Objective:To investigate the influence of inner cell mass and trophectoderm cytoplasmic strings during blastocyst expan-sion on embryonic development and pregnancy outcome.Methods:A retrospective cohort analysis was performed for the clinical data of patients who received pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy(PGT-A)and underwent single blastocyst transplantation in our hospital from June 2019 to December 2021.A total of 530 patients were enrolled,and genetic testing was performed for 2132 blasto-cysts.According to the presence or absence of cytoplasmic strings during blastocyst expansion,the blastocysts were divided into cyto-plasmic strings(+)group with 534 blastocysts and cytoplasmic strings(-)group with 1598 blastocysts,and quality and PGT-A results were compared between the two groups.After the transfer of euploid blastocysts,pregnancy outcome was compared between the 115 blastocysts with cytoplasmic strings and the 415 blastocysts without cytoplasmic strings.Results:The rates of cytoplasmic strings(+)in the high-,average-,and low-quality blastocyst groups were 30.19%,24.62%,and 12.63%,respectively.The correlation analysis showed a correlation coefficient of-0.115(P<0.001)between embryo quality and the rate of cytoplasmic strings(+).There was no sig-nificant difference in euploidy rate between the two groups(45.3%vs.44.6%).There were no significant differences between the euploid blastocysts with cytoplasmic strings and those without cytoplasmic strings in implantation rate(72.17%vs.66.02%,P=0.213),miscarriage rate(14.46%vs.12.77%,P=0.691),and live birth rate(61.74%vs.57.59%,P=0.424).Conclusion:The presence of cyto-plasmic strings is associated with the morphological quality of blas-tocysts,while it has no impact on embryo ploidy or clinical outcome after euploid embryo transfer.Further research is needed to confirm the impact of cytoplasmic strings on embryonic development.

Curcumae Rhizoma, derived from the rhizome of Curcuma phaeocaulis, Curcuma kwangsiensis and Curcuma wenyujin, was called Ezhu in China. In the past, Curcumae Rhizoma extracts were obtained through water decoction or alternative methods, which showed significant anti-cancer effects. However, the mixed extracts contain various compound components of Curcumae Rhizoma, leading to an ambiguous mechanism of action for Curcumae Rhizoma extracts anti-cancer. Contemporary researchers have extracted the chemical components of Curcumae Rhizoma separately for experimental verification of its active ingredients in the anti-cancer field. Numerous studies demonstrated that curcumol, germacrone, β-elemene, and curcumin in Curcumae Rhizoma extracts have significant governing effects in anti-cancer activities. Pharmacological studies have shown that Curcumae Rhizoma suppresses cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, triggering apoptosis and regulating cellular autophagy to achieve anticancer effects. Here, we summarized the research progress of Curcumae Rhizoma on anti-cancer effects from 2013 to 2022, aiming to explore the deeper molecular mechanisms of Curcumae Rhizoma's active components in cancer treatment.

Objective To explore the effects of sigma-1 receptor(Sig-1R)on brain function in rats after cardiopulmo-nary resuscitation and its protective role in brain injury.Methods Rats were randomly assigned to four groups with 20 in each:sham-operated control(sham group),6-hour post-resuscitation(PR 6 h group),12-hour post-resuscitation(PR 12 h group)and 24-hour post-resuscitation(PR 24 h group).In the latter three groups,cardiac arrest was induced by as-phyxiation,and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed 6 minutes after cardiac arrest.The rats were scored for neu-rological deficits at 6,12 and 24 hrs after resuscitation,respectively;after that,the rats were executed,and the expres-sion of Sig-1R protein,mitochondrial function index,and endoplasmic reticulum stress index apoptosis index were detec-ted by Western blot and immunohistochemistry.The correlation between Sig-1R and mitochondrial,endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis indexes was evaluated.Results Compared with the sham-operated group,the rats in test group showed a gradual decrease in neurological deficit scores,Sig-1R protein expression,brain tissue adenosine triphos-phate(ATP)concentration and mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP)levels at 6,12,and 24 hrs of PR(P＜0.05);CHOP protein,activated cleaved caspase-12 and cleaved caspase-3 protein expression were consistently elevated(P＜0.05).In addition,Sig-1R was negatively correlated with brain tissue endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis(P＜0.05)but positively correlated with mitochondrial membrane potential level(P＜0.05).Conclusions Sig-1R ex-pression in rat brain tissue correlates with brain injury after cardiopulmonary resuscitation and potential mechanism seems to be neuronal protection through modulating mitochondrial function and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Objective:To evaluate the short-term and long-term outcomes of patients with locally advanced low rectal cancer who achieved clinical complete response (cCR) or near-clinical complete response (near-cCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and then underwent local excision.Methods:This was a descriptive case series study. Clinical data of patients with low rectal cancer who received neoadjuvant therapy, achieved cCR or near-cCR, underwent local excision, and had complete postoperative follow-up data were retrospectively analyzed. The study period was from May, 2015 to October, 2024, and the patients were treated at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital. Indications for local excision in this study were as follows: pathologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma, with the lower edge of the tumor ≤ 6 cm from the anal verge; maximum diameter of the lesion ≤ 2 cm after nCRT; no regional lymph node metastasis detected by transrectal endoscopic ultrasound (ERUS), pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) after nCRT; MRI showing fibrosis of the primary lesion with a small amount of high signal on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), consistent with ymrT0-1 stage; serum carcinoembryonic antigen level within the normal range (< 5 μg/L) after nCRT; complicated with severe underlying diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and assessed as unable to tolerate radical surgery through comprehensive evaluation; and signed informed consent for local excision. The contraindications were: colonoscopic pathology indicating poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma or signet ring cell carcinoma; suspected lateral lymph node metastasis before neoadjuvant therapy; patients with residual lesions exceeding 3 cm in range after treatment. A total of 153 patients were included in this study, including 84 males and 69 females. The median age was 62 years, and the median distance from the tumor to the anal verge after neoadjuvant therapy was 4.0 cm. The short-term efficacy indicators of this study included postoperative complications of local excision and postoperative pathological results, and the long-term efficacy indicators included oncological prognosis (3-year cumulative local recurrence rate, 3-year cumulative distant metastasis rate, 3-year progression-free survival, and 3-year overall survival) and anal function at 1 year after surgery evaluated using the Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) scale where the total score is 42 points such that 0-20 points indicate no LARS, 21-29 points indicate mild LARS, and 30-42 points indicate severe LARS.Results:Postoperative pathology showed 122 cases (79.7%) of ypT0 stage, 10 cases (6.5%) of ypT1 stage, 18 cases (11.8%) of ypT2 stage, and 3 cases (2.0%) of ypT3 stage. The incidence of surgery-related complications was 42.5% (65/153), and the main complications included perianal pain (39.9%, 61/153), intestinal wall incision dehiscence (21.6%, 33/153), and intestinal wall incision infection (18.3%, 28/153). The proportion of patients who received hypofractionated radiotherapy before surgery and developed intestinal wall incision dehiscence was 65.2% (15/23), which was higher than that in the conventional long-course (13.6%, 16/118) and short-course radiotherapy groups (16.7%,2/12) (χ 2=30.55, P<0.001); of the 20 patients who received additional immunotherapy before surgery, 13 developed intestinal wall incision dehiscence was 65.0%, which was higher than that in the group without additional immunotherapy [15.0%(20/133),χ 2=25.66, P<0.001]. The median follow-up time of the entire group was 35.4 months. During the follow-up period, there were 9 cases of postoperative local recurrence, with a 3-year cumulative local recurrence rate of 7.9% and 5 cases of distant metastasis, with a 3-year cumulative distant metastasis rate of 5.0%. The 3-year progression-free survival rate was 89.0%, and the 3-year overall survival rate was 95.9%. At 1 year after surgery, 10 cases (10.5%, 10/95) had severe anal dysfunction, and the median LARS score of the entire group was 5.0 (range: 0-41.0) points. Conclusions:For patients with locally advanced low rectal cancer who achieve cCR or near-cCR after neoadjuvant therapy, local excision results in favorable oncological prognosis and anal function preservation effects; however, the incidence of complications is relatively high.

Objective:To evaluate the short-term and long-term outcomes of patients with locally advanced low rectal cancer who achieved clinical complete response (cCR) or near-clinical complete response (near-cCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and then underwent local excision.Methods:This was a descriptive case series study. Clinical data of patients with low rectal cancer who received neoadjuvant therapy, achieved cCR or near-cCR, underwent local excision, and had complete postoperative follow-up data were retrospectively analyzed. The study period was from May, 2015 to October, 2024, and the patients were treated at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital. Indications for local excision in this study were as follows: pathologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma, with the lower edge of the tumor ≤ 6 cm from the anal verge; maximum diameter of the lesion ≤ 2 cm after nCRT; no regional lymph node metastasis detected by transrectal endoscopic ultrasound (ERUS), pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) after nCRT; MRI showing fibrosis of the primary lesion with a small amount of high signal on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), consistent with ymrT0-1 stage; serum carcinoembryonic antigen level within the normal range (< 5 μg/L) after nCRT; complicated with severe underlying diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and assessed as unable to tolerate radical surgery through comprehensive evaluation; and signed informed consent for local excision. The contraindications were: colonoscopic pathology indicating poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma or signet ring cell carcinoma; suspected lateral lymph node metastasis before neoadjuvant therapy; patients with residual lesions exceeding 3 cm in range after treatment. A total of 153 patients were included in this study, including 84 males and 69 females. The median age was 62 years, and the median distance from the tumor to the anal verge after neoadjuvant therapy was 4.0 cm. The short-term efficacy indicators of this study included postoperative complications of local excision and postoperative pathological results, and the long-term efficacy indicators included oncological prognosis (3-year cumulative local recurrence rate, 3-year cumulative distant metastasis rate, 3-year progression-free survival, and 3-year overall survival) and anal function at 1 year after surgery evaluated using the Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) scale where the total score is 42 points such that 0-20 points indicate no LARS, 21-29 points indicate mild LARS, and 30-42 points indicate severe LARS.Results:Postoperative pathology showed 122 cases (79.7%) of ypT0 stage, 10 cases (6.5%) of ypT1 stage, 18 cases (11.8%) of ypT2 stage, and 3 cases (2.0%) of ypT3 stage. The incidence of surgery-related complications was 42.5% (65/153), and the main complications included perianal pain (39.9%, 61/153), intestinal wall incision dehiscence (21.6%, 33/153), and intestinal wall incision infection (18.3%, 28/153). The proportion of patients who received hypofractionated radiotherapy before surgery and developed intestinal wall incision dehiscence was 65.2% (15/23), which was higher than that in the conventional long-course (13.6%, 16/118) and short-course radiotherapy groups (16.7%,2/12) (χ 2=30.55, P<0.001); of the 20 patients who received additional immunotherapy before surgery, 13 developed intestinal wall incision dehiscence was 65.0%, which was higher than that in the group without additional immunotherapy [15.0%(20/133),χ 2=25.66, P<0.001]. The median follow-up time of the entire group was 35.4 months. During the follow-up period, there were 9 cases of postoperative local recurrence, with a 3-year cumulative local recurrence rate of 7.9% and 5 cases of distant metastasis, with a 3-year cumulative distant metastasis rate of 5.0%. The 3-year progression-free survival rate was 89.0%, and the 3-year overall survival rate was 95.9%. At 1 year after surgery, 10 cases (10.5%, 10/95) had severe anal dysfunction, and the median LARS score of the entire group was 5.0 (range: 0-41.0) points. Conclusions:For patients with locally advanced low rectal cancer who achieve cCR or near-cCR after neoadjuvant therapy, local excision results in favorable oncological prognosis and anal function preservation effects; however, the incidence of complications is relatively high.

Objective:To investigate the effect of rehabilitation exercise combined with resistance training on the postoperative recovery and quality of life among patients with pulmonary nodules.Methods:A randomized controlled study was conducted on 90 patients with pulmonary nodules who underwent thoracoscopic resection of pulmonary nodules at Zhejiang Veteran Hospital between January 2022 and April 2023. Patients were randomly allocated into an observation group and a control group, with 45 patients in each group using the random number table method. The control group underwent routine rehabilitation exercise, whereas the observation group received resistance training combined with routine rehabilitation exercise. All patients were treated for 1 week. The incidence of postoperative complications and the changes in lung function, exercise endurance, and quality of life from baseline levels were compared between the two groups.Results:The incidence of postoperative complications in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [6.7% (3/45) vs. 24.4% (11/45), χ2 = 5.41, P = 0.020). After intervention, the forced expiratory volume in 1 second, maximal voluntary ventilation per minute, and forced vital capacity in the observation group were (83.84 ± 4.35)%, (96.53 ± 3.45) L/min, and (2.87 ± 0.16) L, respectively, which were higher than those in the control group [(78.98 ± 4.01)%, (92.13 ± 3.08) L/min, (2.62 ± 0.19) L, t = -5.51, -6.38, -6.75, all P < 0.001]. Additionally, the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea score in the observation group was (0.42 ± 0.13) points, which was significantly lower than that in the control group [(0.87 ± 0.19) points, t = 13.11, P < 0.001). The modified Barthel index score in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(89.53 ± 3.67) points vs. (82.94 ± 4.23) points, t = -7.89, P < 0.001). Conclusion:The combination of rehabilitation exercise and resistance training can effectively enhance lung function, exercise endurance, and overall quality of life in patients with pulmonary nodules. Furthermore, this combined therapy markedly reduces postoperative complications.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in patients with chronic schizophrenia,focusing on its effects on neuroplasticity markers such as serum brain-derived growth factor(BDNF)and insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1),and analyze the relationship between therapeutic efficacy and neuroplasticity indicators.Methods A total of 200 schizophrenic patients treated at the Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 2021 to December 2023 were selected and randomly divided into study group and control group,100 patients in each group based on a random number table.The positive and negative syndrome scale(PANSS)was used to assess the patients'psychiatric symptoms before and after treatment.The repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status(RBANS)was employed to evaluate the patients'cognitive function,while the social functioning in psychosis patient inventory(SSFPI)was used to assess their social function.Additionally,the levels of BDNF and IGF-1 in the patients'peripheral blood were measured.Differences in relevant indicators before and after treatment were compared,and influencing factors were analyzed.Results ①Compared with control group,patients in study group exhibited significant improvements in cognitive function(RBANS total score,immediate memory score,visual span score),social function(SSFPI total score,daily living ability score,kineses and social interaction score,social activity skill score),and neuroplasticity indicators(BDNF and IGF-1 differences)(P<0.05);②After treatment,the IGF-1 difference in patients'serum was positively correlated with the improvement in visual span within cognitive function.Furthermore,the differences in BDNF and IGF-1 were also positively correlated with improvements in multiple indicators of social function,including SSFPI total score,daily living ability,kineses and social interaction,and social activity skills(P<0.05);③Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the differences in BDNF and IGF-1 could predict the degree of improvement in SSFPI total score and various factor scores,accounting for 37.90%to 41.70%of the variation.Conclusion Moderate intensity aerobic exercise can improve cognitive function in patients with chronic schizophrenia,mainly including immediate memory,visual breadth,and social function.The specific mechanism may be related to the elevated levels of BDNF and IGF-1 in patients.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in patients with chronic schizophrenia,focusing on its effects on neuroplasticity markers such as serum brain-derived growth factor(BDNF)and insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1),and analyze the relationship between therapeutic efficacy and neuroplasticity indicators.Methods A total of 200 schizophrenic patients treated at the Affiliated Kangning Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 2021 to December 2023 were selected and randomly divided into study group and control group,100 patients in each group based on a random number table.The positive and negative syndrome scale(PANSS)was used to assess the patients'psychiatric symptoms before and after treatment.The repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status(RBANS)was employed to evaluate the patients'cognitive function,while the social functioning in psychosis patient inventory(SSFPI)was used to assess their social function.Additionally,the levels of BDNF and IGF-1 in the patients'peripheral blood were measured.Differences in relevant indicators before and after treatment were compared,and influencing factors were analyzed.Results ①Compared with control group,patients in study group exhibited significant improvements in cognitive function(RBANS total score,immediate memory score,visual span score),social function(SSFPI total score,daily living ability score,kineses and social interaction score,social activity skill score),and neuroplasticity indicators(BDNF and IGF-1 differences)(P<0.05);②After treatment,the IGF-1 difference in patients'serum was positively correlated with the improvement in visual span within cognitive function.Furthermore,the differences in BDNF and IGF-1 were also positively correlated with improvements in multiple indicators of social function,including SSFPI total score,daily living ability,kineses and social interaction,and social activity skills(P<0.05);③Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the differences in BDNF and IGF-1 could predict the degree of improvement in SSFPI total score and various factor scores,accounting for 37.90%to 41.70%of the variation.Conclusion Moderate intensity aerobic exercise can improve cognitive function in patients with chronic schizophrenia,mainly including immediate memory,visual breadth,and social function.The specific mechanism may be related to the elevated levels of BDNF and IGF-1 in patients.

Objective:To explore the effect of morphokinetic parameters during embryo development on pregnancy outcome of euploid single blastocyst transfer cycles, and to evaluate the predictive value of morphokinetic parameters for selective euploid single blastocyst transfer strategy.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 394 patients who received preimplantation genetic testing-frozen-thawed embryo transfer (PGT-FET) in Center for Reproductive Medicine of Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2019 to June 2021. According to the pregnancy outcomes, the patients were divided into non-implantation group ( n=153), clinical miscarriage group ( n=16) and live birth group ( n=225). The patients' baseline characteristics, embryo quality and morphokinetic parameters were compared among the three groups. Results:The maternal age in the non-implantation group [(32.51±4.08) years] was significantly higher than that in the live birth group [(31.34±4.23) years, P=0.025], and the proportion of high-quality embryos in the non-implantation group [26.80% (41/153)] was significantly lower than that in the live birth group [42.22% (95/225), P=0.007]. There were no significant differences in the body mass index and the proportion of high-quality embryos between the clinical miscarriage group and the non-implantation group ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the proportion of high-quality embryos between the clinical miscarriage group and the non-implantation group ( P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the morphokinetic parameters of time to pronuclei appearance (tPNa), time to PN fading (tPNf), time to 2-cell (t2), t3, t4 and t8 among the three groups (all P>0.05). The average timing of compacted morula (tM) [(86.96±7.59) h] and timing of starting blastulation (tSB) [(96.73±7.20) h] of embryos in the non-implantation group were significantly higher than those in the live birth group [(85.00±7.00) h, P=0.010; (95.14±7.30) h, P=0.037, respectively] and the clinical miscarriage group [(82.89±6.33) h, P=0.040; (93.02±6.10) h, P=0.048]. After adjusting for age and embryo quality, the regression analysis showed that the morphokinetic parameters had no significant effect on implantation results (all P>0.05). Conclusion:The morphokinetic parameters during embryonic development do not affect the pregnancy outcome of euploid single blastocyst transfer and cannot be used to predict the pregnancy outcome of euploid blastocyst transfer.

Objective:To explore the effect of morphokinetic parameters during embryo development on pregnancy outcome of euploid single blastocyst transfer cycles, and to evaluate the predictive value of morphokinetic parameters for selective euploid single blastocyst transfer strategy.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 394 patients who received preimplantation genetic testing-frozen-thawed embryo transfer (PGT-FET) in Center for Reproductive Medicine of Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2019 to June 2021. According to the pregnancy outcomes, the patients were divided into non-implantation group ( n=153), clinical miscarriage group ( n=16) and live birth group ( n=225). The patients' baseline characteristics, embryo quality and morphokinetic parameters were compared among the three groups. Results:The maternal age in the non-implantation group [(32.51±4.08) years] was significantly higher than that in the live birth group [(31.34±4.23) years, P=0.025], and the proportion of high-quality embryos in the non-implantation group [26.80% (41/153)] was significantly lower than that in the live birth group [42.22% (95/225), P=0.007]. There were no significant differences in the body mass index and the proportion of high-quality embryos between the clinical miscarriage group and the non-implantation group ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the proportion of high-quality embryos between the clinical miscarriage group and the non-implantation group ( P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the morphokinetic parameters of time to pronuclei appearance (tPNa), time to PN fading (tPNf), time to 2-cell (t2), t3, t4 and t8 among the three groups (all P>0.05). The average timing of compacted morula (tM) [(86.96±7.59) h] and timing of starting blastulation (tSB) [(96.73±7.20) h] of embryos in the non-implantation group were significantly higher than those in the live birth group [(85.00±7.00) h, P=0.010; (95.14±7.30) h, P=0.037, respectively] and the clinical miscarriage group [(82.89±6.33) h, P=0.040; (93.02±6.10) h, P=0.048]. After adjusting for age and embryo quality, the regression analysis showed that the morphokinetic parameters had no significant effect on implantation results (all P>0.05). Conclusion:The morphokinetic parameters during embryonic development do not affect the pregnancy outcome of euploid single blastocyst transfer and cannot be used to predict the pregnancy outcome of euploid blastocyst transfer.