ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal fibrosis in rats with chronic kidney disease （CKD） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy specific pathogen-free （SPF） Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a control group （n=15） and a modeling group （n=55）. Rats in the modeling group were administered a 2.5% adenine suspension at a dose of 200 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 by gavage for 4 weeks to establish a CKD model. Successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group， an irbesartan group （20.25 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （5.82， 11.64， and 23.28 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively）， with 10 rats in each group. Each group was administered an equal volume of physiological saline， the corresponding concentration of irbesartan， or Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription by gavage for 12 weeks. Body weight and renal function indices were dynamically monitored. Serum creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio （ACR）， 24-hour urinary total protein （24 hUTP）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Renal histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson staining. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to detect the expression of PI3K， Akt， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Western blot was performed to assess the protein expression of PI3K， p-Akt， Akt， phosphorylated mTOR （p-mTOR）， and mTOR in renal tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR in renal tissues. ResultsCompared with the model group， rats in the irbesartan group and the low-， medium-， and high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription groups showed significantly decreased levels of SCr， BUN， ACR， 24 hUTP， IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α （P<0.01）. AST levels were significantly increased （P<0.01）， while no significant difference was observed in ALT levels. Histopathological examination revealed that， compared with the model group， renal tubular epithelial cell edema and necrosis and Bowman's capsule dilation were alleviated， inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced， and interstitial and glomerular fibrosis was markedly improved in all treatment groups， with the most pronounced effect observed in the high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription group. Real-time PCR results showed that mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR were significantly downregulated in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. IHC results demonstrated that PI3K and p-Akt expression levels in renal tissues were significantly decreased in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. Western blot analysis further confirmed that the expression levels of PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and p-mTOR/mTOR were significantly reduced in the high-dose group （P<0.01）. ConclusionBushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal function indices in CKD rats， reduces collagen deposition in renal tissues， and decreases serum inflammatory factor levels. Its protective effect on renal function may be achieved by activating autophagy through downregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway， thereby alleviating renal fibrosis.

Objective:To assess the presence of chemotherapy-induced abnormal myocardial perfusion using SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in patients with malignant hematologic diseases before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and to explore its predictive value for mid-to-long-term mortality risk after transplantation.Methods:From March 2016 to August 2022, 139 patients with malignant hematologic diseases (80 males, 59 females; age (45.7±13.0) years) who underwent resting MPI to assess the presence of chemotherapy-induced abnormal myocardial perfusion before HSCT at the First People′s Hospital of Changzhou were prospectively included. Baseline-data were collected and patients were followed up for mid-to-long-term (≥100d) adverse outcomes after transplantation. Overall survival (OS) of each patient was recorded. The χ2 test and independent-sample t test were used for data analysis. Cox regression analysis was utilized to identify independent risk factors affecting OS. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used for survival analysis. Results:The median follow-up time of 139 patients was 41.6(19.5, 65.6) months, with all-cause mortality of 28.8%(40/139), and the cardiovascular mortality was 42.5%(17/40). The prior cardiotoxic therapies rate (anthracycline dose ≥250mg/m 2) was higher in the death group compared to that in the survival group (15.0% (6/40) vs 5.1% (5/99); χ2=3.87, P=0.049). Pre-transplant abnormal myocardial perfusion rate was also higher in the death group compared to that in the survival group (55.0%(22/40) vs 22.2%(22/99); χ2=15.19, P<0.001). But pre-transplant left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was lower in the death group compared to that in the survival group ((60.4±5.2)% vs (62.9±3.9)%; t=-3.07, P=0.003). Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that the abnormal myocardial perfusion indicated by MPI before transplantation was an independent risk factor affecting OS after HSCT in patients with malignant hematologic diseases (hazard rate ( HR)=2.70, 95% CI: 1.33-5.46, P=0.006). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the 1-, 2-, 5-year OS rates of patients with the abnormal myocardial perfusion and the normal myocardial perfusion were 73.5%, 69.1%, 49.2% and 94.6%, 89.9%, 81.6%, respectively, with significant difference ( χ2=17.01, P<0.001). Conclusions:Patients with abnormal myocardial perfusion detected by MPI before HSCT for malignant hematologic diseases have a poorer prognosis, characterized by lower post-transplantation OS rates. The utilization of MPI for assessing abnormal myocardial perfusion before transplantation in patients with malignant hematologic diseases can aid in predicting the mid-to-long-term mortality risk after transplantation.

Esophageal cancer is one of the leading causes of death from cancer worldwide. Radiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Compared with photon radiotherapy, proton radiotherapy significantly reduces normal organ dose due to its unique biophysical properties, which makes this modality potential ideal for esophageal cancer treatment. Proton radiotherapy plays an important role in radical radiotherapy, neoadjuvant radiotherapy and re-radiotherapy for esophageal cancer. The efficacy is equivalent to or better than that of photon radiotherapy, and proton radiotherapy is superior than photon radiotherapy in security. The combination of proton radiotherapy and immunotherapy, the increase of radiotherapy dose, and large-scale randomized controlled studies based on intensity-modulated proton radiotherapy technology will be hot topics for further research.

The comprehensive treatment of esophageal cancer has undergone tremendous changes with the advent of the era of targeted and immunotherapy. The optimization of comprehensive treatment strategies will become increasingly precise with the deep research on biomarkers related to the therapeutic effect of esophageal cancer. With the precise implementation of various treatment methods, the therapeutic effect of esophageal cancer is bound to be significantly improved.

The concept of competency-based standardized residency training is gaining global popularity. However, the process of assessing, continuously evaluating, and conducting final competency evaluations remains challenging. The Milestones 2.0 system, developed by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, provides a framework for evaluating competencies in radiation oncology residents. The core objective of this system is to assess sub-competencies within core competencies, categorizing them from novice to expert across 5 levels. Evaluation occurs every 6 months, with the expectation that all residents reach level 4 in all sub-competencies by the end of their training. This approach aims to enhance the standardization of residency evaluations across the United States. This article aims to analyze the Milestones 2.0 competency framework and explore its potential applicability and reference value for standardized radiation oncology residency training in China.

Objective:To explore the effects of deep hyperthermia on chemotherapy-related adverse effects and immune-inflammatory indicators in the patients undergoing postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer.Methods:This retrospective study included 52 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer at the Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University from September 2021 to December 2023. The patients were divided into two groups based on treatment method: the combination group ( n=29) received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy combined with deep hyperthermia, while the chemotherapy group ( n=23) received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy alone. Both groups were treated with the XELOX regimen (oxaliplatin + capecitabine). The degree of bone marrow suppression during treatment was assessed by analyzing peripheral blood parameters, including hemoglobin, leukocyte count, neutrophil count, and platelet count. Immune-inflammatory indicators, including complement, procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), were compared before and after treatment in both groups to evaluate the effects of deep hyperthermia on the immune-inflammatory response. Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test (two-tailed) was used to compare bone marrow suppression rates, and the immune-inflammatory indicators between the two groups were compared using t-tests or non-parametric tests, depending on whether the data conformed to a normal distribution. Results:In terms of myelosuppression, the incidence rates of moderate to severe decreases in leukocytes, neutrophils, platelets, and hemoglobin in the combination group were 31%, 31%, 21%, and 14%, respectively, compared to 52%, 61%, 48%, and 9% in the chemotherapy group. The change in PCT levels before and after treatment was significantly greater in the combination group than in the chemotherapy group ( P = 0.010). Both the combination group and the chemotherapy group showed significant reductions in SII, NLR and PLR after treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The change in NLR before and after treatment was significantly greater in the combination group than in the chemotherapy group ( P = 0.031). Conclusions:Deep hyperthermia can alleviate chemotherapy-induced adverse effects such as thrombocytopenia and neutropenia in patients undergoing postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. It also appears to improve the inflammatory response in these patients.

Objective:To investigate the pathogenetic characteristics and risk factors of nosocomial infection with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) in trauma patients.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 103 trauma patients with nosocomial infection admitted to the 926th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the PLA from January 2021 to December 2023, including 84 males and 19 females aged 12-80 years [50(39, 59)years]. The patients were divided into MDRO infection group ( n=36) and non-MDRO infection group ( n=67) according to whether nosocomial MDRO infection occurred. The pathogenetic characteristics of MDRO infection were observed. Univariate analysis was used to compare the two groups in terms of their demographic characteristics (gender, age), comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes mellitus), injuries [multiple injuries, open injuries, injury severity score (ISS)], laboratory indicators (hemoglobin, leukocytes) on admission, and other treatment data (emergency admission to the healthcare facility, transferal, length of hospital stay before diagnosis of infection, number of surgeries before diagnosis of infection, blood transfusion before diagnosis of infection, tracheotomy/tracheal intubation before diagnosis of infection). Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the independent risk factors for nosocomial MDRO infection in trauma patients. Results:A total of 52 MDRO strains were detected, including 17 Gram-positive (33%) and 35 Gram-negative (67%) ones, with the top 5 strains being Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus epidermidis, respectively. The specimen source with the most detected MDRO strains was wound/incision secretion, followed by sputum. The results of the univariate analysis showed statistically significant differences in ISS and hemoglobin on admission between two groups ( P<0.05); however, no statistically significant differences were observed in gender, age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, multiple injuries, open injuries, leukocytes on admission, emergency admission to the healthcare facility, transferal, length of hospital stay before diagnosis of infection, number of surgeries before diagnosis of infection, blood transfusion before diagnosis of infection, or tracheotomy/tracheal intubation before diagnosis of infection ( P>0.05). The results of the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that male gender ( OR=5.01, 95% CI 1.09, 23.08, P<0.05), age ( OR=1.03, 95% CI 1.00, 1.07, P<0.05), multiple injuries ( OR=5.28, 95% CI 1.04, 26.87, P<0.05), hemoglobin on admission ( OR=0.97, 95% CI 0.95, 0.99, P<0.05), and length of hospital stay before diagnosis of infection ( OR=1.06, 95% CI 1.01, 1.11, P<0.05) were significantly associated with the occurrence of nosocomial MDRO infection in trauma patients. Conclusions:In trauma patients, nosocomial MDRO infection pathogens were predominantly Gram-negative and the top five strains are Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus epidermidis, respectively. Male gender, age, multiple injuries, hemoglobin on admission and length of hospital stay before diagnosis of infection are independent risk factors for the occurrence of nosocomial MDRO infection in trauma patients.

Objective To analyze the current status of medical services in secondary and tertiary hospitals in Shandong Province based on DRG,and to provide effective support for the implementation strategies of bidirectional referral.Methods The DRG group was used to analyze 42.348 3 million cases from 75 secondary hospitals and 69 tertiary hospitals in Shandong Province from 2019 to 2023.Experts were organized to establish standards for bidirectional referral of diseases.Results(1)35 high-frequency DRG disease groups with diagnosis,treatment ability and medical resources in secondary hospitals were selected,(2)The medical expenses and medical quality in the high-frequency DRG disease groups within secondary hospitals were lower than those in tertiary hospitals,(3)To develop standardized referral standards and programs with esophageal cancer as an example.Conclusion It is urgent to triage patients gradually and accurately through disease classification management,and formulate disease diagnosis and treatment plans and bidirectional referral standards to improve the medical quality of secondary hospitals.

Objective:To investigate the pathogenetic characteristics and risk factors of nosocomial infection with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) in trauma patients.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 103 trauma patients with nosocomial infection admitted to the 926th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the PLA from January 2021 to December 2023, including 84 males and 19 females aged 12-80 years [50(39, 59)years]. The patients were divided into MDRO infection group ( n=36) and non-MDRO infection group ( n=67) according to whether nosocomial MDRO infection occurred. The pathogenetic characteristics of MDRO infection were observed. Univariate analysis was used to compare the two groups in terms of their demographic characteristics (gender, age), comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes mellitus), injuries [multiple injuries, open injuries, injury severity score (ISS)], laboratory indicators (hemoglobin, leukocytes) on admission, and other treatment data (emergency admission to the healthcare facility, transferal, length of hospital stay before diagnosis of infection, number of surgeries before diagnosis of infection, blood transfusion before diagnosis of infection, tracheotomy/tracheal intubation before diagnosis of infection). Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the independent risk factors for nosocomial MDRO infection in trauma patients. Results:A total of 52 MDRO strains were detected, including 17 Gram-positive (33%) and 35 Gram-negative (67%) ones, with the top 5 strains being Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus epidermidis, respectively. The specimen source with the most detected MDRO strains was wound/incision secretion, followed by sputum. The results of the univariate analysis showed statistically significant differences in ISS and hemoglobin on admission between two groups ( P<0.05); however, no statistically significant differences were observed in gender, age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, multiple injuries, open injuries, leukocytes on admission, emergency admission to the healthcare facility, transferal, length of hospital stay before diagnosis of infection, number of surgeries before diagnosis of infection, blood transfusion before diagnosis of infection, or tracheotomy/tracheal intubation before diagnosis of infection ( P>0.05). The results of the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that male gender ( OR=5.01, 95% CI 1.09, 23.08, P<0.05), age ( OR=1.03, 95% CI 1.00, 1.07, P<0.05), multiple injuries ( OR=5.28, 95% CI 1.04, 26.87, P<0.05), hemoglobin on admission ( OR=0.97, 95% CI 0.95, 0.99, P<0.05), and length of hospital stay before diagnosis of infection ( OR=1.06, 95% CI 1.01, 1.11, P<0.05) were significantly associated with the occurrence of nosocomial MDRO infection in trauma patients. Conclusions:In trauma patients, nosocomial MDRO infection pathogens were predominantly Gram-negative and the top five strains are Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus epidermidis, respectively. Male gender, age, multiple injuries, hemoglobin on admission and length of hospital stay before diagnosis of infection are independent risk factors for the occurrence of nosocomial MDRO infection in trauma patients.

Objective To analyze the current status of medical services in secondary and tertiary hospitals in Shandong Province based on DRG,and to provide effective support for the implementation strategies of bidirectional referral.Methods The DRG group was used to analyze 42.348 3 million cases from 75 secondary hospitals and 69 tertiary hospitals in Shandong Province from 2019 to 2023.Experts were organized to establish standards for bidirectional referral of diseases.Results(1)35 high-frequency DRG disease groups with diagnosis,treatment ability and medical resources in secondary hospitals were selected,(2)The medical expenses and medical quality in the high-frequency DRG disease groups within secondary hospitals were lower than those in tertiary hospitals,(3)To develop standardized referral standards and programs with esophageal cancer as an example.Conclusion It is urgent to triage patients gradually and accurately through disease classification management,and formulate disease diagnosis and treatment plans and bidirectional referral standards to improve the medical quality of secondary hospitals.