Objective: To compare the effects of eccentric cycling (ECC), concentric cycling (CON), and standard care (CTL) on cardiopulmonary capacity, respiratory health, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: Thirty-one CKD patients were divided into the CTL, CON, and ECC groups. The CON and ECC groups participated in 8-week, 24-session cycling programs. Outcomes were assessed through cardiopulmonary exercise tests, respiratory function tests, and the 36-Item Short Form Survey Instrument questionnaire. Results: The ECC group achieved significant improvements in maximal oxygen uptake, while the CTL group showed a decline. For oxygen uptake efficiency slope, significant changes were observed only in the ECC group, with a group-by-time interaction effect compared to CTL. Furthermore, the ECC group demonstrated the most significant increase in diaphragm movement and a significant increase in diaphragm thickness, with comparisons indicating that ECC outperformed both CTL and CON. Regarding QoL, the ECC group exhibited significantly greater improvements in Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary, with statistically significant differences compared with the CTL and CON groups. Conclusion ECC is a low-effort, high-benefit exercise modality that significantly enhances cardiopulmonary fitness, respiratory function, and QoL in patients with CKD.

Background/Aims: Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is a rare malignancy with poor prognosis. We investigated genomic determinants of clinical benefit from gemcitabine, cisplatin, and nab-paclitaxel (GAP) versus gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) in advanced BTC. Methods: Clinical and genomic data using TruSight Oncology 500 were analyzed from patients treated with GAP (N=198) or GC (N=89) as first-line therapy. Results: With a median follow-up of 33.0 months, GAP modestly improved progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio [HR] 0.764; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.591–0.989) without significant overall survival (OS) difference compared to GC. Genomic profiling revealed frequent alterations in TP53 (35.2%), KRAS (16.4%), SMAD4 (10.5%), and TNFRSF14 (10.5%), involving RTK/RAS (44.3%), TP53 (41.8%), and PI3K (20.2%) pathways. Single-gene mutations did not predict treatment benefit. However, pathway-level analysis identified PI3K pathway activation as significantly associated with inferior PFS (HR 2.148; 95% CI 1.478–3.124) and OS (HR 2.096; 95% CI 1.413–3.109) in patients receiving GAP, an effect not observed with GC. Importantly, GAP conferred clinical benefit only in patients without PI3K pathway activation, while no survival advantage was seen in those with such alterations (Pinteraction=0.023 for PFS, Pinteraction=0.003 for OS). Similar results were obtained in the independent validation cohort treated with GAP (N=103) or GC (N=64) for BTC. Conclusions Genomic profiling using next-generation sequencing identified PI3K pathway activation as key molecular determinant that differentiates patient outcomes between GAP and GC treatments in advanced BTC.

Syringa pinnatifolia, belonging to the family Oleaceae, is a species endemic to China. It is predominantly distributed in the Helan Mountains region of Inner Mongolia and Ningxia of China. The peeled roots, stems, and thick branches have been used as a distinctive Mongolian medicinal material known as "Shan-chen-xiang", which has effects such as suppressing "khii", clearing heat, and relieving pain and is employed for the treatment of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases and joint pain. Over the past five years, significant increase was achieved in research on chemical constituents and pharmacological effects. There were a total of 130 new constituents reported, covering sesquiterpenoids, lignans, and alkaloids. Its effects of anti-myocardial ischemia, anti-cerebral ischemia/reperfusion, sedation, and analgesia were revealed, and the mechanisms of agarwood formation were also investigated. To better understand its medical value and potential of clinical application, this review updates the research progress in recent five years focusing on the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of S. pinnatifolia, providing reference for subsequent research on active ingredient and support for its innovative application in modern medicine system.
Medicine, Mongolian Traditional ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Animals ; Syringa/chemistry*

Objective:To evaluate the long-term efficacy of liposuction combined with lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) in the treatment of secondary lymphedema in lower extremity and analyse the factors that affect therapeutic outcomes.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 172 patients who were treated in the Department of Lymphatic Surgery, Capital Medical University Affiliated Beijing Shijitan Hospital for secondary lymphedema in lower extremity, between January 2019 and December 2021. The cohort comprised 170 females and 2 males, with a median age of 55 years. The primary diseases were: 99 patients with cervical cancer, 47 with endometrial cancer, 1 with penile cacer and 25 with other malignant tumours. All patients received liposuction to aspirate subcutaneous adipose tissue and LVA anastomosis of the inguinal lymphatic vessels with the great saphenous vein and its branches. Postoperative follow-ups were performed at outpatient clinic, telephone interview and questionnaire survey to acquire immediate status of the patients at the time. Following variables were included the follow-up: gender, age, body mass index (BMI), duration, hypertension, diabetes, the type of primary disease, history of surgery, history of lymph node dissection, history of radiotherapy or chemotherapy, extracellular water ratio (ECW%) in the affected limb, preoperative history of erysipelas, preoperative percentage difference in circumference of bilateral proximal toes, dorsal feet, ankles, distal third of legs, middle legs, proximal third of legs, knees, distal third of thighs, mid thighs, proximal third of thighs and groins. Additional parameters included duration of liposuction, intraoperative blood loss, adipose tissue content, number of lymphatic vessels anastomosed in LVA, postoperative daily standing time, postoperative history of erysipelas, and usage of compression garment. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using SPSS 26.0 software, with P <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results:A complete remission was defined as less than 10.0% in the percentage of bilateral limb volume difference during follow-up. There were 112 patients with complete remission. After excluded confounding factors through univariate analysis, multivariate analysis had revealed following independent risk factors: ECW% of affected limb ( P<0.01), postoperative standing duration >6 hours/day ( P=0.021), postoperative history of erysipelas ( P=0.016), regular use of compression garment ( P=0.013), and percentage difference of circumference at bilateral proximal toes ( P=0.038). Among the remaining 60 patients, 32 patients achieved effective remission which was defined as less than 20.0% in the swelling volume expansion ratio. Conclusion:Liposuction combined with LVA can relieve secondary lymphedema of lower extremity for majority of patients. ECW% of affected limb, postoperative standing duration >6 hours/day, postoperative history of erysipelas, irregular use of elastic socks, and percentage difference in circumference at bilateral proximal toes are the independent risk factors that affect the prognosis.

Objective:To evaluate the long-term efficacy of liposuction combined with lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) in the treatment of secondary lymphedema in lower extremity and analyse the factors that affect therapeutic outcomes.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 172 patients who were treated in the Department of Lymphatic Surgery, Capital Medical University Affiliated Beijing Shijitan Hospital for secondary lymphedema in lower extremity, between January 2019 and December 2021. The cohort comprised 170 females and 2 males, with a median age of 55 years. The primary diseases were: 99 patients with cervical cancer, 47 with endometrial cancer, 1 with penile cacer and 25 with other malignant tumours. All patients received liposuction to aspirate subcutaneous adipose tissue and LVA anastomosis of the inguinal lymphatic vessels with the great saphenous vein and its branches. Postoperative follow-ups were performed at outpatient clinic, telephone interview and questionnaire survey to acquire immediate status of the patients at the time. Following variables were included the follow-up: gender, age, body mass index (BMI), duration, hypertension, diabetes, the type of primary disease, history of surgery, history of lymph node dissection, history of radiotherapy or chemotherapy, extracellular water ratio (ECW%) in the affected limb, preoperative history of erysipelas, preoperative percentage difference in circumference of bilateral proximal toes, dorsal feet, ankles, distal third of legs, middle legs, proximal third of legs, knees, distal third of thighs, mid thighs, proximal third of thighs and groins. Additional parameters included duration of liposuction, intraoperative blood loss, adipose tissue content, number of lymphatic vessels anastomosed in LVA, postoperative daily standing time, postoperative history of erysipelas, and usage of compression garment. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using SPSS 26.0 software, with P <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results:A complete remission was defined as less than 10.0% in the percentage of bilateral limb volume difference during follow-up. There were 112 patients with complete remission. After excluded confounding factors through univariate analysis, multivariate analysis had revealed following independent risk factors: ECW% of affected limb ( P<0.01), postoperative standing duration >6 hours/day ( P=0.021), postoperative history of erysipelas ( P=0.016), regular use of compression garment ( P=0.013), and percentage difference of circumference at bilateral proximal toes ( P=0.038). Among the remaining 60 patients, 32 patients achieved effective remission which was defined as less than 20.0% in the swelling volume expansion ratio. Conclusion:Liposuction combined with LVA can relieve secondary lymphedema of lower extremity for majority of patients. ECW% of affected limb, postoperative standing duration >6 hours/day, postoperative history of erysipelas, irregular use of elastic socks, and percentage difference in circumference at bilateral proximal toes are the independent risk factors that affect the prognosis.

As the search for effective treatments for COVID-19 continues, the high mortality rate among critically ill patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) presents a profound challenge. This study explores the potential benefits of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a supplementary treatment for severe COVID-19. A total of 110 critically ill COVID-19 patients at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Vulcan Hill Hospital between Feb., 2020, and April, 2020 (Wuhan, China) participated in this observational study. All patients received standard supportive care protocols, with a subset of 81 also receiving TCM as an adjunct treatment. Clinical characteristics during the treatment period and the clinical outcome of each patient were closely monitored and analysed. Our findings indicated that the TCM group exhibited a significantly lower mortality rate compared with the non-TCM group (16 of 81 vs 24 of 29; 0.3 vs 2.3 person/month). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, TCM treatment was associated with improved survival odds (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis also revealed that TCM treatment could partially mitigate inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and contribute to the recovery of multiple organic functions, thereby potentially increasing the survival rate of critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Humans ; COVID-19 ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Critical Illness ; Treatment Outcome

Background: The incidence density of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and the effect of a healthy lifestyle on the risk of MAFLD remain unknown. We evaluated the prevalence and incidence density of MAFLD and investigated the association between healthy lifestyle and the risk of MAFLD. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 37,422 participants to explore the prevalence of MAFLD. A cohort analysis of 18,964 individuals was conducted to identify the incidence of MAFLD, as well as the association between healthy lifestyle and MAFLD. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) with adjustments for confounding factors. Results: The prevalence of MAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and their comorbidities were 30.38%, 28.09%, and 26.13%, respectively. After approximately 70 thousand person-years of follow-up, the incidence densities of the three conditions were 61.03, 55.49, and 51.64 per 1,000 person-years, respectively. Adherence to an overall healthy lifestyle was associated with a 19% decreased risk of MAFLD (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.72 to 0.92), and the effects were modified by baseline age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Subgroup analyses revealed that younger participants, men, and those with a lower BMI experienced more significant beneficial effects from healthy lifestyle. Conclusion Our results highlight the beneficial effect of adherence to a healthy lifestyle on the prevention of MAFLD. Health management for improving dietary intake, physical activity, and smoking and drinking habits are critical to improving MAFLD.

Objective To evaluate the in vitro effect of combinations of 5 β-lactam antibiotics with different β-lac-tamase inhibitors on the activity of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MDR-TB),and identify the most effective combination of β-lactam antibiotics and β-lactamase inhibitors against MDR-TB.Methods MDR-TB strains collected in Henan Province Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Project in 2021 were selected.The mini-mum inhibitory concentrations(MIC)of 5 β-lactam antibiotics or combinations with different β-lactamase inhibitors on clinically isolated MDR-TB strains were measured by MIC detection method,and the blaC mutation of the strains was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction(PCR)and DNA sequencing.Results A total of 105 strains of MDR-TB were included in the analysis.MIC detection results showed that doripenem had the highest antibacterial activity against MDR-TB,with a MIC50 of 16 μg/mL.MIC values of most β-lactam antibiotics decreased significantly after combined with β-lactamase inhibitors.A total of 13.33％(n=14)strains had mutations in blaC gene,mainly 3 nu-cleotide substitution mutations,namely AGT333AGG,AAC638ACC and ATC786ATT.BlaC proteins Ser111 Arg and Asn213Thr enhanced the synergistic effect of clavulanic acid/sulbactam and meropenem on MDR-TB compared with synonymous single-nucleotide mutation.Conclusion The combination of doripenem and sulbactam has the strongest antibacterial activity against MDR-TB.Substitution mutations of BlaC protein Ser111 Arg and Asn213Thr enhances the sensitivity of MDR-TB to meropenem through the synergy with clavulanic acid/sulbactam.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (PIL).Methods:This study was a retrospective case series study. Fifty consecutive patients diagnosed with PIL in Department of Lymphatic Surgery, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University from March 2019 to March 2021 were included and their clinical data was retrospectively reviewed. There were 20 males and 30 females included, with an age of ( M(IQR)) 14 (40) years (range:0 to 67 years). No patient had the family history. There were 26 children, including 9 males and 17 females, aged 0 (7) years (range:0 to 14 years). There were 24 adults, including 11 males and 13 females, aged 40 (26) years (range:20 to 67 years). The clinical manifestations and the results of laboratory examinations, gastrointestinal endoscopy, 99Tc m-labeled human albumin ( 99Tc m-HSA) scintigraphy, 99Tc m-DX scintigraphy, direct lymphangiography (DLG), histopathology, diet treatment, surgical intervention, and clinical symptom remission at discharge were collected. Comparisons between groups were performed using independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or χ2 test. Results:Among the 50 cases of PIL, the main manifestations were edema (86.0%), diarrhea (76.0%), and abdominal effusion (48.0%). Lymphedema (36.0%) and chylous ascites (18.0%) were not rare in PIL patients. In 99Tc m-HAS scintigraphy, 95.9% (47/49) cases showed signs of intestinal protein loss, and 91.7% (44/48) ceses showed positive findings in 99Tc m-DX scintigraphy. In DLG, 97.8% (45/46) cases showed signs of thoracic duct obstruction, 82.6% (38/46) cases showed retroperitoneal lymphatic hyperplasia, and 23.9% (11/46) cases showed backflow of contrast agent into intestine. No significant difference was seen in gender, course of disease, clinical manifestation, serum level of albumin or globulin, lymphocyte count, positive rate of fecal occult blood and prevalence of lymphedema between adults and children (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The clinical presentations of PIL between children and adults had no significant difference. The diagnosis of PIL should be made according to clinical manifestation, 99Tc m-HAS scintigraphy, 99Tc m-DX scintigraphy, DLG, gastrointestinal endoscopy and pathological findings.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features of primary intestinal lymphangiectasia (PIL).Methods:This study was a retrospective case series study. Fifty consecutive patients diagnosed with PIL in Department of Lymphatic Surgery, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University from March 2019 to March 2021 were included and their clinical data was retrospectively reviewed. There were 20 males and 30 females included, with an age of ( M(IQR)) 14 (40) years (range:0 to 67 years). No patient had the family history. There were 26 children, including 9 males and 17 females, aged 0 (7) years (range:0 to 14 years). There were 24 adults, including 11 males and 13 females, aged 40 (26) years (range:20 to 67 years). The clinical manifestations and the results of laboratory examinations, gastrointestinal endoscopy, 99Tc m-labeled human albumin ( 99Tc m-HSA) scintigraphy, 99Tc m-DX scintigraphy, direct lymphangiography (DLG), histopathology, diet treatment, surgical intervention, and clinical symptom remission at discharge were collected. Comparisons between groups were performed using independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or χ2 test. Results:Among the 50 cases of PIL, the main manifestations were edema (86.0%), diarrhea (76.0%), and abdominal effusion (48.0%). Lymphedema (36.0%) and chylous ascites (18.0%) were not rare in PIL patients. In 99Tc m-HAS scintigraphy, 95.9% (47/49) cases showed signs of intestinal protein loss, and 91.7% (44/48) ceses showed positive findings in 99Tc m-DX scintigraphy. In DLG, 97.8% (45/46) cases showed signs of thoracic duct obstruction, 82.6% (38/46) cases showed retroperitoneal lymphatic hyperplasia, and 23.9% (11/46) cases showed backflow of contrast agent into intestine. No significant difference was seen in gender, course of disease, clinical manifestation, serum level of albumin or globulin, lymphocyte count, positive rate of fecal occult blood and prevalence of lymphedema between adults and children (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The clinical presentations of PIL between children and adults had no significant difference. The diagnosis of PIL should be made according to clinical manifestation, 99Tc m-HAS scintigraphy, 99Tc m-DX scintigraphy, DLG, gastrointestinal endoscopy and pathological findings.