Severe acute pancreatitis （SAP） is closely related to dysfunction of the spleen-stomach ascent and descent. Due to the influence of modern lifestyle and dietary factors， Qi deficiency in the spleen and stomach has become the pathological basis of SAP. Its pathogenesis is characterized by dampness， heat， pathogenic factors， stasis， stagnation， obstruction， Fu-organs Qi obstruction， pathogenic excess， and healthy Qi deficiency. At different stages of the disease course of SAP， there is a focus on both pathogenic excess and healthy Qi deficiency. It is specifically manifested as Fu-organs stagnation and heat accumulation， as well as pathogenic excess and healthy Qi deficiency， during the systemic inflammatory response phase， intermingling of blood stasis and pathogenic factors， as well as Qi deficiency and blood stasis， during the infection period， and weakness of the spleen and stomach， as well as healthy Qi deficiency and lingering pathogenic factors， during the residual infection period. Based on the theory that "the spleen and stomach are the acquired foundation"， a staged treatment method centered on the core principle of "strengthening healthy Qi to eliminate pathogenic factors" was developed. The staged treatment method included "clearing the Fu-organs to expel turbidity， replenishing Qi to harmonize the stomach， activating blood circulation to expel pathogenic factors， replenishing Qi to relieve pain， promoting digestion to stimulate appetite， and replenishing Qi to invigorate the spleen". In clinical practice， Hewei Tongxie mixture， Yikang mixture， and Shiwei Jianpi Xiaoshi powder were selected for staged treatment of SAP. This article systematically summarized the theoretical basis of traditional Chinese medicine， Western medicine foundation， modern pharmacological mechanisms， and clinical application experience of the staged treatment of SAP with "strengthening the healthy Qi to eliminate pathogenic factors"， providing new ideas for the treatment of SAP with traditional Chinese medicine.

Background: Adrenocortical hormones, particularly 11-oxygenated androgens, are pivotal in female reproductive health and fertility. Standardized detection kits and population-specific reference intervals are lacking in China, hindering related clinical applications. Methods: A HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) pipeline was developed, rigorously validated, and applied to simultaneously quantify corticosterone, cortisone, cortisol, 18-OH cortisol, androstenedione (A4), 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione (11-OH A4), dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in serum samples from 455 reproductive-aged women (18–45 yrs) in Guangxi, China. Age-dependent concentration trends were analyzed, and reference intervals stratified by age (2.5th to 97.5th percentiles) were established. Correlations with body-composition metrics, ethnicity, and the menstrual cycle were investigated. Results: The HPLC-MS/MS method demonstrated high precision (intra- and inter-assay CVs < 15%), accuracy, and sensitivity. All eight hormones exhibited significant age-related declines (P < 0.001 for seven hormones; P = 0.001 for 11-OH A4). Notably, 11-OH A4 levels were significantly lower in the 35–45-yr (3.05 nmol/L) and 25–34-yr (3.09 nmol/L) age groups than in the 18–24-yr (3.57 nmol/L) age group, whereas no significant difference was observed between the 35–45-yr and 25–34-yr age groups. Weak negative correlations were observed between the body mass index and corticosterone and cortisone levels, whereas ethnicity and the menstrual cycle showed no significant associations with hormone levels. Conclusions We developed an HPLC-MS/MS-based method for simultaneously quantifying eight adrenocortical hormones, including 11-OH A4, and defined age-specific reference intervals for reproductive-aged Chinese women. These findings advance the clinical utility of adrenocortical hormones in diagnosing and managing reproductive disorders.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the role of hepatic resection in patients with objective responses after combined transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiotherapy (RT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with macroscopic vascular invasion (MVI). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the patients treated with combined TACE and RT for HCC with MVI between 2010 and 2015. Some of the patients with objective responses underwent hepatic resection or liver transplantation; to investigate the impact of surgery, patients with objective responses who did not undergo surgery were selected as the control group. Survival outcomes were compared using a propensity score–based stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting method. Results: Out of the 170 patients with objective responses after combined TACE and RT, 41 patients underwent surgery, including eight liver transplantations. The unweighted surgery group was younger and had a higher proportion of solitary tumors and unilateral vascular involvement. After adjustment, the 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 61.0% and 28.6% in the surgery and non-surgery groups, respectively. The most important prognostic factor for OS was surgery (adjusted Cox hazard ratio [HR], 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17 to 0.46; p < 0.001). Complete response after TACE and RT (vs. partial response) was also a significant prognostic factor for OS (adjusted HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.61; p < 0.001). There was no surgical mortality. Four patients (9.8%) required additional surgery due to bleeding or graft failure. Conclusion Hepatic resection was significantly associated with improved OS in patients who showed objective responses after receiving combined TACE and RT for HCC with MVI.

Objective:To investigate the current status of vascular access team building and analysis its related factors in hemodialysis centers in China.Methods:The study was a cross-sectional survey. Using a convenience sampling method, a questionnaire was designed to investigate the clinical practice of vascular access teams in 527 hemodialysis centers in China from March to April 2022. The related factors of the formation of vascular access teams and the setting up of vascular access coordinators (VAC) were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression method.Results:A total of 506 valid questionnaires were recovered, with a recovery rate of 96.02%. There were 247 (48.81%) and 193 (38.14%) hemodialysis centers respectively across China that had built vascular access teams and set up VAC. Hemodialysis centers with more than 10 years of practice had higher rate of implementation than those in hemodialysis centers with practice years less or equal than 10 years in developing standardized procedures for vascular access management ( χ 2=8.288, P=0.004), holding continuous quality improvement meetings on vascular access ( χ 2=8.210, P=0.004), establishing vascular access teams ( χ 2=33.805, P<0.001) and setting up vascular access coordinators ( χ 2=16.038, P<0.001), and the difference was statistically significant. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the number of dialysis machines ( OR=2.221, 95% CI 1.118-4.415, P=0.023), the number of patients on dialysis( OR=2.946, 95% CI 1.375-6.310, P=0.005), and the establishment of VAC positions ( OR=9.463, 95% CI 5.307-16.874, P<0.001), and the standardized vascular access management process ( OR=3.383, 95% CI 2.012-5.687, P<0.001) were the related factors of vascular access team building. The related factors of setting up a VAC position in hemodialysis center were opening vascular access clinic ( OR=2.704,95% CI 1.382-5.290, P=0.004), the formation of a vascular access team ( OR=9.464, 95% CI 5.312-16.860, P<0.001), and constructing standardized procedures for vascular access management ( OR=3.663, 95% CI 2.243-5.982, P<0.001). Conclusion:The implementation rates of vascular access team and VAC position in hemodialysis centers were 48.81% and 38.14%, respectively. The number of dialysis machines, the number of patients on dialysis, the standardized procedures for vascular access management, the vascular access clinic, the vascular access team, and the VAC position were the relevant factors of the team building for vascular access.

Background: Colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) with caudal-type homeobox 2 (CDX2) loss are recognized to pursue an aggressive behavior but tend to be accompanied by a high density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). However, little is known about whether there is an interplay between CDX2 loss and TIL density in the survival of patients with CRC. Methods: Stage III CRC tissues were assessed for CDX2 loss using immunohistochemistry and analyzed for their densities of CD8 TILs in both intraepithelial (iTILs) and stromal areas using a machine learning-based analytic method. Results: CDX2 loss was significantly associated with a higher density of CD8 TILs in both intraepithelial and stromal areas. Both CDX2 loss and a high CD8 iTIL density were found to be prognostic parameters and showed hazard ratios of 2.314 (1.050–5.100) and 0.378 (0.175–0.817), respectively, for cancer-specific survival. A subset of CRCs with retained CDX2 expression and a high density of CD8 iTILs showed the best clinical outcome (hazard ratio of 0.138 [0.023–0.826]), whereas a subset with CDX2 loss and a high density of CD8 iTILs exhibited the worst clinical outcome (15.781 [3.939–63.230]). Conclusions Altogether, a high density of CD8 iTILs did not make a difference in the survival of patients with CRC with CDX2 loss. The combination of CDX2 expression and intraepithelial CD8 TIL density was an independent prognostic marker in adjuvant chemotherapy-treated patients with stage III CRC.

Background and Objectives: Pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) significantly affects children’s quality of life and learning abilities. This study aimed to evaluate the postoperative outcomes in pediatric patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) for CRS. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on pediatric patients who underwent FESS for CRS at 11 university hospitals. The inclusion criteria were patients under 20 years old with bilateral disease who were operated on between January 2005 and December 2021. The data collected included demographics, clinical history, blood tests, preoperative computed tomography, and preoperative and postoperative symptom control. The Kruskal-Wallis and Fisher exact tests were used to compare the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Results: In total, 213 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 13.4±3.0 years, and 145 (68.1%) were male. One hundred sixty-four patients (77.0%) had nasal polyps and 33 patients (15.5%) underwent revision FESS. The preoperative symptoms, in order of prevalence, included nasal obstruction (87.8%), rhinorrhea (71.8%), a sense of postnasal drip (58.2%), hyposmia (44.6%), cough (24.4%), and facial fullness (18.3%). These symptoms were significantly alleviated for up to 3 years after surgery (p<0.001). At the time of the last follow-up, 121 patients (56.8%) were controlled, 80 (37.6%) were partly controlled, and 12 (5.6%) were uncontrolled. Patients in the uncontrolled group had higher Lund-Mackay scores, longer follow-up durations, and more instances of revision surgery compared to those in the controlled and partly controlled groups. When age was categorized into three groups, those aged 16 years or older tended to have lower Lund-Mackay scores and better control. Conclusion FESS significantly improves both the postoperative symptoms and the long-term quality of life in pediatric CRS patients. Better symptom control is associated with older age and a lower disease burden.

AIM To explore the clinical effects of Jinfukang Oral Liquid combined with thymosin α1 on patients with non-small cell lung cancer due to Dual Deficiency of Qi and Yin.METHODS Seventy-five patients were randomly assigned into thymosin α1 group(15 cases)for 4-week administration,Jinfukang Oral Liquid group(30 cases)for 4-week administration,and combination group(30 cases)for 4-week administration.The changes in TCM clinical syndrome effects,immunity indices(CD3+T,Th,CTL,total NK,CD56dim CD16+NK,NKT,Treg,MDSC),lethality/inhibition ratios(CTL/Treg,total NK/Treg,NKT/Treg,CTL/MDSC,total NK/MDSC,NKT/MDSC)and FACT-L scores were detected.RESULTS The Jinfukang Oral Liquid group and combination group demonstrated higher total effective rates than the thymosin α1 group(P＜0.05).After the treatment,the Jinfukang Oral Liquid group and combination group displayed increased NKT(P＜0.05)and decreased MDSC(P＜0.05),which were more obvious than those in the thymosin α1 group(P＜0.05),and higher NKT was observable in the Jinfukang Oral Liquid group(P＜0.05);the Jinfukang Oral Liquid group and combination group displayed increased lethality/inhibition ratios(P＜0.05),among which NKT/Treg,CTL/MDSC,total NK/MDSC,NKT/MDSC were higher than those in the thymosin α1 group(P＜0.05),and higher CTL/MDSC,NKT/MDSC were observable in the Jinfukang Oral Liquid group(P＜0.05);the Jinfukang Oral Liquid group(except for physiological status,society and family status)and combination group(except for society and family status)displayed increased FACT-L scores(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION For the patients with non-small cell lung cancer due to Dual Deficiency of Qi and Yin,Jinfukang Oral Liquid single use or combined with thymosin α1 can enhance peripheral blood immune surveillance,inhibit immune escape,restore the balanced state of tumor immune responses,and improve TCM syndromes and life quality.

This consensus was developed by the Orthodontic Society of the Chinese Stomatological Association to provide a systematic, scientific, and practical guideline for informed consent in orthodontic care. Orthodontic treatment is typically lengthy, highly individualized, and involves multiple factors such as growth and development, occlusal function, and facial esthetics. Rapid technological advances and diverse risk profiles make the traditional reliance on orthodontist experience or institutional templates insufficient to ensure patients′ full understanding and autonomous decision-making. To address this, the expert panel conducted extensive reviews of domestic and international guidelines, analyzed representative dispute cases, and performed multicenter patient-clinician surveys. Using a multi-round Delphi method, the group established a standardized informed consent framework covering the initial consultation, treatment, and retention phases. The consensus emphasizes that informed consent is not only a fundamental legal and ethical requirement but also a key step in building trust, improving patient compliance, and enhancing treatment satisfaction. Orthodontists should clearly and comprehensively explain treatment plans, potential risks, uncertainties, and associated costs, while respecting the autonomy of patients or guardians, and maintain continuous communication and dynamic evaluation throughout the treatment process. The release of this consensus provides unified and authoritative guidance for clinical orthodontics, helping to standardize informed consent, enhance its transparency, safeguard patient rights, reduce medical risks, and promote high-quality, sustainable development of orthodontic practice.

Objective To evaluate the predictive significance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters in combination with serum levels of chemokine ligand 9(CXCL9)and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3(IGFBP-3)for the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma following interventional therapy.Methods A total of 212 patients with liver cancer who received interventional therapy at the hospital between June 2022 and Novem-ber 2023 were selected and categorized into Group A(61 cases)and Group B(151 cases)based on whether tumor recurrence occurred within one year following the intervention.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was con-ducted to identify potential influencing factors associated with post-treatment recurrence.The predictive perfor-mance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters combined with serum biomarkers was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.Results The levels of several factors including a tumor with a maximum diameter exceeding 3 cm,presence of microvascular invasion,high peak intensity(PI),short time to peak(TTP),short arrival time(AT),elevated serum CXCL9,and decreased serum IGFBP-3 were identified as indepen-dent risk factors for recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma following interventional therapy(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)for the combination of PI,TTP,AT,along with serum levels of CXCL9 and IGFBP-3,in predicting recurrence after interventional therapy was significantly higher than that of individual fac-tors alone(P<0.05).Conclusions The risk of recurrence in patients undergoing interventional therapy for liver cancer is substantial,and it is influenced by a range of independent risk factors.Combining contrast-enhanced ul-trasound parameters with serum levels of CXCL9 and IGFBP-3 may enhance the predictive accuracy for tumor re-currence in these patients.