Objective To examine the safety, efficacy and durability of totally endoscopic minimally invasive (TEMI) mitral valve repair in Barlow’s disease (BD). Methods A retrospective study was performed on patients who underwent mitral valve repair for BD from January 2010 to June 2021 in the Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital. The patients were divided into a MS group and a TEMI group according to the surgery approaches. A comparison of the clinical data between the two groups was conducted. Results A total of 196 patients were enrolled, including 133 males and 63 females aged (43.8±14.9) years. There were 103 patients in the MS group and 93 patients in the TEMI group. No hospital death was observed. There was a higher percentage of artificial chordae implantation in the TEMI group compared to the MS group (P=0.020), but there was no statistical difference between the two groups in the other repair techniques (P>0.05). Although the total operation time between the two groups was not statistically different (P=0.265), the TEMI group had longer cardiopulmonary bypass time (P<0.001) and aortic clamp time (P<0.001), and shorter mechanical ventilation time (P<0.001) and postoperative hospitalization time (P<0.001). No statistical difference between the two groups in the adverse perioperative complications (P>0.05). The follow-up rate was 94.2% (180/191) with a mean time of 0.2-12.4 (4.0±2.4) years. Two patients in the MS group died with non-cardiac reasons during the follow-up period. The 3-year, 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates of all patients were 100.0%, 99.2%, 99.2%, respectively. Compared with the MS group, there was no statistical difference in the survival rate, recurrence rate of mitral regurgitation, reoperation rate of mitral valve or adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in the TEMI group (P＞0.05). Conclusion TEMI approach is a safe, feasible and effective approach for BD with a satisfying long-term efficacy.

Objective To analyze the current situation of pediatric CT examination protection and cognition in Linyi City, China, and to promote the safe and standardized development of pediatric CT examination. Methods The radiation protection facilities of 58 medical institutions, the use of protective equipment among 158 pediatric patients undergoing CT examinations, and the cognition of radiation knowledge by 188 radiographers were investigated, and the data were analyzed. Results All 58 medical institutions installed ionizing radiation warning signs according to the standards, the normal operation rate of the work indicator lights was 81.0%, and the proper provision rate of protective equipment was 72.4%. The utilization rate of protective equipment was 59.5%, and there were significant differences among hospitals at different levels (P < 0.05). Radiographers had the highest awareness rate of radiation hazards (93.6%). The awareness rate of radiation basic knowledge differed significantly among radiographers with variuos educational backgrounds and professional titles (P < 0.05). The awareness rate of protection knowledge differed significantly with sex, age, and professional title (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the awareness rate of emergency knowledge and laws and regulations based on age, educational background, and professional title (P < 0.05). Conclusion The availability and utilization of protective facilities and equipment for pediatric CT examinations in medical institutions in Linyi City require further improvement. Radiographers have a high level of awareness of radiation hazards. However, there remain gaps in their awareness rates of fundamental radiation hygiene knowledge, radiation protection knowledge, emergency knowledge, and laws and regulations. Increased efforts in education and training are recommended.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Shouhui tongbian capsule combined with linaclotide in the treatment of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS-C）. METHODS A total of 97 IBS-C patients admitted to Nanyang First People’s Hospital between March 2022 and February 2024 were enrolled. Using a random number table method， patients were divided into control group （n＝46） and observation group （n＝51）. On the basis of routine treatment， the control group was given Linaclotide capsules orally， while the observation group received Linaclotide capsules combined with Shouhui tongbian capsule orally. The treatment course for both groups was 4 weeks. Clinical efficacy， Irritable Bowel Syndrome Severity Scale （IBS-SSS）， stool frequency， Bristol Stool Form Scale （BSFS）， Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life Questionnaire （IBS-QOL） score， gastrointestinal hormone levels， anorectal manometry parameters， and the occurrence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. RESULTS Two patients in the control group and three patients in the observation group dropped out due to adverse reactions. The effective rate in the observation group （87.50%） was significantly higher than that in the control group （68.18%）（P＜0.05）. Compared with pre-treatment， both groups showed significant increase in post-treatment stool frequency， BSFS score， serum substance P， and motilin levels. Conversely， IBS-SSS scores， IBS-QOL scores， serum vasoactive intestinal peptide levels， anal-rectal pressure difference， rectal compliance， rectal sensation threshold， and defecation threshold were significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. The observation group demonstrated superior outcomes to the control group （excluding rectal sensation and defecation thresholds， P＜0.05）. No significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions was observed between the two groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Compared with linaclotide monotherapy， Shouhui tongbian capsule combined with linaclotide improves gastrointestinal hormone function and anorectal manometry parameters in IBS-C patients， alleviates clinical symptoms， improves quality of life， and exhibits favorable safety.

Gastric cancer (GC) is characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates. Chinese agarwood comprises the resin-containing wood of Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg., traditionally utilized for treating asthma, cardiac ischemia, and tumors. However, comprehensive research regarding its anti-GC effects and underlying mechanisms remains limited. In this study, Chinese agarwood petroleum ether extract (CAPEE) demonstrated potent cytotoxicity against human GC cells, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values for AGS, HGC27, and MGC803 cells of 2.89, 2.46, and 2.37 μg·mL^-1, respectively, at 48 h. CAPEE significantly induced apoptosis in these GC cells, with B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) associated X protein (BAX)/BCL-2 antagonist killer 1 (BAK) likely mediating CAPEE-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, CAPEE induced G₀/G₁ phase cell cycle arrest in human GC cells via activation of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage-p21-cyclin D1/cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) signaling axis, and increased Fe²⁺, lipid peroxides and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, thereby inducing ferroptosis. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and Western blotting analyses revealed CAPEE-mediated upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in human GC cells. RNA interference studies demonstrated that HO-1 knockdown reduced CAPEE sensitivity and inhibited CAPEE-induced ferroptosis in human GC cells. Additionally, CAPEE administration exhibited robust in vivo anti-GC activity without significant toxicity in nude mice while inhibiting tumor cell growth and promoting apoptosis in tumor tissues. These findings indicate that CAPEE suppresses human GC cell growth through upregulation of the DNA damage-p21-cyclin D1/CDK4 signaling axis and HO-1-mediated ferroptosis, suggesting its potential as a candidate drug for GC treatment.
Animals ; Humans ; Mice ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclin D1/genetics* ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4/genetics* ; DNA Damage/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; G1 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints/drug effects* ; Heme Oxygenase-1/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Stomach Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Thymelaeaceae/chemistry* ; Up-Regulation/drug effects*

Objective:To establish and validate a prediction model for the risk of major upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with varices of liver cirrhosis.Method:This study retrospectively collected the clinical data of patients with esophageal and gastric variceal bleeding who were admitted to the emergency department of Ningxia Medical University General Hospital from October 2019 to October 2022. The patients were divided into modeling group and validation group according to the ratio of 7:3 by random number table method. The observation index was whether the upper gastrointestinal bleeding occurred within 24 hours after admission. The predictors in the logistic regression model were used to construct a prediction model for the risk of major upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with varices with liver cirrhosis, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), the correction curve and the decision curve were analyzed to evaluate the discriminatory ability, accuracy and clinical utility of the prediction model.Results:A total of 305 patients were included, including 215 and 90 in the modeling and validation groups, respectively, and the clinical data of the two groups were comparable. Multivariate logistic regression showed that systolic blood pressure ( OR=0.918, 95% CI: 0.860-0.980, P=0.010), MAP(ASH) score ( OR=1.993, 95% CI: 1.017-3.907, P=0.045), Child-Pugh score ( OR=1.999, 95% CI: 1.139-3.510, P=0.016) and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) ( OR=1.398, 95% CI: 1.037-1.886, P=0.028) were independent influencing factors for the occurrence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis varices. The AUC of the prediction model in the modeling group was 0.936 (95% CI: 0.895-0.976), and that of the prediction model in the validation group was 0.891 (95% CI: 0.807-0.975), the prediction model had good identification, calibration, and clinical application value. Conclusions:Systolic blood pressure, MAP (ASH) score, Child-Pugh score, and prediction models constructed by end-stage liver disease models are helpful for early prediction of the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis varices in the emergency department.

Objective:To explore the prognostic factors of elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia-related sepsis and to construct a prediction model.Methods:The clinical data of elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia-associated sepsis from October 2020 to October 2022 in the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from October 2020 to October 2022 were retrospectively included, and the clinical data of the two groups were divided into the modeling population and the validation population in the ratio of 7:3 by random number table method, and the clinical data of the two groups were compared. According to the 30-day outcomes of admission, the patients were divided into survival group and death group, and the independent risk factors for the prognosis of elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia-related sepsis were screened out by LASSO regression and multivariate logistic regression analysis, and the nomogram prediction model was constructed by R software. The area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve and decision curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve were used to validate the nomogram prediction model in the modeling population and the validation population to judge its discrimination, calibration and clinical practicability.Results:A total of 472 patients were included, with 331 and 141 models and validations, respectively, indicating that the clinical data were comparable between the modeled and validated populations. LASSO regression and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that pneumonia severity index (PSI) score and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score were independent risk factors for the prognosis of elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia-associated sepsis. The AUC of the modeled population prediction model was 0.984 (95% CI: 0.975-0.994), and the AUC of the validated population prediction model was 0.961 (95% CI: 0.926-0.996). The nomogram prediction model has good discrimination, calibration and clinical practicability in both the modeled and validated populations. Conclusions:The nomogram prediction model established in the study has high accuracy for early identification and risk of sepsis in elderly patients with CAP and can guide for clinicians to formulate personalized interventions.

Objective To investigate the reasons for the inconsistent results between the vertical auto profile(VAP)method and bio-chemical homogeneous phase(BHP)method in detecting plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),and provide experimen-tal basis for the accurate and quantitative detection of plasma LDL-C levels.Methods A total of 360 plasma samples from diabetes mellitus patients combined with carotid plaque admitted to the Department of Endocrinology of Ningbo Yinzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine during January,2022 and January,2023 were collected.The LDL-C levels of these samples were detected by the VAP method and BHP method,respectively.The VAP method uses software to automatically calculate the area under the LDL-C curve after centrifugation of the sample as the LDL-C level(LDL-CVAP)and the BHP method directly detects the LDL-C level(LDL-CBHP)by the special surfactant method.360 samples were divided into the consistent group(group A)and inconsistent group(group B)ac-cording to the relative deviation between the LDL-CBHP and LDL-CVAP methods.Group B was further divided into the LDL-CBHP on the high side group(Group B1)and LDL-CBHP on the low side group(Group B2).Groups B1 and B2 were divided into B1-1,B1-2,B1-3 and B2-1 groups based on the degree of relative deviation.The percentages of samples and levels of lipoprotein a cholesterol[Lp(a)-C],intermediate-density lipoprotein cholesterol(IDL-C),Lp(a)-C and IDL-C[Lp(a)-C+IDL-C],very low-density lipo-protein cholesterol(VLDL-C),total cholesterol(TC)and total triglyceride(TG)in each group were compared.Results The LDL-CBHP levels of 360 samples were significantly higher than that of LDL-CVAP(P＜0.01).The percentage of samples in group B was significantly higher than that in group A,and that of group B1 was significantly higher than that of group B2(P＜0.05).The levels of Lp(a)-C,IDL-C and Lp(a)-C+IDL-C in groups B1-1,B1-2,and B1-3 were significantly higher than those in group A(P＜0.01).The relative deviation between LDL-CBHP and LDL-CVAP in 360 samples was significantly positively correlated with the levels of Lp(a)-C,IDL-C,and Lp(a)-C+IDL-C(P＜0.01).The maximum correlation coefficient was found in Lp(a)-C+IDL-C.Conclusion The results of plasma LDL-C in diabetes mellitus patients combined with carotid plaque detected by the BHP method are significantly different from those detected by the VAP method,which mainly shows that the results of the BHP method are on the high side.The higher the level of plasma Lp(a)-C+IDL-C,the greater the relative deviation between the BHP method and VAP method.The reason for the high results of LDL-C detected by the BHP method may be related to the fact that LDL-CBHP contains irremovable Lp(a)-C and cholesterol carried by IDL-C.The VAP method can be used as an accurate method for detecting real LDL-C without Lp(a)-C and IDL-C.

Objective:To summarise and analyse the experience in the diagnosis and management of abdominal aortic endograft infection in recent years.Methods:Retrospectively summarised and analysed the general data, clinical presentation, laboratory and imaging findings, causative organisms and treatment choices of 14 patients with abdominal aortic endograft infection treated in Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 2018 to June 2024, and analysed the prognosis of the patients and the risk factors associated with prognosis.Results:Positive bacterial cultures were 10 out of 14 patients. One non-operatively treated patient died of infectious toxic shock. Thirteen surgically treated patients underwent axillary-bifemoral artery bypass, removal of the infected stent, and closure of the aortic stump. Four of the 13 cases had combined aortoenteric fistula, 3 cases underwent one-stage enterocutaneous fistula repair, 1 case only fistula drainage, 3 cases of gastrojejunal anastomosis, all of them underwent gastric or jejunal nutrient tube implantation. Two of the 13 patients had combined the infection foci spread to the renal artery openings. To save the kidney, intraoperative left kidney autologous renal transplantation was performed in 1 case, and autologous saphenous vein reconstruction from celiac trunk artery-left renal artery and superior mesenteric artery-right renal artery was performed in the other case. All 14 patients were retrospectively summarised and followed up in August 2024, with 5 deaths in the early postoperative period (< 3 months), 3 deaths in the mid- to long-term period (≥3 months), and 5 survivors, with a median follow-up time of 2 years (1-5 years) for surviving patients. Among the 13 operated patients, 4 cases were combined with aortoenteric fistula, and 3 cases died in the early postoperative period; 4 cases of abdominal aortic infection foci involving renal artery openings, 2 cases of early postoperative death; 4 cases with pleural effusion, 4 cases died in the early postoperative period; 2 cases of combined creatinine elevation, 2 cases of early postoperative death; 2 cases of postoperative infection of artificial blood vessels.Conclusions:Abdominal aortic endograft infection are aggressive. The risk of early death is increased in patients who are elderly, in poor general condition, with aortoenteric fistula or with pre-existing cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic and renal insufficiency, but surgery based on adequate anti-infective therapy remains an effective means of saving the patient′s life.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of sepsis in patients with multiple trauma and construct a nomogram prediction model.Methods:The data of patients with multiple injuries admitted to the emergency intensive care unit (EICU) of the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2021 to April 2022 were respectively collected. Inclusion criteria: (1) meet the diagnostic criteria for multiple injuries; (2) the time from injury to admission ≤ 24 hours; (3) age>18 years old; (4) all examination or rescue measures were approved by the patient or the patient's family; (5) the patient's clinical data were complete. The patients were divided into sepsis group and non-sepsis group according to the definition of Sepsis 3.0 at the 28-day of EICU hospitalization. The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn. Logistic regression analysis was applied to determine the independent predictors for sepsis, and the nomogram was constructed.Results:A total of 291 patients were included, including 102 in the sepsis group and 189 in the non-sepsis group. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that age, acute physiology and chronic health status score (APACHE) Ⅱ, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), injury severity score (ISS), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) within 24 hours after admission, blood transfusion frequency, the application of norepinephrine, mechanical ventilation, pathogenic culture results, and history of diabetes were independent factors influencing the occurrence of sepsis. A nomogram model was constructed by combining these variables (AUC=0.913, 95% CI: 0.847-0.942), and the model had a good fitting calibration curve. Conclusions:The nomogram constructed by age, APACHE-Ⅱ, GCS score, SOFA score, ISS score, number of blood transfusions, mechanical ventilation, norepinephrine drug use, pathogenic culture and diabetes has a good predictive value for sepsis in patients with multiple trauma in the later stage, which is worth promoting.

ObjectiveThe antitumor activity of sesquiterpenoid M36 isolated from Myrrha against human hepatoma HepG2 cells was investigated in this study. MethodHepG2 cells were treated with M36 at different concentrations （0， 2， 4， 6， 8， 10 μmol·L^-1）. Firstly， the effects of M36 on the proliferation of human hepatoma HepG2 cells were detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium （MTT）， colony formation assay， and EdU proliferation assay. Hoechst staining， flow cytometry analysis， and Western blot were used to explore the effect of M36 on the apoptosis of human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Acridine orange staining and western blotting were used to examine the effect of M36 on autophagy in HepG2 cells. Finally， Western blot was used to detect protein expression of cancer-related signaling pathways. ResultCompared with the blank group， M36 treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of human hepatoma HepG2 cells （P<0.01）， and the half inhibitory concentration （IC₅₀） value of M36 for 48 h was 5.03 μmol·L^-1， in a dose- and time-dependent manner. M36 was also able to induce apoptosis and autophagy in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. After treatment with 8 μmol·L^-1 M36 for 48 hours， the apoptosis rate of HepG2 cells was （42.03±9.65）% （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， HepG2 cells treated with 4 and 8 μmol·L^-1 M36 for 48 h had a significant increase in cleaved poly ADP-ribose polymerase （cleaved-PARP） protein levels （P<0.01）. Acridine orange staining showed that autophagy was significantly activated in HepG2 cells treated with 4 and 8 μmol·L^-1 M36 for 48 h compared with the blank group （P<0.01）， which was further verified by the up-regulation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 Ⅱ （LC3 Ⅱ）. Western blot results showed that compared with the blank group， the levels of phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinase （p-ERK）， phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p-p38 MAPK）， phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase （p-JNK）， and its downstream nuclear transcription factors c-Jun and p-c-Jun protein were significantly increased in M36 group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The mechanism may be related to the up-regulation of MAPK signaling pathway. ConclusionThe sesquiterpenoid M36 isolated from Myrrha inhibits the proliferation of human hepatoma HepG2 cells and promotes apoptosis and autophagy， which may be related to the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway.