Neoadjuvant therapy has become the standard treatment for locally advanced resectable esophageal cancer, significantly improving long-term survival compared to surgery alone. Neoadjuvant therapy has evolved to include various strategies, such as concurrent chemoradiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted combination therapy. This enriches clinical treatment options and provides a more personalized and scientific treatment approach for patients. This article aims to comprehensively summarize current academic research hot topics, review the rationale and evaluation measures of neoadjuvant therapy, discuss challenges in restaging methods after neoadjuvant therapy, and identify the advantages and disadvantages of various neoadjuvant therapeutic strategies.

Objective:To explore the effect of the Nurse-Mini-CEX assessment method combined with PBL teaching mode in the cultivation of core competencies of undergraduate nursing students during ICU internships.Methods:A total of 64 nursing students interning in the ICU of a Third-grade Class-A hospital in Wuhu City from Sep 2022 to Aug 2023 were selected and randomly divided into 8 groups(8 students in each group).Using cluster sampling,4 groups(32 students)were assigned to the experimental group,receiving training via Nursing-Mini-CEX combined with PBL,while the remaining 4 groups(32 students)served as the control group,undergoing traditional clinical teaching.All students completed a 2-month pre-ICU clinical internship,followed by a 4-week ICU internship.Results:Compared to the control group,the experimental group showed significantly higher scores in five dimensions of nursing competency:nursing consultation,nursing physical examination,nursing diagnosis,nursing interventions,and holistic evaluation(P＜0.05).Additionally,the experimental group outperformed the control group in core competencies,including clinical nursing skills,leadership,interpersonal communication,professional development,critical thinking and research ability(P＜0.05).Self-efficacy in learning ability and behavior,as well as scores in personal accomplishment,depersonalization,and emotional exhaustion,were also higher in the experimental group(P＜0.05).Furthermore,the experimental group reported greater satisfaction with training content,teaching effectiveness,clinical skill development,teamwork cultivation,and overall satisfaction(P＜0.05).Conclusions:Nursing-Mini-CEX assessment combined with PBL teaching mode effectively enhances core competencies and self-efficacy,reduces burnout among ICU nursing interns,and achieve good clinical results,providing a theoretical and practical basis for the teaching and training of nursing students in ICU.However,as a single-center study,further validation and broader studies are warranted.

AIM:To explore the mechanism of ac-tion and clinical significance of NLRC4 in multiple myeloma by analyzing the relative expression and clinical significance of NLRC4 mRNA in bone mar-row fluid of patients with multiple myeloma(MM),so as to guide the formulation of disease treatment and the evaluation of clinical prognosis.METHODS:MMRF database and GTEx database were used to compare the expression and survival correlation of inflammatory bodies between myeloma patients and normal controls.Real-time fluorescent quanti-tative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)was used to detect the expression of inflammatory bodies in bone marrow fluid of 26 newly diagnosed myeloma patients and 19 post-treatment myeloma patients and peripheral blood of 28 normal volunteers ad-mitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medi-cal University from January to September 2023.The mRNA expression differences of each inflammatory body and the correlation between NLRC4 inflamma-tory body expression and clinicopathologic fea-tures,inflammatory factor/chemokine expression of newly diagnosed patients were analyzed.RE-SULTS:Compared with the control group and the treatment group,the expression of inflammasome mRNA in the newly diagnosed group was increased except for NLRP3,and the expression of NLRC4 mRNA was significantly increased(P<0.01).The he-moglobin count,creatinine level and calcium ion level were linearly correlated with NLRC4 mRNA ex-pression level in newly diagnosed patients(P<0.05).The mRNA expression levels of IL-18,CCL-3 and NL-RC4 in newly diagnosed patients were linearly cor-related(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:NLRC4 inflammato-somes are highly expressed in MM,and promote the occurrence and development of tumor by pro-moting the production and release of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines IL-18 and CCL-3,which is of great significance for the formulation of treatment plan and clinical prognosis evaluation of multiple myeloma.

Objective:To explore the effect of the Nurse-Mini-CEX assessment method combined with PBL teaching mode in the cultivation of core competencies of undergraduate nursing students during ICU internships.Methods:A total of 64 nursing students interning in the ICU of a Third-grade Class-A hospital in Wuhu City from Sep 2022 to Aug 2023 were selected and randomly divided into 8 groups(8 students in each group).Using cluster sampling,4 groups(32 students)were assigned to the experimental group,receiving training via Nursing-Mini-CEX combined with PBL,while the remaining 4 groups(32 students)served as the control group,undergoing traditional clinical teaching.All students completed a 2-month pre-ICU clinical internship,followed by a 4-week ICU internship.Results:Compared to the control group,the experimental group showed significantly higher scores in five dimensions of nursing competency:nursing consultation,nursing physical examination,nursing diagnosis,nursing interventions,and holistic evaluation(P＜0.05).Additionally,the experimental group outperformed the control group in core competencies,including clinical nursing skills,leadership,interpersonal communication,professional development,critical thinking and research ability(P＜0.05).Self-efficacy in learning ability and behavior,as well as scores in personal accomplishment,depersonalization,and emotional exhaustion,were also higher in the experimental group(P＜0.05).Furthermore,the experimental group reported greater satisfaction with training content,teaching effectiveness,clinical skill development,teamwork cultivation,and overall satisfaction(P＜0.05).Conclusions:Nursing-Mini-CEX assessment combined with PBL teaching mode effectively enhances core competencies and self-efficacy,reduces burnout among ICU nursing interns,and achieve good clinical results,providing a theoretical and practical basis for the teaching and training of nursing students in ICU.However,as a single-center study,further validation and broader studies are warranted.

AIM:To explore the mechanism of ac-tion and clinical significance of NLRC4 in multiple myeloma by analyzing the relative expression and clinical significance of NLRC4 mRNA in bone mar-row fluid of patients with multiple myeloma(MM),so as to guide the formulation of disease treatment and the evaluation of clinical prognosis.METHODS:MMRF database and GTEx database were used to compare the expression and survival correlation of inflammatory bodies between myeloma patients and normal controls.Real-time fluorescent quanti-tative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)was used to detect the expression of inflammatory bodies in bone marrow fluid of 26 newly diagnosed myeloma patients and 19 post-treatment myeloma patients and peripheral blood of 28 normal volunteers ad-mitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medi-cal University from January to September 2023.The mRNA expression differences of each inflammatory body and the correlation between NLRC4 inflamma-tory body expression and clinicopathologic fea-tures,inflammatory factor/chemokine expression of newly diagnosed patients were analyzed.RE-SULTS:Compared with the control group and the treatment group,the expression of inflammasome mRNA in the newly diagnosed group was increased except for NLRP3,and the expression of NLRC4 mRNA was significantly increased(P<0.01).The he-moglobin count,creatinine level and calcium ion level were linearly correlated with NLRC4 mRNA ex-pression level in newly diagnosed patients(P<0.05).The mRNA expression levels of IL-18,CCL-3 and NL-RC4 in newly diagnosed patients were linearly cor-related(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:NLRC4 inflammato-somes are highly expressed in MM,and promote the occurrence and development of tumor by pro-moting the production and release of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines IL-18 and CCL-3,which is of great significance for the formulation of treatment plan and clinical prognosis evaluation of multiple myeloma.

Objective To explore the correlation between hyponatremia at admission and all-cause mortality within one year after discharge in elderly patients with intestinal obstruction.Methods The 331 cases of elderly patients with intestinal obstruction(aged ≥ 60 years)who visited the General Surgery Department of Nanjing Meishan Hospital from January 2017 to December 2020 were selected as the research objects for retrospective cohort study analysis.According to the patient's blood sodium level at admission,they are divided into two groups:the hyponatremia group(Na＜135 mmol/L)and the non hyponatremia group(Na≥135 mmol/L).Divided into death group and survival group based on whether death occurred within one year after discharge.SPSS 25.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Independent sample t test,x2 test,Kaplan Meier method,and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to observe the correlation between admission hyponatremia and all-cause mortality within one year after discharge in elderly patients with intestinal obstruction.Results A total of 331 patients were enrolled.The incidence of hyponatremia was 32.3％,and 56 deaths occurred within one year,accounting for 16.92％.The one-year mortality rate in the hyponatremia group was 23.4％(25/107),which was higher than 13.8％(31/224)in the non hyponatremia group.The difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The survival analysis(Kaplan Meier)results showed that the survival rate of the hyponatremia group was lower than that of the non hyponatremia group(Log Rank P＜0.05).After adjusting for other confounding factors in multivariate Cox regression analysis,hyponatremia(HR=1.88,95％CI:1.07-3.29)was an independent risk factor for one-year all-cause mortality in elderly patients with intestinal obstruction(P＜0.05).Conclusion Hyponatremia at admission is an independent risk factor for all cause mortality in elderly patients with intestinal obstruction within one year after discharge.

Objective To explore the efficacy and technical points of complete preservation of female reproductive organ in radical cystectomy.Methods In 2020 and 2021,two female patients with bladder cancer undergoing radical cystectomy in The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University were selected.The clinical conditions of the patients were evaluated before surgery,and the reproductive organs were completely preserved according to the patients'wishes during the operation.The patients were regularly followed up after surgery.The efficacy and prognosis of patients were evaluated.Results The operation was successful and the two patients recovered well without surgery-related complications.The follow-up time for two patients were 22 months and 36 months.During the follow-up period,no tumor recurrence was found,and the scores of sexual function and quality of life were good.One patient was successfully pregnant at 17 months after surgery,and routine prenatal examination and non-invasive fetal DNA testing showed no abnormalities.Conclusions Under the premise of strictly grasping the surgical indications,the complete preservation of female reproductive organs in radical cystectomy can improve patients'quality of life after surgery,especially protect the reproductive function of women of childbearing age.

Objective:To investigate the surgical treatment effect and prognostic factors of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.Methods:This is an ambispective cohort study. From August 2005 to December 2022,data of 510 patients who diagnosed with hilar cholangiocarcinoma and underwent surgical resection at the Hepatobiliary Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were retrospectively collected. In the cohort,there were 324 males and 186 females,with an age of ( M (IQR)) 63(13)years (range:25 to 85 years). The liver function at admission was Child-Pugh A (343 cases,67.3%) and Child-Pugh B (167 cases,32.7%). Three hundred and seventy-two(72.9%) patients had jaundice symptoms and the median total bilirubin was 126.3(197.6) μmol/L(range: 5.4 to 722.8 μmol/L) at admission. Two hundred and fourty-seven cases (48.4%) were treated with percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage or endoscopic nasobiliary drainage before operation. The median bilirubin level in the drainage group decreased from 186.4 μmol/L to 85.5 μmol/L before operation. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to identify the influencing factors for R0 resection,and Cox regression was used to construct multivariate prediction models for overall survival(OS) and disease-free survival(DFS). Results:Among 510 patients who underwent surgical resection,Bismuth-Corlett type Ⅲ-Ⅳ patients accounted for 71.8%,among which 86.1% (315/366) underwent hemi-hepatectomy,while 81.9% (118/144) underwent extrahepatic biliary duct resection alone in Bismuch-Corlett type Ⅰ-Ⅱ patients. The median OS time was 22.8 months, and the OS rates at 1-,3-,5-and 10-year were 72.2%,35.6%,24.8% and 11.0%,respectively. The median DFS time was 15.2 months,and the DFS rates was 66.0%,32.4%,20.9% and 11.0%,respectively. The R0 resection rate was 64.5% (329/510), and the OS rates of patients with R0 resection at 1-,3-,5-and 10-year were 82.5%, 48.6%, 34.4%, 15.2%,respectively. The morbidity of Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅲ-Ⅴ complications was 26.1%(133/510) and the 30-day mortality was 4.3% (22/510). Multivariate Logistic regression indicated that Bismuth-Corlett type Ⅰ-Ⅲ ( P=0.009), hemi-hepatectomy and extended resection ( P=0.001),T1 and T2 patients without vascular invasion (T2 vs. T1: OR=1.43 (0.61-3.35), P=0.413;T3 vs. T1: OR=2.57 (1.03-6.41), P=0.010;T4 vs. T1, OR=3.77 (1.37-10.38), P<0.01) were more likely to obtain R0 resection. Preoperative bilirubin,Child-Pugh grade,tumor size,surgical margin,T stage,N stage,nerve infiltration and Edmondson grade were independent prognostic factors for OS and DFS of hilar cholangiocarcinoma patients without distant metastasis. Conclusions:Radical surgical resection is necessary to prolong the long-term survival of hilar cholangiocarcinoma patients. Hemi-hepatectomy and extended resection,regional lymph node dissection and combined vascular resection if necessary,can improve R0 resection rate.

Objective To explore the effect of Rhubarb ultrasonic electrical conduction target penetration therapy on the gastrointestinal function of sepsis patients.Methods A total of 88 cases of inpatient sepsis patients diagnosed and treated at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from October 2021 to June 2023 were selected as the participants and the patients were divided into the treatment group and the control group by a simple random method.Both groups were given routine treatments such as anti-infection,fluid resuscitation,nutritional support,blood sugar management,and prevention of stress ulcers,while the treatment group was treated with ultrasonic conductance target penetration Rhubarb therapy at Shenque point and Zhongwan point on the basis of the control group.The main observational indexes were the number of bowel sounds in the two groups before treatment and after 3 days,and 7 days of treatment.The secondary observational indexes were gastric retention,serum C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ),the first defecation time,time to mechanical ventilation,length of stay in the intensive care unit(ICU),hospitalization cost,and 28 days readmission rate of the two groups.The gastric retention was evaluated and recorded every 4 hours before treatment and 3 days and 7 days after treatment,CRP and APACHE Ⅱ score were evaluated before treatment and 7 days after treatment,the 28-day readmission was followed up by telephone.Results A total of 44 cases in the treatment group and 43 cases in the control group completed the intervention.The difference between the bowel sounds and the amount of gastric retention of the two groups was not statistically significant before treatment,with the prolongation of time,the bowel sounds of the two groups gradually increased and the amount of gastric retention gradually decreased,and the number of bowel sounds in the treatment group increased significantly compared to the control group 3 days and 7 days after treatment[beats/minute:4.49(4.23,4.74)vs.3.07(2.80,3.33)3rd day of and 4.79(4.49,5.10)vs.3.36(3.06,3.66)on the 7th day of treatment,both P<0.01],and the amount of gastric retention was significantly reduced compared with the control group[mL:20.93(9.22,32.64)vs.53.52(41.16,65.88)for 3rd day of and 3.72(0.17,7.28)vs.31.59(24.87,38.31)on the 7th day of treatment,both P<0.01].The first defecation time was significantly shorter in the treatment group than in the control group(hours:25.67±9.99 vs.33.64±11.30,P<0.01).After 7 days treatment,the CRP,PCT,and APACHE Ⅱ score were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared to those in the control group[CRP(mg/L):45.97(35.68,56.26)vs.77.30(57.20,97.38),PCT(μg/L):0.94(0.56,1.31)vs.2.73(1.36,4.09),APACHE Ⅱ score:24.11±7.01 vs.28.06±9.25,all P<0.05],the mechanical ventilation time and ICU length of stay were significantly shortened[mechanical ventilation time(hours):107.05±70.76 vs.168.83±136.62,ICU stay time(days):7.58±3.72 vs.9.70±5.15,both P<0.05],the hospitalization cost and 28-day readmission rate were significantly reduced[hospitalization cost(yuan):80337.89±36483.72 vs.109100.24±87080.84,28-day readmission rate:9.1％(4/44)vs.27.9％(12/43),both P<0.05].Conclusion Rhubarb ultrasonic conductive target penetration therapy is a safe,simple,and effective characteristic therapy of external Chinese medicine that can provide a new basis for the protection of gastrointestinal function in patients with sepsis.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to analyze the pharmacoeconomic research progress on nutrition therapy for cancer patients in recent ten years and explore the research hotspots in this field.Method:Bibliometric analysis was conducted based on Web of Science core database using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Gephi and Scimago Graphics.Results:A total of 647 researches in the field of pharmacoeconomics about nutrition therapy for cancer patients published from 2013 to 2022 were included, with the annual publication output peaking in 2022. A total of 286 authors from 94 countries or regions have conducted relevant research. Among the 306 institutions involved in our study, the World Health Organization was with the most citations, and the journal with the most citations was Clinical nutrition. The United States, China and the United Kingdom were the top three countries concerning publication outputs. Harvard University was the most important research institution in this field, and the authors with the highest publication volume was Carli Francesco. Keyword analysis identified colorectal cancer as the most important research topic. Keyword clustering resulted in 16 groups, among which enteral nutrition was the largest, and the burst keyword was enhanced recovery after surgery. Conclusions:This study found that research hotspots in nutrition therapy for cancer patients have mainly focused on colorectal cancer and enhanced recovery after surgery in the past decade, and enteral nutrition is also an important research topic in this field. With the emerging precision medicine, based on big data and individual patient conditions (especially patients with colorectal cancer), tailored whole-course perioperative nutrition management program with superior cost-effectiveness may represent the future research trend.