With the aging population and the widespread implementation of lung cancer screening programs, an increasing number of elderly patients are undergoing curative lung resection. Due to diminished physiological reserve and complex comorbidities, this demographic exhibits a significantly higher incidence of severe perioperative complications (defined as Clavien-Dindo grade≥Ⅲ), which adversely affects both perioperative safety and long-term prognosis. In recent years, the research paradigm has shifted from univariate analysis toward multidimensional risk integration and the development of predictive models. This article systematically reviews the key risk factors for severe perioperative complications in elderly lung cancer patients, encompassing biological aging processes, frailty and sarcopenia, cardiopulmonary and renal functional reserves, inflammatory-immune and coagulation status, and perioperative interventions. Furthermore, it traces the evolution of risk assessment tools from traditional regression models to machine learning models that integrate multimodal data. The review also discusses common challenges in this field, including the standardization of outcome definitions, external validation, calibration assessment, and clinical translation. Future efforts should prioritize the deep integration of predictive tools with clinical decision support systems to establish a closed-loop care pathway from risk identification to stratified intervention, thereby effectively reducing complication rates and enhancing surgical outcomes for elderly lung cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate possible associations between physical function assessment scales, such as Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS), with all-cause mortality in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients. METHODS: A total of 108 ADHF patients were analyzed from October 2020 to October 2022, and followed up to May 2023. The association between baseline clinical characteristics and all-cause mortality was analyzed by univariate Cox regression analysis, while for SPPB and BBS, univariate Cox regression analysis was followed by receiver operating characteristic curves, in which the area under the curve represented their predictive accuracy for all-cause mortality. Incremental predictive values for both physical function assessments were measured by calculating net reclassification index and integrated discrimination improvement scores. Optimal cut-off value for BBS was then identified using restricted cubic spline plots, and survival differences below and above that cut-off were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the log-rank test. The clinical utility of BBS was measured using decision curve analysis. RESULTS: For baseline characteristics, age, female, blood urea nitrogen, as well as statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, or angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors, were predictive for all-cause mortality for ADHF patients. With respect to SPPB and BBS, higher scores were associated with lower all-cause mortality rates for both assessments; similar area under the curves were measured for both (0.774 for SPPB and 0.776 for BBS). Furthermore, BBS ≤ 36.5 was associated with significantly higher mortality, which was still applicable even adjusting for confounding factors; BBS was also found to have great clinical utility under decision curve analysis. CONCLUSIONS BBS or SPPB could be used as tools to assess physical function in ageing ADHF patients, as well as prognosticate on all-cause mortality. Moreover, prioritizing the improvement of balance capabilities of ADHF patients in cardiac rehabilitation regimens could aid in lowering mortality risk.

Given that ovarian stimulation is vital for assisted reproductive technology (ART) and results in elevated serum estrogen levels, exploring the impact of elevated estrogen exposure on oocytes and embryos is necessary. We investigated the effects of various ovarian stimulation treatments on oocyte and embryo morphology and gene expression using a mouse model and estrogen-treated mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Female C57BL/6J mice were subjected to two types of conventional ovarian stimulation and ovarian hyperstimulation; mice treated with only normal saline served as controls. Hyperstimulation resulted in high serum estrogen levels, enlarged ovaries, an increased number of aberrant oocytes, and decreased embryo formation. The messenger RNA (mRNA)‍-sequencing of oocytes revealed the dysregulated expression of lysine-specific demethylase 6b (Kdm6b), which may be a key factor indicating hyperstimulation-induced aberrant oocytes and embryos. In vitro, Kdm6b expression was downregulated in mESCs treated with high-dose estrogen; treatment with an estrogen receptor antagonist could reverse this downregulated expression level. Furthermore, treatment with high-dose estrogen resulted in the upregulated expression of histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) and phosphorylated H2A histone family member X (γ-H2AX). Notably, knockdown of Kdm6b and high estrogen levels hindered the formation of embryoid bodies, with a concomitant increase in the expression of H3K27me3 and γ-H2AX. Collectively, our findings revealed that hyperstimulation-induced high-dose estrogen could impair the demethylation of H3K27me3 by reducing Kdm6b expression. Accordingly, Kdm6b could be a promising marker for clinically predicting ART outcomes in patients with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
Female ; Mice ; Demethylation/drug effects* ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; Estrogens/administration & dosage* ; Gene Expression/drug effects* ; Histones/metabolism* ; Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Oocytes ; Ovary/drug effects* ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Animals

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum levels of interferon-inducible protein 10(IP-10)and S100 calcium-binding protein A8(S100A8)and the prognosis of patients with severe pneumo-nia(SP).Methods A total of 315 SP patients admitted to the hospital from January 2021 to December 2023 were selected as the SP group,and 315 non-SP patients admitted to the hospital during the same period were selected as the non-SP group.According to the prognosis of SP patients 28 d after admission,they were divided into good prognosis group(199 cases)and poor prognosis group(116 cases).Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum IP-10 and S100A8 levels in SP patients.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between IP-10,S100A8 levels and infection indicators[high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),interleukin-6(IL-6)].Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of poor prognosis in SP patients.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the value of hs-CRP,PCT,IP-10 and S100A8 levels in predicting the poor prognosis of SP patients.Results The serum levels of IP-10,S100A8,hs-CRP,PCT and IL-6 in SP group were higher than those in non-SP group(P＜0.05).Paerson correlation analysis showed that serum IP-10 level in SP group was positively correlated with hs-CRP,PCT and IL-6(r=0.744,0.757,0.740,P＜0.05).S100A8 level was posi-tively correlated with hs-CRP,PCT and IL-6(r=0.769,0.718,0.744,P＜0.05).There were significant differences in oxygenation index,acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ score,clinical pulmonary in-fection score and levels of hs-CRP,PCT,IP-10 and S100A8 between the poor prognosis group and the good prognosis group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that hs-CRP,PCT,IP-10 and S100A8 were risk factors for poor prognosis in SP patients,and oxygenation index was a protective factor(P＜0.05).The ROC curve showed that the area under curve(AUC)of the combination of hs-CRP,PCT,IP-10 and S100A8 in predicting poor prognosis of SP patients was 0.965,which was greater than the AUC of the four alone(Zhs-CRP=4.009,ZPCT=4.022,ZIP-10=3.696,ZS100A8=3.309,P＜0.05).Conclusion The serum lev-els of IP-10 and S100A8 are up-regulated in SP patients.The combination of IP-10 and S100A8 has a high pre-dictive value for poor prognosis in SP patients.

Objective:To identify the risk factors for perioperative cardiac arrest (POCA) in elderly patients undergoing general anesthesia.Methods:This case-control study enrolled elderly patients aged ≥60 yr who underwent surgery under general anesthesia at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 1, 2013, and November 30, 2024. The case group consisted of patients who experienced POCA, defined as cessation of cardiac mechanical activity and loss of effective circulation, requiring immediate chest compressions and/or defibrillation within 24 h from entering the operating room to the end of anesthesia. The control group consisted of elderly patients without POCA, matched to cases by sex and date of surgery in a ratio of 1∶3. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed to identify independent risk factors for POCA based on patients′ baseline and surgical characteristics.Results:A total of 53 POCA cases and 159 matched controls were included. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis identified an American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification of ≥Ⅲ ( OR=4.90, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 2.21-10.89, P<0.001) and the presence of peripheral vascular disease ( OR=2.53, 95% CI 1.10-5.81, P=0.028) as independent risk factors for POCA. Higher preoperative hemoglobin concentration was found to be a protective factor ( OR=0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.99, P<0.001). Conclusions:An American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification of ≥Ⅲ and comorbid peripheral vascular disease are independent risk factors for POCA in elderly patients undergoing general anesthesia, while higher preoperative hemoglobin concentration serves as a protective factor.

Objective:Middle ear cholesteatoma is a common otolaryngological disease, and traditional diagnostic methods have certain limitations. This study aims to construct a computer-aided diagnosis model for middle ear cholesteatoma based on integrated convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency.Methods:Firstly, Data were collected from patients who visited the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at the First People′s Hospital of Yinchuan between January 2020 and December 2021. 8 000 temporal bone CT images were collected, including 5 000 images diagnosed pathologically as middle ear cholesteatoma and 3 000 normal images. A five-fold cross-validation method was used to divide the dataset into training and testing sets. Next, a transfer learning approach was used to initialize model parameters, and the AlexNet, GoogleNet, and ResNet networks were pre-trained to extract deep features from the images. Then, the Softmax classification algorithm was applied to classify the features, resulting in three independent classifiers. These classifiers were combined using an ensemble learning method with a weighted voting approach to obtain the final diagnostic results. Finally, the model was evaluated by comparing the ensemble classifier with individual classifiers to assess its accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic time, and a comparison with low-mid-and high-experience physician groups was conducted to comprehensively evaluate the model′s diagnostic performance.Results:The experimental results showed that the model achieved an accuracy of 88.8%(178/200), precision of 92.9%,(112/120) sensitivity of 89.8%(108/120), and specificity of 88.1%(70/80). The average diagnostic time for individual patient temporal bone CT images was reduced to 2-3 seconds. Compared to the diagnostic results from low-mid-and high-experience physician groups, the model demonstrated significant advantages and effectively assisted clinicians in making rapid and accurate middle ear cholesteatoma diagnoses.Conclusion:The proposed middle ear cholesteatoma diagnostic model based on integrated convolutional neural networks exhibits high recognition accuracy and rapid diagnostic speed, significantly improving clinical diagnostic efficiency, especially in early screening and auxiliary diagnosis, making it of considerable value in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND:Neuroinflammation is a major cause of exacerbation after spinal cord injury.In recent years,pyroptosis has received much attention due to its remarkable pro-inflammatory features.Some of these natural products can significantly inhibit the inflammatory response and improve the damaged nerve function by regulating the level of pyroptosis after spinal cord injury,which provides a new therapeutic idea for spinal cord injury.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the mechanism of action of natural products in regulating pyroptosis for the treatment of spinal cord injury,with a view to providing lessons and references for future research on the treatment of spinal cord injury.METHODS:The search terms"spinal cord injury,pyroptosis,inflammasome,natural products,natural compounds,traditional Chinese medicine"in Chinese and English were used to search for relevant literature since the establishment of the database up to September 2024 in the databases of PubMed,Web of Science,WanFang,and CNKI.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,75 relevant articles were finally obtained.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Pyroptosis is an important pro-inflammatory pathway in spinal cord injury,and controlling pyroptosis is an effective way to improve damaged nerve function.(2)Some natural products can regulate pyroptosis via the NLRP3/Caspase-1 classical pyroptosis pathway,the NF-κB-related pathway,other upstream pathways such as Nrf2/HO-1,and autophagy,thereby affecting the level of tissue inflammation and accelerating neurological recovery after spinal cord injury.(3)The anti-pyroptosis effects of these natural products are mostly dependent on the NLRP3 classical pyroptosis pathway,and there is a lack of studies on other pyroptosis pathways.(4)There are still many problems in this field,such as the fact that these natural products are not currently supported by evidence from appropriate clinical studies.(5)The natural product has great potential in regulating pyroptosis and is expected to be a powerful weapon in the treatment of spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the independent and combined effects of air pollutants, meteorological factors, and greenspace exposure on new tuberculosis (TB) cases. METHODS: TB case data from Shanghai (2013-2018) were obtained from the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Environmental data on air pollutants, meteorological variables, and greenspace exposure were obtained from the National Tibetan Plateau Data Center. We employed a distributed-lag nonlinear model to assess the effects of these environmental factors on TB cases. RESULTS: Increased TB risk was linked to PM _2.5, PM ₁₀, and rainfall, whereas NO ₂, SO ₂, and air pressure were associated with a reduced risk. Specifically, the strongest cumulative effects occurred at various lags: PM _2.5 ( RR = 1.166, 95% CI: 1.026-1.325) at 0-19 weeks; PM ₁₀ ( RR = 1.167, 95% CI: 1.028-1.324) at 0-18 weeks; NO ₂ ( RR = 0.968, 95% CI: 0.938-0.999) at 0-1 weeks; SO ₂ ( RR = 0.945, 95% CI: 0.894-0.999) at 0-2 weeks; air pressure ( RR = 0.604, 95% CI: 0.447-0.816) at 0-8 weeks; and rainfall ( RR = 1.404, 95% CI: 1.076-1.833) at 0-22 weeks. Green space exposure did not significantly impact TB cases. Additionally, low temperatures amplified the effect of PM _2.5 on TB. CONCLUSION Exposure to PM _2.5, PM ₁₀, and rainfall increased the risk of TB, highlighting the need to address air pollutants for the prevention of TB in Shanghai.
China/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Tuberculosis/epidemiology* ; Incidence ; Meteorological Concepts ; Particulate Matter/adverse effects* ; Environmental Exposure ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Air Pollution ; Middle Aged

As a multifactorial chronic metabolic disorder with complex causes and serious health risks, obesity has drawn significant societal and medical attention. This article systematically reviewed the latest advancements in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of obesity. A disease-centered diagnosis and treatment concept has been proposed, which combines BMI and introduces a brand-new clinical diagnosis and treatment standard centered on fat content and functional disorders, such as new diagnostic markers like adipose tissue distribution, visceral adiposity, and waist-to-height ratio, to conduct a comprehensive assessment and lifespan management of patients. In recent years, novel biomarkers and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted diagnosis have provided new tools for the diagnosis and treatment of obesity. In terms of treatment, combined therapy based on lifestyle and behavioral intervention has been widely recognized. The advent of new weight-loss drugs, such as glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1), minimally invasive techniques such as endoscopic sleeve gastrectomy(ESG), which reduced surgical risks, have provided possibilities for the treatment of obesity. The current concept of obesity management has become increasingly mature, feasible, and standardized. The construction principles of a weight management center, characterized by centralized management and individualized treatment, ensure the long-term stability of body weight and promote a healthy quality of life for patients with obesity.

Objective To explore the significance of immunotherapy for patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure(HBV-ACLF)using plasma exchange(PE)followed by double plasma molecular adsorption system(DPMAS),as well as its impact on prognosis.Methods Patients who were admitted to the Third People's Hospital of Kunming from June 2019 to June 2023 and met the early and mid-stage diagnostic criteria for HBV-ACLF were selected as the research subjects,with a total of 120 cases.After admission,the patients were divided into the PE+DPMAS group(PD group,63 cases)and the PE group(57 cases)based on different treatment plans.The changes in liver function,coagulation function,cytokines,and model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)scores after treatment,as well as the clinical improvement rates,were observed in both groups.Results ① After treatment,the levels of serum total bilirubin(TBil)in the PD group were significantly lower than those in the PE group(μmol/L:163.4±53.3 vs.226.1±72.5,P<0.05),and the prothrombin activity(PTA)was significantly increased[(51.5±9.2)%vs.(41.1±7.7)%,P<0.05].②After treatment,the levels of interleukins(IL-2,IL-6,IL-8)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in both groups decreased compared to before treatment at 1,2,and 4 weeks,reaching the lowest levels at 4 weeks,the levels of IL-2,IL-6,IL-8,and TNF-α in the PD group were lower than those in the PE group[IL-2(ng/L):1.83(1.75)vs.2.04(1.85),IL-6(ng/L):11.31(5.07)vs.18.18(9.05),IL-8(ng/L):21.14(8.35)vs.29.09(12.41),TNF-α(ng/L):9.16(5.10)vs.14.12(7.27)].The levels of IL-10 decreased at 1 week and 2 weeks after treatment.In the PD group,IL-10 increased at 4 weeks after treatment.The differences compared to the baseline levels before treatment were statistically significant(P<0.05).At 4 weeks after treatment,the level of IL-10 in the PD group was significantly higher than that in the PE group[ng/L:24.72(11.56)vs.19.03(10.04),P<0.05].③ The clinical improvement rates in the PD group were significantly higher than those in the PE group at 2 weeks and 4 weeks after treatment[2 weeks after treatment:65.08%(41/63)vs.40.35%(23/57);4 weeks after treatment:84.13%(53/63)vs.54.39%(31/57),both P<0.05].④After 4 weeks of treatment,the MELD scores in both groups decreased significantly.Compared with the PE group,the MELD score in the PD group was significantly lower(14.87±3.45 vs.19.68±4.63,P<0.05).Conclusion Compared with PE alone,PE+DPMAS treatment for early and mid-stage ACLF patients can more effectively clear the large amount of inflammatory mediators released in the body,better regulate the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the patient's serum,thereby preventing or delaying the formation of systemic inflammatory response syndrome(SIRS)and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS).The clinical therapeutic effect is better,with a higher improvement rate,achieving the goal of reducing liver damage,improving patient survival rate,and thus improving prognosis.