To address the growing challenge of an increasing number of elderly lung cancer patients amidst China's aging population and to fill the gap in quality control standards for surgical treatment in this special population, this study aimed to develop a standardized surgical evaluation system for elderly lung cancer patients tailored to China's national conditions. The system was established through a literature review, integrated the pathophysiological characteristics of elderly patients, and was constructed following review, feedback, and revision by experts from multiple thoracic surgery centers. Employing a 100-point scoring system, it comprises three primary domains: physical infrastructure and geriatric adaptability foundational conditions (10 points); management level and perioperative care models (20 points); and technical proficiency and clinical outcomes (70 points). The system places a strong emphasis on geriatric adaptability, proposing specific, quantifiable indicators for age-friendly facility modifications, control of elderly-specific complications, multidisciplinary collaboration, and standardized perioperative management. It provides a convenient and measurable assessment tool for quality control in the surgical treatment of elderly lung cancer in China, which is expected to promote the standardization and homogenization of diagnosis and treatment.

Objective To understand the disease spectrum of a natural village in an area with high incidence of esophageal cancer to provide a reference for precise prevention and control. Methods From 2008 to 2024, 711 asymptomatic people over the age of 35 years in a natural village with high incidence of esophageal cancer in China were surveyed, and 171 of them were subjected to gastroscopy, biopsy, and pathological examination. All participants were followed up for a long time, and their disease history was recorded. Results A total of 16 years of follow-up were performed, and 703 people were effectively followed up. In 2008, 171 people underwent gastroscopy, and 160 people had biopsy and pathological results in endoscopic screening. By 2024, 76 people had been diagnosed with malignant tumors of 12 different types, and among these people, 45 had esophageal cancer. Conclusion Esophageal cancer remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality from malignant tumors in this region. Biopsy and pathological examination should be strengthened during gastroscopy, and follow-ups and regular check-ups should be given high importance to reduce the incidence and mortality rates of esophageal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy and advantages of robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with varus knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: Between October 2022 and June 2023, a total of 59 patients with severe knee osteoarthritis resulting in varus were treated with total knee arthroplasty, aged from 59 to 81 years with an average (70.90±4.63) years, including 19 mals and 40 females. The patients were divided into two groups based on the surgical method used:28 patients in the robot group and 31 patients in the traditional group. The robot group consisted of 8 males and 20 femalse patients, with an average age of (70.54±4.80) years and an average disease duration of (14.89±8.72) months. The traditional group consisted of 11 males and 20 females patients, with an average age of (71.39±4.5) years and an average disease duration of (12.32±6.73) months. The operative duration, amount of bleeding during the operation, postoperative activity time after the operation, hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA), lateral distal femoral angle (LDFA), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), and complications were compared between the two groups before and after the operation. Lateral tibia component (LTC), frontal tibia component (FTC), frontal femoral component (FFC) and lateral femoral component (LFC) were measured 6 months after operation Additionally, the degree of knee joint motility, American Knee Society score (KSS), and visual analogue scale(VAS) were compared before and after the operation. RESULTS: All patients had gradeⅠwound healing without any complications, and all patients were followed up for 6 to 8 months, with an average of (6.5±1.5) months. There were no significant differences preoperative imaging evaluation indexes (including HKA, LDFA, and MPTA), preoperative knee mobility, preoperative VAS, and preoperative KSS between the two groups (P>0.05). Comparing the operation time (109.11±7.16) min vs. (83.90±7.85) min, length of the incision (16.60±2.33) cm vs. (14.47±1.41) cm, intraoperative bleeding (106.93±6.15) ml vs. (147.97±7.62) ml, postoperative activity time (17.86±1.84) h vs. (21.77±2.68) h, between the two groups showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05). There were significant differences in FFC (88.96±0.84)° vs. (87.93±1.09)° and LFC (88.57±1.10)° vs. (87.16±1.2)° between the two groups at 6 months after operation (P<0.05). The robotic group 1, 3, 6 months after KSS (75.96±3.96), (81.53±3.78), (84.50±3.29) scores, VAS (3.68±0.67), (2.43±0.79), (0.54±0.64), knee joint mobility (113.32±4.72) °, (123.93±3.99) °, (135.36±2.34) °;Traditional group KSS (73.77±4.18), (76.48±3.60), (80.19±3.28) scores, VAS (4.16±1.04), (3.03±0.75), (1.42±0.76) scores, knee joint mobility (109.19±6.95) °, (119.94±6.08) °, (134.48±2.14) °. Compared to before surgery, both groups showed significant improvement in KSS, VAS and knee mobility during the three follow-up visits (P<0.001). Additionally, postoperative HKA (180.39±1.95)° vs. (178.52±2.23)°, LDFA (89.67±0.63) ° vs. (89.63±0.63)°, and MPTA (89.44±0.55)° vs. (89.29±0.60)° were significantly improved in both groups compared to before surgery (P<0.001). The robotic group had higher KSS than the traditional group at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery (P<0.05). The robotic group also had lower VAS than the traditional group at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery (P<0.05). Furthermore, knee mobility was higher in the robotic group than those in the traditional group at 1 and 6 months after surgery (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the two groups at 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSION Robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty is a safe and effective method for total knee replacement. The use of robotics can improve the limb axis and prosthesis alignment for patients with preoperative varus deformity, resulting in better clinical and imaging outcomes compared to the conventional group.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/methods* ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Aged, 80 and over ; Robotic Surgical Procedures/methods*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the risk factors for white matter damage (WMD) in preterm infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 249 preterm infants with NEC admitted to Children's Hospital of Fudan University between January 2021 and December 2023. Based on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) white matter scores, the infants were categorized into a WMD group (≥7 points) and a non-injury group (<7 points). A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for WMD. RESULTS: Compared with the non-injury group, the WMD group had significantly higher rates of Gram-negative bacterial infection (43.1% vs 28.2%), surgical treatment (47.2% vs 23.2%), and moderate-to-severe abnormalities on video electroencephalography (VEEG) (51.4% vs 11.9%) (all P<0.05). The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that surgical treatment (OR=1.822, 95%CI: 1.199-2.777), longer hospital stay (OR=1.041, 95%CI: 1.004-1.080), and moderate-to-severe VEEG abnormalities (OR=7.045, 95%CI: 3.349-14.855) were independent risk factors for WMD (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Surgical treatment, prolonged hospitalization, and moderate-to-severe VEEG abnormalities are independent risk factors for WMD in preterm infants with NEC, providing a basis for early clinical identification and intervention to improve neurological outcomes.
Humans ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/complications* ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Female ; Risk Factors ; Retrospective Studies ; Infant, Premature ; White Matter/diagnostic imaging* ; Logistic Models ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive computed tomography angiography (CTA)-based fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) could become a gatekeeper to invasive coronary angiography. Deep learning (DL)-based CT-FFR has shown promise when compared to invasive FFR. To evaluate the performance of a DL-based CT-FFR technique, DeepVessel FFR (DVFFR). METHODS: This retrospective study was designed for iScheMia Assessment based on a Retrospective, single-center Trial of CT-FFR (SMART). Patients suspected of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and undergoing both CTA and invasive FFR examinations were consecutively selected from the Beijing Anzhen Hospital between January 1, 2016 to December 30, 2018. FFR obtained during invasive coronary angiography was used as the reference standard. DVFFR was calculated blindly using a DL-based CT-FFR approach that utilized the complete tree structure of the coronary arteries. RESULTS: Three hundred and thirty nine patients (60.5 ±10.0 years and 209 men) and 414 vessels with direct invasive FFR were included in the analysis. At per-vessel level, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of DVFFR were 94.7%, 88.6%, 90.8%, 82.7%, and 96.7%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was 0.95 for DVFFR and 0.56 for CTA-based assessment with a significant difference (P < 0.0001). At patient level, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV and NPV of DVFFR were 93.8%, 88.0%, 90.3%, 83.0%, and 95.8%, respectively. The computation for DVFFR was fast with the average time of 22.5 ± 1.9 s. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that DVFFR was able to evaluate lesion hemodynamic significance accurately and effectively with improved diagnostic performance over CTA alone. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a critical disease in which coronary artery luminal narrowing may result in myocardial ischemia. Early and effective assessment of myocardial ischemia is essential for optimal treatment planning so as to improve the quality of life and reduce medical costs.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the protective effects of gentiopicroside (GPS) against reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation in endothelial cells, aiming to reduce atherosclerosis. METHODS: Eight-week-old male ApoE-deficient mice were randomly divided into 2 groups (n=10 per group): the vehicle group and the GPS treatment group. Both groups were fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks. GPS (40 mg/kg per day) was administered by oral gavage to the GPS group, while the vehicle group received an equivalent volume of the vehicle solution. At the end of the treatment, blood and aortic tissues were collected for assessments of atherosclerosis, lipid profiles, oxidative stress, and molecular expressions related to NLRP3 inflammasome activation, ROS production, and apoptosis. Additionally, in vitro experiments on human aortic endothelial cells treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) were conducted to evaluate the effects of GPS on NLRP3 inflammasome activation, pyroptosis, apoptosis, and ROS production, specifically examining the role of the sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. SIRT1 and Nrf2 inhibitors were used to confirm the pathway's role. RESULTS: GPS treatment significantly reduced atherosclerotic lesions in the en face aorta (P<0.01), as well as in the thoracic and abdominal aortic regions, and markedly decreased sinus lesions within the aortic root (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Additionally, GPS reduced oxidative stress markers and proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1 β and IL-18, in lesion areas (P<0.05, P<0.01). In vitro, GPS inhibited ox-LDL-induced NLRP3 activation, as evidenced by reduced NLRP3 (P<0.01), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD, cleaved-caspase-1, and cleaved-gasdermin D expressions (all P<0.01). GPS also decreased ROS production, apoptosis, and pyroptosis, with the beneficial effects being significantly reversed by SIRT1 or Nrf2 inhibitors. CONCLUSION GPS exerts an antiatherogenic effect by inhibiting ROS-dependent NLRP3 inflammasome activation via the SIRT1/Nrf2 pathway.
NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Iridoid Glucosides/therapeutic use* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Animals ; Atherosclerosis/metabolism* ; Inflammasomes/drug effects* ; Male ; Sirtuin 1/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Humans ; Endothelial Cells/pathology* ; Mice ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic potential of pseudolaric acid B (PAB) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its underlying molecular mechanism in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Eight-week-old male C57BL/6J mice (n=32) were fed either a normal chow diet (NCD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks. The HFD mice were divided into 3 groups according to a simple random method, including HFD, PAB low-dose [10 mg/(kg·d), PAB-L], and PAB high-dose [20 mg/(kg·d), PAB-H] groups. After 8 weeks of treatment, glucose metabolism and insulin resistance were assessed by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT). Biochemical assays were used to measure the serum and cellular levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). White adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT) and liver tissue were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining or Oil Red O staining to observe the alterations in adipose tissue and liver injury. PharmMapper and DisGeNet were used to predict the NAFLD-related PAB targets. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) pathway involvement was suggested by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and search tool Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) analyses. Luciferase reporter assay, cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), and drug affinity responsive target stability assay (DARTS) were conducted to confirm direct binding of PAB with PPARα. Molecular dynamics simulations were applied to further validate target engagement. RT-qPCR and Western blot were performed to assess the downstream genes and proteins expression, and validated by PPARα inhibitor MK886. RESULTS: PAB significantly reduced serum TC, TG, LDL-C, AST, and ALT levels, and increased HDL-C level in HFD mice (P<0.01). Target prediction analysis indicated a significant correlation between PAB and PPARα pathway. PAB direct target binding with PPARα was confirmed through luciferase reporter assay, CETSA, and DARTS (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The target engagement between PAB and PPARα protein was further confirmed by molecular dynamics simulations and the top 3 amino acid residues, LEU321, MET355, and PHE273 showed the most significant changes in mutational energy. Subsequently, PAB upregulated the genes expressions involved in lipid metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis downstream of PPARα (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Significantly, the PPARα inhibitor MK886 effectively reversed the lipid-lowering and PPARα activation properties of PAB (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION PAB mitigates lipid accumulation, ameliorates liver damage, and improves mitochondrial biogenesis by binding with PPARα, thus presenting a potential candidate for pharmaceutical development in the treatment of NAFLD.
Animals ; PPAR alpha/metabolism* ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/pathology* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Lipid Metabolism/drug effects* ; Diterpenes/therapeutic use* ; Organelle Biogenesis ; Diet, High-Fat ; Humans ; Mice ; Liver/metabolism* ; Insulin Resistance ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Molecular Docking Simulation