Diabetic nephropathy （DKD）， as a common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus （DM）， is a major cause of end-stage renal disease （ESRD）. Its clinical manifestations include increased urinary protein excretion， thickening of the glomerular basement membrane， and renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. The pathogenesis of DKD is complex and involves multiple factors， including disordered glucose metabolism， hemodynamic alterations， and oxidative stress. Although modern medical approaches can alleviate certain symptoms， they still have limitations such as insufficient therapeutic targeting and prominent adverse effects. The transforming growth factor-β/Smad （TGF-β/Smad） signaling pathway is not only a tissue fibrosis pathway that has attracted considerable attention in recent years， but also regulates multiple protein molecules， including the glomerular podocyte slit diaphragm protein Podocin， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and superoxide dismutase （SOD）， thereby participating in various pathological processes and ultimately mediating renal injury. Flavonoid compounds， owing to their sustained pharmacological effects， broad spectrum of action， and high safety profile， have become ideal candidates for targeted therapy research in DKD. Existing studies have shown that these compounds can exert inhibitory effects on renal fibrosis， alleviate inflammatory responses， protect podocytes， and reduce oxidative stress by regulating the interactions between the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway and the aforementioned protein molecules， thereby maintaining renal structure and function， reducing proteinuria， and significantly improving DKD lesions. This review briefly outlines the composition and functions of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway， elucidates the mechanisms by which this pathway regulates DKD， and focuses on summarizing major studies from the past decade on flavonoid-based interventions in DKD through targeted inhibition of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. Furthermore， it discusses the considerable therapeutic potential of flavonoids in the treatment of this disease， aiming to provide a scientific basis for future clinical prevention and treatment of DKD and to promote the development of targeted drugs.

Methods: Fifty patients who underwent UBE-TLIF and 50 patients who underwent W-TLIF, each with >2 years of follow-up, were retrospectively analyzed. Outcomes included operative parameters, time to postoperative mobilization, paravertebral muscle atrophy and fat infiltration rates, clinical scores (Visual Analog Scale [VAS], Oswestry Disability Index [ODI], Japanese Orthopaedic Association [JOA]), modified Macnab criteria, fusion rates, and complications. Results: Compared with W-TLIF, the UBE-TLIF group had significantly less intraoperative blood loss, shorter operative times, and lower postoperative drainage volumes (p <0.05). The UBE-TLIF group showed faster postoperative recovery and shorter hospital stays. At 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years, W-TLIF patients had higher multifidus and erector spinae atrophy, and greater paravertebral muscle fat infiltration (p <0.05). The UBE-TLIF group also had lower VAS and ODI scores at 1 year and 2 years (p <0.05) and fewer surgical complications (6% vs. 10%). Fusion rates (94% vs. 92%) and modified Macnab outcomes (88% vs. 86%) were comparable (p >0.05). Conclusions UBE-TLIF is associated with reduced intraoperative trauma, quicker recovery, and fewer complications. In the long-term, it better preserves paravertebral muscle integrity and provides superior pain and functional outcomes.

Background: Cerebral hypoxia-ischemia impairs brain development in extremely preterm infants and is associated with poor neurological outcomes. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive continuous monitoring method for regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rcSO2).Purpose: This study evaluated the clinical feasibility and neurological impact of a neurocritical care bundle that incorporates prolonged multidisciplinary hemodynamic monitoring and a stepwise management algorithm. Methods: Preterm infants with a gestational age (GA) ≤28 weeks or birth weight (BW) ≤1,000 g were prospectively enrolled in a bundle group subjected to NIRS for rcSO2, electrical cardiometry for cardiac output, and daily brain and cardiac echography during the first 72 hours of life. Monitoring was repeated weekly in the first month and then monthly until discharge or the term-equivalent age (TEA) was reached. We implemented a stepwise management algorithm for treating cerebral hypoxia. The primary outcome was a composite of mortality and adverse neurological events (structural abnormalities or electroencephalogram-confirmed seizures) before discharge. The secondary outcomes were the physiological pattern of rcSO2 within the initial 72 hours and up to discharge or TEA. Results: Thirty preterm infants (GA, 27.1±2.0 weeks; BW, 830±225 g) were enrolled in the bundle group. The mean time-averaged rcSO2 (66.8%±10.3%) was not associated with GA or BW. However, postnatal age appeared to influence physiological rcSO2 changes, given that rcSO2 values were higher during the initial 72 hours than at subsequent intervals. Seven infants (23.3%) had poor outcomes and significantly lower time-averaged rcSO2 (51.1% [50.0%–65.2%] vs. 71.8% [67.1%–73.1%], P=0.002). Multivariate regression indicated that a lower rcSO2 was an independent risk factor, and a 65% threshold showed an optimal predictive value for poor outcomes. Conclusion The neurocritical care bundle helped identify preterm infants at risk of cerebral hypoxia, and lower rcSO2 was an independent risk factor for composite mortality and adverse neurological outcomes.

Methods: Thirty patients with PDVO of the lumbar or thoracic spine treated with transforaminal interbody debridement and fusion (TIDF) with AIBG between March 2014 and May 2022 were reviewed (AIBG group). For comparative analysis, 28 PDVO patients who underwent TIDF without AIBG between January 2009 and June 2011 were enrolled (non-AIBG group). The minimum follow-up duration was 2 years. Clinical characteristics and surgical indications were comparable in the two groups. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the postoperative antibiotics course were compared between the two groups. Results: Surgical treatment for PDVO resulted in clinical improvement and adequate infection control. Despite the shorter postoperative intravenous antibiotic duration (mean: 19.0 days vs. 39.8 days), the AIBG group had significantly lower CRP levels at postoperative 4 and 6 weeks. The mean Visual Analog Scale pain scores improved from 7.3 preoperatively to 2.2 at 6 weeks postoperatively. The average angle correction at the last follow-up was 7.9°. Conclusions TIDF with AIBG for PDVO can achieve local infection control with a faster reduction in CRP levels, leading to a shorter antibiotic duration.

Purpose: Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare, aggressive lymphoma that is characterized by terminal B-cell differ‑ entiation. In the West, PBL usually occurs in patients with immunodeficiencies, particularly those induced by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We investigated the clinicopathological features of PBL at a single institute in Taiwan, where HIV infection is rare. Methods: This retrospective chart review identified PBL cases that were treated at a single institute in southern Tai‑ wan between 2008 and 2024. Results: We identified nine patients (four males and five females; median age 71 years). Of the eight patients tested for HIV, only one tested positive. Pathologically, the tumors showed plasmablastic morphology and immunopheno‑ type, and three (33%) cases tested positive for Epstein–Barr virus. Six (67%) patients presented with Stage IV disease, including five (56%) with malignant effusion. Six patients were treated with chemotherapy and the remaining three received only supportive care. During a median follow-up of 10 months, five patients died of progressive disease, two died of unrelated diseases, and two were alive with PBL relapse. Conclusion In Taiwan, PBL constitutes a rare and aggressive clinical condition and is frequently associated with malignant effusion. In contrast to Western patients, the PBL in most patients from Taiwan was unrelated to HIV infection.

Objectives:To investigate the predictive value of Murray's law-based quantitative flow ratio(μQFR)in side branches for long-term clinical prognosis in patients with non-left main bifurcation lesions who underwent simple main branch stenting,and to provide a potential functional assessment standard for intervention decision-making on coronary bifurcation lesions.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted in 408 patients with non-left main bifurcation lesions who underwent simple main branch stenting at Lianyungang First People's Hospital and Nanjing First Hospital between July 2018 and January 2021.The study utilized third-generation QFR software to analyze pre-and post-procedure anatomical and functional parameters of the target lesion's main branch and key branches.The primary endpoint was target vessel failure(TVF)events during the 3-year follow-up.Patients were stratified into TVF and non-TVF groups.Baseline characteristics,procedural data,and pre-/post-procedural parameters of target vessels were compared between groups.Multivariable Cox regression was performed to identify predictors of TVF.Diagnostic efficacy of predictors was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC)with DeLong's method for comparison.Patients were dichotomized based on the optimal cutoffof post-procedural side branch μQFR,with TVF incidence rates compared via Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis.Results:During 3-year follow-up,54 patients(13.2%)experienced TVF(TVF group),data were compared with 354 patients(86.76%)without TVF(non-TVF group).The TVF group showed higher post-procedural side branch diameter stenosis([32.93±17.80]%vs.[22.62±11.96]%,P<0.001)and lower μQFR(0.80±0.10 vs.0.89±0.07,P<0.001).Multivariate Cox regression identified higher post-procedural side branch μQFR as an independent protective factor against 3-year TVF(per 0.01 increase:HR=0.903,95%CI:0.850-0.959,P<0.001).ROC curves indicated that post-procedural side branch μQFR had moderate diagnostic efficacy for predicting 3-year TVF(AUC=0.769,95%CI:0.678-0.861,P<0.001),with a significantly higher AUC value than post-operative side branch area stenosis and minimal lumen diameter(both P<0.001),the optimal cutoffvalue was 0.84.Multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed markedly higher 3-year TVF rates in patients with μQFR≤0.84 compared to patients with μQFR>0.84(HR=4.007,95%CI:2.342-6.855,P<0.001;28.3%vs.7.9%,log-rank P<0.001).Conclusions:For patients with bifurcation lesions not involving the left main,the immediate post-procedural side branch μQFR could better predict 3-year TVF than anatomical indices.Maintaining post-stenting side branch μQFR>0.84 may optimize clinical outcomes when using a single-stent strategy.

High mobility group box protein 1(HMGB1)is one of the most widely expressed protein member in the HMGs family,which is well known for its involvement in the body inflammatory response.Previous researches have found that it plays a significant role in cell migration,immune identification and neuroprotection.Spinal cord injury is a disease that causes severe damage to the nervous system,and neural circuits are disrupted after a spinal cord injury,which leads to many conditions including ischemia and hypoxia,inflammatory responses,demyelinating lesions,and glial scar formation that are detrimental to nerve regeneration and repair,making it one of the most difficult diseases to treat in the modern spinal surgery field.HMGB1 is upregulated after spinal cord injury,thereby regulating neuroinflam-matory responses,and participating in the neuronal apoptosis,promoting neuronal regeneration,and inducing neural stem cell differentiation and migration,which plays an important role in the process of neural function recovery.This paper summarizes the structure and function of HMGB1,as well as its role in spinal cord injury,in order to provide direction for founding therapeutic target for neurological function recovery after spinal cord injury.

Aim To investigate the effect of Huangqi injection(HI)and Huangqi oral solution(HO)on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity(CIN)based on un-targeted metabolomics technology and the underlying mechanisms.Methods Sprague Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into the blank group,cisplatin(CDDP)model group,HI treatment group,and HO treatment group,then the CIN model was built with low dose multiple intraperitoneal injections of CDDP.Pre-liminary evaluation of the renal protective efficacy of HI and HO was performed by measuring serum creatinine(Scr),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),and organ indi-ces.Further screening and identification of potential biomarkers(PBs)related to CIN and HI/HO pharma-cological effects were attained through metabolomics studies of renal tissues,and pathway enrichment analy-sis was conducted.Results HI and HO significantly restored the abnormal increase in renal function indica-tors and abnormal decrease in organ indices caused by CDDP,as well as significantly improved the abnormal renal metabolic profile induced by CDDP,indicating that both HI and HO had good alleviating effects on CIN.HI significantly reversed 47 out of 54 CIN related PBs,mainly involving metabolic pathways such as glycerophospholipid metabolism,tryptophan metabo-lism,pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis;HO signifi-cantly reversed 18 out of 54 CIN related PBs,mainly involving metabolic pathways such as taurine and hypo-taurine metabolism,ascorbate and aldarate metabo-lism,pentose and glucuronate interconversions.Con-clusions Both HI and HO have significant alleviating effects on CIN.In the short term,HI salleviating effect is superior to that of HO.Overall,the mechanisms by which both alleviate CIN are mainly related to regula-ting lipid metabolism,amino acid metabolism.

Objective:To explore the expressions and significance of nucleotide binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 (Caspase-1) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in patients with hemorrhagic stroke.Methods:One hundred and three patients with hemorrhagic stroke who visited the Department of Neurosurgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2022 to January 2024 were selected as the hemorrhage group.Another 90 healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations were selected as the control group.The differences in the levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1 and IL-1β in peripheral blood between the two groups were compared. The National Institutes of Health neurological deficiency score (NHISS) was used to evaluate the degree of neurological deficits of patients in the hemorrhage group. All patients were followed up for 3 months. The prognosis of patients was evaluated by modified Rankin scale (mRS). The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0 software. The relationship between peripheral blood indexes and blood loss, severity of neurological impairment was analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis. The predictive value of peripheral blood indexes for prognosis was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.Results:The expression levels of NLRP3 mRNA (2.67±0.42, 1.04±0.28), Caspase-1 mRNA (1.24±0.26, 0.75±0.14) and IL-1β protein ((24.92±4.97) pg/mL, (13.39±2.35) pg/mL) in the hemorrhage group were higher than those in the control group ( t=31.243, 15.967, 20.126, all P<0.05). When comparing the levels of NLRP3 mRNA, Caspase-1 mRNA and IL-1β in the peripheral blood of patients with different amounts of bleeding, those with massive bleeding were higher than those with moderate bleeding, and those with moderate bleeding were higher than those with mild bleeding (all P<0.05).The Spearman correlation analysis showed that the levels of NLRP3 mRNA, Caspase-1 mRNA and IL-1β in peripheral blood were positively correlated with the amount of bleeding in patients with hemorrhagic stroke ( r=0.646, 0.585, 0.604, all P<0.05). The levels of NLRP3 mRNA, Caspase-1 mRNA and IL-1β in patients with severe neurological deficits were higher than those in patients with moderate and mild neurological deficits, and those in patients with moderate neurological deficits were higher than those in patients with mild neurological deficits (all P<0.05). The results of Spearman correlation analysis showed that the levels of NLRP3 mRNA, Caspase-1 mRNA and IL-1β in peripheral blood were positively correlated with the degree of neurological deficits in patients with hemorrhagic stroke ( r=0.607, 0.522, 0.546, all P<0.05). The expression levels of NLRP3 mRNA, Caspase-1 mRNA and IL-1β in peripheral blood in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group (all P<0.05). The prediction results indicated that bleeding into the cerebral ventricles, large amount of bleeding, and high expression of NLRP3, Caspase-1 and IL-1β in peripheral blood were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with hemorrhagic stroke (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve for the combined assessment of poor prognosis in hemorrhagic stroke by the levels of NLRP3 mRNA, Caspase-1 mRNA and IL-1β was 0.856, which was larger than the areas under the curves of the three indicators detected separately (0.720, 0.703, 0.715, P<0.05). Conclusion:The expressions of peripheral blood NLRP3, Caspase-1 and IL-1β are up-regulated in patients with hemorrhagic stroke, and their high expressions are related to blood loss and the severity of neurological deficit, which also indicate poor prognosis of patients.

[Purpose]To analyze the trends in incidence,mortality and potential life loss of esophageal cancer in Linzhou City of Henan Province from 2010 to 2019.[Methods]The data of esophageal cancer incidence and mortality from 2010 to 2019 were collected from Linzhou cancer registries.The crude incidence and mortality rates,age-standardized rates(ASR)by sex and age group,the potential years of life lost(PYLL),average potential years of life lost(APYLL),and potential years of life lost rate(PYLLR)were calculated.The average annual percentage change(AAPC)from 2010 to 2019 were analyzed with Joinpoint software.[Results]From 2010 to 2019,there were a total of 8 447 newly diagnosed cases and 6 475 deaths of esophageal cancer in Linzhou.The ASR incidence and ASR mortality of esophageal cancer in the total population,males,females all showed significant downward trends,with AAPCs of-3.97％,-4.35％,-3.29％and-3.78％,-2.68％,-4.95％,respectively(all P＜0.05).The crude incidence and mortality rates in all age groups also showed significant downward trends.The AAPCs of incidence rate for the age groups of 0～49,50～59,60～69,and ≥70 years old were-9.92％,-8.27％,-1.41％,and-3.86％,respectively(all P＜0.05),and the AAPCs of mortality rate were-950％,-12.36％,-2.61％,and-2.98％,respectively(all P＜0.05).From 2010 to 2019,the total PYLL caused by esophageal cancer was 60 880 person years,APYLL was 13.73 person years,and PYLLR was 5.77‰.The PYLL,APYLL,and the PYLLR of the total population and those stratified by sex all showed a decreasing trend(all P＜0.05).[Con-clusion]From 2010 to 2019,the incidence,mortality and potential life loss of esophageal cancer in Linzhou City all decreased,and the long-term effect and screening programs is significant.How-ever,the risk of esophageal cancer among men and the elderly is still relatively high,indicating that more targeted prevention and control strategies should be developed.