BACKGROUND: The STAR (Scientific, Transparent, and Applicable Rankings) working group conducts regular evaluations of Chinese guidelines and consensus statements. This study gathered insights from STAR working group members using qualitative interviews. METHODS: From March to August 2023, members of the STAR specialist committees were interviewed using semi-structured interview outline. The interviewees were selected through purpose-based sampling. Subject analysis was employed to summarize the findings. RESULTS: We conducted interviews with 37 members from 36 committees and summarized the contents into four main themes and 16 specific topics. The value of STAR in enhancing the development and selection of high-quality guidelines in China was commonly mentioned. Challenges identified included the lack of resources and suboptimal organizational structures, collaboration, and evaluation efficiency. Suggestions for the STAR tool included developing extensions for different guideline types, adjusting certain items, and better covering guideline applicability. The promotion of STAR and the consideration of an international committee for global outreach were also highlighted. CONCLUSION STAR has exerted a substantial influence on the evaluation of Chinese guidelines, and the insights gained from interviews offer valuable directions for its further enhancement.
Humans ; China ; Qualitative Research ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Interviews as Topic

This study investigated a novel coronary knobby scoring balloon through finite element analysis (FEA) and in vitro anti-slippage testing, evaluating its dilation process under various vascular conditions and comparing it with other balloons. The FEA results indicated that in the cases of healthy artery and diseased artery with different stenosis rates, the stress on the vessels caused by the knobby scoring balloon was significantly smaller than that of the scoring balloon, and was close to that of the plain balloon. In vitro anti-slippage testing showed that the slippage distance of a plain balloon was 0.11±0.06 mm, and there was no slippage for knobby scoring balloon under nominal pressure. Knobby scoring balloon can effectively expand calcified lesion while providing anti-slippage function, and has a lower risk of vascular injury.
Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary/instrumentation* ; Equipment Design ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Coronary Vessels

China is a high-incidence region for gastric cancer globally. The disease is characterized by a high morbidity rate, low early diagnostic rate, and poor long-term outcomes, imposing a significant burden on both patients and society. Therefore, exploring the pathogenesis of gastric cancer, developing novel therapeutic strategies, and identifying new drug targets is of great importance. Telomerase expression is broadly associated with cancer cell targeting, and its up-regulation is one of the key factors driving the initiation and progression of gastric cancer. Additionally, telomerase is intricately involved in the regulation of autophagy and autophagy-associated cell death. While autophagy can induce chemoresistance, excessive autophagy may lead to cell death, which also constitutes one of the mechanisms of chemotherapy. Telomerase not only directly contributes to gastric cancer pathogenesis but also indirectly influences its development and treatment by modulating autophagy and autophagic cell death. Therefore, telomerase holds promise as a novel therapeutic target in gastric cancer.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/genetics* ; Telomerase/genetics* ; Autophagy/physiology*

Objective:To investigate the changes in sympathetic nerve activity after lower limb immobilization and the role of sympathetic nerve in regulating disuse atrophy of skeletal muscles.Methods:The experiment was divided into the following 3 parts: ① Twelve 8-week-old male C57 mice were randomly divided into a blank control group and a hind limb fixation group ( n=6). The blank control group received no intervention while the hind limb fixation group received splint fixation of the hind limbs for 2 weeks before the musculoskeletal multi-dimensional characterization was completed at the behavioral, pathological and molecular levels. ② Thirty-six 8-week-old male C57 mice were selected and randomly divided into a control group and 5 hind limb fixation groups (for 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days) ( n=6). The control group was fed normally until 14 days without any intervention while the 5 hind limb fixation groups were sampled after fixation for 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days, respectively. The level of norepinephrine in the serum and the expression level of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a marker of sympathetic nerve activity in the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus (PVN), were detected to observe the plasticity of sympathetic nerve activity. ③ Eighteen 8-week-old male C57 mice were selected and randomly divided into a blank control group, a hind limb fixation group and a hind limb fixation plus medication group ( n=6). The blank control group received no intervention while the 2 fixation groups were injected with phosphate buffer (PBS) and propranolol hydrochloride solution for 2 consecutive weeks, respectively. The parameters related to the skeletal muscles were compared between the 3 groups. Results:① Compared with the control group, the mass and function of skeletal muscles in the hind limb fixation group were statistically significantly decreased ( P<0.05). ② The levels of serum norepinephrine [(3.27±1.03) ng/mL, (9.21±1.05) ng/mL, (6.36±0.88) ng/mL, (3.84±1.00) ng/mL, and (3.91±0.75) ng/mL] and the PVN TH levels (42.00%±5.38%, 61.67%±5.57%, 55.82%±3.11%, 50.90%±2.53%, and 39.17%±9.07%) in the 5 hind limb fixation groups (for 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days) were significantly higher than those in the control group [(1.81±0.72)] ng/mL and 23.33%±5.50%] ( P<0.05). ③ The wet weight of the gastrocnemius muscle [(93.50±4.32) mg] and the cross-section area of the tibial anterior muscle [(1,180.00±95.09) μm 2] in the hind limb fixation plus medication group were increased significantly compared with those in the hind limb fixation group [(80.83±9.99) mg and (907.80±121.00) μm 2] ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system occurs in the mice model of skeletal muscle disuse atrophy after hind limb fixation. Inhibition of sympathetic nerve activity may reduce the severity of skeletal muscle atrophy at the lower limbs.

Objective: To investigate the effects of C1q tumor necrosis factor⁃related protein 3 (CTRP3) ⁃enhanced Sendai virus (SeV) vector⁃overexpressing Gata4 , Mef2c , and Tbx5 (SeVGMT) in the treatment of myocardial in⁃farction (MI) mice and to analyze whether ubiquitin carboxyl⁃terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) mediates this thera⁃peutic pathway. Methods: The mice were divided into 7 groups ( n = 12) : Sham group , MI group , SeVGMT group , CTRP3⁃Lv group , UCHL1 ⁃sh group , SeVGMT + CTRP3⁃Lv group , and SeVGMT + CTRP3⁃Lv + UCHL1 ⁃sh group. In the Sham group , only the skin was incised without ligation , while the coronary artery was ligated 2 - 3 mm below the left atrial appendage in mice in other groups. PBS was injected at three points in the myocardial infarction boundary in the Sham and MI groups 30 minutes after ligation. Mice in other groups were injected with SeVGMT , CTRP3-Lv , or UCHL1-sh according to their grouping. Four weeks after treatment , fractional shortening (FS) , ejection fraction (EF) , left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVIDd) , left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVIDs) , heart rate (HR) , mean arterial pressure (MAP) , serum creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB) , myocardial troponin I ( cTnI) and lactate dehydrogenase ( LDH) levels , and myocardial tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α ) , interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in mice were detected. The pathological changes of myocardial tissue were detected by 2 , 3 , 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride ( TTC) , hematoxylin-eosin ( HE) , Masson trichrome and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The mRNA expressions of CTRP3 and UCHL1 were detected by qRT-PCR. The protein expressions of CTRP3 , UCHL1 , collagen Ⅰ , collagen Ⅲ , Bcl-2-associated X (Bax) and B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (Bcl-2) in myocardial tissue were detected by Western blot or immunohistochemical staining. Results: Compared with SeVGMT group and CTRP3-Lv group , the levels of EF , FS , HR and MAP in SeVGMT + CTRP3-Lv group increased (P < 0. 05) . The levels of LVIDd , LVIDs , CK-MB , cTnI , LDH , TNF-α , IL-1β and IL-6 decreased (P < 0. 05) . MI area , fibrosis area and TUNEL positive rate decreased (P < 0. 05) , the protein levels collagen Ⅰ , collagen Ⅲ and Bax decreased (P < 0. 05) , and Bcl-2 protein levels increased (P < 0. 05) . The mRNA and protein levels and relative staining intensity of CTRP3 and UCHL1 increased (P < 0. 05) . Compared with SeVGMT + CTRP3-Lv group , the addition of UCHL1-sh treatment ( SeVGMT + CTRP3-Lv + UCHL1-sh group) significantly weakened the influence of SeVGMT + CTRP3-Lv on the above indexes (P < 0. 05) . Conclusion CTRP3 mediated UCHL1 enhances the therapeutic effect of SeVGMT reprogrammed CFs on MI in mice.

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 report the nationwide surveillance results of pathogenic profiles and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Gram-positive bloodstream infections in China in 2023.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-posttive bacteria from blood cultures were collected in member hospitals of National Bloodstream Infection Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System（BRICS）during January to December 2023. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the dilution method recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. Statistical analyses were conducted using WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software.Results:A total of 4 385 Gram-positive bacterial isolates were obtained from 60 participating center. The top five pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus（ n=1 544，35.2%），coagulase-negative Staphylococci（ n=1 441，32.9%）， Enterococcus faecium（ n=574，13.1%）， Enterococcus faecalis（ n=385，8.8%），and α-hemolytic Streptococci（ n=187，4.3%）. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus（MRSA）and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci（MRCNS）was 26.2%（405/1 544）and 69.8%（1 006/1 441），respectively. Notably，all Staphylococci remained susceptible to glycopeptide or daptomycin. Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated excellent susceptibility（>97.0%）to cephalobiol，rifampicin，trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole，linezolid，minocycline，tigecycline，and eravacycline. No Enterococcus exhibiting resistance to linezolid were detected. Glycopeptide resistance was uncommon but more frequent in Enterococcus faecium（resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin：both 1.7%）compared to Enterococcus faecalis（both 0.3%）. The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS exhibited significant regional variations across the country（ χ2=17.674 and 148.650，respectively，both P<0.001）. No vancomycin-resistant Enterococci were detected in central China. Institutional comparison demonstrated higher prevalence of MRSA（ χ2=14.111， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.828， P=0.028）in provincial hospitals than that in municipal hospitals. Socioeconomic analysis identified elevated detection rates of both MRSA（ χ2=18.986， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.477， P=0.034）in less developed regions（per capita GDP

Objective:To report the results of bacterial resistant investigation collaborative system（BRICS）on the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical Gram-negative bacteria isolates from bloodstream infections in China in 2023，and provide reference for clinical tretment of bloodstream infections and prevention and control of bacterial resistance.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria from blood cultures in member hospitals of BRICS were collected during January 2023 to December 2023. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 were used to analyze the data.Results:During the study period，11 492 strains of Gram-negative bacteria were collected from 60 hospitals，of which 10 098（87.9%）were Enterobacterales and 1 394（12.1%）were non-fermentative bacteria. The top 5 bacterial species were Escherichia coli（50.0%）， Klebsiella pneumoniae（26.1%）， Pseudomonas aeruginosa（5.1%）， Acinetobacter baumannii complex（5.0%）and Enterobacter cloacae complex（4.1%）. The ESBL-producing rates in Escherichia coli， Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirablilis were 46.8%（2 685/5 741），18.3%（549/2 999）and 44.0%（77/175），respectively. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli（CREC）and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae（CRKP）were 1.3%（76/5 741）and 15.0%（450/2 999）；32.9%（25/76）and 78.0%（351/450）of CREC and CRKP were sensitive to ceftazidime/avibactam combination，respectively. 94.7%（72/76）and 90.2%（406/450）of CREC and CRKP were sensitive to aztreonam/avibactam combination. Furthermore，57.9%（44/76）and 79.1%（356/450）were sensitive to imipenem/relebactam combination. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii（CRAB）complex was 64.6%（370/573），while more than 80.0% of CRAB complex was sensitive to tigecycline，eravacycline and polymyxin B. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa（CRPA）was 17.0%（99/581）. There were differences in the composition ratio of Gram-negative bacteria in bloodstream infections and the prevalence of important Gram-negative bacteria resistance among different regions in China，with statistically significant differences in the prevalence of CREC，CRKP，CRPA and CRAB complex（ χ2=10.6，28.6，10.8 and 19.3， P<0.05）. The prevalence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli， CREC，CRAB complex and CRKP were higher in provincial hospitals than those in municipal hospitals（ χ2=12.5，9.8，12.7 and 57.8，all P<0.01）. Conclusions:Gram-negative bacteria are the main pathogens causing bloodstream infections in China，and Escherichia coli is ranked in the top，while the trend of Klebsiella pneumoniae increases continuously with time. CRKP infection shows a slow upward trend，CREC infecton maintains a low prevalence level，and CRAB complex infection continues to exhibit a high prevalence rate. The composition and resistance patterns of pathogens causing bloodstream infections vary to some extent across different regions and levels of hospitals in China.

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of the Total Nutritional Therapy (TNT) course initiated by the Chinese Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (CSPEN) over the 20 years since its implementation in China.Methods:Participants who attended the CSPEN-organized TNT course between 2005 and 2024 were randomly selected as survey subjects. A four-level questionnaire (reaction, learning, behavior, and results) was developed via expert consensus, based on the Kirkpatrick model. An electronic link to the survey, created via Wenjuanxing, was distributed to invite participants to complete the questionnaire.Results:A total of 1,548 healthcare professionals from various specialties who had received TNT course participated in the online survey. Over 93% of participants reported improvements in theoretical knowledge and 94% in enhanced clinical diagnosis and treatment capabilities. Additionally, 65.4% of participants reported a "significant" or "noticeable" increase in the frequency of nutritional screening and assessments, with the frequency of nutritional support therapy utilization increased by 91.2%. Furthermore, 52.6% of respondents perceived a "significant" or "noticeable" career advancement, particularly in professional title promotion and international academic exchanges. The TNT course also positively impacted discipline development and management: 63.6% of the trainees' hospitals established clinical nutrition departments, 58.98% opened nutrition outpatient clinics, and 56.9% formed nutrition support teams. The adoption rate of standardized procedures, such as nutritional screening, exceeded 92.5% in relevant departments.Conclusions:Over the past 20 years, the CSPEN-led TNT course has successfully established a virtuous cycle of "knowledge dissemination–practice transformation–system innovation" in China. It has played a positive role in enhancing the professional competencies of healthcare workers and promoting the development of clinical nutrition as a discipline.