OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the quality of the Heat-clearing and symptom-relieving formula and screen potential marker components that influence the quality of the formula. METHODS The contents of 11 components （calycosin-7- O - β -D-glucoside， ononin， hyperoside， isoquercitrin， baicalin， baicalein， cryptotanshinone， tanshinone Ⅱ A ， tanshinone Ⅰ， senkyunolide A， ferulic acid） in the Heat-clearing and symptom-relieving formula were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （HPLC-MS/MS）. Using the contents of the aforementioned components as variables， cluster analysis （CA）， principal component analysis （PCA）， and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA） were conducted using OriginPro 2024 software and SIMCA 14.1 software； marker components affecting the quality of the Heat-clearing and symptom-relieving formula were then screened based on the criteria of variable importance in the projection （VIP） value＞1 and P ＜0.05. The comprehensive evaluation of 20 batches of samples was carried out using the entropy weight-technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution（TOPSIS） and grey correlation analysis （GCA） methods. RESULTS The contents of the above 11 components were 7.993-72.866， 4.542-31.228， 727.666-1 901.884， 496.846-1 293.279， 1 995.501-6 779.150， 54.500-241.280， 150.302-304.339， 79.698-189.206， 257.118-682.418， 5.498-21.687， 7.524-26.935 μg/g. CA， PCA and OPLS-DA results showed that 20 batches of samples were grouped into 2 categories. Q1， Q3， Q4， Q7-Q9， Q12， Q15， Q16 were grouped into one category， and the rest were grouped into another category； VIP values of ferulic acid， tanshinone Ⅱ A ， baicalin， cryptotanshinone， calycosin-7- O - β -D-glucoside and ononin were all greater than 1 （ P ＜0.05）. Both the entropy weight-TOPSIS and GCA methods showed that the samples ranked in the top 11 according to the euclidean distance and relative correlation degree were Q2， Q5， Q6， Q10， Q11， Q13， Q14， Q17-Q20. CONCLUSIONS The established HPLC-MS/MS method is rapid， accurate and highly sens itive. Combined with chemical pattern recognition analysis， entropy weight-TOPSIS and GCA methods， this method can be used to evaluate the quality of the Heat-clearing and symptom-relieving formula. Ferulic acid， tanshinone Ⅱ A ， baicalin， cryptotanshinone， calycosin-7- O - β -D-glucoside and ononin may be the marker components that affect the quality of this formula. The overall quality of 11 batches of the Heat-clearing and symptom-relieving formula， including Q17， is relatively superior.

Objective To understand the capacity of technical support institutions for occupational disease prevention and treatment in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (hereinafter referred as "Ningxia"). Methods The basic data of 26 technical support institutions for occupational disease prevention and treatment in Ningxia in 2023 were collected through the "National Management Platform for Technical Support Institutions for Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment". The status of these institutions was investigated, and their qualifications, human resources, equipment allocation, and testing capacities were analyzed. Results Among the 26 technical support institutions for occupational disease prevention and treatment in Ningxia, all were qualified occupational disease surveillance institutes, eight were qualified occupational hazard factor monitoring institutes, two were qualified occupational medical examination institutes, one was a qualified occupational diagnosis institute, one was a qualified occupational treatment institute, four were qualified for radiological health technical services, and one was qualified for occupational health technical services. A total of 168 professionals engaged in occupational diseases prevention and treatment, with the majority holding a bachelor degree and junior professional titles, accounting for 66.1% and 40.5%, respectively. The technical support institutions for occupational disease prevention and treatment of the district level,city level and county level of Ningxia were provided with 121, 68 and 32 instruments and equipment respectively on average,and the number of testing items of occupational hazard factors which the institutions of aforementioned levels are 50.0,17.0 and 1.3 respectively. Conclusion The technical support institutions for occupational disease prevention and treatment in Ningxia show insufficient qualifications and capacities, inadequate professional staff, imbalanced talent structure, incomplete equipment allocation, weak testing capacity, and an underdeveloped support system.

OBJECTIVE To establish a content determination method for multiple components in Sophora flavescens from different origins and to evaluate its quality by combining with chemometrics. METHODS Thirteen batches （No. K1-K13） of S. flavescens from different origins were selected as test samples. A high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry （HPLC-MS/MS） method was established to determine the contents of 12 components， including matrine， oxymatrine， betaine， cytisine， N-methylcytisine， sophoridine， genistein， sophoricoside， sophorone， formononetin， sophorolone Ⅰ and norkurarinone in S. flavescens. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Shim-pack GIST-HP C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of methanol （A） and water containing 0.1% formic acid （B）， using gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min， column temperature of 35 ℃， and an injection volume of 3 μL. Mass spectrometry was conducted using an electrospray ionization source with positive and negative ion scanning. Data were collected in segments using the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution （TOPSIS） and grey relational analysis （GRA）methods were employed to compare and comprehensively evaluate the 13 batches of S. flavescens from different origins. RESULTS The methodological validation for the content determination met the relevant regulatory requirements. The contents of the 12 components were 490.66-1 231.00， 11 088.10- 18 021.50， 7.91-25.38， 903.97-1 713.64， 336.08-1 485.54，1 065.33-2 075.50， 27.52-71.80， 109.36-517.83， 6 034.55-10 632.73， 21.26-145.35， 814.84-1 911.32， 1 040.87-3 446.37 μg/g）， respectively. TOPSIS results showed that the top 7 samples in Euclidean distance ranking were K6， K12， K11， K3， K5， K10， K13. The GRA results showed that the top 7 samples in the relative correlation ranking were K12， K11， K10， K6， K13， K5， K3. CONCLUSIONS The established HPLC-MS/MS method is rapid， accurate， highly sensitive， stable and reliable. Combined with chemometrics methods， it can be used for the quality control and evaluation of S. flavescens. The comprehensive quality of samples K3， K5， K6（ from Hebei）， K10（ from Sichuan）， K11-K13（ from Shanxi）， etc. is relatively superior.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of hospital-associated infections(HAIs)in a large scale three-A hospital and assess the occurrence and development trends of HAIs before and after COVID-19 epidemic and during different stages of prevention and control strategies so as to provide scientific bases for HAIs management.METHODS The surveillance data were collected from the patients who were hospitalized in a large scale three-A hospital by nosocomial infection real-time surveillance system from Jan.2018 to Dec.2023.The prevalence trend,infection sites and distribution of pathogens were analyzed.The study period was divided into the pre-epidemic stage and the epidemic stage,the epidemic stage was divided into the strict infection prevention and control phase and the loose infection prevention and control phase.The epidemiological characteristics of HAIs were observed and compared.RESULTS From 2018 to 2023,the prevalence rate of HAIs was decreased from 3.39％to 2.21％,and there was significant difference in the prevalence rate of the infections among the years(x2=105.00,P＜0.001).During the six years,the prevalence rate of HAIs was highest in the internal medicine wards of critical care medicine department(54.91％),and the gram-negative bacteria(56.61％)were dominant among the pathogens.Lower respiratory tract(41.85％),bloodstream(20.93％)and urinary tract(20.50％)ranked the top 3 infection sites;the lower respiratory tract infection ranked the first place before the COVID-19 epidemic and the different stages of epidemic.The overall prevalence rate of HAIs was 3.26％during the epidemic period,remarkably lower than 3.91％before the COVID-19 epidemic(P＜0.001);the overall prevalence rate of HAIs was 2.21％in the loose prevention and control phase of 2023,remarkably lower than 3.78％in the strict prevention and control phase(P＜0.001).CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of HAIs generally shows a downward trend during the six years.The lower respiratory tract is the major infection site,and the gram-negative bacteria are dominant among the pathogens,especially Klebsiella pneumoniae.The prevention and control strategies for the COVID-19 epidemic may facilitate the reduction of incidence of HAIs,and the prevalence rate is remarkably reduced even in the loose prevention and control phase.It is necessary for the hospital to take targeted prevention and control measures based on the departments,carry out rigid surveillance of the major infection sites and patho-gens,and conduct multidisciplinary coordinated prevention and control so as to control the HAIs.

Purpose To explore the effect of Calumenin(CALU)on migration and invasion ability of gastric cancer cells,as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT).Methods The immunohistochemical experiments and Western blot were applied to evaluate the protein level of CALU in gastric cancer.After constructing a gastric canc-er cell line with low expression of CALU,CCK8 assay,wound-healing analysis and Transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to determine cell proliferation,Migration and invasion ability.Western blot was performed to an-alyse the effect of CALU knockdown on EMT molecules.Results CALU expression was significantly higher in gastric cancer tissues compared to normal gastric tissues(P＜0.05),and high CALU expression was significantly associated with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis(P＜0.05).Compared with GES-1 cells,the protein expression of CALU upregulated in gastric cancer cells(P＜0.05).CALU knockdown suppressed the proliferation,migration,invasion of BGC823 cells and SGC7901 cells(P＜0.05).Rescue experimental evidence showed that synonymous mutations of CALU could reverse the inhibitory effect of CALU knockdown on the proliferation,migration,and invasion ability of gastric cancer cells(P＜0.05).Knockdown of CALU resulted in the downregulation of vimentin and Snail expression,while E-cadherin and β-catenin expression were upregulated in human gastric cancer cells(P＜0.05).Conclusion CALU knockdown inhibits the proliferation,migration,invasion,and EMT of human gastric cancer cells.

Objective To study the economic burden caused by healthcare-associated infection(HAI)in patients with severe acute pancreatitis(SAP),and provide theoretical basis for formulating HAI prevention and control measures.Methods Patients with SAP discharged from a tertiary first-class hospital in Jiangxi Province from July 1,2023 to June 30,2024 were selected as the study subjects.Information including demographic characteristics,clinical data,and hospitalization expense were collected.Patients were divided into a HAI group and a non-HAI group according to HAI occurrence.A propensity score matching(PSM)method was used to conduct a 1∶2 ma-tching,and differences in the length of hospital stay and hospitalization expense between the two groups of patients after PSM were compared.Results A total of 709 patients were included in the analysis,out of which 65 cases ex-perienced HAI,with a HAI incidence of 9.17％.After PSM,all 65 patients in the HAI group were successfully matched.The length of hospital stay,total hospitalization expense,expenses of medication and hygiene product of patients in the HAI group were all higher than those in the non-HAI group,and differences were all statistically sig-nificant(all P＜0.001).Patients who experienced≥2 episodes of HAI had a higher economic burden than those who experienced only once(P＜0.05).HAI of bloodstream,abdomen,digestive system,and respiratory system significantly increased the economic burden of patients(all P＜0.05).Conclusion HAI in SAP patients can extend the length of hospital stay and increase economic burden of patients.Targeted infection prevention and control mea-sures should be formulated to reduce the incidence of HAI and save medical resources.

Background and Aims:Totally implantable venous access ports(TIVAP)are widely used in patients requiring long-term intravenous therapy.Traditional butterfly needle puncture fixation methods have limitations,including low success rates,increased pain,and risk of needle-stick injury.This study aimed to design an adjustable puncture protection kit for butterfly needles and evaluate its clinical utility using a simulated device.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted with 70 patients implanted with upper arm ports in the Hematology Department of Xiangya Hospital,Central South University,from January to December 2024.The patients were divided into a study group and a control group,with 35 cases in each,using a randomized block design.The study group underwent puncture with the simulated adjustable protection kit,while the control group used the traditional finger fixation method.Outcomes compared included first-attempt success rate,vertical puncture rate,pain score,puncture time,and complication rate.Results:The baseline characteristics of the two groups were balanced.The study group had significantly higher first-attempt puncture success rate and vertical puncture rate than the control group(94.3%vs.77.1%;91.4%vs.57.1%,both P<0.05).In the experimental group compared with the control group,pain scores were lower(1.80±1.13 vs.2.94±1.33,P<0.05),and puncture time was shorter[(31.31±9.05)s vs.(41.80±23.97)s,P<0.05].There was no significant difference in the incidence of puncture-related complications between the two groups(2.9%vs.14.3%,P>0.05).Conclusion:The simulated adjustable butterfly needle puncture protection kit effectively improves puncture success,enhances efficiency,reduces patient pain,and demonstrates good clinical safety.This innovative design provides a promising solution for reducing needle-stick injury risks and optimizing port puncture procedures,although larger,multicenter,and long-term studies are warranted.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of cervical cerclage in singleton pregnancy with different degrees of short cervix.Methods:The clinical data of singleton pregnant women who underwent transvaginal ultrasound examination at 18-24 +6 weeks of gestation and found cervical dilation with cervical length (CL) ≤20 mm, and without history of spontaneous preterm delivery or late abortion in Women′s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2021 to September 2023 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. According to the case control matching, 78 pregnant women in the cerclage group and 78 women in the conservative treatment group were finally included. The pregnancy outcomes and neonatal prognosis of the two groups were compared. Meanwhile, the two groups of pregnant women were divided into three subgroups for stratification (CL≤10, 11-15, 16-20 mm). Multivariate logistic regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier curve were used to evaluate the effect of cervical cerclage on pregnancy outcomes in different subgroups. Results:(1) Compared with the conservative treatment group, the gestational age at delivery (median: 36 vs 37 weeks) and the duration of pregnancy extension (median: 90 vs 97 days) in the cerclage group were not significantly prolonged (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the cumulative non-delivery rate between the cerclage group and the conservative treatment group ( P=0.143). The rate of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission in the cerclage group was significantly higher than that in the conservative treatment group (46.1% vs 31.2%, P<0.001), but there were no significant differences in other neonatal outcomes between the two groups (all P>0.05). (2) CL 16-20 mm subgroup: compared with the conservative treatment group (28 cases), the cerclage group (18 cases) had a significantly higher rate of preterm birth before 37 weeks of gestation (3.6% vs 6/18, P<0.001) and a significantly lower neonatal birth weight (median: 3 370 vs 2 925 g, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the cumulative non-delivery rate between the cerclage group and the conservative treatment group ( P=0.168). (3) CL 11-15 mm subgroup: compared with the conservative treatment group (26 cases), the gestational age of delivery in the cerclage group (32 cases) was later (median: 36 and 37 weeks, respectively), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The cumulative non-delivery rate in the cerclage group was significantly higher than that in the conservative treatment group ( P=0.001). (4) CL≤10 mm subgroup: compared with the conservative treatment group (24 cases), the pregnant women in the cerclage group (28 cases) had a later gestational age at delivery (median: 34 vs 37 weeks), a longer duration of pregnancy (median: 74 vs 97 days), and a larger newborn birth weight (median: 2 300 vs 3 165 g). The rates of preterm birth before 34 weeks of gestation (45.8% vs 14.3%) and before 37 weeks of gestation (83.3% vs 39.3%) were lower, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). The cumulative non-delivery rate of pregnant women in the cerclage group was significantly higher than that in the conservative treatment group ( P<0.001). Conclusion:Cervical cerclage could significantly prolong the gestational weeks and improve the perinatal outcomes for singleton pregnant women with cervical internal orifice dilation and CL≤15 mm without a history of spontaneous preterm delivery or late abortion.

Background and Aims:Totally implantable venous access port(TIVAP)are widely used for chemotherapy,blood transfusion,and nutritional support in patients with malignancies.Among them,upper arm port(UAP)are increasingly recommended in clinical practice due to their advantages in avoiding thoracic complications and providing more concealed incisions.Currently,two main implantation techniques are used for UAP:the tunnel needle-transverse incision technique and the puncture point-transverse incision technique.This study aims to compare the clinical outcomes of these two techniques in patients with hematological malignancies,focusing on safety and cosmetic appearance,to provide evidence for clinical decision-making.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 412 patients with hematological malignancies who underwent UAP implantation at Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between December 2021 and December 2024.Based on the implantation method,patients were divided into the tunnel needle-transverse incision group(n=200)and the puncture point-transverse incision group(n=212).Intraoperative variables(operative time,intraoperative pain score,catheter kinking at the pocket,intraoperative blood loss)and postoperative indicators(incidence of complications and incision aesthetic satisfaction)were compared between the two groups.Results:There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups(all P>0.05),indicating comparability.The puncture point-transverse incision group showed superior performance in operative time[(32.99±4.91)min vs.(41.42±5.35)min],catheter kinking rate(1.4％vs.8.5％),and incision aesthetic satisfaction(7.99±0.58 vs.6.26±0.86)compared with the tunnel needle-transverse incision group(all P<0.05).Although the puncture point group had slightly more intraoperative bleeding[(4.52±1.02)mL vs.(4.16±0.83)mL],the difference,while statistically significant,was of limited clinical relevance.No significant differences were observed between the two groups in intraoperative pain scores or incidence of postoperative complications(both P>0.05).Conclusion:The puncture point-transverse incision technique offers significant advantages in terms of operative efficiency,reduced catheter kinking,and improved incision aesthetics,without compromising safety.It represents a promising alternative to the traditional tunnel needle-transverse incision method and has strong potential for broader clinical adoption.The puncture point-transverse incision technique offers advantages such as shorter operative time,lower catheter kinking rate,and higher incision aesthetic satisfaction.It is a promising alternative to the traditional tunnel needle-transverse incision technique and has good potential for clinical application and promotion.

Objective To analyze the microanatomical characteristics of the internal carotid artery(ICA)bifurcation through the lateral orbital keyhole(LOK)approach,thereby providing anatomical support for clipping the ICA bifurcation aneurysm.Methods A total of 15 cases(30 sides)of frozen cadaveric head specimens fixed with 10%formaldehyde and infused with red and blue latexes were selected.Craniotomy was performed by simulated LOK approach.The structure,and the course and quantity of the surrounding major perforator vessels of the ICA bifurcation were observed under the microscope,and the relevant data were recorded.Results The terminal diameter of ICA was(5.40±0.65)mm,and the length of ICA above the optic nerve plane was(11.99±1.86)mm.The proximal diameter of A1 was(1.85±0.26)mm,and the length of A1 was(12.90±3.13)mm;meanwhile,the proximal diameter of M1 was(3.64±0.64)mm,and the length of M1 was(15.54±2.10)mm.There were significant differences in the proximal diameter and length between A1 and M1(P<0.05).The angle between A1 and ICA was(77.61±19.43)°,while the angle between M1 and ICA was(137.93±10.31)°,and the difference between the two was statistically significant(P<0.001).There was no obvious linear relationship between the diameter ratio of A1 and ICA and the angle between A1 and ICA,and there was no obvious linear relationship between the diameter ratio of M1 and ICA and the angle between M1 and ICA.The peripheral perforator branches mainly consisted of 8.50(5.00,12.00)branches deriving from the proximal end of A1,0.50(0,3.25)branch deriving from the proximal end of M1,0(0,0.25)branch deriving from the distal end of ICA,(8.80±2.40)branches deriving from the posterior communicating artery,and(9.60±3.80)branches deriving from the anterior choroidal artery.The recurrent artery of Heubner was found in 28 sides,its main body could be the single trunk(30.00%),double trunk(43.00%),and triple trunk(20.00%).Conclusion The main structure and perforator branches of the ICA bifurcation can be clearly exposed through the LOK approach.When applying the LOK approach,it should be combined with the bifurcation angle,perforator branches distribution,and vascular variation characteristics of ICA bifurcation to optimize the aneurysm clipping plan,thereby thoroughly treating the lesion and minimizing the injury risk of perforator branches.