Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality, characterized by poor prognosis due to its high proliferative and invasive potential. Tumor metabolic reprogramming, particularly involving glucose metabolism, is essential for tumor survival. This study investigates the role of the Hippo pathway effector transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) in regulating gluconeogenesis and promoting tumorigenesis in HCC. Methods: TAZ expression in HCC was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas data and validated in clinical samples and cell lines. TAZ was overexpressed or silenced in HCC cell lines to evaluate its effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. The expression and prognostic relevance of the gluconeogenesis-related genes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6PC) were examined, along with their correlation with TAZ expression. Tumor growth was assessed in nude mice. Interactions between TAZ and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) were investigated using co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Results: TAZ was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. TAZ overexpression enhanced proliferation, reduced apoptosis, and promoted migration and invasion. In contrast, PCK1 and G6PC were downregulated in HCC and showed a negative correlation with TAZ expression. Conclusion TAZ modulates gluconeogenesis and accelerates tumor growth, whereas its knockdown attenuates tumor progression. TAZ interacts with GR, suppressing its transcriptional activity on gluconeogenic gene promoters.

Background Under intensive dairy farming conditions, Enterococcus spp. can be transmitted between animals, farm workers, and the environment via multiple vectors such as feces, soil, water, air, and farming equipment, posing a potential threat to public health. Objective To elucidate the prevalence, distribution, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) and Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) among farm workers, dairy cattle, and the farm environment in Xinjiang, and to assess the risk of their cross-host transmission. Methods From May 2024 to January 2025, a total of 317 samples were collected from 11 large-scale dairy farms in Xinjiang, China, including feces from farm workers (n=130) and dairy cattle (n=154), and environmental samples (n=33). E. faecalis and E. faecium were isolated and identified, followed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to analyze their molecular characteristics. Results A total of 183 Enterococcus isolates were obtained (66 E. faecalis and 117 E. faecium isolated). The isolation rates of both species showed statistically significant differences among the three sources (χ²=29.21, P=0.003). Antimicrobial resistance analysis revealed that E. faecalis generally exhibited higher resistance rates across multiple antibiotic classes than E. faecium. High resistance to rifampicin was observed across all sources (50.00%–81.25%), with statistical variation among origins (χ²=8.03, P=0.024). Multidrug-resistant strains accounted for 69.10% of the isolates. Multidrug resistance patterns in E. faecium varied significantly by source (χ²=27.19, P=0.014), and one isolate displayed resistance to eight antibiotic classes. MLST indicated high genetic diversity; E. faecalis was dominated by ST472 and ST227 of which the distrubution was significantly different among sources, while E. faecium primarily clustered into clonal complexes CC94 (centered on ST94) and CC17 (centered on ST22). Conclusion Resistant Enterococcus strains exhibit cross-transmission among farm workers, animals, and the environment. Under the "One Health" framework, standardized farming protocols and prudent antimicrobial use are essential to disrupt the transmission chain of resistant clones and mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance at its source.

Background Under intensive dairy farming conditions, Enterococcus spp. can be transmitted between animals, farm workers, and the environment via multiple vectors such as feces, soil, water, air, and farming equipment, posing a potential threat to public health. Objective To elucidate the prevalence, distribution, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) and Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) among farm workers, dairy cattle, and the farm environment in Xinjiang, and to assess the risk of their cross-host transmission. Methods From May 2024 to January 2025, a total of 317 samples were collected from 11 large-scale dairy farms in Xinjiang, China, including feces from farm workers (n=130) and dairy cattle (n=154), and environmental samples (n=33). E. faecalis and E. faecium were isolated and identified, followed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to analyze their molecular characteristics. Results A total of 183 Enterococcus isolates were obtained (66 E. faecalis and 117 E. faecium isolated). The isolation rates of both species showed statistically significant differences among the three sources (χ²=29.21, P=0.003). Antimicrobial resistance analysis revealed that E. faecalis generally exhibited higher resistance rates across multiple antibiotic classes than E. faecium. High resistance to rifampicin was observed across all sources (50.00%–81.25%), with statistical variation among origins (χ²=8.03, P=0.024). Multidrug-resistant strains accounted for 69.10% of the isolates. Multidrug resistance patterns in E. faecium varied significantly by source (χ²=27.19, P=0.014), and one isolate displayed resistance to eight antibiotic classes. MLST indicated high genetic diversity; E. faecalis was dominated by ST472 and ST227 of which the distrubution was significantly different among sources, while E. faecium primarily clustered into clonal complexes CC94 (centered on ST94) and CC17 (centered on ST22). Conclusion Resistant Enterococcus strains exhibit cross-transmission among farm workers, animals, and the environment. Under the "One Health" framework, standardized farming protocols and prudent antimicrobial use are essential to disrupt the transmission chain of resistant clones and mitigate the spread of antimicrobial resistance at its source.

Enhancing medical humanistic care has become an important management issue for the high-quality development of the healthcare sector. The actions and processes of medical humanistic care represent the result of mutual selection and negotiation between the contextual system and the subject. Therefore， it is necessary to explain the deep mechanisms of the mismatch between the concept and actions through both the macro and micro levels. The structural contradictions， such as the disconnection between medical humanities education theory and practice， the alienation of medical evaluation mechanisms， and the imbalance in resource allocation， as well as the subjective obstacles， such as technical rationality and parametrization of diseases， insufficient understanding of humanistic care by medical professionals， and their cognitive deviations in realizing self-identity， jointly influence the specific practice of medical humanistic care actions. Modern medicine emphasizes patient-centeredness. Thus， it is essential to collaboratively realize medical humanistic care that unifies knowledge and actions through the coupled development of education training and clinical practice， the dual orientation of evaluation systems and institutional incentives， the dynamic balance of resource allocation and demand response， and the symbiotic evolution of individual professional identity and value rationality.

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Da Chaihutang （DCH） for the treatment of sepsis with Yang syndrome. MethodsA total of 70 patients suffering from sepsis with Yang syndrome were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group， with 35 cases in each group. They both received standard Western medicine treatment. The observation group was additionally given a dose of DCH， which was boiled into 100 mL and taken twice. The control group was additionally given an equal volume and dosage of warm water. The intervention lasted for three days. The 28-day all-cause mortality and the changes in the following indicators before and after intervention were compared between the two groups， including sequential organ failure assessment （SOFA）， acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ （APACHE Ⅱ） score，white blood cell （WBC），the percentage of neutrophils （NEU%），C-reactive protein （CRP），procalcitonin （PCT），alanine transaminase （ALT），aspartate transaminase （AST），total bilirubin （TBil），creatinine （Cr），blood urea nitrogen （BUN），acute gastrointestinal injury （AGI） grade，gastrointestinal dysfunction score （GDS），serum intestinal fatty acid-binding protein （iFABP）， citrulline （CR），platelet （PLT），prothrombin time（PT），activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT），fibrinogen （Fib），international normalized ratio （INR），and D-dimer （D-D）. ResultsThere was no significant difference between the two groups regarding 28-day all-cause mortality. After the intervention，SOFA，WBC，PCT，and Cr were significantly decreased， and PLT was significantly increased in the control group （P<0.05）. SOFA，APACHE Ⅱ，NEU%，CRP，PCT，ALT，AST，Cr，BUN，AGI grade，GDS，and serum iFABP and CR were significantly improved in the observation group （P<0.05）. After the intervention，APACHE Ⅱ，PCT，AGI grade，GDS，and serum iFABP in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ，while CR and PLT were higher （P<0.05，P<0.01）. There were significant differences regarding the gap of SOFA，APACHE Ⅱ，AST，TBil，AGI grade，GDS，iFABP，CR， and PLT between the two groups （P<0.05，P<0.01）. There were slight differences regarding PT，APTT，Fib，INR，and D-D between the two groups，which were in the clinical normal range. ConclusionOn the basis of Western medicine， DCH helped to reduce sepsis severity and improved multiple organ dysfunction with high clinical efficacy and safety， but further research on its impact on the prognosis of patients with sepsis is still required.

Objective To observe the therapeutic effects of Tongluo Baoshen Prescription on IgA nephropathy rats;To explore its mechanism.Methods Totally 130 SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group(20 rats)and a modeling group(110 rats).After establishing the IgA nephropathy model,the modeling group was further randomly divided into the model group,losartan potassium group and Tongluo Baoshen Prescription low-,medium-and high-dosage groups,with 20 rats in each group.Tongluo Baoshen Prescription low-,medium-and high-dosage groups were administered at dosages of 5.3,10.6 and 21.2 g/kg respectively,the losartan potassium group was given with the dosage of 5 mg/kg,the normal group and model group were given an equivalent amount of distilled water by gavage once daily.Blood,urine and kidney tissue samples were collected after 4 and 8 weeks of administration.The hemoglobin content was detected,urinary IL-1β,integrin α3β1 and serum albumin contents were detected by ELISA,and the mRNA and protein expressions of NF-κB p52,NF-κB p65,Rel B,c-Rel and Desmin in renal tissue were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot,the apoptosis of renal tissue at 8 weeks of administration was detected by TUNEL staining,the expression of C3c in renal tissue was detected by immunofluorescence,the co-expression of Gprc5b,Caspase-1,NLRP3 and Nephrin were detected by immunofluorescence double labeling,the expression of Gprc5b and Nephrin in renal tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results Compared with the normal group,the model group rats showed significantly increased contents of urinary IL-1β and integrin α3β1(P<0.01),with further increases in urinary integrin α3β1 over time(P<0.05);the mRNA and protein expressions of NF-κB p52,NF-κB p65,Rel B,c-Rel and Desmin in renal tissue significantly increased(P<0.01),and the proportion of apoptosis-positive cells in renal tissue significantly increased(P<0.01),immunofluorescence results revealed that C3c exhibited granular and clumpy high-intensity deposition in the mesangial area and capillary loops of the glomeruli(P<0.01),immunofluorescence double labeling showed that the expression of Gprc5b,Caspase-1 and NLRP3 in renal tissue increased(P<0.01),while Nephrin expression significantly decreased(P<0.01),immunohistochemistry analysis showed that the positive expression of Gprc5b in renal tissue significantly increased(P<0.01),while Nephrin significantly decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the urinary IL-1β and integrin α3β1 contents in the losartan potassium group and Tongluo Baoshen Prescription groups reduced after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment(P<0.05,P<0.01);the mRNA and protein expressions of NF-κB p52,NF-κB p65,Rel B,c-Rel and Desmin in renal tissue decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),and the proportion of apoptosis-positive cells in renal tissue decreased(P<0.05),the C3c deposition in renal tissue was diminished(P<0.05,P<0.01),immunofluorescence double labeling showed that the expression of Gprc5b,Caspase-1 and NLRP3 in renal tissue were decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),while Nephrin expression increased(P<0.05,P<0.01),immunohistochemistry analysis showed that the positive expression of Gprc5b in renal tissue decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),while Nephrin expression increased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Tongluo Baoshen Prescription has a protective effect on the kidney of IgA nephropathy rats,and it can improve podocyte injury.The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the Gprc5b/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.

Objective:To explore the application value of radiomics, deep learning, and their combined models in predicting the efficacy of radioiodine adjuvant therapy in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and imaging data of 131 PTC patients (38 males, 93 females; age 41(33, 48) years) who received first 131I treatment at the Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University from January 2018 to March 2023. Patients were randomly divided into a training set ( n=105) and a test set ( n=26) at the ratio of 8∶2. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen clinical features to determine independent predictors affecting the efficacy of 131I therapy. Radiomics and deep learning features were extracted from the enhanced CT scans and were combined by using the extremely randomized trees (ExtraTrees) algorithm to construct radiomics, deep learning, and combined models. The predictive abilities of the models were evaluated by AUC, and the Delong test was applied to compare the difference between AUCs. Results:Higher pre-ablation stimulated thyroglobulin (ps-Tg) levels (odds ratio( OR)=1.060, 95% CI: 1.025-1.095, P=0.004) and bilateral lesions ( OR=5.085, 95% CI: 1.452-17.814, P=0.033) were independent predictors of the efficacy of 131I therapy in intermediate to high-risk PTC patients. In the training set, the radiomics model (AUC=0.853) and combined model (AUC=0.880) significantly outperformed the deep learning model (AUC=0.711; Z values: 2.48, 3.09, P values: 0.013, 0.002), while there was no statistically significant difference between the radiomics and combined models ( Z=0.51, P=0.610). In the test set, AUCs of the radiomics, deep learning, and combined models were 0.746, 0.624, and 0.876, respectively, and the AUC of the combined model was higher than that of the radiomics model or deep learning model ( Z values: 2.05, 1.99, P values: 0.040, 0.047). Conclusion:The combined model demonstrates superior performance over the standalone radiomics model and deep learning model in predicting the efficacy of 131I treatment in PTC patients.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of telitacicept in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) .Methods:The clinical data of 25 SLE patients who received standard therapy combined with telitacicept at the Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Second Hospital, Central South University, from 2021 to 2024 were retrospectively collected. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed. Changes in skin lesions, joint pain symptoms, complete blood count, and biochemical parameters at 4, 12, and 24 weeks of treatment were compared with baseline (week 0). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare complement C3 and C4 levels before and after treatment, and univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore factors influencing the efficacy of telitacicept.Results:Among the 25 SLE patients, 3 were male (12.0%) and 22 were female (88.0%). Based on the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) -2000 scores, 8 patients were mild, 13 were moderate, and 4 were severe. Of the 11 SLE patients with rashes before treatment, 6 achieved complete remission at 12 weeks. Among the 7 patients with joint pain before treatment, 4 experienced symptom resolution at 24 weeks. The proportion of patients with leukopenia at baseline and at 4, 12, and 24 weeks was 10/25 (40.0%), 0/24 (0), 1/22 (4.5%), and 2/19 (10.5%), respectively. The proportion of patients with thrombocytopenia was 6/25 (24.0%), 3/24 (12.5%), 1/22 (4.5%), and 1/19 (5.3%), respectively, and the proportion of patients with anemia was 7/25 (28.0%), 3/24 (12.5%), 1/22 (4.5%), and 1/19 (5.3%), respectively. At baseline, 11 out of 25 patients (44.0%) had proteinuria. At 12 weeks, the urinary protein quantification level (0.4 [0, 0.6] g/L) was significantly lower than at baseline (0.9 [0.8, 1.2] g/L). The SLE responder index-4 (SRI4) response rates at 4, 12, and 24 weeks were 14/18, 15/17, and 12/14, respectively. Complement C3 and C4 levels were significantly higher at 4, 12, and 24 weeks compared to baseline (all P < 0.001). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, disease duration, glucocorticoid dosage, baseline complement C4 levels, antinuclear antibody titer, and SLEDAI-2K score did not significantly affect the efficacy of telitacicept (SRI4 response rate at 12 weeks) (all P > 0.05). No serious adverse reactions related to telitacicept were observed in patients. Conclusions:Telitacicept improved skin lesions, complement C3 and C4 levels, and anti-double-stranded DNA antibody levels in SLE patients. No association was found between the efficacy of telitacicept and baseline SLEDAI-2K scores, antinuclear antibody titers, or complement C4 levels, suggesting that telitacicept is an effective and safe treatment for SLE patients.

Objective:To investigate the expression of ephrin type-A receptor 2 (EPHA2) in psoriatic lesions and its effect on the proliferation and differentiation of normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) .Methods:The GDS4602 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was analyzed to determine EPHA2 gene expression changes in psoriatic lesions. Skin tissue samples were collected from 3 psoriasis patients and 3 healthy controls, and EPHA2 expression was determined in the skin tissues by immunofluorescence staining. Twelve female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (4 mice in each group) : a normal control group (receiving no treatment), an imiquimod group (topically treated with 62.5 mg of imiquimod 5% cream), and an imiquimod + ALWⅡ-41-27 group (topically treated with 62.5 mg of imiquimod 5% cream, followed by intraperitoneal injections of the EPHA2 inhibitor ALWⅡ-41-27 at a dose of 20 mg·kg -1·d -1) ; after 6 days of treatment, dorsal skin samples were harvested for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, immunofluorescence staining was performed to determine the expression of EPHA2 and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2), and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) was conducted to determine the mRNA expression of the nuclear proliferation antigen Ki67, involucrin (Ivl), loricrin (Lor), and keratin 10 (Krt10). In vitro cultured NHEKs were divided into a control group (receiving no treatment), an M5 group (treated with 10 ng/ml M5 cytokines [including interleukin-17A, interleukin-22, interleukin-1α, oncostatin M and tumor necrosis factor-α]), an ALWⅡ-41-27 group (treated with 1 μmol/L ALWⅡ-41-27), and an M5 + ALWⅡ-41-27 group (treated with 10 ng/ml M5 and 1 μmol/L ALWⅡ-41-27) ; after 24 hours of treatment, the 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay was performed to assess cellular proliferative activity, Western blot analysis to determine the expression of EPHA2, ERK and their phosphorylated proteins, and qPCR to determine the mRNA expression of KI67, IVL, LOR, and KRT10. One-way analysis of variance, Dunnett's T3 test, two-independent-sample t test, and paired t test were used for statistical analysis. Results:GEO database analysis revealed upregulated EPHA2 expression in psoriatic lesions compared with normal skin tissues from healthy controls ( t = 21.07, P < 0.001). Immunofluorescence staining showed increased EPHA2 expression in skin tissues from psoriasis patients and mouse models of psoriasis compared with those from healthy controls and normal control mice, respectively (both P < 0.01). In the animal experiments, the imiquimod group showed thicker epidermis, increased Ki67 mRNA expression, decreased mRNA expression of Ivl, Lor, and Krt10, and elevated p-ERK1/2 expression compared with the normal control group and imiquimod + ALWⅡ-41-27 group (all P < 0.05). In the cell experiments, the M5 group showed an increased proportion of EdU-positive cells (35.61% ± 1.18% vs. 24.83% ± 0.60% and 12.49% ± 1.52%, t = 8.12, 12.00, P = 0.015, 0.001, respectively), increased KI67 mRNA expression, and decreased mRNA expression of IVL, LOR, and KRT10 compared with the control group and M5 + ALWⅡ-41-27 group (all P < 0.05) ; Western blot analysis revealed that the expression levels of EPHA2, p-EPHA2, and p-ERK1/2 in NHEKs were significantly higher in the M5 group than in the control group and M5 + ALWⅡ-41-27 group (all P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the ERK1/2 protein expression among groups ( P > 0.05) . Conclusion:EPHA2 expression was upregulated in psoriatic lesions, which may promote keratinocyte proliferation and inhibit its differentiation, possibly via the ERK pathway.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of telitacicept in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) .Methods:The clinical data of 25 SLE patients who received standard therapy combined with telitacicept at the Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Second Hospital, Central South University, from 2021 to 2024 were retrospectively collected. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed. Changes in skin lesions, joint pain symptoms, complete blood count, and biochemical parameters at 4, 12, and 24 weeks of treatment were compared with baseline (week 0). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare complement C3 and C4 levels before and after treatment, and univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore factors influencing the efficacy of telitacicept.Results:Among the 25 SLE patients, 3 were male (12.0%) and 22 were female (88.0%). Based on the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) -2000 scores, 8 patients were mild, 13 were moderate, and 4 were severe. Of the 11 SLE patients with rashes before treatment, 6 achieved complete remission at 12 weeks. Among the 7 patients with joint pain before treatment, 4 experienced symptom resolution at 24 weeks. The proportion of patients with leukopenia at baseline and at 4, 12, and 24 weeks was 10/25 (40.0%), 0/24 (0), 1/22 (4.5%), and 2/19 (10.5%), respectively. The proportion of patients with thrombocytopenia was 6/25 (24.0%), 3/24 (12.5%), 1/22 (4.5%), and 1/19 (5.3%), respectively, and the proportion of patients with anemia was 7/25 (28.0%), 3/24 (12.5%), 1/22 (4.5%), and 1/19 (5.3%), respectively. At baseline, 11 out of 25 patients (44.0%) had proteinuria. At 12 weeks, the urinary protein quantification level (0.4 [0, 0.6] g/L) was significantly lower than at baseline (0.9 [0.8, 1.2] g/L). The SLE responder index-4 (SRI4) response rates at 4, 12, and 24 weeks were 14/18, 15/17, and 12/14, respectively. Complement C3 and C4 levels were significantly higher at 4, 12, and 24 weeks compared to baseline (all P < 0.001). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, disease duration, glucocorticoid dosage, baseline complement C4 levels, antinuclear antibody titer, and SLEDAI-2K score did not significantly affect the efficacy of telitacicept (SRI4 response rate at 12 weeks) (all P > 0.05). No serious adverse reactions related to telitacicept were observed in patients. Conclusions:Telitacicept improved skin lesions, complement C3 and C4 levels, and anti-double-stranded DNA antibody levels in SLE patients. No association was found between the efficacy of telitacicept and baseline SLEDAI-2K scores, antinuclear antibody titers, or complement C4 levels, suggesting that telitacicept is an effective and safe treatment for SLE patients.