AIM: To investigate expression differences and mechanism of action of serine/threonine kinase 1(AKT1), ATP synthase F1 subunit(ATP5F1), and Bcl-2-associated anti-apoptotic gene 3(BAG3)in the occurrence and progression of pterygium.METHODS:Pterygium-related gene expression data were retrieved from GEO database to screen differentially expressed genes(DEGs). String and Cytoscape were used to construct protein-protein interaction(PPI)networks and identify core targets. GO/KEGG enrichment analyzed mitochondrial metabolic pathways. The pterygium samples(head/body)were collected; pathological features were evaluated by HE staining, and the expression of AKT1, ATP5F1, and BAG3 was detected via immunohistochemistry(IHC).RESULTS:A total of 1 264 DEGs were identified(585 upregulated, 679 downregulated). GO analysis showed significant enrichment of mitochondrial pathways regarding to biological processes, cell components and molecular functions; KEGG analysis highlighted oxidative phosphorylation and chemical carcinogenesis-reactive oxygen species(ROS)pathways. The head and body pterygium samples were collected from 28 cases(28 eyes)that received pterygium surgery, including 7 males(7 eyes)and 21 females(21 eyes), with a mean age of 69.32±8.98 years. HE staining showed more severe dysplasia, disordered stroma, and inflammation in the pterygium head versus the body. IHC detection confirmed significantly lower AKT1, ATP5F1, and BAG3 expression in the head compared with the body(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION:GEO-based bioinformatics and experiments confirmed that AKT1/ATP5F1/BAG3(mitochondrial genes)had significant differential expression in pterygium, correlating with pathological progression. They may regulate mitochondrial metabolism to mediate pterygium progression, offering new insights for targeted therapy.

ObjectiveThis study aims to elucidate the potential mechanism of Zuojinwan in improving liver fibrosis through hepatic tissue metabolomics analysis. MethodsTwenty-four mice were randomly allocated into normal group， model group ， positive drug group （silymarin， 100 mg·kg^-1）， and Zuojinwan group （Zuojinwan solution， 2.5 g·kg^-1）， with per group six mice. Liver fibrosis model was induced via intraperitoneal injection of olive oil solution with 10% carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄） （0.5 μL·g^-1， three times weekly for 8 weeks） in all groups except the normal group. During the final 4 weeks， the silymarin group received silymarin （100 mg·kg^-1） by gavage thrice weekly， while the Zuojinwan group was administered Zuojinwan solution （2.5 g·kg^-1） under the same regimen. After the last administration， the levels of liver fibrosis indicators and liver injury markers in serum were detected. The pathological morphological changes of the liver tissues were observed. The levels of liver fibrosis markers α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） and Collagen Ⅰ（ColⅠ） were detected. Metabolomics was analyzed on mice's liver tissues. The mice's serum was collected for metabolomics analysis. ResultsCompared with the model group， Zuojinwan significantly improved indicators related to liver fibrosis and liver injury. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly elevated levels of fibrosis markers such as laminin （LN）， hyaluronic acid （HA）， procollagen typeⅢ （PC-Ⅲ）， and type Ⅳ Collagen （Ⅳ-C）， while liver injury indicators such as alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alkaline phosphatase （ALP）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， and total bilirubin （TBIL）， exhibited a marked upward trend （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the silymarin group showed a significant decrease in the aforementioned indicators （P<0.05）. Notably， compared with the model group， the Zuojinwan group exhibited a significant reduction in all these indicators （P<0.05）， with efficacy comparable to that of the silymarin group. Zuojinwan reduced mRNA and protein levels of α-SMA and ColⅠ in the liver tissue. Metabolomics results revealed that compared with the model group， Zuojiinwan significantly reduced levels of glucose metabolism-related metabolites such as D-fructose 1，6-bisphosphate （FBP）， nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate （NADPH）， sodium beta-D-fructose 6-phosphate （F6P）， dihydroxyacetone phosphate （DHAP）， fumaric acid， and D-glucose 6-phosphate （G6P） （P<0.05）. Serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect glucose metabolism indicators and further validate the regulatory effect of Zuojinwan on glucose metabolism. ConclusionThese results suggest that Zuojinwan may improve liver fibrosis by regulating the dysregulated levels of glucose metabolism during the progression of liver fibrosis.

Objective To gain insights into the biological characteristics of different populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus within and around the Yellow Sea wetland from the perspective of the occurrence of resistance, we investigated the levels of resistance to deltamethrin and kdr gene mutation in the wetland and its peripheral areas. Methods Specimens were collected from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus populations at two monitoring sites in the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area, and also from two populations in Yancheng City and the Liuhe District of Nanjing, and the resistance of these mosquitoes to deltamethrin was determined using the CDC biotest bottle method. For each concentration of deltamethrin assessed, a random subset of exposed specimens was selected for amplification of the kdr gene fragment, followed by Sanger sequencing to identify and analyze resistance-associated mutations. Results The LC50 levels of deltamethrin among mosquitoes from the four populations in Luhe, Yancheng, the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and the Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area were 2.048 5, 7.798 2, 3.473 3, and 17.695 5 mg/mL, respectively, with corresponding concentrations of deltamethrin ranging from 0.005 to 5.000,0.050 to 50.000,0.050 to 25.000 and 0.050 to 50.000 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the ranges of the KT50 values were 11.76-107.43, 67.05-216.30,29.77-107.43 and 28.40-329.51 min; the 1-h knockdown rates were 34.58%-99.15%, 9.52%-43.80%, 55.09%-73.01%, and 10.09%-68.07%; and the 24-h mortality rates were 12.15%-67.52%,9.52%-79.56%,13.17%-82.21%, and 11.01%-78.99%, respectively. With respect to kdr gene mutation, we assayed a total of 63,70,59, and 57 mosquitoes for the four populations, for which we detected L1014F mutation frequencies of 14.29%, 35.00%, 20.34%, and 31.58%, respectively, with a majority of these mutations being heterozygous for resistance. In addition, five adult mosquitoes were identified has having synonymous mutations at site 1011[i. e. , AAT(asparagine)mutation to AAC(asparagine)]. Conclusions Our findings revealed the clear resistance of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus to deltamethrin in the Yancheng region of the Yellow Sea wetland, and the resistance phenotype and kdr frequency of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment were comparable to those of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment, thereby indicating that the resistance of different populations of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus was homogeneous under the pressure of different insecticide selection within and around the wetland. However, the underlying mechanisms need to be further studied.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for postoperative recurrence and metastasis in patients with T1 stageⅢ/Ⅳ clear cell renal cell carcinoma(ccRCC), and to analyze the influence of surgical methods on prognosis, so as to provide prognostic evaluation and treatment guidance for clinical practice. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 398 patients diagnosed with T1 stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ ccRCC who underwent either partial nephrectomy(PN)or radical nephrectomy(RN)at Jiangsu Province Hospital during Jan. 2008 and Sep. 2022. The patients were divided into recurrence group(n=49)and non-recurrence group(n=349)according to whether the tumor recurred during the follow-up period. The general, clinical data and prognosis were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to explore the factors influencing disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)after surgery. Subgroup analysis using Kaplan-Meier curves was performed for T1a and T1b patients. Results During the median follow-up of 67(42, 98)months, the recurrence group was characterized by older age, larger tumor diameter, higher proportion of T1b stage, and more complex tumor anatomy. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that age ≥55 years and R.E.N.A.L. score ≥7 were independent risk factors for poorer DFS and OS(P＜0.05). Subgroup analysis revealed that PN or RN did not significantly affect DFS or OS in T1a patients and OS in T1b patients, while RN significantly improved DFS in T1b patients(P＜0.05). Conclusion Age ≥55 years and R.E.N.A.L. score ≥7 are independent risk factors for poor DFS and OS in highgrade T1 ccRCC patients. For T1b patients, RN may improve DFS.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of action observation therapy (AOT) combined with low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on post-stroke unilateral spatial neglect. MethodsA total of 108 patients with post-stroke unilateral spatial neglect admitted to Suqian Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital from January, 2023 to March, 2024 were enrolled. The patients were randomly allocated to AOT group, rTMS group and combined group with 36 patients in each group. All the groups received conventional treatment. The AOT group additionally received AOT, the rTMS group additionally received rTMS, and the combined group received both AOT and rTMS, for four weeks. Before and after treatment, the patients were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), modified Barthel Index (MBI), Chinese Behavioural Inattention Test-conventional test (CBIT-C) and CBIT-behavioural test (CBIT-B). The latency and amplitude of the N20 potential on the affected side were also measured. ResultsThree patients dropped out from each group. After intervention, significant main effects of time (F > 77.096, P < 0.001) and group (F > 5.119, P < 0.01) and significant time-by-group interaction effects (F > 3.320, P < 0.05)were observed in the MoCA, FMA, MBI, and CBIT-C scores. For the CBIT-B score, the main effects of time (F = 367.430, P < 0.001) and group (F = 4.995, P = 0.008) were significant. After intervention, MoCA, FMA, MBI, CBIT-C and CBIT-B scores, and N20 amplitude and latency were better in the combined group than in the AOT and rTMS groups (P < 0.05). ConclusionThe combination of AOT and rTMS may further ameliorate cognitive function, motor function, activities of daily living, and the degree of spatial neglect in post-stroke patients with unilateral spatial neglect, potentially attributable to improved nerve conduction function.

ObjectiveTo investigate the epidemiological characteristics of respiratory adenovirus (AdV) infection among hospitalized patients under 18 years of age with pneumonia in Yancheng City of Jiangsu Province from 2023 to 2024, and to provide a basis for the prevention and control of adenovirus infection. MethodsNasopharyngeal swab samples were collected from hospitalized patients under 18 years of age diagnosed with pneumonia at two national influenza sentinel hospitals in Yancheng City from February 2023 to June 2024. A respiratory pathogen nucleic acid detection kit was used to test for 28 pathogens, including influenza A virus, influenza B virus, respiratory syncytial virus, human rhinovirus, adenovirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, human metapneumovirus, human bocavirus, enterovirus, polyomavirus K1, polyomavirus WU, parainfluenza viruses 1‒4, coronavirus 229E, HKU1, OC43, and NL63, Haemophilus influenzae, Bordetella pertussis, Group A Streptococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the novel coronavirus, and to analyze patients’ mixed infections. Adenovirus-positive samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using Hexon and Fibre as target genes, and the products were analyzed by sequencing. Whole-genome sequencing analyses were performed on positive samples with Ct values less than 22. ResultsAmong 368 hospitalized pneumonia patients under 18 years of age in Yancheng City from February 2023 to July 2024, most were male (51.63%, 190/368), with preschool-aged children (42.66%, 157/368) and primary school-aged children (40.22%, 148/368) comprising the majority. A total of 44 cases tested positive for adenovirus, yielding a positivity rate of 11.96%. Single infections, dual infections, and multiple infections accounted for 61.36% (27/44), 36.36% (16/44), and 2.27% (1/44), respectively. From November 2023, the adenovirus positivity rate rose sharply, peaking at 51.61% in December. Following PCR amplification and sequencing, valid sequences were successfully obtained for 37 strains, comprising 36 AdV-3 strains and 1 AdV-C strain. Eight adenovirus-positive samples with Ct values below 22 were inoculated into HEp-2 cell lines for virus isolation, and whole-genome sequencing analyses were performed on the five successfully isolated strains. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the AdV-3 strains collectively belonged to the same evolutionary clade. Whole-genome sequencing results indicated that four AdV-3 strains (HAdV-B3) showed no evidence of genetic recombination, whereas one AdV-C strain (HAdV-89) might have undergone genetic recombination. ConclusionThe adenovirus positivity rate among hospitalized pneumonia patients aged under 18 years of age in Yancheng from 2023 to 2024 was slightly higher than that reported in previous studies. Adenovirus infection exhibited a pattern of high incidence in winter, with the AdV-3 type being the predominant pathogen; one AdV-C strain (HAdV-89) might have undergone genetic recombination. It is recommended to strengthen surveillance of respiratory adenovirus type AdV-3 and its variants during the winter season, promote the use of multiplex pathogen detection techniques, and explore the clinical application of an AdV-3 vaccine.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of intubation with electromyographic (EMG) endotracheal tubes versus conventional wire-reinforced (CWR) tubes on the incidence of postoperative sore throat (POST) in patients undergoing thyroidectomy under general anesthesia and identify the risk factors for POST. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the clinical data from a cohort of 245 patients undergoing elective thyroid surgery under general anesthesia at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between October, 2024 and March, 2025. Patients received intubation with either EMG endotracheal tubes (n=100) or CWR tubes (n=145) during the operation, and the incidences of POST and other postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to adjust for the baseline differences, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for POST. RESULTS: Comparisons of the baseline data revealed significant differences between the two groups (P<0.05). After PSM, 90 patients in EMG group and 75 in CWR group were included in the final analysis with matching baseline characteristics (P>0.05). Post-matching analysis showed that the EMG group had a shorter operative time (P=0.002) but a higher incidence of POST (P=0.001). Multivariate logistic regression identified the use of EMG tubes (OR=17.50, 95% CI: 2.25-136.03, P<0.01) as an independent risk factor for POST. CONCLUSIONS Intubation with EMG endotracheal tubes can shorten the operative time and allow recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring during thyroidectomy under general anesthesia, but their structural design may increase the risk of POST. Clinical decisions should be made to balance nerve protection and postoperative patient comfort by selecting appropriate tube types and optimizing intubation strategies to enhance perioperative outcomes.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Intubation, Intratracheal/instrumentation* ; Thyroidectomy/adverse effects* ; Anesthesia, General ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; Pharyngitis/epidemiology* ; Electromyography ; Risk Factors ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Incidence

Hepatic fibrosis is a key pathological process in the development of chronic liver disease to cirrhosis, and its core mechanism involves the activation of hepatic stellate cells(HSC) and abnormal deposition of extracellular matrix(ECM). Although existing treatments, such as antiviral drugs, can delay disease progression, they have the problem of single therapeutic targets and cannot reverse fibrosis. Accordingly, multidimensional intervention strategies are urgently needed. Recent studies have shown that circadian rhythm disorders aggravate hepatic fibrosis by regulating metabolism, immunity, and inflammation. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) plays a unique role in restoring the circadian clock via multi-target and holistic regulation. This paper establishes a three-dimensional network by systematically integrating biological clock, metabolism, and immunity for the first time to elucidate the scientific connotation of the theory of time-concerned treatment of TCM, and proposes a new strategy for the development of time-targeted compound prescriptions, providing innovative ideas for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis.
Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Circadian Rhythm/drug effects* ; Animals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Hepatic Stellate Cells/drug effects*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of a Chinese pedigree affected with Hereditary coagulation factor XI (FXI) deficiency. METHODS: A female patient with FXI deficiency and her family members (five individuals from three generations) who presented at Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University on September 19, 2024 due to diarrhea and fever were selected as study subjects. A retrospective study was conducted to collect the patients' clinical data. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from the patient and her family members. Genomic DNA was extracted, followed by sequencing of all exons and flanking sequences of the F11 gene. Candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing of the family members, and their pathogenicity was classified according to the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Quanzhou First Hospital [Approval No.: Quanyi Lun (2024) K281]. RESULTS: The patient exhibited significantly prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) of 80.9 seconds, while FXI activity (FXI:C) and FXI antigen (FXI:Ag) levels were extremely low (2% and 3%, respectively). Genetic analysis revealed that the proband harbored homozygous c.896C>G (p.Thr299Ser) missense variant in exon 9 of the F11 gene, for which her son was heterozygous. The variant was located in a highly conserved domain. Although Mutation Taster predicted it as a polymorphism, SIFT, PolyPhen-2, and LRT analyses suggested it to be likely pathogenic. Protein modeling indicated that the p.Thr299Ser variant may alter the hydrogen bonds between amino acids, thereby affecting the structure and function of the FXI protein. According to the ACMG guidelines, c.896C>G was rated as a likely pathogenic variant (PM1+PM2_Supporting+PP1_Strong+PP3+PP4). CONCLUSION The c.896C>G (p.Thr299Ser) missense variant of the F11 gene probably underlay the FXI deficiency in this pedigree. Above finding has enriched the mutational spectrum of the F11 gene and provided a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for this family.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; China/ethnology* ; Factor XI/chemistry* ; Factor XI Deficiency/genetics* ; Homozygote ; Pedigree ; Retrospective Studies ; East Asian People/genetics*

With the gradual development and popularization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in China, some prefecture-level medical institutions in China have carried out and formed their own pre-hospital extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) model. Although the development levels of various prefecture-level cities are uneven and the start times vary, at present, the prefecture-level hospitals in China generally go through the development process of ECMO-in-hospital ECPR-pre-hospital ECPR-professional medical recovery center. Among them, in-hospital ECPR has the advantages of timely resuscitation, guaranteed quality of resuscitation, and fast activation speed of the ECPR team, and currently has a high success rate, with a low proportion of patients with neurological complications. However, pre-hospital ECPR is more challenging, requiring the coordination between pre-hospital and in-hospital emergency forces, multidisciplinary cooperation, and the quality of resuscitation before ECPR cannot be fully guaranteed, the long duration of patient's low perfusion, and other factors make the survival rate of patients without neurological damage obviously lower than that of in-hospital ECPR. China has a large population base, and comprehensive domestic and foreign data show that there should be no less than several million cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest under the age of 60 every year, so there is much to be done to improve the survival rate of pre-hospital ECPR. Pre-hospital ECPR is a project of concentrated resources and technology, which has high requirements for the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment capabilities of medical institutions. The optimization of the implementation process of in-hospital and pre-hospital ECPR teams, the advancement of the timing of ECPR intervention, the selection of patients, the support and construction of multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment capabilities after ECPR, and the management of related complications and risk factors are closely related to the prognosis of ECPR patients. The recoverability of the brain and heart is currently the key factor restricting the further improvement of the survival rate of patients after ECPR. Considering that the recovery of neurological function mainly depends on the duration of the early low perfusion, the in-hospital treatment after the implementation of ECPR is mainly the low-temperature brain protection strategy, the effect of which is still controversial, so the recovery of cardiac function is the key that seriously restricts the survival of patients after ECPR in addition to neurological prognosis. The recoverability of the heart after ECPR can be implemented from multiple angles: the research on pathophysiological issues such as the matching of the heart itself after the implementation of ECPR, and the matching between the heart and ECMO, and the proposal of corresponding countermeasures will help to improve the survival rate of patients after ECPR. The large population and the potential salvageable population make the development of ECPR technology in China's tertiary hospitals urgent and necessary, with challenges and opportunities coexisting.
Humans ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods* ; China ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation/methods* ; Emergency Medical Services ; Risk Factors ; Prognosis