OBJECTIVE To investigate the apoptosis-inducing effect of esculetin （Esc） on acute myeloid leukemia （AML） HL-60 cells by regulating the protein kinase B （AKT）/S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 （SKP2）/MutT homolog 1 （MTH1） pathway. METHODS AML HL-60 cells were randomly divided into control group （routine culture）， Esc low-concentration group （L-Esc group， 25 μmol/L Esc）， Esc medium-concentration group （M-Esc group， 50 μmol/L Esc）， Esc high-concentration group （H-Esc group， 100 μmol/L Esc）， and high-concentration of Esc+ SC79 （AKT agonist） group （100 μmol/L Esc+5 μmol/L SC79）. Cell proliferation in each group was detected by MTT assay and colony formation assay. The level of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in cells was measured by using the CM-H2DCFDA fluorescent probe. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blot assay was performed to detect the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins [B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， cleaved caspase-3]， AKT/SKP2/MTH1 pathway-related proteins （p-AKT， AKT， SKP2， MTH1）， along with the upstream and downstream proteins of AKT phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 （P21） and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B （P27）. RESULTS Compared with control group， the cell viability， colony number， and the phosphorylation levels of AKT and PI3K proteins as well as protein expressions of SKP2， MTH1 and Bcl-2 were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， while ROS level， apoptosis rate， and the expression levels of Bax， cleaved caspase-3， P21 and P27 proteins were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Moreover， the effects of Esc exhibited concentration-dependence （P＜0.05）. Compared with H-Esc group， above indexes of high-concentration of Esc+ SC79 group were reversed significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Esc may promote massive ROS production and induce activation of apoptosis in HL-60 cells by inhibiting the AKT/SKP2/MTH1 pathway， thus inhibiting the proliferation of HL-60 cells.

Numerous techniques for C2 screw fixation have been recently reported. However, concerns remain regarding the risk of spinal cord or vertebral artery injury and inadequate biomechanical stability. To our knowledge, the specific transforaminal “in-out-in” screw fixation technique has not been previously reported. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and preliminary clinical outcomes of a transforaminal “in-out-in” multi-cortical purchase screw for posterior C2 screw fixation. Between October 2022 and March 2023, 10 patients underwent posterior atlantoaxial internal fixation. All patients had severe hypoplasia of the C2 pedicle on at least one side, precluding the use of standard C2 pedicle screws. A transforaminal “in-out-in” screw was used as an alternative. No spinal cord injury, vascular injury, or other major complications were observed. No implant failure was noted at the final follow-up. In conclusion, the transforaminal “in-out-in” screw may achieve rigid three-column fixation with multiple cortical purchases. It represents a safe and effective alternative for posterior C2 fixation in patients with severely narrow C2 pedicles where traditional pedicle screw placement is not feasible.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase （DHCR7） in promoting proliferation， migration， and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells and the underlying signaling mechanisms. MethodsThe expression level of DHCR7 in lung adenocarcinoma and its prognosis were analyzed by using public databases. DHCR7 protein expression levels in the lung adenocarcinoma cell lines H1299 and A549 were assessed by Western blot， using the normal lung epithelial cell line BEAS-2B as a control. Small interfering RNA （siRNA） was used to knock down DHCR7 expression in H1299 and A549 cells. Assays including colony formation， CCK-8， wound healing， and Transwell experiments were conducted to assess the proliferation， migration， and invasion of the knockdown cells. Next， Western blot was employed to assess the phosphorylation levels of key signaling molecules in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/AKT）， janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （JAK/STAT3），mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway （MAPK/ERK） （p-AKT， p-STAT3， p-ERK）. ResultsBioinformatics results indicated that both DHCR7 mRNA and protein were highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma compared with normal tissues adjacent to cancer. Furthermore， higher DHCR7 mRNA level was associated with poor prognosis （P<0.001）. The expression levels of DHCR7 were significantly higher in both H1299 and A549 cells than that in BEAS-2B cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with si-control， the proliferation， migration， and invasion abilities of si-DHCR7 H1299 and A549 cells significantly decreased. Among the phosphorylated signaling molecules detected， p-ERK was significantly downregulated （P<0.000 1， P<0.01） whereas p-AKT and p-STAT3 levels were not significantly changed. ConclusionDHCR7 has prominent effects in promoting the proliferation， migration， and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells， and the underlying mechanisms are related to the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

BackgroundPrenatal depression has an important impact on maternal health and pregnancy outcomes. Previous studies have shown that maternal prenatal depression is associated with social support， and social support is related to fear of childbirth. However， there is limited research on the relationship among maternal prenatal depression， social support and fear of childbirth， and no studies have specifically explored the influence of social support and fear of childbirth on prenatal depression in primiparous women. ObjectiveTo investigate the current status of prenatal depression among primiparous women， and to analyze the correlation between social support and fear of childbirth， and to further explore the influence of social support and fear of childbirth on prenatal depression in this population， so as to provide references for improving their mental health. MethodsA total of 380 primiparous women admitted to the inpatient department of Chengdu Wenjiang District People's Hospital from December 2022 to September 2023 were enrolled as study subjects. A self-made questionnaire， Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale （EPDS）， Social Support Rating Scale （SSRS） and Childbirth Attitudes Questionnaire （CAQ） were used to conduct the survey. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to examine the relationships between scale scores. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify influencing factors of prenatal depression. ResultsA total of 380 questionnaires were distributed， with 372 （97.89%） valid responses collected. Among the participants， 222 cases （59.68%） were identified with prenatal depression. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that EPDS score was negatively correlated with SSRS score （r=-0.283， P<0.01） and positively correlated with CAQ score （r=0.341， P<0.01）. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that social support （β=-0.166， P<0.01） and fear of childbirth （β=0.269， P<0.01） were influencing factors of prenatal depression in primiparous women. ConclusionThe prevalence of prenatal depression among primiparous women is concerning， with depression levels showing significant associations with both social support and fear of childbirth.

Dormant tumor cells constitute a population of cancer cells that reside in a non-proliferative or low-proliferative state, typically arrested in the G0/G1 phase and exhibiting minimal mitotic activity. These cells are commonly observed across multiple cancer types, including breast, lung, and ovarian cancers, and represent a central cellular component of minimal residual disease (MRD) following surgical resection of the primary tumor. Dormant cells are closely associated with long-term clinical latency and late-stage relapse. Due to their quiescent nature, dormant cells are intrinsically resistant to conventional therapies—such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy—that preferentially target rapidly dividing cells. In addition, they display enhanced anti-apoptotic capacity and immune evasion, rendering them particularly difficult to eradicate. More critically, in response to microenvironmental changes or activation of specific signaling pathways, dormant cells can re-enter the cell cycle and initiate metastatic outgrowth or tumor recurrence. This ability to escape dormancy underscores their clinical threat and positions their effective detection and elimination as a major challenge in contemporary cancer treatment. Hypoxia, a hallmark of the solid tumor microenvironment, has been widely recognized as a potent inducer of tumor cell dormancy. However, the molecular mechanisms by which tumor cells sense and respond to hypoxic stress—initiating the transition into dormancy—remain poorly defined. In particular, the lack of a systems-level understanding of the dynamic and multifactorial regulatory landscape has impeded the identification of actionable targets and constrained the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Accumulating evidence indicates that hypoxia-induced dormancy tumor cells are accompanied by a suite of adaptive phenotypes, including cell cycle arrest, global suppression of protein synthesis, metabolic reprogramming, autophagy activation, resistance to apoptosis, immune evasion, and therapy tolerance. These changes are orchestrated by multiple converging signaling pathways—such as PI3K-AKT-mTOR, Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK, and AMPK—that together constitute a highly dynamic and interconnected regulatory network. While individual pathways have been studied in depth, most investigations remain reductionist and fail to capture the temporal progression and network-level coordination underlying dormancy transitions. Systems biology offers a powerful framework to address this complexity. By integrating high-throughput multi-omics data—such as transcriptomics and proteomics—researchers can reconstruct global regulatory networks encompassing the key signaling axes involved in dormancy regulation. These networks facilitate the identification of core regulatory modules and elucidate functional interactions among key effectors. When combined with dynamic modeling approaches—such as ordinary differential equations—these frameworks enable the simulation of temporal behaviors of critical signaling nodes, including phosphorylated AMPK (p-AMPK), phosphorylated S6 (p-S6), and the p38/ERK activity ratio, providing insights into how their dynamic changes govern transitions between proliferation and dormancy. Beyond mapping trajectories from proliferation to dormancy and from shallow to deep dormancy, such dynamic regulatory models support topological analyses to identify central hubs and molecular switches. Key factors—such as NR2F1, mTORC1, ULK1, HIF-1α, and DYRK1A—have emerged as pivotal nodes within these networks and represent promising therapeutic targets. Constructing an integrative, systems-level regulatory framework—anchored in multi-pathway coordination, omics-layer integration, and dynamic modeling—is thus essential for decoding the architecture and progression of tumor dormancy. Such a framework not only advances mechanistic understanding but also lays the foundation for precision therapies targeting dormant tumor cells during the MRD phase, addressing a critical unmet need in cancer management.

Objective To analyze the trend of global cellulitis disease burden from 1990 to 2019, and to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of cellulitis disease. Methods The Global Burden of Disease 2021 (GBD2021) data were collected, and data on the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) of cellulitis were analyzed for each country worldwide. The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) and age-standardized rate (ASR) were used to estimate the trend change of cellulitis from 1990 to 2021. Results The global burden of cellulitis increased significantly in 2021, with 55.96 million cases, 28.9 million deaths and 876.1 million DALYs, respectively. Incidence and mortality rates were generally higher in males than in females. The incidence and DALYs were higher in high SDI regions, with the highest burden observed in South Asia. In contrast, East Asia exhibited the lowest burden and demonstrated a declining trend. There were significant differences between countries, with India having the highest prevalence, the United States having the highest incidence, and Bahrain having the fastest growing rate.In 2021, China had the lowest age-standardised incidence of cellulitis in the world and the fastest declining age-standardised incidence and age-standardised DALYs. Conclusion The global disease burden of cellulitis is increasing from 1990-2021, and cellulitis remains an an important global public health problem. Targeted preventive meausres should be taken in areas with different economical levels. Men, middle-aged and elderly people, and newborns are the key groups in need of attention and health education.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the contrast-enhanced ultrasound with Sonazoid (Sonazoid-CEUS) features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: In this retrospective study, patients who underwent surgical resection and were histopathologically diagnosed with NAFLD or cirrhosis-related HCC were included. All patients received Sonazoid-CEUS examinations within 1 week prior to hepatic surgery. The enhancement patterns of HCC lesions were evaluated and compared between the two groups according to the current World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology guidelines. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the correlations between Sonazoid-CEUS enhancement patterns and clinicopathologic characteristics. Results: From March 2022 to April 2023, a total of 151 patients with HCC were included, comprising 72 with NAFLD-related HCC and 79 with hepatitis B virus (HBV) cirrhosis–related HCC. On Sonazoid-CEUS, more than half of the NAFLD-related HCCs exhibited relatively early and mild washout within 60 seconds (54.2%, 39/72), whereas most HBV cirrhosis–related HCCs displayed washout between 60 and 120 seconds (46.8%, 37/79) or after 120 seconds (39.2%, 31/79) (P<0.001). In the patients with NAFLD-related HCC, multivariate analysis revealed that international normalized ratio (odds ratio [OR], 0.002; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.000 to 0.899; P=0.046) and poor tumor differentiation (OR, 21.930; 95% CI, 1.960 to 245.319; P=0.012) were significantly associated with washout occurring within 60 seconds. Conclusion Characteristic Sonazoid-CEUS features are useful for diagnosing HCC in patients with NAFLD.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from Radix Puerariae Lobatae from Anhui province and their in vitro lipid-lowering activity.METHODS D101 macroporous resin,silica gel,MCI,and semi-preparative HPLC were used for isolation and purification,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.The lipid accumulation model was established by palmitic acid-induced hepatocyte AML12,and the in vitro lipid-lowering activity was evaluated.RESULTS Twenty-one compounds were isolated and identified as carboxymethyl isoferulate(1),methyl(E)feruloylglycolate(2),ariscucurbin-A(3),trans-p-coumaroygly colic acid(4),indole-3-carboxaldehyde(5),β-sitosterol(6),puerol A(7),pueroside C(8),cumoestrol(9),dihydrofurocoumarin(10),decuroside V(11),psoralen dimer(12),bergapten dimer(13),isoliquiritigenin(14),neoliquiritin(15),calycosin(16),daidzein(17),3,4,7-trihydroxyisoflavone(18),ononin(19),genistein(20),genistin(21).Compounds 1-4、7-10、13 and 17-19 significantly inhibited lipid accumulation in AML12 cells,and compound 9 inhibited PPAR-γ expression.CONCLUSION Compounds 1-6,10-13 are isolated from Pueraria genus for the first time.Compounds 1-4,7-10,13 and 17-19 have good lipid-lowering activity.

The 2024 National Education Work Conference pointed out that at the current juncture of the critical period for achieving the goals and tasks of the 14th Five-Year Plan,the implementation of the Education Powerhouse Construction Plan Outline should be taken as the main line of work,and building first-class disciplines is an crucial task for a higher education powerhouse.In 2022,forensic medicine was officially listed as a first-level discipline under the medical category,presenting an un-precedented historical opportunity for the development of forensic medicine.The forensic medicine dis-cipline of Southern Medical University comprehensively improves the quality of talent cultivation and facilitates the construction of first-class disciplines as its main direction.It aims to initiate and imple-ment a high-level faculty team building plan featuring"combining recruitment and cultivation,inter-disciplinary integration";make vigorous efforts to establish a first-level doctoral program,refine advan-tageous second-level disciplines and research directions;and establish an innovative research platform from a high starting point with deep integration.The discipline adheres to moral cultivation and the Five Domains of Education simultaneous development,to build a high-quality talent joint training model.Guided by the construction of the national legal system and industry needs,the discipline will enhance social service capabilities.The forensic medicine construction in our university will continue to contribute to the rule of law in China and educational power.

Objective To study the inhibitory effect of secondary metabolites of Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA)on Candida albicans(CA)and to explore some of the mechanisms.Methods PA and CA strains were i-solated from clinical specimens from the hospital.Then,PA strains with inhibitory effects on CA were screened through cross-line test and co-incubation test,and crude extracts of PA secondary metabolites were prepared,and were tested together with pyocyanin,phenazine-1-carboxylic acid,1-hydroxyphenazine,and 3-ox-ododecyl-l-homoserine lactone(3-oxo-HSL).The inhibitory effects of various PA secondary metabolites on CA were determined through minimum inhibitory concentration test,minimum bactericidal concentration test,time-sterilization curve measurement,and XTT method activity measurement test,and some mechanisms by which PA secondary metabolites inhibited CA were explored.Results The strongest inhibitory effect on CA was 1-hydroxyphenazine,and at a concentration of 6.250 μg/mL,the relative activity of CA decreased to 0.00%.Next were pyocyanin and PA crude extract,and the relative fungal activity of CA decreased to 0.00%at concentrations of 200 and 100 μg/mL.1-hydroxyphenazine,pyocyanin,3-oxo-HSL and PA crude extract all had inhibitory effects on the formation of CA hyphae.Reactive oxygen species(ROS)were generated in CA cells treated with 1-hydroxyphenazine,phenazine 1-carboxylic acid,pyocyanin,and PA crude extract,and the highest levels of ROS were induced by pyocyanin and 1-hydroxyphenazine.Conclusion Phenazine secondary metabolites 1-hydroxyphenazine and pyocyanin have significant inhibitory effects on the growth and activity of CA,and both induce the highest amount of ROS.The quorum-sensing signal molecule 3-oxo-HSL have no in-hibitory effect on CA growth,but have a significant inhibitory effect on the formation of fungal hyphae.