Objective To assess the clinical value of a novel surgical technique—Tubeless subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with percutaneous suspension technique via balance-shaped sternal elevation device in the resection of anterior mediastinal masses. Methods Patients who underwent tubeless subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery via balance-shaped sternal elevation device in anterior mediastinal masses process at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from March to April 2025 were included, and their clinical data were analyzed. Results A total of 4 patients were included, with 2 males and 2 females, aged 58-75 years. The diameter of the tumor was 2.5-3.0 cm. The operation time was 60.0-150.0 min, intraoperative blood loss was 5-10 mL, pain score on the 3rd day after surgery was 0 points, and postoperative hospital stay was 2-3 days. All patients achieved complete resection of the masses and thymus without perioperative complications. Conclusion The tubeless subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with percutaneous suspension technique via balance-shaped sternal elevation device technique optimizes surgical visualization and instrument maneuverability while avoiding complications related to conventional anesthesia and tubing, thereby markedly enhancing the minimally invasive profile of anterior mediastinal masses resections. In addition to maintaining procedural safety, this approach effectively reduces postoperative pain and accelerates patient recovery, highlighting its potential for widespread clinical adoption.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of letrozole combined with palbociclib in the treatment of hormone receptor +/human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 - (HR +/HER2 -) advanced breast cancer and its influence on serum thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (Ki67) levels. Methods:A total of 82 patients with HR +/HER2 - advanced breast cancer, all admitted from Jan. 2022 to Jan. 2024 from Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, were assigned to the control group ( n=41, letrozole) and the study group ( n=41, letrozole + palbociclib) according to the random number table. The therapeutic effect, tumor markers, immune function and serum TK1 and Ki67 levels were compared between the two groups. Results:The study group higher objective response rate and disease control rate than the other group [14.63% (6/41) and 85.37% (35/41) vs. 0.00% (0/41) and 58.54% (24/41) ] (Continuity correction χ2/χ2=4.50, 7.31, P<0.05). After treatment, carbohydrate antigen 153 (CA153), CA125 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the study group were lower than the control group [ (12.17±3.19) U/mL, (23.57±3.35) U/mL and (19.51±4.13) ng/mL vs (24.37±5.25) U/mL, (35.16±5.08) U/mL, (34.28±5.72) ng/mL] ( t=12.72, 12.20, 13.41, P<0.05), serum TK1 and Ki67 levels were also lower [ (3.61±0.75) pmol/L and (7.89±1.16) ng/mL vs. (4.76±0.88) pmol/L and (10.85±1.94) ng/mL] ( t=6.37, 8.39, P<0.05). After treatment, CD3 +, CD4 +, CD4 +/CD8 + higher than the control group [ (48.64±5.88) %, (31.34±4.06) %, (1.22±0.27) vs. (43.16±6.09) %, (27.04±3.35) %, (0.87±0.35) ] ( t=4.15, 5.23, 5.07, P<0.05), while CD8 + was lower [ (25.73±4.11) % vs. (30.94±4.47) %] ( t = 5.49, P<0.05) . Conclusions:Letrozole combined with palbociclib is effective in the treatment of HR +/HER2 - advanced breast cancer and can reduce tumor markers and serum TK1 and Ki67 levels in patients.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the value of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight-mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF MS)in direct identification of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae positive for blood culture.METHODS The blood culture bottles that were positive for E.coli or K.pneumoniae were collected from the patients with bloodstream infection who were treated in Zhongshan Hospi-tal,Fudan University from Jul.2021 to Jun.2023.The isolates were collected by using a gel-contact clotting tube,then the tested strains were respectively mixed with 4 μg/ml of imipenem,4 μg/ml of meropenem and 2 μg/ml of ertapenem for coculture and were incubated at 35 ℃ for 4 and 5 hours,finally,the strains were i-dentified by using the mass spectrum.The minimum inhibitory concentrations(MICs)of the three types of drugs were tested by microbroth dilution method and were set as the golden standards for the test.RESULTS Totally 31 strains of E.coli and 28 strains of K.pneumoniae that were positive in blood culture bottles were collected,both of the effective rates of controlled growth of the E.coli strains were 100.00％after the incuba-tion for 4 and 5 hours,and the effective rates of controlled growth of the K.pneumoniae strains were 9 6.43％and 100.00％after the incubation for 4 and hours,respectively.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the K.pneumoniae strains against the three types of drugs were 100.00％after the incubation for 5 hours.The specificity and positive predictive value of the E.coli strains against imipenem,meropenem and ertapenem were 100.00％after the incubation for 5 hours;the sensitivities were 73.58％,78.93％and 78.93％,respectively;the negative predictive values were 70.60％,75.00％and 75.00％,respectively.CONCLUSIONS MALDI-TOF MS is rapid and accurate for direct identification of the carbapenem-resistant E.coli and K.pneumoniae strains positive in blood culture bottles,and the accuracy reaches at 100.00％for the test of drug-resistant K.pneumoniae strains after the incubation for 5 hours.The method may provide evidence for clinical treatment of bloodstream infections induced by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.

OBJECTIVE: Recombination events are common and serve as the primary driving force of diverse human adenovirus (HAdV), particularly in children with acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs). Therefore, continual monitoring of these events is essential for effective viral surveillance and control. METHODS: Respiratory specimens were collected from children with ARIs between January 2022 and December 2023. The penton base, hexon, and fiber genes were amplified from HAdV-positive specimens and sequenced to determine the virus type. In cases with inconsistent typing results, genes were cloned into the pGEM-T vector to detect recombination events. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) was performed to characterize the recombinant HAdV genomes. RESULTS: Among 6,771 specimens, 277 (4.09%, 277/6,771) were positvie for HAdV, of which 157 (56.68%, 157/277) were successfully typed, with HAdV-B3 being the dominant type (91.08%, 143/157), and 14 (5.05%, 14/277) exhibited inconsistent typing results, six of which belonged to species B. The penton base genes of these six specimens were classified as HAdV-B7, whereas their hexon and fiber genes were classified as HAdV-B3, resulting in a recombinant genotype designated P7H3F3, which closely resembled HAdV-B114. Additionally, a partial gene encoding L1 52/55 kD was identified, which originated from HAdV-B16. CONCLUSION A novel recombinant, P7H3F3, was identified, containing sequences derived from HAdV-B3 and HAdV-B7, which is similar to HAdV-B114, along with additional sequences from HAdV-B16.
Humans ; Adenoviruses, Human/isolation & purification* ; Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology* ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Recombination, Genetic ; Male ; Beijing/epidemiology* ; Infant ; Female ; Phylogeny ; Adenovirus Infections, Human/epidemiology* ; Acute Disease ; Genome, Viral

Objective:To identify the relevant factors for the first-course remission of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and to develop a predictive model as well as assess its predictive capability.Methods:Clinical data of 749 patients newly diagnosed with AML admitted to the Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine from January 1, 2019, to April 30, 2023, were collected and randomly divided into training and validation sets. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine variables associated with complete remission in the first course of induction therapy, and a predictive model was established based on these variables. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the predictive model was plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated.Results:The indicators predicting the first remission course included peripheral blood white blood cell count during onset, CBF::MYH11 fusion gene, CEBPA bZIP region mutation, myelodysplastic syndrome-related gene mutation, and induction chemotherapy regimen selection as independent factors for the first remission course. The model’s area under the training and validation curves was 0.738 (95% CI: 0.696-0.780) and 0.726 (95% CI: 0.650-0.801), respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test results yielded P-values of 0.993 and 0.335, respectively. Conclusion:In this study, the developed model demonstrates a strong predictive capability for the efficacy of the first course of patients with AML, providing valuable guidance to clinicians in assessing patient prognosis and selecting appropriate treatment strategies.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of pulmonary artery(Pa)to aortic(Ao)diameter ratio(Pa/Ao)for long-term major adverse cardiovascular events(MACEs)in patients with acute decompensated heart failure(ADHF).Methods ADHF patients hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from January 2018 to January 2023 were consecutively enrolled.The data of gender,age,past medical history,laboratory examination,echocardiography,chest CT and medication were collected.The diameters of Pa and Ao were measured at the bifurcation of main pulmonary artery on chest CT,and Pa/Ao was calculated.The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis,and the Log-rank test was used to compare the survival rate between the two groups.Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the association between Pa/Ao and MACEs,and subgroup analysis was performed according to different age,sex,BMI,B-type natriuretic peptide level,and left ventricular ejection fraction.Results A total of 600 ADHF patients were enrolled,with an average age of 69.6 years and 347(57.8%)males.During a median follow-up of 306(127,624)days,327(54.5%)patients experienced MACEs.The ADHF patients were divided into Pa/Ao<0.93 group and Pa/Ao≥0.93 group according to the analysis of maximum selection rank statistics.Kaplan-Meier curve showed that the incidence of MACEs in Pa/Ao≥0.93 group was significantly higher than that in Pa/Ao<0.93 group(PLog-rank<0.001).Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that Pa/Ao was an independent predictor of MACEs in ADHF patients(HR=11.62,95%CI:4.91～27.50,P<0.001).Subgroup analysis showed that Pa/Ao had predictive value for different ADHF populations(all P<0.05).Conclusion Elevated Pa/Ao is a predictor of long-term MACEs in ADHF patients.

Objective To evaluate the impact of setting a 4-day incubation time on the detection performance of bloodstream infection(BSI)pathogens by the BacTALERT VIRTUO blood culture system(VIRTUO).Methods Retrospectively collecting blood culture(BC)results from Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University,from June 2021 to December 2023,and comparing the time-to-detection for clinically significant microorganisms.Results A total of 87 052 BC bottles were collected,of which 7 167(8.23%)were positive.95%of aerobic and anaerobic bottles were reported positive at 65.67 h and 91.2 h respectively.The average(median)time-to-detection for Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)was 21.76(16.08)h,Klebsiella pneumoniae(KP)was 15.32(11.65)h,Escherichia coli(E.coli)was 16.14(10.87)h,and Candida species was 35.2(28.5)h.Only 213 bottles(0.24%)were reported positive after 4 days of incubation;among them,88 bottles(41.31%)cultured Propionibacterium acnes(P.acnse).Medical chart reviews for BC reported positive after 96 h(4 days)showed no clinical significance.Simulated growth experiments were conducted on 11 fastidious bacteria,and the median detection time was only 10.8 h,indicating that an incubation time of 4 days is sufficient for fastidious bacteria.Conclusion A 4-day incubation is adequate for VIRTUO system.Reporting 1 day earlier to the doctors can reduce the positive rate of contaminants and the use of antimicrobial agents.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the strategies and outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART) for fertility preservation and promotion in women with malignant tumors, and to analyze ART outcomes across different tumor types. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of female patients who underwent ART for fertility preservation or treatment at the Reproductive Center of the Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2023. A total of 163 ART-aided pregnancy patients with malignant tumors were included in the case group, among which 6 patients underwent embryo cryopreservation for fertility preservation before radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Additionally, 11 unmarried women underwent oocyte cryopreservation due to borderline ovarian tumors, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, or hematological malignancies. The control group was selected from women without a history of malignant tumors who received ART treatment during the same period, using propensity score matching at a ratio of 1∶2, resulting in 326 cases. Data were collected through the reproductive medical record system and telephone follow-up (as of October 31, 2024). Baseline characteristics, controlled ovarian hyperstimulation parameters, laboratory indicators, and pregnancy outcomes were compared between case and control groups and among patients with different tumor types, and the tumor recurrence of the patients was followed up. RESULTS: Patients in the case group had significantly lower ovarian reserve (AMH, AFC) and a higher proportion of diminished ovarian reserve compared to the control group (all P<0.01). Regarding the ovulation induction protocol, the proportion of patients using the minimal stimulation protocol in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group (29.45% vs. 12.88%, P<0.01), and the total dosage of gonadotropins used was lower (P<0.01). In terms of assisted reproductive outcomes, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the number of retrieved oocytes, number of high-quality embryos, fertilization rate, cumulative pregnancy rate, cumulative live birth rate, or miscarriage rate (all P>0.05). However, the number of oocyte retrieval cycles and embryo transfer cycles required to achieve a live birth outcome in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group (both P<0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that there were no significant differences in cumulative pregnancy rate and live birth rate among patients with different tumor types (thyroid cancer, reproductive system tumors, breast cancer, lung cancer). Nevertheless, lung cancer patients had the lowest ovarian reserve and required the most oocyte retrieval cycles due to their older age; breast cancer patients had a relatively lower fertilization rate partially because some of them were complicated with male factors. A follow-up of 154 tumor patients (with a follow-up rate of 88.5%) revealed that 6 patients (4.20%) had tumor recurrence, and 1 breast cancer patient died due to tumor recurrence. None of the 11 unmarried patients who had undergone oocyte cryopreservation had used the cryopreserved oocytes for assisted pregnancy yet, and 1 patient who had undergone fertility preservation died due to tumor recurrence. CONCLUSIONS Women of reproductive age with malignant tumors are at risk of diminished fertility. ART can effectively preserve and promote fertility, enabling favorable pregnancy and live birth outcomes. It is recommended to initiate a multidisciplinary assessment promptly prior to radiotherapy/chemotherapy and formulate an individualized ART regimen for fertility preservation or promotion, so as to achieve reproductive goals or safeguard future fertility potential.

Objective This study aims to explore the efficacy of tetrahydrocurcumin(THC),the major active metabolite of curcumin,on high glucose(HG)-induced human platelet aggregation and activation as well as to clarify the underlying mechanisms in vitro.Methods Purified platelets prepared from healthy subjects were pre-incubated with various concentrations of THC(0.5 μmol/L,1 μmol/L or 10 μmol/L)or vehicle control(0.05％DMSO)for 40 min at 37℃,followed by the stimulation of normal glucose(NG,5 mmol/L)or HG(25 mmol/L)for additional 90 min.The maximal aggregation rate was determined by an aggregometer.Flow cytometry was used to measure platelet surface expression of CD62P(a typical marker of platelet activation)and generation of total intraplatelet reactive oxygen species(ROS).Meanwhile,the phosphorylation level of platelet p53 was detected by Western blot assay.Results Compared with NG group,HG intervention significantly increased platelet aggrega-tion(P<0.05)and CD62P expression(P<0.001),which were greatly inhibited by different concentrations of THC(P<0.05).Mechanistically,when compared with solvent control,THC significantly decreased the level of total ROS production(P<0.001)and p53 phosphorylation(P<0.05).In addition,HG-induced total intraplatelet ROS generation(P<0.001)and p53 phosphorylation(P<0.05)were greatly attenuated by adding a ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine(NAC).The combination of NAC with THC(10 μmol/L)showed no additive inhibitory effects(P>0.05).Moreover,platelet aggregation and activation induced by HG were greatly decreased by NAC and a p53 specific inhibitor PFT-μ(P<0.05).The combination of THC(10 μmol/L)and NAC resulted no additive inhibitory effects on HG-increased platelet aggregation and activation(P>0.05).THC(10 μmol/L)exhibited additive inhibitory effects on platelet aggregation(P<0.05)but no additive inhibitory effects on platelet activation when combined with PFT-μ(P>0.05).Conclusions THC exerts a protective effect on HG-induced platelet aggregation and activation possibly through down-regulating ROS/p53 signaling pathway in human platelets in vitro.The current study may provide potential value for THC to improve thrombosis in diabetes mellitus and the related chronic metabolic diseases.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of letrozole combined with palbociclib in the treatment of hormone receptor +/human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 - (HR +/HER2 -) advanced breast cancer and its influence on serum thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (Ki67) levels. Methods:A total of 82 patients with HR +/HER2 - advanced breast cancer, all admitted from Jan. 2022 to Jan. 2024 from Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, were assigned to the control group ( n=41, letrozole) and the study group ( n=41, letrozole + palbociclib) according to the random number table. The therapeutic effect, tumor markers, immune function and serum TK1 and Ki67 levels were compared between the two groups. Results:The study group higher objective response rate and disease control rate than the other group [14.63% (6/41) and 85.37% (35/41) vs. 0.00% (0/41) and 58.54% (24/41) ] (Continuity correction χ2/χ2=4.50, 7.31, P<0.05). After treatment, carbohydrate antigen 153 (CA153), CA125 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in the study group were lower than the control group [ (12.17±3.19) U/mL, (23.57±3.35) U/mL and (19.51±4.13) ng/mL vs (24.37±5.25) U/mL, (35.16±5.08) U/mL, (34.28±5.72) ng/mL] ( t=12.72, 12.20, 13.41, P<0.05), serum TK1 and Ki67 levels were also lower [ (3.61±0.75) pmol/L and (7.89±1.16) ng/mL vs. (4.76±0.88) pmol/L and (10.85±1.94) ng/mL] ( t=6.37, 8.39, P<0.05). After treatment, CD3 +, CD4 +, CD4 +/CD8 + higher than the control group [ (48.64±5.88) %, (31.34±4.06) %, (1.22±0.27) vs. (43.16±6.09) %, (27.04±3.35) %, (0.87±0.35) ] ( t=4.15, 5.23, 5.07, P<0.05), while CD8 + was lower [ (25.73±4.11) % vs. (30.94±4.47) %] ( t = 5.49, P<0.05) . Conclusions:Letrozole combined with palbociclib is effective in the treatment of HR +/HER2 - advanced breast cancer and can reduce tumor markers and serum TK1 and Ki67 levels in patients.