The scientific research and innovation capabilities of medical students are intrinsically linked to the sustained and high-quality development of national healthcare initiatives.Cultivating outstanding medi-cal students with independent scientific capabilities and innovative consciousness is a critical component in the education and training of high-level medical professionals.Our investigation revealed that within the imperfections of the cultivating model,some faculty and students at medical schools have an insufficient understanding of scientific research and innovation and lack motivation for engaging in such activities,which hinder the progression of scientific research activities.Consequently,we initiated a teaching practice and exploratory study on the"tutorial system"aimed at fostering medical students'scientific research and innovation abilities.Based on the principle of"research informing teaching,teaching and research advan-cing together,"this study implements a"tutorial system"coordinated by tutors,supplemented by graduate and undergraduate student mentors,to cultivate innovative thinking,stimulate interest in scientific re-search,and enhance practical and research skills among medical students.Through collaborative efforts within"scientific research innovation teams,"various educational methods—including preliminary re-search,in-class and extracurricular activities,intra-group and inter-group interactions,and theoretical and practical applications—are employed to improve and strengthen the cultivation of medical students'scientif-ic research and innovation abilities.This study aims to provide valuable references for optimizing medical education management systems and enhancing the quality of medical student training.

BACKGROUND:Exosomes have been confirmed to be closely related to cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis.However,the role and mechanism of exosome-derived genes in cartilage degeneration of osteoarthritis have not been fully elucidated.OBJECTIVE:Bioinformatics analyses were used to screen the genes related to cartilage degeneration in the synovial exosomes of patients with osteoarthritis,and to determine their biological functions and signaling pathways in order to provide new therapeutic targets for delaying cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis.METHODS:Firstly,osteoarthritis-related exosome dataset GSE185059 and cartilage degeneration dataset GSE114007 were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database to screen exosome-derived cartilage degeneration related genes.GO functional and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed based on the screened exosome-derived cartilage degeneration related genes.Protein-protein interaction network was drawn and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis(IPA)was conducted to screen and obtain key exosome-derived cartilage degeneration-related genes.Finally,qRT-PCR was used to verify the expression of key genes in osteoarthritis cartilage tissue and interleukin-1β stimulated chondrocyte models.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There were 831 differentially expressed genes in the GSE185059 dataset and 5 323 differentially expressed genes in the GSE114007 dataset.A total of 94 exosome-derived cartilage degeneration related genes were screened after the intersection of these differentially expressed genes,of which 51 genes were down-regulated and 43 genes were up-regulated.(2)GO functional enrichment analysis showed that the up-regulated genes were mainly involved in the positive regulation of cell-cell adhesion,the positive regulation of T cell activation,and chronic inflammatory response,while the down-regulated genes were mainly involved in biological processes such as cell aggregation,cartilage differentiation and development,and skeletal system morphogenesis.(3)KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that exosome-derived cartilage degeneration-related genes were mainly involved in tryptophan enrichment metabolism,vitamin B6 metabolism,and leukocyte transendothelial migration.(4)The constructed protein-protein interaction network confirmed the existence of multiple interaction relationships among exosome-derived cartilage degeneration-related genes.Combined with five algorithms in CytoHubba software,four key exosome-derived cartilage degeneration-related genes were further screened,namely THY1,CYP1A1,NFKB2,and COL6A3.(5)The results of qRT-PCR showed that compared with normal cartilage,the expressions of THY1 and COL6A3 in osteoarthritic cartilage were increased,while the expression of CYP1A1 and NFKB2 was decreased.Similarly,compared with the unstimulated group,the expression of THY1 and COL6A3 in the interleukin-1β induced chondrocytes was upregulated,while the expression of CYP1A1 and NFKB2 was downregulated.(6)These results indicate that THY1,CYP1A1,NFKB2,and COL6A3 are genes related to cartilage degeneration in the exosomes of synovial fluid of patients with osteoarthritis,and may participate in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis by regulating biological processes such as protein tyrosine kinase activity and lipid metabolism,as well as nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway and focal adhesion signaling pathway.However,the specific regulatory roles and molecular mechanisms of these key genes in cartilage degeneration need to be further verified by experiments.

The scientific research and innovation capabilities of medical students are intrinsically linked to the sustained and high-quality development of national healthcare initiatives.Cultivating outstanding medi-cal students with independent scientific capabilities and innovative consciousness is a critical component in the education and training of high-level medical professionals.Our investigation revealed that within the imperfections of the cultivating model,some faculty and students at medical schools have an insufficient understanding of scientific research and innovation and lack motivation for engaging in such activities,which hinder the progression of scientific research activities.Consequently,we initiated a teaching practice and exploratory study on the"tutorial system"aimed at fostering medical students'scientific research and innovation abilities.Based on the principle of"research informing teaching,teaching and research advan-cing together,"this study implements a"tutorial system"coordinated by tutors,supplemented by graduate and undergraduate student mentors,to cultivate innovative thinking,stimulate interest in scientific re-search,and enhance practical and research skills among medical students.Through collaborative efforts within"scientific research innovation teams,"various educational methods—including preliminary re-search,in-class and extracurricular activities,intra-group and inter-group interactions,and theoretical and practical applications—are employed to improve and strengthen the cultivation of medical students'scientif-ic research and innovation abilities.This study aims to provide valuable references for optimizing medical education management systems and enhancing the quality of medical student training.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of ultrasound-guided high ankle block (HAB) on the quality of postoperative recovery of patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery.Methods:In this randomized controlled trial, 90 patients of either sex, aged 18-64 yr, with a body mass index of 18-28 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ-Ⅲ, scheduled for elective foot and ankle surgery, were divided into 2 groups ( n=45 each) using a random number table method: HAB group and spinal anesthesia group (SA group). Patients underwent ultrasound-guided HAB on the affected side in HAB group, while patients received spinal anesthesia in SA group. The Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) scores were recorded at 24 and 48 h postoperatively. Additional data collected included anesthesia preparation and operation time, sensory and motor grading after anesthesia, anesthetic effect grading, surgery duration, intraoperative tourniquet time, block duration, time to first ambulation, and postoperative length of hospital stay. The time of first rescue analgesia and requirement for rescue algesia within 48 h postoperatively and the occurrence of adverse reactions such as hypotension, headache, nausea and vomiting, and urinary retention after anesthesia were also recorded. Results:Compared to SA group, QoR-15 scores and motor grading after anesthesia were significantly increased, the time to first ambulation and postoperative length of hospital stay were shortened, the duration of block and anesthesia preparation and operation time were prolonged at 24 h postoperatively, the rate of rescue analgesia wthin 48 h after operation and incidence of adverse reactions after anesthesia were decressed, and the time to first rescue analgesia was pronlonged in HAB group ( P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in sensory grading after anesthesia, anesthetic effect grading, intraoperative use of tourniquet time, and QoR-15 scores at 48 h postoperatively ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Ultrasound-guided HAB provides better quality of postoperative recovery than spinal anesthesia for the patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery.

Purpose To investigate the clinicopathological features,diagnosis,and molecular genetic characteris-tics of central nervous system(CNS)high-grade neuroepithelial tumors with BCOR alterations.Methods Five cases of CNS high-grade neuroepithelial tumors harboring BCOR alterations were collected.Using immunohistochemistry and molecular detection to analyze its clinical and histological characteristics,and review relevant literatures.Results A-mong the 5 patients,3 cases with EP300 ∷ BCOR tumor(male-to-female ratio 2∶1).These tumors were located in supratentorial regions(right temporal lobe,right frontotemporal lobe,and right frontal lobe).The 2 patients with BCOR-ITD tumors were younger,both with tumors located in the left cerebellum.Imaging studies revealed well-defined large mass lesions in all cases.Histologically,all 5 cases tumor exhibited ependymoma-like or oligodendroglioma-like morphology,featuring uniformly oval or round cells.Focal areas showed increased cellular density,nuclear enlarge-ment,and readily identifiable mitotic figures indicative of anaplastic features.A rich capillary network was frequently observed in the stroma.Palisading necrosis,microcystic changes,and microcalcifications were present in 3 cases.Im-munohistochemically,all 5 cases consistently expressed vimentin and CD56,focal Olig-2 positivity,variable S-100 ex-pression,and were uniformly negative for GFAP.BCOR immunostaining was weakly positive in 1 case with an EP300∷ BCOR fusion and strongly positive in 2 cases with BCOR-ITD.NGS identified an EP300 ∷ BCOR fusion in 3 cases,and Sanger sequencing confirmed the ITD in exon 15 of BCOR gene in 2 cases.During a follow-up period of 8 to 77 months,one pediatric patient with a BCOR-ITD tumor died,while the remaining four patients were alive with no evi-dence of recurrence or metastasis.Conclusion BCOR-ITD and EP300 ∷ BCOR fusion tumors are similar in morphology and immunophenotype,and the incidence rate of BCOR fusion tumors may be underestimated.NGS sequencing based on DNA and RNA and DNA methylation spectrum analysis are helpful for accurate diagnosis of this type of tumor.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors among women worldwide and represents a significant public health issue threatening women's health. In recent years, the disease burden of cervical cancer in China has been increasing, with women aged 45 and older bearing a particularly heavy burden. This population not only has the highest incidence and mortality rates but also represents the second peak age group for high-risk human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) infection, with the HR-HPV infection rate remaining consistently high. The causes of this situation are multifaceted. On one hand, the target group for HPV vaccination in China is women aged 9-45, which has resulted in very limited vaccination rates among middle-aged and older women when they were within the recommended age range. Additionally, this demographic has relatively low awareness of the HPV vaccine. On the other hand, aging-related declines in immune function and hormonal changes increase the risk of persistent HR-HPV infection in this group. The latent nature of HPV infection further complicates the early detection of the disease. At the same time, cervical cancer screening coverage among middle-aged and older women in China remains low and shows significant regional disparities, with screening rates in economically disadvantaged areas being markedly lower than those in more affluent regions. Furthermore, physiological changes associated with aging reduce the accuracy of conventional screening methods in this population, leading to insufficient early detection and intervention for cervical cancer. As a result, many patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease, significantly increasing treatment difficulty and disease burden. This article reviewed the burden of cervical cancer and HR-HPV infection among middle-aged and older women in China, the associated influencing factors, and the status of comprehensive prevention and control measures, aiming to provide a reference for improving cervical cancer prevention strategies for middle-aged and older women in China and contribute to the country's efforts to eliminate cervical cancer.

Objective:To summarize the clinicopathological features, evolving trends in treatment and surgical approaches, and survival outcomes of patients who underwent D2 radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer in Shanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital over the past 11 years with the goal of providing a reference for the clinical practice of gastric cancer in this region.Methods:A retrospective observational study was conducted to analyze the clinicopathological data of patients who underwent D2 radical gastrectomy for pathologically confirmed gastric malignancy at the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital from January, 2013 to December, 2023. Exclusion criteria consisted of: (1) residual gastric cancer or recurrent gastric cancer after surgery; (2) emergency gastric cancer resection due to bleeding, perforation, obstruction, or other causes; (3) comorbidity with other primary malignant tumors; (4) severe preoperative cardiopulmonary insufficiency or hepatic and renal insufficiency who cannot tolerate radical surgery; and (5) inconsistent main diagnosis information across the medical record system, pathological system, and gastric cancer-specific database. Patients were divided into three groups based on treatment methods: the surgery-only group, the perioperative chemotherapy group, and the adjuvant chemotherapy group. Endpoints included: (1) baseline patient characteristics; (2) trends in tumor location and pathological features; (3) evolution of treatment modalities; and (4) survival outcomes.Results:A total of 15,644 patients were included in the analysis, with 12,591 males and 3,053 females, the male-to-female gender ration was approximately 4∶1; the mean age was (61.2±9.5) years. The tumor sites were mainly concentrated in the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) (57.4%), followed by the antrum (25.9%). The incidence of EGJ cancer initially rose and then declined. However, gastric antrum tumors remained stable, and gastric body tumors showed a slow upward trend after 2020, accounting for 16.7%. In terms of pathological types, poorly differentiated carcinoma was the most prevalent, accounting for 55.9%, followed by moderately differentiated carcinoma (24.2%), mucinous adenocarcinoma (or signet ring cell carcinoma,14.1%), neuroendocrine carcinoma (4.8%), and well-differentiated carcinoma (0.9%). The proportion of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma showed a significant upward trend overall as well, peaking at 65.6% in 2022 and decreasing to 57.5% in 2023. Mucinous adenocarcinoma (or signet ring cell carcinoma) exhibited fluctuations with a first increase followed by a decrease: it peaked at 17.3% in 2018, dropped sharply to 8.4% in 2022, and rose back to 13.8% in 2023. The proportions of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, and neuroendocrine tumors remained stable year by year. In terms of pathological staging, the overall proportions of gastric cancer at Stage 0, Stage I, Stage II, Stage III, and Stage IVa were 0.5%, 17.3%, 25.1%, 54.9%, and 2.3%, respectively. For Stage III, its proportion was 74.6% in 2013, which decreased to 46.4% by 2023. Stages I and II gastric cancer showed an upward trend, with their proportions rising from 10.2% and 12.1% in 2013 to nearly 21.0% and 29.6% in 2023, respectively. Between 2013 and 2023, the proportion of patients who received surgery alone continued to decrease, with this proportion dropping to 34.7% in 2023. In contrast, the number of patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy increased year by year, reaching 54.2% in 2023. Since 2017, the application of perioperative chemotherapy has gradually increased, rising to 11.1% in 2023. Immunotherapy showed an almost synchronous growth trend with perioperative chemotherapy. However, targeted therapy exhibited a downward trend after a period of growth. There were 10,704 cases of open surgery (68.4%), 4,744 cases of laparoscopic surgery (30.3%), and 193 cases of transthoracic surgery (1.2%). Pathological margin positivity was observed in 443 cases (2.8%), and the volume of gastric cancer surgeries gradually increased, peaked in 2021 before subsequently decreasing gradually. However, the volume of laparoscopic surgeries did not decrease; instead, it showed an upward trend. The main resection method for EGJ tumors was total gastrectomy, accounting for 78.5% of the total, followed by proximal gastrectomy, which accounted for 21.5%. After total gastrectomy, esophagojejunal Roux-en-Y anastomosis was the primary anastomotic method, and for proximal gastrectomy, the main anastomotic method was esophagogastric anastomosis, which accounted for 68.0% of the total. For distal gastrectomy, Billroth II anastomosis was the most common anastomotic technique, accounting for 92.7% of these procedures. The overall incidence of postoperative complications was 14.5% (2,264/15,644), among which the incidence of severe complications (grades III-IV) was 4.5% (706/15,644). The entire cohort was followed up with for (47.1±36.8) months, and the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival rates were 86.4%, 65.9%, and 58.1%, respectively. For patients with stage 0, I, II, III, and IV gastric adenocarcinoma, the 1-year overall survival rates were 95.7%, 98.0%, 89.4%, 81.0%, and 49.1%, respectively; the 3-year overall survival rates were 92.1%, 94.6%, 81.9%, 51.4%, and 14.7%, respectively; and the 5-year overall survival rates were 89.4%, 91.7%, 75.1%, 41.5%, and 10.0%, respectively. For patients with stage I, II, III, and IV gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma, the 1-year overall survival rates were 96.7%, 91.1%, 73.8%, and 52.6%, respectively; the 3-year overall survival rates were 87.2%, 69.6%, 46.1%, and 32.1%, respectively; and the 5-year overall survival rates were 87.2%, 62.2%, 36.7%, and 32.1%, respectively.Conclusions:Gastric cancer in Shanxi Province is characterized by a male predominance, a high prevalence of tumors at the esophagogastric junction, a large proportion of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, and presentation at advanced stages (predominantly Stage III). The detection rate of early gastric cancer has been increasing year by year, the volume of laparoscopic surgeries has been on the rise annually, and the treatment model has shifted from single surgery to comprehensive treatment.

Purpose To investigate the clinicopathological features,diagnosis,and molecular genetic characteris-tics of central nervous system(CNS)high-grade neuroepithelial tumors with BCOR alterations.Methods Five cases of CNS high-grade neuroepithelial tumors harboring BCOR alterations were collected.Using immunohistochemistry and molecular detection to analyze its clinical and histological characteristics,and review relevant literatures.Results A-mong the 5 patients,3 cases with EP300 ∷ BCOR tumor(male-to-female ratio 2∶1).These tumors were located in supratentorial regions(right temporal lobe,right frontotemporal lobe,and right frontal lobe).The 2 patients with BCOR-ITD tumors were younger,both with tumors located in the left cerebellum.Imaging studies revealed well-defined large mass lesions in all cases.Histologically,all 5 cases tumor exhibited ependymoma-like or oligodendroglioma-like morphology,featuring uniformly oval or round cells.Focal areas showed increased cellular density,nuclear enlarge-ment,and readily identifiable mitotic figures indicative of anaplastic features.A rich capillary network was frequently observed in the stroma.Palisading necrosis,microcystic changes,and microcalcifications were present in 3 cases.Im-munohistochemically,all 5 cases consistently expressed vimentin and CD56,focal Olig-2 positivity,variable S-100 ex-pression,and were uniformly negative for GFAP.BCOR immunostaining was weakly positive in 1 case with an EP300∷ BCOR fusion and strongly positive in 2 cases with BCOR-ITD.NGS identified an EP300 ∷ BCOR fusion in 3 cases,and Sanger sequencing confirmed the ITD in exon 15 of BCOR gene in 2 cases.During a follow-up period of 8 to 77 months,one pediatric patient with a BCOR-ITD tumor died,while the remaining four patients were alive with no evi-dence of recurrence or metastasis.Conclusion BCOR-ITD and EP300 ∷ BCOR fusion tumors are similar in morphology and immunophenotype,and the incidence rate of BCOR fusion tumors may be underestimated.NGS sequencing based on DNA and RNA and DNA methylation spectrum analysis are helpful for accurate diagnosis of this type of tumor.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between eight serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and regional fat depots, we analyzed the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018 cycles. METHODS: Multiple linear regression models were developed to explore the associations between serum PFAS concentrations and six fat compositions along with a fat distribution score created by summing the concentrations of the six fat compositions. The associations between structurally grouped PFASs and fat distribution were assessed, and a prediction model was developed to estimate the ability of PFAS exposure to predict obesity risk. RESULTS: Among females aged 39-59 years, trunk fat mass was positively associated with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Higher concentrations of PFOS, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorodecanoate (PFDeA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), and n-perfluorooctanoate (n-PFOA) were linked to greater visceral adipose tissue in this group. In men, exposure to total perfluoroalkane sulfonates (PFSAs) and long-chain PFSAs was associated with reductions in abdominal fat, while higher abdominal fat in women aged 39-59 years was associated with short-chain PFSAs. The prediction model demonstrated high accuracy, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.9925 for predicting obesity risk. CONCLUSION PFAS exposure is associated with regional fat distribution, with varying effects based on age, sex, and PFAS structure. The findings highlight the potential role of PFAS exposure in influencing fat depots and obesity risk, with significant implications for public health. The prediction model provides a highly accurate tool for assessing obesity risk related to PFAS exposure.
Humans ; Fluorocarbons/blood* ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Environmental Pollutants/blood* ; Abdominal Fat ; Nutrition Surveys ; Alkanesulfonic Acids/blood* ; Obesity ; Environmental Exposure

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