Objective To investigate the distribution characteristics of pathogens causing infections within 90 days after liver transplantation and the influencing factors of infection. Methods Clinical data of 176 recipients who underwent liver transplantation at the Liver Transplant Center of Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from September 2021 to August 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into the infection group (n=124) and the non-infection group (n=52) based on whether they developed infection within 90 days after transplantation. The distribution characteristics of pathogens in infected patients were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore the influencing factors of infection. Results Among the 176 liver transplant recipients, 124 cases developed 243 episodes of 518 bacterial, fungal, viral or mycoplasma infections within 90 days after transplantation, with an overall infection rate of 70.5% (124/176). The composition of pathogens was mainly Gram-negative bacteria (38.6%, 200/518), followed by Gram-positive bacteria (32.2%, 167/518) and viruses (15.4%, 80/518), and fungi accounted for 13.1% (68/518). Among Gram-negative bacteria, the main pathogen was Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.8%, 35/518), and among Gram-positive bacteria, the main pathogen was Enterococcus faecalis (8.5%, 44/518). Viruses included Epstein-Barr virus (3.7%, 19/518) and cytomegalovirus (3.7%, 19/518), and fungi were mainly Candida albicans (6.8%, 35/518). The most common infection site among the 243 episodes was pulmonary infection (42.0%, 102/243), followed by abdominal infection (22.6%, 55/243) and bloodstream infection (18.1%, 44/243). The infections mainly occurred within 2 weeks after transplantation (60.9%, 148/243). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that preoperative infection within 2 weeks, a high preoperative model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, and preoperative sarcopenia were independent risk factors for infection within 90 days after liver transplantation (all odds ratio>1, P<0.05). After multivariate correction, the levels of CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells within 90 days after surgery were independently associated with the occurrence of infection. Low levels of CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells might be related to an increased risk of infection. Conclusions The infection rate after liver transplantation is high, and the pathogens are mainly Gram-negative bacteria. The lungs are the most common infection site. Preoperative MELD score, preoperative sarcopenia and preoperative infection within 2 weeks are independent risk factors for infection within 90 days after liver transplantation. Regular monitoring of immune indicators CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells levels after transplantation is helpful to reduce the occurrence of post-transplantation infection.

Huanglian Jiedutang （HLJDT）， as a classical formula for clearing heat and removing toxins， has been widely applied in the treatment of various clinical diseases in recent years， particularly during the fire-heat stage of stroke， where it has attracted considerable attention. Based on previous studies， this paper systematically elaborates on the research progress on the active components of HLJDT， its clinical application in ischemic stroke， and advances in studies on its mechanisms of action. Modern pharmacological studies have demonstrated that HLJDT contains multiple active components， including baicalin， geniposide， and berberine. In the treatment of ischemic stroke， these components exert therapeutic effects through multi-target， multi-pathway， and multi-level mechanisms. Clinical studies have shown that HLJDT can increase cerebral blood flow， reduce cerebral infarct volume， and improve post-stroke physical dysfunction in patients with ischemic stroke. Experimental studies have indicated that HLJDT can improve neurological function scores and increase cerebral perfusion in experimental stroke models. In addition， the mechanisms underlying the anti-ischemic stroke effects of HLJDT may be related to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities， promotion of angiogenesis， and regulation of amino acid and energy metabolism. Although existing studies have confirmed that HLJDT exhibits multi-target and multi-pathway synergistic therapeutic characteristics， further large-sample randomized controlled trials are still needed to verify its long-term efficacy and to further elucidate the dynamic interaction network among components， targets， and pathways. Combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses， this study further clarifies the synergistic targets of the core components （berberine， baicalin， and geniposide）， providing a theoretical basis for in-depth research and clinical translation of HLJDT in the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Objective To investigate the species of sandflies and the prevalence of Leishmania infections in sandflies from selected areas of northern and northwestern China, so as to provide insights into identification of leishmaniasis vectors and assessment of epidemiological trends of leishmaniasis in China. Methods Sandfly samples were collected from Mentougou District of Beijing Municipality, Xiangning County in Linfen City of Shanxi Province, Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Payzawat County of Karamay District of Karamay City, Gaochang District of Turpan City in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from July 2023 to July 2024. Approximately 100 intact female sandfly samples were randomly selected from each site and the species of sandflies was identified according to morphological characteristics and molecular assays. Female sandflies originating from the same habitat were grouped into pools of 10 individuals. Leishmania infection was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) gene, and the prevalence of Leishmania infection was calculated in sandflies from different sampling sites using the minimum infection rate (MIR) method. In addition, positive amplicons were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Results A total of 6 155 sandflies were collected from different environments at sampling sites across the six aforementioned regions from July 2023 to July 2024. Phlebotomus chinensis (96.00%) was the dominant sandfly species in Mentougou District, Beijing Municipality, with a small proportion of Ph. sergenti (4.00%), and only Ph. chinensis was found in Xiangning County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province. Ph. wui was the only sandfly species detected in Ejin Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Payzawat County, Kashgar City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Ph. caucasicus (97.70%) was the dominant sandfly species in Karamay District, Karamay City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with a small proportion of Ph. wui (2.30%), while Ph. alexandri was the only species in Gaochang District, Turpan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. A total of 40, 60, 34, 18, 18, and 22 pools of sandfly samples were tested from Mentougou District in Beijing Municipality, Xiangning County in Linfen City of Shanxi Province, Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Payzawat County in Kashgar City, Karamay District in Karamay City, and Gaochang District in Turpan City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, respectively. L. infantum was detected in Ph. chinensis samples from Mentougou District in Beijing Municipality, and Xiangning County of Linfen City in Shanxi Province, with MIR of 0.25% to 1.00%, and L. donovani was detected in Ph. wui from Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Payzawat County in Kashgar City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with MIR of 0.56% to 0.88%; however, no Leishmania infection was detected in Ph. caucasicus from Karamay District in Karamay City or Ph. alexandri from Gaochang District in Turpan City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Leishmania ITS-1 gene sequences obtained from Mentougou District in Beijing Municipality and Xiangning County in Linfen City of Shanxi Province were clustered into the same clade with the reference sequences of L. infantum ITS-1 gene, while the Leishmania ITS-1 gene sequences obtained from Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Payzawat County in Kashgar City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were clustered into the same clade with the reference sequences of L. donovani ITS-1 gene. Conclusions There are variations in sandfly species in selected areas of northern and northwestern China, and variations in the species of Leishmania infecting sandflies. Improved surveillance of sandfly vectors and targeted control strategies with adaptations to geographical features and leishmaniasis vectors are recommended.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of Bushen huoxue formula in improving pregnancy outcomes in mice with antiphospholipid antibody-related recurrent spontaneous abortion （aPL-RSA）. METHODS SPF female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal control group， adjuvant control group， model group， and Bushen huoxue formula group. The aPL-RSA mouse model was established by immunization with β 2 glycoproteinⅠcombined with Freund’s adjuvant. From gestational day 0， the Bushen huoxue formula group was administered 1.653 6 g/（kg·d） of the prescription by gavage， while the other three groups received an equal volume of normal saline， twice daily for 15 consecutive days. The uterine appearance of pregnant mice was observed； individual embryo weight was recorded， and the embryo resorption rate was calculated. The proportion of activated CD41 + CD62p + platelets in platelet-rich plasma （PRP） was detected. Serum levels of thromboxane B2 （TXB2） and platelet factor 4 （PF4） were measured. Morphological changes of placental tissue were observed. The cell apoptosis rate of placental tissue was detected. The levels of malondialdehyde （MDA） content， tot al superoxide dismutase （T-SOD） activity， the interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and IL-18， the protein expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-3 （MMP-3）， MMP-9， nuclear proliferation antigen-67 （Ki67）， superoxide dismutase 2 （SOD2）， Nod-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD （ASC）， and caspase-1， as well as the mRNA expressions of superoxide dismutase 2（SOD2）， NLRP3， ASC and caspase-1 of placental tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with the normal control group and adjuvant control group， the model group showed significant decreases in individual embryo weight， T-SOD activity of placental tissue， and relative expression levels of SOD2 mRNA and protein （ P ＜0.05）； while significant increases were observed in embryo resorption rate， proportion of activated CD41 + CD62p + platelets in PRP， serum levels of TXB2 and PF4， placental cell apoptosis rate， MDA content in placental tissue， relative protein expressions of MMP-3， MMP-9 and Ki67， relative protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3， ASC and caspase-1 as well as IL-1β and IL-18 levels （ P ＜0.05）. The model group also exhibited irregular uterine morphology with localized atrophy in some uterine horns； placental tissue showed fragmentation of decidual cells， extensive vacuolization and necrosis of trophoblast cells in the labyrinthine zone， accompanied by vascular reduction. After intervention with Bushen huoxue formula， the above indicators were significantly reversed （ P ＜0.05）， and uterine morphology and pathological damage were markedly improved. CONCLUSIONS Bushen huoxue formula can effectively improve pregnancy outcomes in aPL-RSA model mice， and its mechanism may be closely related to inhibiting platelet activation， reducing oxidative stress injury， enhancing trophoblast cell function， and suppressing the inflammatory response mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the distribution patterns of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in patients with chronic hepatitis B （CHB） comorbid with metabolically associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） and analyze their correlation with clinical characteristics and the progression of liver fibrosis. MethodsA cross-sectional study method was employed， and 506 patients with CHB comorbid with MAFLD who attended the Hepatology Outpatient Department of Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu from June 2024 to December 2024 were enrolled. General information， traditional Chinese medicine syndromes information， laboratory indicators， and imaging examination results were collected using case report forms （CRF）. Tongue images of patients were acquired using a tongue diagnosis instrument， and tongue feature parameters were extracted using computer image processing technology. Frequency analysis， factor analysis， and cluster analysis， and other methods were used to explore syndrome categories and distribution patterns. Non-parametric tests were used to compare the differences in clinical characteristics among different syndromes. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the correlation between traditional Chinese medicine syndromes and the progression of liver fibrosis. ResultsThe main traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in patients with CHB comorbid with MAFLD were mainly dominated by damp-heat accumulation syndrome， liver stagnation and spleen deficiency syndrome， and phlegm-blood stasis syndrome， with damp-heat accumulation syndrome accounting for the highest proportion （41.89%）. Compared with those without damp-heat accumulation syndrome， patients with damp-heat accumulation syndrome had significantly lower tongue proper H value， tongue coating H value， and tongue coating a^* value （P<0.05）， significantly higher tongue coating b^* value （P<0.05）， significantly increased levels of white blood cell （WBC）， red blood cell （RBC）， hemoglobin （HGB）， and glucose （GLU）， increased CAP values （P<0.05）， a higher proportion of males （P<0.05）， and a younger age （P<0.05）. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses show that age， hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg）， diabetes， and damp-heat accumulation syndrome are independent risk factors for liver fibrosis （P<0.05）， and that damp-heat accumulation syndrome is predominantly distributed in liver fibrosis stage F0-F1. ConclusionDamp-heat accumulation syndrome is a typical syndrome in patients with CHB comorbid with MAFLD， which is significantly associated with enhanced inflammatory response， metabolic disorders， and early liver fibrosis， and is a key link in disease progression. Clinical attention and early intervention are needed.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism through which Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang ameliorates cognitive impairment in epileptic rats induced by lithium chloride-pilocarpine by regulating the neuroinflammatory reaction mediated by NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasomes. MethodsSixty male SD rats were randomly allocated into blank， model， carbamazepine （0.125 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang （1.04 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and carbamazepine （0.125 g·kg^-1·d^-1） + Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang （1.04 g·kg^-1·d^-1） groups （n=12）. After the modeling of epilepsy， rats were administrated with corresponding agents by gavage for 12 weeks. At the 6th and 12th week of the intervention， the rats’ hyper-excited behavior was evaluated by the stylus experiment， and at the 12^th week of intervention， the cognitive function was evaluated by Barnes maze. At the same time， the seizure frequency and severity grade （Racine score） were recorded. The serum and hippocampus tissue samples were collected after anesthesia for the following tests. Nissl staining was used to evaluate the degree of neuronal damage in the hippocampal CA1 area. The content of malondialdehyde （MDA） in the hippocampus was determined by the thiobarbituric acid （TBA） method. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-18 （IL-18） were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Immunohistochemical method was adopted to detect the expression of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a card （ASC） in the hippocampus. Western blot was employed to quantitatively analyze the protein levels of NLRP3， cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 （Caspase-1）， and brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） in the hippocampus. ResultsThe model group showed increased stylus scores at the 6th and 12^th week after modeling， a decreased Barnes maze strategy score at the 12^th week， a prolonged incubation period （P<0.05）， elevated serum levels of inflammatory factors （P<0.05）， decreased neurons with scattered arrangement and large gaps in the hippocampus， increased content of MDA in the hippocampus （P<0.05）， an increased positive expression of ASC， and up-regulated protein levels of Caspase-1， NLRP3， and BDNF （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the intervention with Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang for 12 weeks was accompanied by a decreased stylus score， epileptic seizures with a decreased score， a decreased number， and shortened duration， an increased Barnes maze strategy score， shortened escape latency （P<0.01）， declined serum levels of inflammatory factors （P<0.05）， regular morphology of hippocampal neurons， reduced MDA content in the hippocampus （P<0.05）， a decreased positive expression of ASC， and down-regulated protein levels of Caspase-1， NLRP3， and BDNF （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， compared with the carbamazepine group， Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang + carbamazepine showed improved performance in controlling the seizure， improved the cognitive behavior score and morphology of hippocampal neurons， alleviated the oxidative stress products， lowered the levels of inflammatory factors， reduced the positive expression of ASC in the hippocampus， and down-regulated the expression of Caspase-1， NLRP3 and BDNF， with no significant differences. ConclusionBanxia Baizhu Tianmatang may reduce neuroinflammation， control epileptic seizures， and ameliorate cognitive impairment by inhibiting the expression of NLRP3 inflammasomes.

Objective: To explore the regulatory role of paternal involvement in parenting in the association between parental adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and autism like behavioral problems in children aged 3-6, so as to provide a basis for intervention strategies targeting the intergenerational health effects of ACEs. Methods: A longitudinal study design was used to select 1 780 children aged 3-6 from 12 kindergartens in Wuhu City, Anhui Province in June 2021 as the subjects of the baseline survey by convenient sampling, and the follow up surveys were conducted once every six months, for a total of two follow ups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the association of parental ACEs and paternal involvement in parenting with autism like behavioral problems in children. A binary Logistic regression model was used to explore the association between parental ACEs and autism like behavioral problems in children. Based on stratification, the potential role of paternal involvement in the association between parental ACEs and autism like behavioral problems in children aged 3-6 was explored. Results: Autism like behavioral problem score in children aged 3-6 was positively correlated with the total score ACEs of parents as well as scores of emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, community violence, peer bullying, and family dysfunction( r =0.18,0.16,0.18,0.14,0.06,0.05,0.12,0.18,0.09,all P <0.05). Autism like behavioral problem score in children was negatively correlated with score of paternal involvement in parenting( r =-0.16, P <0.01). After adjusting for covariates such as gender, age, and birth weight of children, binary Logistic regression analysis showed that children whose parents had experiences of childhood emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, community violence, peer bullying, or family dysfunction had higher risks of developing autism like behavioral problems than those in the non exposed group ( OR =3.29, 3.28, 6.71, 2.34, 4.08, 2.02, all P <0.01). In the group with low paternal involvement in parenting, all dimensions of parental ACEs(emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, community violence, peer bullying, and family dysfunction) were significantly associated with an increased risk of autism like behavioral problems in children ( OR =1.84-8.34, all P <0.05). In contrast, in the group with high paternal involvement in parenting, no statistically significant associations were found between any dimension of parental ACEs and children s autism like behavioral problems ( OR =0.57-1.82, all P >0.05). Conclusion A high level of paternal involvement in parenting can reduce the adverse effects of parental ACEs on the occurrence of autism like behaviors in preschool children.

Objective To investigate the causes and management strategies for lower limb ischemic necrosis following xenogeneic heterotopic heart transplantation from a multigene-edited pig to a rhesus monkey. Methods A xenogeneic heterotopic heart transplantation was performed on December 16, 2023, at the Institute of Experimental Animals of Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, using a quintuple-gene-edited pig as the donor and a rhesus monkey as the recipient. On postoperative day (POD) 9, the recipient monkey underwent left lower limb amputation due to ischemic necrosis. Blood samples were collected at various time points after transplantation for analysis of hematologic parameters, liver and renal function, myocardial enzymes, and coagulation profiles. Ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) were used to evaluate anastomotic patency and cardiac structure. Immunological assays, including complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and IgG/IgM antibody detection, combined with clinical observations, were employed to assess rejection type and therapeutic response. Results The recipient monkey survived for 46 days after transplantation. Echocardiography demonstrated preserved biventricular systolic function in the recipient’s native heart, with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) consistently exceeding 50%. In the donor pig heart, left ventricular endocardial thickening was noted on POD 9, followed by right ventricular endocardial thickening on POD 24, while LVEF remained around 35%. No hyperacute or acute rejection was detected immunologically. CDC positivity ranged between 3.4% and 5.1%, with IgG/IgM antibody binding trends consistent with CDC results. Following amputation, the recipient exhibited elevated inflammatory markers, coagulopathy, and reactive thrombocytosis, which later normalized. Immunohistochemical staining of the necrotic limb revealed arterial and venous thrombosis; however, no T-cell or B-cell infiltration was observed in vascular structures, thrombi, nerves, muscles, fascia, or skin tissues, with CD3 and CD20 staining both negative. Conclusion Limb ischemia after xenogeneic heart transplantation may be associated with lower extremity vascular thrombosis triggered by local trauma in the context of transplantation-induced inflammatory activation and coagulation dysfunction. While no clear lymphocyte-mediated rejection was observed, further studies are needed to explore the potential role of non-lymphocyte-mediated immune mechanisms.

Medical artificial intelligence （AI） is a new type of application formed by the combination of machine learning， computer vision， natural language processing， and other technologies with clinical medical treatment. With the continuous iteration and development of relevant technologies， medical AI has shown great potential in improving the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment， and service quality， but it also increases the possibility of triggering ethical issues. Ethical issues resulting from the clinical application of medical AI were analyzed， including the lack of algorithmic interpretability and transparency of medical AI， leading to information asymmetry and cognitive discrepancies； the concerning status of security and privacy protection of medical data； and the complex and unclear division of responsibilities due to the collaborative participation of multiple subjects in the clinical application of medical AI， resulting in increased difficulty in the identification of medical accidents and clarification of responsibilities. The paper proposed the principles of not harming patients’ interests， physician’s subjectivity， fairness and inclusiveness， and rapid response. It also explored the strategies and implementation paths for responding to the ethical issues of medical AI from multiple perspectives， including standardizing the environment and processes， clarifying responsibility attribution， continuously assessing the impact of data protection， guaranteeing data security， ensuring model transparency and interpretability， carrying out multi-subject collaboration， as well as the principles of being driven by ethical values and adhering to the “human health-centeredness.” It aimed to provide guidance for the healthy development of medical AI， ensuring technological progress while effectively managing and mitigating accompanying ethical risks， thereby promoting the benign development of medical AI technology and better serving the healthcare industry and patients.

Objective To analyze the causal relationship between immune cell phenotype and gastric cancer. Methods Bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to select 731 genetic variants involving immune cell phenotypes from the GWAS dataset as instrumental variables. Inverse-variance weighting method (IVW), weighted median method (WM), and MR-Egger regression were used for sensitivity analysis. Cochran Q test, MR-Egger regression, MR-PRESSO method, and remain-one method were also conducted. Results Changes in the absolute count of IgD+ B cells and CD14-CD16- cells were significantly associated with the risk of gastric cancer. A lower proportion of IgD+ B cells was associated with a lower risk of gastric cancer (OR=0.86, 95%CI: 0.79-0.94), while an increased number of CD4-CD8-T cells was associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer (OR=1.2, 95%CI: 1.1-1.3). Conclusion A causal relationship exists between immune cell phenotype and the risk of gastric cancer. Changes in specific immune markers may regulate the development of gastric cancer by affecting the tumor microenvironment.