The gut microbiota is regarded as the "eighth organ" of the human body and plays a critical regulatory role in the occurrence and progression of various diseases. Ulcerative colitis （UC） is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with a complex etiology and a tendency toward recurrent episodes. In recent years， studies have shown that gut microbiota dysbiosis plays a key role in its pathological processes. Meanwhile， an increasing number of studies have demonstrated that imbalances in the gut microbiota and abnormalities in its metabolites are closely associated with the development of atrial fibrillation （AF）. Although UC and AF belong to diseases of the digestive system and cardiovascular system， respectively， both exhibit systemic inflammatory characteristics and are often accompanied by gut microbiota dysregulation and abnormal metabolic products. However， systematic investigations into the mechanisms by which gut microbiota-derived metabolites act in these two diseases remain limited. Based on this， the present study adopts literature review and theoretical analysis methods， taking the "gut microbiota-gut-heart" axis as the entry point， to systematically summarize the signaling networks of three key classes of metabolites， i.e.， short-chain fatty acids （SCFAs）， bile acids （BAs）， and trimethylamine N-oxide （TMAO）， in the comorbidity mechanism of UC and AF. The findings indicate that these metabolites may activate key inflammatory pathways， such as NF-κB and NLRP3， thereby synergistically mediating intestinal barrier dysfunction and systemic inflammation and constructing a potential comorbidity network. On this basis， potential intervention strategies for the treatment of UC-AF comorbidity， including probiotic intervention and fecal microbiota transplantation， are further discussed. This study aims to provide new theoretical evidence and research perspectives for prevention and treatment strategies of cross-system diseases.

AIM: To detect the distribution and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in radiation retinopathy(RR)through fluorescence targeted imaging.METHODS:Covalent binding of fluorescein FITC with VEGF antibody ranibizumab to prepare targeted fluorescent imaging probe ranibizumab-FITC. SD rats were randomly divided into three groups based on the principle of weight balance: a normal control group(Con group), a low-dose radiation group(10 Gy group), and a high-dose radiation group(30 Gy group). Medical linear accelerators and lead blocks were used to locally irradiate the rat eyeballs for modeling. Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to detect the expression levels of VEGF-A in each group and to screen for appropriate modeling dose. The inverted fluorescence microscope and the confocal microscope were used to observe the distribution of VEGF and imaging probes in the retinas of control and RR model group rats, and to verify the effectiveness of targeted probes.RESULTS:The expression level of VEGF-A in the retina of rats in the high-dose radiation group(30 Gy group)was higher than that in the normal control group(Con group). In early RR, VEGF expression was observed to be associated with microaneurysms and abnormal microvessels in the retina. VEGF accumulation was observed at the site of capillary wall damage. When retinal capillary endothelial damage occurred, targeted probes gathered on the outer surface of the vessel wall.CONCLUSION:The expression level of VEGF in the retina of RR model rats is elevated, and fluorescent targeted molecular imaging probes can detect the spatial distribution of VEGF at the microvascular lesions in the retina of RR rats.

This paper proposes a two-stage method integrating visual foundation models （VFM） and diffusion models. The segment anything model （SAM） as VFM is combined with the SegRefiner diffusion model to construct the SAM-SegRefiner framework for automated segmentation of edema， inflammation， and thrombus regions in histopathological images of hemorrhoidal tissue， providing a reproducible technical tool for the objective quantification of pathological morphology and its application in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome research. Trained and validated on multi-center retrospective data， the SAM-SegRefiner model achieved an average pixel accuracy of 95.32% and a mean intersection over union （mIoU） of 66.81% on an independent test set， significantly outperfor-ming comparative models such as U-Net， MixU-Net， and SAM-Med2D， and also demonstrating robust cross-center generalization capability. Furthermore， by correlating the quantitatively segmented results from the model with the patients' TCM syndrome types， the potential associations between pathomorphological features and TCM syndrome differentiation have been explored. The analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in the degree of inflammatory infiltration and thrombus formation among different syndrome types， suggesting a complex relationship between local pathological changes and systemic syndrome manifestations.

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and safety of tildrakizumab versus secukinumab in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on 141 patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanyang Medical College from January 2024 to April 2025. According to the treatment regimen，the patients were divided into tildrakizumab g roup （ n ＝61） and secukinumab group （ n ＝80）. The PASI 75，PASI 90，and PASI 100 response rates， the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index （PASI） and Dermatology Life Quality Index （DLQI） scores， skin barrier function （sebum content and stratum corneum water content）， inflammatory factor levels [interleukin-17 （IL-17）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and IL-23 ] before and after treatment， and the incidence of adverse drug reactions during treatment were compared between the two groups. RESULTS After 12 weeks of treatment， the PASI 75， PASI 90， and PASI 100 response rates in the tildrakizumab group were significantly higher than those in the secukinumab group （ P ＜0.05）. After treatment， PASI and DLQI scores as well as serum levels of IL-17， TNF-α， and IL-23 in both groups were significantly reduced compared to before treatment in the same group； sebum content and stratum corneum water content were significantly increased compared to before treatment in the same group （ P ＜0.05）； the tildrakizumab group showed better results than the secukinumab group （ P ＜0.05）. The overall incidence of adverse drug reactions was also significantly lower in the tildrakizumab group compared with the secukinumab group （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Compared with secukinumab， tildrakizumab demonstrates superior efficacy in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis， providing improved symptom relief， enhanced skin barrier function， reduced levels of inflammatory factors， and higher safety.

BACKGROUND:Gradient artificial bone repair scaffolds can mimic unique anatomical features in musculoskeletal tissues,showing great potential for repairing injured musculoskeletal tissues. OBJECTIVE:To review the latest research advances in gradient artificial bone repair scaffolds for tissue engineering in the musculoskeletal system and describe their advantages and fabrication strategies. METHODS:The first author of the article searched the Web of Science and PubMed databases for articles published from 2000 to 2023 with search terms"gradient,bone regeneration,scaffold".Finally,76 papers were analyzed and summarized after the screening. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)As an important means of efficient and high-quality repair of skeletal system tissues,gradient artificial bone repair scaffolds are currently designed bionically for the natural gradient characteristics of bone tissue,bone-cartilage,and tendon-bone tissue.These scaffolds can mimic the extracellular matrix of native tissues to a certain extent in terms of structure and composition,thus promoting cell adhesion,migration,proliferation,differentiation,and regenerative recovery of damaged tissues to their native state.(2)Advanced manufacturing technology provides more possibilities for gradient artificial bone repair scaffold preparation:Gradient electrospun fiber scaffolds constructed by spatially differentiated fiber arrangement and loading of biologically active substances have been developed;gradient 3D printed scaffolds fabricated by layered stacking,graded porosity,and bio-3D printing technology;gradient hydrogel scaffolds fabricated by in-situ layered injections,simple layer-by-layer stacking,and freeze-drying method;and in addition,there are also scaffolds made by other modalities or multi-method coupling.These scaffolds have demonstrated good biocompatibility in vitro experiments,were able to accelerate tissue regeneration in small animal tests,and were observed to have significantly improved histological structure.(3)The currently developed gradient artificial bone repair scaffolds have problems such as mismatch of gradient scales,unclear material-tissue interactions,and side effects caused by degradation products,which need to be further optimized by combining the strengths of related disciplines and clinical needs in the future.

[Objective] To investigate the infection status and characteristics of HEV among voluntary blood donors in Ningbo, and to provide a basis for improving the blood screening strategy. [Methods] A total of 12 227 blood samples from voluntary blood donors in Ningbo from June 2022 to May 2023 were tested for HEV serology, enzymology, and nucleic acid testing. Furthermore, HEV gene sequencing was performed for genotyping analysis, and donors with reactive nucleic acid testing results were followed up to confirm their infection status. [Results] The reactivity rate of HEV Ag, anti-HEV IgM and anti-HEV IgG was 0.098%, 0.899% and 29.198%, respectively. There was no difference in the reactivity of anti-HEV IgM and anti-HEV IgG between genders, donation frequencies and donation types (P>0.05). The reactivity rate increased significantly with age (P<0.05). The rate of ALT disqualification (ALT>50U/L) was significantly higher than that in non-reactive samples (P<0.05). The HEV Ag reactivity rate (0.098%) was not correlated with gender, donation frequency, donation type or age. One HEV RNA positive case was found, with a positive rate of 0.008%(1/12 227). It was confirmed to be hepatitis E virus genotype 3 by sequencing analysis. Apart from HEV Ag reactivity, all other blood safety screening items were non-reactive, suggesting this case might be in the acute infection phase. The follow-up results showed that all indicators of the donor's previous blood donation were non-reactive. [Conclusion] Pre-donation ALT detection can reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted HEV (TT-HEV) to a certain extent, and the effective way to prevent TT-HEV is to detect HEV RNA and serology of donor blood.

OBJECTIVE To optimize the management model of drugs used in investigator-initiated trial （IIT）. METHODS With benchmarking analysis， based on the practical work experience of a tertiary specialized hospital in the field of IIT drug management in Shanghai， a thorough review was conducted， involving relevant laws， regulations， and academic literature to establish benchmark criteria and the evaluation standards. Starting from the initiation of IIT projects， a detailed comparative analysis of key processes was carried out， such as the receipt， storage， distribution， use and recycling of drugs for trial. The deficiencies in the current management of IIT drugs were reviewed in detail and a series of optimization suggestions were put forward. RESULTS It was found that the authorized records of drug management were missing， the training before project implementation was insufficient， and the records of receipt and acceptance of IIT drugs were incomplete. In light of these existing problems， improvement measures were put forward， including strengthening the training of drug administrators and stipulating that only drug administrators with pharmacist qualifications be eligible to inspect and accept drugs， etc. The related systems were improved， and 17 key points of quality control for the management of IIT drugs were developed. CONCLUSIONS A preliminary IIT drug management system for medical institutions has been established， which helps to improve the institutional X2023076） framework of medical institutions in this field.

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of Wenyang Shengji Ointment （温阳生肌膏， WSO） in the treatment of diabetic wounds with yin syndrome. MethodsA total of 24 SD rats were randomly divided into a group （n=6） and modeling group （n=18）. The modeling group rats were fed with high-fat diet for 14 days and then were injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin to induce diabetic model. After steroid injection， full-thickness skin defects were created on the back of the rats to establish a diabetic wound with yin syndrome model. The normal group was fed with regular diet， and full-thickness skin defects were created surgically on the back of the rats. The 18 successfully modeled rats were further divided into three groups， the model group， the WSO group， and the Beifuxin （Recombinant Bovine Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Gel， BX） group， 6 rats in each group. The WSO group was given the ointment to the wound， the Beifuxin group was givne BX gel， and the normal group and model group was disinfected and treated with saline. All groups had their dressings changed once daily for 14 days. Wound healing was recorded on days 0， 3， 7， and 14， and the wound healing rate was calculated on day 3， 7， and 14. On day 14 after treatment， HE staining was performed to observe the pathological morphology of the wound tissue. Western Blot was used to detect the relative protein levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha （HIF-1α） and vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）. Immunofluorescence was used to measure the fluorescence intensity of HIF-1α in the wound tissue， and ELISA was used to detect the methylglyoxal （MGO） content in the wound tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed poor wound healing on day 3， 7， and 14， with a low wound healing rate （P＜0.01）. HE staining showed scab coverage on the wound， with inflammatory cell infiltration and disorganized collagen arrangement. The relative protein levels of VEGF were significantly reduced， while the relative protein levels of HIF-1α and the MGO content significantly increased （P＜0.01）， and the fluorescence intensity of HIF-1α was enhanced. Compared to the model group， the WSO group and Beifuxin group showed better wound healing on day 3， 7， and 14， with an increased wound healing rate （P＜0.01）. The wound tissue showed clear and complete epithelial structure， reduced inflammatory cells， mature granulation tissue， and organized collagen arrangement. MGO content was significantly reduced （P＜0.01）. The relative protein levels of HIF-1α and VEGF both significantly increased in the WSO group， while only VEGF increased in the Beifuxin group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the Beifuxin group， the WSO group had a thicker epidermal layer， prominent collagen formation， significantly increased HIF-1α fluorescence expression， reduced MGO content in the wound tissue， and higher relative protein levels of HIF-1α （P＜0.05）. ConclusionWSO can reduce the accumulation of MGO in diabetic wound tissue with yin syndrome and activate the HIF-1α/VEGF pathway， which could be one of the mechanisms for promoting wound healing.

Objective Based on the radiomics features extracted from the unenhanced CT images of the lower abdomen, a variety of machine learning models were constructed to explore their application value in the assessment of split renal function. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the unenhanced CT images from 240 single kidneys in patients with clinically suspected renal dysfunction. Based on the results of single-photon emission computed tomography renal dynamic imaging, the cases were classified into the normal glomerular filtration rate group (n=118) and the decreased glomerular filtration rate group (n=122). The region of interest was outlined on the unenhanced CT images and the radiomics features were extracted. The features were selected by correlation analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and the machine learning models were constructed based on the algorithms of decision tree, support vector machine, random forest, logistic regression, and extreme gradient boosting. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated to compare the performance of different models. Results Sixteen radiomics features were selected for constructing the machine learning models. The support vector machine model showed relatively high performance for the assessment of split renal function on the test set, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value of 0.883 (95% confidence interval: 0.804-0.961), an accuracy of 0.778, a sensitivity of 0.811, and a specificity of 0.743. Conclusion The machine learning models constructed based on unenhanced CT radiomics can be used to preliminarily assess split renal function, which provides an innovative, convenient, and safe method for clinical diagnosis and has positive significance for treatment.

AIM:To compare the efficacy and safety of early combination therapy with ranibizumab and dexamethasone intravitreal implants versus ranibizumab monotherapy for the treatment of macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion(RVO-ME).METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on a total of 62 cases(64 eyes)of patients who were first diagnosed with RVO-ME at the Eye Centre of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University between February 2022 and February 2023. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the different treatment regimens: 32 cases(34 eyes)in the monotherapy group received only ranibizumab [3+pro re nata(PRN)regimen], and 30 cases(30 eyes)in the combination therapy group were injected with ranibizumab once first, followed by dexamethasone intravitreal implant 3 wk later(1+DEX regimen). The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), central retina thickness(CRT), foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area, macular vascular density(MVD)at the level of the deep vascular complex(DVC)of the retina, the incidence of ocular adverse effects, the number of drug injections, and the total cost between the two groups were compared before and after treatment.RESULTS: At 3 wk, 3 and 6 mo, and at the final follow-up of the two groups of patients, the improvement in BCVA, CRT, and MVD in the DVC layer was significantly better than that before treatment(all P<0.05); there were differences in the comparisons of BCVA and CRT between the two groups at 6 mo and the final follow-up(all P<0.05), and the increase in the number of letters of BCVA was the most pronounced in the combination therapy group at 6 mo of treatment. Statistical significant difference was observed in the comparison of MVD in the DVC layer between the two groups at 3 and 6 mo after treatment and at the final follow-up(all P<0.05). However, no significant change in FAZ area was evident before and after treatment in both groups(P>0.05). The combination therapy group exhibited a reduced number of injections and total cost in comparison to the monotherapy group. The combination therapy group exhibited a slightly higher incidence of high intraocular pressure and cataract progression compared to the monotherapy group, with no statistical significant difference(all P>0.05). Furthermore, no serious adverse events were observed in either group following treatment.CONCLUSION:Compared with ranibizumab alone, ranibizumab combined with dexamethasone intravitreal implant significantly improved vision, reduced macular edema, and lowered the frequency of injections and total treatment cost in patients with RVO-ME. CRT and MVD in the DVC layer are reliable prognostic indicators for patients with RVO-ME.