Purpose: Metastatic rectal cancer (mRC) is a highly lethal and complex disease that demands a multidisciplinary treatment approach. However, the clinical effectiveness of radiotherapy (RT) for de novo mRC remains controversial and uncertain. Methods: This retrospective cohort study examined medical records from Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital for patients with histologically confirmed de novo mRC diagnosed between January 2015 and December 2020. All patients received standard systemic therapy and radical surgery when feasible. The primary outcome, overall survival (OS), was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable analysis was performed using a Cox regression model. Results: Among 271 patients included in the analysis, 117 received RT and 154 did not. The median OS was significantly longer in the RT group compared with the non-RT group (27.8 months vs. 21.9 months; P=0.046). Multivariate analysis identified several independent predictors of OS: age ≥65 years (hazard ratio [HR], 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26–2.27; P=0.001), primary tumor resection (HR, 2.62; 95% CI, 1.90–3.61; P<0.001), M1b or M1c disease (HR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.44–2.69; P<0.001), and receipt of RT (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.02–1.94; P=0.036). Conclusion RT significantly improves OS in patients with mRC, underscoring its role in treatment strategies. These findings support its inclusion in therapeutic protocols and highlight the need for larger, multicenter trials to confirm and extend these results.

Objective: Current guidelines recommend surveillance or diagnostic lobectomy for indeterminate thyroid nodules. Although radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has emerged as a potential alternative, its role remains controversial. Functional imaging modalities, including 99mTc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile scintigraphy and 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, have been used to support risk stratification. This study evaluated the mid-term outcomes of RFA and their predictors in a functionally screened cohort of patients with indeterminate thyroid nodules. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 109 patients with Bethesda category III or IV thyroid nodules who underwent RFA after functional imaging–based evaluation between January 2018 and November 2024. The primary outcome was local treatment failure (LTF), defined as the first occurrence of nodule regrowth, an increase in vital volume, or repeated indeterminate cytology. The secondary outcome was complete disappearance of the nodule.Supplementary outcomes included the volume reduction rate, symptom and cosmetic scores, and biochemical markers. Results: During a median follow-up of 2.2 years (range, 0.7–6.8 years), LTF occurred in 15 of 109 patients (13.8%), whereas complete disappearance was observed in 9 (8.3%) patients. The 3-year LTF-free probability and cumulative incidence of complete disappearance were 85.4% and 6.5%, respectively. Significant reductions were observed in the nodule volume, symptom scores, cosmetic scores, and free T4 and thyroglobulin levels. A greater initial maximum nodule diameter was independently associated with a higher likelihood of LTF (hazard ratio [HR] per 1-cm increase, 2.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23–4.48; P = 0.010) and a lower likelihood of complete disappearance (HR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.04–0.60; P = 0.006). At 3 years, 93% of the tumors with an initial diameter <3.0 cm remained free of LTF, whereas no tumors >2.1 cm achieved complete disappearance. Conclusion In this functionally screened cohort of patients with indeterminate thyroid nodules, RFA demonstrated acceptable outcomes with volume reduction and symptom relief, particularly in patients with nodules <3 cm.

ObjectiveMigraine is a leading neurological disorder and the fourth most common cause of years lived with disability worldwide, affecting nearly 116 million individuals. Although pharmacological treatments are available, their efficacy is often limited by side effects and variable response rates. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) offers a safe, non-invasive alternative for migraine management. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms, particularly how rTMS modulates local cortical excitability and distributed pain-related circuits, remain poorly understood. Elucidating these mechanisms is essential for optimizing treatment protocols and improving clinical outcomes. MethodsThis study employed concurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) to investigate neuroplastic and neurocircuitry mechanisms of DLPFC-rTMS in migraine. Study 1 compared 30 migraineurs and 28 healthy controls to identify abnormalities in TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) and significant current density (SCD) within sensory-discriminative regions including the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and posterior insula (pINS), cognitive-affective regions including the anterior insula (aINS) and midcingulate cortex (MCC), and a descending modulatory region, the periaqueductal gray (PAG). Study 2 used a single-blind, crossover, sham-controlled design in 34 healthy participants. Each participant received both active (10 Hz, 80% RMT, 1 500 pulses) and sham DLPFC-rTMS in counterbalanced order. TMS-EEG and cold pain tolerance were assessed before and after each session. ResultsIn Study 1, migraineurs showed a significantly less negative N120 amplitude compared to healthy controls (P=0.027, Cohen’s d=0.60), indicating local intracortical disinhibition. No group differences were observed for N40, P60, or P180 components. At the source level, migraineurs exhibited significantly higher SCD in the S1, pINS, aINS, and MCC (allQ<0.05), but not in the ventroposterior thalamus (vpTHAL), mediodorsal thalamus (mdTHAL), or PAG. In Study 2, active rTMS significantly reduced SCD from pre- to post-stimulation in the S1, aINS, and MCC (all Q<0.05). Sham stimulation also reduced SCD in the S1 (Q<0.05) but not in the aINS or MCC. Although no significant group-level analgesic effect was observed between active and sham conditions (P=0.107), correlation analyses revealed that greater SCD reductions in the S1 and MCC were significantly associated with higher post-rTMS pain tolerance (R=-0.487 and -0.495, both Q<0.01) and larger improvements in pain tolerance(R=-0.487 and -0.451, both Q<0.05). No such correlations were found following sham stimulation, suggesting that the behavioural relevance of neural changes is specific to active rTMS. ConclusionThis study provides novel evidence that migraineurs exhibit both local neuroplastic abnormalities (reduced N120 amplitude) and hyperactivity in key pain-processing regions (S1, pINS, aINS, MCC). A single session of DLPFC-rTMS reduced hyperactivity in the aINS, MCC, and S1. Notably, greater reductions in the S1 and MCC were associated with improved pain tolerance. These findings identify distinct cortical circuitries, particularly within the cognitive-affective pain network, that may serve as potential biomarkers for optimizing rTMS treatment in migraine and other chronic pain conditions. Future studies should validate these results in patient populations experiencing spontaneous migraine attacks and explore multi-session or accelerated rTMS protocols.

Gastrointestinal(GI)cancers are prevalent globally,with leading incidence and mortality rates among malignant tumors.Despite notable advancements in surgical resection,radiotherapy,and chemotherapy,the overall survival rates remain low.Hence,it is imperative to explore alternative approaches that enhance patient outcomes.Cluster of differentiation 47(CD47),serving as an early diagnostic marker,is predominantly overexpressed in GI cancers and associated with poor prognosis.Targeting the CD47-signal regulatory protein alpha(SIRPα)signaling pathway may provide a novel strategy for GI cancers treatment This study summarizes current knowledge of the structure and function of CD47 and SIRPα,their roles in signaling pathways,the prognostic significance of CD47,therapeutic strategies targeting the CD47-SIRPα signaling pathway in GI cancer,and highlights key issues for future investigations.

Objective To provide precise,effective,and intuitive nutritional and dietary recommendations for different population groups,a multi-modal nutritional knowledge graph was constructed,which includes entities such as food,nutrition,population,and diseases.Methods Data sets in the field of nutrition were obtained using web crawling and other technical means.The OneRel model was referenced to complete the joint extraction of Chinese entity relationships and construct a text library.The RoBERTa-ResNet model were used to learn the features of text and image data separately,to align images with text,and to construct a multi-modal knowledge graph.Results The F1 value of the joint entity relationship extraction model was 0.703.The constructed multi-modal knowledge graph contains 3312 textual entities,11 259 relationships,and 1000 image entities.Conclusion The algorithms used in this study to construct the multi-modal nutritional knowledge graph achieve good results.This knowledge graph not only systematically integrates multi-modal knowledge in the field of nutrition and enables good visual query capabilities,but also serves as the underlying support for downstream tasks such as intelligent question answering and nutritional recommendation systems.

BACKGROUND:With the increasing degree of population aging in China,the incidence of osteoporosis is rising annually.This growing demand for screening and diagnosis poses significant challenges to the healthcare system,increasing the time costs,financial burdens,and radiation exposure risks for patients.OBJECTIVE:To develop a novel interpretable prediction method based on traditional CT examination data and demographic data,aiming to reduce the number of patient examinations and enable multiple screenings from one examination.METHODS:A two-stage interpretable framework for osteoporosis prediction was designed.In the first stage,a human-computer collaborative method was used for annotating CT images,with an innovative vertebra 7-point CT value measurement technique.Patient's sex and age were used as key demographic features to enrich the model's input.In the second stage,the LightGBM model was enhanced by SHapley Additive exPlanations for quantitative analysis of feature importance,improving the interpretability of predictions and increasing clinical trust.Systematic experiments validated the effectiveness of the framework and the stability of the optimal feature set through the comparative analysis of different feature combinations with six machine learning models.To further assess the generalization ability of the model,the model was further tested on an external dataset.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The experiment compared six machine learning models suitable for medical applications,and the results showed that LightGBM model achieved an F1 score of 0.902 2 and an area under the curve of 0.938 7,outperforming the other models.In terms of interpretability,the clinical application credibility and operability of the model was increased by ranking and visualizing the contribution of input features to the results.Additionally,this study realized a prototype system,and testing results indicated that the system is user-friendly,capable of quickly processing data to provide prediction results,with visualized outcomes demonstrating good interpretability.This system effectively assists doctors in clinical decision-making and provides robust support for the screening and preliminary diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Objective:Systematic evaluation and integration of the real experience of dietary restriction in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, providing reference for the development of targeted intervention strategies.Methods:Qualitative studies on the dietary restriction experience of patients with inflammatory bowel disease retrieved from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database using computer search. The search period was from the establishment of the database to May 31, 2024. According to the Australian Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Based Healthcare Center Qualitative Research Quality Evaluation Criteria, the quality of included literature was evaluated, and the results were subjected to meta-analysis using a pooled integration method.Results:A total of 9 studies were included, and 36 research results were extracted and summarized into 9 categories. Then, three integrated results were further synthesized, namely physical and mental impairment and social limitation; change attitude and actively explore; seeking external support to promote beneficial growth.Conclusions:Dietary restrictions for inflammatory bowel disease have various impacts on patients. Medical staff should focus on the nutritional status and emotional needs of patients, and provide multidimensional social support based on their actual dietary management experience. They should develop patient-centered personalized intervention measures to help patients achieve more scientific and effective dietary management and improve their overall quality of life.

Surgical methods for varicocele remain controversial. This study intends to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different surgical approaches for treating varicocele through a network meta-analysis (NMA). PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases were thoroughly searched. In total, 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 24 cohort studies were included, covering 9 different surgical methods. Pairwise meta-analysis and NMA were performed by means of random-effects models, and interventions were ranked based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). According to the SUCRA, microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy (MSV; 91.6%), microsurgical retroperitoneal varicocelectomy (MRV; 78.2%), and microsurgical inguinal varicocelectomy (MIV; 76.7%) demonstrated the highest effectiveness in reducing postoperative recurrence rates. In this study, sclerotherapy embolization (SE; 87.2%), MSV (77.9%), and MIV (67.7%) showed the best results in lowering the risk of hydrocele occurrence. MIV (82.9%), MSV (75.9%), and coil embolization (CE; 58.7%) were notably effective in increasing sperm motility. Moreover, CE (76.7%), subinguinal approach varicocelectomy (SV; 69.2%), and SE (55.7%) were the most effective in increasing sperm count. SE (82.5%), transabdominal laparoscopic varicocelectomy (TLV; 76.5%), and MRV (52.7%) were superior in shortening the length of hospital stay. The incidence rates of adverse events for MRV (0), SE (3.3%), and MIV (4.1%) were notably low. Cluster analyses indicated that MSV was the most effective in the treatment of varicocele. Based on the existing evidence, MSV may represent the optimal choice for varicocele surgery. However, selecting clinical surgical strategies requires consideration of various factors, including patient needs, surgeon experience, and the learning curve.
Humans ; Male ; Embolization, Therapeutic/methods* ; Microsurgery/methods* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Sclerotherapy/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male/methods* ; Varicocele/surgery*

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.

In traditional Chinese medicine,jaundice is a liver and gallbladder disorder,primarily characterized by yellowing of the eyes,skin,and urine,with ocular yellowing being the most prominent feature.The understanding of jaundice pathogenesis in traditional Chinese medicine can be traced back to the Inner Canon of Huangdi.Despite the continuous development and improvement of successive generations of medical practitioners and a rich theoretical understanding of its pathogenesis being formed by the end of the Qing Dynasty,no unified view exists on whether the core pathological factor was dampness or blood stasis,nor on whether the primary disease location lay in the spleen and stomach or the liver and gallbladder.This article re-examines historical perspectives on jaundice pathogenesis within the context of traditional Chinese medicine theory,focusing on two key issues:pathological factors and the location of Zang and Fu.By integrating modern research approaches based on compound pathogenesis theory,and considering pathological factors,disease location according to Zang and Fu,and disease progression,a theoretical model is reconstructed,centered on the intermingling of dampness and blood stasis and integration of liver and spleen.Additionally,the insights and therapeutic strategies of multiple renowned clinical hepatology experts are incorporated to enrich the theoretical framework for jaundice treatment in traditional Chinese medicine and to enhance clinical efficacy.