Background: Malignant vasovagal syncope (VVS) is characterized by cardiac arrest lasting more than 3 seconds during a syncope episode or head-up tilt test (HUTT). We aim to conduct a risk assessment for potential malignant VVS before the HUTT by using economic, simple and convenient demographic data, in order to prevent adverse outcomes for pediatric VVS.Purpose: To explore the correlation between demographic factors and pediatric malignant VVS, and verify the value of these factors in early risk assessment for malignant VVS before HUTT, so as to optimize test safety and reduce adverse events. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 3,734 children who were initially diagnosed with VVS due to unexplained syncope and presyncope. Finally, 122 children who met the diagnostic criteria for malignant VVS were included in the malignant VVS group, and 661 children who did not meet the criteria during the same period were matched as the control group. By analyzing demographic data and other factors, we attempted to clarify the association between these factors and malignant VVS. Results: Linear relationship: age and body mass index (BMI) have independent protective effects on malignant VVS. For every 1-year increase in age and every 1 kg/m2 increase in BMI, the risk of malignant VVS decreases by 12% and 9%, respectively. Nonlinear relationship: When the age is <12.9 years old, for every additional year of age, the risk of malignant VVS decreases by 20%. For ages 12.9 years and above, the efficacy is not significant. There is no significant nonlinear relationship between BMI and malignant VVS. Conclusion Age and BMI are independent protective factors for pediatric malignant VVS. Before the age of 12.9 years, the incidence of malignant VVS gradually decreases with the increase in age, and thereafter there is no significant impact.

Background: Although the relationship between gut bacteria and pain is increasingly well understood, research on the role of oral bacteria in pain remains limited. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a major pathogen in periodontal disease, is known to drive the progression of infection in the oral cavity, leading to inflammation and tissue destruction. However, unlike other conditions, patients with periodontal disease exhibit variable pain responses. This unique presentation suggests that P. gingivalis exerts multifaceted effects on pain modulation. Methods: The bibliographic databases of PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library were searched for original and reviewed in vitro, animal, and human studies. Key data on pain, inflammation, and neuroimmune pathways were extracted. Studies that did not address pain mechanisms or were limited to non-oral/systemic conditions without a clear link to orofacial pain were excluded. Results: This review summarizes the current evidence on how P. gingivalis influences inflammation and pain, highlighting the interactions between its cell wall components (e.g., lipopolysaccharide and fimbriae), metabolic byproducts (e.g., nitric oxide and butyric acid), and the host immune response. Conclusion The diverse pain manifestations in P. gingivalis-induced periodontitis may reflect the different stages of disease. Early pain suppression may result from bacterial immune evasion, wherein therapies adjunctive to scaling and root planing, such as host modulation therapy or gingipain inhibitors, may help restore host immunity and improve clinical outcomes.

ObjectiveCerebral ischemic injury triggers a complex pathological cascade characterized by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, persistent oxidative stress, and sustained neuroinflammation in the injured brain microenvironment. These events collectively drive mitochondrial dysfunction, microglial overactivation, pro-inflammatory cytokine release, and progressive neuronal apoptosis, ultimately leading to severe and irreversible neurological deficits. However, conventional therapeutic strategies face critical limitations, including poor blood-brain barrier penetration, insufficient local drug concentration, uncontrolled drug release, and off-target systemic side effects. To address this pathological process, we rationally designed and fabricated an injectable ROS-responsive hydrogel loaded with polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs) for spatiotemporally controlled antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and neuroprotection in the ischemic injury microenvironment. The present study aimed to systematically characterize the physicochemical properties, ROS-responsive drug release behavior, biocompatibility, and neuroprotective efficacy of this composite hydrogel system in vitro. MethodsPDA NPs were fabricated via oxidative self-polymerization. The ROS-responsive hydrogel was cross-linked using N1-(4-boronobenzyl)-N3-(4-boronophenyl)-N1,N1,N3,N3-tetramethylpropane-1, 3-diaminium (TSPBA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Morphology, particle size, Zeta potential, and structure of PDA NPs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), Zeta potential analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Microstructure, rheological properties, shear-thinning behavior, and ROS-triggered release profiles of the hydrogel were examined by SEM and rheometry. Biocompatibility was evaluated using HT22 mouse hippocampal neurons with CCK-8 and live/dead staining. An oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model was established to simulate ischemic injury in vitro. ROS levels and neuronal apoptosis were detected by DHE staining and TUNEL assay. Microglial polarization and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression were analyzed using immunofluorescence and RT-qPCR in BV-2 microglia. Transwell co-culture was used to verify the indirect neuroprotection mediated by modulated microglia. ResultsCharacterization results confirmed that the as-prepared PDA NPs were monodispersed spherical nanoparticles with uniform diameter and negative surface potential, demonstrating favorable dispersibility and robust ROS-scavenging activity. The TSPBA-PVA hydrogel exhibited a highly porous interconnected network, suitable mechanical strength, and obvious shear-thinning behavior, supporting its application as an injectable implant. More importantly, the hydrogel displayed typical ROS-responsive degradation and on-demand PDA NP release in a ROS-concentration-dependent manner. In vitro cellular experiments demonstrated that the PDA NP-loaded hydrogel possessed excellent biocompatibility with HT22 cells. In the OGD/R model, the hydrogel significantly reduced intracellular ROS accumulation and markedly suppressed neuronal apoptosis. Furthermore, the composite hydrogel effectively redirected BV-2 microglia from the pro-inflammatory M1 toward the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotypes, downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, and reduced inflammatory damage. Transwell co-culture assays further validated that M2-polarized microglia mediated by the hydrogel significantly enhanced the survival of OGD/R-injured HT22 neurons and attenuated apoptosis. ConclusionIn this study, we successfully developed a novel injectable ROS-responsive hydrogel loaded with PDA NPs for synergistic antioxidative and anti-inflammatory neuroprotection. This intelligent hydrogel system enables ROS-triggered on-demand release of PDA NPs, efficiently scavenges excessive ROS, inhibits oxidative stress injury, modulates microglial polarization, and suppresses neuroinflammation, thereby exerting robust neuroprotective effects in vitro. This biomaterial platform provides a promising strategy for the targeted and controlled delivery of bioactive nanomaterials in the central nervous system diseases and establishes a solid experimental foundation for the development of in situ injectable therapies for ischemic brain injury.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Background: and Purpose Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) following endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a severe complication associated with adverse functional outcomes and increased mortality rates. Currently, a reliable predictive model for sICH risk after EVT is lacking. Methods: This study used data from patients aged ≥20 years who underwent EVT for anterior circulation stroke from the nationwide Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke (TREAT-AIS). A predictive model including factors associated with an increased risk of sICH after EVT was developed to differentiate between patients with and without sICH. This model was compared existing predictive models using nationwide registry data to evaluate its relative performance. Results: Of the 2,507 identified patients, 158 developed sICH after EVT. Factors such as diastolic blood pressure, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, platelet count, glucose level, collateral score, and successful reperfusion were associated with the risk of sICH after EVT. The TREAT-AIS score demonstrated acceptable predictive accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]=0.694), with higher scores being associated with an increased risk of sICH (odds ratio=2.01 per score increase, 95% confidence interval=1.64–2.45, P<0.001). The discriminatory capacity of the score was similar in patients with symptom onset beyond 6 hours (AUC=0.705). Compared to existing models, the TREAT-AIS score consistently exhibited superior predictive accuracy, although this difference was marginal. Conclusions The TREAT-AIS score outperformed existing models, and demonstrated an acceptable discriminatory capacity for distinguishing patients according to sICH risk levels. However, the differences between models were only marginal. Further research incorporating periprocedural and postprocedural factors is required to improve the predictive accuracy.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Xu's Shenqiyizhu （SQYZ） decoction combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue （CRF） of stagnated-toxin spleen deficiency type after gastric cancer surgery and explore its possible mechanism. MethodsFifty postoperative gastric cancer patients with CRF of stagnated-toxin spleen deficiency type were selected and randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group by using a random number table，with 25 cases in each group. The control group was treated with FLOT chemotherapy （50 mg·m^-2 docetaxel （iv drip on day 1） + 85 mg·m^-2 oxaliplatin （iv drip on day 1） + 200 mg·m^-2 calcium folinate （iv drip on day 1） + 2 600 mg·m^-2 fluorouracil （iv drip for 24 h on day 1），once every three weeks） and basic and symptomatic supportive treatment. The experimental group was treated with Xu's SQYZ decoction （decocted twice，200 mL taken orally twice a day） in addition to the treatment of the control group. One course of treatment lasted for three weeks，with a total of four courses conducted. Observation was performed on the piper fatigue scale （PFS） scores，karnofsky performance status （KPS） scores，European Organization for Research and Treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire （EORTC QLQ-C30） scores，traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores，and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α），interferon-γ （IFN-γ），and interleukin-6 （IL-6）detected via enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） before and after treatment in the two groups. The safety test results before and after treatment for the two groups of patients，as well as the occurrence of adverse events during treatment， were recorded. Transcriptome sequencing data of peripheral blood samples from gastric adenocarcinoma patients and normal individuals were downloaded from the gene expression omnibus （GEO） database，and differentially expressed genes between the tumor and normal groups were identified. Differential gene enrichment analysis was made based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） and Gene Ontology （GO）. The CRF relevance scores of genes were retrieved from the GeneCards database. Results① Compared with that before treatment，the total PFS score in the experimental group was significantly reduced （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment，the experimental group showed significantly reduced total PFS score （P<0.05）. ② Compared with that before treatment，the KPS score in the experimental group decreased significantly （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment，the experimental group exhibited a significantly decreased KPS score （P<0.05）. The experimental group demonstrated significantly increased functional scores （physical function，role function，emotional function，social function，and overall health） （P<0.05） and significantly reduced symptom scores （fatigue，shortness of breath，loss of appetite，constipation，and diarrhea） of the EORTC QLQ-C30 scale after treatment compared with before treatment. Compared with the control group after treatment，the experimental group presented significantly increased functional scores （physical function，emotional function，social function，and overall health） （P<0.05） and significantly reduced symptom scores （fatigue，nausea and vomiting，shortness of breath，loss of appetite，and diarrhea） of the EORTC QLQ-C30 scale （P<0.05）. Compared with those before treatment，the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores （eating too little and poor digestion，fatigue and weakness，postprandial bloating，abnormal bowel movements，lassitude and weakness，and total score） in the experimental group were significantly reduced （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment，the experimental group had significantly reduced traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores （eating too little and poor digestion，fatigue and weakness，nausea and vomiting，and sallow complexion） （P<0.05）， which indicated better efficacy in the experimental group than in the control group （χ²=7.996，P<0.05）. The serum levels of TNF-α，IL-6，and IFN-γ were significantly correlated with each other （P<0.01）. Compared with those before treatment，the levels of serum cytokines TNF-α，IL-6，and IFN-γ in the experimental group were significantly reduced （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment，the experimental group showed significantly reduced serum levels of cytokines TNF-α，IL-6，and IFN-γ （P<0.05）. ③ There were no significant intra-group and inter-group differences in the safety test results of the two groups before and after treatment. During the treatment period，there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups of patients. ④ Compared with the normal group，the tumor group exhibited a total of 328 significantly up-regulated genes in the peripheral blood （P<0.05），and KEGG and GO analyses showed that they were significantly enriched in signaling pathways such as TNF （P<0.05）. ⑤ TNF，IL6，IFNG， and other cytokine encoding genes may be key pathogenic genes for CRF. ConclusionXu's SQYZ decoction can alleviate symptoms such as fatigue in postoperative chemotherapy patients with gastric cancer and improve their functional status and quality of life. Its mechanism may be related to improving cytokine imbalance.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Background: and Purpose Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) following endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a severe complication associated with adverse functional outcomes and increased mortality rates. Currently, a reliable predictive model for sICH risk after EVT is lacking. Methods: This study used data from patients aged ≥20 years who underwent EVT for anterior circulation stroke from the nationwide Taiwan Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke (TREAT-AIS). A predictive model including factors associated with an increased risk of sICH after EVT was developed to differentiate between patients with and without sICH. This model was compared existing predictive models using nationwide registry data to evaluate its relative performance. Results: Of the 2,507 identified patients, 158 developed sICH after EVT. Factors such as diastolic blood pressure, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, platelet count, glucose level, collateral score, and successful reperfusion were associated with the risk of sICH after EVT. The TREAT-AIS score demonstrated acceptable predictive accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]=0.694), with higher scores being associated with an increased risk of sICH (odds ratio=2.01 per score increase, 95% confidence interval=1.64–2.45, P<0.001). The discriminatory capacity of the score was similar in patients with symptom onset beyond 6 hours (AUC=0.705). Compared to existing models, the TREAT-AIS score consistently exhibited superior predictive accuracy, although this difference was marginal. Conclusions The TREAT-AIS score outperformed existing models, and demonstrated an acceptable discriminatory capacity for distinguishing patients according to sICH risk levels. However, the differences between models were only marginal. Further research incorporating periprocedural and postprocedural factors is required to improve the predictive accuracy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.