Objective: To investigate the genetic basis of RhD-negative phenotype in the blood donor population of Nantong City. Methods: RHD genotyping was performed on 386 randomly selected RhD-negative donor samples (from a total of 676 RhD-negative donors identified between January 20, 2023, and June 28, 2024) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the inconclusive results were confirmed by nucleotide sequencing. Results: Ten RHD allele types were identified: The complete deletion variant RHD 01N.01 was predominant (64.25%, 248/386); followed by RHD 01EL.01 (19.69%, 76/386). RHD 01N.03, RHD 01N.04, RHD 01N.16 and RHD 01EL.32 were frequently observed., RHD 01EL.02, RHD 01EL.08, RHD 01EL.37 and RHD 01N.25 were rare, and two exon deletion variants remained uncharacterized. The phenotypic distribution of RhD-negative blood donors was ccee (55.44%)>Ccee(31.09%)>ccEe(5.96%)>CCee(5.44%)>CcEe(1.81%)>CcEE(0.26%), and the antigen distribution trend was e(99.74%)>c(94.56%)>C(38.60%)>E(8.03%). A correlation was observed between RHD genotypes and RhCE phenotypes. Conclusion: The Nantong blood donor population exhibits unique RHD gene polymorphisms. Integrating RhCE serological phenotyping with RHD genotyping is essential for ensuring transfusion safety.

Objective To explore the mechanism of Medicoscab tincture in the treatment of second-degree burns based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. Methods The effective components of the tincture were screened by the TCMSP; the effective components of the tincture and burn related targets were screened by GeneCards and OMIM database; Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to draw “Chinese medicine-disease-effective components-targets” network diagram; the related gene ontology （GO） functions and pathways of the tincture were obtained through GO enrichment analysis and Kyoto encyclo-pedia of genes and geomes （KEGG） pathway analysis on the targets through Metascape platform; the pathway bubble diagram was constructed by the pathways enriched in the KEGG database, and finally verified by AutoDockTools for molecular alignment. Results 19 effective components and 179 target intersections of Medicoscab tincture were selected. GO analysis showed the intervention burns process mainly involved the reaction of inorganic substances, the reaction of cells to nitrogen compounds, and the response to xenobiotic stimuli, as well as biological processes such as membrane rafts, vesicular cavities, transcriptional regulatory factor complexes, receptor complexes, and endoplasmic reticulum cavities. KEGG analysis showed the function mainly includes AGE-RAGE signal pathway, PI3K-Akt signal pathway, IL-17 signal pathway, TNF signal pathway, etc. Analysis of cytoscape software showed the core targets were AKT1, TNF, IL-6, GAPDH, TP53, etc. Molecular docking showed that the active components of Medicoscab tincture were docking with multiple targets, among which β- sitosterol had strong binding activity with AKT1, GAPDH and TP53. Conclusion Quercetin, kaempferol, baicalein, β-sitosterol and other core active ingredients in the tincture of making scabs, which could assist in the relief of burns, regulate the signalling pathways such as AGE-RAGE, PI3K-Akt, IL-17, TNF and so on by acting on the targets of AKT1, GAPDH, TP53, IL-6 and so on. This study laid a theoretical foundation for clarifying the mechanism of action of tincture of scab making for the treatment of burn-like diseases.

Esophageal cancer is a common upper gastrointestinal cancer with high rates of morbidity and mortality,resulting in a poor prognosis.Treatment options for it primarily depends on the TNM stage.Precise stage diagnosis and prognosis evaluation can provide important reference for doctors to choose appropriate treatment strategies.Radiomics can extract a large number of quantitative features from medical images,revealing information about lesions that may be hidden from human doctors.This approach can effectively evaluate the heterogeneity of tumors in an objective and non-destructive manner,making it a valuable tool in the diagnosis,classification and prognosis evaluation of various types of cancer.This paper analyzes the recent researches and applications at home and abroad related to the clinical stage diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of esophageal cancer.By exploring current research statuses and progress,as well as potential future research directions,this paper aims to provide a precise reference for the stage diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of esophageal cancer that can guide doctors in making reasonable treatment decisions.

BACKGROUND:Research has shown that vanillic acid has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects,but it is unclear whether it has a protective effect on endplate chondrocytes.OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect and mechanism of vanillic acid on endplate chondrocytes under inflammatory microenvironment.METHODS:(1)Primary endplate chondrocytes were isolated from the intervertebral disc of SD rats and identified by toluidine blue staining and collagenⅡ immunofluorescence.(2)The CCK-8 assay was employed to detect the effects of interleukin-1β and vanillic acid on the proliferation activity of endplate chondrocytes,in order to determine the concentration of vanillic acid for subsequent cell treatment.(3)An inflammatory microenvironment was simulated by adding 10 ng/mL interleukin-1β to the culture medium,and the endplate chondrocytes were treated with low,medium,and high mass concentrations of vanillic acid.The expression levels of inflammatory markers and extracellular matrix proteins were detected by western blot assay and immunofluorescence.(4)The expression of nuclear factor κB signaling pathway-related proteins was detected by western blot assay.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The morphology of endplate chondrocytes in adherent culture was pike or triangular in shape,positive for toluidine blue staining and immunofluorescence for collagen Ⅱ,indicating that the experimentally extracted cells were endplate chondrocytes.(2)The CCK-8 assay results showed that treatment with 2.5,5,10,and 20 μg/mL vanillic acid for 24 hours did not significantly inhibit the proliferation of endplate chondrocytes.Compared with the interleukin-1β group,the viability of endplate chondrocytes treated with 5,10,and 20 μg/mL vanillic acid for 24 hours was significantly increased(P＜0.05).Therefore,5,10,and 20 μg/mL vanillic acid was selected as the low,medium,and high dose groups for subsequent treatment of endplate chondrocytes.(3)Compared with the model group(complete medium containing 10 ng/mL interleukin-1β),the expression of NOD-like receptor thermal domain associated protein 3(NLRP3),matrix metalloproteinase 13,matrix metalloproteinase 3,and tumor necrosis factor alpha protein in the endplate chondrocytes of the low,medium,and high doses of vanillic acid groups were significantly reduced(P＜0.05).(4)Compared with the model group,the protein expression of aggrecan and collagen Ⅱ in the endplate chondrocytes of the low,medium,and high dose groups of vanillic acid significantly increased(P＜0.05).(5)Compared with the model group,the protein expression of phospho-nuclear factor κB and phospho-inhibitor of nuclear factor κB in the endplate chondrocytes of the low,medium,and high dose groups of vanillic acid was significantly reduced(P＜0.05).(6)The above results indicate that vanillic acid may alleviate the inflammatory response and extracellular matrix degradation induced by interleukin-1β in rat endplate chondrocytes by inhibiting the activation of the nuclear factor κB signaling pathway.

Objectives:We evaluated the clinical significance of unipolar electrogram and bipolar electrogram in guiding radiofrequency ablation for outflow tract ventricular premature contractions(PVC).Methods:Data were collected from 78 patients who underwent successful radiofrequency ablation of PVC.Pre-procedure electrocardiogram showed a LBBB morphology on inferior leads.In the included patients,the right-side ablation was performed at first,and if the ablation failed,the left-side ablation was then performed.According to the location of the successful ablation target,they were divided into unilateral ablation successful group and bilateral ablation successful group.The differences in the earliest bipolar local activation to QRS(LATBi),unipolar-dV/dTmax to QRS(LATUni),and local activation time were compared between the two groups.Furthermore,the electrogram characteristics predicting bilateral ablation were explored.Results:Patients were divided into unilateral ablation group(n=57)and bilateral ablation group(n=21)according to the ablation site.There were statistically significant differences in LATBi(25[21,30]ms vs.14[10,24]ms),LATUni(7[0,17]ms vs.-23[-41,-11]ms),and ΔLATBi-Uni(15[11,25]ms vs.44[25,56]ms)between the unilateral ablation group and the bilateral ablation group(all P<0.05).Multivariate regression analysis suggested that LATBi,LATUni,and ΔLATBi-Uni were independent predictors of the need for bilateral ablation.There was no significant difference between left and right LATBi,LATUni and ΔLATBi-Uni in the bilateral ablation group.LATUni≤-1 was the most accurate parameter for predicting the need for bilateral ablation(AUC=0.941;specificity 80.7%;sensitivity 100%).Conclusions:LATUni≤-1ms is a useful indicator for predicting the need for bilateral PVC ablation in this patient cohort.

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of amide proton transfer weighted imaging(APTWI)in conjunction with prostate-specific antigen density(PSAD)for detecting clinically significant prostate cancer(csPCa)within prostate imaging reporting and data system(PI-RADS)v2.13-5 grade lesions.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and imaging data of 88 patients diagnosed with PI-RADS 3-5 grade prostate lesions.There were 59 patients with prostate cancer(PCa)and 29 with benign prostate lesion(BPL).The PCa group was divided into csPCa group(44 cases)and clinically insignificant prostate cancer(ciPCa)group(15 cases)according to Gleason score(GS).Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between APTWI-related parameters and GS in PCa.Comparative analyses were conducted to identify statistical discrepancies in APTWI and prostate-specific antigen(PSA)-related parameters across various groups.Subsequently,both solitary and combined diagnostic models were developed,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve were utilized to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy.Results APTmax and APTmean were moderately positively correlated with GS(r=0.683,r=0.705,respectively),and APTmin was weakly positively correlated with GS(r=0.547).APTWI and PSA-related parameters were significantly higher in the PCa group than in the BPL group,and APTmin had the highest efficacy in diagnosing PCa[area under the curve(AUC)=0.855].APTWI and PSA-related parameters differed among the BPL,ciPCa and csPCa groups(P＜0.05).Among the groups,statistically significant differences were observed in each parameter of APTWI and PSA-related indices between the BPL group and the csPCa group,as well as between the ciPCa group and the csPCa group(P＜0.05).In contrast,only APTmin and PSAD exhibited significant differ-ences between the BPL group and the ciPCa group(P＜0.05).The results of the combined diagnosis showed that APTmin+PSAD had the highest diagnostic efficacy for diagnosing PCa(AUC=0.899),and APTmean+PSAD had the highest diagnostic efficacy for diagnosing csPCa(AUC=0.838).Conclusion In PI-RADS 3-5 grade prostate lesions,APTWI and PSA-related parameters are statisti-cally different in the BPL,ciPCa,and csPCa groups.Notably,the combination of APTmean and PSAD exhibit the highest diagnostic efficacy for csPCa.

Objective:To explore the practical experience in perineal protection and assessment by midwives in general hospitals, so as to provide reference for further reducing the episiotomy rate for non-medical indications.Methods:From December 2021 to January 2022, applying a phenomenological research methodology, 14 midwives from four general hospitals in Anhui Province were selected through purposive sampling combined with maximum difference sampling for semi-structured interviews. Colaizzi 7-step analysis method was used to summarize, analyze and refine themes.Results:Three themes and 10 sub-themes were extracted, namely the motivation for perineal protection (policy orientation, reduction of childbirth injuries, maternal needs), decision-making factors for perineal protection (maternal and infant safety, maternal perineal condition, work experience, work environment, maternal cooperation), and techniques for perineal protection (patience, controlling the speed of fetal head delivery) .Conclusions:Midwives' perineal protection and assessment practices are influenced by multiple factors. Hospital administrators are advised to enhance midwife training, establish system processes to reduce perineal injuries, unify perineal assessment standards, and rationally control episiotomy rates while fully prioritizing the maternal and infant safety.

Objective To investigate the clinical features of chronic hepatitis C(CHC)patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 3(HCV GT3)infection and the risk factors for disease progression.Methods A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted among 1 002 CHC patients from 11 clinical centers in Northwest China from December 2017 to November 2023,and according to their genotype,they were divided into GT1,GT2,GT3,and GT6 groups.Clinical features were compared between the patients with different genotypes.The one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups,and the Scheffe test was used for further comparison between two groups.The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of data with skewed distribution between groups;the chi-square test or Fisher test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors for the progression of CHC to liver cirrhosis.Results In terms of the genotype,there were 427 patients with GT1 infection,242 with GT2 infection,299 with GT3 infection(210 patients with GT3a infection,87 with GT3b infection,and 2 with unclassified genotype),and 34 with GT6 infection.The patients with GT3 infection had a significantly younger age than those with GT1 infection(51.3±0.5 years vs 53.2±0.6 years,P<0.05)or GT2 infection(51.3±0.5 years vs 53.7±0.8 years,P<0.05),and for the patients with liver cirrhosis,the patients with GT3 infection had a significantly younger age than those with GT1 infection(52.1±0.5 years vs 59.4±0.9 years,P<0.001)or GT2 infection(52.1±0.5 years vs 58.1±1.1 years,P<0.001).Among the patients with GT3 infection,male patients accounted for 77.9%and the patients with liver cirrhosis accounted for 46.2%,which were significantly higher than those among the patients with GT1,GT2 or GT6 infection(all P<0.001).At baseline,the patients with GT3 infection had significantly higher levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)than those with GT1 or GT2 infection,significantly higher aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index(APRI)and fibrosis-4(FIB4)than those with GT1,GT2 or GT6 infection,a significantly lower platelet count(PLT)than those with GT2 or GT6 infection,a significantly higher level of alpha-fetoprotein than those with GT2 or GT6 infection,and a significantly lower level of albumin(Alb)than those with GT6 infection(all P<0.05).There were no significant differences between the patients with GT3a infection and those with GT3b infection in age,sex,the proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis,comorbidities,HCV RNA quantification,PLT,ALT,AST,alkaline phosphatase,Alb,APRI,and FIB-4(all P>0.05).The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PLT≤150×109/L(odds ratio[OR]=10.72,95%confidence interval[CI]:5.76-35.86,P<0.001)and Alb≤35 g/L(OR=3.74,95%CI:1.22-11.45,P=0.021)were risk factors for liver cirrhosis.Conclusion Most CHC patients with GT3 infection are male in Northwest China,and compared with the patients with other genotypes,such patients tend to have a younger age of onset and higher degrees of liver inflammation activity and fibrosis.Low PLT and a low level of Alb are risk factors for progression to liver cirrhosis in CHC patients with GT3 infection.

Objective:To summarize the clinical and imaging presentations of the pontine tegmental cap dysplasia (PTCD).Methods:The clinical, high resolution CT(HRCT) and MRI materials of 4 patients with PTCD between August 2007 to December 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Among these, there were 2 males and 2 females, their ages ranged from 10 months to 16 years.Results:Of 4 PTCD patients, severe or profound severe hearing loss ( n=8 ears), developmental delay, hypotonia and severe facioplegia ( n=3 cases) were found. On HRCT, all of 4 cases were associated with temporal anomalies [including a narrow bony cochlear nerve canal ( n=8 ears), duplicated (each n=4 ears) or narrow ( n=1 ear) internal auditory canal, enlarged vestibular aqueduct ( n=2 ears), enlarged vestibules and dysplastic lateral semicircular canals ( n=3 ears), ossicular deformation( n=2 ears). The stenosis of the labyrinthine segments of the facial nerve canal ( n=3 ears) and facial nerve canal ectopia(n=6 ears)], atrial or ventricular septal defect (each n=1 case), thoracic or lumbar vertebral anomalies and ribs fusion ( n=3 cases). On the brain MRI, the variable flattening of the ventral pons and dysmorphism of the dorsal upper pons cap-like bulging and protruding in the fourth ventricle were shown in all cases, the vermian and cerebellar peduncles hypoplasia gave rise to a molar tooth appearance. The dysplastic ( n=3 ears), aplastic( n=5 ears) cochlear nerves and dysplastic facial nerves ( n=3 ears) were found. Conclusion:The PTCD patients usually present severe hearing loss, developmental delay, hypotonia, and facioplegia. The flattening of the ventral pons and the dorsal upper pons cap-like bulging usually with duplicated internal auditory canal and severe facial and auditory nerves dysplasia are its imaging features.

Objective:This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of levosimendan in elderly patients with acute heart failure across varying levels of renal function, utilizing real-world data.Methods:We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 699 elderly patients with acute heart failure who were hospitalized at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University and received positive inotropic drugs between January 2015 and December 2022.The median age of the participants was 71 years(interquartile range, 66 to 77), with 61.9% being male.Among these patients, 171 received non-levosimendan positive inotropic drugs(non-levosimendan group), while 528 were treated with levosimendan(levosimendan group).Baseline clinical data collected during hospitalization were analyzed.The primary outcomes assessed included the reduction in N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)levels following treatment, as well as mortality rates within 30 days and one year.Secondary outcomes encompassed the length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality.Patients were categorized based on their estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)prior to treatment, with groups defined as those with eGFR≥60 ml·min -1·1.73(m -1) 2 and those with eGFR between 15 and <60 ml·min -1·1.73(m -1) 2.The impact of levosimendan treatment on heart failure improvement and clinical prognosis was analyzed using a double robust method, which accounted for patients with varying levels of renal function. Results:In comparison to the non-levosimendan group, a significantly higher proportion of patients in the levosimendan group exhibited decreased NT-proBNP levels(31.0% vs.47.0%, P<0.001).However, there were no significant differences regarding the length of hospital stay, in-hospital mortality, or mortality rates at 30 days and 1 year(all P>0.05).After applying the double robust method for adjustment, levosimendan was shown to significantly reduce NT-proBNP levels( OR=1.553, 95% CI: 1.225-1.972, P<0.001), although it did not result in a significant improvement in 30-day or 1-year mortality rates.In patients with an eGFR of 15-<60 ml·min -1·1.73(m -1) 2, levosimendan significantly reduced NT-proBNP levels( OR=1.797, 95% CI: 1.308-2.481, P<0.001)and decreased 30-day mortality( HR=0.536, 95% CI: 0.292-0.986, P=0.045).Similarly, in patients with eGFR ≥60 ml·min -1·1.73(m -1) 2, levosimendan significantly reduced NT-proBNP levels( OR=1.965, 95% CI: 1.325-2.933, P<0.001), but did not improve 30-day mortality.Across varying levels of renal function, levosimendan had no significant effect on 1-year mortality. Conclusions:Levosimendan can significantly enhance cardiac function in elderly patients experiencing acute heart failure, irrespective of varying levels of renal function.Notably, greater benefits regarding short-term mortality were observed in patients with an eGFR of 15-<60 ml·min -1·1.73(m -1) 2.