Objective To investigate the expression profile, prognostic value, gene co-expression network, and immunomodulatory role of BRF1 in a pan-cancer context, and to explore its biological functions and molecular regulatory mechanisms in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods The pan-cancer dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was utilized to analyze the differential expression of BRF1 in tumor versus normal tissues, its association with patient survival, pathway enrichment for co-expressed genes, and immune features (including immune checkpoints, cytokines, and immune cell infiltration). The expression profile of BRF1 in ESCC was validated using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. In vitro, BRF1 was knocked down in ESCC cells using siRNA. Cell proliferation and migration were assessed by MTT and Transwell assays, respectively. The expression levels of proliferation- and migration-related proteins were detected by Western blotting. The correlation between BRF1 and ferroptosis was analyzed using TCGA data. Results BRF1 was significantly upregulated in over 20 types of cancer, and its high expression was associated with poor prognosis in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma and prostate adenocarcinoma. BRF1 was found to positively regulate the T-cell-mediated cell death pathway in esophageal adenocarcinoma and was associated with the circadian rhythm regulation pathway in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The correlation of BRF1 with immune checkpoints, cytokine networks, and immune cell infiltration was found to be cancer type-specific. In vitro experiments demonstrated that knocking down BRF1 significantly inhibited the proliferation of ESCC cells, accompanied by the downregulation of the proliferation marker PCNA. Cell migration was also significantly impaired, with decreased expression of Vimentin and MMPs and increased expression of E-cadherin. Furthermore, the expression of BRF1 was positively correlated with that of ferroptosis-antagonizing genes, such as GPX4, HSPA5, and SLC7A11. Conclusion BRF1 plays complex roles in pan-cancer, participating in the regulation of tumorigenesis, progression, and immune infiltration. BRF1 promotes the proliferation and migration of ESCC cells, a mechanism potentially associated with the regulation of ferroptosis resistance. These findings suggest that BRF1 could be a potential therapeutic target for ESCC.

Otitis media is an infection of the middle ear mainly caused by bacteria, and current treatments rely heavily on antibiotics. However, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains seriously affects their efficacy. In our study, we found that extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from human natural killer cells (NKs) inhibit the proliferation of both standard and levofloxacin (LVX)-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, compared to LVX, EVs were more effective at reducing effusion and rescuing hearing thresholds in animal models. For LVX-sensitive strains, EVs were significantly more effective in terms of curative time but not curative rate. For LVX-resistant strains, EVs were significantly more effective in terms of both curative rate and curative time when applied alone or applied jointly with LVX. In summary, we found that NK EVs are highly effective in treating otitis media, providing an alternative approach for treating this common disease.
Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism* ; Exosomes/metabolism* ; Animals ; Humans ; Otitis Media/therapy* ; Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Levofloxacin/pharmacology*

Objective To explore the effects of combined exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and high-fat diet on liver lipid metabolism and hepatocyte senescence in mice, and to elucidate the potential mechanisms of the onset and development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods Specific pathogen free C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into six groups, with 10 mice with equal numbers of each sex in each group. The mice in the control group and the simple BPA group were fed with regular diet, while others four groups of mice were fed with high-fat diet. At the same time, the mice in the simple BPA group were intragastric administered with BPA at a dose of 50 μg/kg body weight, while the mice in the low-, medium- and high-dose BPA+high-fat groups were intragastric administered with BPA at doses of 5, 50 and 500 μg/kg body weight respectively. The mice in the control group and the high-fat group were intragastric administered with the same volume of corn oil once per day for 90 consecutive days. Liver tissues were subjected to hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Oil Red O staining. Liver coefficients and lipid-stained area ratios were calculated. Serum level of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were determined using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The hepatic tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relative expression of cholesterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1), CCAAT enhancer binding protein α, P16, and phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) in liver tissues was detected using Western blotting. The interaction effect of the combined exposure to BPA and high-fat diet was observed based on the result of mice in the control group, the simple high-fat group, the simple BPA group, and the medium-dose BPA group+high-fat group (the combined exposure group) using a 2×2 factorial design. The results of mice in the simple high-fat group and the low-, medium-, and high-dose BPA+high-fat groups were used to observe the effect of BPA exposure dose under high-fat diet conditions. Results i) The interactive effect of combined exposure to BPA and high fat. The HE and Oil Red O staining results indicated that the combined exposure to BPA and high-fat diet successfully established NAFLD in mice. The interactive effect of combined exposure to BPA and high-fat diet on serum ALT activity and the relative expression of P16 in the liver tissue of female mice, as well as the serum ALT and AST activities and the relative expression of SREBP1 in the liver tissue of male mice was significant (all P<0.05). Specifically, the serum ALT activity of male mice in the combined exposure group was higher than that in the simple high-fat group (P<0.05), while the ALT activity in the serum of female mice in the combined exposure group was lower than that in the simple BPA group (P<0.05). The relative expression of SREBP1 protein in the liver tissue of male mice in the combined exposure group was higher than that in the control group, the simple high-fat group, and the simple BPA group (all P<0.05). For the other indicators, there were no significant differences in the interactive effect of combined exposure to BPA and high-fat diet (all P>0.05). ii) Dose effects of BPA exposure. The HE and Oil Red O staining result showed that the degree of vacuolar steatosis in the liver of female and male mice of medium- and high-dose BPA + high-fat groups was aggravated, and the range of inflammatory cell infiltration was expanded when compared with same-sex mice in the simple high-fat group. The serum ALT activity and the fat stained area ratio, as well as the relative expression of P16 in liver tissue of female mice in high-dose BPA + high-fat group increased (all P<0.05), while the level of IL-10 in liver tissue decreased (P<0.05), compared with the female mice in simple high-fat group. The serum ALT activity, the TNF-α level in liver tissue, and the relative expression of SREBP1, P16 and γ-H2AX proteins in liver tissue of male mice in high-dose BPA + high-fat group increased (all P<0.05), while the IL-6 level in liver tissue decreased (P<0.05), compared with the male mice in simple high-fat group. For the female or male mice in the low- and medium-dose BPA + high-fat groups, only some of the above indicators showed significant changes (all P<0.05). Conclusion The combined exposure to BPA and high-fat diet has a synergistic effect on the onset and development of NAFLD. The mechanism may be related to inducing cellular senescence and modulation of lipid synthesis pathways, thereby affecting liver steatosis. The exposure dose of BPA may affect the synergistic effect.

ObjectiveTo investigate the application of the novel inflammatory factor adsorption column CA280 combined with low-dose plasma exchange （LPE） in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure （ACLF）. MethodsA prospective cohort study was designed， and a total of 93 ACLF patients who were admitted to The Ninth Hospital of Nanchang from June 2023 to January 2025 were enrolled and randomly divided into DPMAS+LPE group with 50 patients and CA280+LPE group with 43 patients. In addition to comprehensive medical treatment， the patients in the DPMAS+LPE group received DPMAS and LPE treatment， and those in the CA280+LPE group received CA280 and LPE treatment. The two groups were observed in terms of routine blood test results， liver function parameters， renal function markers， electrolytes， coagulation function parameters， cytokines， adverse events， and 28-day prognosis before surgery （baseline）， during surgery （DPMAS or CA280）， and after surgery （after sequential LPE treatment）. The paired t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data before and after treatment within each group， and the independent-samples t test was used for comparison between groups； the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data before and after treatment within each group， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between groups. The chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups， and the Spearman test was used for correlation analysis. ResultsAfter CA280 treatment， the ACLF patients had significant reductions in the levels of cytokines （IL-6， IL-8， IL-10， TNF-α， and IFN-γ）， liver function parameters （ALT， AST， ALP， TBil， DBil， Alb， and glutathione reductase）， and the renal function marker urea nitrogen （all P<0.05）， and in terms of coagulation function parameters， there were significant increases in prothrombin time， activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT）， thrombin time， and international normalized ratio （INR） and significant reductions in prothrombin activity （PTA） and fibrinogen （FIB） （all P<0.05）. Compared with the DPMAS+LPE group， the CA280+LPE group showed better improvements in the serum cytokines IL-8 （Z=-2.63， P=0.009）， IL-10 （Z=-3.94， P<0.001）， and TNF-α （Z=-1.53， P=0.023）， and the two artificial liver support systems had a similar effect in improving liver function （ALT， AST， GGT， GR， TBil， and DBil） （all P >0.05）， but the CA280+LPE group showed a significantly greater reduction in Alb （Z=-2.08， P=0.037）. CA280+LPE was more effective in reducing uric acid （Z=-2.97， P=0.003）. Compared with DPMAS+LPE， CA280+LPE treatment resulted in a significant reduction in INR （Z=-4.01， P<0.001）， a significant increase in APTT （Z=-2.53， P=0.011）， and significant greater increases in PTA （Z=-6.28， P<0.001） and FIB （Z=-3.93， P<0.001）. There were no significant differences in the incidence rates of adverse reactions and the rate of improvement at discharge between the two groups （all P>0.05）. The Spearman correlation analysis showed that IL-6 was significantly correlated with WBC （r=0.22， P=0.042）， TBil （r=0.29， P=0.005）， and FIB （r=-0.33， P=0.003）； IL-8 was positively correlated with APTT （r=0.37， P<0.001） and INR （r=0.25， P=0.013）； TNF-α was significantly correlated with WBC （r=0.40， P<0.001） and TBil （r=0.34， P<0.001）. ConclusionCompared with DPMAS， CA280 combined with LPE can effectively clear proinflammatory cytokines and improve liver function in ACLF patients， but it has a certain impact on Alb and coagulation function. This regimen provides a new option for the individualized treatment of ACLF and can improve the short-term prognosis of patients， but further studies are needed to verify its long-term efficacy.

Objective To explore the latent profile analysis of oral frailty in elderly patients with multiple chronic conditions and to analyze the influencing factors of different potential profiles in order to provide a theoretical basis for constructing clinical intervention programs.Methods Convenience sampling method was used to select elderly patients with multiple chronic conditions in a tertiary hospital in Hefei City from July to December 2024 as the survey subjects.General information questionnaire,the Chinese version of the Oral Frailty Index-8,Mini-Nutritional Assessment Short-Form,Consumer Health Activation Index and Family APGAR Index Questionnaire were used to conduct the survey,and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors.Results A total of 418 elderly patients with multiple chronic conditions were included,with a total oral frailty score of(7.21±2.83).Oral frailty in elderly patients with multiple chronic conditions can be classified into 3 potential profiles,namely severe oral frailty-low oral functioning group(60.53％),moderate oral frailty-high social behaviors group(8.85％),mild oral frailty-high oral health behavior group(30.62％).Age,family care,type of chronic disease,type of oral medication,and consumer health activation index were influential factors for different potential profiles(P＜0.05).Conclusion The oral frailty in elderly patients with multiple chronic conditions was heterogeneous.Caregivers should focus on the severe oral frailty-low oral functioning group and the moderate oral frailty-high social behavior group,and develop targeted interventions according to the patients'different profile characteristics and influencing factors to prevent and delay the occurrence of oral frailty.

Objective:To explore the application value of cinematic rendering reconstruction technology in laparoscopic resection of giant adrenal tumors.Methods:As many as 21 patients with large adrenal tumors who underwent laparoscopic resection in Yongchuan Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University from January 2021 to January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed, with a median age of 54.0 (40.5, 58.0) years and a median tumor diameter of 7.3 (6.8, 8.8) cm. All patients underwent preoperative cinematic rendering 3D reconstruction imaging. All patients underwent enhanced CT scans. Their CT images were three-dimensionally reconstructed on the post-processing workstation platform. By changing image perspectives, adjusting the visualization of organs or blood vessels, and using physical volume rendering, real-shadow-rendered images were obtained. With these images, surgeons can intuitively understand important preoperative information, like the relationship between the tumor and surrounding organs and the path of tumor-feeding blood vessels, for preoperative planning. Following thorough preoperative preparation, laparoscopic transabdominal resection was performed. During surgery, 20 tumors were found to be located in the adrenal gland, and 1 in the retroperitoneum, with 13 on the left side and 8 on the right side. Preoperative cinematic rendering 3D imaging was consistent with intraoperative findings.Results:All 21 patients underwent successful surgeries, with an average operation time of (199.0±95.3) minutes, a median blood loss of 220 (150, 500) ml, and a median blood transfusion volume of 200 (150, 400) ml. No significant damage of vital organs or major blood vessels occurred, and there were no case of conversion to open surgery.Conclusions:For retroperitoneal giant adrenal tumors, utilizing cinematic rendering 3D reconstruction imaging enables a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the tumor and surrounding organs and vessels preoperatively. This approach can reduce intraoperative bleeding and collateral injuries, improve the success rate of laparoscopic resection, and enhance overall surgical safety.

Objective:To clarify the effects of simple subtalar fusion on distribution of plantar pressures.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 19 patients who had undergone simple subtalar fusion between January 2006 and December 2020 at Department of Orthopedics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine. There were 13 males and 6 females with an age of (42.1±11.8) years and a duration of disease of 1.7 (1.0, 2.0) years. Another 14 normal subjects were recruited as normal controls [7 males and 7 females, with an age of (25.0±1.9) years]. The data of plantar pressure distribution were detected and analyzed by a Belgian Footscan? plantar pressure tester. The affected and healthy sides of the patients were compared with those of the normal group to analyze the peak pressures on different foot regions.Results:There was no significant difference in height or weight between the patients and the normal subjects ( P>0.05). The peak pressures on the first to the third metatarsal region of the forefoot and the medial region of the hindfoot of the affected foot were significantly lower than those of the normal foot in the patients ( P<0.05). The peak pressure on the forefoot region of a normal foot appeared in the third metatarsal region. In the patients, the peak pressure on the forefoot region of a healthy side shifted inward and appeared in the second metatarsal region, but the peak pressure on the forefoot region of an affected side shifted laterally and appeared in the fourth metatarsal region. The peak pressure on the midfoot of an affected side [(4.38±2.17) N/cm 2] was significantly higher than that on a healthy side [(3.04±1.80) N/cm 2] in the patients ( P=0.035). The peak pressures on the medial and lateral hindfoot regions of a healthy side were (7.12±1.91) N/cm 2 and (7.98±2.03) N/cm 2, respectively, showing no significant difference ( P=0.086). The peak pressure on the lateral hindfoot region of an affected side [(10.77±4.21) N/cm 2] was significantly higher than that on the medial hindfoot region [(8.71±2.89) N/cm 2] ( P=0.009). The peak plantar pressures on the affected side shifted to the lateral side in the patients. Conclusions:Subtalar fusion can exert significant effects on the distribution of plantar pressures. Specifically, the plantar pressures shift to the lateral side of an affected foot during all the gait stages while the plantar pressures on the healthy forefoot may compensate by transferring to the medial side in the patients.

Postoperative infection of internal fixation of closed fractures the lower limbs in adults represents a devastating complication, characterized by diagnostic challenges, prolonged treatment duration and high disability rates. Current management of these infections faces multiple challenges, such as difficulties in early accurate diagnosis, and various controversies about the treatment plan, leading to poor overall diagnosis and treatment results. To address these issues, based on evidence-based medicine and principles with emphasis on scientific rigor, clinical applicability and innovation, the Trauma Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Orthopedics Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Trauma Orthopedics and Polytrauma Group of the Resuscitation and Emergency Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association have collaboratively organized a panel of relevant experts to develop the Guideline for diagnosis and treatment of infection after internal fixation of closed lower limb fractures in adults ( version 2025). The guideline proposed 10 recommendations, aiming to provide a foundation for standardized diagnosis and treatment of postoperative infection in adults with closed lower limb fractures.

Vesicoureteral reflux(VUR)is a common congenital abnormality of the urinary tract in children,which often presents as urinary tract dilatation(UTD)and/or febrile urinary tract infection(fUTI).VUR may lead to renal scarring,hypertension or end-stage renal disease,while some cases may resolve spontaneously.Accurate identification of VUR in pediatric population is pivotal for early diagnosis,timely intervention and prevention of renal damage.Multimodal imaging plays a critical role in diagnosing and grading VUR,also in assessing complications such as acute pyelonephritis and renal scarring.This narrative review summarized the clinical application of multimodal imaging modalities in diagnosis,evaluation and management of VUR in children.

Heart and spleen deficiency syndrome is the most common syndrome type in patients with insomnia. Based on the theory of disease syndrome-combined animal model， this paper used multiple databases to search for the keywords "heart and spleen deficiency"， "insomnia"， "sleepless"， "disease syndrome-combined animal model"， "model evaluation"， etc. It selected the literature related to the animal model of insomnia with heart and spleen deficiency in the past 20 years to evaluate from the aspects of model establishment， modeling factors， syndrome model， disease model， macro characterization & macro characterization evaluation scale， micro indicators， etc. It is found that the existing animal model of insomnia with heart and spleen deficiency is not completely constructed by the method of disease syndrome combination of disease modeling factors and syndrome modeling factors. In the model using this method， the single establishment factor of heart and spleen deficiency does not conform to the clinical reality of disease， and the selection of the factors for the insomnia model is not closely related to or even separated from the syndrome performance. There is a problem of insufficient quantification of macro representation when the macro representation of the model replaces the symptoms related to heart and spleen deficiency syndrome and insomnia in an equivalent manner for macro representation evaluation， which can be improved according to the quantitative ideas and examples of the existing macro representation and macro representation evaluation scale. There are few specific indicators of heart and spleen deficiency syndrome in micro indicators. The micro research of heart and spleen deficiency syndrome and the essence of other traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes can be carried out by metabonomics and other technologies combined with the theory of corresponding prescription and syndrome， along the specific related ideas of "prescription and syndrome， treatment principle and selection of prescription， treatment principle and selection of acupoints， as well as therapeutic mechanism and syndrome essence". The future users and researchers of animal models of insomnia with heart and spleen deficiency can get improved methods and ideas through the shortcomings of animal models of heart and spleen deficiency listed in this paper and construct animal models of insomnia with heart and spleen deficiency that are more suitable for clinical practice， so as to establish a more perfect modeling method and evaluation system of disease syndrome-combined animal model.