Objective: To summarize the circumstances of rescue events in hospitalized patients after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer in order to provide a reference for clinical decision-making. Methods: This study was approved by the hospital's medical ethics committee. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 86 hospitalized patients admitted between 2015 and 2023 for oral and maxillofacial diseases following radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Based on the occurrence of rescue events, patients were divided into a rescue group (n=20) and a non-rescue group (n=66). In addition, 20 healthy subjects matched for age and gender with the rescue group were included as a control group. First, baseline characteristics were compared between the rescue and non-rescue groups. Second, a descriptive analysis of the clinical characteristics and rescue events of the rescue group patients was performed. Third, differences in laboratory inflammatory and nutritional indicators, as well as tracheostomy status, were compared between the rescue and non-rescue groups. Fourth, Dolphin Imaging software was used to measure cone beam computed tomography images of the rescue group, non-rescue group, and control group. Upper airway parameters were measured, including the sagittal and coronal diameters of the nasopharyngeal, palatopharyngeal, glossopharyngeal, and laryngopharyngeal segments Results: ① A comparison of baseline characteristics between the rescue and non-rescue groups showed no statistically significant differences in age, gender, or body mass index, but the proportion of patients with comorbid pulmonary diseases was higher in the rescue group (P<0.05). ② In the rescue group, the primary reasons for radiotherapy were nasopharyngeal carcinoma (65%) and tongue cancer (25%). The mean age was (54.75 ± 11.59) years, with a male-to-female ratio of 3:1. The main reasons for this admission included radio-osteomyelitis in the mandible (55%) and recurrence of oral and maxillofacial tumors or new primary tumors in the oral and maxillofacial region (40%). The primary reason for rescue during hospitalization was dyspnea (55%), followed by acute massive hemorrhage (15%) and cardiac arrest (15%). Rescue events occurred mostly postoperatively (65%), with a median time of occurrence at 5 days post-operatively; 30% occurred preoperatively, and 5% occurred intraoperatively. ③ Laboratory indicators and tracheostomy status: preoperative and postoperative neutrophil counts, as well as the proportion of patients undergoing tracheostomy, were higher in the rescue group compared to the non-rescue group, while postoperative albumin levels were lower (P<0.05). ④ Upper airway measurements: the coronal and sagittal diameters of the nasopharyngeal segment and the coronal diameter of the glossopharyngeal segment were smaller in both the rescue and non-rescue groups compared to the control group (P<0.001). Conclusion The data from this study indicate that hospitalized patients experiencing rescue events after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer often have comorbid pulmonary diseases or tumor recurrence/new primary tumors, and frequently present with dyspnea. They exhibit a higher inflammatory state, poorer nutritional status, a greater need for emergency airway intervention, and share a common anatomical basis for dyspnea--upper airway narrowing. Clinical attention should be fully given to high-risk patients with these characteristics.

ObjectiveTo clearly identify the difference between rescue injuries and agonal injuries and to avoid duplicate identifications and misidentifications. MethodsBased on the forensic pathological data of 5 923 cases of death cause identification from 2013 to 2022 in Sun Yat-sen University Forensic Identification Center and Guangzhou Tianhe District Branch of Guangzhou Public Security Bureau， this study retrospectively studied the characteristics of rescue injuries and agonal injuries seen in cause of death identification and their influence on cause of death identification. ResultsAmong all the 5 923 cases， 640 cases were found to have rescue injuries or agonal injuries， and 624 cases received treatment， of which 609 cases were found to have rescue injuries （97.60%）， 44 cases were found to have agonal injuries， and 13 cases were found to have both types of injuries. Among the 640 cases， 441 were male and 199 were female. The age of death was discontinuously distributed from 0 to 95 years old. The leading cause of death was disease， followed by mechanical injury and asphyxia. The main manifestations of rescue injuries were rib and sternum fractures， soft tissue injuries in the prechest area or face， and pericardial rupture. The most common injuries in agonal stage were falling after unconsciousness， inhalation of foreign body in respiratory tract or multiple violent injuries. Among the 640 cases， 19 cases were repeatedly identified， including 15 cases of rescue injuries， 6 cases of agonal injuries， and 2 cases of both types of injuries. Compared with the cases where neither type of injuries was detected， the repeated identification rate of treatment injuries and agonal injuries was significantly increased （χ²=4.04， P=0.044； χ²=43.49， P<0.001）. Among the 640 cases， 11 cases （1.72%） were misidentified as the initial injuries in the first identification， and 13 cases had combined rescue injuries or agonal injuries that were involved in death. ConclusionsBy elucidating the epidemiological characteristics of the two types of injuries， this study proved that the two types of injuries were associated with higher rates of repeated identification and misidentification， which provided a reference for reducing repeated identification and misidentification and improving the accuracy of cause of death identification.

Charcoal-processed traditional Chinese herbal medicine has various therapeutic effects， including astringing， hemostasis， anti-diarrhea， clearing heat， tonifying， and warming the interior. This paper summarizes the clinical application features， compatible experiences， dosages， and precautions for over 20 types of charcoal-processed herbal medicine in the treatment of gynecological bleeding disorders caused by dysfunctions such as dysfunctional uterine bleeding， endometriosis， uterine incision pseudocavity， and vaginal bleeding resulting from threatened miscarriage. The charcoal-processed herbal medicine include Huangqin （Scutellaria Baicalensis） Charcoal， Dahuang （Rheum Palmatum） Charcoal， Cebai （Platycladus Orientalis） Charcoal， Diyu （Sanguisorba Officinalis） Charcoal， Daji （Cirsium Setosum） Charcoal， Xiaoji （Cirsium Japonicum） Charcoal， Shengdi （Rehmannia Glutinosa） Charcoal， Aiye （Artemisia Argyi） Charcoal， Paojiang （Zingiber Officinale） Charcoal， Xuduan （Dipsacus Asper） Charcoal， Duzhong （Eucommia Ulmoides） Charcoal， Qiancao （Rubia Cordifolia） Charcoal， Puhuang （Typha Angustifolia） Charcoal， Shanzha （Crataegus Pinnatifida） Charcoal， Jingjie （Schizonepeta Tenuifolia） Charcoal， Xueyu （Carthamus Tinctorius） Charcoal， Zonglyu （Areca Catechu） Charcoal， Wumei （Prunus Mume） Charcoal， Shudahuang （Rheum Officinale） Charcoal， Lianfang （Nymphaea Alba） Charcoal， Mianmaguanzhong （Clematis Armandii） Charcoal， and Oujie （Nelumbo Nucifera） Charcoal.

Purpose: Biomarkers predicting clinically significant prostate cancer (sPC) before biopsy are currently lacking. This study aimed to develop a non-invasive urine test to predict sPC in at-risk men using urinary metabolomic profiles. Materials and Methods: Urine samples from 934 at-risk subjects and 268 treatment-naïve PC patients were subjected to liquid chromatography/mass spectrophotometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics profiling using both C18 and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) column analyses. Four models were constructed (training cohort [n=647]) and validated (validation cohort [n=344]) for different purposes. Model I differentiates PC from benign cases. Models II, III, and a Gleason score model (model GS) predict sPC that is defined as National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)-categorized favorable-intermediate risk group or higher (Model II), unfavorable-intermediate risk group or higher (Model III), and GS ≥7 PC (model GS), respectively. The metabolomic panels and predicting models were constructed using logistic regression and Akaike information criterion. Results: The best metabolomic panels from the HILIC column include 25, 27, 28 and 26 metabolites in Models I, II, III, and GS, respectively, with area under the curve (AUC) values ranging between 0.82 and 0.91 in the training cohort and between 0.77 and 0.86 in the validation cohort. The combination of the metabolomic panels and five baseline clinical factors that include serum prostate-specific antigen, age, family history of PC, previously negative biopsy, and abnormal digital rectal examination results significantly increased AUCs (range 0.88–0.91). At 90% sensitivity (validation cohort), 33%, 34%, 41%, and 36% of unnecessary biopsies were avoided in Models I, II, III, and GS, respectively. The above results were successfully validated using LC-MS with the C18 column. Conclusions Urinary metabolomic profiles with baseline clinical factors may accurately predict sPC in men with elevated risk before biopsy.

Background/Aims: Anti-reflux mucosal ablation (ARMA) is a promising endoscopic intervention for proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-dependent gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, the effect of ARMA on esophageal motility remains unclear. Methods: Twenty patients with PPI-dependent GERD receiving ARMA were prospectively enrolled. Comprehensive self-report symptom questionnaires, endoscopy, 24-hour impedance-pH monitoring, and high-resolution impedance manometry were performed and analyzed before and 3 months after ARMA. Results: All ARMA procedures were performed successfully. Symptom scores, including GerdQ (11.16 ± 2.67 to 9.11 ± 2.64, P = 0.026) and reflux symptom index (11.63 ± 5.62 to 6.11 ± 3.86, P = 0.001), improved significantly, while 13 patients (65%) reported discontinuation of PPI. Total acid exposure time (5.84 ± 4.63% to 2.83 ± 3.41%, P = 0.024) and number of reflux episodes (73.05 ± 19.34 to 37.55 ± 22.71, P < 0.001) decreased significantly after ARMA. Improved esophagogastric junction (EGJ) barrier function, including increased lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure (13.89 ± 10.78 mmHg to 21.68 ± 11.5 mmHg, P = 0.034), 4-second integrated relaxation pressure (5.75 ± 6.42 mmHg to 9.99 ± 5.89 mmHg, P = 0.020), and EGJ-contractile integral(16.42 ± 16.93 mmHg · cm to 31.95 ± 21.25 mmHg · cm, P = 0.016), were observed. Esophageal body contractility also increased significantly (distal contractile integral, 966.85 ± 845.84 mmHg · s · cm to 1198.8 ± 811.74 mmHg · s · cm, P = 0.023). Patients with symptom improvement had better pre-AMRA esophageal body contractility. Conclusions ARMA effectively improves symptoms and reflux burden, EGJ barrier function, and esophageal body contractility in patients with PPIdependent GERD during short-term evaluation. Longer follow-up to clarify the sustainability of ARMA is needed.

ObjectiveTo explore the ethical dilemmas of patients in a cancer specialty hospital in the context of the smart hospital and to propose relevant countermeasures. MethodsUsing the purposive sampling method， medical staff from a tertiary cancer specialty hospital in a certain city were selected as research subjects from December 2023 to January 2024. Qualitative interviews were conducted on the ethical dilemmas of the specialized cancer patients in the context of the smart hospital， and Nvivo 12.0 software was used for data transcription and analysis. ResultsThree themes were extracted. First， the ethical dilemmas faced by specialized cancer patients in the context of smart hospitals， including the ethical dilemma between privacy protection and information disclosure， the right to life and choice， fairness and priority， and scientific research and clinical practice. Second， smart hospitals relied on advanced information technology to improve the level of medical teaching and research， but this had led to various ethical dilemmas mentioned above. Medical staff should correctly view and scientifically respond to these ethical dilemmas. Third， the response strategies for ethical dilemmas in cancer specialty hospitals in the context of smart hospitals include improving relevant policies and regulations， optimizing medical resource allocation， strengthening ethics education of medical staff， enhancing doctor-patient communication， and strengthening feedback and regulatory mechanisms. ConclusionMedical institutions should strengthen ethical supervision while promoting innovation and application of medical information technology， to ensure compliance and sustainability in the development of smart hospitals.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma polysaccharides on hyperlipidemia in mice by modulating the gut microbiota. MethodsNinety male C57BL/6J mice were randomized into the following groups （n=15）： control， model， simvastatin， low- （100 mg·kg^-1）， medium- （200 mg·kg^-1）， and high-dose （400 mg·kg^-1） Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma polysaccharides groups. Other groups except the control group were fed with a high-fat diet for the modeling of hyperlipidemia， and drug interventions lasted for 12 weeks. Serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） were measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer. The pathological changes in the liver and epididymal fat were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining， and lipid accumulation in the liver was assessed by oil red O staining. The gut microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group exhibited an increase in body weight （P<0.01）， along with marked elevations in serum levels of TC， TG， and LDL-C （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Furthermore， the model group showcased increase in the liver index and epididymal fat coefficient （P<0.05）， increased liver fat accumulation， enlargement of adipocytes in the epididymal fat， decreases in both alpha and beta diversity of the gut microbiota， and an increase in the relative abundance of Allobaculum （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma polysaccharides suppressed the increase in body weight （P<0.01）， lowered the serum levels of TC， TG， and LDL-C （P<0.05，P<0.01）， reduced the liver index and epididymal fat coefficient （P<0.05）， alleviated liver fat accumulation， and decreased the size of adipocytes in the epididymal fat. Furthermore， it enhanced the alpha and beta diversity of the gut microbiota in mice， reduced the relative abundance of Allobaculum， Erysipelotrichaceae， and Clostridium （P<0.01）， and increased the relative abundance of Akkermansia and Blautia （P<0.01）. ConclusionPolygonati Odorati Rhizoma polysaccharides can ameliorate hyperlipidemia induced by a high-fat diet in mice by regulating the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota.

Background/Aims: Anti-reflux mucosal ablation (ARMA) is a promising endoscopic intervention for proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-dependent gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, the effect of ARMA on esophageal motility remains unclear. Methods: Twenty patients with PPI-dependent GERD receiving ARMA were prospectively enrolled. Comprehensive self-report symptom questionnaires, endoscopy, 24-hour impedance-pH monitoring, and high-resolution impedance manometry were performed and analyzed before and 3 months after ARMA. Results: All ARMA procedures were performed successfully. Symptom scores, including GerdQ (11.16 ± 2.67 to 9.11 ± 2.64, P = 0.026) and reflux symptom index (11.63 ± 5.62 to 6.11 ± 3.86, P = 0.001), improved significantly, while 13 patients (65%) reported discontinuation of PPI. Total acid exposure time (5.84 ± 4.63% to 2.83 ± 3.41%, P = 0.024) and number of reflux episodes (73.05 ± 19.34 to 37.55 ± 22.71, P < 0.001) decreased significantly after ARMA. Improved esophagogastric junction (EGJ) barrier function, including increased lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure (13.89 ± 10.78 mmHg to 21.68 ± 11.5 mmHg, P = 0.034), 4-second integrated relaxation pressure (5.75 ± 6.42 mmHg to 9.99 ± 5.89 mmHg, P = 0.020), and EGJ-contractile integral(16.42 ± 16.93 mmHg · cm to 31.95 ± 21.25 mmHg · cm, P = 0.016), were observed. Esophageal body contractility also increased significantly (distal contractile integral, 966.85 ± 845.84 mmHg · s · cm to 1198.8 ± 811.74 mmHg · s · cm, P = 0.023). Patients with symptom improvement had better pre-AMRA esophageal body contractility. Conclusions ARMA effectively improves symptoms and reflux burden, EGJ barrier function, and esophageal body contractility in patients with PPIdependent GERD during short-term evaluation. Longer follow-up to clarify the sustainability of ARMA is needed.

Objective: This study aimed to systematically evaluate potential causal relationships between nine cathepsins and female infertility using Mendelian randomization (MR) methods. Methods: A bidirectional MR analysis was conducted utilizing single nucleotide polymorphisms as instrumental variables to investigate the potential causal effects between nine cathepsins and female infertility. Genetic data on female infertility were sourced from the FinnGen study, and cathepsin-related data were obtained from genome-wide association studies datasets of European ancestry. Results: Elevated levels of cathepsin E were significantly and inversely associated with the risk of female infertility, suggesting a potential protective role. This finding was further supported by multivariable MR analysis. However, no significant associations were observed between the other eight cathepsins and female infertility. Conclusion This study represents the first systematic MR analysis to identify a potential protective effect of cathepsin E on female infertility.

The analysis presented here is based on the blood components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets, the key anti-atherosclerosis pathway of Guanxin Qiwei tablets was screened by network pharmacology, and the anti-atherosclerosis mechanism of Guanxin Qiwei tablets was clarified and verified by cell experiments. HPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS technique was used to analyze the components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets into blood, to determine the precise mass charge ratio of the compounds, and to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the components by using secondary mass spectrometry fragments and literature comparison. Finally, a total of 42 components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets into blood were identified. To better understand the interactions, we employed the Swiss Target Prediction database to predict the associated targets. Atherosclerosis (AS) disease targets were searched in disease databases Genecard, OMIM and Disgent, and 181 intersection targets of disease targets and component targets were obtained by Venny 2.1.0 software. Protein interactions were analyzed by String database. The 32 core targets were selected by Cytscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed in DAVID database. It was found that the anti-atherosclerosis pathways of Guanxin Qiwei tablets mainly include lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications and other signal pathways. The core targets and the core compounds were interlinked, and it was found that cryptotanshinone and tanshinone ⅡA in Guanxin Qiwei tablets were well bound to TNF, PPARγ, AKT1, PTG2 and other targets. The lipid metabolism and atherosclerotic pathway was verified using human hl-7702 hepatocytes. This study preliminarily identified the potential pharmacodynamic components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets in the treatment of AS diseases and predicted their pathways of action, and verified the relationship between regulating lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis of Guanxin Qiwei tablets in vitro, providing a reference for the further study of the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of action of this prescription. This experiment was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Inner Mongolia Medical University (No. YKD202401262).