-assisted surgical indications, the establishment of a standardized training system and the optimization of team collaboration models have become urgent challenges to address. This article draws on the author's practical experience as an assistant in robot-assisted gastric cancer surgeries, conducting an in-depth analysis of the responsibilities and operational skills of surgical assistants in robot-assisted procedures. The aim is to develop a relatively comprehensive set of operational guidelines for surgical assistants in robot-assisted radical gastrectomy, providing valuable references for enhancing the overall efficiency of surgical teams and improving surgical outcomes.

Objective:To develop an evidence-based nursing practice program based on the Stetler model to extend the lifespan of arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and evaluate its effectiveness.Methods:An evidence-based nursing practice program was constructed based on the best evidence for extending AVF lifespan in MHD patients. Expert group discussions were held to determine review indicators. A baseline survey was conducted among 100 MHD patients and 42 nurses using covenience sompling at the Blood Purification Center of Wuxi People's Hospital from January to December 2023, to identify barriers and facilitators. In the following year, from January to December 2024, the evidence-based practice was implemented at the same hospital, and the AVF surgical intervention rate and AVF self-management levels of MHD patients were compared before and after the practice.Results:No statistically significant difference was found in the AVF surgery rates before and after the evidence-based practice ( P>0.05) . However, after implementing the evidence-based practice, MHD patients' scores on the AVF self-management scale significantly improved, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.01) . Conclusions:The evidence-based practice based on the Stetler model is beneficial for standardizing the clinical management of AVF, reducing the need for surgical interventions, and improving MHD patients' ability to self-manage their AVF.

Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)are diagnosed at an intermediate or advanced stage,losing the opportunity for surgical resection.Conversion therapy,which uses non-surgical approaches to render initially unresectable tumors resectable,has gradually become part of routine clinical practice and a research focus.However,multiple challenges remain,including the lack of clear criteria for identifying"potentially resectable"cases,difficulty in selecting individualized systemic regimens from multiple approved options and determining whether to combine them with locoregional therapy,controversy over the necessity of surgery in patients achieving radiological complete response,the need for optimization of perioperative assessment and management,uncertainty in determining the optimal timing of surgery,and the absence of consensus on postoperative sequential systemic therapy regimens and duration.Addressing these issues requires multidisciplinary collaboration and high-quality evidence from multicenter randomized controlled trials.With the accumulation of clinical experience,growing evidence,and advances in treatment,more patients with initially unresectable HCC are expected to gain surgical opportunities and achieve long-term disease-free survival.

Objective To explore the disinfection effect of periodic hypochlorous acid infusion on water supply pipelines.Methods Water specimens from 6 water outlets of central sterile supply department were collected at baseline for microbial culture.After introducing a slightly acidic hypochlorous acid water generator,water speci-mens were collected every 10 days.Continuous disinfection with hypochlorous acid was carried out on the 1st-3rd day,and discontinued on the 4th-10th day.Water specimens of 6 water outlets were collected on the 1st,4th,7th,and 10th day of each cycle,in total 3 cycles.Microbial culture and metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)analysis were conducted simultaneously on all water specimens from the outlets of the endoscope cleaning tank.Results Before disinfection of the pipeline,a total of 18 bottles of water specimens were collected.Bacterial count of water specimens from 10 bottles(55.56％)was between 102 and 104 CFU/mL,mainly Sphingomonas ad-hesins and Bacillus cereus.After disinfection,only 2 out of 72 water specimens(2.78％)exceeded the bacterial lim-it.The mNGS results showed that three most dominant bacterial genera in the pre-disinfection water specimens were Sphingomonas,Methylobacterium,and Ralstonia,with stringent mapped reads number(SMRN)ranging from 10 000 to 100 000;while the most dominant bacterial genera in post-disinfection water specimens were Lacto-baci-llus,Ralstonia,Acinetobacter,and Bradyrhizobium.PCoA analysis showed that there was a statistically sig-nificant difference in β-diversity of water specimens before and after disinfection(P＜0.05).Conclusion Periodic hypochlorous acid infusion disinfection can effectively remove bacterial biofilms in water pipelines,but there is a risk of bacterial biofilm recovery during disinfection suspension.In the future,monitoring and management of medical water should be strengthened.

Objective·To investigate the changes in transcriptome and chromatin accessibility during the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells(hESCs)into neural progenitor cells(NPCs)using in vitro differentiation models and high-throughput multi-omics sequencing technologies.Methods·hESCs were first induced to differentiate into NPCs in vitro using the embryoid body formation method,and cells at both stages were collected.The cell phenotypes were identified by reverse transcription-quantitative real-time PCR(RT-qPCR)and immunofluorescence(IF)staining.Transcriptome sequencing(RNA-seq)was conducted to detect and analyze the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between hESCs and NPCs.The assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing(ATAC-seq)was employed to assess chromatin accessibility changes between hESCs and NPCs.Motif enrichment analysis was performed on differentially accessible chromatin regions to discover potential regulatory transcription factors.Finally,an integrated analysis of RNA-seq and ATAC-seq data and the protein-protein interaction(PPI)network were performed to identify key genes and regulatory pathways involved in the early stages of neural differentiation in vitro.Results·Both RT-qPCR and IF results indicated that the expression levels of pluripotency markers(NANOG and POU5F1)were high at the hESC stage but significantly decreased at the NPC stage,while early neural differentiation markers(PAX6,SOX1,and NES)were minimally expressed at the hESC stage but markedly upregulated at the NPC stage.RNA-seq analysis revealed that compared to the hESC stage,there were 5 597 genes upregulated and 3 654 genes downregulated at the NPC stage.Gene function enrichment analysis showed that the upregulated genes at the NPC stage were enriched in the functions related to neural development.ATAC-seq analysis demonstrated a total of 27 491 genomic regions had significant changes in chromatin accessibility during the differentiation from hESC to NPC,with 12 381 regions showing increased accessibility and 15 110 regions showing decreased accessibility.Motif enrichment analysis revealed that transcription factor genes such as DLX1 and LHX2 might play an important role in the differentiation process from hESCs into NPCs.Integrated analysis of RNA-seq and ATAC-seq data revealed that overlapping genes with high expression at the NPC stage were mainly enriched in axon guidance,forebrain development,and neuron migration.After neural differentiation,the expression levels of CTNND2 and LHX2 genes increased,and the chromatin accessibility of related genomic regions also increased.PPI network analysis indentified candidate downstream genes including PRKACA,CDH2,and ERBB4.Conclusion·The in vitro differentiation model of hESCs combined with high-throughput multi-omics sequencing technologies can be used to depict the changes in transcriptome and chromatin accessibility during the differentiation of hESCs into NPCs.In this process,the expression levels of genes related to axon guidance,forebrain development,and neuronal migration pathways increase and related chromatin accessibility is enhanced.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effectiveness of Du Meridian moxibustion combined with brisk walking on negative symptoms, cognitive function, and social function in patients with stable schizophrenia, aiming to provide a feasible adjunctive treatment for clinical practice.Methods:A randomized controlled trial was conducted using convenience sampling to recruit 140 patients with stable schizophrenia hospitalized at the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group, Du Meridian moxibustion group, brisk walking group, or combined group, with 35 patients in each group. The control group received standard care. On this basis, the Du Meridian moxibustion group received moxibustion on the Du Meridian, the brisk walking group participated in slow walking exercises, and the combined group received both interventions for 12 weeks. Assessments were conducted at baseline, at 6 and 12 weeks during the intervention, and at 12 weeks post-intervention using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Social Functioning Scale for Inpatient Psychiatric Patients.Results:A total of 134 patients completed the study: control group ( n = 34), Du Meridian moxibustion group ( n = 34), brisk walking group ( n = 35), and combined group ( n = 31). The combined group demonstrated significantly lower SANS scores at the 12th week of intervention (49.71 ± 4.66) and at 12 weeks post-intervention (53.45 ± 5.34) compared to the Du Meridian moxibustion group (54.91 ± 4.79) and (59.56 ± 5.84), the brisk walking group (56.69 ± 5.59) and (58.51 ± 5.42), control group (65.71 ± 4.95) and (66.21 ± 4.33), with statistically significant differences ( t values were 3.81-13.37, all P<0.05). Regarding cognitive function, the MMSE scores in the combined group at the 12th week of intervention (28.23 ± 1.28) and at 12 weeks post-intervention (27.35 ± 1.76) were higher than those in the Du Meridian moxibustion group (26.79 ± 1.85) and (25.59 ± 2.27) and the brisk walking group (25.88 ± 2.23) and (25.43 ± 1.84), control group (23.65 ± 2.17) and (22.32 ± 2.14), with statistically significant differences ( t values were - 10.28 to - 3.48, all P<0.001). For social function, the SSPI scores in the combined group at the 12th week of intervention (35.71 ± 3.63) and at 12 weeks post-intervention (32.58 ± 3.71) were also significantly higher than those in the Du Meridian moxibustion group (32.21 ± 3.91) and (28.47 ± 3.70) and the brisk walking group (31.83 ± 3.54) and (30.31 ± 3.59), control group (24.53 ± 4.12) and (24.15 ± 3.50) with statistically significant differences ( t values were - 11.56 to - 2.52, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The combination of Du Meridian moxibustion and brisk walking is an effective adjunctive intervention for patients with stable schizophrenia, as it significantly reduces negative symptoms, enhances cognitive function, and improves social functioning.